'That would be rude,' said Daintry calmly.

The question was decided for them by the young clergyman's return. He came along the platform, an animated look in his eyes. Miss Bonamy,' he said, stopping at the open door with his hand extended, 'there is some one in the refreshment-room whom I think that you would like to see. Mr. Gladstone is there, talking to the Duke of Westminster, and they are both eating buns like common mortals. Will you come and take a peep at them?' 'I don't think that we have time,' she objected.

6 There is sure to be time,' Daintry cried. Now, Kate, come!' And she was down upon the platform in a moment.

6

The train is not due out for five minutes yet,' Lindo said, as he piloted them through the crowd to the doorway. 'There, on the left by the fireplace,' he added.

Kate glanced, and turned away satisfied. Not so Daintry. With rapt attention in her face, she strayed nearer and nearer to the great men, her eyes growing larger with each step.

'She will be speaking to them next,' said Kate, in a fidget. Perhaps asking Mr. Gladstone if he likes Downing Street,' Lindo suggested slyly. There, she is coming now,' he added, as Miss Daintry turned and came to them at last.

6

"I wanted to make sure,' she said simply, seeing Kate's impatience, that I should know them again. That was all.'

"Quite so, and I hope you have succeeded,' Kate answered dryly. 'But, if we are not quick, we shall miss our train.' And she led the way back with more speed than dignity.

'There is plenty of time-plenty of time,' Lindo answered, following them. He could not bear to see her pushing her way through the mixed crowd, and accepting so easily a footing of equality with it. He was one of those men to whom their womenkind are sacred. He took his time, therefore, and followed at his ease; only to see, when he emerged from the press, a long stretch of empty platform, three porters, and the tail of a departing train. 'Good gracious!' he stammered, halting suddenly, with dismay in his face. What does this mean?'

'It means,' Kate answered, in an accent of sharp annoyance— she did not intend to spare him-' that you have made us miss our train, Mr. Lindo. And there is not another which reaches Claversham to-day!'

CHAPTER IV.

BIRDS IN THE WILDERNESS.

"THERE! Whose fault was that?' said Daintry, turning from the departing train.

The young rector could not deny it was his. He would have given anything for at least the appearance of being undisturbed; but the blood rose to his cheek, and in his attempt to maintain his dignity he only succeeded in looking angry as well as confused and taken aback. He had certainly made a mess of his escort duty. What in the world had led him to go out of his way to make a fool of himself? he wondered. And with these Claversham people!

'There may be a special train to-day,' Kate suggested suddenly. She had got over her first vexation, and perhaps repented that she had betrayed it so openly. allowed to go on by a luggage train, Mr. Lindo. see?'

Or we may be Will you kindly

He snatched at the relief which her proposal held out to him, and strode away to inquire. But almost at once he was back again. It is most vexatious!' he said, with loud indignation. 'It is only three o'clock, and yet there is no way of getting to Claversham to-night! I am very sorry, but I never dreamed the company managed things so badly. Never!'

'No,' said Kate drily.

He winced and looked at her sharply, his vanity hurt again. But then he found that he could not keep it up. No doubt it was a ridiculous position for a beneficed clergyman, on his way to undertake the work of his life, to be delayed at a station with two girls; but, after all, for a young man to be angry with a young woman who is also pretty-well, the task is difficult. I am afraid,' he said, looking at her shyly, and yet with a kind of frankness, that I have brought you into trouble, Miss Bonamy. As your sister says, it was my fault. Is it a matter of great consequence that you should reach home to-night?'

'I am afraid that my father will be vexed,' she answered. 'You must telegraph to him,' he rejoined. ‘I am afraid that is all I can suggest. And that done, you will have only one thing to consider whether we shall stay the night here or go on to Birmingham and stay there,'

Kate looked at him, her grey eyes full of trouble, and did not at once answer. He had clearly made up his mind to join his fortunes to theirs, while she, on her side, had private reasons for shrinking from intimacy with him. But he seemed to consider it so much a matter of course that they should remain together and travel together, that she scarcely saw how to put things on a different footing. She knew, too, that she would get no help from Daintry, who already regarded their detention in the light of a capital joke.

'What are you going to do yourself, Mr. Lindo?' she said at last, her manner rather chilling.

He opened his eyes and smiled. You discard me, then?' he said. You have lost all faith in me, Miss Bonamy, and will go no farther with me? Well, I deserve it after the scrape into which I have led you.'

'I did not mean that,' she answered. 'I wished to know if you had formed any plans.'

'Yes,' he replied-' to make amends, if you will let me take command of the party. We will stay in Oxford, and I will show you round the colleges.'

'No!' exclaimed Daintry. "Will you? How jolly! And then?'

