It was just at this moment that she caught sight of a gentleman on the opposite side of the street, who was evidently observing her. As she walked on, she noticed that he kept at the same distance, and when she purposely turned in another direction he did the same.

Her cheek flushed; she lifted her head proudly, and with somewhat of a dangerous light in her eyes. It was true, then, what Mrs. Pomphret had said. This young man, the same who had restored to her the lost ring, was accustomed to follow her about. It was time that a stop should be put to this.

Pausing just where the street merged into the shaded avenue, Miss Staffage (we will call her still by her assumed name) turned about and deliberately faced her pursuer.

"Sir," she said, with a vivid flush on her cheek, but with great dignity of manner, "may I inquire why it is that you follow me ?"

He was taken by surprise, but in a moment recovering, courteously lifted his hat.

"I was not aware that my motions were observed. Permit me to apologize."

He should have gone then, but instead he remained, with the air of one respectfully awaiting commands. She, too, paused as if expecting him to leave, and as they thus faced each other, a sense of the ludicrousness of the situation brought a slight smile to her lips, at sight of which the gentleman's eyes instantly brightened. Then she bit her lip, and grew proud and indignant again.

"Sir," she said, haughtily, "if you are a gentleman you will turn back and leave me alone."

"You may spare half your regrets," she answered, less severely than before. "It is not pleasant, certainly, to be exposed to rudeness and suspicion; but for the place itself, I regret nothing in giving it up. I am going far away from here, and neither these people nor yourself will again have it in your power to annoy me.”

"But to think that I should really have been the cause of this trouble to you! I would sooner have died than that it should have happened. Will you believe me ?”

She looked at him. Their eyes met, and a faint color rose to her cheek. She answered, demurely:

"I won't be rude enough to say that I doubt you." "And you will forgive me ?"

"Cela depende," she answered, carelessly.

A slight pause.

"You say you are going away," said the gentleman, presently.

"Yes-as far away from here as I can get."

"It would be very presumptuous in me to say that I am sorry, or to inquire'

"Very presumptuous, indeed."

"And yet I have been accustomed to seeing you occasionally at church, at the concerts, and it is natural that I should regret to lose that pleasure."

"You are speaking to a stranger, Mr. Latham."

"I have wished a thousand times, Miss Staffage, that we were not strangers. Had we but one mutual acquaintance to properly introduce us—”

"But we haven't. I may be an adventuress, and you an escaped convict, for what either of us knows. And now

"If I had doubted it I should not have appealed to yourself, but to the police. Only see, sir," she added, abruptly, "to what you are exposing me."

A flashily-dressed young man had slowly passed, and, pausing at a little distance, was looking back at the indignant girl and her companion.

The latter gave one glance.

"Madam," said he, gravely, "you as a lady, and I as a gentleman, must be aware that there is now but one course for us to pursue. Permit me to see you safely home. I have a right to insist upon this."

She hesitated, but observing the attention of the stranger still directed toward them, she turned, and the two walked on quietly without a word.

Miss Staffage was angry. She bit her lip, and her color went and came. At last she broke out:

"I do not know your name, sir, but"Latham is my name

”

"It does not matter; but if I were a man, Mr. Latham, do you know what I should be tempted to do, under present circumstances? I should give you a lesson for forcing a woman into a situation such as this-a lesson which you should remember."

"I assure you I am extremely troubled at having excited your displeasure. You must be aware that I had no intention of anything in the least disrespectful."

your escort, and also with returning thanks for the same, seeing that I was forced into accepting it. So good-night and good-by, Mr. Latham."

With a half haughty, half saucy expression she turned away. He stood where she had left him and looked after her. Some one hurried past, and he saw that it was the man who had been watching them. Instantly he followed and laid his hand on the man's arm.

"A word with you. You are not following that lady ?" "What business is it of yours ?"

“I shall make it my business to see that she is not annoyed."

"You will ?" with a sneer. "You were following her yourself, and if you presume to interfere with me” And he lifted his hand menacingly.

Instantly Latham's hand was on his collar, and the other lay prone in the ditch by the roadside. He was up in a moment, and with an oath, had clutched his antagonist. There was a struggle, a gleam of steel, and while the stranger made off Latham stood binding up a wound in his wrist. Ia another moment Miss Staffage was by his side.

"Good heaven, you are wounded! Here, take my handkerchief-do; or, rather, let me bind it up for you." "It is nothing-only a scratch. He missed his aim, as you see."

"I don't accuse you of intentional disrespect. But do you know to what your thoughtlessness has already exposed me? To censure and insult, which has forced me to give up my present situation as governess. I tell you this in order that it may be a warning in future how you bring unprotected women into trouble."

"It is not possible !" he said, with genuine trouble in his handsome eyes. "Pray do not tell me this. How can you forgive me? How can I forgive myself?"

steps and returned. "Mr. Latham, will you let me know how you are? You may be more seriously hurt than you imagine."

"Shall I call in person ?"

"Upon no account whatever. We shall never meet again; but I shall like to know that you have not been seriously hurt in my behalf. You may send me a line through the post-office. Good-by."

She turned away hastily as one or two persons approached.

"I wonder," thought Miss Staffage, as she took off her hat-"I wonder what prudent and proper people would say about me, could they know of this? It doesn't look very proper, I must confess, but why should I care for the opinion of people who care nothing for me?"

