“Lessing was Mr. Herder’s brother-in-law.”

“I don’t remember Mr. Herder’s brother-in-law —­ though I believe Mr. Herder did have something to do with the case, or some interest in it.”

“How did you know anything about it?”

“You haven’t answered me,” said Elizabeth, laughing and colouring brightly.

“One question is as good as another,” said Winthrop smiling.

“But one answer is much better than another,” said Elizabeth in a little confusion.

“The suit against Ryle was very successful.  I recovered for him some ninety thousand dollars.”

“Ninety thousand dollars!” —­ Her thoughts took somewhat of a wide circle and came back.

“The amount recovered is hardly a fair criterion of the skill employed, in every instance.  I must correct your judgment.”

“I know more about it than that,” said Elizabeth.  “How far your education has gone! —­ and mine is only just beginning.”

“I should be sorry to think mine was much more than beginning.  Now do you know we must go down? —­ for I must be at Mountain Spring to meet the stage-coach.”

“How soon?” said Elizabeth springing up.

“There is time enough, but I want not to hurry you down the hill.”

He had put her sunbonnet on her head again and was retying it.

“Mr. Landholm —­”

“You must not call me that,” he said.

“Let me, till I can get courage to call you something else.”

“How much courage does it want?”

“If you don’t stop,” said Elizabeth, her eyes filling with tears, “I shall not be able to say one word of what I want to say.”

He stood still, holding the strings of her sunbonnet in either hand.  Elizabeth gathered breath, or courage, and went on.

“A little while ago I was grieving myself to think that you did not know me —­ now, I am very much ashamed to think that you do.” —­

He did not move, nor she.

“I know I am not worthy to have you look at me.  My only hope is, that you will make me better.”

The bonnet did not hide her face this time.  He looked at it a little, at the simplicity of ingenuous trouble which was working in it, —­ and then pushing the bonnet a little back, kissed first one cheek and then the lips, which by that time were bent down almost out of reach.  But he reached them; and Elizabeth was obliged to take her answer, in which there was as much of gentle forgiveness and promise as of affection.

“You see what you have to expect, if you talk to me in this strain,” said he lightly.  “I think I shall not be troubled with much more of it.  I don’t like to leave you in this frame of mind.  I would take you to Mountain Spring in the boat —­ if I could bring you back again.”

“I could bring myself back,” said Elizabeth.  They were going down the hill; in the course of which, it may be remarked, Winthrop had no reason to suppose that she once saw anything but the ground.