respective rocks in utter silence. At last he
said in his abrupt matter-of-fact way:

"You see a good deal of those girls, Mrs.
F., and know all their ways. Eunice, for
instance. I want her to marry me: now,
before I ask her, do you think I have much
chance?"

I was not surprised, but I was very, very
glad, and my answer was ready. I recalled
a thousand instances where Eunice had
seemed to flush at his approach, and where
her shafts of ridicule had passed by his name.

"I do think so, Captain Frogmore,"
said I, and then the whole world grew
bright for him too. The visions that had
been only for my eyes, floated and danced
before his. There were little pools of green
water all around us, and I knew how lovely
were the pictures he saw shadowed forth in
their depths. The dust on the air was pure
gold, and it went blinding into his eyes,
and settling round his heart.

"Faith, Love, and Trust," sang the birds,
and woke up the echoes in the place. Ah
me, it is but touch and go with visions!
Suddenly, with a rush they were all gone,
and in their stead was Eunice, pouting her
lips, and making objections to everything.

"Take our dinner on the rocks! But
that will be very horrid, Captain Frogmore.
No, I don't at all know how we're going
home. One can't settle everything in a
moment."

Then the others came up, Curzon looking
very quiet and gentlemanly in his sea-side
get-up, with the white gauze veil round his
hat, readjusted, I saw, by feminine fingers,
and Belle, handsomer than I had ever seen
her, with a warm dark flush on her face,
and clematis in her jacket.

"Dear Mrs. F.," she said, sinking down
beside me, "what a day! Mrs. F., I should
like this to last always."

Yes, it was Belle who said that— the
would-be instructress of extreme youth.
The incompatibility of the whole thing
began to press upon me. We had the
brightest little picnic imaginable. The
girls sang to us. Gay little songs, made up
of their own words to their own music, but
with strange, ringing changes that stirred
my heart to its depths.

"Sit still, Belle," said Eunice, "and I
will draw you. You have fallen into a good
position; the sun is on your flowers. How
I wish I had colours here!"

"Challenged!" said Curzon. "I will
draw your sister."

They both set to work, but Curzon got
on slowly, from looking too much at the
model.

When the sketches were done, Eunice's
was very much the better, but Curzon had
caught the dreamy wistful look in Belle's
eyes.

"You have done it before!" cried Eunice.
"Belle's face is very difficult to draw. I
was months before I could do it."

Curzon did not answer her.

"Jack is so clever," said our hostess aside
to me; she was pleased at the success of
her day, and her kind-hearted plans. "He
can do everything, and he is so lovable."

Somehow, in spite of the way they had
come, going home the young ones managed
a different arrangement. Eunice was in
her seat somewhat before the others, and I
myself saw Curzon go up to her, and heard
him say: "Won't you let me go back with
you? Do!"

Eunice smiled assent, there was perhaps
nothing else left her to do; but Frogmore
looked supremely disgusted, as he took up
his seat by Belle. They looked so
dissatisfied and cross, sitting there side by
side, that I could not make up my mind to
spoil my drive by going with them, and I
took refuge with Eunice.

It certainly was as our hostess had said.
Jack was very clever. I had not noticed
it so much when he had been with Belle.
Eunice was flattered by this new division
of forces and Mr. Curzon's unexpected
attention. She did not, perhaps, observe,
as I did, that no matter how he talked, or to
whom he talked, his glances went straight
through the gathering gloom over to Belle.

"Well, we have had a delightful day,"
said Eunice at length, when we alighted;
"have we not, Belle?"

But Belle had gone stone deaf with one
ear, and that was the ear nearest her sister.

On Saturday 7th August, 1869,
Will be commenced in "ALL THE YEAR ROUND:"
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By the Author of "AUNT MARGARET'S TROUBLE."
A NEW SERIAL STORY,
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