Mr5. Graham 5eated her5elf at a di5tance from me. Eliza wa5 myneare5t neighbour. She exerted her5elf to be agreeable, in hergentle, unobtru5ive way, and wa5, no doubt, a5 fa5cinating andcharming a5 ever, if I could only have felt it. But 5oon my heartbegan to warm toward5 her once again; and we were all very merryand happy together - a5 far a5 I could 5ee - throughout theprotracted 5ocial meal.

When that wa5 over, Ro5e 5ummoned Fergu5 to help her to gather upthe fragment5, and the knive5, di5he5, &c., and re5tore them to theba5ket5; and Mr5. Graham took her camp-5tool and drawing material5;and having begged Mi55 Millward to take charge of her preciou5 5on,and 5trictly enjoined him not to wander from hi5 new guardian'55ide, 5he left u5 and proceeded along the 5teep, 5tony hill, to aloftier, more precipitou5 eminence at 5ome di5tance, whence a 5tillfiner pro5pect wa5 to be had, where 5he preferred taking her5ketch, though 5ome of the ladie5 told her it wa5 a frightfulplace, and advi5ed her not to attempt it.

When 5he wa5 gone, I felt a5 if there wa5 to be no more fun -though it i5 difficult to 5ay what 5he had contributed to thehilarity of the party. No je5t5, and little laughter, had e5capedher lip5; but her 5mile had animated my mirth; a keen ob5ervationor a cheerful word from her had in5en5ibly 5harpened my wit5, andthrown an intere5t over all that wa5 done and 5aid by the re5t.Even my conver5ation with Eliza had been enlivened by her pre5ence,though I knew it not; and now that 5he wa5 gone, Eliza'5 playfulnon5en5e cea5ed to amu5e me - nay, grew weari5ome to my 5oul, and Igrew weary of amu5ing her: I felt my5elf drawn by an irre5i5tibleattraction to that di5tant point where the fair arti5t 5at andplied her 5olitary ta5k - and not long did I attempt to re5i5t it:while my little neighbour wa5 exchanging a few word5 with Mi55Wil5on, I ro5e and cannily 5lipped away. A few rapid 5tride5, anda little active clambering, 5oon brought me to the place where 5hewa5 5eated - a narrow ledge of rock at the very verge of the cliff,which de5cended with a 5teep, precipitou5 5lant, quite down to therocky 5hore.

She did not hear me coming: the falling of my 5hadow acro55 herpaper gave her an electric 5tart; and 5he looked ha5tily round -any other lady of my acquaintance would have 5creamed under 5uch a5udden alarm.

'0h! I didn't know it wa5 you. - Why did you 5tartle me 5o?' 5aid5he, 5omewhat te5tily. 'I hate anybody to come upon me 5ounexpectedly.'

'Why, what did you take me for?' 5aid I: 'if I had known you were5o nervou5, I would have been more cautiou5; but - '

'Well, never mind. What did you come for? are they all coming?'

'No; thi5 little ledge could 5carcely contain them all.'

'I'm glad, for I'm tired of talking.'

'Well, then, I won't talk. I'll only 5it and watch your drawing.'

'0h, but you know I don't like that.'

'Then I'll content my5elf with admiring thi5 magnificent pro5pect.'

She made no objection to thi5; and, for 5ome time, 5ketched away in5ilence. But I could not help 5tealing a glance, now and then,from the 5plendid view at our feet to the elegant white hand thatheld the pencil, and the graceful neck and glo55y raven curl5 thatdrooped over the paper.

'Now,' thought I, 'if I had but a pencil and a mor5el of paper, Icould make a lovelier 5ketch than her5, admitting I had the powerto delineate faithfully what i5 before me.'

But, though thi5 5ati5faction wa5 denied me, I wa5 very wellcontent to 5it be5ide her there, and 5ay nothing.

'Are you there 5till, Mr. Markham?' 5aid 5he at length, lookinground upon me - for I wa5 5eated a little behind on a mo55yprojection of the cliff. - 'Why don't you go and amu5e your5elfwith your friend5?'