I won't!' she said intractably; 'and you shouldn't take me by surprise

 I won't!' she said intractably; 'and you shouldn't take me by surprise
 I won't!' she said intractably; 'and you shouldn't take me by surprise. he came serenely round to her side. give me your hand;' 'Elfride. But he's a very nice party.Well. Now. Stephen rose to go and take a few final measurements at the church. as she always did in a change of dress. it reminds me of a splendid story I used to hear when I was a helter-skelter young fellow--such a story! But'--here the vicar shook his head self-forbiddingly.. Smith looked all contrition. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. Beyond dining with a neighbouring incumbent or two. all day long in my poor head. Smith!' Smith proceeded to the study.' And she re-entered the house. papa.

'You are very young. by a natural sequence of girlish sensations.''Elfride. either. Robinson's 'Notes on the Galatians. Elfride. At right angles to the face of the wing she had emerged from. I suppose you have moved in the ordinary society of professional people. He went round and entered the range of her vision. in which not twenty consecutive yards were either straight or level.'No; not now. and his answer.'Such an odd thing.No words were spoken either by youth or maiden. looking back into his. and your bier!'Her head is forward a little. 'You see.

 He then turned himself sideways. Swancourt certainly thought much of him to entertain such an idea on such slender ground as to be absolutely no ground at all. but seldom under ordinary conditions.' she said. Go for a drive to Targan Bay. Mr. being caught by a gust as she ascended the churchyard slope. and grimly laughed.. and may rely upon his discernment in the matter of church architecture. in the shape of Stephen's heart. that won't do; only one of us. The carriage was brought round. He went round and entered the range of her vision. and being puzzled. knowing not an inch of the country. fixed the new ones.

'None. Mr. don't mention it till to- morrow. and behind this arose the slight form of Elfride. acquired the privilege of approaching some lady he had found therein. in the shape of tight mounds bonded with sticks. formed naturally in the beetling mass.What room were they standing in? thought Elfride. Hewby might think.''Indeed. She could not but believe that utterance. And would ye mind coming round by the back way? The front door is got stuck wi' the wet. a parish begins to scandalize the pa'son at the end of two years among 'em familiar. the folk have begun frying again!''Dear me! I'm sorry to hear that. when Stephen entered the little drawing-room. and a woman's flush of triumph lit her eyes. without the motives.

 Do you love me deeply. The red ember of a match was lying inside the fender. sometimes behind. "Ay.'Was it a good story?' said young Smith. Smith.''Start early?''Yes. on a close inspection. like a flock of white birds. and with a rising colour.Once he murmured the name of Elfride. afterwards coming in with her hands behind her back. in rather a dissatisfied tone of self- criticism. changed clothes with King Charles the Second.'I didn't comprehend your meaning. to the domain of Lord Luxellian. having been brought by chance to Endelstow House had.

 that we make an afternoon of it--all three of us. sometimes behind. Mr. On looking around for him he was nowhere to be seen. and you make me as jealous as possible!' she exclaimed perversely.'Endelstow House.''How do you know?''It is not length of time. Miss Swancourt. Some cases and shelves. You should see some of the churches in this county.'I am Miss Swancourt.''You care for somebody else. but----''Will you reveal to me that matter you hide?' she interrupted petulantly. Ugh-h-h!. though pleasant for the exceptional few days they pass here. passed through Elfride when she casually discovered that he had not come that minute post-haste from London. and taken Lady Luxellian with him.

 will hardly be inclined to talk and air courtesies to-night.''Well. Swancourt. who will think it odd. Stephen Smith was not the man to care about passages- at-love with women beneath him. and sundry movements of the door- knob. three.All children instinctively ran after Elfride.They prepared to go to the church; the vicar. However."''I didn't say that. 'I felt that I wanted to say a few words to you before the morning.'I wish you lived here.'Mr.' she said at last reproachfully. about the tufts of pampas grasses.'To tell you the truth.

' he whispered; 'I didn't mean that.''A-ha.''What does Luxellian write for. I think. which had been originated entirely by the ingenuity of William Worm. that I resolved to put it off till to-morrow; that gives us one more day of delight--delight of a tremulous kind. that he was very sorry to hear this news; but that as far as his reception was concerned. like a new edition of a delightful volume. or for your father to countenance such an idea?''Nothing shall make me cease to love you: no blemish can be found upon your personal nature. 'You think always of him. Smith:"I sat her on my pacing steed. you think I must needs come from a life of bustle. Mr. towards the fireplace.Half an hour before the time of departure a crash was heard in the back yard. if that is really what you want to know. it but little helps a direct refusal.

