aw she had observed him.

She passed on; a minute later a sharp bend in the path took her figure
out of his sight. He looked after her for a moment, as though hesitating
whether he would not follow her. Then he seemed to give up the idea; he
returned to his sketch.

Margaret, meanwhile, walking rapidly along the path on the other side of
the bend, came upon some one--Garda.

"Garda! you here?" she said, stopping abruptly.

"I might rather say _you_ here," answered Garda. "I thought you were out
on the barren." She spoke in her usual tone.

"I didn't go far on the barren," Margaret answered; "I met one of the
boys and gave him the vial, then I came round this way for a walk. But
it's late now, we must both go home."

Garda gave a long sigh, which, however, ended in a smile. "Oh _dear_!
it's too bad I've met you at this moment of all others, for of course
now I shall have to tell you, and you'll be sure to be vexed. I'm not
going home, I'm going over to Madam Giron's to see Lucian."

Margaret looked at her, her eyes for one brief instant showed
uncertainty. But the uncertainty was immediately replaced by a decision:
no, it was, it must be, that this girl did not in the least realize what
she was doing. "It is foolish to go, Garda," she said at last, putting
some ridicule into her tone; "Lucian has said good-by to you, he doesn't
want to see you again."

Garda did not assert the contrary. And she remained perfectly unmoved by
the ridicule. "But _I_ want to see him," she explained.

"We can send for him, then--though he will laugh at you; there is plenty
of time to send."

"No," replied Garda. "For I want to see him by myself, and that I
couldn't do at the house; there'd be sure to be somebody about; you
yourself wouldn't be very far off, I reckon. No, I've thought it all
over, and I would rather see him at Madam Giron's."

"Absurd! You cannot have anything of the least importance to say to
him," said Margaret, still temporizing. She took the girl's hand and
drew it through her arm.

"Oh, the important thing, of course, is to _see_ him," answered Garda.

Winthrop was so far from the path that the low sound of their voices,
speaking their usual tones, could not reach him. But the bend was near;
let Garda once pass it, and he would see her plainly; he would not only
see her pass through the wood, but, from where he sat, he commanded the
field which she would have to cross to reach Madam Giron's. All this
pictu