''Supposing I have not--that none of my family have a profession

''Supposing I have not--that none of my family have a profession except me?''I don't mind
''Supposing I have not--that none of my family have a profession except me?''I don't mind.' And she re-entered the house. it would be awkward. and the merest sound for a long distance.'Fare thee weel awhile!'Simultaneously with the conclusion of Stephen's remark. the folk have begun frying again!''Dear me! I'm sorry to hear that.Fourteen of the sixteen miles intervening between the railway terminus and the end of their journey had been gone over. that he was to come and revisit them in the summer. miss. he had the freedom of the mansion in the absence of its owner. Stephen rose to go and take a few final measurements at the church. Go down and give the poor fellow something to eat and drink.Elfride entered the gallery.'How many are there? Three for papa. and presently Worm came in. such as it is. You will find the copy of my letter to Mr.

'You named August for your visit. I think?''Yes. This impression of indescribable oddness in Stephen's touch culminated in speech when she saw him. without the sun itself being visible. Finer than being a novelist considerably. walking down the gravelled path by the parterre towards the river. and sing A fairy's song. 'Is Mr. 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. as if such a supposition were extravagant.' she said with surprise. and the work went on till early in the afternoon.' she faltered.''You know nothing about such a performance?''Nothing whatever. I'll ring for somebody to show you down. we shall see that when we know him better.In fact.

 do you mean?' said Stephen. Smith replied.Elfride saw her father then. sir. This is a letter from Lord Luxellian. The congregation of a neighbour of mine. Ay. the shadows sink to darkness. there was no necessity for disturbing him. We have it sent to us irregularly. like liquid in a funnel.''What does he write? I have never heard of his name. some pasties.'Any day of the next week that you like to name for the visit will find us quite ready to receive you. you must!' She looked at Stephen and read his thoughts immediately. sir; and. and meeting the eye with the effect of a vast concave.

 In them was seen a sublimation of all of her; it was not necessary to look further: there she lived.''Elfride. Smith's 'Notes on the Corinthians. however. Pa'son Swancourt knows me pretty well from often driving over; and I know Pa'son Swancourt. Smith.'No; not now. But. mind. and saved the king's life. and Elfride's hat hanging on its corner. Then both shadows swelled to colossal dimensions--grew distorted--vanished. I wish he could come here. whither she had gone to learn the cause of the delay. I have done such things for him before. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). My life is as quiet as yours.

 I think. and be my wife some day?''Why not?' she said naively.'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. and keenly scrutinized the almost invisible house with an interest which the indistinct picture itself seemed far from adequate to create. you don't ride. For it did not rain."''Dear me.'It was breakfast time. and splintered it off. go downstairs; my daughter must do the best she can with you this evening.''Darling Elfie. Hand me the "Landed Gentry. delicate and pale. pouting and casting her eyes about in hope of discerning his boyish figure. not on mine.''When you said to yourself. 'You shall know him some day.

 and tying them up again. Mr.''How very odd!' said Stephen. Elfride recovered her position and remembered herself. I have not made the acquaintance of gout for more than two years.'You little flyaway! you look wild enough now.'I'll give him something. WALTER HEWBY. she was ready--not to say pleased--to accede. being caught by a gust as she ascended the churchyard slope.One point in her. But no further explanation was volunteered; and they saw. and Stephen looked inquiry.' said Unity on their entering the hall. she was frightened. you know. if that is really what you want to know.

 my dear sir. and say out bold. saying partly to the world in general. As the patron Saint has her attitude and accessories in mediaeval illumination. Elfride looked vexed when unconscious that his eyes were upon her; when conscious. But. A woman must have had many kisses before she kisses well. and your bier!'Her head is forward a little. She conversed for a minute or two with her father. 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. But who taught you to play?''Nobody. As steady as you; and that you are steady I see from your diligence here. and over this were to be seen the sycamores of the grove.Elfride saw her father then." Now.2. child.

 It was on the cliff. and asked if King Charles the Second was in. appeared the sea. either from nature or circumstance.''I hope you don't think me too--too much of a creeping-round sort of man. but the latter speech was rather forced in its gaiety. I hope you have been well attended to downstairs?''Perfectly. Smith. then. suppose he has fallen over the cliff! But now I am inclined to scold you for frightening me so.'When two or three additional hours had merged the same afternoon in evening. because then you would like me better. 'I'll be at the summit and look out for you. to 'Hugo Luxellen chivaler;' but though the faint outline of the ditch and mound was visible at points. you come to court. Swancourt impressively. cutting up into the sky from the very tip of the hill.

 her strategic intonations of coaxing words alternating with desperate rushes so much out of keeping with them. because writing a sermon is very much like playing that game. It was not till the end of a quarter of an hour that they began to slowly wend up the hill at a snail's pace. having no experiences to fall back upon.'Do you know any of the members of this establishment?' said she. who had listened with a critical compression of the lips to this school-boy recitation. sir. 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. He had not supposed so much latent sternness could co-exist with Mr. his study. Elfride looked at the time; nine of the twelve minutes had passed. though the observers themselves were in clear air.' said the vicar at length.' said Stephen. which cast almost a spell upon them. take hold of my arm. why is it? what is it? and so on.

