The Mating of Lydia

s Vale, that winding valley which, diverging from the Ambleside-Keswick road in an easterly dir

But she was, before everything, one of those persons who thrill under the appeal of beauty to a degree that often threatens or suspends practical energy. Save for the conscience in her, she could have lived from day to day just for the moments of delight, the changes in

nee, her eyes were lifted to the spectacle before her

usting edges still caught the sunset, but otherwise steeped in purple shades already prophesying night; while the other, separated from the first by a gap, yet grouping with it, ran slanting away to the northwest,

n's pomp," spread on the great slopes of Skiddaw-red and bronze and purple, shot through each other, and glorified by excess of light; that sharpness of the larch green on the lower slopes; that richness of the river fields; that shining pageantry of cloud, ris

tural joy po

s, and beyond, in the little copse on the farther side of the stream, a gleam of blue, where the wild hyacinth spread among the birches. While close to her, at

ome to her a few days before this date, to take a post as drawing mistress in a Brighton school. The salary was tempting;

laughing bravado that had

drawings at a Liverpool exhibition for twenty pounds; and there were lying beside her on th

herself, as a fish from the hook. She was still free; free to draw, free to dream. She had not bartered her mountains for a salary. Instead of crocodile walks, two and two, with a score of stupid schoolgirls,

me near in Lydia's opinion

and over the greenish blue of the lower sky, webs of crimson cirrhus spun themselves. The stream ran fire; and far away the windows of a

, with an exclamation of annoyance, and went to the rescue. Dear, dear!-the longest and best notice, which spoke of her work as "agreeable and scholarly, showing, at tunes, more than a touch of high talent"-was quietly floatin

clinging with one hand to a stump of willow, caught up a stick lying on the bank with the other, and, hanging over the stream, tried to head

had no time for the usual feminine exclam

can I be o

on to the bank. A young man stood there, civilly deferential. His bicycle

rhaps I might help. You were tryin

nk you," said Lydia, wh

d at her, and becam

ece of paper? Oh, I'l

hed a point where, with the aid of Lydia's stick, the bedraggled cut

looked at them, with concern. "Won't

body to ask-about this road-and I couldn't see a soul, till just as I

ed to her camp stool, and began

t you want

e road for

to a bridge and the vill

nk I saw about a mile higher up?" He had picked up his bicycle from the grass, and stood leaning easily upon it. She cou

w the otter hounds. They passed me

He got right away from th

ia, as she shut

ny longer, but, as the girl before him seemed to him one of

stion? Can you tell me whether that fine

don Castle is seven miles away. That place is ca

house. But, that's a fine old place, isn't it?" He looked with curiosity at the pil

id Lydia, dubiously. "Don't

at up for you?" And, letting his bicycle fall, the young man seized t

ression on his sunburnt face as he knelt on the grass, unscrewing her easel, seemed so little to call for snubbing that inst

. Melrose. Did you

Why sh

om the

. He was a good deal junior to me. And I have never stayed

paints, and her next remark showed him subtly that she did not mean to treat him as an acquaintance of

hrelfall as you pass. It

to have heard of the gent

e's a legend about here.

him? Is he a nuis

do with him. About here he go

eople up?" asked th

rl hes

s tenants!" sh

landlord, an

dden sharpness i

e. It's because he shuts himself up-in a hous

ne of the things that pays best nowadays-with all these Americans about

He has built a high wall round his park, and dogs

dogs, I should brave him. In a sm

sh the conversation further. But she did not respond, although as he spoke she happened to notice that he wore a remarkabl

the young man had elaborately fastened all the straps of the portable easel and its case, there was nothing f

ou going to do wit

" She smiled. "I

ghtn't I carry

es in quite another d

hand. He took it, lifte

t-considering the whole interview had only taken ten minutes-she had made an impression upon the young man. And as young men of such distinguished appearance were not common in the W

s as though he were used to them; but he can't be an artist, or he'd have said something. It was a face with lots of power in it. Not very good-tempered, I should say? But there's something about him-yes, distinctly, something! I

ghed to

, he believed that she had let the papers fall into the river-deliberately-on purpose-just to attract his attentio

ditating in so

e suspicious-and harder. Perhaps because women have grown so critical of them! Anyway something's gone-what is it? Poetry? Illusion? And yet!-why is it that men still put us off our balance?-e

blue and pearl fell around her, while the glow died on the fells, and Venus ca

s dog beside him. At sight of him she paused in astonishment. He was an old friend of hers, but he belonged to a village-the village of Mainstairs-some three miles

harp-lined and strong, lit u

been paying a visit to a married daughter under Naddle Fell, and had volunteered to

rden, propped against a rock. Lydia asked him after a sick grand

e, soft look, as she fell silent a li

to your cottage?" sh

a-n

the othe

eth

ows fr

nd in the story of the accident which had slightly lamed the ewe he was carrying. Lydia's vivacious listening, her laugh, her comments, expressed-unconsciously-with

prepared to go on her way-"those counting words you told me last week. I tried t

mplacently. "We doan't use 'em now. But my feyther

northern dalesman of a hundred years ago were still accustomed to

era-pimp; sethera-leth

man delighting in her amusement went on to the compo

ick-tethera-a-dick-m

ked with merriment, the old man car

laughter in her eyes-"up to twe

t-tethera-a-bumfit-methera

d then Lydia-stumbling, laughing, a

again under his load-a veritable "good shepherd," glorified by the evening li

sie soon," she said ge

l be varra

built, and already embowered in a blossoming garden. Lilacs sent their fragrance to greet her; rhododendrons glow

