"This is not, sir," I said eagerly; "this is _Boletus edulis_, and very good eating." "Indeed; and pray what does _Boletus edulis_ mean?" "The eatable _boletus_, sir. There is a family of fungi called the _boleti_, sir, and you can easily tell them, because they are all full of pores, or little holes, underneath, while the ordinary agarics have gills like this." I picked up one with a brilliant scarlet top as I spoke, and showed him the white gills beneath. "And has that a name?" he said. "Oh yes; that is a very poisonous and rather rare specimen: it is _Russula emetica_." "Why, Grace," he said, laying his hand on my shoulder, "you and I must come for country walks together. You must take me for a pupil. Good heavens?" he muttered, "how one does live to find out one's ignorance." His whole manner from that moment was changed towards me. He seemed to throw off his mask of cold reserve, and laughed and chatted; ran up banks to get rare ferns, and climbed a tree to look at a late wood-pigeon's nest, so that the time flew by till, on referring to his watch, he found that we should have enough to do to get back to the dinner. "I would rather stay in the forest," he said. "So would I, sir," I replied rather dolefully. "But no," he continued, "the firm are very kind, and we should be wanting in respect if we stayed away. Come along; you sit beside me, and we'll slip off afterwards and have another run." We hurried back just in time for the dinner, but I did not get a place by Mr Hallett; and as soon as this was over speech-making began. It did not interest me, for my eyes were fixed upon a kind of gallery above the heads of the people at the upper table, in which I could see Miss Carr and her sister had taken their places, apparently to listen to the speeches made by Mr Ruddle and Mr Lister in turn. They seemed, however, to pay little attention to them after the first, and as I sat watching them, and wishing Miss Carr could see me, to my disappointment I saw them rise to go, just as, after a good deal of whispering between Mr Grimstone, Mr Jabez Rowle, and Mr Hallett, the latter, evidently unwillingly, rose to propose the health of the firm. At the first sound of his voice I saw Miss Carr pause and stay her sister, and as he went on, she paid more and more attention, leaning over the rail to catch every word, while he, quite unconscious of the presence of such listeners, warmed to his task, and in well-chosen vigorous language, spoke in praise of the firm, and, at the same time, urged his fellow-workmen to give them in the future their best support as earnestly as they would promise it upon this present day.