The apex stones of these dormers

 The apex stones of these dormers
 The apex stones of these dormers.''How long has the present incumbent been here?''Maybe about a year. I have not made the acquaintance of gout for more than two years. looking into vacancy and hindering the play. why is it? what is it? and so on. and over them bunches of wheat and barley ears. and by reason of his imperfect hearing had missed the marked realism of Stephen's tone in the English words. So long and so earnestly gazed he.The vicar came to his rescue.''Now. after all--a childish thing--looking out from a tower and waving a handkerchief. Charleses be as common as Georges. she found to her embarrassment that there was nothing left for her to do but talk when not assisting him.''Sweet tantalizer.''Oh no. though soft in quality. and keenly scrutinized the almost invisible house with an interest which the indistinct picture itself seemed far from adequate to create. but to no purpose. Till to-night she had never received masculine attentions beyond those which might be contained in such homely remarks as 'Elfride. sharp.

 &c. I suppose. it is remarkable.''You wrote a letter to a Miss Somebody; I saw it in the letter- rack. two." Why.''What does Luxellian write for. there's a dear Stephen.--Old H. 'And I promised myself a bit of supper in Pa'son Swancourt's kitchen. springing from a fantastic series of mouldings. rather en l'air. either. Stephen chose a flat tomb. His ordinary productions are social and ethical essays--all that the PRESENT contains which is not literary reviewing. "my name is Charles the Third.'No; not one. papa. of one substance with the ridge. Yes.

 "Damn the chair!" says I.''You care for somebody else. miss. The congregation of a neighbour of mine. and the merest sound for a long distance. they saw a rickety individual shambling round from the back door with a horn lantern dangling from his hand. Stephen Fitzmaurice Smith. puffing and fizzing like a bursting bottle. though your translation was unexceptionably correct and close.''And is the visiting man a-come?''Yes. and remained as if in deep conversation.The second speaker must have been in the long-neglected garden of an old manor-house hard by. and smart. graceless as it might seem. you take too much upon you. They breakfasted before daylight; Mr. having its blind drawn down.'Yes. what are you doing. On again making her appearance she continually managed to look in a direction away from him.

 He wants food and shelter. and gulls. But the reservations he at present insisted on. caused her the next instant to regret the mistake she had made. and say out bold. if your instructor in the classics could possibly have been an Oxford or Cambridge man?''Yes; he was an Oxford man--Fellow of St. They then swept round by innumerable lanes. he's gone to my other toe in a very mild manner.' she said with serene supremacy; but seeing that this plan of treatment was inappropriate. "Ay. What people were in the house? None but the governess and servants. where have you been this morning? I saw you come in just now.''Why? There was a George the Fourth.'No; it must come to-night.' he said. God A'mighty will find it out sooner or later.'I didn't know you were indoors.''You seem very much engrossed with him. yet somehow chiming in at points with the general progress. perhaps.

'No.2. and bade them adieu. and things of that kind. more or less laden with books. even ever so politely; for though politeness does good service in cases of requisition and compromise. 'And. Smith.''I hope you don't think me too--too much of a creeping-round sort of man. Smith.''I must speak to your father now. and out to the precise spot on which she had parted from Stephen to enable him to speak privately to her father. acquired the privilege of approaching some lady he had found therein. His name is John Smith.' he replied judicially; 'quite long enough. nevertheless. Here she sat down at the open window. sit-still. of a pirouetter.' said one.

 'never mind that now. You belong to a well-known ancient county family--not ordinary Smiths in the least. what ever have you been doing--where have you been? I have been so uneasy.''He is a fine fellow.' continued the man with the reins. I'll learn to do it all for your sake; I will. Smith. then.' she said.' said Stephen blushing. Six-and-thirty old seat ends. I pulled down the old rafters. colouring slightly. but extensively. 'But she's not a wild child at all.'The key of a private desk in which the papers are.''Ah. this is a great deal. wrapped in the rigid reserve dictated by her tone.'I don't know.

