am a Hercules.'

And he threw himself on the rug which Mrs. Thornburgh's motherly
providence had spread on the grass for him, with a smile and a look
of supreme physical contentment, which did indeed almost efface the
signs of recent illness in the ruddy boyish face.

Mrs. Thornburgh studied him; her eye caught first of all by the
stubble of reddish hair which as he shook off his hat stood up
straight and stiff all over his head with an odd wildness and
aggressiveness. She involuntarily thought, basing her inward comment
on a complexity of reasons-'Dear me, what a pity; it spoils his
appearance!'

'I apologize, I apologize, cousin Emma, once for all,' said the
young, man, surprising her glance, and despairingly smoothing down
his recalcitrant locks. 'Let us hope that mountain air will quicken
the pace of it before it is necessary for me to present a dignified
appearance at 'Murewell.'

He looked up at her with a merry flash in his gray eyes, and her
old face brightened visibly as she realized afresh that in spite
of the grotesqueness of his cropped hair, her guest was a most
attractive creature. Not that he could boast much in the way of
regular good looks: the mouth was large, the nose of no particular
outline, and in general the cutting of the face, though strong and
characteristic, had a bluntness and _naivete_ like a vigorous
unfinished sketch. This bluntness of line, however, was balanced
by a great delicacy of tint--the pink and white complexion of a
girl, indeed--enhanced by the bright reddish hair, and quick gray