"Pure accident. I had been visiting two bed-ridden crones whom Margaret had promised to go and see, but couldn't. The path leading home struck into yours--so--so I couldn't help being behind you and hearing your wicked words--and they were dreadfully wicked," she answered mischievously. "But--hark!" A male voice was heard approaching, alternately whistling and singing snatches of a popular song of the day, then a tall, active figure cleared the stile in front of them and drew up short. "Hallo!" "Oh, Eusty, you disgraceful defaulter. Is that how you keep your promises?" cried Olive. "Didn't you vow you would come and meet me, and now I've had to walk through two fields full of horrid cows all by myself--and it's no thanks to you that I haven't been frightened to death." "Oh, here--ahem--I say, hold hard!" cried the Oxonian, quizzically surveying the pair. "All by yourself--eh? Well, it strikes me, young woman, you've fallen in with a pretty substantial escort." "But not until I had passed the cows, you detestable boy," replied she, with a tinge of colour in her bright, laughing face. "I say, Dorrien, she implies that you're nobody," went on her brother, without heeding her. "Says she had to come along all by herself. Rough on you, that--eh?" Roland laughed, and coming to the rescue turned the scale of "chaff" against Eustace, who was fain to acknowledge at last that he was in a minority, and to cry quarter. "Hallo, Dorrien, don't sheer off," cried Eustace, as, having reached the town, a halt suddenly took place. "Tack in and get your eye-teeth into some cold sirloin, _anglice_--lunch!" But the other shook his head. "Oh, stow all that," went on the reckless youth in response to some excuse. "Now, don't let's have any more talk over it, but 'bout ship and steer for the ecclesiastical hang-out. There are only our two selves. The reverend Padre won't be in till this afternoon, and the other girls have gone out to lunch at the Gaskells. Olive, tell him he must. He'll obey orders from you." Roland hesitated. He had frequently dropped in in this informal way, and now the temptation to sit for an hour at the same table with Olive, with the prospect of a whole afternoon of her society, was strong. But he remembered that his negotiations with her father were still pending, and he had a shrewd idea that the next interview might not go off quite so pleasantly. Meanwhile, it might strike the rector in the light of a shabby thing, were he in a sort of way to steal a march upon him in his absence. So he heroically and steadfastly refused. Had he known what was to happen within the next twenty-four hours he would probably have yielded. "I'll look round later," he said. "I want to see the rector as soon as he comes in. That'll do instead, Eustace, won't it?" "Hang it! I suppose it must!" was the careless reply.