Beggars on Horseback

alls into separate phases, unnoticed at the time, but nevertheless distinct. When she had reached her ap

e servants, hard Lylie and slow-tongued James-while at the same time instinct warned her to keep the thing from Hester Keast-all these wer

lately in the northern part of the Duchy. A century earlier, therefore, when Cornwall was practically cut off from England, when even the coach came no further than Saltash, and travellers continued on horseback or in a "kitterine"; when newspapers were unknown, and books only found in parsonages or the biggest of the country houses; when animals were burned alive as sacrifices to fortune, and any man out at night went in fear of ghost

ng eagerness. It was a damp, steamy day, gold and tawny leaves, blown down in one night's gale, were drifted thickly in the fissures of the rocks and over the patches of vividly green moss; and livid orange fungi grew on the tree-boles. Sophie, always affected by exte

ie," he said, making his hands meet round it as he

ned woman gains in attractions, yet there were still things about Sophie-little flashes and gleams, swift touches, that fired hi

lecting choice bits of serpentine, and had them cut out and polished, and you shall have a necklace of them-the ston

ddering again, "we should not

of love instead-o

Lucius, what is the end to be? My

e hate

fear in her eyes that thought of

hate to love. There is a way-i

strength of will to make her play the coquette with him, and she was unable, for the purpose of l

o that her back-tilted head lay against his knee as she loo

rve of her throat, and privately ma

d the second sight, like your old Madgy Figgy of the Men-an-tol. She was learned in all kinds of charms, too. Well I remember as a chi

r from St. Annan's spring to the church whenever there's to be a christening. No one baptized in water from St

we will not slight her knowledge of them, since thro

ld be!" cr

ling and suchlike things, an old love-charm she had had from a Wise Woman in the Highlands. It i

ow happy we should all be. . . . But surely it might ma

s all depend on the intention of he who gives them. You have but

ous if he guessed

ll fail. I will send it to you in packets with the serp

e it to me?"

a movement of distress, "but I have business I must see to in town. I will send yo

ou-will you forget me in London? It is so big and far away and full of great l

misjudge me so? Is not one black hair from your head, one glance from your blue eyes, dearer

in me to hold you-except my love for you. No other women could love you half so w

ind towards me you shall give me your love before all the world, and then

e day to be a great lady there, but now I think of nothing but to be with you. Perhaps, after all, this is wha

or the feet of an an

from here to London! O

t. Don't make it

plaint at once, a

go?" she as

eart. Ah, Sophie, how sh

a mental calculation as to how soon he could get

the powder seems to cause an indisposition. It has to expel the evil humours from a man before it can turn his nature to good. Give it to him in a small quantity once or twice, and he will vomit and be rid of this disaffection towards me, and the rest will work

ucius. She is always looking at me as though she wished me away. No one loves me except yourself-and poor Charles. Hester avoids me, and James never did speak a word to me that he could avoid. Lu

hie once gone, she saw no reason why she should not attain her end. She knew that the ten thousand pounds was a mere myth, but that she kept hidden from Crandon, even bringing forward, as women can, apparently casual little pieces of information that would all tend to fix him in his belief. Crandon had been wise to impress on Sophie the necessity for keeping the love-potion hidden from every one-Lylie, who had a fine nose for a rogu

o his feet. He walked back with Sophie as near Troon as was safe, then took an aff

woman might have been some help to me if I'd met her in the shoes of Isabel or of this Sophie. Lucius, my son, you ar