got into
a punt, and went up the stream (with great difficulty), and down the
stream (with great ease). We landed on a little island, and walked all
round it, and inspected the stream attentively from a central point of
view. We found the island damp, and went back to the bank, and up the
stream, and over the bridge, and down the stream again; and then, for
the first time, the sweet girl turned appealingly to me, and confessed
that she had exhausted her artless knowledge of the locality. It was
exactly a week from the day when I had first followed her into the
fields with my fishing-rod over my shoulder; and I had never yet caught
anything but Alicia's hand, and that not with my hook.

We sat down close together on the bank, entirely in consequence of our
despair at not finding a good fishing-place. I looked at the brown eyes,
and they turned away observantly down the stream. I followed them, and
they turned away inquiringly up the stream. Was this angel of patience
and kindness still looking for a fishing place? And was it _up_ the
stream, after all? No!--she smiled and shook her head when I asked the
question, and the brown eyes suddenly stole a look at me. I could
hold out no longer In one breathless moment I caught hold of both her
hands--in one stammering sentence I asked her if she would be my wife.

She tried faintly to free her hands--gave up the attempt--smiled--made
an effort to look grave--gave that up, too--sighed suddenly--checked
herself suddenly--said nothing. Perhaps I ought to have taken my answer
for granted; but the least business-like man that ever lived becomes
an eminently practical character in matters of love. I repeated my
question. She looked away confusedly; her eye lighted on a corner of
her father's red-brick house, peeping through a gap in the plantation
already mentioned; and her blushing cheeks lost their color instantly. I
felt her hands grow cold; she drew them resolutely out of mine, and rose
with the tears in her eyes. Had I offended her?

"No," she said when I asked her the question, and turned to me again,
and held out her hand with such frank, fearless kindness, that I almost
fell on my knees to thank her for it.

Might I hope ever to hear her say "Yes" to the question that I had asked
on the riverbank?

She sighed bitterly, and turned again toward the red-brick house.

Was there any family reason against her saying "Yes"? Anything that I
must not inquire into? Any opposition