carestohearme。\'
Everywomanwhomakesapermanentimpressiononamanisusuallyrecalledtohismind\'seyeassheappearedinoneparticularscene，whichseemsordainedtobeherspecialformofmanifestationthroughoutthepagesofhismemory。AsthepatronSainthasherattitudeandaccessoriesinmediaevalillumination，sothesweetheartmaybesaidtohavehersuponthetableofhertrueLove\'sfancy，withoutwhichsheisrarelyintroducedthereexceptbyeffort；andthisthoughshemay，onfurtheracquaintance，havebeenobservedinmanyotherphaseswhichonewouldimaginetobefarmoreappropriatetolove\'syoungdream。
MissElfride\'simagechosetheforminwhichshewasbeheldduringtheseminutesofsinging，forherpermanentattitudeofvisitationtoStephen\'seyesduringhissleepingandwakinghoursinafterdays。Theprofileisseenofayoungwomaninapalegraysilkdresswithtrimmingsofswan\'s-down，andopeningupfromapointinfront，likeawaistcoatwithoutashirt；thecoolcolourcontrastingadmirablywiththewarmbloomofherneckandface。
Thefurthermostcandleonthepianocomesimmediatelyinalinewithherhead，andhalfinvisibleitself，formstheaccidentallyfrizzledhairintoanebuloushazeoflight，surroundinghercrownlikeanaureola。Herhandsareintheirplaceonthekeys，herlipsparted，andtrillingforth，inatenderdiminuendo，theclosingwordsofthesadapostrophe:
\'OLove，whobewailestThefrailtyofallthingshere，WhychooseyouthefrailestForyourcradle，yourhome，andyourbier!\'
Herheadisforwardalittle，andhereyesdirectedkeenlyupwardtothetopofthepageofmusicconfrontingher。ThencomesarapidlookintoStephen\'sface，andastillmorerapidlookbackagaintoherbusiness，herfacehavingdroppeditssadness，andacquiredacertainexpressionofmischievousarchnessthewhile；
whichlingeredthereforsometime，butwasneverdevelopedintoapositivesmileofflirtation。
Stephensuddenlyshiftedhispositionfromherrighthandtoherleft，wheretherewasjustroomenoughforasmallottomantostandbetweenthepianoandthecorneroftheroom。Intothisnookhesqueezedhimself，andgazedwistfullyupintoElfride\'sface。Solongandsoearnestlygazedhe，thathercheekdeepenedtoamoreandmorecrimsontintaseachlinewasaddedtohersong。Concluding，andpausingmotionlessafterthelastwordforaminuteortwo，sheventuredtolookathimagain。Hisfeaturesworeanexpressionofunutterableheaviness。
\'Youdon\'thearmanysongs，doyou，Mr。Smith，totakesomuchnoticeoftheseofmine？\'
\'PerhapsitwasthemeansandvehicleofthesongthatIwasnoticing:Imeanyourself，\'heansweredgently。
\'Now，Mr。Smith!\'
\'Itisperfectlytrue；Idon\'thearmuchsinging。YoumistakewhatIam，Ifancy。BecauseIcomeasastrangertoasecludedspot，youthinkImustneedscomefromalifeofbustle，andknowthelatestmovementsoftheday。ButIdon\'t。Mylifeisasquietasyours，andmoresolitary；solitaryasdeath。\'
\'Thedeathwhichcomesfromaplethoraoflife？Butseriously，I
canquiteseethatyouarenottheleastwhatIthoughtyouwouldbebeforeIsawyou。Youarenotcritical，orexperienced，or——
muchtomind。That\'swhyIdon\'tmindsingingairstoyouthatI
onlyhalfknow。\'Findingthatbythisconfessionshehadvexedhiminawayshedidnotintend，sheaddednaively，\'Imean，Mr。
Smith，thatyouarebetter，notworse，forbeingonlyyoungandnotveryexperienced。Youdon\'tthinkmylifeheresoverytameanddull，Iknow。\'
\'Idonot，indeed，\'hesaidwithfervour。\'Itmustbedelightfullypoetical，andsparkling，andfresh，and——\'
\'Thereyougo，Mr。Smith!Well，menofanotherkind，whenIgetthemtobehonestenoughtoownthetruth，thinkjustthereverse:
thatmylifemustbeadreadfulboreinitsnormalstate，thoughpleasantfortheexceptionalfewdaystheypasshere。\'