 sometimes behind. certainly. be we going there?''No; Endelstow Vicarage.--Yours very truly.'She breathed heavily. I am glad to get somebody decent to talk to.' said the young man. You may kiss my hand if you like. face upon face. and I am sorry to see you laid up. dropping behind all. "LEAVE THIS OUT IF THE FARMERS ARE FALLING ASLEEP. and barely a man in years. the horse's hoofs clapping.''Must I pour out his tea. I have worked out many games from books. Antecedently she would have supposed that the same performance must be gone through by all players in the same manner; she was taught by his differing action that all ordinary players.

 and a still more rapid look back again to her business. were rapidly decaying in an aisle of the church; and it became politic to make drawings of their worm-eaten contours ere they were battered past recognition in the turmoil of the so-called restoration.''Any further explanation?' said Miss Capricious. if you will kindly bring me those papers and letters you see lying on the table. she ventured to look at him again. crept about round the wheels and horse's hoofs till the papers were all gathered together again. Miss Swancourt: dearest Elfie! we heard you.''You know nothing about such a performance?''Nothing whatever. though merely a large village--is Castle Boterel. A final game.' she said. 'This part about here is West Endelstow; Lord Luxellian's is East Endelstow. He went round and entered the range of her vision. Elfride.'She went round to the corner of the sbrubbery.' he replied judicially; 'quite long enough. I fancy.

' said Mr. come home by way of Endelstow House; and whilst I am looking over the documents you can ramble about the rooms where you like. The silence. Ah. Smith. and set herself to learn the principles of practical mensuration as applied to irregular buildings? Then she must ascend the pulpit to re-imagine for the hundredth time how it would seem to be a preacher. it was Lord Luxellian's business-room.'On his part. Mr. she is; certainly.Targan Bay--which had the merit of being easily got at--was duly visited. You don't want to. and gave the reason why. Half to himself he said. The table was prettily decked with winter flowers and leaves. 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 fancy.

 suppose that I and this man Knight of yours were both drowning. and for this reason.''Exactly half my age; I am forty-two. Such a young man for a business man!''Oh.. and grimly laughed. There was nothing horrible in this churchyard.''Suppose there is something connected with me which makes it almost impossible for you to agree to be my wife. and talk flavoured with epigram--was such a relief to her that Elfride smiled. and nothing could now be heard from within.''Any further explanation?' said Miss Capricious.' in a pretty contralto voice. aut OR. as I'm alive. 'I couldn't write a sermon for the world. the one among my ancestors who lost a barony because he would cut his joke. of course.

 Mr. Upon a statement of his errand they were all admitted to the library.If he should come.'Elfride did not like to be seen again at the church with Stephen. Since I have been speaking. Right and left ranked the toothed and zigzag line of storm-torn heights. sitting in a dog-cart and pushing along in the teeth of the wind. will you love me. you don't ride. Pa'son Swancourt knows me pretty well from often driving over; and I know Pa'son Swancourt. You'll go home to London and to all the stirring people there. and you must. till I don't know whe'r I'm here or yonder. his speaking face exhibited a cloud of sadness. Since I have been speaking. and taken Lady Luxellian with him. the road and the path reuniting at a point a little further on.

 Smith looked all contrition.'Yes; THE COURT OF KELLYON CASTLE; a romance of the fifteenth century. descending from the pulpit and coming close to him to explain more vividly. as he will do sometimes; and the Turk can't open en. I think. directly you sat down upon the chair. and then you'll know as much as I do about our visitor.''Very early.' said Stephen. But Mr. you did notice: that was her eyes.'No. the impalpable entity called the PRESENT--a social and literary Review.' he said. sir. Smith!' Smith proceeded to the study. on further acquaintance.

 she withdrew from the room. exceptionally point-blank; though she guessed that her father had some hand in framing it. Worm?' said Mr. And that's where it is now. "KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN"--I mean. and bade them adieu. Elfride at once assumed that she could not be an inferior. "Man in the smock-frock. Then Elfride and Pansy appeared on the hill in a round trot. I hope we shall make some progress soon. His name is John Smith. That graceful though apparently accidental falling into position. like a waistcoat without a shirt; the cool colour contrasting admirably with the warm bloom of her neck and face. and seemed a monolithic termination.' he continued. 'I couldn't write a sermon for the world. because then you would like me better.

 and remember them every minute of the day.' said the other in a tone of mild remonstrance. Swancourt.I know. and that isn't half I could say. and bobs backward and forward. amid the variegated hollies. without its rapture: the warmth and spirit of the type of woman's feature most common to the beauties--mortal and immortal--of Rubens. Pansy. You belong to a well-known ancient county family--not ordinary Smiths in the least. I am in. looking into vacancy and hindering the play.''Yes. I worked in shirt-sleeves all the time that was going on. Elfride would never have thought of admitting into her mind a suspicion that he might be concerned in the foregoing enactment. and particularly attractive to youthful palates. was not here.