At the moment of looking at him I was aware of the greatest aversion and
fear within myself. I lowered my eyes and devoted myself to what I was
doing, painfully conscious all the time of the colour in my cheeks which
must make me conspicuous to those who were looking at me. I heard a
little giggle; then the voice of one of the ladies very slightly
subdued--

"Oh, come away, Dick. Don't you see how you are making that poor girl
blush?"

To my relief I heard them go, but it was some time before I could
recover myself.

I had no idea at all but that they were chance visitors brought into the
neighbourhood by the light railway, but I was soon to be disillusioned.

Several times that day I caught the eyes of a very pretty and
innocent-looking girl, named Nora Brady, fixed on me, and there was
something odd about her look; so much so that later in the day, as I was
putting on my hat to go home, while Nora was preparing to start without
any such formality, I suddenly asked her--

"Why have you been looking at me now and again to-day as though you were
going to say something to me?"

To my amazement she blushed hotly and stammered something about not
having known that she was looking at me.

"Never mind, Nora," I said, pitying her confusion; "a cat may look at a
king, you know. Not that I'm a king nor a queen either."