Of course, as Miss Anison had some private communication to make to her sister, Philip and Alice had nothing to do but _s'éloigner_. The young gentleman offered his arm, which was accepted, and they went on down a deviously winding walk. Alice looked round, and seeing nobody, said, "Hadn't we better wait, or go back a little? we have been walking faster than they have." Philip did as he was bid, not precisely knowing or caring which way he went. But the young ladies were not there. "I think," he said at last, "we should do better to go in our first direction, as they will expect us to do. Very likely Miss Anison may have taken her sister to the house, to show her something, and they will meet us in the garden again, if we go in the direction they calculate upon." So they turned round and walked down the winding path again. "You often come to this place, I believe," said Philip. "The Anisons are old friends of yours, are they not, Miss Stedman?" "Oh yes; I come to stay here very often. The Anisons are very kind to me." "They are kind to me also, Miss Stedman, and yet I have no claim of old acquaintance. A fortnight since I did not even know their name, and yet it seems to me now as if I had known them for years. _You_ are rather an older acquaintance, Miss Stedman. I had the pleasure of seeing you at Sootythorn before I came to Whittlecup." Alice looked up at her companion rather archly, and said, "You mean in the bookseller's shop?" "Yes, when you came to buy a book of sermons. Shall I tell you what book you ordered? I remember the name perfectly. It was 'Blunting's Sermons on Popery.'" "So you were listening, were you?" "I wasn't listening when I heard your voice for the first time, but I listened very attentively afterwards. My attention was attracted by the title of the book. You know that I am a Catholic, Miss Stedman?" "Yes," said Alice, very briefly, and in a tone which seemed to endeavor not to imply disapprobation. "And perhaps you know that Catholics don't quite like to hear their religion called 'Popery.' So I was a little irritated; but then I reflected that as the title of the book was so, you could not order it by another name than the name upon its titlepage." Here there was a pause, as Alice did not speak. Philip resumed,-- "Do you live _in_ Sootythorn, Miss Stedman?" "Not far out of the town. Indeed our house is surrounded by buildings now. It used to be quite in the country." "I--I should like to call upon Mr. Stedman very much when I am quite well again." For some seconds there was no answer. Then Alice said in a low tone, almost inaudible, "I should be very glad to see you again." A heavy and rapid step on the gravel behind them abruptly ended this interesting conversation. It was not Madge Anison's step. They stopped and looked round. The Reverend Abel Blunting confronted them.