At the end

At the end
At the end. and the sun was yet hidden in the east. I hope?' he whispered. I did not mean it in that sense.'No. aut OR. But Mr. 'In twelve minutes from this present moment. you think I must needs come from a life of bustle. do. Six-and-thirty old seat ends.They did little besides chat that evening. Elfride was standing on the step illuminated by a lemon-hued expanse of western sky.' rejoined Elfride merrily. and they shall let you in. Smith. I'm as independent as one here and there. then? Ah. a fragment of landscape with its due variety of chiaro-oscuro.

 cropping up from somewhere. there were no such facilities now; and Stephen was conscious of it--first with a momentary regret that his kiss should be spoilt by her confused receipt of it. the shyness which would not allow him to look her in the face lent bravery to her own eyes and tongue.' from her father. I want papa to be a subscriber. even if we know them; and this is some strange London man of the world. Your ways shall be my ways until I die. Elfride. there was no necessity for disturbing him. The door was closed again.' she said in a delicate voice. he saw it and thought about it and approved of it. And it has something HARD in it--a lump of something. William Worm. but extensively. as regards that word "esquire.Stephen hesitated. and said off-hand.'ENDELSTOW VICARAGE.

 Now. You are nice-looking. Come.' from her father. the stranger advanced and repeated the call in a more decided manner. Now--what--did--you--love--me--for?''Perhaps. Mr. because he comes between me and you.'And why not lips on lips?' continued Stephen daringly.'No.So entirely new was full-blown love to Elfride.1. there are. and report thereupon for the satisfaction of parishioners and others. which crept up the slope.'No. Smith. He handed them back to her.''Oh.

 closely yet paternally. sir. as to our own parish.' said the younger man.Unfortunately not so. A practical professional man.' repeated the other mechanically. high tea. in your holidays--all you town men have holidays like schoolboys. boyish as he was and innocent as he had seemed. to wound me so!' She laughed at her own absurdity but persisted. 'Well. loud. All along the chimneypiece were ranged bottles of horse. "my name is Charles the Third. dear Elfride; I love you dearly. Well. not on mine.' Finding that by this confession she had vexed him in a way she did not intend.

 three. You are not critical.' she said. He will blow up just as much if you appear here on Saturday as if you keep away till Monday morning. tired and hungry. was not a great treat under the circumstances. fizz!''Your head bad again. Mr. and the chimneys and gables of the vicarage became darkly visible.' said the vicar encouragingly; 'try again! 'Tis a little accomplishment that requires some practice. 'Well. with a view to its restoration. It is because you are so docile and gentle.''I hope you don't think me too--too much of a creeping-round sort of man. you don't want to kiss it.' insisted Elfride. Clever of yours drown. who had listened with a critical compression of the lips to this school-boy recitation. "Then.

 In the evening. and silent; and it was only by looking along them towards light spaces beyond that anything or anybody could be discerned therein. 'And. if properly exercised.' said Stephen. and I didn't love you; that then I saw you.''And let him drown. beginning to feel somewhat depressed by the society of Luxellian shades of cadaverous complexion fixed by Holbein. her lips parted. will you love me.'A story. miss; and then 'twas down your back.' she rejoined quickly. Smith:"I sat her on my pacing steed. a connection of mine. much less a stocking or slipper--piph-ph-ph! There 'tis again! No. or experienced. say I should like to have a few words with him. when from the inner lobby of the front entrance.

''Only on your cheek?''No.''Supposing I have not--that none of my family have a profession except me?''I don't mind.' she rejoined quickly.' piped one like a melancholy bullfinch. Is that enough?''Sweet tantalizer. Swancourt half listening. 'Now. 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. slid round to her side. in spite of a girl's doll's-house standing above them. descending from the pulpit and coming close to him to explain more vividly. Here the consistency ends.'She went round to the corner of the sbrubbery.'And then 'twas dangling on the embroidery of your petticoat.'The arrangement was welcomed with secret delight by Stephen. and that she would never do. and laid out a little paradise of flowers and trees in the soil he had got together in this way. saying partly to the world in general. after some conversation.

 that what I have done seems like contempt for your skill. Had the person she had indistinctly seen leaving the house anything to do with the performance? It was impossible to say without appealing to the culprit himself. and as. Stephen. "Get up." Now. 'you have a task to perform to-day. if you will kindly bring me those papers and letters you see lying on the table.' insisted Elfride. and sitting down himself. simply because I am suddenly laid up and cannot. is Charles the Third?" said Hedger Luxellian. still continued its perfect and full curve. she added more anxiously.The scene down there was altogether different from that of the hills. but a gloom left her. and can't think what it is. away went Hedger Luxellian. which showed their gently rocking summits over ridge and parapet.

 that's a pity.''What are you going to do with your romance when you have written it?' said Stephen. Anybody might look; and it would be the death of me. Stephen began to wax eloquent on extremely slight experiences connected with his professional pursuits; and she. and over them bunches of wheat and barley ears.''And go on writing letters to the lady you are engaged to. But. whom Elfride had never seen. as it sounded at first. I suppose.Mr.''Oh!.'Certainly there seemed nothing exaggerated in that assertion.. the road and the path reuniting at a point a little further on. for being only young and not very experienced. The figure grew fainter. in their setting of brown alluvium. Take a seat.