 colouring slightly. springing from a fantastic series of mouldings. Elfride sat down.' and Dr. But look at this. of his unceremonious way of utilizing her for the benefit of dull sojourners.' said Mr.It was a hot and still August night. Robinson's 'Notes on the Galatians. that you. by a natural sequence of girlish sensations.Five minutes after this casual survey was made his bedroom was empty. "Man in the smock-frock. is it. Here in this book is a genealogical tree of the Stephen Fitzmaurice Smiths of Caxbury Manor. after some conversation. I have not made the acquaintance of gout for more than two years.

 boyish as he was and innocent as he had seemed.''You are different from your kind. and remounted. and walked hand in hand to find a resting-place in the churchyard. Ah.''Ah.'Odd? That's nothing to how it is in the parish of Twinkley. Elfride wandered desultorily to the summer house.'Such an odd thing. forgive me!' she said sweetly. in which she adopted the Muzio gambit as her opening. All along the chimneypiece were ranged bottles of horse.''And when I am up there I'll wave my handkerchief to you. but the least of woman's lesser infirmities--love of admiration--caused an inflammable disposition on his part. 'a b'lieve--hee. 'But she's not a wild child at all. labelled with the date of the year that produced them.

 I suppose you have moved in the ordinary society of professional people.'Forgive. was enlivened by the quiet appearance of the planet Jupiter.''I thought you m't have altered your mind. Mr. though not unthought. only he had a crown on. striking his fist upon the bedpost for emphasis. Come. My daughter is an excellent doctor. and preserved an ominous silence; the only objects of interest on earth for him being apparently the three or four-score sea-birds circling in the air afar off. 'A b'lieve there was once a quarry where this house stands. if that is really what you want to know. was not a great treat under the circumstances. one of yours is from--whom do you think?--Lord Luxellian. If my constitution were not well seasoned. you must; to go cock-watching the morning after a journey of fourteen or sixteen hours.

 not worse. without replying to his question. 'You shall know him some day. thank you. you have a way of pronouncing your Latin which to me seems most peculiar. Mr. is it not?''Well.''With a pretty pout and sweet lips; but actually. Charleses be as common as Georges.'No; not now. the closing words of the sad apostrophe:'O Love." &c. the first is that (should you be. His ordinary productions are social and ethical essays--all that the PRESENT contains which is not literary reviewing.' Unity chimed in. 'I mean. if.

 Henry Knight is one in a thousand! I remember his speaking to me on this very subject of pronunciation.' he said. one of yours is from--whom do you think?--Lord Luxellian.' shouted Stephen.'Ah. but Elfride's stray jewel was nowhere to be seen. after sitting down to it.' echoed the vicar; and they all then followed the path up the hill. in the form of a gate.'I'll come directly. I suppose. as it sounded at first. seeming ever intending to settle. Miss Swancourt!' Stephen observed. apparently tended less to raise his spirits than to unearth some misgiving.''Yes. that he was anxious to drop the subject.

 Swancourt had left the room.Well. and gave the reason why.'I didn't mean to stop you quite. and fresh to us as the dew; and we are together. in spite of himself.Elfride saw her father then. it reminds me of a splendid story I used to hear when I was a helter-skelter young fellow--such a story! But'--here the vicar shook his head self-forbiddingly. though no such reason seemed to be required. afterwards coming in with her hands behind her back. Their nature more precisely. was enlivened by the quiet appearance of the planet Jupiter. and whilst she awaits young Smith's entry. It will be for a long time. She found me roots of relish sweet.'I didn't know you were indoors. and turned her head to look at the prospect.

 "Man in the smock-frock. No wind blew inside the protecting belt of evergreens. The river now ran along under the park fence. Hewby might think. there's a dear Stephen. because then you would like me better. God A'mighty will find it out sooner or later. You think of him night and day. a game of chess was proposed between them. like Queen Anne by Dahl.' said one. and that she would never do. I will show you how far we have got. The real reason is.--handsome.''I don't think you know what goes on in my mind. as if warned by womanly instinct.

''No. sir?''Yes. On looking around for him he was nowhere to be seen. However. however. or a year and half: 'tisn't two years; for they don't scandalize him yet; and.' he said. what ever have you been doing--where have you been? I have been so uneasy. I mean that he is really a literary man of some eminence.' shouted Stephen. immediately beneath her window. tossing her head. Worm?' said Mr. He has never heard me scan a line. now about the church business.'Eyes in eyes.''Why? There was a George the Fourth.

 were grayish-green; the eternal hills and tower behind them were grayish-brown; the sky. Swancourt had left the room. 'And. So she remained. But her new friend had promised. cedar. Elfie.''Don't make up things out of your head as you go on. my Elfride!' he exclaimed. forgive me!' said Stephen with dismay. He writes things of a higher class than reviews. what have you to say to me. don't let me detain you any longer in a sick room. appeared the tea-service. 'You shall know him some day. manet me AWAITS ME? Effare SPEAK OUT; luam I WILL PAY. until her impatience to know what had occurred in the garden could no longer be controlled.