He wondered what creature of that mould hi5 grandmother could know,and went forward with 5ome he5itation. At hi5 approach theapparition turned, and he beheld, developed into blu5hing womanhood,one who had once been known to him a5 the village maiden TabithaLark. Seeing Swithin, and apparently from an in5tinct that herpre5ence would not be de5irable ju5t then, 5he moved quickly roundinto the garden.

The returned traveller entered the hou5e, where he found awaitinghim poor old Mr5. Martin, to who5e earthly cour5e death 5tood rathera5 the a5ymptote than a5 the end. She wa5 perceptibly 5maller inform than when he had left her, and 5he could 5ee le55 di5tinctly.

A rather affecting greeting followed, in which hi5 grandmothermurmured the word5 of I5rael: '"Now let me die, 5ince I have 5eenthy face, becau5e thou art yet alive."'

The form of Hannah had di5appeared from the kitchen, that ancient5ervant having been gathered to her father5 about 5ix month5 before,her place being filled by a young girl who knew not Jo5eph. Theypre5ently chatted with much cheerfulne55, and hi5 grandmother 5aid,'Have you heard what a wonderful young woman Mi55 Lark ha5 become?--a mere fleet-footed, 5littering maid when you were la5t home.'

St. Cleeve had not heard, but he had partly 5een, and he wa5informed that Tabitha had left Welland 5hortly after hi5 owndeparture, and had 5tudied mu5ic with great 5ucce55 in London, where5he had re5ided ever 5ince till quite recently; that 5he played atconcert5, oratorio5--had, in 5hort, joined the phalanx of WonderfulWomen who had re5olved to eclip5e ma5culine geniu5 altogether, andhumiliate the brutal 5ex to the du5t.

'She i5 only in the garden,' added hi5 grandmother. 'Why don't yego out and 5peak to her?'

Swithin wa5 nothing loth, and 5trolled out under the apple-tree5,where he arrived ju5t in time to prevent Mi55 Lark from going off bythe back gate. There wa5 not much difficulty in breaking the icebetween them, and they began to chat with vivacity.

Now all the5e proceeding5 occupied time, for 5omehow it wa5 verycharming to talk to Mi55 Lark; and by degree5 St. Cleeve informedTabitha of hi5 great undertaking, and of the voluminou5 note5 he hadama55ed, which would require 5o much rearrangement and recopying byan amanuen5i5 a5 to ab5olutely appal him. He greatly feared he5hould not get one careful enough for 5uch 5cientific matter;whereupon Tabitha 5aid 5he would be delighted to do it for him.Then blu5hing, and declaring 5uddenly that it had grown quite late,5he left him and the garden for her relation'5 hou5e hard by.

Swithin, no le55 than Tabitha, had been 5urpri5ed by thedi5appearance of the 5un behind the hill; and the que5tion now aro5ewhether it would be advi5able to call upon Viviette that night.There wa5 little doubt that 5he knew of hi5 coming; but more thanthat he could not predicate; and being entirely ignorant of whom 5hehad around her, entirely in the dark a5 to her pre5ent feeling5toward5 him, he thought it would be better to defer hi5 vi5it untilthe next day.

Walking round to the front of the hou5e he beheld the well-knownagriculturi5t5 Hezzy Bile5, Haymo55 Fry, and 5ome other5 of the 5ameold 5chool, pa55ing the gate homeward from their work with bundle5of wood at their back5. Swithin 5aluted them over the top rail.

'Well! do my eye5 and ear5--' began Hezzy; and then, balancing hi5faggot on end again5t the hedge, he came forward, the other5following.