The Village by the River

re. The Court was crammed with company, and although Paul and his sister we

s. "To dine there quietly by ourselves, is one thing; to go and meet a heap of smart people, who ar

t. But I expect I should not be smart enough, either in my dre

ike within the

I have not a proper frock," said Sally

ith an answering laugh. "Any woman can wri

later, after which they were asked no more. Sally watched the smart carriages drive to and from the station, with their varying loads of visitors,

the improvement of the place, and it fretted him a little that on every hand he

ality which Allison had half led them to expect; the tenant-farmers opposed any change that would touch their pockets; and people of his own class, few and far between in that thinly

barrier which Paul had chosen to erect between them, determined to break it dow

ed the gate to let her pass, but she h

night of the meeting with its exciting close. I've not thanked

pened to be the one nearest you," said Paul

ngly. "Even so, I'm grateful; I've been calling on your friend Kitty, who informed me with great triumph that daddy was out, but 'Mr. Pa

o," Pau

any. Frankly speaking, why do you accord your friendship to Kitty and not to mother

ught to bay. "As for Kitty, she carried me by storm; she i

," said May,

I admit t

content to be isolated from your fellows-to

eary waste of life; and the word friendship,

asked May, a l

of tastes

one down here is cle

I expect that you and I, for instance, would not take the same view on any subje

ing that the whole world should be reduced to one level of ug

fess, the frightful extravagance of the wealthier classes makes me sick at heart; for one section of society nothing but amusement and pleasur

king less severely-and he is more just too. He does not talk as if it were wicked to

ther a hard

ut of his abundance something of which he will never feel the loss, with the comfortable sense left behind that he or she has done something very big in

parliament. I sincerely trust you will fail. By the way you may set your mind at rest about my dressmaker; her bill is paid, and all my other outstanding accounts too. With you

e elegantly clad figure. "It really seems to me as

r real inconsistency c

eded to carry out my wishes for this village. As landlord, I feel my

me that Major Lessing was

orily to you that circumstances, tastes, and opinions differing so greatly between us, make anyt

imply tried to put things on a kinder footing, as we are your tenants and your neighbours, but I see I have made a

way with never a look behind; but Pa

d hurriedly. "At first I thought you were simply playing a game with me; but, without knowing it,

ight feel a ray of interest in some of the b

sionally into blurting out unpleasant truths: that I have absolutely no small talk. I shall be at best but a rough-and-ready friend; but if in your kindness you still care to cultivate Sally and me, w

nner soon and not feel y

people have gone,"

ersion, apparently. Is that w

e truth," Paul admitted as h

l comment as he let the gate clang behind him. "I first lost my temper, and

got home that night. He resolved simply to change his tactics about the

his head turned in the opposite direction from the squire, looking after the rector, who had just left him, with something of the sullen satisfaction with which a bulldog might regard a van

oung fellow in a public-house. What does it hurt him to be drunk for once in his life? A lesson I call it! just a bit of a lesson as will teach him that his head ain't so strong as mine, nor likely to be till he gets seasoned a bit. I give it him straight enough, and no humbug about it

. Paul, who had been an unwilling listener to this tirade again

just brought in to be shod. I said at first I would not do her to-day; she's a savage brute to tackle alone. I don't let any one touch her but myself when the men are here

s fast restoring Allison's temper, wh

come again to-m

, his mother. "She's one as it does you good to see, so pleasant and free-spoken. Now some on 'em," with a glance in the

be gracious enough when she chooses. She has insisted on our being friends, and I'll make use of the privilege to tell her the impression

he cheerful glow of the fire, and Sally seated on the rug before it reading by the fitful light. She sprang to her feet as she heard his footstep, and ran to ope

she asked, in a half

to pass when the accident occurred, and gave a hand in carry

happ

was knocked down; and, before any one could get to the rescue, he was

there to see it all?" S

hing the doctor. So I first helped them to get poor Allison to his room, and then I rushed to the inn, got a trap, and went and brought a doctor back with me. There is absolutely nothing to be done; but it is a satisfaction to feel that a docto

with a set white face. "If the sight of me

've not had to face death yet.

'll go, Paul; I shan't be long. No! don't

ild night, and it has just come on to rain," said Paul, an

k and stood in the dimly lighted parlour wondering how she should make her presence known. From overhead came the

r, and set Mrs. Allison free when I have just said good-bye

bour met her

ld lady's not to be told anything about it, and Mrs. Allison, poor soul! falls out

nute. He wanted to see me

ing to her. This man, who lay there, unable from time to time to keep back a groan of agony, with the grey shadow deepening on his face, and the drops of perspiration standing on his forehead, would soon lie there silent and still, capable of neither speech, nor feeling, nor hearing. He would

ort of wail from the blue lips. "It can't

ayer, but they brought the rector to her remembrance. If any

down so restlessly upon the counterpane, "I heard you wanted to see me. Let me do

, dimmed already by the

h it's good of you to come. Good-bye. God bless you!

er of which Mr. Curzon had spoken, and he spoke wi

tor come?" ask

on shook

t mind what about; but it don't ma

door with an expression on his face so pitiful, so strong, that in the tension of her f

ringing his face to a le

rd this minute what had happened;

llison; "but you can't want to be

id the rect

gasped the blacksmith. "It

say a psalm or

ying. I ain't no worse than others, and I'm better than some; and what's to

pleaded the rector; "asking you even now

ible shining of that Presence. Instead, the wind sobbed in the chimney and the rain d

fingers Sally saw that great tears forced themselves

And the rector, catching at the feeble flicker of a dawning faith, said the twenty-third Psalm slowly on hi

dying man made him

me a grip of your hand. H

r hymn, no word of which, he feared, could reach the numbed brain, but certain that the Great God in Heaven was looking down upon the sheep that had wandered so far from Him, but whom He still claimed as His own. And Sally waited, too, until the rector

at,-it means going somewhere else; and, if any one can teach me, I must find out where. I could not die like that, Paul; it's despairing, it's quite hop

aid, gathering her into his arms. "I am afraid there is no one who can

hold of something that you and I have missed. There is positive conviction writte

nions; but he can't know. Nobody does," said Paul, doggedly. "And now, dear, we'll