t of Elgar's doings since they last met. The
conversation grew easier Reuben began to recover his natural voice, and
to lose disagreeable self-consciousness in the delight of hearing
Cecily and meeting her look. Had he known her better, he would have
observed that she spoke with unusual diffidence, that she was not quite
so self-possessed a. of wont, and that her manner was deficient in the
frank gaiety which as a rule made its great charm. Her tone softened
itself in questioning; she listened so attentively that, when he had
ceased speaking, her eyes always rose to his, as if she had expected
something further.

"Who is the young artist that lives here?" Elgar inquired. "I met him
at Pompeii, and to-day came upon him here in the courtyard. A slight,
rather boyish fellow."

"I think you mean Mr. Marsh," replied Cecily, smiling. "He has recently
been at Pompeii, I know."

"You are on friendly terms with him?"

"Not on _un_friendly," she answered, with amusement.

Elgar averted his face. Instantly the flow of his blood was again
turbid; he felt an inclination to fling out some ill-mannered remark.

"You must come in contact with all kinds of odd people in a place like
this."

"One or two are certainly odd," was the reply, in a gentle tone; "but
most of them are very pleasant to be with occasionally. Naturally we
see more of the Bradshaws than of any one else. There's a family named
Denyer--a lady with three daughters; I don't think you would dislike
them. Mr. Marsh is their intimate friend."

It was all but as though she pleaded against a mistaken judgment which
troubled her. To Mallard she had spoken of her fellow-boarders in quite
a different way, with merry though kindly criticism, or in the strain
of generous idealization which so often marked her language.

"Do you know anything of his work?" Elgar pursued.

"I have seen a few of his water-colour drawings."

"He showed you them?"

"No; one of the Miss Denyers did. He had given them to her"

"Oh!" He at once brightened. "And how did they strike you?"

"I'm sorry to say they didn't interest me much. But I have no right to
sit in judgment."

Elgar had the good taste to say nothing more on the subject. He let his
eyes rest on her down-turned face for a moment.

"You see a good deal of Miriam, I'm glad to hear."

"I am sometimes afraid I trouble her by going too often."

"Have no such fear. I wish you were living under the same roof with
her. No one