o very busy.

"It is my loss," he answered. "But there is no reason why we should not
make the most of this chance meeting. There is my boat. Tie your horse
to a tree and allow me to scull you up the river."

"I have no time," Kathleen replied. "I must hurry home to Mrs. Quirk."

"Nonsense," he answered; "Mrs. Quirk can wait for once. You can't refuse
me the last favour I shall ever ask of you."

"I can and I will," Kathleen answered; then she added, with a laugh:
"You can find any number of girls only too willing to take my place."

"Undoubtedly, but I am a man of caprice. If I order turkey for dinner, I
will have turkey or nothing. To-day I intend that you shall do what I
ask. If you will do it gracefully, I shall accept it as a great favour;
if you refuse, I shall be compelled to insist."

Kathleen became frightened. She cast a glance at his face, careless and
bold, staring up into her own with an ardent admiration, and a second
glance around her. The place was lonely and unfrequented; only
occasionally did a farmer's cart or gig drive along the road. On the
further bank of the river a line of pine trees hid them from the distant
farm-houses. Under these circumstances it was wisest to temporise.

"If I accept, how long will you keep me?" she asked.

"That depends entirely on the amount of entertainment I find in your
society."

"Then I will accept. Will you kindly tie my horse to that tree?"

She dismounted quickly, refusing the help he offered her. Then she threw
the reins in to his hands. The nearest tree was some yards distant, and
she waited until Gerard had approached it. Then she suddenly made a run
towards the boat, and, unhitching the rope, stepped in, and pushed out
from the shore. Gerard, seeing what she had done, ran towards the river
with a loud curse.

Kathleen could row, and she put the oars in the rowlocks, and sat down
to scull. At the same moment Gerard sprang from the bank into the
stream, and began swimming towards the boat. Kathleen strained at the
oars, and little by little the distance between them increased, although
Gerard was a strong swimmer.

But there are sand-spits on the Grey, and on one of these the boat
stranded. With a loud shout, Gerard welcomed the fact, while he made
stronger exertions to gain the boat. Kathleen seized an oar, and stood
up, attempting to free the boat from the obstruction. The boat began to
yield to her exertions, but Gerard came nearer and nearer. Jus