A Changed Man and Other Tales

place during the week under notice, and this had been followed by a feast to the parishioners. Christine's father, one of the same ge

le building-the hall proper-covered with a fine open-timbered roof, whose braces, purlins, and rafters made a brown thicket of oak overhead. Here tenantry of all ages sat with th

d rice-pudding, from which a footman was scooping a large spoonful, when

nephew of the entertainer, a young man from London

to and fro during the remainder of the serving, he smiled acquaintance. When their work was don

had flushed a little in attracting her notice, though the flush had nothing of nervousness in it-the air with which it was a

upon the young; upon men and women who had played out, or were to play, tragedies or tragi-comedies in that nook of civilization not less great, essentially, than t

remarked to his companion on the scene-'It does one's heart go

t that word "simple"! You little think what they see and medit

but for her own relation to Nicholas. The sense of that produced in her a nam

real truth is that I know more of the Parthians, and Medes, and dwellers in Mesopotamia-almost of any people, inde

useful to Nicholas, if their dream were carried out. A door opened from the hall into the garden, and she somehow found herself outside, chatting with Mr. Bellston on this topic, till she thought that upon the whole she liked the young man. The gard

you! They are

anything here. A roug

wn existence in little things, which she found here, imparted an alien tinge to Nicholas just now. The latter, idealized by moonlight, or a thousand miles of distance, was altogether

d finished their feast, the newly-christened baby had been exhibited, and a few words having been spoken to them they began, amid a racketing of forms, to make for the greensward without, Nicholas's cousin and cousi

ther that they know? I'm dog-tired, and I want to have a yew words with Mr. Everard before we join '

wool,' said S

s averse, as any of the tenantry themselves, to acting the part of fugleman. Only the par

lead off; but really I know no more about speeding the plough than a child just born! Would you take one of the villagers?-just to start them, my uncle says. Suppose

though in the shade nobody noticed it, 'Oh, yes-I know him,' she

y make him stand as first couple w

explained eagerly, 'I know the figure and you don't-so that I can help you; while Nicholas Long, I know

second with his charge. There were grim silent depths in Nic's character; a small deedy spark in his eye, as it caught Christine's, was all that showed his consciousness of her. Then the fiddlers began-the celebrated Mellstock fiddlers who, given

with her hard labour.. Resting here, she watched Nic and his lady; and, though she had decidedly cooled off in these later months, began to admire him anew. Nobody knew these dances like

to dance with

dness, which he quite understood, and allowed him to lead her to the top, a row of enormous length appearing below them as

o be?' whispe

e band. 'The Hon

e fine adjustment of two interacting parts of a single machine. The excitement of the movement carried Christine back to the time-the unreflecting passionate time, about two years before-when she and Nic had been incipient lovers only; and it made her forget the carking anxietie

ered. 'I don't object personally; but

riven over; and I set o

ou have

one of uncle's horses I

ive back-ten miles on

you think of this o

have been a reality with us if you had not been stupid

we try

know. I'll t

ancers themselves perceived; but they did not know wh

should know what some others think,' a waterman was say

asked for

and did the job a'most afore 'twas light one morning. But mind, not a word of this; for 'two

ther and Mr. Bellston the elder had now come out from the house, and were sm

ight think it odd, he being one of our own neighbouring farmers. I should not mention this to 'ee

papa,' sai

able, and the soul of honour; and I am a young woman of the adjoining parish, who have been constantly thrown into communication with him. Is it not, by nature'

dence of weakness than of strength in the passion it concerned, which had required neither a

to trudge on foot all those miles back after his exertions on the sward. Mr. Everard, arousing himself from a n

ering if her father had disco

d to pay his addresses to 'ee. I naturally said that it depended upon yourself; and he replied that you were willing enough; you had given him particular encouragement-showing your preference for him by specially cho

read as encouragement. 'He has mistaken me altog

u won't h

d, I c

horoughly clever fellow, and fairly well provided for. He's travelled all over the temperate zone; but he says that direct

desirable match, and I should be well provid

e skittish, a

n she believed that such a marriage would be a wise one. In great things Nicholas was closest to her nat

d beliefs-individual and national-burst during their decline into a temporary irradiation, which rivals their original splendour; and then they speedily become extinct. Perhaps the dance had gi

ly been very foolish