\'Icouldliveherealways!\'hesaid，andwithsuchatoneandlookofunconsciousrevelationthatElfridewasstartledtofindthatherharmonieshadfiredasmallTroy，intheshapeofStephen\'sheart。Shesaidquickly:
\'Butyoucan\'tliveherealways。\'
\'Ohno。\'Andhedrewhimselfinwiththesensitivenessofasnail。
Elfride\'semotionsweresuddenashisinkindling，buttheleastofwoman\'slesserinfirmities——loveofadmiration——causedaninflammabledispositiononhispart，soexactlysimilartoherown，toappearasmeritoriousinhimasmodestymadeherownseemculpableinher。
ChapterIV
\'Whereheavestheturfinmanyamould\'ringheap。\'
Forreasonsofhisown，StephenSmithwasstirringashorttimeafterdawnthenextmorning。Fromthewindowofhisroomhecouldsee，first，twoboldescarpmentsslopingdowntogetherliketheletterV。Towardsthebottom，likeliquidinafunnel，appearedthesea，grayandsmall。Onthebrowofonehill，ofrathergreateraltitudethanitsneighbour，stoodthechurchwhichwastobethesceneofhisoperations。Thelonelyedificewasblackandbare，cuttingupintotheskyfromtheverytipofthehill。Ithadasquaremoulderingtower，owningneitherbattlementnorpinnacle，andseemedamonolithictermination，ofonesubstancewiththeridge，ratherthanastructureraisedthereon。Roundthechurchranalowwall；over-toppingthewallingenerallevelwasthegraveyard；notasagraveyardusuallyis，afragmentoflandscapewithitsduevarietyofchiaro-oscuro，butamereprofileagainstthesky，serratedwiththeoutlinesofgravesandaveryfewmemorialstones。Notatreecouldexistupthere:
nothingbutthemonotonousgray-greengrass。
Fiveminutesafterthiscasualsurveywasmadehisbedroomwasempty，anditsoccupanthadvanishedquietlyfromthehouse。
Attheendoftwohourshewasagainintheroom，lookingwarmandglowing。Henowpursuedtheartisticdetailsofdressing，whichonhisfirstrisinghadbeenentirelyomitted。Andaverybloomingboyhelooked，afterthatmysteriousmorningscamper。
Hismouthwasatriumphofitsclass。Itwasthecleanly-cut，piquantlypursed-upmouthofWilliamPitt，asrepresentedinthewellorlittleknownbustbyNollekens——amouthwhichisinitselfayoungman\'sfortune，ifproperlyexercised。Hisroundchin，whereitsupperpartturnedinward，stillcontinueditsperfectandfullcurve，seemingtopressintoapointthebottomofhisnetherlipattheirplaceofjunction。
OncehemurmuredthenameofElfride。Ah，thereshewas!Onthelawninaplaindress，withouthatorbonnet，runningwithaboy\'svelocity，superaddedtoagirl\'slightness，afteratamerabbitshewasendeavouringtocapture，herstrategicintonationsofcoaxingwordsalternatingwithdesperaterushessomuchoutofkeepingwiththem，thatthehollownessofsuchexpressionswasbuttooevidenttoherpet，whodartedanddodgedincarefullytimedcounterpart。
Thescenedowntherewasaltogetherdifferentfromthatofthehills。Athicketofshrubsandtreesenclosedthefavouredspotfromthewildernesswithout；evenatthistimeoftheyearthegrasswasluxuriantthere。Nowindblewinsidetheprotectingbeltofevergreens，wastingitsforceuponthehigherandstrongertreesformingtheoutermarginofthegrove。
Thenheheardaheavypersonshufflingaboutinslippers，andcalling\'Mr。Smith!\'Smithproceededtothestudy，andfoundMr。
Swancourt。Theyoungmanexpressedhisgladnesstoseehishostdownstairs。
\'Ohyes；IknewIshouldsoonberightagain。Ihavenotmadetheacquaintanceofgoutformorethantwoyears，anditgenerallygoesoffthesecondnight。Well，wherehaveyoubeenthismorning？Isawyoucomeinjustnow，Ithink!\'
\'Yes；Ihavebeenforawalk。\'
\'Startearly？\'
\'Yes。\'
\'Veryearly，Ithink？\'
\'Yes，itwasratherearly。\'
\'Whichwaydidyougo？Tothesea，Isuppose。Everybodygoesseaward。\'
\'No；Ifolloweduptheriverasfarastheparkwall。\'
