"the trees are showing such a fair promise." And my lover laughs, and tells me I am a wonderful child; that he has not yet half dived into the deep stores of private knowledge I possess. He supposes when I come to Strangemore he may dismiss his steward, as probably I will be competent to manage everything there--the master included.

Whereupon I answer, saucily, I need not go to Strangemore for that, as I fancy I have him pretty well under control even as it is. At this, he pinches my ear and prophesies the time will yet come when it will be his turn to menace me.

Our orchard has not been altogether sacrificed to the inner man: here and there one comes upon straggling slopes of greenest grass and irregular beds of old-fashioned and time-honored flowers--such flowers as went to deck Ophelia's grave, or grew to grace the bank whereon Titania slept.

High up in the western wall a small green gate gives entrance to another garden--a quaint spot, picturesquely wild, that we children chose to name Queen Elizabeth's Retreat. Long lines of elms grow here, through which some paths are cut--paths innocent of gravel and green as the grass that grows on either side. Here, too, are beds of flowers and rustic benches.

"Come, show me anything as pretty as this in all Strangemore," I say, with triumph, as we seat ourselves on an ancient oaken contrivance that threatens at any moment to bring the unwary to the ground.

"I wonder if you will ever think anything at Strangemore as worthy of admiration as what you have here?" says Marmaduke, passing his arm lightly round my waist.

"Perhaps. But I know every nook and cranny of this old place so well and love it so dearly! I can remember no other home. We came here, you know, when I was very young and Billy only a baby."

"But Strangemore will be your home when you come to live with me. You will try to like it for my sake, will you not? It is dearer to me than either of the other places, although they say Luxton is handsomer. Don't you think you will be able to love it, Phyllis?"

"Yes, but not for a long time. I can like things at once, but it takes me years and years and years to love anything."

"Does that speech apply to persons? If so, I have a pleasant prospect before me. You have known me but a few months; will it take you 'years and years' to love me?"

There is 

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