"Yes," said the pleasant voice of Kate, now coming in, "that would complete the picture." Then she suddenly added, "Cornelius, are you not tired?" "Not at all; I rested in London, you know." "Go and take a walk then." "What for, Kate?" "Go out sketching." "I feel very comfortable here." "Go, I tell you; Daisy will show you the way; she knows Leigh by heart, and, for England, it is pretty enough." Cornelius looked at me and I looked at Kate. She smoothed my hair and answered the look: "No, child, I can't go; bless you, my hands are full of domestic concerns, so make haste and get ready. Stay, I shall go with you." She accompanied me to my room, opened my drawers and drew forth a white muslin frock. "Put that on," she said; "do not open your eyes, but do as I bid you." "If we walk in the grass--" I began. "You will soil it,--what matter?" "But why put it on? it is my best." "Bless the child! don't you see that I tell you to put it on because it is your best, or rather because you look best in it? Don't be dull, Midge, I want Cornelius to like you and your looks too." There was no resisting an argument so plainly stated. Still when Kate went down on some mysterious errand into the kitchen, and I hastened to the parlour with my scarf on my arm and my bonnet in my hand, in order not to keep Cornelius waiting, I was under a nervous apprehension that he would think me very vain and fond of dress. He did look at me, and very fixedly too. I exclaimed, deprecatingly-- "I knew you would think it odd to go and put on a white dress for a walk in the country, but Kate would have it so." He laughed, and gave me an amused look. "What a strange girl you are, Daisy! I never noticed your dress. I was studying the effect of that bright sunlight on your hair, and thinking how it made it look more rich and deep than the hues Titian loved to paint." It was my turn to laugh. "How like an artist, to be always thinking of effects!" "Now don't stand giggling and chatting there," said Miss O'Reilly, appearing with an ample provision of sandwiches neatly packed up, "but go out whilst the day is still pleasant. Cornelius, take these; you are to stay out the whole day. Daisy, why don't you take his arm? you are tall enough for that now." He held out his arm for me with a smile, and as I took it and looked up into his face, I felt a proud and happy girl. The time had been when the hand of Cornelius was as much as I could claim, and I longed in vain for the present privilege and honour. We left Rock Cottage by the garden gate. As we walked arm in arm down the path that led to the beach, I saw Miss O'Reilly stand on the door-step, and, shading her eyes with her hand, look after us, until the winding of the path concealed us from her sight. CHAPTER V.