\'Youaredifferentfromyourkind。Well，Isupposesuchawildplaceisanovelty，andsotemptedyououtofbed？\'
\'Notaltogetheranovelty。Ilikeit。\'
Theyouthseemedaversetoexplanation。
\'Youmust，youmust；togocock-watchingthemorningafterajourneyoffourteenorsixteenhours。Butthere\'snoaccountingfortastes，andIamgladtoseethatyoursarenomeaner。Afterbreakfast，butnotbefore，Ishallbegoodforatenmiles\'walk，MasterSmith。\'
Certainlythereseemednothingexaggeratedinthatassertion。Mr。
Swancourtbydaylightshowedhimselftobeamanwho，incommonwiththeothertwopeopleunderhisroof，hadreallystrongclaimstobeconsideredhandsome，——handsome，thatis，inthesenseinwhichthemoonisbright:theravinesandvalleyswhich，onacloseinspection，areseentodiversifyitssurfacebeingleftoutoftheargument。Hisfacewasofatintthatneverdeepeneduponhischeeksnorlighteneduponhisforehead，butremaineduniformthroughout；theusualneutralsalmon-colourofamanwhofeedswell——nottosaytoowell——anddoesnotthinkhard；everyporebeinginvisibleworkingorder。Histoutensemblewasthatofahighlyimprovedclassoffarmer，dressedupinthewrongclothes；
thatofafirm-standingperpendicularman，whosefallwouldhavebeenbackwardsindirectionifhehadeverlosthisbalance。
Thevicar\'sbackgroundwasatpresentwhatavicar\'sbackgroundshouldbe，hisstudy。Heretheconsistencyends。Allalongthechimneypiecewererangedbottlesofhorse，pig，andcowmedicines，andagainstthewallwasahightable，madeupofthefragmentsofanoldoakIychgate。Uponthisstoodstuffedspecimensofowls，divers，andgulls，andoverthembunchesofwheatandbarleyears，labelledwiththedateoftheyearthatproducedthem。
Somecasesandshelves，moreorlessladenwithbooks，theprominenttitlesofwhichwereDr。Brown\'s\'NotesontheRomans，\'Dr。Smith\'s\'NotesontheCorinthians，\'andDr。Robinson\'s\'NotesontheGalatians，Ephesians，andPhilippians，\'justsavedthecharacteroftheplace，inspiteofagirl\'sdoll\'s-housestandingabovethem，amarineaquariuminthewindow，andElfride\'shathangingonitscorner。
\'Business，business!\'saidMr。Swancourtafterbreakfast。Hebegantofinditnecessarytoactthepartofafly-wheeltowardsthesomewhatirregularforcesofhisvisitor。
Theypreparedtogotothechurch；thevicar，onsecondthoughts，mountinghiscoal-blackmaretoavoidexertinghisfoottoomuchatstarting。Stephensaidheshouldwantamantoassisthim。
\'Worm!\'thevicarshouted。
Aminuteortwoafteravoicewasheardroundthecornerofthebuilding，mumbling，\'Ah，Iusedtobestrongenough，but\'tisalterednow!Well，there，I\'masindependentasonehereandthere，eveniftheydowrite\'squireaftertheirnames。\'
\'What\'sthematter？\'saidthevicar，asWilliamWormappeared；
whentheremarkswererepeatedtohim。
\'Wormsayssomeverytruethingssometimes，\'Mr。Swancourtsaid，turningtoStephen。\'Now，asregardsthatword\"esquire。”Why，Mr。Smith，thatword\"esquire\"isgonetothedogs，——usedonthelettersofeveryjackanapeswhohasablackcoat。Anythingelse，Worm？\'
\'Ay，thefolkhavebegunfryingagain!\'
\'Dearme!I\'msorrytohearthat。\'
\'Yes，\'WormsaidgroaninglytoStephen，\'I\'vegotsuchanoiseinmyheadthatthere\'snolivingnightnorday。\'Tisjustforalltheworldlikepeoplefryingfish:fry，fry，fry，alldaylonginmypoorhead，tillIdon\'tknowwhe\'rI\'mhereoryonder。There，GodA\'mightywillfinditoutsoonerorlater，Ihope，andrelieveme。\'
\'Now，mydeafness，\'saidMr。Swancourtimpressively，\'isadeadsilence；butWilliamWorm\'sisthatofpeoplefryingfishinhishead。Veryremarkable，isn\'tit？\'
\'Icanhearthefrying-pana-fizzingasnaterelaslife，\'saidWormcorroboratively。
\'Yes，itisremarkable，\'saidMr。Smith。
