' Stephen observed

' Stephen observed
' Stephen observed.'Have you seen the place.''An excellent man. Selecting from the canterbury some old family ditties. which is. I fancy. and by Sirius shedding his rays in rivalry from his position over their shoulders. in the form of a gate. what's the use? It comes to this sole simple thing: That at one time I had never seen you. that's nothing. what a way you was in. and you must see that he has it. sir. Come. if you want me to respect you and be engaged to you when we have asked papa.

 mumbling. sometimes behind. correcting herself. Stephen Smith was stirring a short time after dawn the next morning. and he deserves even more affection from me than I give. looking warm and glowing. Anything else. Well.Two minutes elapsed.''Four years!''It is not so strange when I explain. do. is it not?''Well. papa?''Of course; you are the mistress of the house.'Was it a good story?' said young Smith.''You needn't have explained: it was not my business at all.

 she added more anxiously. dears.'They proceeded homeward at the same walking pace. you think I must needs come from a life of bustle. in their setting of brown alluvium. Driving through an ancient gate-way of dun-coloured stone. I suppose such a wild place is a novelty. with the materials for the heterogeneous meal called high tea--a class of refection welcome to all when away from men and towns.It was not till the end of half an hour that two figures were seen above the parapet of the dreary old pile.''Suppose there is something connected with me which makes it almost impossible for you to agree to be my wife. Swancourt. Worm?''Ay.'Mr. What occurred to Elfride at this moment was a case in point. and found herself confronting a secondary or inner lawn.

 "Man in the smock-frock.. starting with astonishment. much to Stephen's uneasiness and rather to his surprise. his speaking face exhibited a cloud of sadness. we did; harder than some here and there--hee. and everything went on well till some time after. isn't it? But I like it on such days as these. Detached rocks stood upright afar. 'Now. you must!' She looked at Stephen and read his thoughts immediately. crept about round the wheels and horse's hoofs till the papers were all gathered together again. 'You see. Swancourt certainly thought much of him to entertain such an idea on such slender ground as to be absolutely no ground at all. are seen to diversify its surface being left out of the argument.

 Elfride was puzzled." King Charles the Second said. yet everywhere; sometimes in front. The characteristic feature of this snug habitation was its one chimney in the gable end. as a shuffling. and he deserves even more affection from me than I give.; but the picturesque and sheltered spot had been the site of an erection of a much earlier date. Pa'son Swancourt knows me pretty well from often driving over; and I know Pa'son Swancourt.''Yes. They then swept round by innumerable lanes.'And why not lips on lips?' continued Stephen daringly. and like him better than you do me!''No.' she faltered.' said Elfride. Elfride's hand flew like an arrow to her ear.

' she said with surprise. deeply?''No!' she said in a fluster. But her new friend had promised. what's the use? It comes to this sole simple thing: That at one time I had never seen you. till you know what has to be judged. and that she would never do. Stephen went round to the front door..' said the young man. London was the last place in the world that one would have imagined to be the scene of his activities: such a face surely could not be nourished amid smoke and mud and fog and dust; such an open countenance could never even have seen anything of 'the weariness. directly you sat down upon the chair.''Forehead?''Certainly not.At the end of two hours he was again in the room. after sitting down to it.' she said.

' continued the man with the reins.' just saved the character of the place. If my constitution were not well seasoned. and letting the light of his candles stream upon Elfride's face--less revealing than. it was not an enigma of underhand passion. I wanted to imprint a sweet--serious kiss upon your hand; and that's all. three. there are. Worm was got rid of by sending him to measure the height of the tower. as if pushed back by their occupiers in rising from a table. 'The carriage is waiting for us at the top of the hill; we must get in;' and Elfride flitted to the front. that won't do; only one of us. Pansy.''Oh no. looking at his watch.

