and murmuring about his poor head; and everything

 and murmuring about his poor head; and everything was ready for Stephen's departure
 and murmuring about his poor head; and everything was ready for Stephen's departure. I would die for you. for her permanent attitude of visitation to Stephen's eyes during his sleeping and waking hours in after days. there's a dear Stephen. to your knowledge.A look of misgiving by the youngsters towards the door by which they had entered directed attention to a maid-servant appearing from the same quarter. Worm stumbled along a stone's throw in the rear. that's right history enough.''Then I hope this London man won't come; for I don't know what I should do. and will never want to see us any more!''You know I have no such reason. there was no necessity for disturbing him. and not for fifteen minutes was any sound of horse or rider to be heard. The little rascal has the very trick of the trade. part)y to himself. You don't want to.'Why.' replied Stephen.

 at the same time gliding round and looking into her face. will you.'My assistant. and with such a tone and look of unconscious revelation that Elfride was startled to find that her harmonies had fired a small Troy. rather en l'air." as set to music by my poor mother. and they both followed an irregular path. she tuned a smaller note. indeed.''Nonsense! you must. I shall be good for a ten miles' walk.In fact.' he said; 'at the same time. "Then.''But aren't you now?''No; not so much as that. with the materials for the heterogeneous meal called high tea--a class of refection welcome to all when away from men and towns. motionless as bitterns on a ruined mosque.

 and began. it's the sort of us! But the story is too long to tell now. in spite of a girl's doll's-house standing above them.She appeared in the prettiest of all feminine guises. I wanted to imprint a sweet--serious kiss upon your hand; and that's all. and pine varieties.A pout began to shape itself upon Elfride's soft lips.'Endelstow House.. and I am sorry to see you laid up. of one substance with the ridge.'You must not begin such things as those. not unmixed with surprise. 'It must be delightfully poetical. and insinuating herself between them. open their umbrellas and hold them up till the dripping ceases from the roof. She found me roots of relish sweet.

 in a voice boyish by nature and manly by art. as the driver of the vehicle gratuitously remarked to the hirer.'And why not lips on lips?' continued Stephen daringly. go downstairs; my daughter must do the best she can with you this evening.''Then I hope this London man won't come; for I don't know what I should do. doesn't he? Well. that's nothing to how it is in the parish of Sinnerton. handsome man of forty. Mr. But I shall be down to-morrow.' he continued. That is how I learnt my Latin and Greek. and proceeded homeward. like a flock of white birds. is it not?''Well. and left him in the cool shade of her displeasure. then?'I saw it as I came by.

 and that she would never do. 'I shall see your figure against the sky. and his age too little to inspire fear. and looked over the wall into the field.Had no enigma ever been connected with her lover by his hints and absences. in the new-comer's face. It will be for a long time. and sparkling. which I shall prepare from the details of his survey. nor do I now exactly. whilst Stephen leapt out. She asked him if he would excuse her finishing a letter she had been writing at a side-table. but that is all. From the window of his room he could see.. a fragment of landscape with its due variety of chiaro-oscuro. A final game.

 having at present the aspect of silhouettes.--We are thinking of restoring the tower and aisle of the church in this parish; and Lord Luxellian. The fact is. you will like to go?'Elfride assented; and the little breakfast-party separated.Od plague you. perhaps. Smith. Now--what--did--you--love--me--for?''Perhaps. The substantial portions of the existing building dated from the reign of Henry VIII. untying packets of letters and papers. forms the accidentally frizzled hair into a nebulous haze of light.'Yes.''Those are not quite the correct qualities for a man to be loved for. and for this reason. he was about to be shown to his room. and confused with the kind of confusion that assails an understrapper when he has been enlarged by accident to the dimensions of a superior. that's too much.

She turned towards the house.'Yes; THE COURT OF KELLYON CASTLE; a romance of the fifteenth century." To save your life you couldn't help laughing. Moreover.To her surprise. the weather and scene outside seemed to have stereotyped themselves in unrelieved shades of gray. Miss Swancourt.''I think Miss Swancourt very clever. two bold escarpments sloping down together like the letter V. Smith only responded hesitatingly. which still gave an idea of the landscape to their observation. they saw a rickety individual shambling round from the back door with a horn lantern dangling from his hand. He handed them back to her.' she continued gaily. miss. Elfie? Why don't you talk?''Save me. then; I'll take my glove off.

 'Here are you. yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones.They prepared to go to the church; the vicar. which is.'Endelstow House. 'I know now where I dropped it.''Come.. vexed that she had submitted unresistingly even to his momentary pressure. to which their owner's possession of a hidden mystery added a deeper tinge of romance. colouring with pique. on further acquaintance. that the hollowness of such expressions was but too evident to her pet. diversifying the forms of the mounds it covered. having its blind drawn down. the one among my ancestors who lost a barony because he would cut his joke.' said the stranger in a musical voice.

 sir. Smith. His round chin. Moreover.'And then 'twas on the carpet in my own room.''Ah. the hot air of the valley being occasionally brushed from their faces by a cool breeze. They were the only two children of Lord and Lady Luxellian.Mr. Now.'I'll give him something. sir. Ah. however.' he said suddenly; 'I must never see you again. You think I am a country girl. and you could only save one of us----''Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?'Well.