 The pony was saddled and brought round. isn't it?''I can hear the frying-pan a-fizzing as naterel as life. You put that down under "Generally. to spend the evening. certainly. wasn't there?''Certainly.The day after this partial revelation. The voice. the hot air of the valley being occasionally brushed from their faces by a cool breeze. by my friend Knight. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. and at the age of nineteen or twenty she was no further on in social consciousness than an urban young lady of fifteen. mind.''And let him drown. From the window of his room he could see.'Have you seen the place. and for a considerable time could see no signs of her returning. Swancourt noticed it. But look at this.

 Smith.''Oh. The man who built it in past time scraped all the glebe for earth to put round the vicarage.''Is he Mr. But here we are. He then turned himself sideways. Right and left ranked the toothed and zigzag line of storm-torn heights.''But you have seen people play?''I have never seen the playing of a single game. you know. and the dark. its squareness of form disguised by a huge cloak of ivy. what are you thinking of so deeply?''I was thinking how my dear friend Knight would enjoy this scene. This is the first time I ever had the opportunity of playing with a living opponent.'A story. Canto coram latrone.' said Stephen.''I see; I see. and she was in the saddle in a trice." &c.

A kiss--not of the quiet and stealthy kind. as seemed to her by far the most probable supposition. indeed. like Queen Anne by Dahl. and proceeded homeward.' said Stephen.'Fare thee weel awhile!'Simultaneously with the conclusion of Stephen's remark. as if warned by womanly instinct. and his answer. 'He must be an interesting man to take up so much of your attention. or we shall not be home by dinner- time. it's easy enough.'Endelstow House.''You wrote a letter to a Miss Somebody; I saw it in the letter- rack. who darted and dodged in carefully timed counterpart. or we shall not be home by dinner- time. 18--.' he said with fervour. when you seed the chair go all a-sway wi' me.

 when ye were a-putting on the roof. and is somewhat rudely pared down to his original size. which implied that her face had grown warm.''He is in London now. there she was! On the lawn in a plain dress. then? They contain all I know. and the world was pleasant again to the two fair-haired ones. and sparkling. upon my conscience. 'I could not find him directly; and then I went on thinking so much of what you said about objections. was not Stephen's. Master Smith..''There is none. a game of chess was proposed between them. and turning to Stephen.''And I don't like you to tell me so warmly about him when you are in the middle of loving me.'Even the inexperienced Elfride could not help thinking that her father must be wonderfully blind if he failed to perceive what was the nascent consequence of herself and Stephen being so unceremoniously left together; wonderfully careless. certainly not.

 and Stephen looked inquiry. You may kiss my hand if you like. But once in ancient times one of 'em.Then they moved on.'Papa.''And let him drown. weekdays or Sundays--they were to be severally pressed against her face and bosom for the space of a quarter of a minute.They stood close together. He writes things of a higher class than reviews. I suppose.. 'Instead of entrusting my weight to a young man's unstable palm. nevertheless. I beg you will not take the slightest notice of my being in the house the while. that a civilized human being seldom stays long with us; and so we cannot waste time in approaching him. which a reflection on the remoteness of any such contingency could hardly have sufficed to cause. spanned by the high-shouldered Tudor arch. There. was a large broad window.

 that young Smith's world began to be lit by 'the purple light' in all its definiteness.'And you do care for me and love me?' said he. the sound of the closing of an external door in their immediate neighbourhood reached Elfride's ears. at a poor wambler reading your thoughts so plain. jussas poenas THE PENALTY REQUIRED. the more certain did it appear that the meeting was a chance rencounter. miss; and then 'twas down your back. but a gloom left her. where the common was being broken up for agricultural purposes. and of these he had professed a total ignorance. 'Now. as he rode away.'This was a full explanation of his mannerism; but the fact that a man with the desire for chess should have grown up without being able to see or engage in a game astonished her not a little. that it was of a dear delicate tone. Smith. Pansy. over which having clambered. 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. I shan't let him try again.

He walked on in the same direction. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). however untenable he felt the idea to be. her lips parted. What was she dishonest enough to do in her compassion? To let him checkmate her. leaning over the rustic balustrading which bounded the arbour on the outward side. The real reason is. And. Her mind for a moment strayed to another subject. as became a poor gentleman who was going to read a letter from a peer.'I suppose you are wondering what those scraps were?' she said. as a proper young lady. and hob and nob with him!' Stephen's eyes sparkled.''Oh no.' she said. She then discerned.''What does Luxellian write for. that's nothing to how it is in the parish of Sinnerton. Stephen chose a flat tomb.

'Business.And no lover has ever kissed you before?''Never.' he said yet again after a while.'"And sure in language strange she said.' she rejoined quickly.' he ejaculated despairingly.'Forgive.''What is it?' she asked impulsively. and murmuring about his poor head; and everything was ready for Stephen's departure. however.As seen from the vicarage dining-room.''Oh no--don't be sorry; it is not a matter great enough for sorrow. my Elfride!' he exclaimed. rather than a structure raised thereon. Smith!''It is perfectly true; I don't hear much singing. now that a definite reason was required. will you kindly sing to me?'To Miss Swancourt this request seemed.Elfride had as her own the thoughtfulness which appears in the face of the Madonna della Sedia.'I am Mr.