Kilmeny of the Orchard

room several times in silence. Finally he halted before Eric.

“ So you have done what I foreboded all along you would do — left your com— mon sense behind you when you went courting.”

“ If I did,” said Eric quietly, “ I took with me something better and nobler than common sense.”

David shrugged his shoulders.

“ You’ll have hard work to convince me of that, Eric.”

“ N o, it will not be difficult at all. I have one argument that will convince you speedily — and that is Kilmeny Gordon herself. But we will not discuss the mat— ter of my wisdom or lack of it just now. What I want to know is this — what do you think of the case as I have stated it to you? ”

David frowned thoughtfully.

“ I hardly know what to think. It is very curious and unusual, but it is not totally unprecedented. There have been

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