gument; and she no longer felt oppressed or irritated by the
idea that he despised her.

Indeed, although he never flattered or even praised her, Mr. Hammond let
her see that he liked her society. She had gone out of her way to avoid
him, very fearful lest he should think her bold or masculine; but he had
taken pains to frustrate all her efforts in that direction; he had
refused to go upon excursions which she could not share. 'Lady Mary must
come with us,' he said, when they were planning a morning's ramble. Thus
it happened that Mary was his guide and companion in all his walks, and
roamed with him bamboo in hand, over every one of those mountainous
paths she knew and loved so well. Distance was as nothing to
them--sometimes a boat helped them, and they went over wintry Windermere
to climb the picturesque heights above Bowness. Sometimes they took
ponies, and a groom, and left their steeds to perform the wilder part of
the way on foot. In this wise John Hammond saw all that was to be seen
within a day's journey of Grasmere, except the top of Helvellyn.
Maulevrier had shirked the expedition, had always put off Mary and Mr.
Hammond when they proposed it. The season was not advanced enough--the
rugged pathway by the Tongue Ghyll would be as slippery as glass--no
pony could get up there in such weather.

'We have not had any frost to speak of for the last fortnight,' pleaded
Mary, who was particularly anxious to do the honours of Helvellyn, as
the real lion of the neighbourhood.

'What a simpleton you are, Molly!' cried Maulevrier. 'Do you suppose
because there is no frost in your grandmother's garden--and if you were
to ask Staples about his peaches he would tell you a very different
story--that there's a tropical atmosphere on Dolly Waggon Pike? Why, I'd
wager the ice on Grisdale Tarn is thick enough for skating. Helvellyn
won't run away, child. You and Hammond can dance the Highland
Schottische on Striding Edge in June, if you like.'

'Mr. Hammond won't be here in June,' said Mary.

'Who knows?--the train service is pretty fair between London and
Windermere. Hammond and I would think nothing of putting ourselves in
the mail on a Friday night, and coming down to spend Saturday and Sunday
with you--if you are good.'

There came a sunny morning soon after Easter which seemed mild enough
for June; and when Hammond suggested that this was the very day for
Helvellyn, Maulevrier had not a word to say against the truth o