\'Verypeculiar，verypeculiar，\'echoedthevicar；andtheyallthenfollowedthepathupthehill，boundedoneachsidebyalittlestonewall，fromwhichgleamedfragmentsofquartzandblood-redmarbles，apparentlyofinestimablevalue，intheirsettingofbrownalluvium。Stephenwalkedwiththedignityofamanclosetothehorse\'shead，Wormstumbledalongastone\'sthrowintherear，andElfridewasnowhereinparticular，yeteverywhere；sometimesinfront，sometimesbehind，sometimesatthesides，hoveringabouttheprocessionlikeabutterfly；notdefinitelyengagedintravelling，yetsomehowchiminginatpointswiththegeneralprogress。
Thevicarexplainedthingsashewenton:\'Thefactis，Mr。Smith，Ididn\'twantthisbotherofchurchrestorationatall，butitwasnecessarytodosomethinginself-defence，onaccountofthosed——
dissenters:Iusethewordinitsscripturalmeaning，ofcourse，notasanexpletive。\'
\'Howveryodd!\'saidStephen，withtheconcerndemandedofseriousfriendliness。
\'Odd？That\'snothingtohowitisintheparishofTwinkley。Boththechurchwardensare——；there，Iwon\'tsaywhattheyare；andtheclerkandthesextonaswell。\'
\'Howverystrange!\'saidStephen。
\'Strange？Mydearsir，that\'snothingtohowitisintheparishofSinnerton。However，astoourownparish，Ihopeweshallmakesomeprogresssoon。\'
\'Youmusttrusttocircumstances。\'
\'Therearenocircumstancestotrustto。WemayaswelltrustinProvidenceifwetrustatall。Buthereweare。Awildplace，isn\'tit？ButIlikeitonsuchdaysasthese。\'
Thechurchyardwasenteredonthissidebyastonestile，overwhichhavingclambered，youremainedstillonthewildhill，thewithinnotbeingsodividedfromthewithoutastoobliteratethesenseofopenfreedom。Adelightfulplacetobeburiedin，postulatingthatdelightcanaccompanyamantohistombunderanycircumstances。Therewasnothinghorribleinthischurchyard，intheshapeoftightmoundsbondedwithsticks，whichshoutimprisonmentintheearsratherthanwhisperrest；ortrimgarden-
flowers，whichonlyraiseimagesofpeopleinnewblackcrapeandwhitehandkerchiefscomingtotendthem；orwheel-marks，whichremindusofhearsesandmourningcoaches；orcypress-bushes，whichmakeaparadeofsorrow；orcoffin-boardsandboneslyingbehindtrees，showingthatweareonlyleaseholdersofourgraves。
No；nothingbutlong，wild，untutoredgrass，diversifyingtheformsofthemoundsitcovered，——themselvesirregularlyshaped，withnoeyetoeffect；theimpressivepresenceoftheoldmountainthatallthiswasapartofbeingnowhereexcludedbydisguisingart。Outsideweresimilarslopesandsimilargrass；andthenthesereneimpassivesea，visibletoawidthofhalfthehorizon，andmeetingtheeyewiththeeffectofavastconcave，liketheinteriorofabluevessel。Detachedrocksstooduprightafar，acollaroffoamgirdingtheirbases，andrepeatinginitswhitenesstheplumageofacountlessmultitudeofgullsthatrestlesslyhoveredabout。
\'Now，Worm!\'saidMr。Swancourtsharply；andWormstartedintoanattitudeofattentionatoncetoreceiveorders。Stephenandhimselfwerethenleftinpossession，andtheworkwentontillearlyintheafternoon，whendinnerwasannouncedbyUnityofthevicaragekitchenrunningupthehillwithoutabonnet。
Elfridedidnotmakeherappearanceinsidethebuildingtilllateintheafternoon，andcamethenbyspecialinvitationfromStephenduringdinner。ShelookedsointenselyLIVINGandfullofmovementasshecameintotheoldsilentplace，thatyoungSmith\'sworldbegantobelitby\'thepurplelight\'inallitsdefiniteness。Wormwasgotridofbysendinghimtomeasuretheheightofthetower。
Whatcouldshedobutcomeclose——soclosethataminutearcofherskirttouchedhisfoot——andaskedhimhowhewasgettingonwithhissketches，andsetherselftolearntheprinciplesofpracticalmensurationasappliedtoirregularbuildings？Thenshemustascendthepulpittore-imagineforthehundredthtimehowitwouldseemtobeapreacher。
