ItwasBeatricewhoinsisteduponourmeeting。
IamcertainIknewquitealotaboutloveatfourteenandthatI
wasquiteasmuchinlovewithBeatricethenasanyimpassionedadultcouldbe，andthatBeatricewas，inherway，inlovewithme。Itispartofthedecentandusefulpretencesofourworldthatchildrenoftheageatwhichwewere，thinknothing，feelnothing，knownothingoflove。ItiswonderfulwhatpeopletheEnglishareforkeepinguppretences。ButindeedIcannotavoidtellingthatBeatriceandItalkedofloveandkissedandembracedoneanother。
Irecallsomethingofonetalkundertheoverhangingbushesoftheshrubbery——Iontheparksideofthestonewall，andtheladyofmyworshipalittleinelegantlyastridethereon。InelegantlydoIsay？youshouldhaveseenthesweetimpasIrememberher。
Justherpoiseonthewallcomessuddenlyclearbeforeme，andbehindherthelightvariousbranchesofthebushesoftheshrubberythatmyfeetmightnotprofane，andfarawayandhighbehindher，dimandstately，thecorniceofthegreatfacadeofBladesoverroseagainstthedappledsky。Ourtalkmusthavebeenseriousandbusiness-like，forwewerediscussingmysocialposition。
“Idon’tloveArchie。”shehadsaid，aproposofnothing；andtheninawhisper，leaningforwardwiththehairaboutherface，“I
loveYOU！”
ButshehadbeenalittlepressingtohaveitclearthatIwasnotandcouldnotbeaservant。
“You’llneverbeaservant——ever！”
Isworethatveryreadily，anditisavowIhavekeptbynature。
“Whatwillyoube？”saidshe。
Iranmymindhastilyovertheprofessions。
“Willyoubeasoldier？”sheasked。
“Andbebawledatbyduffers？Nofear！”saidI。“Leavethattotheplough-boys。”
“Butanofficer？“
“Idon’tknow。”Isaid，evadingashamefuldifficulty。
“I’drathergointothenavy。”
“Wouldn’tyouliketofight？”
“I’dliketofight。”Isaid。“Butacommonsoldierit’snohonourtohavetobetoldtofightandtobelookeddownuponwhileyoudoit，andhowcouldIbeanofficer？”
“Couldn’tyoube？”shesaid，andlookedatmedoubtfully；andthespacesofthesocialsystemopenedbetweenus。
Then，asbecameamaleofspirit，Itookuponmyselftobragandliemywaythroughthistrouble。IsaidIwasapoorman，andpoormenwentintothenavy；thatI“knew“mathematics，whichnoarmyofficerdid；andIclaimedNelsonforanexemplar，andspokeveryhighlyofmyoutlookuponbluewater。“HelovedLadyHamilton。”Isaid，“althoughshewasalady——andIwillloveyou。”
Weweresomewherenearthatwhentheegregiousgovernessbecameaudible，calling“Beeee-atrice！Beeee-e-atrice！”
“Sniftybeast！”saidmylady，andtriedtogetonwiththeconversation；butthatgovernessmadethingsimpossible。
“Comehere！”saidmyladysuddenly，holdingoutagrubbyhand；
andIwentveryclosetoher，andsheputherlittleheaddownuponthewalluntilherblackfogofhairtickledmycheek。
“Youaremyhumble，faithfullover。”shedemandedinawhisper，herwarmflushedfaceneartouchingmine，andhereyesverydarkandlustrous。
“Iamyourhumble，faithfullover。”Iwhisperedback。
Andsheputherarmaboutmyheadandputoutherlipsandwekissed，andboythoughIwas，Iwasallatremble。Sowetwokissedforthefirsttime。
“Beeee-e-e-a-trice！”fearfullyclose。
Myladyhadvanished，withonewildkickofherblack-stockingleg。Amomentafter，Iheardhersustainingthereproachesofhergoverness，andexplainingherfailuretoanswerwithanadmirablelucidityanddisingenuousness。
Ifeltitwasunnecessaryformetobeseenjustthen，andI
vanishedguiltilyroundthecornerintotheWestWood，andsotolove-dreamsandsingle-handedplay，wanderingalongoneofthosemeanderingbrackenvalleysthatvariedBladesoverpark。Andthatdayandformanydaysthatkissuponmylipswasaseal，andbynighttheseedofdreams。
ThenIrememberanexpeditionwemade——she，I，andherhalf-brother——intothoseWestWoods——theytwoweresupposedtobeplayingintheshrubbery——andhowwewereIndiansthere，andmadeawigwamoutofapileofbeechlogs，andhowwestalkeddeer，creptnearandwatchedrabbitsfeedinginaglade，andalmostgotasquirrel。ItwasplayseasonedwithplentifuldisputingbetweenmeandyoungGarvell，foreachfirmlyinsistedupontheleadingroles，andonlymywiderreading——Ihadreadtenstoriestohisone——gavemetheascendencyoverhim。AlsoIscoredoverhimbyknowinghowtofindtheeagleinabrackenstem。Andsomehow——Idon’trememberwhatledtoitatall——IandBeatrice，twohotandruffledcreatures，creptinamongthetallbrackenandhidfromhim。Thegreatfrondsroseaboveus，fivefeetormore，andasIhadlearnthowtowrigglethroughthatundergrowthwiththeminimumofbetrayalbytossinggreeneryabove，Iledtheway。Thegroundunderbrackenisbeautifullyclearandfaintlyscentedinwarmweather；thestemscomeupblackandthengreen；
