Walks must come to an end sooner or later; and a reference to her watch showing Ella Bedford that they would only reach the Elms in time for lunch, they began to retrace their steps, when, to the young girl's horror, she saw that they had been followed by no less a personage than Mr Maximilian Bray, whose first act upon reaching them was to take his place by Ella's side, and send his sisters on in advance. But that was not achieved without difficulty, Miss Nelly turning round sharply and declining to go. "I shan't go, Max! You only want to talk sugar to Miss Bedford; and ma says you're ever so much too attentive--so there now!" Ella's face became like scarlet, and she increased her pace; but a whisper from Max sent Nelly scampering off after her two sisters--now some distance in advance--when he turned to the governess. "Glad I caught up to you, Miss Bedford--I am, bai Jove! You see, I wanted to have a few words with you." "Mr Maximilian Bray will, perhaps, excuse my hurrying on," said Ella coldly. "It is nearly lunch-time, and I am obliged to teach punctuality to my pupils." "Bai Jove! ya-as, of course!" said Max. "But I never get a word with you at home, and I wanted to set myself right with you about that station matter." "If Mr Bray would be kind enough to forget it, I should be glad," said Ella quickly. "Bai Jove! ya-as; but, you see, I can't. You see, it was all a joke so as to introduce myself like, being much struck, you know. Bai Jove, Miss Bedford! I can't tell you how much struck I was with your personal appearance--can't indeed!" Ella's lip curled with scorn as she slightly bent her head and hurried on. "Don't walk quite so fast, my dear--Miss Bedford," he added after a pause, as he saw the start she gave. "We shall be time enough for lunch, I daresay. Pleasant day, ain't it?" Ella bent her head again in answer, but still kept on forcing the pace; for the children were two fields ahead, and racing on as quickly as possible. "Odd, wasn't it, Miss Bedford, that we should have met as we did, and both coming to the same place? Why don't you take my arm? There's nobody looking--this time," he added. The hot blood again flushed up in Ella's cheek as she darted an indignant glance at her persecutor; but there was something in Max Bray's composition which must have prevented him from reading aright the signs and tokens of annoyance in others; and, besides, he was so lost in admiration of his own graces and position, that when, as he termed it, he _stooped_ to pay attentions to an inferior, every change of countenance was taken to mean modest confusion or delight. "There, don't hurry so!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Bai Jove, what a fierce little thing you are! Now, look here: we're quite alone, and I want to talk to you. There, you needn't look round: the children are half-way home, and we shall be quite unobserved. Bai Jove! why, what a prudish little creature you are!"