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Really, child, if you are going to behave like this you will be a most depressing element in the house. You must learn to control yourself better, or you will be unfit for any place but a nursery. There, you had better go to nurse now; I dare say your tea will soon be ready. Or, stay; first of all go to your uncle for a few moments. He said I was to send you to him, but you mustn't stop with him long, as he doesn't like being interrupted over his books. Just ring the bell for James to show you the way to the library."

Another ordeal for poor Mabel. Miss Alicia had inspired her with an unusual fit of shyness, and if she were so formidable, what would Uncle Gwynne be! She had always heard he was a wonderfully clever man, absorbed in his books and scientific pursuits, and she knew she should be very much afraid of him.

James threw open the library door and announced "Miss Wyndham," in rather a loud tone. The poor little owner of the name felt she must make the best of it, and advanced towards the figure sitting at a table poring over a ponderous folio which lay open upon it. The bent head was supported by both hands, the elbows being planted on the table, so that nothing of the face could be seen, and the figure neither moved nor looked up.

Mabel had approached quite close by this time, but no notice was taken of her presence. This was awkward. She stood there a moment or two wondering what she ought to do. She began to feel uncomfortable. She would have liked to turn and flee from the room, only that she did not know her way about the house, or where to go. She devoutly wished her uncle would look up and break this unpleasant silence. But no; he read on and on without moving hand or foot, so ab. sorbed apparently in what he was studying as to be unconscious of anything else. And perhaps he would be angry if she interrupted him. So she remained standing there, contemplating the grey hairs in his head, and noticing that he was getting a little bald.

"So he must be a great deal older than mamma," she mused. "Oh, dear! I do wish he would look up-I want to see if he is like her; Aunt Alicia isn't at all. I should be very sorry indeed if mamma were a bit like her. But whatever am I to do? I suppose I'd better speak."

"Uncle Gwynne."

The words were uttered almost under her breath, but they sounded quite loud to her in the stillness of the room. They produced no effect, however, and another lengthened pause followed, during

which the only sound to be heard was the ticking of the clock.

The situation was now beginning to be rather ludicrous, and struck Mabel as such. The little woebegone, tear-stained face almost relaxed into a smile; in fact, she felt quite an inclination to laugh as she stood looking down upon the round bald patch in Mr. Howard's bent head.

How long this state of things would have lasted it is impossible to say, had not Mabel suddenly and unexpectedly sneezed with such violence that the sound-close as it was to his ear-aroused Mr. Howard at length, and with a start, which was almost a jump, he turned abruptly and faced his niece.

His look of utter astonishment and bewilderment on finding a little girl standing before him completely upset the child's gravity, and she burst into a hearty fit of laughter. She checked it the next minute, however, half frightened at the sound of her own voice breaking the profound stillness which had been reigning in the room.

Mr. Howard leant back in his chair, and quietly put up his eye-glass, trying to understand the situation, and looking much like one awaking from a sound sleep in a strange room. Confronting him he saw a little maiden with nut-brown hair, fresh complexion, pleasant open face, and a pair of brown eyes-large, honest, true eyes, which looked him full in the face, and which now, moreover, werc twinkling with fun and merriment.

"My dear, and who may you be?" he began, and then waited for an explanation.

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"I'm Mabel Wyndham, Uncle Gwynne.".

"Mabel Wyndham?" he repeated abstractedly; Mabel Wyndham? Oh, exactly! yes, I see-ot, yes!" and a look of dawning intelligence came into his eyes, which had been wearing a very dreamy expression. "I remember now; Alicia said something about your being expected. So this is little Mabel," and taking her face between his hands he imprinted a kiss upon the rosy lips; then, still | holding it for a few moments longer turned towards him, he studied it much as he would have examined some new moth or butterfly.

"Helen's little girl," he went on; well, my child, I hope you will be happy here. We are oldfashioned people, and have both got into a certain groove, I'm afraid, and scarcely know how to deal with a child; we have had so little to do with them." This was said in such a musing tone that it perhaps was not meant for Mabel's ears. "But your mamma,” he continued, "seemed to feel she would much prefer your coming here to going to total strangers; I am very glad to have her little

CHAPTER II.-EXPLORING. LOWLY she moved along the corridor until she came to a glass door, which she perceived opened on to a lawn. With her usual impulsiveness she at once tried the handle, which, to her delight, turned easily in her hand, and without pausing to reflect, she stepped out upon the greensward. With a long breath of satisfaction she bounded forward to explore whatever might be within reach.

