Lower still Leslie was going on thoughtfully, pondering on Uncle Luke's hints, when the blood suddenly flushed into his cheeks, his heart began to beat rapidly, and he increased his pace. For there unmistakably were two ladies going down the zig-zag, and there were no two others in Hakemouth could be mistaken for them. He hurried on to overtake them. Then he checked himself. "Where had they been?" His sinking heart suggested that they had been on their way to visit Uncle Luke, but that they had caught sight of him, and in consequence returned. His brow grew gloomy, and he walked slowly on, when the blood flushed to his cheeks again, as if he had been surprised in some guilty act, for a sharp voice said-- "No, Mr Leslie; you would not be able to overtake them now." He stopped short, and turned to the warm sheltered nook among the rocks where Aunt Margaret was seated; her grey lavender dress was carefully spread about her, her white hair turned back beneath a black velvet satin-lined hood, and a lace fichu pinned across her breast. "You here, Miss Vine?" said Leslie, hiding his annoyance. "Yes; and I thought I would save you a thankless effort. I know these paths so well, and they are very deceptive as to distance. You could not overtake the girls unless you ran." "I was not going to try and overtake them, Miss Vine," said Leslie coldly. "Indeed! I beg your pardon; I thought you were. But would you mind, Mr Leslie--it is a very trifling request, but I set store by these little relics of our early history--Miss _Marguerite_ Vine, if you would be so kind?" Leslie bowed. "Certainly, Miss Marguerite," he said quietly. "Thank you," she said, detaining him. "It is very good of you. Of course you are surprised to see me up here?" "Oh, no," said Leslie quietly. "It is a delightful place to sit and rest and read." "Ye-es; but I cannot say that I care much for the rough walking of this part of the world, and my brother seems somehow to have taken quite a dislike to the idea of having a carriage?" "Yes?" "So I am obliged to walk when I do come out. There are certain duties one is forced to attend to. For instance, there is my poor brother up yonder. I feel bound to see him from time to time. You see him frequently, of course?" "Every day, necessarily. We are so near." "Poor fellow! Yes. Very eccentric and peculiar; but you need be under no apprehension, Mr Leslie. He is quite harmless, I am sure." "Oh, quite harmless, Miss Marguerite. Merely original." "It is very good of you to call it originality; but as friends, Mr Leslie, there is no harm in our alluding to his poor brain. Softening, a medical man told me." "Hardening, I should say," thought Leslie. "Very peculiar! very peculiar! Father and uncle both so different to my dear nephew. So you were going to overtake the girls?" "No, Miss Marguerite; I had no such idea."