'We will dine at the Mitre,' he answered, smiling, 'if Miss Bonamy will permit me to manage everything. And then, if you leave here at nine-thirty to-morrow you will be at Claversham soon after twelve. Will that suit you ?'

Daintry's face answered sufficiently for her. As for Kate, she was in a difficulty. She knew little of hotels: yet they must stop somewhere, and no doubt Mr. Lindo would take a great deal of trouble off her hands. But would it be proper to do as he proposed? She really did not know-only that it sounded odd. That it would not be wise she knew. She could answer that question at once. But how could she explain, and how tell him to go his way and leave them? And, after all, to see Oxford would be delightful; and he really was very pleasant, very different from the men she knew at home. You are very good,' she said at length, with a grateful sigh-'if we have no choice but between Oxford and Birmingham.'

'And no choice of guides at all,' he said, smiling, 'you will take me.'

'Yes,' she answered, looking away rather primly.

Her reserve, however, did not last. Once through the station gates, that free holiday feeling which we have all experienced on being set down in an unknown town, with no duty before us save to explore it, soon possessed her; while he wished nothing better than to play the showman-a part we love. The day was fine and bright, though cold. She had eyes for beauty and a soul for the past, and soon forgot herself; and he, piloting the sisters through Magdalen Walks, now strewn with leaves, or displaying with pride the staircase of Christchurch, the quaint library of Merton, or the ancient front of John's, forgot himself also, and especially his newborn dignity, in which he had lived rather too much, perhaps, during the last three weeks. He showed himself in his true colours-the colours known to his intimate friends-and grew so bright and cheery that Kate found herself talking to him in utter forgetfulness of his position and theirs. The girl sighed frankly when darkness fell and they had to go into the house, their curiosity still unsated.

She thought it was all over. But no, there was a cheery fire awaiting them in the 'House' room (he had looked in for a few minutes on their arrival and given his orders); and before it a little table laid for three was sparkling with plate and glass. Nay, there were two cups of tea ready on a side-table, for it wanted an hour yet of dinner-time. Altogether, as Daintry naïvely told him, even Jack could not have made it nicer for us.' 'Jack is a favourite of yours?' he said, laughing.

'I should think so!' Daintry answered, in wonder. There is no one like Jack.'

'After that I shall take myself off,' he replied. "Seriously, I want to call on a friend, Miss Bonamy. But if I may join you at dinner?

'Oh, do!' she said impulsively. Then, more shyly, she added, 'We shall be very glad if you will, I am sure.'

He felt singularly light-hearted and pleased with himself as he turned the windy corner of the Broad. It was pleasant to be in Oxford again, a beneficed clergyman. Pleasant to have such a future to look forward to, such a holiday moment to enjoy. Pleasant to anticipate the cheery meal and the girl's smile, half shy, half grateful. And Kate? She remained before the fire, saying little because Daintry's tongue gave few openings, but thinking a good deal. Once she did speak. It won't last,' she said pettishly.

'Why, Kate?' Daintry protested. Do you think he will be different at Claversham?'

'Of course he will!' She spoke with a little scorn in her voice, and that sort of decision which we use when we wish to crush down our own unwarranted hopes.

'But he is nice,' Daintry persisted. You do think so, Kate, don't you?'

"Oh, yes, he is very nice,' she said drily. But he will be in the Hammond set at home, and we shall see nothing of him.'

But presently he was back, and then Kate found it impossible to resist the charm. He ladled the soup and dispensed the mutton chops with a gaiety and boyish glee which were really the storedup effervescence of weeks, the ebullition of the long-repressed delight which he took in his promotion. He learned casually that the girls had been in London for more than a month, staying with Jack's mother in Bayswater, and that they were by no means well pleased to be upon their road home.

'And yet,' he said this was towards the end of dinner-'I have been told that your town is a very picturesque one. But I fancy that we never appreciate our home as we do a place strange to us.'

'Very likely that is so,' Kate answered quietly. And then a little pause ensued, such as he had observed several times before, and come to connect with any mention of Claversham. The girls' tongues would run on frankly and pleasantly enough about their London visit, or Mr. Gladstone; but let him bring the talk round to his parish and its people, and forthwith something of reserve seemed to come between him and them until the conversation strayed afield again.

After the others had finished he still toyed with his meal, partly in lazy enjoyment of the time, partly as an excuse for staying with them. They were sitting in a momentary silence, when a boy passed the window chanting a ditty at the top of his voice. The doggrel came clearly to their ears—

Here we sit like birds in the wilderness,

Birds in the wilderness, birds in the wilderness;
Here we sit like birds in the wilderness,

Samuel asking for more.

As the sound passed on the young man looked up, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and met their eyes, and all three burst into a merry peal of laughter. They were the birds in the