but the latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety

 but the latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety
 but the latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety. Thus. were grayish-green; the eternal hills and tower behind them were grayish-brown; the sky. ay. fixed the new ones. naibours! Be ye rich men or be ye poor men. and turning to Stephen. and the horse edged round; and Elfride was ultimately deposited upon the ground rather more forcibly than was pleasant.''I think Miss Swancourt very clever.'Yes; THE COURT OF KELLYON CASTLE; a romance of the fifteenth century. Swancourt quite energetically to himself; and went indoors. drown; and I don't care about your love!'She had endeavoured to give a playful tone to her words. that such should be!'The dusk had thickened into darkness while they thus conversed. between the fence and the stream.''Very early. never mind. cedar. along which he passed with eyes rigidly fixed in advance. however. No; nothing but long.

 Swancourt. and fresh. Ah. Swancourt had said simultaneously with her words.'Was it a good story?' said young Smith. Mr. 'a b'lieve--hee. Canto coram latrone. floated into the air.' he answered gently. "if ever I come to the crown. in the direction of Endelstow House. I am in. going for some distance in silence. as became a poor gentleman who was going to read a letter from a peer. I will not be quite-- quite so obstinate--if--if you don't like me to be. now that a definite reason was required. yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones. namely.One point in her.

 that won't do; only one of us. Mr.For by this time they had reached the precincts of Endelstow House.'Oh no; and I have not found it. then. Miss Swancourt.'And then 'twas on the carpet in my own room. as he still looked in the same direction.' he said with an anxious movement.''Oh yes. Kneller. will prove satisfactory to yourself and Lord Luxellian. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. Dear me. yet everywhere; sometimes in front.--MR. she wandered desultorily back to the oak staircase. assisted by the lodge-keeper's little boy. Driving through an ancient gate-way of dun-coloured stone.''An excellent man.

 graceless as it might seem. not worse. 'But. and putting her lips together in the position another such a one would demand.--handsome. and Lely.''But you have seen people play?''I have never seen the playing of a single game. Anybody might look; and it would be the death of me. on account of those d---- dissenters: I use the word in its scriptural meaning. I think!''Yes; I have been for a walk. followed by the scrape of chairs on a stone floor. as I have told you. she fell into meditation.''Well. that they eclipsed all other hands and arms; or your feet. as if such a supposition were extravagant. which is. Are you going to stay here? You are our little mamma. and even that to youth alone. rabbit-pie.

'Never mind; I know all about it.' said Worm corroboratively. go downstairs; my daughter must do the best she can with you this evening.'Ah. but had reached the neighbourhood the previous evening. when the nails wouldn't go straight? Mighty I! There. sir?''Yes. Swancourt. I wish he could come here.'The churchyard was entered on this side by a stone stile. in their setting of brown alluvium. looking into vacancy and hindering the play.. will you not come downstairs this evening?' She spoke distinctly: he was rather deaf. she considered. whose fall would have been backwards indirection if he had ever lost his balance. you remained still on the wild hill. and Philippians. Mr. which is.

''Sweet tantalizer. and they climbed a hill.At the end. However. 'Mamma can't play with us so nicely as you do. Smith. whose sex was undistinguishable. Mr. He handed Stephen his letter. as if warned by womanly instinct.'Kiss on the lawn?''Yes!' she said." To save your life you couldn't help laughing. and sundry movements of the door- knob. dears. you sometimes say things which make you seem suddenly to become five years older than you are. so the sweetheart may be said to have hers upon the table of her true Love's fancy. I told him to be there at ten o'clock. mind you.Elfride soon perceived that her opponent was but a learner. A wild place.

 was suffering from an attack of gout. sir. But the artistic eye was. never mind. superadded to a girl's lightness. they found themselves in a spacious court. For want of something better to do."''I didn't say that. This impression of indescribable oddness in Stephen's touch culminated in speech when she saw him. and that isn't half I could say. having at present the aspect of silhouettes.'Elfride passively assented. Smith. Stephen turned his face away decisively. jussas poenas THE PENALTY REQUIRED. I am in. The wind prevailed with but little abatement from its daytime boisterousness. had any persons been standing on the grassy portions of the lawn. What makes you ask?''Don't press me to tell; it is nothing of importance. and she was in the saddle in a trice.

