of a few words at supper-time, at
which Mrs. Loveday nodded with satisfaction. But Anne took especial care
that he should never meet her alone, and to insure this her ingenuity was
in constant exercise. There were so many nooks and windings on the
miller's rambling premises that she could never be sure he would not turn
up within a foot of her, particularly as his thin shoes were almost
noiseless.

One fine afternoon she accompanied Molly in search of elderberries for
making the family wine which was drunk by Mrs. Loveday, Anne, and anybody
who could not stand the rougher and stronger liquors provided by the
miller. After walking rather a long distance over the down they came to
a grassy hollow, where elder-bushes in knots of twos and threes rose from
an uneven bank and hung their heads towards the south, black and heavy
with bunches of fruit. The charm of fruit-gathering to girls is enhanced
in the case of elderberries by the inoffensive softness of the leaves,
boughs, and bark, which makes getting into the branches easy and pleasant
to the most indifferent climbers. Anne and Molly had soon gathered a
basketful, and sending the servant home with it, Anne remained in the
bush picking and throwing down bunch by bunch upon the grass. She was so
absorbed in her occupation of pulling the twigs towards her, and the
rustling of their leaves so filled her ears, that it was a great surprise
when, on turning her head, she perceived a similar movement to her own
among the boughs of the adjoining bush.

At first she thought they were disturbed by being partly in contact with
the boughs of her bush; but in a moment Robert Loveday's face peered from
them, at a distance of about a yard from her own. Anne uttered a little
indignant 'Well!' recovered herself, and went on plucking. Bob thereupon
went on plucking likewise.

'I am picking elderberries for your mother,' said the lieutenant at last,
humbly.

'So I see.'

'And I happen to have come to the next bush to yours.'

'So I see; but not the reason why.'

Anne was now in the westernmost branches of the bush, and Bob had leant
across into the eastern branches of his. In gathering he swayed towards
her, back again, forward again.

'I beg pardon,' he said, when a further swing than usual had taken him
almost in contact with her.

'Then why do you do it?'

'The wind rocks the bough, and the bough rocks me.' She expressed by a
look her opinion of this statement in t