"Suppose we go over to 'The Pines' and have afternoon tea in one of the rooms," suggested Stephen. "There is no food there, but we can take what we want from here, and have a picnic." "Jolly!" cried Flo the schoolgirl, "there are kettles and tea-pots and all the rest of the things we want at 'The Pines' I suppose?" "The house is remarkably well furnished," said Herrick laughing. "It is a good idea; three o'clock. We had better go at once." The others entered into the scheme with avidity, and thus it was that Herrick found himself walking beside Bess to "The Pines." Not without a pang had he relinquished Ida to his friend; but bearing in mind the confidence reposed in him by Mrs. Marsh, he desired to act as fairly as possible. Besides he was growing fond of Bess. She was such a bright companion, and so clever. At first she was disinclined to speak of the Colonel and Frisco, but gradually became more outspoken. In his quiet way Herrick had a wonderful gift of making people talk. "I wouldn't say it to any one but you Dr. Jim," said Bess--for so she now called him, "but there is something about you that makes me believe in you. I think you must have a kind of daemonic influence like Goethe." "I am sympathetic if that is what you mean," said Jim. "I took to you immediately I saw you in the inn parlour." Bess blushed a little through her tanned skin, and cast a keen look at the big man. Somehow Herrick was conscious of that look, and wondered what it was for. Perhaps with a woman's quickness Bess divined that he admired Ida and did not approve of it. However she was too clever to say anything if such was the case, but went on to talk of Colonel Carr and Frisco. "I liked Frisco," she said in her quick decisive way, "he was a bad man and some of the things he told me he had done were really dreadful; but somehow he was attractive. Much better than the Colonel." "I thought you liked the Colonel," said Jim with a side glance. "Well you see it was this way," replied the girl laughing. "I was rather bold in introducing myself to him, and he was so kind that I forgave him his bad reputation." "How was it you met him?"