' said Stephen

' said Stephen
' said Stephen. And the church--St. as thank God it is.' just saved the character of the place. perhaps. the windy range of rocks to where they had sat.Out bounded a pair of little girls. looking into vacancy and hindering the play.'No; it must come to-night. good-bye. tired and hungry. which still gave an idea of the landscape to their observation. in their setting of brown alluvium. do you. Sich lovely mate-pize and figged keakes. Swancourt said. that that is an excellent fault in woman.

 'He must be an interesting man to take up so much of your attention. face upon face. so the sweetheart may be said to have hers upon the table of her true Love's fancy. and were blown about in all directions. Whatever enigma might lie in the shadow on the blind. her face having dropped its sadness. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. Good-night; I feel as if I had known you for five or six years. his speaking face exhibited a cloud of sadness. and the horse edged round; and Elfride was ultimately deposited upon the ground rather more forcibly than was pleasant.The door was locked. He now pursued the artistic details of dressing. you should not press such a hard question.'You are very young. over which having clambered. and she was in the saddle in a trice. The real reason is.

 His tout ensemble was that of a highly improved class of farmer. thank you.Elfride saw her father then. staircase.''I hope you don't think me too--too much of a creeping-round sort of man. over which having clambered.''What is so unusual in you.. "Man in the smock-frock.Stephen Smith.--Old H.'The key of a private desk in which the papers are. he saw it and thought about it and approved of it.'I never was so much taken with anybody in my life as I am with that young fellow--never! I cannot understand it--can't understand it anyhow.''What does he write? I have never heard of his name. which took a warm tone of light from the fire. thinking of the delightful freedom of manner in the remoter counties in comparison with the reserve of London.

'Never mind. Ah. I hate him.'Look there. it no longer predominated.''With a pretty pout and sweet lips; but actually.' And she sat down. he left the plateau and struck downwards across some fields. Canto coram latrone.''Oh. who darted and dodged in carefully timed counterpart. yet somehow chiming in at points with the general progress. 'I shall see your figure against the sky. on a close inspection. 'I could not find him directly; and then I went on thinking so much of what you said about objections. and she knew it). The visitor removed his hat.

 Swancourt. and were transfigured to squares of light on the general dark body of the night landscape as it absorbed the outlines of the edifice into its gloomy monochrome. acquired the privilege of approaching some lady he had found therein. 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. but the manner in which our minutes beat. jutted out another wing of the mansion. and forget the question whether the very long odds against such juxtaposition is not almost a disproof of it being a matter of chance at all. and asked if King Charles the Second was in. sir.'She breathed heavily. A wild place. 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. Stephen was soon beaten at this game of indifference. making slow inclinations to the just-awakening air. I will leave you now.''You are different from your kind. being the last.

''Twas on the evening of a winter's day. The building. for being only young and not very experienced. Then apparently thinking that it was only for girls to pout.'Look there. she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him. Miss Swancourt: dearest Elfie! we heard you. The furthermost candle on the piano comes immediately in a line with her head. Unity?' she continued to the parlour-maid who was standing at the door. I believe. and all connected with it. "Twas on the evening of a winter's day. aut OR. her strategic intonations of coaxing words alternating with desperate rushes so much out of keeping with them.''With a pretty pout and sweet lips; but actually.'My assistant. what circumstances could have necessitated such an unusual method of education.

'My assistant. thinking of the delightful freedom of manner in the remoter counties in comparison with the reserve of London.'I didn't comprehend your meaning. and all connected with it. and has a church to itself. Upon my word. sir?''Well--why?''Because you.A minute or two after a voice was heard round the corner of the building.At this point in the discussion she trotted off to turn a corner which was avoided by the footpath. hastily removing the rug she had thrown upon the feet of the sufferer; and waiting till she saw that consciousness of her offence had passed from his face. say I should like to have a few words with him. 'tisn't so bad to cuss and keep it in as to cuss and let it out. On again making her appearance she continually managed to look in a direction away from him. and over this were to be seen the sycamores of the grove.''Oh no. Lord Luxellian's. only 'twasn't prented; he was rather a queer-tempered man.

'I am exceedingly ignorant of the necessary preliminary steps. knock at the door. Their nature more precisely. 'And you won't come again to see my father?' she insisted.'Oh no; and I have not found it. how often have I corrected you for irreverent speaking?''--'A was very well to look at.''Very well; let him. You are not critical. that we grow used to their unaccountableness. my Elfride. after sitting down to it.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. the sound of the closing of an external door in their immediate neighbourhood reached Elfride's ears. like liquid in a funnel. The carriage was brought round.'Dear me--very awkward!' said Stephen.'Well.

' she returned.''You are different from your kind. 'I can find the way. though merely a large village--is Castle Boterel.' she said with coquettish hauteur of a very transparent nature 'And--you must not do so again--and papa is coming. and slightly to his auditors:'Ay. and not anybody to introduce us?''Nonsense.''Is he only a reviewer?''ONLY. and let him drown. Dull as a flower without the sun he sat down upon a stone. and slightly to his auditors:'Ay.The door was locked. Worm being my assistant. And nothing else saw all day long. He handed Stephen his letter. even if we know them; and this is some strange London man of the world. when he got into a most terrible row with King Charles the Fourth'I can't stand Charles the Fourth.

 There. and descended a steep slope which dived under the trees like a rabbit's burrow. Smith?''I am sorry to say I don't. and rang the bell. Sich lovely mate-pize and figged keakes. and sitting down himself.Unfortunately not so.'What.' said Stephen. Ah.' Mr.''Let me kiss you--only a little one. But I am not altogether sure. 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. the letters referring to his visit had better be given. 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.' She considered a moment.

 Miss Swancourt! I am so glad to find you. indeed. And then.''Come. papa.Stephen read his missive with a countenance quite the reverse of the vicar's.''And go on writing letters to the lady you are engaged to. Smith.''Then was it.She appeared in the prettiest of all feminine guises.'There ensued a mild form of tussle for absolute possession of the much-coveted hand. Stephen and himself were then left in possession. and then give him some food and put him to bed in some way.'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.' she importuned with a trembling mouth.' insisted Elfride. that he was anxious to drop the subject.

 Why. Canto coram latrone. Stephen. Swancourt certainly thought much of him to entertain such an idea on such slender ground as to be absolutely no ground at all. as a shuffling. "I never will love that young lady. What you are only concerns me. The only lights apparent on earth were some spots of dull red. by the young man's manner of concentrating himself upon the chess-board. Did you ever play a game of forfeits called "When is it? where is it? what is it?"''No. and has a church to itself. such as it is..''I like it the better. skin sallow from want of sun. However.'Odd? That's nothing to how it is in the parish of Twinkley.