Two days passed without bringing an answer to her advertisement. They brought, however, a note from Mr. Latham-a brief and gentlemanly note, just such as was proper to write under the circumstances, and which relieved her mind of any apprehension she might have felt in regard to his wound. A mere scratch, already healing, he said it was; and as she tore it in two and watched it consuming in the gas flame, she thought:

"There, this ends everything between us."

On the third day a visitor was announced to see Miss Staffage-a gentle-looking lady of middle age, who met her in a friendly manner.

She had seen Miss Staffage's advertisement, she said, and having occasion to visit town, had called in person rather than write. She was not in want of a governess, but if the young lady did not object to being a companion -to read and play to her occasionally, and accompany her in her walks and drives, she would be very glad to have her come and reside with her at her place in the country. It was not a gay or lively place, since there was no one but herself and the housekeeper and servants; but there was agreeable neighboring society, and Miss Staffage would have very little to do, and that only when it might suit her to do it.

Miss Staffage was delighted. She accepted the offer at once, and a very few days saw her established at Charnwood, her only regret being in parting with her little pupil and the latter's pet spaniel. Somehow, children and animals always attached themselves to Miss Staffage.

Charnwood was a beautiful country place, a roomy, picturesque, old-fashioned stone mansion, situated in the midst of a sort of park and surrounded by majestic trees. It was the kind of place of which Genevra had read and dreamed, and also written, in little story romances of her own; and she was delighted with the idea of living here. She liked Mrs. Marvin, also-an amiable, easy-tempered lady, who treated her almost as a daughter, and made her feel herself at home.

It was the first time in her life that she had been so happy-so free from trouble and annoyance of any kind, or with so many sources of enjoyment at her command. To explore the abundant treasures of the library, to read and dream in the seclusion of her own pleasant and tastefully arranged apartments, to while away the Summer twilight with music, and, above all, to wander at her will amid the lovely gardens and grounds-these were pleasures of which she never wearied.

There was society, also-social, refined, country-neighborhood society; and on the whole so pleasantly passed the days and weeks, that she wondered at length to see the first autumnal leaves flecking the green foliage with crimson and gold.

One balmy September afternoon she wandered alone down a secluded, winding pathway-a favorite haunt of hers—which led to a spring in the most shadowy depths of the wooded grounds. Seated on a rustic bench, dreaming over the "Idyl of the King," she was roused by ap proaching footsteps, and looking up, she beheld, to her intense surprise, the form of Mr. Latham approaching through the trees.

She rose to her feet, flushed and bewildered, but the gentleman manifested no surprise or embarrassment. He saluted her with graceful politeness, his handsome face just flushed with a pleasure which he could not repress.

"You did not expect to see me here ?" he remarked, with a smile.

"I most certainly did not. How did you come here, if I may inquire ?" she said, with dignity.

"To tell the truth, I came over the wall," he replied, with the expression of humor which so often lighted his blue eyes; and he stood and stroked his golden mustache in a subdued manner.

"Over the wall? Do you know, Mr. Latham, that you have committed a serious trespass, which may expose you to the penalty of the law ?"

"No, Miss Staffage, I was not aware of that," he said, deprecatingly.

"But it is true, I assure you, and my advice is to instantly retire before you are discovered."

"But, Miss Staffage, I have come a long way to-to"May Iinquire, sir, whether you were aware of my being here?" "Certainly."

"And how dared you take the liberty of following me here?" she demanded, indignantly. "It is an outrage, and unless you immediately leave, I will call some one." "My dear young lady, will you not suffer me to explain my presence here?"

"If you have any explanation to make," she replied haughtily.

"It is a very simple one-merely that I came hither by invitation of my aunt, Mrs. Marvin.

"Mrs. Marvin-your aunt ?"

"If you doubt it, allow me to accompany you to the house, and see whether she will acknowledge me as her nephew. And now that we have a mutual friend, one who will vouch for my respectability, and satisfy you that I am not an escaped convict or lunatic, may we not be friends, Miss Staffage ?"

He held out his hand, and with most young ladies it would have been hard to resist the frank pleading of the handsome blue eyes. But Genevra drew back.

"When the introduction and the assurance have been given," she said, "then will be time enough. Your making your appearance on a visit over the park wall is scarcely calculated to impress me as a proof of either your respectability or your sanity."

"Not when the dusty stage-road leads a mile around, and I knew this to be a short and pleasant pathway to the house. This used to be a favorite schoolboy haunt of mine, and I am glad to see that you, too, like it. Some time you must let me show you where the mistletoe grows upon an ancient oak, and where the cardinal-flowers grow, unless you have already discovered them."

"Thank you. But at present, had you not better inform your aunt of your arrival? I left her in the morning-room, which you can easily enter by the window, if it suits you."

"I am obliged for the suggestion, though it will not be the first time that I have in that manner afforded her an agreeable surprise."

He lifted his hat and soon disappeared amid the distant shrubbery. Miss Staffage did not again open her book, but sat gazing down at the falling leaves, with the color coming and going in her clear cheek.

One moment a smile would hover about her mouth, and then she would bite her crimson lip-a way that she had when vexed.

So this oddly-formed acquaintance of hers-this Mr. Latham-with his handsome person, his gentlemanly assurance, and the indescribable charm which lay beneath it all, was no other than the nephew of the lady with whom she had found a home, and in running away from him, as