comfort.

The little child for whom he had risked his life was still asleep, and one of the women from another cottage, a cousin of Stephen's father, agreed to take care of her for the present.

When we came out ready to start, about seven o'clock, all the events of the past night seemed like a dream. The sun was bright and warm, and the sea did not seem very much rougher than it had been when we crossed before. Certainly Miss Law was in a dreadful fright; it was too plain, however, that she could not remain where she was, for her to venture on more than faint complaining. We had a most distracted time before we started, and the children were so much excited by the different accounts they heard of our adventures, that we could scarcely get them to eat any breakfast, or to remain still for a moment. At length we fairly embarked, and with a parting cheer from the dwellers on the Point, who took a strong interest in our fortunes, we left the scene of that memorable midsummer-night storm.

But I don't think any of us will ever forget it; and now, whenever our little ones ask for the story of Violet Seymour's Midsummer-Eve, they always end it with the remark, 'But it was not such a wonderful midsummer night as ours; was it, Biddy?'

T was the 7th of September, and we were to leave Chapel Mere on the 9th. The sun

was beginning to redden the sky above the

Wolds, and the long lines of water to blush between the corn-fields, as I went slowly down the pebble walk through the churchyard. I used to like to play on the organ there in the evening when I had time, and to-day I had time for a good hour's practice, as the children were all out by themselves. I was so busy that I did not hear any one in the church, until a voice behind me said quietly, 'Elfie.' I was not likely to mistake the voice-only one person ever called me by that I looked up smiling at Mr. Helmore.

name.

'Where are all the rest?' he asked.

'We went over to see the Howards, and the children stayed to tea. Mamma was tired, so I drove her home and left her to rest.'

'You are not tired, then?'

'Oh no, I have scarcely walked at all to-day.' 'Can you come with me for a little way?'

I consented with delight, for a walk with Mr. Helmore, especially alone, was a rare treat. We went out through the vestry, and walked on through the corn-fields, scarcely speaking. It was a lovely evening, clear and still; the fields were deserted, except for a solitary gleaner here and there. At last we came to the banks of the drain, and sat down, Mr. Helmore on the top rail of the stile, and I on a great stone just above the water he would not let me sit on the grass.

Mr. Helmore was some years older than my father. He was very tall, with a grand-looking head, and strange, deep-set eyes of a very light golden-brown, which blazed like fire sometimes. He used to say he could see in the dark. His thick hair and beard were quite white, though he was scarcely more than sixty, and the rest of his face was not old. Also he was my godfather, and had tried to make a stand against my being christened Bridget, which he and I disliked equally. Etheldreda was his own name for me, and he had always intended that I should be called Ethel or Eda; but the fates, or rather the children, had decided otherwise, and ever since I could remember he had rarely called me anything but Elfie himself.

'How old will you be to-morrow?' he asked suddenly.

'Twenty,' I answered rather dismally.

'What a doleful tone!' he said, laughing. 'Was that what you were looking so unhappy about just now?'

'Not exactly,' I said, laughing also, though from any one else the speech would have angered me; 'but still I think I don't want to leave my teens behind. You see they will never come back again.'

'Unless you had lived in the good old days of Methuselah,' said Mr. Helmore. 'Pray, did you intend to pass your twentieth birthday in retirement and tears? That must be the reason why I heard nothing of any birthday preparations. I began to wonder if you intended to leave me out.'

'The children did talk of tea in the orchard,' I said, smiling, but I think that is our highest flight, unless you intend to take us all out on the canal.'

'No; I want you to take me to Fenbracken Wood.' 'Fenbracken Wood!' I exclaimed; 'why, it is fiveand-twenty miles from here.'

'What are five-and-twenty miles in these days of railroads? Your beloved carrier's cart and pony carriage can take us to Fulston, and it is scarcely half an hour's rail from there. We could easily reach Fenbracken by twelve, and starting again about halfpast six or seven, get home by eight.'

'But,' I protested, 'to-morrow is our last day, and there is all the packing to do.'

'You can do that before you start,' said Mr. Helmore, with the cool ignorance of an old bachelor. 'I have set my heart on it, Elfie.'

'Then if you thought of it before, why did you not mention it sooner?' I asked. 'We could easily have managed then, by getting everything done to-day.'

'Well, I would have confided in you if I had thought it would make so much difference; but I waited partly to see if it were going to be fine, and then, again, I only heard from the Court this morning to say we had better come to luncheon in the house, and content ourselves with tea in the woods. I think that would be the best plan myself.'

To the Court!' I repeated in dismay. 'Do you want us to go there? We scarcely know the Granvilles at all!'

'Mr. Granville has left the house,' said Mr. Helmore. 'It is an old friend of yours who has lately come there— Ronald Forest; and all the Strahans are staying with them just now, so you will be able to introduce our May-bell to the lovely Violet after all. And, by the bye, Ronald mentioned that a cousin of yours, Mr. Everard, was staying there.'

I started with astonishment. 'Bertram! Is he really? I wonder I have not heard from Margaret!'

'They only came on Thursday, and Lady Margaret must have heard directly that you were coming there.