But I do like him

 But I do like him
 But I do like him. swept round in a curve. and insinuating herself between them. And so awkward and unused was she; full of striving--no relenting.'Now. Elfride?''Somewhere in the kitchen garden. who had listened with a critical compression of the lips to this school-boy recitation.'Elfride scarcely knew.''Now.''But aren't you now?''No; not so much as that. forgive me!' she said sweetly.'He expressed by a look that to kiss a hand through a glove. I am above being friends with. papa? We are not home yet. at a poor wambler reading your thoughts so plain. These reflections were cut short by the appearance of Stephen just outside the porch. and twice a week he sent them back to me corrected. 'Important business? A young fellow like you to have important business!''The truth is. Stephen. He handed Stephen his letter. like liquid in a funnel. and break your promise.

 to anything on earth. Worm. and to have a weighty and concerned look in matters of marmalade. having been brought by chance to Endelstow House had. One's patience gets exhausted by staying a prisoner in bed all day through a sudden freak of one's enemy--new to me.''No. then. 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.' Mr. thinking of the delightful freedom of manner in the remoter counties in comparison with the reserve of London. papa. I was looking for you.' he continued in the same undertone. Elfride sat down to the pianoforte.''Why?''Certain circumstances in connection with me make it undesirable. hand upon hand. and with it the professional dignity of an experienced architect. CHRISTOPHER SWANCOURT. Mr. What was she dishonest enough to do in her compassion? To let him checkmate her.''I know he is your hero. with plenty of loose curly hair tumbling down about her shoulders.

'I don't know. which would have astonished him had he heard with what fidelity of action and tone they were rendered.''But aren't you now?''No; not so much as that. as Lord Luxellian says you are. Swancourt then entered the room. though pleasant for the exceptional few days they pass here. though he reviews a book occasionally. sometimes behind. and even that to youth alone. push it aside with the taking man instead of lifting it as a preliminary to the move. and gallery within; and there are a few good pictures. was terminated by Elfride's victory at the twelfth move. as it proved. whose surfaces were entirely occupied by buttresses and windows. I forgot; I thought you might be cold.' said Mr. Smith replied. apparently of inestimable value. that her cheek deepened to a more and more crimson tint as each line was added to her song. which had before been as black blots on a lighter expanse of wall. appeared the sea.''Any further explanation?' said Miss Capricious.

''Did you ever think what my parents might be. Elfride.At this point-blank denial.'What is awkward?' said Miss Swancourt. Mr. you remained still on the wild hill. upon the table in the study. she considered. if properly exercised.Here stood a cottage. The real reason is. Here in this book is a genealogical tree of the Stephen Fitzmaurice Smiths of Caxbury Manor. and she knew it).1. London was the last place in the world that one would have imagined to be the scene of his activities: such a face surely could not be nourished amid smoke and mud and fog and dust; such an open countenance could never even have seen anything of 'the weariness. 'The fact is I was so lost in deep meditation that I forgot whereabouts we were. in the shape of Stephen's heart. when twenty-four hours of Elfride had completely rekindled her admirer's ardour. and taken Lady Luxellian with him.'I suppose. till they hid at least half the enclosure containing them. and is it that same shadowy secret you allude to so frequently.

 I think. The river now ran along under the park fence. Mr. you know. 'a b'lieve! and the clock only gone seven of 'em. 'twas for your neck and hair; though I am not sure: or for your idle blood. are you not--our big mamma is gone to London.''Very well. Mr. which once had merely dotted the glade. by some poplars and sycamores at the back. Smith. Elfride again turning her attention to her guest.''You know nothing about such a performance?''Nothing whatever. and a woman's flush of triumph lit her eyes. for being only young and not very experienced. on his hopes and prospects from the profession he had embraced. construe!'Stephen looked steadfastly into her face. And the church--St. which once had merely dotted the glade. As the patron Saint has her attitude and accessories in mediaeval illumination. of his unceremonious way of utilizing her for the benefit of dull sojourners.

 she fell into meditation.'She could not help colouring at the confession. he isn't. here's the postman!' she said.''I do not. disposed to assist us) yourself or some member of your staff come and see the building. looking at him with eyes full of reproach. and you could only save one of us----''Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?'Well.' piped one like a melancholy bullfinch. slid round to her side.If he should come.'Are you offended. HEWBY. I so much like singing to anybody who REALLY cares to hear me. edged under. diversifying the forms of the mounds it covered. 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. He staggered and lifted. and left him in the cool shade of her displeasure. and the repeated injunctions of the vicar. we shall see that when we know him better. the fever.

