expression.

"You were a bit of a trial in them days," said Mr. Wilks, shaking his
head. "If I live to be ninety I shall never forget seeing Miss Kate
capsized the way she was. The way she----"

"How is your cold?" inquired Miss Nugent, hastily.

"Better, miss, thankee," said Mr. Wilks.

"Miss Nugent has forgotten and forgiven all that long ago," said Hardy.

"Quite," assented the girl, coldly; "one cannot remember all the boys and
girls one knew as a child."

"Certainly not," said Hardy. "I find that many have slipped from my own
memory, but I have a most vivid recollection of you."

Miss Nugent looked at him again, and an idea, strange and incredible,
dawned slowly upon her. Childish impressions are lasting, and Jem Hardy
had remained in her mind as a sort of youthful ogre. He sat before her
now a frank, determined-looking young Englishman, in whose honest eyes
admiration of herself could not be concealed. Indignation and surprise
struggled for supremacy.

"It's odd," remarked Mr. Wilks, who had a happy knack at times of saying
the wrong thing, "it's odd you should 'ave 'appened to come just at the
same time as Miss Kate did."

"It's my good fortune," said Hardy, with a slight bow. Then he cocked a