When I look at all the young faces growing up around me, I often hope, Ruth, they won't waste as much time as I did." How simple it seemed while she listened to him; how easy, how natural, this life for others! She could not answer.

One sentence of Mr.Alwynn's was knocking at the door of her heart for admission; was drowning with its loud beating the sound of all the rest: _"We should consider well what we are keeping back our strength for, if we refuse to put the whole of it into our work."_ She and Mr.Alwynn walked on in silence; and after a time, always afraid of speaking much on the subject that was first in his own mind, he began to talk again on trivial matters, to tell her how he had met Dare that morning, and had promised on her behalf that she would sing at a little local concert which the Vandon school-master was getting up that week to defray the annual expense of the Vandon cricket club, and in which Dare was taking a vivid interest.
"You won't mind singing, will you, Ruth ?" asked Mr.Alwynn, wishing she would show a little more interest in Dare and his concert.
"Oh no, of course not," rather hurriedly.

"I should be glad to help in any way." "And I thought, my dear, as it would be getting late, we had better accept his offer of staying the night at Vandon." Ruth assented, but so absently that Mr.Alwynn dropped the subject with a sigh, and walked on, revolving weighty matters in his mind.

They had left the woods now, and were crossing the field where, two months ago, the school-feast had been held.

Mr.Alwynn made some slight allusion to it, and then coughed.