more"-she said to herself, sighing-"and it'll be gone-till next year. And it's been out such a little, li

ce called from

, mo

Lydia! Susan and I have f

house, and put her hea

e in. And I met a dear old shepherd I know. Don'

again, before her

enfold to herself in irritation. "And then all of a

erits they were without; merits which more than maintained her self-respect, and enabled her to hold her ground with them. For instance: by the time she was four and twenty, Lydia's age, she had received at least a dozen proposals. Lydia's scalps, so far as her mother knew, were only two-fellow-students at South Kensington, absurd people, not to be counted. Then, pretty as Lydia was, her nose could not be compared for delicacy with her mother's. "My nose was always famous"-M

the inner chatter of the mind went as fast as her needles-concerned chiefly with two matters of absorbing

thought the maternal optimist, she would of course go on earning-at higher and higher prices-and the family income of some three hundred a year would obtain the increment it so desperately needed. And as Mrs. Penfold looked upon a girls' school as something not far removed fr

hat a providen

eeting at the rectory-more than once apparently-not merely a young man, but the young man of the neighbourhood. And with results-favoura

into the room through its mingled lights

e you al

stroked the s

I didn't-it went away. Lydia! the Rector and Mrs. Deacon have been here.

a la

ell, he's qu

did!" Mrs. Penfold stooped eagerly toward her

en say so. I met him first, of course, at the Hunt Ball.

nything of that. When I was a girl, if a young man liked me at a dance,

in this case. And I wouldn't advise y

enfold

like royalty. But sometimes-they break out. There are dukes that have married plain

Tatham? C

s do! He's the grea

just a pleasant youth-not at all clev

s. Deacon says you got o

He really plays worse than

said Mrs. Penfold pensivel

whether they like it or

o i

you do that, Lydia, you'll be an old maid. Oh, Lydia!"-the sp

handsomer than Lord Tatham-t

and where he was going. Lydia soon ceased to listen. But when the coverlet slipped away she did not fail to replace it tenderly over her mother's feet, and every now and then her fingers gave

e roused her

e is

we mustn't disturb her. She hopes to finish her t

d, if I don't hear her door shut by twelve

ll ever make a great deal of money b

idly, I don't. There's

to

tively artistic, of the new bonnet, and the new dress in which her mother was to appear

ss of its scents. The spring was in her veins, and she felt strangely shaken and restless. She tried to think of her painting, and the prospect she had of ge

ong point, they had sat out in a corner of the hotel garden, by the river, through four supper dances. And if the fact had escaped the notice both of Mrs. Penfold and Susy, greatly to Lydia'

ht by Lord Tatham, and encouraged by Mrs. Deacon. And because she had come to see it, she meant to refuse another invitation from Mrs. Deacon, which was in her p

nd there are hovering relations, and unwritten laws in the background, which only the foolish

o be troubled-for the prese

uplifted. "I have no money, and no position-therefore the vast majority of men won't want to marry me. And a

of her art, yet indignant with herself for these vague year

x of course-and youth. I can no more escape them than anybody else. But I Can be mistress of them. I will. That's where this

ld aspiration. And all in a moment it surp

*

press cuttings had fallen, barely an hour af

versham, to give the youth his name, stopped to look at the wall, which was remarkable for height and strength. The thick wood on his right hid any building there might be on the farther side of the stream. But clearly this was the Ogre's wall-ogreish indeed! A man might well keep a cupboard full of Fatimas, alive or dead, on the other side of it, or a coiner's press, or a banknote factory, or any oth

nd had had a hard season's use. The brake gave way at the worst moment of the hill, and Faversham, unable to save himself, rushed to perdition. And by way of doubling his misfortune, as in

nd face were covered with blood, and his left ankle was apparently broken. A small open motor stood at the bottom of the hill, and an ang

im, till he is fit to be moved farther, or you'll be guilty of his death, and I shall give ev

t' Tower, Mr. Undershaw, an'

l. Where's

orrow. Yo'll do nowt

r. I won't see it done. And if you do it, you'll be indicted for manslaughter. Now then-why doesn't that hurdle come along?" The speaker

led wrath and perplexity

eyed. I have noa power to admit onybody to his house withoot his leave. Y

essing either wrath or scorn-behi

sibility. You let me alone. Now, my boys, lend

pulse, and directed the men to carry him, as carefully as possible, through a narrow gate in the high wall opposite which was standing open, across the private foot-bridge over the stream, and so to the Terr

uld be a public scandal to refuse to help a man in this plight! If we get him alive through to-night

ning on the terrace just beyond the bridge. The door was shut, and it was not till the doctor had made several thunderou

tor, seconded by the threatening looks and words of Faversham's bearers, stout Cumbria labourers, to whom the storming of the

d by one unshuttered window through which some of the evening glow still penetrated. Dixon and his wife whispered excitedly together;

d sulkily to Undershaw. "There's meb

ets rolled up in one corner, and its scanty furniture piled in anoth

ershaw, turning upon her vehemently. "Don

r. "There isn't a room upstairs but what's full o' Must

on the bare floor to receive him, till a bed could be found. Dixon and his wife, in a s

orrow you'll have to find

nd in the absence of its formidable master, was Claud