Kathleen was still watching the game, her face turned resolutely away from him; but he could see a little colour coming into her soft cheeks at Mrs O'Brien's words. Was it a flush of annoyance, he wondered; and then Kathleen suddenly turned, and said,—

wich?

Have you been in, yet, Lord NorPerhaps you may retrieve the game, or at least make the defeat less ignominious;" and then a clapping of hands announcing the fall of another wicket, Kathleen joined in the applause.

Perhaps so," returned Lord Norwich ; and rising to his feet, he moved away across the grass to where the other members of his eleven were standing or lying under a big ash tree with great flagons of ale beside them, looking like a picture of Teniers."

Kathleen's eyes followed him a little regretfully. Why had she been so rude to him? She had driven him away, and yet she was conscious of a glow of satisfaction at having asserted her dignity.

It was not long before Lord Norwich took his place at the wickets. Denis was bowling, and Kathleen's heart began to beat nervously when she saw him raise his arm to deliver the first ball. The game progressed but slowly now, for Lord Norwich, feeling that there was much at stake, was playing cautiously, and several overs passed without a run being made, but at length he began to hit out freely, and the the score rapidly mounted from forty to fifty, and from fifty to sixty; Kathleen's cheeks were crimson with excitement as each run was successfully accomplished, and as each

ball was delivered, she held her breath in fear. Denis now changed the field a little, and put another bowler on, but this was not more successful, and, amidst a good deal of applause, the score mounted to seventy.

"I hope Norwich won't run himself out," said Captain Ashurst; "that last run was rather too close a shave for my fancy."

"Oh, he's all right," replied Hirst "he has got his eye in now, and we have a chance of the game still. Ah! O'Brien has changed the bowling again; I thought that fast business would not pay."

The score mounted steadily up to eighty, and from that to ninety, and now they wanted but five runs to win, when a slow ball, delivered by Denis with deadly aim, put

an end to Lord Norwich's career.

Kathleen

felt as if she could have cried with vexation. Indeed, her eyes were suffused with tears, and for the moment she felt as if she hated Denis. The next two wickets fell for only one run, and a whoop of joy from the field announced the county eleven were victors. Now, the game being over, the cricketers came trooping up from the field, and Denis made his way quickly up to Kathleen, to receive her congratulations.

He had, perhaps, never felt greater satisfaction than when he bowled Lord Norwich out, and his countenance, usually so impassive, was flushed with triumph.

"Well, Kathleen," he said, "I told you we should win; are you not glad?"

"No, I am not at all glad," answered Kathleen, looking beyond him to Lord Norwich, who had paused to speak to Captain

Ashurst, "on the contrary, I am very

sorry."

Denis stared at her in some surprise, for though Kathleen was capricious in her moods, she usually took a warm interest in the successes of the county cricket club. And then he saw her face change, and looking for the cause of the smile that lit her face up into such brilliant beauty, he saw Lord Norwich had come up and was speaking to her.

66

Well," he said, "I did my best to make our defeat not quite so ignominious."

66

Oh, Lord Norwich," exclaimed Kathleen, flushing in her eagerness, "I am

so sorry ! I-I hoped you were going to

win."

"Kathleen," interposed Denis,

"my

mother wants you to help her in pouring out the tea and coffee."