That is why, when, some time later, Sir Henry having replenished himself and found all preparations made for going homeward, and having begun to wonder where Miss Corcoran, whom he had hoped to escort, had vanished to, Nare found himself on the moor with that young lady just drawing near to the Mill, the sight of which he had been promised. It was just after sundown then, pleasantly cool and hazy, with nothing but a noise of stray bees to disturb the silence. Miss Corcoran had had her parasol furled for several minutes, so that Nare, who was slightly behind with the picnic basket which Mrs. Harrington had thrust upon him "in case Judith should want a sandwich on the way, Mr. Nare"--commanded an uninterrupted and delightful view of the curls on her neck. "Perfect," he said, and she, fancying he referred to the weather, perhaps, agreed. [Illustration: "'I DON'T THINK YOU'RE WALKING VERY FAST, MR. NARE,' SHE SAID."] "But I don't think you're walking very fast, Mr. Nare," she said, severely. "And when I promised Mrs. Harrington to show you the Mill, I did think you'd walk a little quicker, even though you are a Londoner." "Don't be unkind," said Nare. "Recollect that your foot is on your native heath, while mine----" "But we shall miss the others." "We started first." "Not more than half an hour, and we've come right off the road on to the moor and----" "But it's such a jolly afternoon." "Evening." "And it would be a sin to stampede over these attractive buttercups," Nare pleaded. Miss Corcoran relented with a little laugh. "Really, you are Cockneyer than I thought. Buttercups! It's gorse." "Same kind of yellow," said Nare. "And there's the Mill. Now we must hurry." Woman, it has been said, disposes, but that depends on circumstances. Nare had no desire to hurry, but hurried he certainly would have been if it were not for the episode that occurred at that moment. Afterwards he was grateful for it, but for the time being he would even have preferred hurrying. For, just as he was taking a last look at the Mill, something shadowy, but alive, came stalking slowly away from it towards them. Involuntarily Nare whistled. In the hazy twilight it was not easy to distinguish shapes exactly, and the desolate moorland with the black bare Mill frowning in its midst, only a single skeleton sail left to show for what purpose it had been built centuries ago, and the utter silence, except for the homing bees, no doubt tended to ghostly thoughts. But either Nare was dreaming or---- "Whatever is that?" cried Miss Corcoran, suddenly catching sight of it. She put a startled hand on his arm, and Nare regained his cheerfulness. "This Cockney suggests that it's a cow--a stray cow." "But----" "Probably an Alderney," Nare pursued, "with pink eyes and----" The creature was making towards them on the circumference of a circle, and as Nare talked he walked slowly towards the Mill. There must be some kind of shelter there.