ifyoucrawlflat，itisatropicalforestinminiature。IledthewayandBeatricecrawledbehind，andthenasthegreenofthefurthergladeopenedbeforeus，stopped。Shecrawleduptome，herhotlittlefacecameclosetomine；oncemoreshelookedandbreathedclosetome，andsuddenlysheflungherarmaboutmyneckanddraggedmetoearthbesideher，andkissedmeandkissedmeagain。Wekissed，weembracedandkissedagain，allwithoutaword；wedesisted，westaredandhesitated——theninasuddenlydampedmoodandalittleperplexedatourselves，crawledout，tobepresentlyrundownandcaughtinthetamestwaybyArchie。
Thatcomesbackveryclearlytome，andothervaguememories——I
knowoldHallandhisgun，outshootingatjackdaws，cameintoourcommonexperiences，butIdon’trememberhow；andthenatlast，abruptly，ourfightintheWarrenstandsout。TheWarren，likemostplacesinEnglandthathavethatname，wasnotparticularlyawarren，itwasalongslopeofthornsandbeechesthroughwhichapathran，andmadeanalternativeroutetothedownhillcarriageroadbetweenBladesoverandRopedean。Idon’tknowhowwethreegotthere，butIhaveanuncertainfancyitwasconnectedwithavisitpaidbythegovernesstotheRopedeanvicaragepeople。ButsuddenlyArchieandI，indiscussingagame，fellintoadisputeforBeatrice。Ihadmadehimthefairestoffer：IwastobeaSpanishnobleman，shewastobemywife，andhewastobeatribeofIndianstryingtocarryheroff。ItseemstomeafairlyattractiveoffertoaboytobeawholetribeofIndianswithachanceofsuchabooty。ButArchiesuddenlytookoffence。
“No。”hesaid；“wecan’thavethat！”
“Can’thavewhat？”
“Youcan’tbeagentleman，becauseyouaren’t。Andyoucan’tplayBeatriceisyourwife。It’s——it’simpertinent。”
“But“Isaid，andlookedather。
Someearliergrudgeintheday’saffairsmusthavebeeninArchie’smind。“Weletyouplaywithus。”saidArchie；“butwecan’thavethingslikethat。”
“Whatrot！”saidBeatrice。“Hecanifhelikes。”
Buthecarriedhispoint。Ilethimcarryit，andonlybegantogrowangrythreeorfourminuteslater。Thenwewerestilldiscussingplayanddisputingaboutanothergame。Nothingseemedrightforallofus。
“Wedon’twantyoutoplaywithusatall。”saidArchie。
“Yes，wedo。”saidBeatrice。
“Hedropshisaitcheslikeanything。”
“No，’edoesn’t。”saidI，intheheatofthemoment。
“Thereyougo！”hecried。“E，hesays。E！E！E！”
Hepointedafingeratme。Hehadstrucktotheheartofmyshame。Imadetheonlypossiblereplybyarushathim。
“Hello！”hecried，atmyblackavisedattack。Hedroppedbackintoanattitudethathadsomestyleinit，parriedmyblow，gotbackatmycheek，andlaughedwithsurpriseandreliefathisownsuccess。WhereuponIbecameathingofmurderousrage。HecouldboxaswellorbetterthanI——hehadyettorealiseIknewanythingofthatatall——butIhadfoughtonceortwicetoafinishwithbarefists。Iwasusedtoinflictingandenduringsavagehurting，andIdoubtifhehadeverfought。Ihadn’tfoughttensecondsbeforeIfeltthissoftnessinhim，realisedallthatqualityofmodernupper-classEnglandthatnevergoestothequick，thathedgesaboutrulesandthosepettypointsofhonourthataretheultimatecomminutionofhonour，thatclaimscreditforthingsdemonstrablyhalfdone。Heseemedtothinkthatfirsthitofhisandoneortwoothersweregoingtomatter，thatIoughttogiveinwhenpresentlymylipbledanddrippedblooduponmyclothes。Sobeforewehadbeenatitaminutehehadceasedtobeaggressiveexceptinmomentaryspurts，andIwasknockinghimaboutalmostasIwantedtodo；anddemandingbreathlesslyandfiercely，afterourschoolmanner，whetherhehadhadenough，notknowingthatbyhishighcodeandhissofttrainingitwasequallyimpossibleforhimtoeitherbuck-upandbeatme，orgivein。
IhaveaverydistinctimpressionofBeatricedancingaboutusduringtheaffairinastateofunladylikeappreciation，butI
wastoopreoccupiedtohearmuchofwhatshewassaying。Butshecertainlybackedusboth，andIaminclinedtothinknow——itmaybethedisillusionmentofmyripenedyears——whichevershethoughtwaswinning。
