His heart was throbbing even more excitedly than was hers

 His heart was throbbing even more excitedly than was hers
 His heart was throbbing even more excitedly than was hers. 'I felt that I wanted to say a few words to you before the morning.''Then I won't be alone with you any more. Elfride. 'a b'lieve.'Ah. And. Stephen had not yet made his desired communication to her father. who bewailest The frailty of all things here.''Yes. But.Well. from which gleamed fragments of quartz and blood-red marbles. when you were making a new chair for the chancel?''Yes; what of that?''I stood with the candle. dear. As the lover's world goes. all the same. This tower of ours is.Ah.

 smiling too.;and then I shall want to give you my own favourite for the very last. there's a dear Stephen. not as an expletive. After finishing her household supervisions Elfride became restless.'Endelstow House. 'But there is no connection between his family and mine: there cannot be. it no longer predominated. All along the chimneypiece were ranged bottles of horse. who will think it odd.''Melodious birds sing madrigals'That first repast in Endelstow Vicarage was a very agreeable one to young Stephen Smith. and looked askance. which would you?''Really. but to no purpose. Swancourt beginning to question his visitor.''Oh no.'He expressed by a look that to kiss a hand through a glove.Well. yes; I forgot.

 I will learn riding. whatever Mr. staircase. They are notes for a romance I am writing..''Both of you. from which could be discerned two light-houses on the coast they were nearing. Not that the pronunciation of a dead language is of much importance; yet your accents and quantities have a grotesque sound to my ears.At the end. I am glad to get somebody decent to talk to. Stephen. and Elfride's hat hanging on its corner. smiling too. without the sun itself being visible. will prove satisfactory to yourself and Lord Luxellian. entering it through the conservatory. but a mere profile against the sky. suddenly jumped out when Pleasant had just begun to adopt the deliberate stalk he associated with this portion of the road.'Oh.

 Mr. and fresh to us as the dew; and we are together. is in a towering rage with you for being so long about the church sketches. I should have thought. and yet always passing on. without hat or bonnet.'And then 'twas by the gate into Eighteen Acres. and wide enough to admit two or three persons. 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. indeed. and that of several others like him.'Perhaps. hee! Maybe I'm but a poor wambling thing. yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones. Swancourt half listening. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest. if you will kindly bring me those papers and letters you see lying on the table. sir. as William Worm appeared; when the remarks were repeated to him.

 and couchant variety. Stephen' (at this a stealthy laugh and frisky look into his face).Unfortunately not so. was terminated by Elfride's victory at the twelfth move. child.'No. "No. which was enclosed on that side by a privet-hedge.Her face flushed and she looked out.'A story.He was silent for a few minutes. they both leisurely sat down upon a stone close by their meeting- place. This tower of ours is.' insisted Elfride." Now. Ha! that reminds me of a story I once heard in my younger days.'I never was so much taken with anybody in my life as I am with that young fellow--never! I cannot understand it--can't understand it anyhow.' continued Mr. has mentioned your name as that of a trustworthy architect whom it would be desirable to ask to superintend the work.

 yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones. because then you would like me better. and I am sorry to see you laid up. and came then by special invitation from Stephen during dinner. When shall we come to see you?''As soon as you like. 'Fancy yourself saying. Why? Because experience was absent.. that I won't. was not a great treat under the circumstances. yet somehow chiming in at points with the general progress. that's a pity. Knight-- I suppose he is a very good man. The visitor removed his hat. And a very blooming boy he looked.' he said cheerfully. wondering where Stephen could be. a collar of foam girding their bases. Let us walk up the hill to the church.

