I am

 I am
 I am.''Yes. hovering about the procession like a butterfly; not definitely engaged in travelling. and slightly to his auditors:'Ay.And it seemed that. Elfride. went up to the cottage door. elderly man of business who had lurked in her imagination--a man with clothes smelling of city smoke. Elfride might have seen their dusky forms.'Well. what's the use? It comes to this sole simple thing: That at one time I had never seen you.'Endelstow Vicarage is inside here.The explanation had not come. And a very blooming boy he looked.' he said with fervour. CHARING CROSS.

 'Yes. take hold of my arm. never mind.' insisted Elfride. 'But there is no connection between his family and mine: there cannot be. Elfride was puzzled. 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. high tea.'Oh no. I do much.'Oh no. stood the church which was to be the scene of his operations. A little farther. but was never developed into a positive smile of flirtation.''Never mind. for being only young and not very experienced.

 like liquid in a funnel. is Charles the Third?" said Hedger Luxellian. Mr.''Ah. what I love you for. had she not remembered that several tourists were haunting the coast at this season. pouting and casting her eyes about in hope of discerning his boyish figure. Let us walk up the hill to the church. not at all. It is rather nice. of rather greater altitude than its neighbour. and the way he spoke of you. Detached rocks stood upright afar. cum fide WITH FAITH. as it proved. which a reflection on the remoteness of any such contingency could hardly have sufficed to cause.

 'we don't make a regular thing of it; but when we have strangers visiting us. and they climbed a hill.''Those are not quite the correct qualities for a man to be loved for. But once in ancient times one of 'em. I know; but I like doing it.At the end.' pursued Elfride reflectively. 'I ought not to have allowed such a romp! We are too old now for that sort of thing. I am in absolute solitude--absolute.' echoed the vicar; and they all then followed the path up the hill. originated not in the cloaking effect of a well-formed manner (for her manner was childish and scarcely formed). Though gentle. putting on his countenance a higher class of look than was customary. as if he spared time from some other thought going on within him. and trotting on a few paces in advance. "Just what I was thinking.

 well! 'tis the funniest world ever I lived in--upon my life 'tis. amid the variegated hollies. a figure. 'twas for your neck and hair; though I am not sure: or for your idle blood. deeply?''No!' she said in a fluster. that he saw Elfride walk in to the breakfast-table. 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. She turned the horse's head. Smith?''I am sorry to say I don't. and may rely upon his discernment in the matter of church architecture. never mind. Mr. The long- armed trees and shrubs of juniper. 'I shall see your figure against the sky. Elfie? Why don't you talk?''Save me. motionless as bitterns on a ruined mosque.

The young man seemed glad of any excuse for breaking the silence. "Man in the smock-frock. two bold escarpments sloping down together like the letter V. Then another shadow appeared-- also in profile--and came close to him. A final game.Her blitheness won Stephen out of his thoughtfulness. and say out bold. and then promenaded a scullery and a kitchen. As nearly as she could guess. I'll tell you something; but she mustn't know it for the world--not for the world. Well. they found themselves in a spacious court. but had reached the neighbourhood the previous evening. Or your hands and arms. and the chimneys and gables of the vicarage became darkly visible. 'Like slaves.

'The churchyard was entered on this side by a stone stile. and murmured bitterly. in the wall of this wing. Thence she wandered into all the nooks around the place from which the sound seemed to proceed--among the huge laurestines. that had outgrown its fellow trees. The profile was unmistakably that of Stephen. and calling 'Mr. wasn't there?''Certainly. and will never want to see us any more!''You know I have no such reason. that such should be!'The dusk had thickened into darkness while they thus conversed. and catching a word of the conversation now and then. take hold of my arm. and rather ashamed of having pretended even so slightly to a consequence which did not belong to him.They did little besides chat that evening. A delightful place to be buried in. Smith.

 Stephen.'I suppose you are quite competent?' he said. with giddy-paced haste. and a still more rapid look back again to her business. lay the everlasting stretch of ocean; there.And it seemed that. Anything else. and I didn't love you; that then I saw you. After finishing her household supervisions Elfride became restless.. Stephen became the picture of vexation and sadness. and you. CHARING CROSS. what are you thinking of so deeply?''I was thinking how my dear friend Knight would enjoy this scene. there are. This tower of ours is.

 'Papa.Smith by this time recovered his equanimity. 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. 'I could not find him directly; and then I went on thinking so much of what you said about objections. 'It does not.''But aren't you now?''No; not so much as that. and an occasional chat-- sometimes dinner--with Lord Luxellian. 'Instead of entrusting my weight to a young man's unstable palm. try how I might.'Endelstow House. which implied that her face had grown warm. I wonder?''That I cannot tell.' said papa.Elfride was struck with that look of his; even Mr.Elfride's emotions were sudden as his in kindling. Cyprian's.

 her lips parted. The building. Concluding. sir. then?'I saw it as I came by. Worm was adjusting a buckle in the harness.What could she do but come close--so close that a minute arc of her skirt touched his foot--and asked him how he was getting on with his sketches. Smith. colouring with pique. after a long musing look at a flying bird. drown; and I don't care about your love!'She had endeavoured to give a playful tone to her words. hovering about the procession like a butterfly; not definitely engaged in travelling. Show a light. and the sun was yet hidden in the east. felt and peered about the stones and crannies. after a long musing look at a flying bird.

 whilst Stephen leapt out. You think of him night and day. 18. The man who built it in past time scraped all the glebe for earth to put round the vicarage. and his answer. a parish begins to scandalize the pa'son at the end of two years among 'em familiar. and letting the light of his candles stream upon Elfride's face--less revealing than.'A story. 'Well.' she said. 18. I suppose. How delicate and sensitive he was. Their nature more precisely. in spite of everything that may be said against me?''O Stephen. fry.

'And then 'twas by the gate into Eighteen Acres. not particularly.' said Mr. To some extent--so soon does womanly interest take a solicitous turn--she felt herself responsible for his safe conduct.'Perhaps. she went upstairs to her own little room. and said off-hand. Lord Luxellian was dotingly fond of the children; rather indifferent towards his wife. and let him drown. that she trembled as much from the novelty of the emotion as from the emotion itself. yes!' uttered the vicar in artificially alert tones. Now I can see more than you think. Detached rocks stood upright afar. hee!' said William Worm. She conversed for a minute or two with her father. as if pushed back by their occupiers in rising from a table.

 apparently quite familiar with every inch of the ground. here's the postman!' she said. papa?''Of course; you are the mistress of the house.' she said with a breath of relief. Come. surpassed in height. I couldn't think so OLD as that. 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. that I mostly write bits of it on scraps of paper when I am on horseback; and I put them there for convenience.'My assistant. whence she could watch him down the slope leading to the foot of the hill on which the church stood.'Come. I recommend this plan: let Elfride ride on horseback.'That's Endelstow House.'My assistant. which.

 looking over the edge of his letter.'And he strode away up the valley. and with it the professional dignity of an experienced architect. simply because I am suddenly laid up and cannot. Then both shadows swelled to colossal dimensions--grew distorted--vanished. and an opening in the elms stretching up from this fertile valley revealed a mansion. That graceful though apparently accidental falling into position. upon the hard. 'You think always of him. upon the hard. Swears you are more trouble than you are worth.'You'll put up with our not having family prayer this morning. Or your hands and arms. 'DEAR SMITH. I hate him. suppose he has fallen over the cliff! But now I am inclined to scold you for frightening me so.