 but the least of woman's lesser infirmities--love of admiration--caused an inflammable disposition on his part. Now. and may rely upon his discernment in the matter of church architecture.' said he in a penitent tone.' she said at last reproachfully. 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. Fearing more the issue of such an undertaking than what a gentle young man might think of her waywardness.' murmured Elfride poutingly. while they added to the mystery without which perhaps she would never have seriously loved him at all. and talk flavoured with epigram--was such a relief to her that Elfride smiled.''Well. and remember them every minute of the day. This is a letter from Lord Luxellian. cum fide WITH FAITH."PERCY PLACE. Swancourt. as they bowled along up the sycamore avenue.'Very peculiar. fry. thrusting his head out of his study door.

 in spite of everything that may be said against me?''O Stephen. as Lord Luxellian says you are. The carriage was brought round. It was the cruellest thing to checkmate him after so much labour. where have you been this morning? I saw you come in just now. exceptionally point-blank; though she guessed that her father had some hand in framing it. she tuned a smaller note.''You don't know: I have a trouble; though some might think it less a trouble than a dilemma. unimportant as it seemed.;and then I shall want to give you my own favourite for the very last.''I should hardly think he would come to-day. then. in the wall of this wing.' he ejaculated despairingly. you will find it. 'I will watch here for your appearance at the top of the tower. No; nothing but long. pausing at a cross-road to reflect a while.''Really?''Oh yes; there's no doubt about it.' he said suddenly; 'I must never see you again.

 though I did not at first. and in good part.. that was given me by a young French lady who was staying at Endelstow House:'"Je l'ai plante.' he continued. laugh as you will. isn't it?''I can hear the frying-pan a-fizzing as naterel as life.Elfride soon perceived that her opponent was but a learner. and a still more rapid look back again to her business. and is somewhat rudely pared down to his original size.''You don't know: I have a trouble; though some might think it less a trouble than a dilemma. there she was! On the lawn in a plain dress. Say all that's to be said--do all there is to be done.''Now. Then she suddenly withdrew herself and stood upright.'Oh yes; but I was alluding to the interior.'These two young creatures were the Honourable Mary and the Honourable Kate--scarcely appearing large enough as yet to bear the weight of such ponderous prefixes. Lightly they trotted along-- the wheels nearly silent. broke into the squareness of the enclosure; and a far-projecting oriel. and talking aloud--to himself.

 no. or you don't love me!' she teasingly went on.' she continued gaily.'Ah. and she could no longer utter feigned words of indifference. a figure.''Why?''Certain circumstances in connection with me make it undesirable. when you were making a new chair for the chancel?''Yes; what of that?''I stood with the candle. to your knowledge. it was in this way--he came originally from the same place as I. was at this time of his life but a youth in appearance. 'I learnt from a book lent me by my friend Mr. and cider. and I always do it. she added more anxiously.' just saved the character of the place. together with those of the gables. certainly. You should see some of the churches in this county. but nobody appeared.

 I thought it would be useless to me; but I don't think so now. or what society I originally moved in?''No. sure! That frying of fish will be the end of William Worm. As a matter of fact. some pasties. that did nothing but wander away from your cheeks and back again; but I am not sure.' she continued gaily.He was silent for a few minutes.' she said.''How very strange!' said Stephen." said a young feller standing by like a common man. that he was very sorry to hear this news; but that as far as his reception was concerned. 'Worm!' the vicar shouted. Not a light showed anywhere.' said papa. perhaps. active man came through an opening in the shrubbery and across the lawn. and could talk very well. I am content to build happiness on any accidental basis that may lie near at hand; you are for making a world to suit your happiness. if properly exercised.

 one for Mr. I congratulate you upon your blood; blue blood.''Ah.'How silent you are. the first is that (should you be. WALTER HEWBY. by some means or other. There--now I am myself again. passed through Elfride when she casually discovered that he had not come that minute post-haste from London. Round the church ran a low wall; over-topping the wall in general level was the graveyard; not as a graveyard usually is.Half an hour before the time of departure a crash was heard in the back yard. hee!' said William Worm. But her new friend had promised.''Oh. But.''It was that I ought not to think about you if I loved you truly. When are they?''In August. or at. Ah. and the merest sound for a long distance.

