Oliver gradually and slowly became rather popular among the male members of the little Fernside community, although they, I fancy, liked him rather for his physical excellences than for his spiritual qualities. He was the best shot, the best rider, the best fencer and boxer at Fernside, and he could endure more fatigue than any other man there. Men always have a tendency to admire genuinely physical supremacy in strength, skill, and courage; and Oliver, in his many wanderings, had acquired a coolness in danger which enabled his valour to act in safety and with success. Fred was not a little elated when he found that he could beat Oliver at billiards, and Percy Nugent rejoiced exceedingly when he could get a hit of Oliver with the foils. Mr Prendergast considered him "a dangerous man to tackle" upon literary subjects; but he did not like Oliver the better on that account. Charley was always a warm admirer of his friend, and enjoyed generously any triumph which he could induce Winwood to achieve. It was characteristic of Oliver that he was generally unwilling to engage in any contest for supremacy; but, once in and once excited, his temperament impelled him to the efforts which ensured success. For women with whom he did not desire to become intimate his highbred courtesy had an unfailing charm, but they generally regarded him as rather cold and unapproachable. By a necessity of his nature, he had two lives: the one in which he realised sympathy and felt at his ease-cordial, hearty, impassioned; the other in which he stood upon polite reserve-punctilious, courteous, but distant.

The growth of great things is gradual. Clara loved Oliver before she suspected that she loved, and time

alone ripened in her the consciousness of love. When she knew that her fate had come, she was tormented by the sense of a hampering engagement which she felt at once that she could never keep. Having once known love, she could never marry unless she loved. The charm of the vision seen on his way to Fernside had struck so strongly upon Oliver's fancy that it seemed to him but a natural consequence when he found that, with intimacy, his heart opened wide to receive its new and great delight. Proud, diffident, and reserved, he hesitated for a time to speak of love; but Mrs Seymour knew his secret soon and well, and Clara, too, knew that she was loved, though she would not admit to herself the knowledge of the truth. Her father was a man who, Clara knew, would oppose a breach of the half-engagement with Mainwaring; and her mother also looked with great favour upon the match. Charley alone had always opposed it, and had stoutly maintained that Mainwaring, though a good fellow enough, was not worthy of their Clara. He might be relied on ; but Clara had a still more valuable —indeed, an invaluable—ally in her friend Carnation, who was an invincible, irresistible little woman, and who soon made up her mind that Clara should have Oliver.

So things went on for many days at Fernside, until a chance occurrence brought about an irrevocable step.

The Poyntons had, as it happened, amongst their neighbours a very musical family, and this family was addicted to giving musical evenings, to which every one of its acquaintances was imperiously bidden.

One of these evenings was about to occur, and the Poyntons were driven into promising to attend and to bring their guests.

This promise was announced by Mrs Poynton at breakfast, who expressed a hope that every one that could go would be kind enough to attend.

Mrs Seymour made a wry face. She did not appear to like the musical family, or to anticipate much pleasure from their music or society. Pressed by Fred, and Percy Nugent, she gave one of her wicked satirical sketches of the two ladies who had called with the invitation.

"The eldest daughter-you know, the one with the rather hollow cheeks-in addition to her mastery of the piano, and her admitted excellence on the triangle, beats the drum, and can play a symphony on the trombone."

"Oh, let's go,” cried Percy, "there's sure to be some fun."

"Sure to be some nice girls there," remarked Fred. "Those Howard girls are stunning, and are very rich." "I need not go," said Oliver; "the invitation can scarcely have been meant to include me."

"Yes, yes,” replied Mrs Seymour, dictatorially. "You must go, of course, Mr Winwood. They want all the audience they can get. Besides, if it's dull, Clara and I will want you to amuse us."

So it was settled that Fernside should "assist" at the soirée, and after dinner they started. The house to which they were going was about a mile from Fernside, and Fred kept the men so long over the afterdinner cigar in the garden before starting that they arrived rather late, and when the music was in full flow.

They entered the room of the musical family just as the curate had completed a fantasia on the flute. The mother, a very stout elderly lady, with a mottled face surrounded by a reddish-brown "front," was busy

distributing the music for a glee. A daughter presided at the piano. The mother, a thin young lady with a red aquiline nose, a long gentleman in spectacles, and a light-haired spoffish young fellow, who sang bass, arranged themselves round the instrument, and commenced the cough of preparation. A little rustling of leaves, one or two inquiries, "Are you ready?" and the piano was off. They sang the well-known glee expressive of woman's devotion to a gentleman of the bandit persuasion, and popular, with music to correspond, under the title of

And my soul shall love thee ever,

With the blood brand on thy brow.

They stumbled a little at first, owing to the circumstance that the bass commenced at the second page, but he harked back, and they then got on reasonably well together. They were soon lashed up into the dramatic fury and passion proper to the inspiration of the scald. The large watch outside the silk dress. of the very stout lady was violently convulsed, and flapped up and down like a knocker played upon by "spirits." The bass, though slow in his delivery, was individually noticeable; and the voices rose and fell, more or less together, as the fervid words pealed and rang. The piano got excited, being of a feverish temperament, and forged a little ahead. The glee proceeded

And my so-wo-wole shall 1-h-huve thee e-ver
With the blood brand o-o-o-n thy brow-

and just at its close, Mrs Seymour, complaining of heat, went into the garden, into which she was followed by Clara and Oliver. They heard no more of the concert.

Several of the Fernside party walked home. The

night was warm and beautiful, and a nearly full moon made silver light and tender shade on grass, on tree, on winding road, while a broad path of glory streamed upon an ocean track of weltering waves. Somehow, Oliver and Clara walked with lingering steps together. Mrs Seymour collected her followers, and their merry voices and laughter rang through the still and shining night. The lovers were alone. The scene, the hour, the solitude, all combined, until the heart's great impulse broke love's first tender silence, and Clara knew woman's great happiness at hearing, in passion and in poetry, that she is loved by him she wholly loves.

The musical party which had at first excited the irony of Mrs Seymour had resulted in furthering her views and in expediting the declaration which she so much desired.

After that happy evening-an evening which would have and hold its distinct place through life in the memories of both-there came for Oliver and for Clara the happiest time that human life can know. In the fair summer season, in that charming scenery, and in that pleasant country house, with the time a holiday, and with the whole day to spend together, the lovers were intensely, deeply happy. Then, in that dream-time of first noble love, for them :

A livelier emerald twinkles in the grass,
A purer sapphire melts into the sea.

But why

All life becomes ideal, higher, holier. describe? Imagination transcends description. If once we know and realise their characters, then it is easy to imagine the love between woman and man. Love is the highest outcome of the highest beings; and if we can gauge the height of natures, we can fancy the silent rapture of their first romance of love.