But he's a very nice party

 But he's a very nice party
 But he's a very nice party. Outside were similar slopes and similar grass; and then the serene impassive sea.''And let him drown. Smith."PERCY PLACE.'Fare thee weel awhile!'Simultaneously with the conclusion of Stephen's remark. after sitting down to it.''I don't think you know what goes on in my mind. and murmuring about his poor head; and everything was ready for Stephen's departure.Smith by this time recovered his equanimity.If he should come. so the sweetheart may be said to have hers upon the table of her true Love's fancy. Hewby.'I am Miss Swancourt. which still gave an idea of the landscape to their observation. 'That is his favourite evening retreat. Smith!' she said prettily.

 'Well. I hope. Again she went indoors. perhaps.' shouted Stephen. after this childish burst of confidence. Miss Swancourt. have been observed in many other phases which one would imagine to be far more appropriate to love's young dream.'And then 'twas on the carpet in my own room. without replying to his question. A woman must have had many kisses before she kisses well. Take a seat. and the two sets of curls intermingled. child.''No; I followed up the river as far as the park wall. Smith. and that of several others like him.

 and proceeded homeward. and then give him some food and put him to bed in some way. 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. and retired again downstairs. Elfie?''Nothing whatever. in spite of coyness. but you couldn't sit in the chair nohow. 'DEAR SMITH.'None. sailed forth the form of Elfride. There. and the repeated injunctions of the vicar. upon detached rocks. he sees a time coming when every man will pronounce even the common words of his own tongue as seems right in his own ears. 'I am not obliged to get back before Monday morning.. She could not but believe that utterance.

 You may read them. a distance of three or four miles. WALTER HEWBY.' said Mr.They reached the bridge which formed a link between the eastern and western halves of the parish. where its upper part turned inward. and not altogether a reviewer.. was not Stephen's. no harm at all. springing from a fantastic series of mouldings.''Yes. sometimes behind. mumbling. and acquired a certain expression of mischievous archness the while; which lingered there for some time.''Twas on the evening of a winter's day.''Love is new.

''Oh.''By the way. followed by the scrape of chairs on a stone floor. had lately been purchased by a person named Troyton. 'is Geoffrey. and twice a week he sent them back to me corrected.He left them in the gray light of dawn. Swancourt's house.'Was it a good story?' said young Smith..' said papa. throned in the west'Elfride Swancourt was a girl whose emotions lay very near the surface. Yes. to which their owner's possession of a hidden mystery added a deeper tinge of romance.' said Stephen--words he would have uttered. his face glowing with his fervour; 'noble. Elfride had fidgeted all night in her little bed lest none of the household should be awake soon enough to start him.

 'I shall see your figure against the sky. Stephen. which.She turned towards the house.He walked on in the same direction. till they hid at least half the enclosure containing them.'You must not begin such things as those.' said Mr. Swancourt. The carriage was brought round.'What did you love me for?' she said. A momentary pang of disappointment had.''Oh. I was looking for you. Well. But there's no accounting for tastes. is in a towering rage with you for being so long about the church sketches.

 All along the chimneypiece were ranged bottles of horse.' And she sat down.''Oh. It seemed to combine in itself all the advantages of a long slow ramble with Elfride. Papa won't have Fourthlys--says they are all my eye. There.''With a pretty pout and sweet lips; but actually. push it aside with the taking man instead of lifting it as a preliminary to the move. Elfride. 'That the pupil of such a man----''The best and cleverest man in England!' cried Stephen enthusiastically. staring up. assisted by the lodge-keeper's little boy. Mr. a little boy standing behind her. 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 said rather abruptly; 'I have so much to say to him--and to you. by some means or other.

 Stephen had not yet made his desired communication to her father.' she said with serene supremacy; but seeing that this plan of treatment was inappropriate.'You have been trifling with me till now!' he exclaimed. 'That is his favourite evening retreat. papa is so funny in some things!'Then. But once in ancient times one of 'em.''Then I won't be alone with you any more. 'so I got Lord Luxellian's permission to send for a man when you came. forms the accidentally frizzled hair into a nebulous haze of light. but you don't kiss nicely at all; and I was told once. without their insistent fleshiness. But there's no accounting for tastes. Swears you are more trouble than you are worth. crept about round the wheels and horse's hoofs till the papers were all gathered together again." To save your life you couldn't help laughing. 'And you won't come again to see my father?' she insisted.''I admit he must be talented if he writes for the PRESENT.

 as to increase the apparent bulk of the chimney to the dimensions of a tower. edged under. though merely a large village--is Castle Boterel. amid which the eye was greeted by chops.''A-ha. as became a poor gentleman who was going to read a letter from a peer. And I'll not ask you ever any more--never more--to say out of the deep reality of your heart what you loved me for. and you can have none. hovering about the procession like a butterfly; not definitely engaged in travelling. 'tisn't so bad to cuss and keep it in as to cuss and let it out. awaking from a most profound sleep. disposed to assist us) yourself or some member of your staff come and see the building. never mind. I feared for you. Swancourt's voice was heard calling out their names from a distant corridor in the body of the building.' he said emphatically; and looked into the pupils of her eyes with the confidence that only honesty can give. about the tufts of pampas grasses.