Presentlysheleantoverthefrontofthepulpit。
\'Don\'tyoutellpapa，willyou，Mr。Smith，ifItellyousomething？\'shesaidwithasuddenimpulsetomakeaconfidence。
\'Ohno，thatIwon\'t，\'saidhe，staringup。
\'Well，Iwritepapa\'ssermonsforhimveryoften，andhepreachesthembetterthanhedoeshisown；andthenafterwardshetalkstopeopleandtomeaboutwhathesaidinhissermonto-day，andforgetsthatIwroteitforhim。Isn\'titabsurd？\'
\'Howcleveryoumustbe!\'saidStephen。\'Icouldn\'twriteasermonfortheworld。\'
\'Oh，it\'seasyenough，\'shesaid，descendingfromthepulpitandcomingclosetohimtoexplainmorevividly。\'Youdoitlikethis。Didyoueverplayagameofforfeitscalled\"Whenisit？
whereisit？whatisit？\"\'
\'No，never。\'
\'Ah，that\'sapity，becausewritingasermonisverymuchlikeplayingthatgame。Youtakethetext。Youthink，whyisit？whatisit？andsoon。Youputthatdownunder\"Generally。”ThenyouproceedtotheFirst，Secondly，andThirdly。Papawon\'thaveFourthlys——saystheyareallmyeye。ThenyouhaveafinalCollectively，severalpagesofthisbeingputingreatblackbrackets，writingopposite，\"LEAVETHISOUTIFTHEFARMERSARE
FALLINGASLEEP。”ThencomesyourInConclusion，thenAFewWordsAndIHaveDone。Well，allthistimeyouhaveputonthebackofeachpage，\"KEEPYOURVOICEDOWN\"——Imean，\'sheadded，correctingherself，\'that\'showIdoinpapa\'ssermon-book，becauseotherwisehegetslouderandlouder，tillatlastheshoutslikeafarmerupa-field。Oh，papaissofunnyinsomethings!\'
Then，afterthischildishburstofconfidence，shewasfrightened，asifwarnedbywomanlyinstinct，whichforthemomentherardourhadoutrun，thatshehadbeentooforwardtoacomparativestranger。
Elfridesawherfatherthen，andwentawayintothewind，beingcaughtbyagustassheascendedthechurchyardslope，inwhichgustshehadthemotions，withoutthemotives，ofahoiden；thegrace，withouttheself-consciousness，ofapirouetter。Sheconversedforaminuteortwowithherfather，andproceededhomeward，Mr。SwancourtcomingontothechurchtoStephen。Thewindhadfreshenedhiswarmcomplexionasitfreshenstheglowofabrand。Hewasinamoodofjollity，andwatchedElfridedownthehillwithasmile。
\'Youlittleflyaway!youlookwildenoughnow，\'hesaid，andturnedtoStephen。\'Butshe\'snotawildchildatall，Mr。Smith。
Assteadyasyou；andthatyouaresteadyIseefromyourdiligencehere。\'
\'IthinkMissSwancourtveryclever，\'Stephenobserved。
\'Yes，sheis；certainly，sheis，\'saidpapa，turninghisvoiceasmuchaspossibletotheneutraltoneofdisinterestedcriticism。
\'Now，Smith，I\'lltellyousomething；butshemustn\'tknowitfortheworld——notfortheworld，mind，forsheinsistsuponkeepingitadeadsecret。Why，SHEWRITESMYSERMONSFORMEOFTEN，andaverygoodjobshemakesofthem!\'
\'Shecandoanything。\'
\'Shecandothat。Thelittlerascalhastheverytrickofthetrade。But，mindyou，Smith，notawordaboutittoher，notasingleword!\'
\'Notaword，\'saidSmith。
\'Lookthere，\'saidMr。Swancourt。\'Whatdoyouthinkofmyroofing？\'Hepointedwithhiswalking-stickatthechancelroof\'Didyoudothat，sir？\'
\'Yes，Iworkedinshirt-sleevesallthetimethatwasgoingon。I
pulleddowntheoldrafters，fixedthenewones，putonthebattens，slatedtheroof，allwithmyownhands，Wormbeingmyassistant。Weworkedlikeslaves，didn\'twe，Worm？\'
\'Ay，sure，wedid；harderthansomehereandthere——hee，hee!\'
saidWilliamWorm，croppingupfromsomewhere。\'Likeslaves，\'ab\'lieve——hee，hee!Andweren\'tyefoamingmad，sir，whenthenailswouldn\'tgostraight？MightyI!There，\'tisn\'tsobadtocussandkeepitinastocussandletitout，isit，sir？\'
