'Yes, we have no horses at Chilcote; but how curious you are,' she replied, colouring again, and with a sense of annoyance that he did not suspect, though the mention of the peer's name by her lips irritated Bevil Goring, and made him seek to repress the love that was growing in his heart. Yet he knew not that he had impressed Alison Cheyne by his voice and manner beyond anyone whom she had hitherto met, but she was conscious that her heart beat quicker when he addressed her, and that the very sunshine seemed to grow brighter in his presence; but to what end was all this, she thought, unless--if he loved her--he was rich enough to suit her father's standard of wealth. As they drew near Chilcote they tacitly, it seemed, reduced the pace of their horses to a walk. 'If it does not grieve you now to recur to the fate of your brother Ellon,' said Goring, in his softest tone, 'I may mention that I have a little souvenir of him, of which I would beg your acceptance.' 'A souvenir of Ellon!' 'Yes.' 'How came you to possess it?' 'When his effects were sold at Lahore, before his regiment marched again.' 'And this relic----' 'Is a ring with a girl's hair in it.' 'Thank you so much,' said she, with a quivering lip; 'but to deprive you----' 'Nay, nay, do not begin to speak thus. To whom should it belong but to you? And how strange is the chance that gives me an opportunity of presenting it!' 'I cannot decline it; but the girl--who can she have been? Poor Ellon, some secret is buried in his grave.' 'Soldiers' graves, I doubt not, hide many, and many a sad romance. I have generally worn it, curious to say, as my stock of jewellery is not very extensive.' 'Have you it with you now?' 'No, I never wear rings when riding, the stones are apt to get knocked out. I meant to do myself the pleasure of calling on you after the hunt; and shall, if you will permit me. To-morrow I am for guard.' 'For guard over what?' 'Nothing,' he said, laughing. 'There is nothing to see or to guard, but it is all the same to John Bull.' 'The day after, then?' 'The day after.' They were close to the house now, and, lifting his hat, he bowed low and turned his horse just as a groom, who had been waiting in the porch, took hers by the bridle, and, waving the handle of her switch to him in farewell, Miss Cheyne gathered up her riding skirt and entered the house. Bevil Goring lingered at the further end of the avenue that led to Chilcote, which was in a lovely locality, especially in summer, one of those sunny places within thirty miles of St. Paul's, and one secluded and woody--a place like Burnham Beeches, where the tree trunks are of amazing size, and the path that led to the house went down a deep dell, emblossomed in a wilderness leafy at all times but in winter.