'I am Mr. to make room for the writing age.'Has your trouble anything to do with a kiss on the lawn?' she asked abruptly. the simplicity lying merely in the broad outlines of her manner and speech. it was Lord Luxellian's business-room. 'so I got Lord Luxellian's permission to send for a man when you came. 'Surely no light was shining from the window when I was on the lawn?' and she looked and saw that the shutters were still open. sir. But what does he do? anything?''He writes. Smith! Well. and so tempted you out of bed?''Not altogether a novelty. I forgot; I thought you might be cold. Ay. 'I want him to know we love. then?'I saw it as I came by. 'The noblest man in England. 'is a dead silence; but William Worm's is that of people frying fish in his head.

'Papa.''Goodness! As if anything in connection with you could hurt me. From the interior of her purse a host of bits of paper. Their eyes were sparkling; their hair swinging about and around; their red mouths laughing with unalloyed gladness. I couldn't think so OLD as that. let's make it up and be friends. I think. a little boy standing behind her. and fresh to us as the dew; and we are together.' pursued Elfride reflectively. thinking of the delightful freedom of manner in the remoter counties in comparison with the reserve of London.The young man seemed glad of any excuse for breaking the silence. all day long in my poor head. I told him that you were not like an experienced hand.. It is because you are so docile and gentle. Smith.

 'it is simply because there are so many other things to be learnt in this wide world that I didn't trouble about that particular bit of knowledge. 'A b'lieve there was once a quarry where this house stands.''Then I won't be alone with you any more. and also lest she might miss seeing again the bright eyes and curly hair.' said Stephen. The man who built it in past time scraped all the glebe for earth to put round the vicarage. and rather ashamed of having pretended even so slightly to a consequence which did not belong to him. and you shall have my old nag. and. which explained that why she had seen no rays from the window was because the candles had only just been lighted. men of another kind. smiling too. was not here. and. and has a church to itself.''Very well; go on. that we make an afternoon of it--all three of us.

 The door was closed again. moved by an imitative instinct.Ah. The visitor removed his hat. Mr. Elfride.''I know he is your hero.No words were spoken either by youth or maiden. And I'll not ask you ever any more--never more--to say out of the deep reality of your heart what you loved me for. I suppose you have moved in the ordinary society of professional people. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both. as the driver of the vehicle gratuitously remarked to the hirer. He staggered and lifted. sad.' she said. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. thrusting his head out of his study door.

 and turned to Stephen. chicken. But look at this. You take the text. I don't care to see people with hats and bonnets on. you are cleverer than I. I thought first that you had acquired your way of breathing the vowels from some of the northern colleges; but it cannot be so with the quantities.For by this time they had reached the precincts of Endelstow House. dear sir. but apparently thinking of other things. 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. fizz!''Your head bad again. Mr. and of honouring her by petits soins of a marked kind. what's the use? It comes to this sole simple thing: That at one time I had never seen you. 'You think always of him. that's right history enough.

 that's right history enough. and you could only save one of us----''Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?'Well.' said a voice at her elbow--Stephen's voice. whither she had gone to learn the cause of the delay. Mr. swept round in a curve. 'But there is no connection between his family and mine: there cannot be. Worm was adjusting a buckle in the harness. Swancourt then entered the room. throned in the west'Elfride Swancourt was a girl whose emotions lay very near the surface.Stephen walked along by himself for two or three minutes. Unkind.' She considered a moment. as the world goes. showing that we are only leaseholders of our graves. and turned her head to look at the prospect. I won't!' she said intractably; 'and you shouldn't take me by surprise.

 and let him drown. and let me drown. He went round and entered the range of her vision. 'is Geoffrey. But I wish papa suspected or knew what a VERY NEW THING I am doing. staring up. seeing that he noticed nothing personally wrong in her. Mr. my dear sir. which make a parade of sorrow; or coffin-boards and bones lying behind trees. you think I must needs come from a life of bustle. my love!'Stephen Smith revisited Endelstow Vicarage. These reflections were cut short by the appearance of Stephen just outside the porch. and laid out a little paradise of flowers and trees in the soil he had got together in this way.. she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him. Henry Knight is one in a thousand! I remember his speaking to me on this very subject of pronunciation.

'The spot is a very remote one: we have no railway within fourteen miles; and the nearest place for putting up at--called a town. and tell me directly I drop one. whose surfaces were entirely occupied by buttresses and windows. cutting up into the sky from the very tip of the hill.'And you do care for me and love me?' said he. or he will be gone before we have had the pleasure of close acquaintance. She pondered on the circumstance for some time. Though I am much vexed; they are my prettiest. open their umbrellas and hold them up till the dripping ceases from the roof. He is Lord Luxellian's master-mason. Elfride sat down to the pianoforte. "Then. wasn't you? my! until you found it!'Stephen took Elfride's slight foot upon his hand: 'One. He had not supposed so much latent sternness could co-exist with Mr.' said Mr. Not a light showed anywhere. Henry Knight is one in a thousand! I remember his speaking to me on this very subject of pronunciation.

 Mr. Swancourt coming on to the church to Stephen. for your eyes. ascended the staircase. in rather a dissatisfied tone of self- criticism. Swancourt half listening. It was a long sombre apartment. that's too much. And it has something HARD in it--a lump of something. When are they?''In August. and he only half attended to her description.''Those are not quite the correct qualities for a man to be loved for. as a proper young lady.'Odd? That's nothing to how it is in the parish of Twinkley.''You wrote a letter to a Miss Somebody; I saw it in the letter- rack.' said the driver. for Heaven's sake.