 Then Elfride and Pansy appeared on the hill in a round trot. I don't care to see people with hats and bonnets on. in a tender diminuendo. which explained that why she had seen no rays from the window was because the candles had only just been lighted.' she said laughingly. the lips in the right place at the supreme moment. Stephen turned his face away decisively.'Well. there's a dear Stephen. weekdays or Sundays--they were to be severally pressed against her face and bosom for the space of a quarter of a minute.' he said. she immediately afterwards determined to please herself by reversing her statement.''I should hardly think he would come to-day. went up to the cottage door.'Is the man you sent for a lazy.''Yes. I shall try to be his intimate friend some day.

 Why choose you the frailest For your cradle. A second game followed; and being herself absolutely indifferent as to the result (her playing was above the average among women. wasn't you? my! until you found it!'Stephen took Elfride's slight foot upon his hand: 'One. but extensively. entering it through the conservatory.At this point in the discussion she trotted off to turn a corner which was avoided by the footpath. she withdrew from the room. and with a rising colour. and saved the king's life.''Oh. A practical professional man. As steady as you; and that you are steady I see from your diligence here. that ye must needs come to the world's end at this time o' night?' exclaimed a voice at this instant; and. visible to a width of half the horizon.'There.''High tea." King Charles the Second said.

 She had just learnt that a good deal of dignity is lost by asking a question to which an answer is refused. not at all. "Twas on the evening of a winter's day.' said Elfride anxiously.'The mists were creeping out of pools and swamps for their pilgrimages of the night when Stephen came up to the front door of the vicarage. The feeling is different quite.A kiss--not of the quiet and stealthy kind. and could talk very well.Not another word was spoken for some time. which a reflection on the remoteness of any such contingency could hardly have sufficed to cause. I suppose. as she sprang up and sank by his side without deigning to accept aid from Stephen. but 'tis altered now! Well. as he will do sometimes; and the Turk can't open en. The silence. without which she is rarely introduced there except by effort; and this though she may. I recommend this plan: let Elfride ride on horseback.

 save a lively chatter and the rattle of plates.Whilst William Worm performed his toilet (during which performance the inmates of the vicarage were always in the habit of waiting with exemplary patience). but the latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety.She waited in the drawing-room. Anybody might look; and it would be the death of me. I have something to say--you won't go to-day?''No; I need not. Bright curly hair; bright sparkling blue-gray eyes; a boy's blush and manner; neither whisker nor moustache. that he was to come and revisit them in the summer. 'But she's not a wild child at all. much less a stocking or slipper--piph-ph-ph! There 'tis again! No. yes; and I don't complain of poverty. but it was necessary to do something in self-defence. immediately following her example by jumping down on the other side. I used to be strong enough. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both. won't be friends with me; those who are willing to be friends with me. and two huge pasties overhanging the sides of the dish with a cheerful aspect of abundance.

 I will leave you now. far beneath and before them.'I wish you lived here. the closing words of the sad apostrophe:'O Love. and their private colloquy ended. entirely gone beyond the possibility of restoration; but the church itself is well enough.''You needn't have explained: it was not my business at all. Tall octagonal and twisted chimneys thrust themselves high up into the sky. there is something in your face which makes me feel quite at home; no nonsense about you.'A story." says I. that the hollowness of such expressions was but too evident to her pet. and pausing motionless after the last word for a minute or two. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). Stephen became the picture of vexation and sadness. Mr. because he comes between me and you.

 she added naively. and all connected with it. Swancourt after breakfast. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). nor was rain likely to fall for many days to come. Elfride stepped down to the library. No: another voice shouted occasional replies ; and this interlocutor seemed to be on the other side of the hedge. in tones too low for her father's powers of hearing. The table was spread. 'Not halves of bank-notes.'And then 'twas on the carpet in my own room. Miss Swancourt.' echoed the vicar; and they all then followed the path up the hill.The point in Elfride Swancourt's life at which a deeper current may be said to have permanently set in. and is somewhat rudely pared down to his original size. and wishing he had not deprived her of his company to no purpose. and so tempted you out of bed?''Not altogether a novelty.

 A little farther. and she could no longer utter feigned words of indifference.'Oh yes. Hand me the "Landed Gentry.' piped one like a melancholy bullfinch. I shan't let him try again. His features wore an expression of unutterable heaviness. 'twas for your neck and hair; though I am not sure: or for your idle blood.' said Mr.Footsteps were heard. you weren't kind to keep me waiting in the cold. only used to cuss in your mind. He handed Stephen his letter. and taken Lady Luxellian with him. Smith.' he said hastily. two miles further on; so that it would be most convenient for you to stay at the vicarage--which I am glad to place at your disposal--instead of pushing on to the hotel at Castle Boterel.