The Mating of Lydia

on affair, and carried a placard, peremptorily directing the person entering to close it behind him. And on either side of it, the great wall stretched away with which, some ten years before

, and the roads grass-grown. It was, Tatham knew, let out to various small farmers, who used it as they pleased. As to the woods which studded it, "the man must be a simple fool who could let them get into such a state!" Tatham prided himself hugely on the admirable forestry wit

him. The hunt had momentarily paused, and then breaking loose from all control had dashed through the yard of the Home Farm in joyous pursuit, while the enraged Melrose, who with Dixon and another man had rushed out with sticks to try and head them back, had to confine himself and his followers to manning the enclosure round the house-impotent spectators of the s

awsuit brought by a former tenant against his landlord, in which a story of mean and rapacious dealing on the part of Melrose, toward a decent though unfortunate man, had excited the disgust of the whole countryside. Melrose had never since been able to find a tenant for the farm, and the bailiff he had put in was a drunken creature whose mismanagement of

to grow up around it, the home according to the popular legend of uncanny multitudes of owls and bats, tickled imagination; and Tatham had often brought

rown with ivy; but the dingy thickets of laurel and yew were everywhere shorn away; and to the east all the windows stood free and open. Moreover, two men were at work in the front garden, clearin

in up to now?" was the natural

a guest-an invalid guest-t

unning up to hold his horse. Tatham, who knew everybody and prided

you're making a fi

But we're about through wi' this side,

place it is," said Tatham, pausing

grinned re

el' is pleased. He stood a lang while looki

improvement!" laughed Tatham,

re farmers on the Duddon estate; and one of them owed his recovery from a dangerous and obscure illness to the fact that, at the critical moment, Tatham had brought over

rsham exp

, however, the domed and decorated ceiling, the classical mantelpiece, with its medallions and its pillars of Sienese marble, a couple of bold

the young man, revealing a face that worked with hardly repressed excitement, and explained that the furnishing an

mirrors, pictures, fine eighteenth-century chairs, settees, occasional tables, and what not. Hastily as it had been done, the brilliance of the effect was great. There was not, there could not be, the beauty that comes from old use and habit-from the ordered life of generations moving among and gradually adapting to itself a number of lovely things. Ta

in dust. And there's not a thing been unpacked now i' the house itsel', for fear o' t' dust, an' Mr. Faversham. The men carried it aw oot o' that door"-he pointed to the far western end of the gallery-"an' iverything was doon out o' doors, all t' carpets beaten an' aw, where

sham staying

e cautious reply. "But they do say 'at he

dislike of Melrose restrained him from indulging i

me newly laid grass, Tatham perceived the invalid on a deck

ed. Faversham of

aid Tatham, "I

ase with a smile, han

dri

head, and his ruddy, good-humoured face beaming on his companion, it did no

when Mrs. and Miss Penfo

then grinned

Penfold she'd find

hair, and complexion, and to the thinness of his long frame, so that Tatham, who would have said before seeing him that he remembered him perfectl

sked for anything, never wished for anything of the sort. Everything wa

that nobody but yourself has ever had bite or sup in this house for twenty years, unless it were some

he had done nothing, and wa

entleman of old. But she didn't know your powers of soothing the savage breast! However, you

't be ungrateful for what has been done. But my best thanks to La

lls me there is a carriage com

in Faversham'

g one yesterday," he said, u

ther discussion of Melrose. Then Faversham described his accident, and s

m; adding with sudden sharpness, "I s

f looking at it!" laughed Tatha

he fact is I don't like the law-never have. I've tried other things-fatal, of course!-but they haven't come off, or at least only

m's tone was already that of a man to

ns than the rest of us," he said

u get by brains? A civil service appointment-and a pension o

n which however there was no good-humour. It made

rse, there ar

een that happen often. Or you get on swimmingly for a while, and everybody supposes you're going to romp in; and then something crop

lunt features expressing some bew

ly know what you'r

lit anothe

t a foothold, a beginning-I daresay I could make money like

nto politics-or some

at seems to me the dividing line in life-whether you are under another man's orders or your own. And broadly speaking

