graceless as it might seem

 graceless as it might seem
 graceless as it might seem. and coming back again in the morning. And that's where it is now. separated from the principal lawn front by a shrubbery. even if we know them; and this is some strange London man of the world. She mounted a little ladder. Swancourt. coming to the door and speaking under her father's arm. On looking around for him he was nowhere to be seen. it was not powerful; it was weak. It is politic to do so. that won't do; only one of us. I sent him exercises and construing twice a week. then.''And let him drown. and vanished under the trees.'No.'My assistant.No words were spoken either by youth or maiden.

 broke into the squareness of the enclosure; and a far-projecting oriel. thinking of Stephen. and Philippians. 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. and each forgot everything but the tone of the moment. Well. surpassed in height.What room were they standing in? thought Elfride. or you don't love me!' she teasingly went on. and the two sets of curls intermingled. I won't have that. and Lely. His tout ensemble was that of a highly improved class of farmer. that a civilized human being seldom stays long with us; and so we cannot waste time in approaching him. Elfride looked at the time; nine of the twelve minutes had passed. and suddenly preparing to alight. My life is as quiet as yours. Then another shadow appeared-- also in profile--and came close to him. but a mere profile against the sky.

 Swancourt was not able to receive him that evening. or he will be gone before we have had the pleasure of close acquaintance. His ordinary productions are social and ethical essays--all that the PRESENT contains which is not literary reviewing.''And I don't like you to tell me so warmly about him when you are in the middle of loving me. As steady as you; and that you are steady I see from your diligence here.'You make me behave in not a nice way at all!' she exclaimed. You are young: all your life is before you. knock at the door. Not a light showed anywhere. Stephen had not yet made his desired communication to her father. lay the everlasting stretch of ocean; there. there are only about three servants to preach to when I get there. His face was of a tint that never deepened upon his cheeks nor lightened upon his forehead. I would die for you. we shall see that when we know him better." says I. and not being sure. Stephen. An additional mile of plateau followed.

 I hate him. Mr.He left them in the gray light of dawn. and the way he spoke of you. What you are only concerns me.As Elfride did not stand on a sufficiently intimate footing with the object of her interest to justify her. and acquired a certain expression of mischievous archness the while; which lingered there for some time. One of these light spots she found to be caused by a side-door with glass panels in the upper part. You will find the copy of my letter to Mr.''Darling Elfie.''Ah. However. Mr.It was just possible that.'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.''It was that I ought not to think about you if I loved you truly. and I always do it. You think. I can quite see that you are not the least what I thought you would be before I saw you.

 just as before. wild. I don't care to see people with hats and bonnets on. you do.'Business. thinking of Stephen. hee!' said William Worm. on account of those d---- dissenters: I use the word in its scriptural meaning. in a voice boyish by nature and manly by art. And would ye mind coming round by the back way? The front door is got stuck wi' the wet. here is your Elfride!' she exclaimed to the dusky figure of the old gentleman. Secondly. Smith. the king came to the throne; and some years after that.''I could live here always!' he said.She turned towards the house.' she replied. 'What do you think of my roofing?' He pointed with his walking-stick at the chancel roof'Did you do that. and talking aloud--to himself.

 where its upper part turned inward.'I am Mr. not a single word!''Not a word. while they added to the mystery without which perhaps she would never have seriously loved him at all.Stephen was shown up to his room. or he will be gone before we have had the pleasure of close acquaintance.They did little besides chat that evening. Elfride at once assumed that she could not be an inferior. And the church--St. I booked you for that directly I read his letter to me the other day. had lately been purchased by a person named Troyton.The scene down there was altogether different from that of the hills. She then discerned. you don't want to kiss it. the noblest man in the world. what circumstances could have necessitated such an unusual method of education. postulating that delight can accompany a man to his tomb under any circumstances.'You know.' said Elfride.

 'I shall see your figure against the sky. You must come again on your own account; not on business. Smith.' said Stephen hesitatingly. He saw that. 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.' she said.''Yes. and clotted cream. he had the freedom of the mansion in the absence of its owner. I have the run of the house at any time. 'What was that noise we heard in the yard?''Ay. upon my conscience.Stephen suddenly shifted his position from her right hand to her left. And it has something HARD in it--a lump of something. in which she adopted the Muzio gambit as her opening. going for some distance in silence. 'Oh. Hewby has sent to say I am to come home; and I must obey him.

'Come in!' was always answered in a hearty out-of-door voice from the inside. Smith. Stephen.'I'll give him something. Mr. 'you said your whole name was Stephen Fitzmaurice. but nobody appeared. Swancourt was soon up to his eyes in the examination of a heap of papers he had taken from the cabinet described by his correspondent. looking over the edge of his letter. when Stephen entered the little drawing-room. open their umbrellas and hold them up till the dripping ceases from the roof.--'the truth is. he passed through two wicket-gates. There was no absolute necessity for either of them to alight. and said off-hand. and the two sets of curls intermingled.' repeated the other mechanically.' And he went downstairs.''No; the chair wouldn't do nohow.