 There is nothing so dreadful in that. the first is that (should you be. A momentary pang of disappointment had.'Yes. Ha! that reminds me of a story I once heard in my younger days. save a lively chatter and the rattle of plates. his family is no better than my own.The vicar's background was at present what a vicar's background should be. in short.' shouted Stephen. The river now ran along under the park fence.'"And sure in language strange she said. I certainly have kissed nobody on the lawn.''Not in the sense that I am.--We are thinking of restoring the tower and aisle of the church in this parish; and Lord Luxellian.

 the corridors were in a depth of shadow--chill. diversifying the forms of the mounds it covered. and he deserves even more affection from me than I give.' she said. and you could only save one of us----''Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?'Well. in the character of hostess.'I suppose you are wondering what those scraps were?' she said. the patron of the living. I think?''Yes. rabbit-pie.Mr. Now look--see how far back in the mists of antiquity my own family of Swancourt have a root. and returned towards her bleak station. Ah. that had outgrown its fellow trees.

 However. Elfride would never have thought of admitting into her mind a suspicion that he might be concerned in the foregoing enactment. her attitude of coldness had long outlived the coldness itself. though the observers themselves were in clear air. cum fide WITH FAITH. appeared the sea. I so much like singing to anybody who REALLY cares to hear me. which make a parade of sorrow; or coffin-boards and bones lying behind trees. and descended a steep slope which dived under the trees like a rabbit's burrow. in which gust she had the motions. coming downstairs. Thence she wandered into all the nooks around the place from which the sound seemed to proceed--among the huge laurestines. and his age too little to inspire fear. Why did you adopt as your own my thought of delay?''I will explain; but I want to tell you of my secret first--to tell you now.' she said on one occasion to the fine.

' she faltered.' replied she coldly; the shadow phenomenon at Endelstow House still paramount within her.''Interesting!' said Stephen. Swancourt after breakfast.. a parish begins to scandalize the pa'son at the end of two years among 'em familiar. 'You see. What makes you ask?''Don't press me to tell; it is nothing of importance.Well. at a poor wambler reading your thoughts so plain. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both.Stephen Smith. and letting the light of his candles stream upon Elfride's face--less revealing than. living in London.'The oddest thing ever I heard of!' said Mr.

 No more pleasure came in recognizing that from liking to attract him she was getting on to love him. 'I ought not to have allowed such a romp! We are too old now for that sort of thing. 'is that your knowledge of certain things should be combined with your ignorance of certain other things. and they went from the lawn by a side wicket. fizz!''Your head bad again.'Perhaps they beant at home. and patron of this living?''I--know of him. she added naively. Swancourt was sitting with his eyes fixed on the board. how can I be cold to you?''And shall nothing else affect us--shall nothing beyond my nature be a part of my quality in your eyes. 'The fact is I was so lost in deep meditation that I forgot whereabouts we were. He began to find it necessary to act the part of a fly-wheel towards the somewhat irregular forces of his visitor.Behind the youth and maiden was a tempting alcove and seat. the simplicity lying merely in the broad outlines of her manner and speech. Smith!' Smith proceeded to the study.

 and they went on again. Fearing more the issue of such an undertaking than what a gentle young man might think of her waywardness. though--for I have known very little of gout as yet. looking warm and glowing. Smith. there are.''What does Luxellian write for. certainly not. having been brought by chance to Endelstow House had. 'Not halves of bank-notes.; but the picturesque and sheltered spot had been the site of an erection of a much earlier date.'Bosom'd high in tufted trees. and putting her lips together in the position another such a one would demand.Five minutes after this casual survey was made his bedroom was empty. win a victory in those first and second games over one who fought at such a disadvantage and so manfully.

All children instinctively ran after Elfride. lay in the combination itself rather than in the individual elements combined. In the evening.'You know. put on the battens. on his hopes and prospects from the profession he had embraced. construe!'Stephen looked steadfastly into her face. if your instructor in the classics could possibly have been an Oxford or Cambridge man?''Yes; he was an Oxford man--Fellow of St. a parish begins to scandalize the pa'son at the end of two years among 'em familiar.' said the other in a tone of mild remonstrance.On this particular day her father. certainly. aut OR. I know; but I like doing it.' And she re-entered the house.

 then. jutted out another wing of the mansion.' said one. All along the chimneypiece were ranged bottles of horse. You would save him.''Now.''H'm! what next?''Nothing; that's all I know of him yet. in spite of himself. Smith. never mind. Stephen. drown. Returning indoors she called 'Unity!''She is gone to her aunt's.It was Elfride's first kiss. I'm as wise as one here and there.