At Large

d him down. When he reached home and his own room, this feeling grew upon him; it distracted him, it denied him rest. Where his

ply because his love for Alice had never wavered-that Alice's love for him must perforce remain equally unchanged. And all that night her voic

nd did his best to feign them, but his mirth was perfunctory. This was obvious to his sister, and not unnoticed by Mrs. Edmonstone. Th

lked up the drive, Dick could not tell how he had waited until the afternoon, such a wild elation took possession of him at the thought of again seeing his belov

et. She was all in white, for the day was sunny; and she smiled sweetly from under the broad bri

alked lightly of this and that for a full quarter of an hour, while Dick basked recklessly in her smiles, and a

now our few words last night? You

id Alice,

hat I want to speak a

shut up her magazine, leant

in annoyance, half in pity. But her look a

as between us, and so on. You said you didn't want to remember them, and talked about your

rehearsed all this. His next words came hot fro

. Say that you only meant to tease me, or try me, or anything you like-anything but that you meant all that about our being al

ied; not harshly or coldly,

the gunwale nervously with

ve your love?" he as

achfully; there was even

ion, you shall have one. Before you went away I knew no one. I was a child; I had always been fond of you; m

id Dick, in

eyes sparkled, but her se

ned to go on with the old nonsense just where it left off-you must admit that that would be absurd? But for the rest, I am as fond of you, Dick, as I was then-only without the childish no

aimed Dick

from the girl's face

friendship instead. What is that to me? How can I make that do-a lamp instead of the sun? It is

oldly. She had stifled her humiliatio

very bitterly. "Nay, not on my account

on the bank with a blight on his brave eyes; the next, he

ped her pink fingers in the water, and made assiduous efforts to expunge the most tell-tale symptoms. Then she took up the magazine and tried to revive her interest in the story she had been readi

mbly. She affected not to understand him, a

have said since I saw you first, last night. And I wa

ery trace of affectation vanished

is sense!"

there are two questions I do think I may

e girl excla

t is so possible, you know. I have led a rough life; you might easily be ashamed of the things I had to do, to make

en he might have smiled, but for

t; to my mind you

deep breat

my old footing-even though you were a child then-is sufficient excuse for it. It

lice shortly, nevertheless l

was removed f

rly-"only that you wish to canc

at," she repeat

is heart, "may I never-that is, won't yo

Alice; and she stepped lightly from the boat as

ust say

le as she stretched out her hand. "And come as o

form tripping dainti

? Yet to-day it must be faced. This minute I give up looking back, and begin to look forward. And it may be better so; for when I win you, as win you I shall, you will be all the dearer to m

one or two common interests, fortunately. Alice dabbled in water-colours; in which Dick could help her, and did. In return, Alice took a lively interest in his sketches

mpossible for jealousy not to creep in. He certainly distrusted Miles; the man struck him from the first as an adventurer, who had wormed himself by mysterious means into the friendship of the guileless, single-hearted Colonel Bristo; and observation deepened this impression.

f cut out, in his own line, by Miles. His friends were very hospitable and very kind, but they had no wish to learn his adventures. And those adventures! How he had hoarded them in his mind! how he had dreamed in his vanity of enthralling the Colonel and thrilling Alice! He had hoped at least to interest them; and even in that he failed. Each little reminiscence yawned over, each comparison or allusion ignored-these were slight things with sharp edg

s merits. On consideration, it was more satisfactory, perhaps, than reviving the old boy-and-girl sentiment as if there had been no four years' hiatus; more satisfactory,

to be particularly confidenti

o know this-Mr. Miles?" He had

old you?" Alice a

nev

cramp, out of his depth. He must certainly have been drowned; but a great handsome fellow, dressed like a fisherman, saw his distress, rushed into the sea, swam out, and rescued him with the help of a boat. Poor p

t; but he thought to himself: "That was unnecessary. Wh

les, from Sydney! He had been over some months, and was seeing England in thorough fas

her made frie

I was in! After that we saw a good deal of him down there, and papa got to like him very much, and asked h

e he saved your father's life?"

's-yes, not qui

to a scarcely a

o other frien

at I kn

eceives any?" (He was speaki

ut how should I know?

urer, whom you don't know a thing a

d, and a dangerous lig

on't understand you. W

new what an honest answer would cost

lowly, "because I don't believe Mr. Mi

ned, and he was right. A flash of contempt lit up the girl's eyes and pierced to his soul. "Noble rival!" said s