Chris started away from Claude as if some one had struck him a violent blow. "Mary!" cried Claude. "Oh, I beg your pardon. What did I say?" _Whizz_! "Mr Lisle! Help!" cried Claude, for the line had suddenly tightened, the top of the rod bent over in a curve, and the winch sang out as it rapidly revolved. "Take the rod, please, Mr Lisle," continued Claude, in a voice full of emotion; and, as he took it without a word, she saw that he was deadly pale, and that his white teeth were pressing hard upon his nether lip. He played the fish mechanically, and with Claude steadily looking on, and feeling as if she would like to run home to shut herself in her own room and throw herself upon her knees and sob. But the face before her held her as by a chain, and she turned with a bitter look of reproach upon her cousin, as she saw the way in which Chris was stung. "Don't look at me like that, dear," cried Mary, "the words slipped out. I did not mean them, indeed. It's a big fish, isn't it, Mr Lisle? Shall I gaff it for you?" "Thank you," he said drearily; and Mary picked up the bamboo staff with the glistening hook at the end. "Oh, I do beg your pardon, Mr Lisle." "Granted," was the laconic reply. "Don't, pray, don't punish me for saying those words," cried Mary. "There, finish your lesson in love and fishing. Claude," she whispered, as the young man had to follow the fish a few yards down the stream, "you've caught him tightly; shall I gaff him as well?" "Yes; you had better finish your lesson, Miss Gartram," said Chris, walking back slowly winding in the line, and speaking in a hard, cold tone. "No; you had better finish," she replied hastily; and then, as she saw the cloud deepening on his brow, she stepped forward quickly, and laid her hand on the rod. "Yes, let me finish, Chris," she said, and she gazed at him with her eyes full of faith and trust. "Claude," he whispered, as he gave her the rod, "you couldn't think--" "Hallo! What's this?" cried a harsh voice, and all started, so suddenly had Norman Gartram--followed closely by his visitor--stepped up to where they stood. "Mr Lisle giving Claude and me a lesson in fishing," said Mary sharply. "Now, Claude, dear, wind in and I'll hook him out." "Most interesting group," said Parry Glyddyr, with rather a contemptuous look at the teacher of the art. "Very," said Norman Gartram, frowning. "Here, Claude, stop that fooling and come home." "Mary, Mary, what have you done?" whispered Claude, as they walked away. "Made a mess of it, darling, I'm afraid." As they turned a corner of the glen, with her father's guest talking about what she did not know, Claude stole a glance back, to see Christopher Lisle standing with his hands resting upon the rod he held, and a bright, silvery fish lying at his feet. The girl's heart went on beating heavily with pulsations that seemed as full of pleasure as of pain. Volume One, Chapter IV. "ALL TO BITS!"