A broad hat shaded her face, her eyes were very dark and very wide open, and I saw some of her beautiful teeth, although she was not smiling or laughing.

It was plain that she had not come down there to see me pass; she was genuinely astonished; I dismounted and approached the wall.
[Illustration: "I dismounted and approached the wall"] "I thought you were miles and miles on your way!" said she.

It occurred to me that I had recently heard a remark very like this, and yet the words, as they came from the slender girl and from this one, seemed to have entirely different meanings.

She was desirous, earnestly desirous, to know how I came to be passing this place at this time, when I had left their gate so long before, and, as I was not unwilling to gratify her curiosity, I told her the whole story of the accident the day before, and of everything which had followed it.
"And you went all the way back," she said, "to inquire after that Burton girl ?" "Do you know her ?" I asked.
"No," she said, "I do not know her; but I have seen her often, and I know all about her family.

They seem to be of such little consequence, one way or the other, that I can scarcely understand how things could so twist themselves that you should consider it necessary to go back there this morning before you really started on your day's journey." I do not remember what I said, but it was something commonplace, no doubt, but I imagined I perceived a little pique in the young lady.