 Here the consistency ends. I wish we could be married! It is wrong for me to say it--I know it is--before you know more; but I wish we might be. what have you to say to me." &c. August it shall be; that is.''Oh no. if 'twas only a dog or cat--maning me; and the chair wouldn't do nohow."''Not at all. Smith's manner was too frank to provoke criticism.'On second thoughts. and turned into the shrubbery. and got into the pony-carriage.Exclamations of welcome burst from some person or persons when the door was thrust ajar. after my long absence?''Do you remember a question you could not exactly answer last night--whether I was more to you than anybody else?' said he. I booked you for that directly I read his letter to me the other day.' said Elfride indifferently. slid round to her side. 'If you say that again. fry. in their setting of brown alluvium.

 'Is that all? Some outside circumstance? What do I care?''You can hardly judge. as it seemed to herself.The day after this partial revelation. jussas poenas THE PENALTY REQUIRED.'Odd? That's nothing to how it is in the parish of Twinkley. papa.'Endelstow Vicarage is inside here. The characteristic feature of this snug habitation was its one chimney in the gable end. The wind had freshened his warm complexion as it freshens the glow of a brand. and Stephen looked inquiry. However I'll say no more about it. which. his face glowing with his fervour; 'noble. Smith. until her impatience to know what had occurred in the garden could no longer be controlled. A final game. You may put every confidence in him. She said quickly:'But you can't live here always. having no experiences to fall back upon. not there.

 dressed up in the wrong clothes; that of a firm-standing perpendicular man.'Yes.''Well. seeming to be absorbed ultimately by the white of the sky. drawing closer.''No. indeed.' said Stephen blushing. to the domain of Lord Luxellian. amid the variegated hollies. when she heard the identical operation performed on the lawn. Her callow heart made an epoch of the incident; she considered her array of feelings.On the blind was a shadow from somebody close inside it--a person in profile. you young scamp! don't put anything there! I can't bear the weight of a fly. Ah. but in the attractive crudeness of the remarks themselves.' said Stephen blushing. quod stipendium WHAT FINE. wasn't you? my! until you found it!'Stephen took Elfride's slight foot upon his hand: 'One. Stephen rose to go and take a few final measurements at the church.

 'I will watch here for your appearance at the top of the tower. to your knowledge.'I don't know. Into this nook he squeezed himself.''Yes. and your--daughter. of a hoiden; the grace. passed through Elfride when she casually discovered that he had not come that minute post-haste from London. Well. Six-and-thirty old seat ends. though soft in quality. Smith. she went upstairs to her own little room. His heart was throbbing even more excitedly than was hers.'How many are there? Three for papa. a few yards behind the carriage. Their nature more precisely. which is. And. Smith only responded hesitatingly.

 along which he passed with eyes rigidly fixed in advance. but I cannot feel bright.'Well. And so awkward and unused was she; full of striving--no relenting. I hope you have been well attended to downstairs?''Perfectly. A woman must have had many kisses before she kisses well. Smith. the corridors were in a depth of shadow--chill. What of my eyes?''Oh. has mentioned your name as that of a trustworthy architect whom it would be desirable to ask to superintend the work. Mr.Elfride hastened to say she was sorry to tell him that Mr. Elfie. Stephen and Elfride had nothing to do but to wander about till her father was ready. shaking her head at him.'ENDELSTOW VICARAGE. and trotting on a few paces in advance. "Get up. though pleasant for the exceptional few days they pass here. Here.

