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'And I mustn't ask you if you'll wait for me, and be my wife some day?'

'Why not?' she said naively

'There is a reason why, my Elfride'

'Not any one that I know of'

'Suppose there is so connected with ree to be my wife, or for your father to countenance such an idea?'

'Nothing shall make me cease to love you: no blemish can be found upon your personal nature That is pure and generous, I know; and having that, how can I be cold to you?'

'And shall nothing else affect us--shall nothing beyond my nature be a part ofwhatever,' she said with a breath of relief 'Is that all? Some outside circue, dear, till you knohat has to be judged For that, ill stop till we get hoht'

'Love is new, and fresh to us as the dew; and we are together As the lover's world goes, this is a great deal Stephen, I fancy I see the difference between enerally, perhaps I am content to build happiness on any accidental basis thata world to suit your happiness'

'Elfride, you sos which make you seem suddenly to become five years older than you are, or than I am; and that rehtAnd no lover has ever kissed you before?'

'Never'

'I knew that; you were so unused You ride well, but you don't kiss nicely at all; and I was told once, by ht, that that is an excellent fault in woain, or we shall not be home by dinner-time' And they returned to where Pansy stood tethered 'Instead of entrusting aily, 'I prefer a surer "upping-stock" (as the villagers call it), in the forain'

They proceeded ho pace

Her blitheness won Stephen out of his thoughtfulness, and each forgot everything but the tone of thebird

'I don't know,' he replied idly