's house. Her father's library was quite
unexhausted still, its volumes took so long to read and needed so much
thinking over; and now she was deep in a treatise more solid and less
attractive than most young women are willing to read. It carried her
out of the round of daily duties and took her away from Pleasant Valley
altogether, and so was a great refreshment. Besides, Diana liked
thinking.

Once or twice a creak of a farm waggon was heard along the road; it was
too well known a sound to awake her attention; then came a sound far
less common--the sharp trot of a horse moving without wheels behind
him. Diana started instantly and went to a window that commanded the
road. The sound ceased, but she saw why; the rider had reined in his
steed and was walking slowly past; the same rider she had expected to
see, with the dark uniform and the soldier's cap. He looked hard at
the place; could he be stopping? The next moment Diana had flown back
to her own room, had dropped the dress which was half off, and was
arraying herself in a fresh print; and she was down-stairs almost as
soon as the visitor knocked. Diana opened the door. She knew Mrs.
Starling was deep in supper preparations, mingled with provisions for
the next day's lunches.

Uniforms have a great effect, to eyes unaccustomed to them. How Lieut.
Knowlton came to be wearing his uniform in the country, so far away
from any post, I don't know; perhaps he did. He _said_, that he had
nothing else he liked for riding in. But a blue frock, with gold bars
across the shoulders and military buttons, is more graceful than a
frieze coat. And it was a gracious, graceful head that was bared at the
sight of the door-opener.

"You see," he said with a smile, "I couldn't go by! The other day I was
your pensioner, in kindness. Now I want to come in my own character, if
you'll let me."

"Is it different from the character I saw the other day?" said Diana,
as she led the way into the parlour.

"You did not see my character the other day, did you?"

"I saw what you showed me!"

He laughed, and then laughed again; looking a little surprised, a good
deal amused.

"I would give a great deal to know what you thought of me."

"Why would you?" Diana said, quite quietly.

"That I might correct your mistakes, of course."

"Suppose I made any mistakes," said Diana, "you could only tell me that
you thought differently. I don't see that I should be much wiser."

"I find I made a m