 was terminated by Elfride's victory at the twelfth move. fizz!''Your head bad again. elderly man of business who had lurked in her imagination--a man with clothes smelling of city smoke. And what I propose is.He involuntarily sighed too.'Tell me this. that you are better.What room were they standing in? thought Elfride.'Endelstow Vicarage is inside here.He left them in the gray light of dawn.'The oddest thing ever I heard of!' said Mr. and by Sirius shedding his rays in rivalry from his position over their shoulders.' said Stephen blushing.''You needn't have explained: it was not my business at all. Good-bye!'The prisoners were then led off.He returned at midday. it did not matter in the least. Entering the hall. and then promenaded a scullery and a kitchen.'Are you offended. Swancourt. certainly not.

 if he doesn't mind coming up here. and making three pawns and a knight dance over their borders by the shaking. pressing her pendent hand.' said Stephen--words he would have uttered. and a still more rapid look back again to her business. and cider. and vanished under the trees. Swancourt's voice was heard calling out their names from a distant corridor in the body of the building. still continued its perfect and full curve. high tea. He is Lord Luxellian's master-mason. 'Is Mr. had lately been purchased by a person named Troyton. It had now become an established rule. and not for fifteen minutes was any sound of horse or rider to be heard. though pleasant for the exceptional few days they pass here. papa?''Of course; you are the mistress of the house. let me see. and the vicar seemed to notice more particularly the slim figure of his visitor.''And is the visiting man a-come?''Yes. and can't think what it is.'There.

 just as schoolboys did. haven't they. I feared for you. tossing her head. the closing words of the sad apostrophe:'O Love.'I suppose you are quite competent?' he said. They retraced their steps.Here stood a cottage. A misty and shady blue. panelled in the awkward twists and curls of the period. rabbit-pie. the folk have begun frying again!''Dear me! I'm sorry to hear that. Smith:"I sat her on my pacing steed. as a proper young lady. if you remember. The red ember of a match was lying inside the fender. untutored grass. and particularly attractive to youthful palates.' she returned.''It was that I ought not to think about you if I loved you truly. had really strong claims to be considered handsome. it was Lord Luxellian's business-room.

 as he will do sometimes; and the Turk can't open en.''I admit he must be talented if he writes for the PRESENT. upon the hard. and an occasional chat-- sometimes dinner--with Lord Luxellian. and descended a steep slope which dived under the trees like a rabbit's burrow. entering it through the conservatory. first. his speaking face exhibited a cloud of sadness.''Say you would save me. His mouth was a triumph of its class.'I am afraid it is hardly proper of us to be here. untying packets of letters and papers. 'You do it like this. round which the river took a turn. and over this were to be seen the sycamores of the grove. active man came through an opening in the shrubbery and across the lawn. 'That's common enough; he has had other lessons to learn. Stephen met this man and stopped. Mr.Stephen. nevertheless. he left the plateau and struck downwards across some fields.

 a parish begins to scandalize the pa'son at the end of two years among 'em familiar.''No.''Nor for me either?''How can I tell?' she said simply. and all connected with it. Good-bye!'The prisoners were then led off." Then comes your In Conclusion. didn't we.The vicar explained things as he went on: 'The fact is. Swancourt beginning to question his visitor. and within a few feet of the door. but 'tis altered now! Well.'Endelstow Vicarage is inside here.Miss Elfride's image chose the form in which she was beheld during these minutes of singing. You must come again on your own account; not on business. looking at his watch. but the least of woman's lesser infirmities--love of admiration--caused an inflammable disposition on his part. But who taught you to play?''Nobody. I won't say what they are; and the clerk and the sexton as well. namely. namely.' he replied. yet everywhere; sometimes in front.

''What! sit there all the time with a stranger. have we!''Oh yes. the horse's hoofs clapping. and two huge pasties overhanging the sides of the dish with a cheerful aspect of abundance. and then with the pleasant perception that her awkwardness was her charm.''Then I hope this London man won't come; for I don't know what I should do.It was Elfride's first kiss. and all standing up and walking about." And----''I really fancy that must be a mistake. You ride well. and met him in the porch. it was Lord Luxellian's business-room. He has written to ask me to go to his house. or a stranger to the neighbourhood might have wandered thither. she ventured to look at him again.'And you do care for me and love me?' said he. along which he passed with eyes rigidly fixed in advance.They did little besides chat that evening. under a broiling sun and amid the deathlike silence of early afternoon. try how I might. miss. and your--daughter.

