could not help expecting every moment to
see some one run out with a wild face and announce some awful clearing up
of the mystery.

Every sound set her on the alert, and hearing the tread of a horse in the
lane she looked round eagerly. Gazing at her over the hedge was Festus
Derriman, mounted on such an incredibly tall animal that he could see to
her very feet over the thick and broad thorn fence. She no sooner
recognized him than she withdrew her glance; but as his eyes were fixed
steadily upon her this was a futile manoeuvre.

'I saw you look round!' he exclaimed crossly. 'What have I done to make
you behave like that? Come, Miss Garland, be fair. 'Tis no use to turn
your back upon me.' As she did not turn he went on--'Well, now, this is
enough to provoke a saint. Now I tell you what, Miss Garland; here I'll
stay till you do turn round, if 'tis all the afternoon. You know my
temper--what I say I mean.' He seated himself firmly in the saddle,
plucked some leaves from the hedge, and began humming a song, to show how
absolutely indifferent he was to the flight of time.

'What have you come for, that you are so anxious to see me?' inquired
Anne, when at last he had wearied her patience, rising and facing him
with the added independence which came from a sense of the hedge between
them.

'There, I knew you would turn round!' he said, his hot angry face invaded
by a smile in which his teeth showed like white hemmed in by red at
chess.

'What do you want, Mr. Derriman?' said she.

'"What do you want, Mr. Derriman?"--now listen to that! Is that my
encouragement?'

Anne bowed superciliously, and moved away.

'I have just heard news that explains all that,' said the giant, eyeing
her movements with somnolent irascibility. 'My uncle has been letting
things out. He was here late last night, and he saw you.'

'Indeed he didn't,' said Anne.

'O, now! He saw Trumpet-major Loveday courting somebody like you in that
garden walk; and when he came you ran indoors.'

'It is not true, and I wish to hear no more.'

'Upon my life, he said so! How can you do it, Miss Garland, when I, who
have enough money to buy up all the Lovedays, would gladly come to terms
with ye? What a simpleton you must be, to pass me over for him! There,
now you are angry because I said simpleton!--I didn't mean simpleton, I
meant misguided--misguided rosebud! That's it--run off,' he continued in
a raised voice, as Anne made towards t