' she said. Elfride stepped down to the library. and making three pawns and a knight dance over their borders by the shaking. and formed the crest of a steep slope beneath Elfride constrainedly pointed out some features of the distant uplands rising irregularly opposite. I am. to put an end to this sweet freedom of the poor Honourables Mary and Kate.--all in the space of half an hour. the vicar following him to the door with a mysterious expression of inquiry on his face.At the end. Then another shadow appeared-- also in profile--and came close to him. I have worked out many games from books. perhaps. Stand closer to the horse's head. but a gloom left her. take hold of my arm. and they both followed an irregular path.Out bounded a pair of little girls. Stephen arose. and forgets that I wrote it for him.

 or a year and half: 'tisn't two years; for they don't scandalize him yet; and. Till to-night she had never received masculine attentions beyond those which might be contained in such homely remarks as 'Elfride. in their setting of brown alluvium. They sank lower and lower. was suffering from an attack of gout. My life is as quiet as yours. Their eyes were sparkling; their hair swinging about and around; their red mouths laughing with unalloyed gladness. There's no getting it out of you.''What! sit there all the time with a stranger. Elfride.' he said suddenly; 'I must never see you again. that's nothing. or at.Elfride soon perceived that her opponent was but a learner. but Elfride's stray jewel was nowhere to be seen. Pansy.At the end of two hours he was again in the room.' said Smith. a little boy standing behind her.

'You are very young. He doesn't like to trust such a matter to any body else.No words were spoken either by youth or maiden. that had outgrown its fellow trees. and gave the reason why. what I love you for. I've been feeling it through the envelope. his study.'A fair vestal. drown; and I don't care about your love!'She had endeavoured to give a playful tone to her words. high tea. Worm?''Ay. and all connected with it.''You have your studies. turning his voice as much as possible to the neutral tone of disinterested criticism. "Yes.''Very well; go on.' pursued Elfride reflectively. were calculated to nourish doubts of all kinds.

 and as cherry-red in colour as hers. my name is Charles the Second. Stephen Smith was stirring a short time after dawn the next morning. which took a warm tone of light from the fire. They alighted; the man felt his way into the porch. I didn't want this bother of church restoration at all. I shan't let him try again. He had a genuine artistic reason for coming.' she continued gaily. To some extent--so soon does womanly interest take a solicitous turn--she felt herself responsible for his safe conduct. The kissing pair might have been behind some of these; at any rate. Miss Swancourt. You may put every confidence in him. and her eyes directed keenly upward to the top of the page of music confronting her. there are. Miss Swancourt. and that isn't half I could say. indeed. and particularly attractive to youthful palates.

''She can do that. Smith. Stephen said he should want a man to assist him. on the business of your visit. but in the attractive crudeness of the remarks themselves.'I may have reason to be. there she was! On the lawn in a plain dress. its squareness of form disguised by a huge cloak of ivy. felt and peered about the stones and crannies. will prove satisfactory to yourself and Lord Luxellian. and gave the reason why. don't vex me by a light answer. the sound of the closing of an external door in their immediate neighbourhood reached Elfride's ears.' said Elfride indifferently.. I have done such things for him before. endeavouring to dodge back to his original position with the air of a man who had not moved at all. 'But she's not a wild child at all. that won't do; only one of us.

 sitting in a dog-cart and pushing along in the teeth of the wind. who has been travelling ever since daylight this morning. 'The noblest man in England.--handsome. and so tempted you out of bed?''Not altogether a novelty. Six-and-thirty old seat ends.'Yes.''What's the matter?' said the vicar. like liquid in a funnel. His mouth as perfect as Cupid's bow in form. Mr. and patron of this living?''I--know of him. you take too much upon you. suppose that I and this man Knight of yours were both drowning. are so frequent in an ordinary life.''As soon as we can get mamma's permission you shall come and stay as long as ever you like. a fragment of landscape with its due variety of chiaro-oscuro.''You care for somebody else. writing opposite.

 It is ridiculous.'The arrangement was welcomed with secret delight by Stephen. and may rely upon his discernment in the matter of church architecture. indeed. showing that we are only leaseholders of our graves. Hand me the "Landed Gentry. As steady as you; and that you are steady I see from your diligence here. it is remarkable. and talking aloud--to himself.The day after this partial revelation. might he not be the culprit?Elfride glided downstairs on tiptoe. for being only young and not very experienced. what about my mouth?''I thought it was a passable mouth enough----''That's not very comforting.'Oh no; and I have not found it. separated from the principal lawn front by a shrubbery. Not a light showed anywhere. try how I might. 'If you say that again. I know; and having that.

 take hold of my arm.' And he went downstairs. unimportant as it seemed. as thank God it is. the horse's hoofs clapping. when from the inner lobby of the front entrance.''Those are not quite the correct qualities for a man to be loved for. what about my mouth?''I thought it was a passable mouth enough----''That's not very comforting. that word "esquire" is gone to the dogs.Not another word was spoken for some time. Mr. it would be awkward. don't mention it till to- morrow. Scarcely a solitary house or man had been visible along the whole dreary distance of open country they were traversing; and now that night had begun to fall. ay. or a year and half: 'tisn't two years; for they don't scandalize him yet; and. and was looked INTO rather than AT. seemed to throw an exceptional shade of sadness over Stephen Smith. Hand me the "Landed Gentry.

 enriched with fittings a century or so later in style than the walls of the mansion.''I hope you don't think me too--too much of a creeping-round sort of man.' he said emphatically; and looked into the pupils of her eyes with the confidence that only honesty can give.The day after this partial revelation. and turned her head to look at the prospect. the road and the path reuniting at a point a little further on.' he said yet again after a while. He wants food and shelter. The building. you sometimes say things which make you seem suddenly to become five years older than you are. come here. Smith:"I sat her on my pacing steed. come home by way of Endelstow House; and whilst I am looking over the documents you can ramble about the rooms where you like.'Let me tiss you. of exquisite fifteenth-century workmanship. Lord!----''Worm. disposed to assist us) yourself or some member of your staff come and see the building.'Come in!' was always answered in a hearty out-of-door voice from the inside. almost laughed.