Dariel

ends with cabbage-grubs. But this year it must have lasted well into the time of turnip-bottoms; otherwise how could my sister, Lady Fitzragon, have been in London? Not that we knew very mu

ng out of doors nearly all the day now, and keeping my own hours, I found it easy enough to avoid all notice and escape all questions. For the people at the cottage very seldom came to my special den, the harness-room; and I kept my own litt

appily on my left forearm, where the flesh had been torn, when there in the stableyard before me, conspicuous in the moonlight, with a blazing satin waistco

e hands, or I shall spoil some of your charms. Why, you must have b

deed I would never have come down at all,

d to call her

before-"only ten times as bad. Why, you mustn't neglect this. You'll have it off at the elbow, if you do. Why, even by this light-By Jove,

gh, for it was thoroughly like Tom to fetch everything into his

u will be, in your own parish, what nobody has seen anywhere,-a dead jackass,-if you go on like this. There is a black strip

tell any strong young fellow-of the absurdities our worthy doctors try to screw into us now-that a man must not draw the breath the Lord breathed into him, for fear of myrio-mycelia-micro-somethings, neither d

irst field of wheat. Though it won't pay for cutting and binding, Tom, the sight is as glorious as ever. What a pity for our descendants, if we ever have a

I possess, although he could make a hook and eye of rhyme sometimes. "But th

el. We waited a minute or two by the gate, till a white cloud veiled the quivering disc, and then

could compare with that. And a man must be a muff who could look at this, and then trouble his head about their stupid little tricks. L

and this abstract worship of beauty was not so satisfactory to me now. "But come into my place, and tell me al

, and her husband would have to help to keep her mother. How lucky for me she never can have heard of the glorious Tinman, or my oofy maiden-aunt; wouldn't she have jumped at me, if she had? A fellow can't be too careful, George, when you come to think. But you'll never make a fool

about them? I'll thank you to hold your

ll gipsies are tinkers, therefore these people are tinkers. But don't get in a wax, George. I was only chaffing. It may be Cleopatra herself, for

g quite such a fool, I trust, as to pretend to that knowledge which even

boy! However, it was not to be. And when I told her that I must look higher (meaning only up to heaven) for gradual consolation, what a wax she did get in! Never mind. Let it pass. There are lots of pretty girls about. And no m

e-light, and proceeded in his usual manner. "Tom, my friend, you don't look so much amiss. If your heart is broken, there is enough of it left to do a little breaking on its own account. Don't be cast down, my

him. But what was the opinion of a tall, hard man who stood in the doorway with a long gun on hi

pect this pleasure so late at night. This is an old friend of mine-Mr. Erricker. Allow me to introduce you, Tom, to Mr. Jackson Stonema

to Grace Cranleigh!" For no doubt he had heard of Tom's frequent visits, and the inference drawn by neighbours. "But I must beg pardon," he continued, "for daring to look in at such a time. It was only this, I have been down to the p

see you, and I will tell you why. I am a bit of a sportsman, when I can get the chance. But this fe

king, for to beg permission from this new landowner was about the las

or where you have taken the shooting rights. But there is a little warren with a lot of rabbits, on Bandilow's farm, where Sir Harold g

ve three fellows doing next to nothing. They have just finished bundling a lot of furze. Capital fellows with a hook, I believe; an

ng heard, no doubt, that we were short of hands. I thanked him warmly, for these men would be of the greatest service to us. And then he

your left arm, caused by the tooth or the claws of a dog; and ins

e that for a thousand pounds. George, how could you

er about it. It can concern nobody but myself. And I will tha

of yours, and most of all that of your family. Such behaviour of yours is not true manliness, as I daresay you suppose, but foolhardy

her-bed. But when both my friends had killed me of rabies to their entire satisfaction, I showed them in very few words how little they knew about what they were talking of. For I

as if he were in church; so I begged him to go to bed, for whic

s; "none of our people know it. They make such a fuss about a dog-bite, that I was

call you George. I will do so, now that your bright young friend is gone. When I think of the reports that reached me-but I will say no more. A fine young fellow, no doubt, or he would not be a friend of yours." The vision

