Stella Fregelius: A Tale of Three Destinies

thout him. Once, indeed, she had stopped all the afternoon, spending most of it in the workshop with Morris. This workshop, it may be remembered, was the old chapel of th

de nave and lovely roof of chestnut wood, whereof th

-and furnace and litter?" asked Mary. She had sunk down upon an anvil, on which lay a newsp

s no other place that I can have, for my father is afraid of the f

ly alabaster altar and one of those perpetual lamps of silver-the French call them 'veill

dency to admire the outward adornmen

l set about the job, and hire a high-church chaplain with a fine voice to come and say Mass f

, except being always late for prayers through oversl

find something if you t

those are all tombstones of abbots and other holy people, and under each tombstone one of them is asleep. Yet there you are, using strong la

said Morris, "onl

y can't b

ntangible it does not follow that they don't

t about you would soon be in touch with it. With me it is differe

me, I mean?" asked Morris

glass-but I daresay you do often enough. Look here, Mor

nt to know, I think you a young woman rather more idle than most, and

fool-manufactured. Sometimes I wake up, however, and have moments of wisdom-as when I made

but come t

rd to express myself. What I mean is

ared at you or anyon

ng, and by star-gazing I mean trying to get

rough his untidy hair and

steady voice. "That's what you are thinking of

hat?" he

with a sudden access of indiff

nstruction," said M

ve here. You keep trying to fashion another-oh! yes, you have been at it from a boy, you see I have

f a convicted criminal, "without admitting

ake to be so spiritual, at least in that kind of way. You should eat and drink, and sleep ten hours

eate! Wh

nation by imagination, and thought by thought. Then her day might come, and all that you have put o

y she? a

of course you understand that I have only been talking rubbish. I always liked inventing fairy tales; you taught me; only this one is too grown up-disagreeable. What I really mean is that I do think it might be a good thing if you wouldn't live quite so much

right alloy-not one that can be relied

ve it up-for a wh

old the patent for 100 pounds and a royalty. There's commercial succes

nergy. "And, I say, Morris, you are not offended at

ome dreaming in my time, it is true, for so far the world has been a place of tribulation to me, and it is sick hearts that dream. B

duly and prematurely to cultivate our spiritual natures that we

mong those old gentlemen yonder-a year or two hence, you know. Meanwhile, let us take the world as we find it. I

useful, and earn the blessings of an affectionate relative? Then invent a really reliable electrical bike, that would look nice and do all the work, so

ndeed, I have thought of it already

d and continually until you evolve that blessed i

u mine," sugg

. I'll risk it; I know the policeman, and if we meet I will argue with him. Good-b

lieve

pack my London dresses.

answered Morris,

e I was sixteen. I wonder why he does it now? Because I have been

gh the grey twilight, and then began

ll that stuff this afternoon? Because you think he is in a queer way, and that if he goes on giving himself up to his fancies he will become mad-yes, mad-because-Oh! what's the use of making excuses-because you are fond of him, and always have been

light?" shouted a hoarse voice from the

ish I knew," answ

, to whom-at any rate at Monksland-the day was often too long, generally breakfasted at ten. To his astonishment, however, on enter

the least reassured by his father's airy and informed comments upon the contents of the "Globe," which always arrived by post, and the marvel of its daily "turnover" article, whereof the perpetual v

he wanted to fetch something, but the Colonel, who was watching hi

are, my dear boy, I should like

wered the dutiful Morris

ll on the beach, that is, after I have seen the cook about the d

ne who set an undue value upon his own or other people's time. At length, just as Morris was growing weary of the pristine but enticing occupation of making ducks and drakes with flat pebble

she might be worse," an

At present, however, I think that she is worse; also I hate the sight of her fat red face

n't excite me one way or the other, exc

ted, after the co

began the Colonel, affectionately,

one,

occasion when you stopped out all night contemplating t

was the old gentleman so

s you remembe

jects, father; they ranged

y. Well, have you thou

arly, father.

losing patience; "don't chop logic like a pe

ure of his mother teaching him the Catechism many, many years ago. Thereat, as was customary with his

hat do you think o

know under the

s added, "I beg your pardon,

ther came t

f, will you

asked Morris. "Isn'

himself. This, he felt, was not an occasion

You and I don't always agree about things; we are of a different generation, and look at the world from different standpoints. But I think that at the bottom we respect each other, and I am sure," he added with a touch of restrained dignity, "that we are naturall

the case to be conside

ble young woman under all her 'dolce far nient

f her," his son br

ask you to give her an opportu

ind of complication, and for his cousin Mary he had true affection and respect. Moreover, they had been brought up together. She understood him, and in the midst of so much that was uncertain and bewildering she seemed something genuine and solid, something to which a man could clin

e answered; "but if sh

sighed softly, and that sigh seemed

if you are going up to the house, tell the cook that I have changed my mind, we will