or this frank invitation. "I--I'll go along and tell her so."

As he walked towards her he kept his eye, somewhat furtively, on her,
though now she had turned her back again; and all he could make out was
that she had a very elegant figure; that she was tall--though not so
tall as her three sisters-in-law; and that her abundant brown hair was
short and curly and kept close to her head, almost like a boy's. Were
not her shoulders a trifle square-set for a woman?--but perhaps that
appearance was owing to her costume, for she wore a Norfolk jacket of
gray homespun that looked as if it could afford a good defence against
the weather. She was entirely in gray, in fact; for her short-skirted
dress was of the same material; and so also was the Tam o' Shanter,
adorned with salmon flies, that she wore on her shapely head of
golden-brown curls. Oh, yes, she looked sufficiently picturesque,
standing there against the glow of the western skies, with the long
salmon-rod in her right hand; but he was hardly prepared for what
followed. The moment that she heard him draw near, she wheeled round and
regarded him for a second--regarded him with a glance that rather
bewildered him by reason of its transparent honesty and directness. The
clear hazel eyes seemed to read him through and through, and yet not to
be aware of their own boldness; and he did not know why he was so glad
to hear that she had a soft and girlish voice, as she said,

"You are Mr. Moore. I am Lady Adela's sister--of course you know. Won't
you take my rod? There will be some shadow very soon, I think."

"Oh, certainly not--certainly not," said he. "But I should be delighted
if you would let me stay and look on; it would interest me quite as
much--every bit as much."

"Oh, stay by all means," said she, turning to look at the western sky.
"But I wish you would take my rod. What are they all about to let you
come wandering out alone, on the first day of your arrival?"

"Oh, that's quite right," said he, cheerfully. "Lady Adela and the young
ladies are all busy dressmaking."

"Ye may be getting ready, Miss Honnor," old Robert interposed. "There'll
be a cloud over the sun directly."

Thus admonished, the tall young fisher-maiden stepped down by the side
of a rock overhanging this wide, black-swirling pool, and proceeded to
get her tackle in order.

"You know I'll give you my rod whenever you like to take a turn," said
she, addressing Lionel even as she was getting the