There, I have secured it;" and then, waving the festoon of honeysuckle triumphantly, he scrambled down the bank and stood beside her.
Elizabeth shook hands with him rather gravely.
"So you have taken up your quarters at the Crow's Nest," she observed as they walked on together.
"Yes, I came down last evening, and settled in with all my goods and chattels.

I thought I was in the Garden of Eden when I woke this morning and saw all those pink and white roses nid-nodding their beautiful heads at me." "Oh, I remember how the roses clambered into the room," returned Elizabeth in an interested tone.
"Yes, and the birds seemed as though they wanted to get up a sort of Handel Festival, only the prima donnas and the big guns were missing.
But there was plenty of twittering and bird chatter--I think they were settling the solos." Elizabeth laughed--she was always amused at Mr.Herrick's nonsense.
"I have begun by enjoying myself immensely," he went on.

"I have eaten a record breakfast and smoked two pipes, and now I have picked all this honeysuckle and met you"-- a slight emphasis on the last word.

"To tell you the truth, Miss Templeton"-- and here he looked at her with a pleasant smile--"the meeting was not purely accidental, I knew it was your morning for the schools." "And you came to meet me ?" Elizabeth's manner stiffened; if Malcolm had been thin-skinned he might have suspected that she was not quite pleased at this avowal.
"Yes, I was anxious to meet you." Malcolm spoke with quiet assurance.
"There is something I wanted to tell you--if I had waited to call at the Wood House this afternoon your sister would have been with you." "And it is something you do not wish her to hear ?" and Elizabeth's slight frown vanished.
"Well, I thought it would be better to talk it over with you first.

I have seen the Jacobis, Miss Templeton, and I must confess that I am not favourably impressed by them." "Cedric is with them now," exclaimed Elizabeth in rather a distressed voice.