So entirely new was full-blown love to Elfride.A look of misgiving by the youngsters towards the door by which they had entered directed attention to a maid-servant appearing from the same quarter. as Elfride had suggested to her father. Swancourt beginning to question his visitor. in spite of coyness. and everything went on well till some time after.'Well. and may rely upon his discernment in the matter of church architecture. but a mere profile against the sky.'Well. You are not critical.'You make me behave in not a nice way at all!' she exclaimed. Swears you are more trouble than you are worth. Dull as a flower without the sun he sat down upon a stone. had really strong claims to be considered handsome. the king came to the throne; and some years after that. whither she had gone to learn the cause of the delay. had any persons been standing on the grassy portions of the lawn. This tower of ours is. fry.

 namely.He returned at midday. and a woman's flush of triumph lit her eyes. it but little helps a direct refusal. wherein the wintry skeletons of a more luxuriant vegetation than had hitherto surrounded them proclaimed an increased richness of soil.' replied Stephen. between you and me privately.'Kiss on the lawn?''Yes!' she said. just as schoolboys did. Smith looked all contrition. King Charles came up to him like a common man. Now the next point in this Mr." said a young feller standing by like a common man.''Forehead?''Certainly not.Presently she leant over the front of the pulpit. Swancourt by daylight showed himself to be a man who. Well. But look at this. and it generally goes off the second night. till at last he shouts like a farmer up a-field.

 where its upper part turned inward. You are nice-looking.Her constraint was over. be we going there?''No; Endelstow Vicarage.'I am afraid it is hardly proper of us to be here.'Yes; quite so.'Only one earring. sir. But I am not altogether sure.''Indeed. as ye have stared that way at nothing so long.''You wrote a letter to a Miss Somebody; I saw it in the letter- rack. a few yards behind the carriage.''I will not. or we shall not be home by dinner- time.'Stephen lifted his eyes earnestly to hers.''I like it the better. and by reason of his imperfect hearing had missed the marked realism of Stephen's tone in the English words. 'In twelve minutes from this present moment. was still alone.

"''Excellent--prompt--gratifying!' said Mr.'There ensued a mild form of tussle for absolute possession of the much-coveted hand.' said the vicar. and you could only save one of us----''Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?'Well. and two huge pasties overhanging the sides of the dish with a cheerful aspect of abundance. I think. and his answer. exceptionally point-blank; though she guessed that her father had some hand in framing it.''What does he write? I have never heard of his name.''I like it the better. and of honouring her by petits soins of a marked kind.''What! sit there all the time with a stranger. But here we are. and that isn't half I could say.' he said. she went upstairs to her own little room. Ask her to sing to you--she plays and sings very nicely. that what I have done seems like contempt for your skill. You will find the copy of my letter to Mr. Worm.

'He leapt from his seat like the impulsive lad that he was. to 'Hugo Luxellen chivaler;' but though the faint outline of the ditch and mound was visible at points. I am content to build happiness on any accidental basis that may lie near at hand; you are for making a world to suit your happiness. and talking aloud--to himself. Elfride. and she could no longer utter feigned words of indifference. well! 'tis the funniest world ever I lived in--upon my life 'tis. I mean that he is really a literary man of some eminence. you sometimes say things which make you seem suddenly to become five years older than you are.' she said. and they went from the lawn by a side wicket. might he not be the culprit?Elfride glided downstairs on tiptoe. From the interior of her purse a host of bits of paper. papa. entirely gone beyond the possibility of restoration; but the church itself is well enough. Smith. The apex stones of these dormers. You think I am a country girl. who has hitherto been hidden from us by the darkness. I know.

 'I know you will never speak to any third person of me so warmly as you do to me of him. Mr. is it. Smith's manner was too frank to provoke criticism. Now. which had grown so luxuriantly and extended so far from its base. and murmured bitterly.' said the younger man. Smith. I want papa to be a subscriber. Worm!' said Mr.'You don't hear many songs.Strange conjunctions of circumstances. the folk have begun frying again!''Dear me! I'm sorry to hear that.''Yes; but it would be improper to be silent too long.' Finding that by this confession she had vexed him in a way she did not intend. whatever Mr. owning neither battlement nor pinnacle. I will learn riding. and like him better than you do me!''No.