'There  is  nothing  the  matter,  Miss  Hazlehurst,'  he  said ;
'  but  seeing  you  take  this  direction,  and  thinking  that  Mr  D'Al-
mayne  might  not  be  aware  a  bull  was  grazing  in  this  meadow,
I  thought  it  advisable  to  follow  and  put  you  on  your  guard,  even
at  the  risk  of  making  myself  unbecomingly  hot ; '  and  as  he  pro-
nounced the  last  two  words,  he  looked  at  D'Almayne  as  though
he  wished  he  had  been  the  bull,  and  would  oblige  him  by
evincing  an  inclination  to  attack  them.
'  How  very  kind  and  thoughtful  of  you  ! '  returned  Alice,
bestowing  on  him  one  of  her  brightest  smiles ;  '  but  is  there
any  danger  ? — what  had  we  better  do  ?  '

'  Eh,  really,  danger !  not  the  slightest ;  am  not  /  with  you  ? '
interposed  D'Almayne,  majestically  bending  over  her.  '  A  bull
did  you  say,  Mr  Coverdale  ? — ar — really,  I  don't  perceive  such
a  creature.  Are  you  quite  sure  he  exists  anywhere  but  in  your
vivid  and  poetical  imagination  ? '

Harry's  reply,  if  reply  it  can  be  called,  to  this  impertinent
question  was  made  by  grasping  D'Almayne's  elbow  so  tightly
as  to  cause  that  delicate  young  gentleman  to  wince  under  the
pressure.  Having  thus  attracted  his  attention  at  a  moment
when  Alice's  head  was  turned  in  an  opposite  direction,  he
pointed  towards  a  group  of  trees,  under  the  shadow  whereof
might  be  discerned  a  large  brindled  individual  of  the  bovine
species  who  stood  attentively  regarding  the  trio  with  a  singularly
unamiable,  not  to  say  vicious,  expression  of  countenance.