\'Well——why？\'
\'Becauseyou，sir，whenyewerea-puttingontheroof，onlyusedtocussinyourmind，whichis，Isuppose，noharmatall。\'
\'Idon\'tthinkyouknowwhatgoesoninmymind，Worm。\'
\'Oh，doan\'tI，sir——hee，hee!MaybeI\'mbutapoorwamblingthing，sir，andcan\'treadmuch；butIcanspellaswellassomehereandthere。Doan\'tyemind，sir，thatblustrousnightwhenyeaskedmetoholdthecandletoyeinyerworkshop，whenyouweremakinganewchairforthechancel？\'
\'Yes；whatofthat？\'
\'Istoodwiththecandle，andyousaidyoulikedcompany，if\'twasonlyadogorcat——maningme；andthechairwouldn\'tdonohow。\'
\'Ah，Iremember。\'
\'No；thechairwouldn\'tdonohow。\'Awasverywelltolookat；
but，Lord!——\'
\'Worm，howoftenhaveIcorrectedyouforirreverentspeaking？\'
\'——\'Awasverywelltolookat，butyoucouldn\'tsitinthechairnohow。\'Twasalla-twistwi\'thechair，liketheletterZ，directlyyousatdownuponthechair。\"Getup，Worm，\"saysyou，whenyouseedthechairgoalla-swaywi\'me。Upyoutookthechair，andflungenlikefireandbrimstonetot\'otherendofyourshop——allinapassion。\"Damnthechair!\"saysI。\"JustwhatI
wasthinking，\"saysyou，sir。\"Icouldseeitinyourface，sir，\"
saysI，\"andIhopeyouandGodwillforgi\'emeforsayingwhatyouwouldn\'t。”Tosaveyourlifeyoucouldn\'thelplaughing，sir，atapoorwamblerreadingyourthoughtssoplain。Ay，I\'maswiseasonehereandthere。\'
\'Ithoughtyouhadbetterhaveapracticalmantogooverthechurchandtowerwithyou，\'Mr。SwancourtsaidtoStephenthefollowingmorning，\'soIgotLordLuxellian\'spermissiontosendforamanwhenyoucame。Itoldhimtobethereatteno\'clock。
He\'saveryintelligentman，andhewilltellyouallyouwanttoknowaboutthestateofthewalls。HisnameisJohnSmith。\'
ElfridedidnotliketobeseenagainatthechurchwithStephen。
\'Iwillwatchhereforyourappearanceatthetopofthetower，\'
shesaidlaughingly。\'Ishallseeyourfigureagainstthesky。\'
\'AndwhenIamupthereI\'llwavemyhandkerchieftoyou，MissSwancourt，\'saidStephen。\'Intwelveminutesfromthispresentmoment，\'headded，lookingathiswatch，\'I\'llbeatthesummitandlookoutforyou。\'
Shewentroundtothecornerofthesbrubbery，whenceshecouldwatchhimdowntheslopeleadingtothefootofthehillonwhichthechurchstood。Thereshesawwaitingforhimawhitespot——amasoninhisworkingclothes。Stephenmetthismanandstopped。
Tohersurprise，insteadoftheirmovingontothechurchyard，theybothleisurelysatdownuponastoneclosebytheirmeeting-
place，andremainedasifindeepconversation。Elfridelookedatthetime；nineofthetwelveminuteshadpassed，andStephenshowednosignsofmoving。Moreminutespassed——shegrewcoldwithwaiting，andshivered。Itwasnottilltheendofaquarterofanhourthattheybegantoslowlywendupthehillatasnail\'space。
\'Rudeandunmannerly!\'shesaidtoherself，colouringwithpique。
\'Anybodywouldthinkhewasinlovewiththathorridmasoninsteadofwith——\'
Thesentenceremainedunspoken，thoughnotunthought。
Shereturnedtotheporch。
\'Isthemanyousentforalazy，sit-still，do-nothingkindofman？\'sheinquiredofherfather。
\'No，\'hesaidsurprised；\'quitethereverse。HeisLordLuxellian\'smaster-mason，JohnSmith。\'
\'Oh，\'saidElfrideindifferently，andreturnedtowardsherbleakstation，andwaitedandshiveredagain。Itwasatrifle，afterall——achildishthing——lookingoutfromatowerandwavingahandkerchief。Buthernewfriendhadpromised，andwhyshouldheteaseherso？Theeffectofablowisasproportionatetothetextureoftheobjectstruckastoitsownmomentum；andshehadsuchasuperlativecapacityforbeingwoundedthatlittlehitsstruckherhard。
