wn woods met the sea.

Down the wide track leading to this glen she walked, with head rigidly
erect and with resolutely set lips, while Milbanke followed. Now that
the immediate need for his protection had been removed, his mind
involuntarily reverted to his earlier and more tumultuous thoughts.
With a strange, half-timid excitement, he acknowledged the personal
element in his surroundings, and exulted with a certain tremulous joy
in the keen air that blew inland from the sea; in the pleasant earthy
smell of the moss that clothed the rough stones of the boundary wall
skirting the path; in the promise of spring, suggested by the hardy
green of the wild violet plants clustering at the roots of the beech
trees. And with his eyes fixed upon Clodagh's slim black figure, he
walked forward in a vaguely intoxicating dream.

For the full course of the path she went on steadily; but reaching the
glen, she paused; and there, as if by a pre-arrangement of destiny,
Milbanke overtook her.

With a quiet, unostentatious movement he stepped to her side, and stood
looking upon the scene that spread before them.

The view was not imposing, but it was beautiful with the brooding,
solemn beauty that emanates from Ireland. Upon one hand, the sea
stretched away green, invincible, and cold as it so often looks in
early spring; upon the other, the woods lay a mass of leafless,
interlacing boughs that formed a clean, brown silhouette against the
grey sky; while directly in front, the first undulation of the rugged
Orristown cliffs stood up, an impregnable rampart against the outer
world.

For a long silent moment Clodagh surveyed the picture; then with one of
the impulsive, unstudied gestures that were so characteristic of her,
she looked round; and for the first time since they had left the house,
her eyes rested on Milbanke's face.

"You are very kind to me," she said suddenly. "Why are you so kind?"

The words, spoken with complete ingenuousness, came at a singularly
appropriate moment. To Milbanke, nervously conscious of his own
emotions, they seemed inspired. With a quick, unsteady gesture he
wheeled round, and putting out his hand, caught hers.

"It--it is easy to be kind to some people," he said, almost
inarticulately.

Clodagh looked at him in some surprise; but it did not occur to her to
withdraw her hand. She stood perfectly calm and unembarrassed; and
presently, as he made no attempt at further speech, her glance wandered