'Which I do as well as one fellow can know another in the same battalion, I am sure he would never dispossess so charming--two such charming cousins.' 'Indeed! you have said something like this already.' 'Would you not write to him and ask--' 'Emphatically--no!' 'Allow me, then?' asked Colville, in his most persuasive tone. 'Never! I--we shall be beholden to none! I thought, small as it is, that Birkwoodbrae was almost our patrimony; it proves to be his, so let him have it.' 'And you----' 'Have the world wide before me,' she replied, with a quiver of her sweet upper lip; 'with us--Ellinor and me--it may be as in _Strathallan's Lament_-- "Ruin's wheel has driven o'er us, Not a hope may now attend; The world wide is all before us, But a world without a friend." 'Heaven! I hope not,' said he. 'Why does he continue on this distasteful subject,' thought Mary, 'unless to prolong the conversation?' He now proceeded to pat Jack's head. and as he did so his hand came more than once in contact with hers, and each touch sent a thrill to his heart, while with that mysterious instinct which tells a girl of the emotions with which she is inspiring an admirer, Mary, without turning her head, knew that the fond gaze of Leslie Colville was bent upon her. What did he mean? To desert Blanche Galloway, or was he simply amusing himself with her, or with both? Her pride revolted at the idea. However, their acquaintanceship would soon be at an end, as he would be leaving like herself; and as if he divined her thoughts, he said something of his approaching departure. 'I hope you will have some pleasant memories to carry away with you?' said Mary, and then she could have bitten her tongue for making the surmise, and added, 'I shall have none but sad ones--though Invermay is so lovely.' 'Yes; but there are some memories of it that will ever be dear to me--the hours I have spent here at Birkwoodbrae.' If he was betraying himself, he paused, and Mary could feel how her heart was vibrating. For a moment her long dark lashes flickered as she glanced at him timidly, and thought how happy his avowed love would make her was he at liberty to do so; and she remembered that when he was away at Alyth how she had felt a void in her heart, till adversity brought her other things to think of. As Colville looked down on the ripples of the girl's golden hair and on her saddened face, a great pity that was allied with something warmer and dearer stirred his heart, and bending over her downcast head, he lightly touched her hair with his lips. 'Poor child!' said he, and Mary drew haughtily back. She saw there was a smile on his face; it was a very fond one, but she misjudged it, and felt assured that no lover would smile at such a time. Thus his manner perplexed her, so she said, 'Do not forget yourself, Captain Colville, and that you are engaged to Miss Galloway.'