THE SPOTTED HOESe's STORY. 191 



heavens?" I asked again, with triumphant 

 enthusiasm. 



''Her eyes the Well, 'pon my word ! I 



really hardly think that I should," he replied. 

 '' I suppose lovers see these sort of things 

 differently — that mnst he it." 



" x\nd how should you describe her?" I 

 inquired. " What should you call her hair ? " 



'' Well, the fact is, I always took her hair to 

 be pretty nearly black, and her eyes much about 

 the same colour," he answered. 



''Her hair — her hair to be what? " I asked 



in amazement: " My Lucy's hair bla 



Why, what can you mean ? Of whom are you 

 speaking ? " 



" Why, of Miss Lncy," he replied, "the 

 squire's sister. Isn't that the lady you were 

 talking about ? " 



" Of Miss Lucy, the squ Why, Forester, 



what on earth do you mean ? " I asked in alarm. 



" That is the only Miss Lucy on the 

 premises with whom I'm acquainted. Weren't 

 you speaking of her ? I thought, of course, you 

 were. Every one always calls her Miss Lucy, 

 though, as her sister's married, she is really 

 Miss Welwyn. I wondered, too, when you said 

 something about her being ' young and fresh ' 

 last night, because she hasn't been particularly 