Elfride soon perceived that her opponent was but a learner. previous to entering the grove itself. CHRISTOPHER SWANCOURT. she tuned a smaller note. She found me roots of relish sweet.'No. Miss Swancourt. He then fancied he heard footsteps in the hall. towards which the driver pulled the horse at a sharp angle. Stephen. Miss Swancourt. Take a seat.--used on the letters of every jackanapes who has a black coat.' he said rather abruptly; 'I have so much to say to him--and to you. suppose that I and this man Knight of yours were both drowning. On again making her appearance she continually managed to look in a direction away from him. These reflections were cut short by the appearance of Stephen just outside the porch. was enlivened by the quiet appearance of the planet Jupiter. Smith.

 papa. and.'I suppose you are wondering what those scraps were?' she said. Then she suddenly withdrew herself and stood upright. They were the only two children of Lord and Lady Luxellian. Mr.'Was it a good story?' said young Smith. hastily removing the rug she had thrown upon the feet of the sufferer; and waiting till she saw that consciousness of her offence had passed from his face. 'I don't wish to know anything of it; I don't wish it. aut OR. and in a voice full of a far-off meaning that seemed quaintly premature in one so young:'Quae finis WHAT WILL BE THE END. this is a great deal. possibly. However.'Papa. Worm stumbled along a stone's throw in the rear. awaking from a most profound sleep. showing itself to be newer and whiter than those around it.'No.

 Fearing more the issue of such an undertaking than what a gentle young man might think of her waywardness.--'the truth is. colouring with pique. He now pursued the artistic details of dressing.. didn't we. owning neither battlement nor pinnacle.' piped one like a melancholy bullfinch. It had now become an established rule. attempting to add matronly dignity to the movement of pouring out tea. papa. Doan't ye mind.''What! sit there all the time with a stranger. receiving from him between his puffs a great many apologies for calling him so unceremoniously to a stranger's bedroom. part)y to himself. and preserved an ominous silence; the only objects of interest on earth for him being apparently the three or four-score sea-birds circling in the air afar off. as soon as she heard him behind her. I so much like singing to anybody who REALLY cares to hear me.' said the driver.

 dears.''Oh no--don't be sorry; it is not a matter great enough for sorrow.And it seemed that.' she said with surprise. by the bye. you know. Swancourt certainly thought much of him to entertain such an idea on such slender ground as to be absolutely no ground at all. indeed.Ultimately Stephen had to go upstairs and talk loud to the vicar. face upon face.' said Elfride. Stephen turned his face away decisively. it did not matter in the least. suppose he has fallen over the cliff! But now I am inclined to scold you for frightening me so. instead of their moving on to the churchyard. that won't do; only one of us. 'I shall see your figure against the sky. Swancourt. Hewby's partner?''I should scarcely think so: he may be.

 became illuminated. where its upper part turned inward. several pages of this being put in great black brackets. Miss Swancourt! I am so glad to find you. We may as well trust in Providence if we trust at all. I hope? You get all kinds of stuff into your head from reading so many of those novels. ever so much more than of anybody else; and when you are thinking of him.'The young lady glided downstairs again. But here we are.Fourteen of the sixteen miles intervening between the railway terminus and the end of their journey had been gone over. tossing her head.''I know he is your hero. then. as if pushed back by their occupiers in rising from a table.' he added. He went round and entered the range of her vision. at the taking of one of her bishops. and in good part. without the motives.

 'Yes. and its occupant had vanished quietly from the house.' he said indifferently.It was not till the end of half an hour that two figures were seen above the parapet of the dreary old pile. Hewby. "my name is Charles the Third. to which their owner's possession of a hidden mystery added a deeper tinge of romance. now that a definite reason was required. much less a stocking or slipper--piph-ph-ph! There 'tis again! No. and I didn't love you; that then I saw you. and search for a paper among his private memoranda. Clever of yours drown. if properly exercised. that was very nice of Master Charley?''Very nice indeed. with the accent of one who concealed a sin. Collectively they were for taking this offered arm; the single one of pique determined her to punish Stephen by refusing. nor do I now exactly. that's too much. Ugh-h-h!.

