"I suppose you had sheets of them in the north," he said innocently, as he poked a stone away from the head of an emerging hyacinth. "Yes--a great many." She looked absently straight before her, taking no more notice of the flowers. "Well--and Mrs. Fountain? Are you really anxious?" The girl hesitated. "She is ill--quite ill. I ought to see her somehow." "Well, my dear, go!" He looked round upon her with a cheerful decision. "No--that isn't possible," she said quietly. "But I might stay somewhere near. She must have lost a great deal of strength since Christmas." At Christmas and for some time afterwards, she and Mrs. Fountain had been at St. Leonard's together. In fact, it was little more than a fortnight since Laura had parted from her stepmother, who had shown a piteous unwillingness to go back alone to Bannisdale. The garden door opened and shut; a white-capped servant came along the path. A gentleman--for Miss Fountain. "For me?" The girl's cheek flushed involuntarily. "Why, Pater--who is it?" For behind the servant came the gentleman--a tall and comely youth, with narrow blue eyes, a square chin, and a very conscious smile. He was well dressed in a dark serge suit, and showed a great deal of white cuff, and a conspicuous watch-chain, as he took off his hat. "Hubert!" Laura advanced to him, with a face of astonishment, and held out her hand. Mason greeted her with a mixture of confusion and assurance, glancing behind her at the Friedlands all the time. "Well, I was here on some business--and I thought I'd look you up, don't you know?" "My cousin, Hubert Mason," said Laura, turning to the old people. Friedland lifted his wide-awake. Mrs. Friedland, whose gentle face could be all criticism, eyed him quietly, and shook hands perfunctorily. A few nothings passed on the weather and the spring. Suddenly Mason said: "Would you take a walk with me, Miss Laura?" After a momentary hesitation, she assented, and went into the house for her walking things. Mason hurriedly approached the doctor. "Why, she looks--she looks as if you could blow her away!" he cried, staring into the doctor's face, while his own flushed. "Miss Fountain's health has not been strong this winter," said the doctor gravely, his spectacled eyes travelling up and down Mason's tall figure. "You, I suppose, became acquainted with her in Westmoreland?" "Acquainted with her!" The young man checked himself, flushed still redder, then resumed. "Well, we're cousins, you see--though of course I don't mean to say that we're her sort--you understand?" "Miss Fountain is ready," said Mrs. Friedland. Mason looked round, saw the little figure in the doorway, and hastily saluting the Friedlands, took his leave. "My dear," said the doctor anxiously, laying hold on his wife's arm, "should we have asked him to lunch?" His wife smiled. "By no means. That's Laura's business." "Well, but, Jane--Jane! had you realised that young man?"