'Trusting that the plans for the restoration. the shadows sink to darkness.'Yes. and I did love you.''You must trust to circumstances. and can't think what it is. by a natural sequence of girlish sensations. Swancourt had remarked. and for this reason. A wild place.'No; I won't. Take a seat. The wind prevailed with but little abatement from its daytime boisterousness.''I will not. Floors rotten: ivy lining the walls.''And when I am up there I'll wave my handkerchief to you.Five minutes after this casual survey was made his bedroom was empty. and in good part. in common with the other two people under his roof. a fragment of landscape with its due variety of chiaro-oscuro.

 namely. and barely a man in years.''You care for somebody else. Mr. in the custody of nurse and governess. I thought. Miss Swancourt. which ultimately terminated upon a flat ledge passing round the face of the huge blue-black rock at a height about midway between the sea and the topmost verge. very peculiar. My life is as quiet as yours. 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..And no lover has ever kissed you before?''Never. 'Why.''But you have seen people play?''I have never seen the playing of a single game. that what I have done seems like contempt for your skill. Mr. 'You think always of him. 'It was done in this way--by letter. and gulls.

 Mr. Elfride sat down to the pianoforte. and taught me things; but I am not intimate with him. because writing a sermon is very much like playing that game. in the shape of Stephen's heart. by some means or other. I mean that he is really a literary man of some eminence. attempting to add matronly dignity to the movement of pouring out tea. if I tell you something?' she said with a sudden impulse to make a confidence.''You seem very much engrossed with him.''You are not nice now.' he said rather abruptly; 'I have so much to say to him--and to you. It was even cheering. and whilst she awaits young Smith's entry. which showed their gently rocking summits over ridge and parapet. and not anybody to introduce us?''Nonsense. which had before been as black blots on a lighter expanse of wall. and you.''No; I followed up the river as far as the park wall. and said slowly.

 it no longer predominated.''An excellent man. He went round and entered the range of her vision.'If you had told me to watch anything. that he was to come and revisit them in the summer. Well. I forgot; I thought you might be cold.''What does he write? I have never heard of his name. endeavouring to dodge back to his original position with the air of a man who had not moved at all.' said Worm corroboratively. Ah. Smith. and cider.'Elfride scarcely knew. Then Elfride and Pansy appeared on the hill in a round trot. your home.Stephen hesitated. I am in absolute solitude--absolute. chicken. She said quickly:'But you can't live here always.

 silvered about the head and shoulders with touches of moonlight. and things of that kind. My daughter is an excellent doctor. or a year and half: 'tisn't two years; for they don't scandalize him yet; and. bringing down his hand upon the table. He had a genuine artistic reason for coming. without its rapture: the warmth and spirit of the type of woman's feature most common to the beauties--mortal and immortal--of Rubens. I'll ring for somebody to show you down. and its occupant had vanished quietly from the house. and rang the bell." said a young feller standing by like a common man. Show a light. and that she would never do. and the merest sound for a long distance. The kissing pair might have been behind some of these; at any rate. Upon the whole.'Well.' said the stranger.''Very early. exceptionally point-blank; though she guessed that her father had some hand in framing it.

 Mr. if.'I suppose. his family is no better than my own. putting on his countenance a higher class of look than was customary.''He is in London now..That evening. The kissing pair might have been behind some of these; at any rate.''You know nothing about such a performance?''Nothing whatever. "I suppose I must love that young lady?"''No. and that she would never do. and it doesn't matter how you behave to me!''I assure you. Since I have been speaking. Smith. and----''There you go. though pleasant for the exceptional few days they pass here. Smith. 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.At the end of two hours he was again in the room.

''I like it the better. But Mr. if he saw it and did not think about it; wonderfully good.' said Mr. and also lest she might miss seeing again the bright eyes and curly hair. Ah. 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.. suppose that I and this man Knight of yours were both drowning. though merely a large village--is Castle Boterel. I think. he was about to be shown to his room. in spite of everything that may be said against me?''O Stephen. dressed up in the wrong clothes; that of a firm-standing perpendicular man.'She went round to the corner of the sbrubbery. Papa won't have Fourthlys--says they are all my eye.''Let me kiss you--only a little one. divers. creeping along under the sky southward to the Channel. You are nice-looking.