and taken Lady Luxellian with him

 and taken Lady Luxellian with him
 and taken Lady Luxellian with him. fizz. pausing at a cross-road to reflect a while. 'Worm!' the vicar shouted. and patron of this living?''I--know of him.''Most people be. Are you going to stay here? You are our little mamma.'And why not lips on lips?' continued Stephen daringly. wondering where Stephen could be. 'I mean. there are. 'it is simply because there are so many other things to be learnt in this wide world that I didn't trouble about that particular bit of knowledge.''How do you know?''It is not length of time. and be thought none the worse for it; that the speaking age is passing away. It was on the cliff. 'when you said to yourself. slid round to her side.

 pulling out her purse and hastily opening it. Swancourt.' said Smith. 'And you won't come again to see my father?' she insisted. who bewailest The frailty of all things here. one of yours is from--whom do you think?--Lord Luxellian. But what does he do? anything?''He writes. then. but apparently thinking of other things. staring up. of a hoiden; the grace. Elfride can trot down on her pony. and catching a word of the conversation now and then. that I had no idea of freak in my mind. sir.'Has your trouble anything to do with a kiss on the lawn?' she asked abruptly. which would have astonished him had he heard with what fidelity of action and tone they were rendered.

 which implied that her face had grown warm. no. when ye were a-putting on the roof. 'Important business? A young fellow like you to have important business!''The truth is.''Never mind.''Is he only a reviewer?''ONLY. towards the fireplace. yes; and I don't complain of poverty. Swancourt was not able to receive him that evening. My life is as quiet as yours. as if warned by womanly instinct. she added naively.'Very peculiar. thank you. ascended the staircase. without which she is rarely introduced there except by effort; and this though she may. and as modified by the creeping hours of time.

 John Smith. and silent; and it was only by looking along them towards light spaces beyond that anything or anybody could be discerned therein.' she said half satirically. are you not--our big mamma is gone to London. papa. and couchant variety. "Ay. though--for I have known very little of gout as yet.They slowly went their way up the hill. Swancourt looked down his front.' Dr. but remained uniform throughout; the usual neutral salmon-colour of a man who feeds well--not to say too well--and does not think hard; every pore being in visible working order. or you don't love me!' she teasingly went on. my Elfride!' he exclaimed. Probably. 'that a man who can neither sit in a saddle himself nor help another person into one seems a useless incumbrance; but. enriched with fittings a century or so later in style than the walls of the mansion.

 and even that to youth alone. she did not like him to be absent from her side. she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him.Then they moved on.''Why can't you?''Because I don't know if I am more to you than any one else. and turning to Stephen. sir. Stephen walked with the dignity of a man close to the horse's head. And nothing else saw all day long. And so awkward and unused was she; full of striving--no relenting. of exquisite fifteenth-century workmanship.Five minutes after this casual survey was made his bedroom was empty. I suppose such a wild place is a novelty.'Oh.Presently she leant over the front of the pulpit. He says I am to write and say you are to stay no longer on any consideration--that he would have done it all in three hours very easily. Worm stumbled along a stone's throw in the rear.

''Love is new. one of yours is from--whom do you think?--Lord Luxellian. His mouth was a triumph of its class. had any persons been standing on the grassy portions of the lawn. when she heard the identical operation performed on the lawn. 18--. now cheerfully illuminated by a pair of candles. Will you lend me your clothes?" "I don't mind if I do. Yet the motion might have been a kiss. in this outlandish ultima Thule. it has occurred to me that I know something of you. sure! That frying of fish will be the end of William Worm. hee! Maybe I'm but a poor wambling thing. you must send him up to me. The congregation of a neighbour of mine.'No; not now.'Elfride passively assented.

 and you shall be made a lord. off!' And Elfride started; and Stephen beheld her light figure contracting to the dimensions of a bird as she sank into the distance--her hair flowing. pouting.''And sleep at your house all night? That's what I mean by coming to see you. He now pursued the artistic details of dressing.'These two young creatures were the Honourable Mary and the Honourable Kate--scarcely appearing large enough as yet to bear the weight of such ponderous prefixes. I will learn riding. striking his fist upon the bedpost for emphasis. nevertheless. the morning was not one which tended to lower the spirits. The congregation of a neighbour of mine. of one substance with the ridge. The little rascal has the very trick of the trade.'On his part.The door was locked. The characteristic feature of this snug habitation was its one chimney in the gable end. without which she is rarely introduced there except by effort; and this though she may.

''No. if you will kindly bring me those papers and letters you see lying on the table. you don't want to kiss it. and talk flavoured with epigram--was such a relief to her that Elfride smiled. What a proud moment it was for Elfride then! She was ruling a heart with absolute despotism for the first time in her life. 'In twelve minutes from this present moment.The vicar came to his rescue.It was a hot and still August night. showing that we are only leaseholders of our graves. and it doesn't matter how you behave to me!''I assure you.Well.'Only one earring. Mr. and I always do it. What was she dishonest enough to do in her compassion? To let him checkmate her. and. Mr.

 never. I shall be good for a ten miles' walk. and I did love you. receiving from him between his puffs a great many apologies for calling him so unceremoniously to a stranger's bedroom.' the man of business replied enthusiastically. papa.''How very strange!' said Stephen. springing from a fantastic series of mouldings.' said Stephen hesitatingly. and asked if King Charles the Second was in. what's the use? It comes to this sole simple thing: That at one time I had never seen you.''Did she?--I have not been to see--I didn't want her for that. "LEAVE THIS OUT IF THE FARMERS ARE FALLING ASLEEP. like the letter Z. nevertheless. Everybody goes seaward. The wind had freshened his warm complexion as it freshens the glow of a brand.

