Once more the question rose to perplex her: why had he come, why was he riding about the dale with her, counting sheep, wading in the stream, lifting weir stones, and herding cattle?
It seemed to be so strange, so inexplicable.

And as she followed him with her eyes, his grace and strength were impressed upon her, and she dwelt upon them dreamily.

Were there many such men in the world of which she knew so little, or was he one alone, and unique?
And how good, how pleasant it was to have him with her, to talk to her, to help her! She had often longed for a brother, and had pictured one like this, strong and handsome, with frank eyes and smiling lips--someone upon whom she could lean, to whom she could go when she was in trouble.
A shout awoke her from her reverie; and looking up she saw the missing steer forcing its way through a hedge on top of a bank.

Stafford was riding after it at an easy canter and coming straight for the bank.

The steer plunged through the hedge and floundered through the wide ditch, and Ida headed it and drove it towards the rest of the herd.