Freda coloured at this sudden question.

‘No, not at all; besides, he is a middle-aged man.’

’To be sure; I suppose so.  Miss Hall must be—­I don’t know—­nearly forty I suppose.  I wish Rowland Prothero lived at the farm; he was so obliging and pleasant; even Lady Mary Nugent admires him.’

’She is no great criterion of what is agreeable; I shouldn’t think it any compliment to be liked by her.  There is the dressing bell.  Now, papa, do be ready for dinner, if you please.’

Freda went to her room in a sudden fit of ill-temper.  The mention of Lady Mary always put her out of humour.  In a few moments there was a tap at the door, and Miss Hall made her appearance.

‘I might have waited a long time at the waterfall, Serena,’ she began maliciously.

For answer, Miss Hall went to her and kissed her, and when Freda looked up, she saw that there was an unusually bright colour in her cheeks, and something very like tears in her eyes.

Freda threw her arms round her friend, exclaiming,—­

’I know, Nita dear!  It is all signed, sealed, and settled n’est-ce pas?’

And so it proved; during that long walk the old love had become new, and two people as deserving of happiness as most of the poor sinful mortals who are for ever seeking her, were made perfectly happy for that day at least.

Freda’s reflections, whilst she sat alone, listlessly brushing her hair and dressing herself, were as follows:—­

’How happy she seems; she looks twenty years younger; and he, an elderly, iron-grey clergyman; it would be ridiculous, only it is all so true and good.  I suppose, after all, there is something grand, as the poet says, in constancy, and love, and the like; and I ought to pity Rowland Prothero, if he really cares for me.  And yet I don’t; on the contrary, I could be over head and ears in love with another man to-morrow if he would only ask me; and he is gone away without telling me that he cares for me, if he does, as I cannot help hoping.  But nothing shall induce me to give my heart to any one, unless I am asked for it, of that I am resolved; no, not if I were to die in the struggle to keep it.’

With this prudent and womanly resolution, Freda got up from her seat, hastily put on her dress, and went to Miss Hall, to insist on dressing her on that particular day.

’You must put on the pink and white muslin that you look so well in.  I insist on it, and will have my way to-night,’ she said, and had her way accordingly, and the satisfaction of hearing her father remark afterwards, that he had ’not seen Miss Hall look so well for years.  She really was a very pretty ladylike person, and Mr Jones ought to think himself very fortunate, and all that sort of thing.’