'A distant one is better than none at all,' put in Hilda, intending no more than to help him out with his sentence; for he seemed to find a difficulty in finishing his sentences; and when he broke off in the midst of them he had a way of resting his eyes on her face, as if he expected to find the conclusion there. 'Thank you for thinking it worth while to say that!' exclaimed the Captain, straightening himself and lifting his head with a very bright glance. 'Oh, you must not think I meant that--exactly!' Hilda said in some haste and panic, and with a flush that may have indicated her regret at having been born such a fool. The Captain was certainly very kind. He took no notice of her embarrassment, but went on, smoothing the feather in his hat as he spoke, 'I was going to explain, in regard to our being relations, that I had a grand-uncle, whose name was Banyon. He was an Indian colonel.' 'Oh, I know all about him,' said Hilda, glad to show that she was not quite such a fool after all. 'He was in love with his cousin, poor old Mrs. Chepstow, my grand-aunt; and left her all his precious stones in his will; only she never got them, because, poor man....' Here Hilda paused, and threw a glance at the handsome young officer. 'Because he was drowned, wasn't he?' said he, smiling however in a very unnephew-like manner. 'And the precious stones were drowned along with him, of course.' 'That is what the common people believe,' said Miss Kildhurm with a certain reserve in her manner that prompted the Captain to say, 'Ah then, if I may ask it, what is Miss Kildhurm's belief?' 'I believe,' said she, after a moment's silence, 'that there is a secret, and a mystery!' 'A mystery?' repeated the Captain, opening his blue eyes. 'Where?' Hilda's brown eyes met his blue ones with a grave and somewhat doubtful expression: but at last she raised her hand and pointed to the Oak, saying nothing. 'In the Oak?' Captain Bramston at first reddened a little, as if he thought he were being made game of; but in a moment he exclaimed in a tone full of interest, 'Oh, is that the famous Oak--the Oak of Kildhurm?' 'Yes, that is our Oak,' replied Hilda, with a breath of pride. 'You see, I had heard of it before,' said the Captain. 'I should think there was no one who had not heard of the Oak of Kildhurm,' replied Hilda, rather amused at the contrary suggestion. 'I suppose there might be some who couldn't,' she added charitably, reflecting that India and America were a long way off, and their inhabitants probably very ignorant. 'May I see it?' resumed Captain Bramston. 'You cannot see the mystery!' Hilda answered with some awe in her voice. 'I have not seen that myself; I only know a little about it. My grandmamma is the only one who has seen!' 'I was speaking of the Oak. As to the mystery, I shan't ask about seeing that as long as I may see you.' 'I don't see how you can say that,' replied Hilda, 'since you have known me only so short a time.'