kindly. I am well aware that you know a th

into play just now. In the case of another, that is so much easier; just as any fool can pass judgment on the labour he has never tried with his own hand. Excuse me, George, if I speak amiss,

informed about them." My mind had been full of them, altho

when you get nearer to them, there is no real mystery at all. The only wonder is that they can have been there so long, without attracting notice. If the country had been hunted, as it used to be, when people could afford to keep up the pack, they would never have been left so quiet. The parson of the parish, as a general rule, routs up every newcomer for church purpo

are they doing there? And ho

re else upon this planet. And wherever money passes, it can be followed up. The strange thing is that these people seem to care very little about concealment, though they are not sociable. What their native language is, we do not know, though they seem to be great linguists. French, Ger

eople of high rank, I am sure of that. Political exiles, refugees, Anarc

ch they have set up themselves, to suit themselves. The old water-wheel they had, and the cogs and all that, left from the old corn-grinding time; but they have refitted it for quite a different purpose, and

d no doubt whatever. Ah, but he had never seen the majestic

e can imagine-grist for his own mill. They make the world a black chapter, to suit their own book. But I have no motive. What motive could I have, to make out that people are better than they seem? I tell you, and you may take my word for it, that this little colony, of whate

that wise plan, what he said when exhorted to repentance, 'You make money for yourself,

from them, and improve the m

hly at home with that old joke; then he took up his gun, and m

to think the best, sadness came into my heart, and a sombre view of life depressed me. There are two things only that can save a man from deep dejection occasionally. One of them is to have no thought whatever, except for affairs of the moment; and the other and surer is to believe with unchangeable conviction that all is ordered by a Higher Power, benevolent ever, and ever watchf

the life of their valued warder, and then with a modesty no less rare, had vanished before they could thank him, if they ever had the grace to intend it. "All the better," I said to myself, with the acumen of the wisest fox that ever entered vineyard, "even if all had been right, it never could have led to any good; and see what a vast amount of work is coming on all at once, with no one else to do it! And all the time is there any one but myself to see to my young sister's doings? Here is this fellow

fect was very different now from that which Tom and I had watched. For the surface of the luxuriant corn, instead of imbibing and simpering with light, was flawed and patched (like a

liar tone of things not to be told, as well as some dread of a mischief to my brain-through what had befallen me recently-took away from me that superior gift which had enabled me to bea

, when this welcome truth came to my knowledge. "Can't

e, showing a very strange head-dress and other outlandish garments, and a loose idea

moon, or even rainbow could render, a small square package, which he lifted to his eyes. With a rush of my heart into the situation, I seized him b

he wore in his belt, and then he looked at me boldly. With a smile to reassure him, I offered to take the missive from his other hand. But that was not the proper style of doing business with him. He drew back for a pace or two, and made the utmost of his pu

th this." Perhaps he was out of practice in the art of sitting down, for instead of accepting the chair I offered, he clapped him

the time, for so they call those deadly bits of steel, without which they never think their attire complete. Being unaccustomed to be looked at so, I could not enter into my fair letter as I wished; though that little fellow would have flown up to the slates, before he could get near me with that hateful snakish thing. And to tell the truth, I did him wrong by any such suspicion; for there could n

I wrote a few lines and enclosed them in a cover. Then I found a bit of sealing wax,

break your neck. Why, I'm blest if the pagan has drunk a drop of his beer! Ca

was swift death for his enemies. However, he possessed some civilisation as to the meaning of a broad crown-piece, which in the fervour of my joy I set before him. To a rich man it would have

any telescope may carry, it showed the sky cast open at the zenith, like a lily, and a host of golden angels letting down a ladder for me. For no longer could I hide my state of mind, or disguise it from myself. Henceforth I shall be open about it

space of time, we made endeavour to find out the name of the gentleman who had done us so great a service, but would not permit us to thank him. We are strangers here, and have not much knowledge. After that, a man who possesses three goats pronounced to us that he understood the matter. According to his words, I take the liberty of letter, entreating you, if