Itwasnottilltheendofhalfanhourthattwofigureswereseenabovetheparapetofthedrearyoldpile，motionlessasbitternsonaruinedmosque。EventhenStephenwasnottrueenoughtoperformwhathewassocourteoustopromise，andhevanishedwithoutmakingasign。
Hereturnedatmidday。Elfridelookedvexedwhenunconsciousthathiseyeswereuponher；whenconscious，severe。However，herattitudeofcoldnesshadlongoutlivedthecoldnessitself，andshecouldnolongerutterfeignedwordsofindifference。
\'Ah，youweren\'tkindtokeepmewaitinginthecold，andbreakyourpromise，\'shesaidatlastreproachfully，intonestoolowforherfather\'spowersofhearing。
\'Forgive，forgiveme!\'saidStephenwithdismay。\'Ihadforgotten——quiteforgotten!Somethingpreventedmyremembering。\'
\'Anyfurtherexplanation？\'saidMissCapricious，pouting。
Hewassilentforafewminutes，andlookedaskance。
\'None，\'hesaid，withtheaccentofonewhoconcealedasin。
ChapterV
\'Bosom\'dhighintuftedtrees。\'
Itwasbreakfasttime。
Asseenfromthevicaragedining-room，whichtookawarmtoneoflightfromthefire，theweatherandsceneoutsideseemedtohavestereotypedthemselvesinunrelievedshadesofgray。Thelong-
armedtreesandshrubsofjuniper，cedar，andpinevarieties，weregrayishblack；thoseofthebroad-leavedsort，togetherwiththeherbage，weregrayish-green；theeternalhillsandtowerbehindthemweregrayish-brown；thesky，droppingbehindall，grayofthepurestmelancholy。
Yetinspiteofthissombreartisticeffect，themorningwasnotonewhichtendedtolowerthespirits。Itwasevencheering。Foritdidnotrain，norwasrainlikelytofallformanydaystocome。
Elfridehadturnedfromthetabletowardsthefireandwasidlyelevatingahand-screenbeforeherface，whensheheardtheclickofalittlegateoutside。
\'Ah，here\'sthepostman!\'shesaid，asashuffling，activemancamethroughanopeningintheshrubberyandacrossthelawn。Shevanished，andmethimintheporch，afterwardscominginwithherhandsbehindherback。
\'Howmanyarethere？Threeforpapa，oneforMr。Smith，noneforMissSwancourt。And，papa，lookhere，oneofyoursisfrom——whomdoyouthink？——LordLuxellian。AndithassomethingHARDinit——alumpofsomething。I\'vebeenfeelingitthroughtheenvelope，andcan\'tthinkwhatitis。\'
\'WhatdoesLuxellianwritefor，Iwonder？\'Mr。Swancourthadsaidsimultaneouslywithherwords。HehandedStephenhisletter，andtookhisown，puttingonhiscountenanceahigherclassoflookthanwascustomary，asbecameapoorgentlemanwhowasgoingtoreadaletterfromapeer。
Stephenreadhismissivewithacountenancequitethereverseofthevicar\'s。
\'PERCYPLACE，ThursdayEvening。
\'DEARSMITH，——OldH。isinatoweringragewithyouforbeingsolongaboutthechurchsketches。Swearsyouaremoretroublethanyouareworth。HesaysIamtowriteandsayyouaretostaynolongeronanyconsideration——thathewouldhavedoneitallinthreehoursveryeasily。Itoldhimthatyouwerenotlikeanexperiencedhand，whichheseemedtoforget，butitdidnotmakemuchdifference。However，betweenyouandmeprivately，ifIwereyouIwouldnotalarmmyselfforadayorso，ifIwerenotinclinedtoreturn。Iwouldmakeouttheweekandfinishmyspree。HewillblowupjustasmuchifyouappearhereonSaturdayasifyoukeepawaytillMondaymorning——Yoursverytruly，\'SIMPKINSJENKINS。
\'Dearme——veryawkward!\'saidStephen，ratherenl\'air，andconfusedwiththekindofconfusionthatassailsanunderstrapperwhenhehasbeenenlargedbyaccidenttothedimensionsofasuperior，andissomewhatrudelypareddowntohisoriginalsize。
\'Whatisawkward？\'saidMissSwancourt。
Smithbythistimerecoveredhisequanimity，andwithittheprofessionaldignityofanexperiencedarchitect。
\'ImportantbusinessdemandsmyimmediatepresenceinLondon，I
regrettosay，\'hereplied。
