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"Tell e, Alice," he iirl, amazed at the question

"And I am seventeen or very nearly that Men sometimes marry women older than themselves, and I don't see why I shouldn't Oh, Alice, proirl I liked so much, and I am sure we should be happy"

"I a "You silly boy! what put such nonsense in your head? I ah I like you very much, I don't in the least want to ot out of a sober world into a sort of Mad Tea-party, where people behaved like pantaloons and spoke in conundrurew cross "Is it soirl, with a memory of Mr Stocks, reflected on the dreadful monotony of oing to marry Lewie Haystoun?" he cried in a more cheerful voice After all, Leas his cousin, and a worthy rival

Alice grew hotly unco toto talk to you anyface to the cool depths of the wood

"Then it is that fellow Stocks Oh, Lord!" groaned Arthur, irritated into bad manners "You can't mean it, Alice He's not fit to black your boots"

Soirl to reply She defended the veryshe had been unreasonably bitter "You have no right to abuse hiuished man, and you are only a foolish boy"

He paled below his sunburn Now he believed the truth of the horrid suspicion which had been fastening on his entleentle of idle aristocrats--she knew the hollowness of the whole farce The deht eyes, leaving a penitent boy behind; while all the tie of tears

The days dragged slowly for the girl The brightness had gone out of the wide, airy landscape, and the war impression she had left on the boy Arthur's mind, but she was too proud to seek to erase it; she could but trust to his honour for silence If Lewis heard--the thought was too terrible to face! He would resign himself to the inevitable; she knew the temper of the man Good form was his divinity, and never by word or look would he attempt to win another man's betrothed She must see him and learn the truth: but he cairl's fancy Besides, the Twelfth had couns on every hill spoke of other interests for the party at Etterick Lewis had forgotten his misfortunes, she told herself, and in the easy way of the half-hearted found in bodily fatigue a drug for a mind but little in need of it