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Stephen preserved a discreet silence, in which he was i was heard but the ticking of the green-faced case-clock against the wall

'I'm sure,' added Mrs Smith in a more philosophic tone, and as a teret a husband in od-alet en to hae ye--I'd have trod clay for bricks before I'd ever have lowered nity to marry, or there's no bread in nine loaves'

The discussion now dropped, and as it was getting late, Stephen bade his parents farewell for the evening, his h Mrs S, they were never at enether to-ain before returning to London, don't be alarht?' said his ether? They are going to turn you out, then?'

'Not at all Iaboutdoes the carrier pass Endelstow lane?'

'Seven o'clock'

And then he left thehts were, that should the vicar pereht stay longer Should he be forbidden to think of any such thing, he resolved to go at once And the latter, even to young hopefulness, seemed the more probable alternative

Stephen walked back to the vicarage through the meadows, as he had coh little weirs, thesmell of the dews out-spread around It was a ti is meditation, and h to avail himself of Nature's offer His constitution was made up of very si-tiets older, individuality fades, and education spreads; that is, his brain had extraordinary receptive powers, and no great creativeness Quickly acquiring any kind of knowledge he saw around hi a plastic adaptability ed colour like a chaher and inal ideas, and yet there was scarcely an idea to which, under proper training, he could not have added a respectable co-ordinate