"Do you believe in presentiments?" she said, slowly, with her eyes fixed still, as though by some fascination, upon the dark waters beneath them. "Not in the very least," he answered, cheerily; "do not think of such things. John would be the first to scold you--and to scold me for bringing you here." He stood, holding her hand, looking at her kindly and compassionately; suddenly she looked at him, and as their eyes met once more, she trembled from head to foot. "Vera, you are frightened; tell me what it is!" "I don't know! I don't know!" she cried, with a sudden wail, like a person in pain; "only--oh! I wish I had not seen it for the first time with _you_!" Before he could answer her, some one, _beckoning_ to them from the further side of the pool, caused them both to turn suddenly round. It was not only Herbert Pryme who had seen them wander away down the garden from the house. Mrs. Romer, too, had been at another window and had noticed them. To run lightly upstairs, put on her hat and jacket, and to follow them, had been the work of but a very few minutes. Helen was not minded to allow Maurice to wander about all the morning with Vera. "Are you going for a walk?" she called out to them across the water. "Wait for me; I am coming with you." Vera turned quickly to her companion. "Is it true that you are engaged to her?" she asked him rapidly, in a low voice. Maurice hesitated. Morally speaking, he was engaged to her; but, then, it had been agreed between them that he was to deny any such engagement. He felt singularly disinclined to let Vera know what was the truth. "People say you are," she said, once more. "Will you tell me if it is true?" "No; there is no engagement between us," he answered, gravely. "I am very glad," she answered, earnestly. He coloured, but he had no time to ask her why she was glad--for Helen came up to them. "How interested you look in each other's conversation!" she said, looking suspiciously at them both. "May I not hear what you have been talking about?" "Anybody might hear," answered Vera, carelessly, "were it worth one's while to take the trouble of repeating it." Maurice said nothing. He was angry with Helen for having interrupted them, and angry with himself for having denied his semi-engagement. He stood looking away from them both, prodding his stick into the gravel walk. For half a minute they stood silently together. "Let us go on," said Vera, and they began to walk. Once again in the days that were to come those three stood side by side upon the margin of Shadonake Bath. CHAPTER XII. THE MEET AT SHADONAKE. The desire of the moth for the star, Of the night for the morrow, The devotion to something afar. Shelley.