Eve did as she was bidden, and raising a perfectly expressionless face, said, as a parrot might:

66

'Adam, I'm glad you've come back."

"That's right," he laughed, giving her a somewhat significant shake of the head; then, turning to Joan, he asked if she wasn't going to give him something to eat.

"What would 'ee like?" said Joan; "us has had our dinners, and I was waitin' for the kettle to boil to make a cup o' tay."

"That'll suit me exactly. I don't want nothing much as yet; I had some sort of a meal at Looe."

Joan went into the kitchen to make her preparations, and Adam, taking a chair, seated himself at a little distance from Eve.

"Have you been for any more moonlight rambles?" he said, after he had sat watching her for a few minutes.

"No," answered Eve, opening her work-box, and searching in it for the materials to do some darning.

"How is that?" and he edged the chair a bit nearer.

"Because I haven't cared to, I suppose," said Eve, assuming an air of indifference, which visibly contrasted with the great interest she took in finding the various articles for her needlework.

"You're very busy there," continued Adam, and Eve knew by his voice that he must be leaning over the table towards her. "What is it you are about, ch?"

"Darning the crown of my cap," she said, endeavouring to appear as composed as she desired to be.

"Let me see;" his hand was stretched out until it touched hers. "There's nothing to see in it; it's only a common cap-crown," she said, holding it out for his inspection.

Adam took hold of the piece of net, fingering it with an air of abstraction, while he kept his eyes fixed on Eve, who, knowing that in another minute Joan would reappear, wished from her heart that he would move himself farther away. Raising her eyes with an effort, for, strive as she would, Eve had only been able to meet Adam's gaze with simulated composure, she said: "When you've quite done with that, I shall be glad to go on with my work."

"Where's the lace for it?" said Adam, seemingly struck by a sudden inspiration.

"Lace! it hasn't got any lace;" and Eve snatched the cap away from him.

"But you'd like it to have lace?" said Adam. he added, "all women love lace, don't they?"

"Come, now,"

"I don't know about all women," she said. "I suppose many do,

or I shouldn't have got a living by mending lace."

Ah, I forgot that. Then you must be a bit of a judge. Wait a minute, now, and I'll bring you down some I've got upstairs that I brought home from France with me. You shall tell me what you think of that."

As fetching this involved moving from his present close proximity, Eve made no opposition, and he had only just got out of the room when Joan appeared, bringing the tea-things. The kettle was found to be boiling, so that when Adam returned the two girls were seated at the table. At the sight of Joan Adam's face changed; when he had gone upstairs he had forgotten the probability of her coming back. However, there was no help for it now. The lace was in his hand, so, with no seeming embarrassment, he threw it on the table before Eve, saying as he did so:

66

There, is that good for anything?"

The lace was a piece of Brussels point of the rarest make and finest description.

'My dear life!" exclaimed Joan, as Eve held it up. did 'ee get that, Adam? Why, 'tis like a spider's web!"

"Wherever

"Yes," said Eve, examining the delicacy of the groundwork and the evenness of the stitches; "isn't it lovely?"

"Ah!" and Adam gave a deep-drawn breath; "then it's the right sort of thing, is it? They told me 'twouldn't be easy to match it this side of the Channel."

"I don't think I ever saw anything so perfect!" continued Eve, carrying on her inspection with the enjoyment of a connoisseur. "Look at that stitch, Joan, and the one there!"

"And the colour!" put in Joan. "Awh, 'tis downright splendid!"

"Then you like it?" said Adam, addressing Eve.

"Like it!" returned both of the girls; "it's beautiful!"

"Ain't there two pieces?" said Adam, leaning over to put aside the paper.

"Yes, but all the same pattern; it's the cap and ruffles, you know," explained Eve, spreading the first piece out preparatory to folding it. "Then it's worth having?" said Adam.

Joan was going to answer, but happening to look up, she saw that his question was pointedly addressed to Eve.

"What?" said Eve.

"Should you think it's worth having?"

'Certainly; if I were you I should lock it away most carefully," replied Eve, speaking very rapidly, and giving a rather hurried twist to the paper in which the lace now lay folded.

Then he said, shutting her hand upon it and gently pushing it towards her:

"Keep it for your cap. I brought it down on purpose for you." "For me, Adam? Oh no!" and Eve gave a decisive shake of the head. "I couldn't think of taking it. You forget how different my dress is. I shouldn't presume to wear lace like that; besides, if I did-I-anyway, thank you for offering it, but I could not accept such a gift from you."

"And for what reason?" he said. "Joan accepts presents from me, and why not you?

"Oh, Joan's quite different to me.

"Not at all; a cousin's a cousin, whether by mother or father."

'Yes, I know;" and Eve hesitated, as she strove to find the right words in which to frame her denial. "I feel you mean it very kindly, and I am much obliged to you; but I cannot take it;" and she put the lace, which Adam had again opened and unrolled, resolutely over to his side.

"Why, what nonsense it is, Eve!" put in Joan; "if Adam didn't wish 'ee to take it, he wouldn't offer it to 'ee."

"Oh, she means to take it!" said Adam, with a little incredulous laugh. "You women are all alike. All the time you're saying No, you only mean Yes."

'Indeed," said Eve, nettled by the imputation, "I think you'll find me an exception to that rule."

Adam shook his head.