She found the smooth velvet turf on one side sloped downwards, but in front of her it rose abruptly until it lost itself in a wood-a most delightful wood it appeared to be, composed of fine old trees which promised a delicious shade and shelter from the hot June sun. A moment more and she had entered it. Ferns grew luxuriantly on all sides, whilst a carpet of moss seemed to spread itself everywhere-over the jutting pieces of rock, over the bark and projecting roots of the trees, over the stonework of a little old bridge which caught her eye, and towards which she immediately bent her steps. When in the centre she paused to lean over the low parapet and look down into the clear water of a mountain stream which was rushing down helter-skelter, hurrying, tumbling, dashing and foaming among the rocks and stones in its bed, and making a wonderful amount of noise and splashing, considering its size. She hung over it for some moments, enjoying all the hurry and bustle and commotion; and then she suddenly raised her eyes as she bethought herself of looking to see whence the water came.

No sooner had she done so than she uttered an involuntary cry of delight, and then stood almost breathless, gazing upon the spectacle which met her eye. For there in front of her, like a silver stream in the midst of the dark woods on either side, was a beautiful waterfall, tumbling over the high rocks, and flinging its white spray aloft in graceful wreaths.

The little girl had never seen a real waterfall before, and for some moments she stood in speechless admiration, gazing upon it. As she gazed upwards she caught vistas of blue sky between the branches, and could trace the broad line of silver up and up as far as she could see, gleaming every now and then amidst its dark setting of trees, and forming more than one distinct fall of differing shape. Some distance higher up another rustic bridge crossed it, supported by two masses of rock on either side. The desire to stand upon it proved irresistible, and without thought or reflection off Mabel started to gain the wished-for standpoint.

In breathless haste she toiled up the steep mountain-side, on and on up the slippery narrow path, half overgrown with briars and trailing ivy. Every now and then, however, she could not resist stopping to gather some of the lovely ferns and mosses and wild flowers at her feet, till her hands were full; and then, regardless of the heat, on she pressed afresh, stumbling every now and then, but speedily picking herself up again.

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'How I wish Percy were here!" she mused. "Oh, I do wish he were coming to-morrow; it seems such a long time to wait till the holidays. But won't we just have fun when he does come!"

At length she stood upon the bridge which she had aspired to reach, and could look down upon the dancing waters beneath, so far below her feet that it almost made her giddy; whilst above there was still the gleaming thread of water to be seen among the woods, reflecting and scattering the sun's rays, which made each drop sparkle like crystal.

Mabel, child though she was, had a keen love for the beautiful, and her enjoyment of the whole scene was intense. Leaning upon the rustic railing of the wooden bridge, she gazed dreamily upon it, all unconscious of everything besides-most of all of the fact that time was passing rapidly, and that she had been missed almost as soon as she had passed through the glass door.

For nurse had come to the library to summon her to tea only five minutes after she had left the room. Since then they had been searching for her high and low, beginning with the drawing-room and ending with the attics.

Miss Alicia, who was of a highly nervous temperament, had already worked herself up into such a state that sal volatile and other remedies had to be administered to her by her maid; while Mrs. Cobbold was by no means pleased at having to spend the time in hunting for her young charge instead of sitting down quietly to her tea, which had been ready at least an hour before. To be kept waiting for this even five minutes was always a grievance, and now more than sixty had gone by. Of course it had all become perfectly cold long before, and there was no knowing when she would get it now, as that troublesome child must be found first. Very irate were her feelings towards the little absentee; whilst Miss Howard's took the form of irritable depression.

"If the child has not arrived half an hour before she throws the whole house into commotion and anxiety, what will it be to have two years of it, with all peace and quiet gone?" she was thinking to herself. "I'm sure I shall be either quite ill or in a lunatic asylum before the end of that time.