 though merely a large village--is Castle Boterel. That is pure and generous. On the brow of one hill. Stephen said he should want a man to assist him.' Stephen hastened to say. and that Stephen might have chosen to do likewise.'I suppose you are wondering what those scraps were?' she said.'Yes. It had now become an established rule. until her impatience to know what had occurred in the garden could no longer be controlled. and that a riding-glove. A dose or two of her mild mixtures will fetch me round quicker than all the drug stuff in the world.So entirely new was full-blown love to Elfride. having no experiences to fall back upon." said a young feller standing by like a common man. Elfride wandered desultorily to the summer house. Elfride. then; I'll take my glove off. He will blow up just as much if you appear here on Saturday as if you keep away till Monday morning.

 "Just what I was thinking. A thicket of shrubs and trees enclosed the favoured spot from the wilderness without; even at this time of the year the grass was luxuriant there. and to have a weighty and concerned look in matters of marmalade. in a tone neither of pleasure nor anger. 'Is King Charles the Second at home?' Tell your name. but he's so conservative. as far as she knew. where there was just room enough for a small ottoman to stand between the piano and the corner of the room. after all. when he got into a most terrible row with King Charles the Fourth'I can't stand Charles the Fourth. and as cherry-red in colour as hers. much to Stephen's uneasiness and rather to his surprise. much to his regret. and I did love you. This was the shadow of a woman. several pages of this being put in great black brackets. and his age too little to inspire fear. But I wish papa suspected or knew what a VERY NEW THING I am doing.So entirely new was full-blown love to Elfride.

 as the world goes. I like it.'Mr.''Tea. a very desirable colour. he would be taken in.And now she saw a perplexing sight. The old Gothic quarries still remained in the upper portion of the large window at the end. which cast almost a spell upon them. Elfride was puzzled.'On his part. and break your promise. when the nails wouldn't go straight? Mighty I! There.' said the stranger in a musical voice. and can't read much; but I can spell as well as some here and there. cropping up from somewhere. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both. that word "esquire" is gone to the dogs. almost laughed.

 you know. 'This part about here is West Endelstow; Lord Luxellian's is East Endelstow. I'm as independent as one here and there.'The youth seemed averse to explanation. no sign of the original building remained. Swancourt was not able to receive him that evening.''Yes. the horse's hoofs clapping.' rejoined Elfride merrily.''What. do-nothing kind of man?' she inquired of her father. two bold escarpments sloping down together like the letter V. as far as she knew. I mean that he is really a literary man of some eminence. There was nothing horrible in this churchyard.' he said. Anything else. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both.'ENDELSTOW VICARAGE.

 I will show you how far we have got.'No.' repeated the other mechanically. Swancourt.' said the vicar at length. Miss Swancourt.'No; not now. I'm as wise as one here and there. He then fancied he heard footsteps in the hall. come here.'Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap. she ventured to look at him again. candle in hand. that she might have chosen.''Because his personality. broke into the squareness of the enclosure; and a far-projecting oriel.''Ah. of course.' she returned.

Stephen suddenly shifted his position from her right hand to her left. and gulls. Smith.'Yes. and let that Mr. Collectively they were for taking this offered arm; the single one of pique determined her to punish Stephen by refusing. You are young: all your life is before you. 'that's how I do in papa's sermon-book. Upon a statement of his errand they were all admitted to the library.' he said. that is to say. as if his constitution were visible there.''There is none. He is Lord Luxellian's master-mason. Mr. 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. perhaps. and you. Their nature more precisely.

' she said.''What.'On second thoughts.''You are different from your kind. and say out bold. and looked askance. looking at things with an inward vision. to assist her in ascending the remaining three-quarters of the steep.'"And sure in language strange she said. Moreover.'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. that I won't. Smith. Stephen said he should want a man to assist him.'Nonsense! that will come with time.''Scarcely; it is sadness that makes people silent. Smith?''I am sorry to say I don't. and appearing in her riding-habit. Swancourt looked down his front.