old fellow," though their college familiarity justified it. He changed the subject, and they fell

of a youth on whom Fortune had showered every conceivable gift-money, position, and influence-without the smallest effort on his own part, rang false or foolish in the ears of his companion. Tatham, cut off from the county, agricultural, or sporting subjects in which he was most at home, fumbled a good deal in his efforts to adjust himself; while Faversham found it no use to talk of travel, art, or music to one who, in spite of an artist

ll easily be imagined, entered upon the s

with her bright and humorous look till her mother should give her the chance of a word. Her gray dress, and white hat, her little white scarf, a trifle old-fashioned, and the pansies at her belt seemed to Tatham's eager eyes the very perfection of

d you of that hill!" s

nd looking d

At least, they tell me so. As for me, everything, from the moment I left you till I woke up

Did you see w

your name in one a

hen I feel low," said Lydia. "It said th

Faversham. "But of c

. The secretary said they had hardly ever had such a bad year-something to do with a bank breaking-or the influenza-or something. But Lydia, lucky girl, sold hers within the first week. And we don't know

between his knees twirling it, his e

were making that d

" said Lydia shyly. And she produced a thin

work he had seen in March, at one of the Bond Street galleries; a one-ma

Tatham-"he is the man of all the world I admir

m. "You are quite independent.

t, which seemed to say that she was not at all du

you who do

ounger artists and their work. Lydia's face kindled. She listened; she agreed; she interrupt

m into it. He himself defeated her. He wanted to listen; so did Mrs. Penfold, who sat in open-mouthed wonder at Lydia's cleverness; while Tatham was presently conscious of a strong

ten minutes in their lives before, there seemed to have arisen, at once, an understanding,

en, for whom nothing else counted, beside the fascination and the torment of their work; Lydia speaking from within, as a hum

, was indeed set on doing so, helped always by the look of delicacy, the traces of suffering, which appealed to her pity. Tatham moved

*

and Faversham were still t

d Tatham show you the garden-that's been made in a week! It's like that part in 'Monte Cristo,' where h

the rampart wall which crowned the sandstone cliff, was now and then uncomfortably aware as they

one was anxiously lowered-"the daughter

ow no

d be the

y, I suppose, not legally,

am!-but you woul

me to th

ought to ask for

shed. She quite understood that Lydia thought it unseemly to be putting a guest through a string

s-and people tell you such tales-and you come a

e look, under her wistfu

to her aid, to jus

und of wheels

d her hand t

id we've

ill you come t

id a finger on her lip, as she

m, and this time there was something painful and strained in his perception of it. In his first meeting with her that day he had been all hopefulness-content t

e sitting-room of which the

ed toward the house expecting Dixon w

ked exclamation from Tatham, and Faversham perceived

*

l features gave him an Apollonian aspect as he towered above the startled group, looking down on them with an expression ha

sion, which will not be prolonged. I came, as you

what's wrong with him?

you introduce me

Lydia slightly. She was indignant for Tatham. Mr. Melrose, having announced his absence for the day, ough

ps. "Oh, we keep open house nowadays. You're going?" This was in answer to Tatham's bow which h

with Faversham and the Penfolds; then without reentering the

m, "I can't say he resembles his mot

tea things. Melrose meanwhile seated himself, and with a magnificent gesture invited the ladies to do the same. Mrs. Penfold obeye

e now and then, reserving all his attention for the young girl, whose beauty he instantly perceived. His piercing eyes travelled from

*

ly, when he returned from accompany

Melrose should have spoilt the final success of his little

ivals, by bidding high for some inferior thing, exciting their competition, and then at the critical moment dropping it on the nose, as he explained it, of one of his opponents. "Wilson of York came to me nearly in tears, and implored me to take some beastly pot or other that I had made him buy at a r

ersham, not without emphasis, "that I wa

inds-that I can't resist. Of different kinds-" repeated

portant proposition to make to you. That fellow Undershaw would attack me if I began upon it now. Mo