"Too gay," muttered another, starting aside as the slight figure of a young man coming from the house behind them rushed hastily by. "Why, who's that?" As they one and all had recognised the person thus alluded to, no one answered till he had dashed out of the gate and disappeared in the woods on the other side of the road. Then they all spoke at once. "It's Mr. Frederick!" "He seems in a desperate hurry." "He trod on my toes." "Did you hear the words he was muttering as he went by?" As only the last question was calculated to rouse any interest, it alone received attention. "No; what were they? I heard him say something, but I failed to catch the words.
