of that youthful beauty, she had herself adorned it half-an-hour
before, and which the dancing had disarranged.

'Oh! Alfred sent the music, did he?' returned the Doctor.

'Yes. He met it coming out of the town as he was entering early.
The men are travelling on foot, and rested there last night; and as
it was Marion's birth-day, and he thought it would please her, he
sent them on, with a pencilled note to me, saying that if I thought
so too, they had come to serenade her.'

'Ay, ay,' said the Doctor, carelessly, 'he always takes your
opinion.'

'And my opinion being favourable,' said Grace, good-humouredly; and
pausing for a moment to admire the pretty head she decorated, with
her own thrown back; 'and Marion being in high spirits, and
beginning to dance, I joined her. And so we danced to Alfred's
music till we were out of breath. And we thought the music all the
gayer for being sent by Alfred. Didn't we, dear Marion?'

'Oh, I don't know, Grace. How you tease me about Alfred.'

'Tease you by mentioning your lover?' said her sister.

'I am sure I don't much care to have him mentioned,' said the
wilful beauty, stripping the petals from some flowers she held, and
scattering them on the ground. 'I am almost tired of hearing of
him; and as to his being my lover - '