ell
had not commenced.

A little farther on, I came face to face with Miss Darrell; she was
walking with Mr. Tudor, and seemed talking to him with much animation.

She bowed slightly, as he took off his hat to me, in a graceful well-bred
manner, but her face prepossessed me even less than it had done in the
morning. She had keen, dark eyes like Mr. Hamilton's, only they somehow
repelled me. I was somewhat quick with my likes and dislikes, as I had
proved by the dislike I had taken to Mr. Hamilton. This feeling was
wearing off, and I was no longer so strongly prejudiced against him. I
might even find Miss Darrell less repelling when I spoke to her. She was
evidently a gentlewoman; her movements were quiet and graceful, and she
had a good carriage.

I was somewhat surprised on reaching the cottage to find Mr. Hamilton
sitting by my patient. He had Janie on his knee, and seemed as though he
had been there for some time, but he rose at once when he saw me.

'I was waiting for you, Miss Garston,' he said quietly. 'I wanted to give
you some directions about Mrs. Marshall'; and when he had finished, he
said, a little abruptly--

'What made you so long coming out of church this morning? I was waiting
to introduce my sister and cousin to you, but you were determined to
disappoint me.'

I was a little confused by this.

'Did you recognise me?' I asked, rather tamely.

'No,--not in that smart bonnet,' was the unexpected reply. 'I did not
identify the wearer with the village nurse until I heard your voice in
the Te Deum: you can hardly disguise your voice, Miss Garston: my cousin
Etta pricked up her ears when she heard it.' And then, as I made no
answer, he picked up his hat with rather an amused air and wished me
good-bye.

I was rather offended at the mention of my bonnet; the little gray wing
that relieved its sombre black trimmings could hardly be called smart,--a
word I abhorred,--but he probably said it to tease me.

'Ay, the doctor has been telling us you have a voice like a skylark,'
observed Elspeth, 'but I have been thinking it must be more like an
angel's voice, my bairn, since you mostly use it to sing the Lord's
praises, and to cheer the sick folk round you: that is more than a
skylark does.'

So he had been praising my voice. What an odd man!

I stayed at the cottage about two hours, and read a little to the
children and Elspeth, and then I started for the Lockes'.

Kitty clapped her hands when she he