With great self-control Dan managed to suppress the exclamation of surprise which arose involuntarily to his lips. That this fairy princess, this invisible nymph, this phantom of delight, should speak the coarse country dialect, came on him like a douche of cold water. He gasped and stared, and opened his mouth without speaking. The reaction was too terrible for mere speech. "Whoy doan't 'ee saay summat?" demanded the girl, with a twinkle in her eye. "Bean't 'ee----" "Don't," murmured Dan, faintly--"don't speak. It's too horrible!" To his surprise she began to laugh gaily, and when her hilarity had somewhat subsided, addressed him in the purest English with a noticeably refined accent. "You do not care for our country way of talking," said she, putting a rebellious curl in its place. "Not from your lips," he answered, after recovering from his second shock. "Who cares to hear Venus mouth the Scythian tongue?" She looked puzzled at the grandiloquence of this speech, and shifted her gun to the other arm. Dan saw that she was surveying him with the deepest interest, and, being a modest young man, blushed at such persistent scrutiny. "So you are the gentleman who fought with Tim?" "I am the vagrant who fought with the tinker," corrected Dan, smiling. "Why do you call me gentleman?" "Because Sir Alurde Breel was a gentleman, and you are just like him." "Indeed! I am much flattered by the comparison. Does Sir Alurde Breel live in these parts?" "He did, but died three hundred years ago," replied Meg, dryly. "His picture is in the gallery at Farbis Court. He is an ancestor of the present Lord Ardleigh who owns the Court." "Does his lordship live there?" "No! He is in London, I believe. Farbis Court is let to Miss Linisfarne. But these things do not interest you. Please pick up that rabbit." "You have had bad sport to-day," said Dan, hastening to obey this order. "Very bad! Still I have three rabbits to take home. Would you like one?" "I adore rabbit stew, Miss Merle." "Then keep that last one I shot. I see you know my name." "I do! Tinker Tim told me all about you." Meg frowned and then laughed. Her mirth was very musical. "Tim has a very long tongue, Mr. Dan." "Don't call me Mr. Dan." "Then don't you call me Miss Merle!" she said saucily. "Everybody else does," said Dan, unwilling to take advantage of such innocence; "and you see I can hardly call you Meg. I am a stranger to you." "Oh no! I have heard all about you from Tim and Mother Jericho. Besides, you are so like Sir Alurde that I seem to know you quite well." "A thousand blessings on the resemblance. I shall at once take advantage of your kind permission. Do you go often to Farbis Court--Meg?" "Very often, Dan. Miss Linisfarne is very kind to me." "Oh, the lady who lives at the Court in place of its owner! Where is Lord Ardleigh?"