Tales and Fantasies

ying a bundle. Some kind of instinct, or perhaps the distant light footfalls, recalled him, while she was still a good way off, to th

d away, and was then suddenly and stunningly succeeded by a conviction of the truth. The whole story of the past night sprang into his mind with ev

appearance perfectly composed; and she showed neither surprise, relief, no

am,' s

t a pause or any change of voice, 'I

repeated. '

not care where it is, but

do not understa

back here any more,'

arer's mind. Dick was confounded; he recovered from astonishment only to fall into doubt and alarm. He looked up

d. 'Are you comi

repeated with weary impatience. 'T

t to do all this; yet he required some show of love upon her part. He was not one of those tough-hided and small-hearted males who would marry their love at the point of the bayonet rather than not marry her a

to go from here without a plan, without forethought, in the heat of a moment, is madder than madness, and can help nothi

ith a lowering, lan

e me?' she said. 'We

rward on her way. But he

Esther!'

e you to interfere? Who are you, to touc

he took her firmly, almost roughly, b

want. You see-or you could see, if you took the pains to look-how I have waited here all night to be ready at your service. I only asked information; I only urged you to consider; and I sti

h cold, unkind scrutiny like one

way, then,' she

ight you shall be in London. I am yours so wholly that no words can make me more so; and, besides, you know it, a

s fresh and brisk upon their faces, and smelt racily of woods and meadows. As they went down into the valley of the Thyme, the babble of the stream rose into the air like a perennial laughter. On the far-away hills, sun-burst and shadow raced along the slopes and leaped from peak to peak. Earth, air and water, each s

, but of the presence of her companion. She was altogether engrossed in herself, and looked neither to right nor to left, but straight before her on the road. When

said; and descended the win

he was, for near a minute, looking straight before her. And Dick, from above on the bridge where he stood to watch her, saw a strange, equivocal smile dawn slowly on her face and pass away again at once and suddenly, leaving her as grave as ever

ejoined him; and after the constraint of so long a

ion of a minute ere she answered, and when

o itself in the chequered shadow of the dell, and the miller before the door was beating flour from his hands as he whistled a modulation; and up by the high spinney, whence they saw the mountains upon either hand; and down the hill again to the back courts and offices of Naseby House. Esther had kept ahead all the way, and Dick plodded obediently in her wake; but as

cisive footsteps. Moreover he had apparently neglected to wash his hands, and bore the air of one returning from a prolonged nutting ramble. Upon the groom's countenance there began to grow up an expression as of one about to whistle. And hardly had the carriage turned the corner and rattled into the high road with this inexplicable pair, than the whistle broke forth-prolonged, and low and tremulous; and the groom, already so

needed but to find the right touch or intonation, and her heart would recognise him and be melted. Yet he durst not open his mouth, and drove in sile

?' he cried. 'Speak to me, look a

her waist, he sought to kiss her lips, not like a lover indeed, not because he wanted to do so, but as a desperate man who puts his fortunes to the touch, she drew away from him, with a knot in her forehead, backe

touch had burnt him; and then, as she made no answer, he repeated with another

sk me? Oh, how should I know? It has all b

physical hurt, and that was the last word that eithe

on, the down train had just gone by, and there would be no more traffic at the junction until half-past three, when the local train comes in to meet the up express at a quarter before four. The stationmaster had already gone off to his garden, which

boundary but the horizon. Two lines of rails, a waggon shed, and a few telegraph posts, alone diversified the outlook. As for sounds, the silence was unbroken save by the chant of the t

of the platform. Then, in two steps, he wa

ve I done? Can you not forgive me? Esther, y

ime when you declared you loved me. Which was true? was any of it true? or was it all, all a mockery? I am weary trying to find out. And you say I loved you; I loved my father's frien

t forgive me-ca

give,' she answered. '

r?' said he, very white, and b

my last word

ken you away, because then I could have made you happy. But as it is-I must speak plainly-what you propose is degrading to you, and a

ore than he deserves. I wonder you dare speak to me about that man. And besides,

omantic about fa

taunt?' s

he has been the loss of all I cared for. Write to your aunt; when I see her answer you can leave quietly and naturally, and I will take you to your aunt's door. But in the meant

into her pocket and

upon you,'

r a moment, make both of us unhappy for our lives; and since I cannot

nly, 'perhaps I might-p

ithout motion during his absence, and when he returned suffered herself to be put back into the phaeton, and driven off on the return journey like an idiot or a tired child. Compared with what she was now, her condition of the morning seemed positively natural. She sat white and cold and silent, and there was no specu

if this miserable drive would never be done, as if poor Dick would never be able to go away and be comfortably wretched by himself; for all h

is heart again faltered and he appealed to her onc

ithout your love

ou mean,' she replied, and

t come and fetch you herself. Of course you can comman

said wearily

went straight up from the chimney; the flowers in the garden, the hawthorn in the lane, hung down their heads in the heat; the stillness was broken only by the sound o

ard, what shoul

a grin. Esther, passive as ever, was helped out and crossed the garden with a slow and mechanical gait; and Dick, following close behind her