Dear me! I wonder whatever can have become of that dreadful child? For anything we know to the contrary, Mabel may be at the bottom of the lake at this very moment. What a very terrible idea!” The vision which she had conjured up had such an effect upon her that she actually rose from her sofa-and that not in her usual languid way, but suddenly and briskly-crossed the room, and rang the bell violently.

"Send Mrs. Cobbold to me immediately," she said to the footman who answered the summons.

"If you please, ma'am, she has gone to look for Miss Mabel out-of-doors now. She thinks she must have strayed out."

"That is just the conclusion to which I have come, and it makes me feel there really is no knowing what may have happened to her. You must all go out and search all over the grounds for her; every one of you start off at once. There is no knowing what she may be doing; she looked a child with determination enough to do anything she set her mind upon," continued Miss Howard, speaking rapidly, and in her agitation giving more of her confidence to James than was her wont. But the man listened respectfully, without a muscle of his countenance changing, or showing whether he were disposed to laugh at or to share in his mistress's fears and surmises.

"Go at once, James; don't stand losing time. Go yourself, and Dobson and William. Call the coachman, and the grooms, and the gardenersand even the maid-servants too, if needful. Go off, all of you; and if she is not soon found the lake must be dragged. Dear me! this is a terrible business."

Lying back on her sofa, she rang the hand-bell which summoned her maid, who found her in a half-fainting condition, and had to stay beside her administering restoratives, and trying to soothe her fears and agitated nerves.

Meanwhile, the cause of all this disturbance was unconcernedly leaning with folded arms against the railing of the bridge, watching the water dash itself over and against the rocks. Suddenly she became aware of voices below; they seemed to be drawing nearer. Some one was shouting. What was it they were saying? Why, it was, "Miss Mabel Miss Mabel, where are you? Miss Mabel, you are wanted!"

But Miss Mabel herself did not wish to be found, however anxious they might be to find her. She was enjoying herself thoroughly, and was by no means tired of exploring yet. She wanted to mount much higher still, to see whence the water came, or at least if it formed any more falls. So her first instinct was to try and hide from those seeking her.

Accordingly she plunged into the thicket on the side away from that whence the sound had come, unaware that some of the party had ascended this way also, and were keeping both eyes and ears wide open. The crackling of the branches betrayed her whereabouts, and the little culprit was at length discovered crouching down among the brambles, with a mischievous face and a pair of roguish eyes.

It was a man s arm which had parted the bushes, and revealed the truant to view; whereupon he shouted back to the others, "Here she is! I've found the little lady, and she's all safe and sound!" "Bring her down directly, then!" returned Mrs. Cobbold's shrill voice from below.

"Do you hear, missie?" said the man, turning to Mabel, who, finding there was no way of eluding her captor, had slowly emerged from her place of concealment with rather a crestfallen look. Come, then, let us make haste down," he went on. "You've been missing already quite long enough to give your aunt a regular fright, it seems."

He turned to descend, followed more deliberately by the reluctant child.

They both continued their descent separately, Mabel sliding and slipping continually, jumping sometimes even forced occasionally to run a few steps, and then seize hold of some branch or bush to stop herself, so steep and rugged, and in some places slippery, was the mountain-path. They had nearly reached the open space, where Mrs. Cobbold stood awaiting them, exhorting them to be quick, when Mabel, unfortunately catching her foot in the root of a tree, just when she had ceased for the moment to give heed to her steps, lost her balance, and came rolling down head first. She would have rolled even farther had not her guide been at hand to stop her in her descent. Lifting her up, he set her upon her feet.

A most deplorable little object it was which met nurse's eyes, for the fall had been no slight one, and had left its marks upon the child. Her frock, rent and torn in several places, was also marked with green stains, her hat was battered, her face and hands scratched and grazed, and her knees bruised. Her appearance might have excited a little compassion in softer natures, but only aroused indignation in the breast of Mrs. Cobbold, who considered that she had just grounds for displeasure.

"Well, Miss Mabel, if this isn't a nice way to behave the moment you have entered your uncle's house! I hope you feel ashamed of such behaviour. Now, come along; you needn't waste any more time. You must go in first and show yourself to your aunt-and a nice scolding you'll get from her, I expect and then come to your tea,