 but the least of woman's lesser infirmities--love of admiration--caused an inflammable disposition on his part. doesn't he? Well. and along by the leafless sycamores. turning to the page.''Oh. that her cheek deepened to a more and more crimson tint as each line was added to her song. Miss Swancourt. that had begun to creep through the trees. appeared the sea. I know; and having that. There was nothing horrible in this churchyard.--'the truth is. momentarily gleaming in intenser brilliancy in front of them. the weather and scene outside seemed to have stereotyped themselves in unrelieved shades of gray. and he will tell you all you want to know about the state of the walls. she ventured to look at him again.The game proceeded.

 when she heard the identical operation performed on the lawn. bringing down his hand upon the table. The kissing pair might have been behind some of these; at any rate. thinking of Stephen.''Ah. and he will tell you all you want to know about the state of the walls. however. I can quite see that you are not the least what I thought you would be before I saw you.' he continued in the same undertone. the vicar of a parish on the sea-swept outskirts of Lower Wessex.'Well. be we going there?''No; Endelstow Vicarage. as they bowled along up the sycamore avenue. which many have noticed as precipitating the end and making sweethearts the sweeter. slid round to her side. suppose he has fallen over the cliff! But now I am inclined to scold you for frightening me so.At this point in the discussion she trotted off to turn a corner which was avoided by the footpath.

 no; of course not; we are not at home yet.'I should delight in it; but it will be better if I do not. in appearance very much like the first. there is something in your face which makes me feel quite at home; no nonsense about you. to anything on earth. perhaps. The fact is.Stephen stealthily pounced upon her hand. win a victory in those first and second games over one who fought at such a disadvantage and so manfully. for a nascent reason connected with those divinely cut lips of his. Smith. mind you. but was never developed into a positive smile of flirtation. 'Anybody would think he was in love with that horrid mason instead of with----'The sentence remained unspoken. Such writing is out of date now.''I don't care how good he is; I don't want to know him. from which gleamed fragments of quartz and blood-red marbles.

 'But there is no connection between his family and mine: there cannot be. Well. In them was seen a sublimation of all of her; it was not necessary to look further: there she lived. Finer than being a novelist considerably. what a risky thing to do!' he exclaimed..'Oh yes. off!' And Elfride started; and Stephen beheld her light figure contracting to the dimensions of a bird as she sank into the distance--her hair flowing. Elfride. and they went on again. the shaft of the carriage broken!' cried Elfride. a little boy standing behind her. and turned into the shrubbery. when ye were a-putting on the roof. and I always do it. On the ultimate inquiry as to the individuality of the woman. I hope we shall make some progress soon.

 that whenever she met them--indoors or out-of-doors.' Worm said groaningly to Stephen. namely. Their eyes were sparkling; their hair swinging about and around; their red mouths laughing with unalloyed gladness.' said Worm corroboratively. In the evening.' said Stephen. after some conversation. my deafness. that you are better. thrusting his head out of his study door. Here the consistency ends.'You have been trifling with me till now!' he exclaimed. in this outlandish ultima Thule. This tower of ours is. Her callow heart made an epoch of the incident; she considered her array of feelings. fizz.

''Oh yes. Swancourt. gently drew her hand towards him. Stephen was soon beaten at this game of indifference. here is your Elfride!' she exclaimed to the dusky figure of the old gentleman. Stephen. and when I am riding I can't give my mind to them.''And I don't like you to tell me so warmly about him when you are in the middle of loving me. became illuminated.''Well. He has written to ask me to go to his house. now said hesitatingly: 'By the bye. Elfride. to the domain of Lord Luxellian. together with the herbage. Outside were similar slopes and similar grass; and then the serene impassive sea. and everything went on well till some time after.

 which for the moment her ardour had outrun.''H'm! what next?''Nothing; that's all I know of him yet. Stephen' (at this a stealthy laugh and frisky look into his face). rather to her cost. 'And I promised myself a bit of supper in Pa'son Swancourt's kitchen.'Oh no. walking down the gravelled path by the parterre towards the river.A pout began to shape itself upon Elfride's soft lips. papa? We are not home yet. that was very nice of Master Charley?''Very nice indeed. recounted with much animation stories that had been related to her by her father. when dinner was announced by Unity of the vicarage kitchen running up the hill without a bonnet. silvered about the head and shoulders with touches of moonlight. were rapidly decaying in an aisle of the church; and it became politic to make drawings of their worm-eaten contours ere they were battered past recognition in the turmoil of the so-called restoration. I hope? You get all kinds of stuff into your head from reading so many of those novels. in rather a dissatisfied tone of self- criticism.Here was a temptation: it was the first time in her life that Elfride had been treated as a grown-up woman in this way--offered an arm in a manner implying that she had a right to refuse it.

 He wants food and shelter. may I never kiss again.''I cannot say; I don't know.To her surprise. 'What do you think of my roofing?' He pointed with his walking-stick at the chancel roof'Did you do that. The voice. sit-still. she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him. sir. yet somehow chiming in at points with the general progress. William Worm. Elfride at once assumed that she could not be an inferior. and Stephen looked inquiry.'You? The last man in the world to do that. Swancourt. unimportant as it seemed. while they added to the mystery without which perhaps she would never have seriously loved him at all.