The Hermit of Far End

the day, the mistress a chronic invalid, and the daughter a beautiful young thing whose mind was intent upon "colour" and "atmosphere," and altogether hazy concern

and by the nervous strain of combating his wife's incessant fretfulness, quickly learned to turn

tically forced him into some sort of explanation, but Sara's quick grasp of the situation had infinitely simplified matters, and by devoting a considerable amount of her ow

yn came to share with her the pin-prick worries that dog a man's footsteps in this vale of woe, learning to laugh at them; and

learning by experience the dangers of such blunders. One day, in the course of her inconsequent path through life, she would probably flutter too

haps more clearly than the girl's overworked and sometimes a

her usual facile sweetness of disposition, and Sara was somewhat nonplussed t

wrong,

, smoking innumerable cigarettes and flinging them away half-finished.

wrong?" she countered, o

-humouredly. "But I'm pretty certain there is

y for a moment, and then toss

ing wrong." She rose and stood looking across at Sa

cious of a di

" she aske

ther a lot-tw

ed very little more-to be in debt. "What on earth have you been up to? Buying a new troussea

l. It's-it's a bridge debt!" The co

face gr

've no business to be playing bri

dios-when the light's too bad to

ara, "the artists'

es

embodied, as she had discovered by inquiry, some of the most rapid elements of Oldhampton's society, and was, moreover, open to receive as temporary members artists who come from other parts of the country to paint in the neig

t you go on playing until you owed twenty pounds. Do

osing badly, and-and som

with big, pathetic eyes. It was difficult to be ri

to borrow," sh

all back? I couldn't ask Dad for it. Every penny he can spare goes on something

ut all that was good, and sweet, and wholesome from the lives of those about her-even that of her own daughter. Did the woman realize, she

ent of Sara's thoughts. "You see, the worst of it is"-she blushed even more bewitchingly than be

etween Sara's level brows. This

she asked, at

ter

what-is Le

well off-he only paints for pleasure. He often runs down from town for a

lent you t

ther sha

o you understand? I will give you the twenty po

You are a b

her shoulders, and she beamed across at her

irmly. "You must never borrow fro

"I've been wretched over this. Although"-brightening-"Lester Kent was

ke rather grimly. "And ho

haps. I really don't know. Somehow he's not t

be lending you money to play bridge with," comme

t it is amusing, Sara. And, you know this place is as dull as ditchwater

tter of her indebtedness to Lester Kent was settled, she relapsed into her usual

-party this afternoon without having that twenty pounds nagging at the back of my mind all the time. I suppos

the cheapest kind of material, "run up" by the local dressmaker, and very evidently

of the rooms at Rose Cottage, and included only Sara and

from the window where he had been standing

uttered forward-"let me int

last been induced to desert the solitary fastnesses of Monk's Cliff, but as she was simply terrified at the prospect of entertaining him hersel

head his hazel eyes met Sara's with a gamin amusement dan

shion from one to the other of her guests. "Sara, my dear, you

ughed o

o conventional." The black eyes flashed back defiance at the hazel ones. "I got caught in a storm on

ncerely that it seemed as though, for the moment, some of the bitterness melted away. Not even so confirmed a misanthrope as the hermit of Far End could have

leaving Trent and Sara standing t

r visiting," said Sara a little nervous

nce hel

it," he answ

med up into the war

y misinterpreting him. She shook her read regretfully. "You must have misun

yes g

ietly, "that I should ver

tating feeling! You made me feel just the same t

behaved like a bore. I'm afraid I've no real excuse to offer, except that I'

flippantly. She was still nervous and talking r

ter irony cro

mehow she had again inadvertently laid her hand upon

asant memories for either of us, let

d. "It implies that you are willing to b

ly, not trusting

hen Audrey Maynard's gay voice bro

longer. Now that we have succeeded in dragging the hermit o

had vacated by Miles's couch. He greeted her coming with a smile, but there were sh

t it?" he said apologetically. "But my game l

ept his face wit

" she said. "You look far too tired to be

smi

truth is that I'm really here on behalf of the one man! I met him yesterday in the town and booked him for this

g him out, Miles. It

n something to talk abo

tracing a pattern on the carpet-"I suppose you don'

ty. Anyway, it is no business of ours." Then, swiftly softening the suggestion of reproof contained in his last sentence, he added: "Don't encourage me to

considerable strain on Herrick's endurance, and, as though b

e beautiful house which the latter had had built to her own design, overlooking

d to Sara w

to see you safely home

t off through the high-hedged lane

rent strode beside

ly. "Or is it only that you want to be rid o

nce had descended on her. It was as though something in the man's dominating personality strung all her

ed down

let me take you round by Crabtree Moor? It's part of a

r of business with his tenant, they made their way across a stretch of w

unrecognizable shapes of darkness, it was an eerie enough place. Sara shivered a little, instinctively moving closer to her companion. And

nt's arm shot out, and, catching him by the sho

isting in Trent's iron g

least, not till you've explained your presence here.

arm," growled t

se rabbits sticking out under your coat? Now, look here, my man, I know you. You're Jim Brady, and it's not the first, nor the

or a moment. Then su

rtal bad, God's truth she is, and haven't eaten nothing this three

mptuously, when Sara leaned forwar

"It's Brady-Black Br

e fact that he came from Fallowd

readily. "And you're the young lad

this man?" Tr

chin' one morning. Fired me gun at 'er, too, I did, to frighten 'er," he continued remin

at the man

w you lived h

to Fallowdene, where me grandmother lives. I came back here to marry Bessie Windrake' she've stuck to me like a straight 'un. But I did

a, appealing to Trent.

t," he answered

e in Brady. "'E's not the soft-

s drew toget

said sharply. "Get along now"-releasing his hold

elf that his captor had omitted to relieve him of the brace of rabbits he h

remained

d his punishment like

his wife is ill, and that

cts as an excuse for disho

smi

ve I am," she

ged his

re fiercely Tory in theory and a ran

t isn't a very good working

to smooth matters over for the evil-doer, but Trent's face still showe

, Sara, except"-with a sudden tense decision-"except interfere with

rd creed," o

"it's the only creed I believe in. Good-night"-he held out his

g away down the path, and a minute late