118 THE COUSINS.

again—we won't trouble you.” The lad recrossed
the fence and proceeded homeward, leaving the
mortified Lucy to feel that her folly had made a
much more unpleasing impression on the children
of the “grand folks” at Farmer Smith’s than any
coarseness of apparcl could have done.

But there was little time for thought, whether
agrecable or disagreeable. It was now the first
week in September. For some days the weather
had been unusually cool, and Lucy was already
thoroughly chilled by her wet stockings. Assisted
by Clara, she made her way to the walnut-tree
slowly, for every pebble and stick hurt her feet,
unaccustomed as she was to walk without shoes.
They did not find Mary. Mary disliked meeting
Master and Miss Noel quite as much as Lucy did,
though for other reasons; and as she thought, if
Lucy met them, they would very probably return
with her, she had hastened home very soon after
being left by Clara and her cousin.

Lucy threw herself on a seat under the walnut-
tree as soon as she arrived there, and, rubbing
her cold and bruised feet, burst into tears of
mingled pain and shame, sobbing out, “Oh,