“Oh, there's no need to argue about it," she said quietly; “but there's your lace."

He pushed it back; Eve allowed it to stay for a moment, then she put it away from her with a more determined movement.

Come, nonsense, Eve!" he said, in a tone of rising vexation. "The thing isn't worth half the fuss you've made about it already. The lace isn't of any use to me; I don't wear ruffles and capborders, but I like to see my women-folk in them, so take it and say no more about it;" and with the air of one who had disarmed further opposition, he turned to Joan and said, "Well, and how did you get on after we left?"

"Capital!" replied Joan. "The sodgers was a fresh lot, and such a set o' jolly greens as you never cast eyes upon! All they could think of was racin' up and down stairs, and openin' and shuttin' the cupboard doors."

"What did Eve think of it all?" he said, wondering by what explanation Joan had satisfied her naturally aroused curiosity.

"Eve behaved herself beautiful," said Joan. "She did good service, I can tell 'ee, and kept the sharpest of 'em by her side all the time."

"Why, how was that?" said Adam, quickly.

"I'm sure I can't tell," replied Joan, "'t couldn't ha' bin for what he seed to look at in her," and she cast a pleasant glance over to Eve.

"I hope, Joan, that you don't make too free with those men," said Adam, sharply; "'tis all very well to be ready with an answer, but you should

"Oh, teach your granny!" said Joan; "don't tell me! If I don't know how to trate a passel o' sodgers and throw 'em off the scent, I don't know who should, and bin up to the game ever since I was five year old."

Adam gave a meaning frown, which Joan answered by saying in a low voice:

;

"No; now it's o' no good trying to mask the thing from her she knows all about it. Why, now, how was I to help tellin' her?" she added, seeing his displeasure. ""Tis all very well to talk, but unless anybody's a born fule, they knaws if you hadn't got sommat to hide, nobody wouldn't be sent to seek it; 'tis foolishness tryin' to make a mystery of a thing that's so plain to see as the naws on yer face."

"Oh, I might have known you'd make a mess of it," he said, pushing back his chair from the table, and going to the mantelpiece to help himself to a paper spill, a bundle of which was stuck into the arm of a Chelsea shepherd.

"Take no notice," whispered Joan, as she and Eve rose to clear away the tea-things. "I s'pects he wanted to tell 'ee hisself. I s'pose you'll be ready for some supper, Adam?" she said.

"Well, I s'pose I shall," he answered, without turning round. "I told you I hadn't had a regular dinner; they'd only some salt pork to give me at Looe."

"All right, then I'll try and see what I can get for 'ee." And going into the kitchen, she said to Eve: "I'm goin' to run down to Barrett's for a minute, and see what they've got. I'm blessed if I know what to give un: whatever 'tis, 'tis certain to be the wrong thing;" and she crossed her fingers to signify the state of Adam's temper.

"I shouldn't put myself out about him," said Eve, with a contemptuous little movement of her lips.

"No, I believe you wouldn't," said Joan, "and I'll be bound he'd ate whatever you set before un. But there, as I've made my bed so I must lie upon un;" and having by this time provided herself with a basket and a dish, she opened the door and went out. Eve finished washing the tea-things, lingering over them as long as she could: and then, as these, together with the spoons and teapot, were kept in the sitting-room, she took them in, put them in their place,

opened the door, and was on the first step going upstairs, when Adam called out:

"Eve, don't leave that lying about here," and he pointed to the small packet on the table; "take it up with you, and put it away in your box." His voice betrayed the temper he was trying to subdue, making his words seem more like a command than an entreaty.

"I have told you, Adam," said Eve, turning round, "that I'm not going to accept the lace."

"And why not? Why shouldn't you accept the lace? Are you going to tell me that no man's ever given you a present before-is that it, eh?"

"No, it isn't it!" she said, her face reddening at the allusion he made. "Although such a question hasn't anything to do with it; it's enough for you that, though I'm much obliged to you, I'd rather not accept it."

66

Oh, indeed! Then you can take presents from others, but you can't from your own cousin. I ought to be very much obliged to you for the distinction you make.'

"Oh, it isn't always that we've such a high opinion of our own relations," retorted Eve. "Sometimes we think they ain't worthy of being trusted, and refuse to let them be told what they happen to know already.'

"You know! how did you know?"

"Simply because after what took place the other evening, before I went to bed, my wonder was aroused so that when I awoke and found everything silent, and Joan not there, I got frightened and crept downstairs. Yes," she continued, with a laugh at the expression on his face, "'twas a pity, as you took the trouble to lock one door, you hadn't remembered there was another way down.”

Now this accusation, which from Eve was but a bow drawn at a venture, went home, for Adam had actually locked the door in question.

But you

mustn't be

"Confound your woman's curiosity!" he said, with a half-confused laugh; then coming towards her, he added, vexed with me for that, Eve; it wasn't for want of trust that I wouldn't have you told. I can't explain it now, but some day when we're quietly together, I'll make it all clear to you."

"Of course," she said, in an aggrieved tone, "it's not pleasant to

feel you're in the house of those who can't put confidence

"No, no! Now, my dear girl," he interrupted, "you are quite on the wrong tack there; don't think any more of it in that way. I'm sure," he added, in a softened tone, "if I've vexed you, I am very sorry. Come, Eve!" and he laid his hand on her shoulder. "Come, I can't say more than that, can I?