" she said, with her face brightening.

"Oh, but I saw another as we came to the brow of the hill, and that
means a marriage," her companion remarked to her.

"Oh no," she said quite eagerly, "I am sure there was no third one: I
am certain there were only two. I am quite positive we only saw two."

"But why should you be so anxious?" Trelyon said, "You know you ought
to be looking forward to a marriage, and that is always a happy thing.
Are you envious, Mabyn?"

The girl was silent for a moment or two. Then she said, with a sudden
bitterness in her tone, "Isn't it a fearful thing to have to be civil
to people whom you hate? Isn't it, when they come and establish a
claim on you through some one you care for? You look at them--yes, you
can look at them--and you've got to see them kiss some one that you
love; and you wonder she doesn't rush away for a bit of caustic and
cauterize the place, as you do when a mad dog bites you."

"Mabyn," said the young man beside her, "you are a most unchristian
sort of person this morning. Who is it you hate in such a fashion?
Will you take the reins while I walk up the hill?"

Mabyn's little burst of passion still burned in her cheeks and gave
a proud and angry look to her mouth, but she took the reins all the
same, and her companion leapt to the ground. The banks on each side of
the road going up this hill were tall and steep: here and there great
masses of wild flowers were scattered among the grass and the gorse.
From time to time he stopped to pick up a handful, until, when
they had got up to the high and level country again, he had brought
together a very pretty bouquet of wild blossoms. When he got into his
seat and took the reins again he carelessly gave the bouquet to Mabyn.

"Oh, how pretty!" she said; and then she turned round: "Wenna, are you
very much engaged? Look at the pretty bouquet Mr. Trelyon has gathered
for you."

Wenna's quiet face flushed with pleasure when she took the flowers,
and Mrs. Trelyon looked pleased and said they were very pretty. She
evidently thought that her son was greatly improved in his manners
when he condescended to gather flowers to present to a girl. Nay, was
he not at this moment devoting a whole forenoon of his precious time
to the unaccustomed task of taking ladies for a drive? Mrs. Trelyon
regarded Wenna with a friendly look, and began to take a greater
liking than ever to that sensitive and expressive face and to the
quiet and earne