Improbable as it may appear, one of the last people in the county to hear the news about Captain Bramston was the very person who was generally considered to be the most affected by it: namely, Miss Hilda Kildhurm. The first she knew about the matter was, that one afternoon, as she was sitting beneath the Oak, mending a rent that she had made in her frock the day before, she saw a gentleman ride along the road, and draw rein at the Tower gate; and a moment afterwards she saw him pulling vigorously at the bell-handle. This proved (what Miss Hilda had already suspected) that the gentleman was a stranger; for anybody who was not a stranger would have known that the bell of Kildhurm Tower had been cracked and done away with any time these ten years past. Now, it was unquestionably the duty of the Kildhurm family to be hospitable to strangers; and since that family at present consisted of three members, one of whom--Sir Philip--was absent in the neighbouring market town, and another of whom--Miss Hilda's grandmother--was presumably asleep in the topmost chamber of the Tower;--such being the state of affairs, it inevitably devolved upon the third and only available member--Miss Hilda herself--to do the honours of the occasion. So she arose, and paced demurely across the grass towards the stranger. As she drew near she perceived that he was very good-looking, in both senses of that phrase, and this discovery gave her a certain satisfaction. Moreover, when he turned to look at her it was evident that he found her appearance agreeable, which was the more noteworthy inasmuch as she was by no means dressed to receive company, and her hair was in disorder. She thought the stranger must be a man of great natural kindliness, and very easy to please. When she was within speaking distance, therefore, she asked him, in a friendly tone, whether he wanted to see anyone? He eyed her for a moment very intently, as if she were the first young woman he had ever beheld; and he answered in a deep but very pleasant voice, lifting his hat from his forehead, 'I beg your pardon!' (which she thought quite unnecessary). 'I am Captain Bramston--Harold Bramston: you may chance to have heard mention made of me----?' He bowed slightly with an expectant look. 'No: I never heard of you before,' replied Hilda, with a meditative air, as if she were searching her memory to make sure. Captain Bramston coloured a little. 'You are, I venture to suppose, Miss--that is, Miss----' 'Yes, I am Miss Kildhurm,' she replied gravely. 'Hilda Kildhurm,' she added, after a pause. The Captain hereupon doffed his hat again, and continued to hold it in his hand while he spoke. 'I am happy and honoured to meet Miss Kildhurm,' he said. 'Though you have never heard of me, I heard of you long ago, and I have often thought of you--pardon the liberty!--especially of late. I am a sort of relative of yours, you must know: a distant one, I fear; but still----'