Page 63 (1/1)

Stephen moved forward as if he would follow the vicar, then as if he would not, and in absolute perplexity whither to turn hily behind him Before he had receded two yards from the doorstep, Unity and Ann the housee

'Have you heard anything about John Smith? The accident is not so bad as was reported, is it?' said Elfride intuitively

'Oh no; the doctor says it is only a bad bruise'

'I thought so!' cried Elfride gladly

'He says that, although Nat believes he did not check the beetle as it ca it--checked it very considerably too; for the full bloould have knocked his hand abroad, and in reality it is only made black-and-blue like'

'How thankful I am!' said Stephen

The perplexed Unity looked at him with her mouth rather than with her eyes

'That will do, Unity,' said Elfride isterially; and the two maids passed on

'Elfride, do you forgive me?' said Stephen with a faint shtly in his own

With her head thrown sideways in the Greuze attitude, she looked a tender reproach at his doubt and pressed his hand Stephen returned the pressure threefold, then hastily went off to his father's cottage by the wall of Endelstow Park

'Elfride, what have you to say to this?' inquired her father, co up imrasped at any straw that would enable her to plead his cause 'He had told me of it,' she faltered; 'so that it is not a discovery in spite of hi in to tell you'

'COMING to tell! Why hadn't he already told? I object as much, if not more, to his underhand concealment of this, than I do to the fact itself It looks verya fool of ether, and corresponding together, in a way I don't at all approve of--in a most unseemly way You should have kno improper such conduct is A woman can't be too careful not to be seen alone with I-don't-knohom'

'You saw us, papa, and have never said a word'

'My fault, of course; er's son; and ancourts, connections of the Luxellians We have been coot there What shall I next invite here, I wonder!'