Captain Waring envied his comrade, who, with Miss Gordon, sauntered on a few paces ahead of him and, what he mentally termed, “his old woman of the sea.” She never ceased talking, and could not endure him out of her sight. The others appeared to get on capitally; they had plenty to say to one another, and their frequent laughter excited not alone his envy, but his amazement. Mark was not a ladies’ man; this squiring of dames was a new departure. Such an avocation was far more in his own line, and by all the laws of the fitness of things, _he_ should be in Mark’s place--strolling by moonlight with a pretty girl along the shores of this lovely mountain tarn. What were they talking about? Mark never could find much to say to girls--straining his ears, not from the ungentlemanly wish to listen, but merely from pure friendly curiosity--he paid but scant attention to Mrs. Brande’s questions, and gave her several misleading answers. “His cousin had no profession--he was a gentleman at large--yes--his _protége_--yes. He himself was a man of leisure--yes.” Yes--yes--yes; he said “Yes” to everything indiscriminately; it is so easy to say “Yes!” “It is strange that we should come across one another twice on the same journey,” remarked Jervis to his companion. “If you had not come across me the first time, I suppose I should be sitting in that train still!” “Oh no; not quite so long as all that.” “You won’t say anything to aunt about----” “Good gracious, Miss Gordon! Do you think I look like a lunatic?” “You see, I have such a dreadful way of coming out with things, that I imagine that what is an irresistible temptation to _me_, might be the same to other people!” “You need not be afraid, as far as I am concerned. I can answer for myself that I can hold my tongue. And how are you getting on? Still counting the hours until your departure?” with an air of gay interrogation. “No, indeed. At first I was desperately home-sick; but I am getting over that now.” And gradually she was led on to talk of Jessie’s stories, of their celebrated mulberry tree, and of the various quaint local characters. Surely there was some occult influence in the scene; or was it the frank air and pleasant voice of this young man, that thus unlocked her lips? She felt as if she had known him quite a long time; at any rate, he was her first acquaintance in India, and she once more repeated to herself the comforting fact that he was also a poor relation--that alone was a strong bond of sympathy. As they paced the narrow road that edged the lake of Nath Tal, they laughed and talked with a mutual enjoyment that filled the mind of Captain Waring and Mrs. Brande (who were not so happily paired) with dismay on the part of the lady, and disgust on the side of the gentleman. Captain Waring would no doubt have found their conversation insipid to the last degree; it contained no sugared compliments, and not the smallest spice of sentiment or flirtation.