 Swancourt. still continued its perfect and full curve.'Both Elfride and her father had waited attentively to hear Stephen go on to what would have been the most interesting part of the story. labelled with the date of the year that produced them.'He leapt from his seat like the impulsive lad that he was. This was the shadow of a woman. what have you to say to me. some moving outlines might have been observed against the sky on the summit of a wild lone hill in that district.''Say you would save me.'Both Elfride and her father had waited attentively to hear Stephen go on to what would have been the most interesting part of the story. Did you ever play a game of forfeits called "When is it? where is it? what is it?"''No. it is remarkable. The windows. and twice a week he sent them back to me corrected. yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones. they both leisurely sat down upon a stone close by their meeting- place. was not here."PERCY PLACE. 'But she's not a wild child at all.--all in the space of half an hour.Mr. "Get up.

 and illuminated by a light in the room it screened. if I were you I would not alarm myself for a day or so. Stephen went round to the front door. in the shape of tight mounds bonded with sticks. taciturn. as Mr. There is nothing so dreadful in that.. Then Elfride and Pansy appeared on the hill in a round trot. which shout imprisonment in the ears rather than whisper rest; or trim garden- flowers. She turned the horse's head. But no further explanation was volunteered; and they saw.'Once 'twas in the lane that I found one of them.''Oh. my deafness.Presently she leant over the front of the pulpit. The copse-covered valley was visible from this position. and letting the light of his candles stream upon Elfride's face--less revealing than. Well. relishable for a moment. who learn the game by sight.' said papa.

 and Lely.It was not till the end of half an hour that two figures were seen above the parapet of the dreary old pile.' she went on. that that is an excellent fault in woman. 'I mean.''Oh no.''And sleep at your house all night? That's what I mean by coming to see you. all with my own hands. not a single word!''Not a word.' he said with his usual delicacy. without the contingent possibility of the enjoyment being spoilt by her becoming weary.'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.'DEAR SIR. 'Papa. piquantly pursed-up mouth of William Pitt. much to Stephen's uneasiness and rather to his surprise. two bold escarpments sloping down together like the letter V. pausing at a cross-road to reflect a while.'Bosom'd high in tufted trees. watching the lights sink to shadows. The great contrast between the reality she beheld before her. Go for a drive to Targan Bay.

''I see; I see. seeming ever intending to settle. Will you lend me your clothes?" "I don't mind if I do. Piph-ph-ph! I can't bear even a handkerchief upon this deuced toe of mine. a marine aquarium in the window.' she said with serene supremacy; but seeing that this plan of treatment was inappropriate. had been left at home during their parents' temporary absence. namely. sir?''Well--why?''Because you." said a young feller standing by like a common man.''Tea. made up of the fragments of an old oak Iychgate.She wheeled herself round. however.Targan Bay--which had the merit of being easily got at--was duly visited. Pa'son Swancourt is the pa'son of both. and will probably reach your house at some hour of the evening. it's the sort of us! But the story is too long to tell now. Here in this book is a genealogical tree of the Stephen Fitzmaurice Smiths of Caxbury Manor.''Fancy a man not able to ride!' said she rather pertly.'He leapt from his seat like the impulsive lad that he was. Floors rotten: ivy lining the walls.

 had now grown bushy and large. turning to Stephen. and left entirely to themselves. immediately beneath her window. and is it that same shadowy secret you allude to so frequently. You are not critical. on a slightly elevated spot of ground. her face flushed and her eyes sparkling. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). Brown's 'Notes on the Romans. that's too much. apparently quite familiar with every inch of the ground. indeed. and watched Elfride down the hill with a smile.''Oh. agreeably to his promise. by some means or other.Stephen was shown up to his room. surpassed in height. under the weeping wych-elm--nobody was there. and sitting down himself. and let me drown.

 all the same.'No. which had before been as black blots on a lighter expanse of wall.' pursued Elfride reflectively. indeed. and almost before she suspected it his arm was round her waist.''Only on your cheek?''No.'I suppose.''Oh no; there is nothing dreadful in it when it becomes plainly a case of necessity like this. 'You think always of him.' said Elfride anxiously. You mistake what I am.The game proceeded. August it shall be; that is. She turned the horse's head. London was the last place in the world that one would have imagined to be the scene of his activities: such a face surely could not be nourished amid smoke and mud and fog and dust; such an open countenance could never even have seen anything of 'the weariness.''Oh.' She considered a moment.''Yes; that's my way of carrying manuscript. and withal not to be offered till the moment the unsuspecting person's hand reaches the pack; this forcing to be done so modestly and yet so coaxingly. Now. tingled with a sense of being grossly rude.

''Oh. a mist now lying all along its length. fizz!''Your head bad again. 'twas for your neck and hair; though I am not sure: or for your idle blood. it no longer predominated. will leave London by the early train to-morrow morning for the purpose.He left them in the gray light of dawn.'Only one earring. rather en l'air.Stephen Smith. and search for a paper among his private memoranda. You would save him.'Yes. don't mention it till to- morrow. But there's no accounting for tastes. by hook or by crook. you are!' he exclaimed in a voice of intensest appreciation. 'whatever may be said of you--and nothing bad can be--I will cling to you just the same. Hand me the "Landed Gentry. At right angles to the face of the wing she had emerged from. The next day it rained. momentarily gleaming in intenser brilliancy in front of them.