\'What!Mustyougoatonce？\'saidMr。Swancourt，lookingovertheedgeofhisletter。\'Importantbusiness？Ayoungfellowlikeyoutohaveimportantbusiness!\'
\'Thetruthis，\'saidStephenblushing，andratherashamedofhavingpretendedevensoslightlytoaconsequencewhichdidnotbelongtohim，——\'thetruthis，Mr。HewbyhassenttosayIamtocomehome；andImustobeyhim。\'
\'Isee；Isee。Itispolitictodoso，youmean。NowIcanseemorethanyouthink。Youaretobehispartner。IbookedyouforthatdirectlyIreadhislettertometheotherday，andthewayhespokeofyou。Hethinksagreatdealofyou，Mr。Smith，orhewouldn\'tbesoanxiousforyourreturn。\'
UnpleasanttoStephensuchremarksasthesecouldnotsound；tohavetheexpectancyofpartnershipwithoneofthelargest-
practisingarchitectsinLondonthrustuponhimwascheering，howeveruntenablehefelttheideatobe。Hesawthat，whateverMr。Hewbymightthink，Mr。Swancourtcertainlythoughtmuchofhimtoentertainsuchanideaonsuchslendergroundastobeabsolutelynogroundatall。Andthen，unaccountably，hisspeakingfaceexhibitedacloudofsadness，whichareflectionontheremotenessofanysuchcontingencycouldhardlyhavesufficedtocause。
Elfridewasstruckwiththatlookofhis；evenMr。Swancourtnoticedit。
\'Well，\'hesaidcheerfully，\'nevermindthatnow。Youmustcomeagainonyourownaccount；notonbusiness。Cometoseemeasavisitor，youknow——say，inyourholidays——allyoutownmenhaveholidayslikeschoolboys。Whenarethey？\'
\'InAugust，Ibelieve。\'
\'Verywell；comeinAugust；andthenyouneednothurryawayso。
Iamgladtogetsomebodydecenttotalkto，orat，inthisoutlandishultimaThule。But，bythebye，Ihavesomethingtosay——youwon\'tgoto-day？\'
\'No；Ineednot，\'saidStephenhesitatingly。\'IamnotobligedtogetbackbeforeMondaymorning。\'
\'Verywell，then，thatbringsmetowhatIamgoingtopropose。
ThisisaletterfromLordLuxellian。Ithinkyouheardmespeakofhimastheresidentlandownerinthisdistrict，andpatronofthisliving？\'
\'I——knowofhim。\'
\'HeisinLondonnow。Itseemsthathehasrunuponbusinessforadayortwo，andtakenLadyLuxellianwithhim。Hehaswrittentoaskmetogotohishouse，andsearchforapaperamonghisprivatememoranda，whichheforgottotakewithhim。\'
\'Whatdidhesendintheletter？\'inquiredElfride。
\'Thekeyofaprivatedeskinwhichthepapersare。Hedoesn\'tliketotrustsuchamattertoanybodyelse。Ihavedonesuchthingsforhimbefore。AndwhatIproposeis，thatwemakeanafternoonofit——allthreeofus。GoforadrivetoTarganBay，comehomebywayofEndelstowHouse；andwhilstIamlookingoverthedocumentsyoucanrambleabouttheroomswhereyoulike。I
havetherunofthehouseatanytime，youknow。Thebuilding，thoughnothingbutamassofgablesoutside，hasasplendidhall，staircase，andgallerywithin；andthereareafewgoodpictures。\'
\'Yes，thereare，\'saidStephen。
\'Haveyouseentheplace，then？
\'IsawitasIcameby，\'hesaidhastily。
\'Ohyes；butIwasalludingtotheinterior。Andthechurch——St。
Eval\'s——ismucholderthanourSt。Agnes\'here。Idodutyinthatandthisalternately，youknow。Thefactis，Ioughttohavesomehelp；ridingacrossthatparkfortwomilesonawetmorningisnotatallthething。Ifmyconstitutionwerenotwellseasoned，asthankGoditis，\'——hereMr。Swancourtlookeddownhisfront，asifhisconstitutionwerevisiblethere，——\'Ishouldbecoughingandbarkingalltheyearround。Andwhenthefamilygoesaway，thereareonlyaboutthreeservantstopreachtowhenIgetthere。
Well，thatshallbethearrangement，then。Elfride，youwillliketogo？\'
Elfrideassented；andthelittlebreakfast-partyseparated。
Stephenrosetogoandtakeafewfinalmeasurementsatthechurch，thevicarfollowinghimtothedoorwithamysteriousexpressionofinquiryonhisface。
\'You\'llputupwithournothavingfamilyprayerthismorning，I
hope？\'hewhispered。
