The Weavers: a tale of England and Egypt of fifty years ago - Volume 1

no house near it, and was sheltered from the north wind by the hill-top which rose up behind it a hundred feet or more. No road led to it-only a path up from the green of the vill

ench, two chairs, some utensils, a fireplace of stone, a picture of the Virgin and Child, and of a cardinal of the Church of Rome with a red hat-for the chair-maker had been a Roman Catho

e David Claridge. Here, too, came Faith, who was permitted one hour with him before he began his life of willing isolation. Little was said as t

w fast, and yet, seated inside the door, and looking down at the village which the sun was bathing in the last glowing of evening, they remained silent. Each knew that a great change had come in their hit

t Faith said: "Thee has all th

t how little man may need

eyes rested on th

" A shade passed over David's face. "I know not

of a peacock

of him?" David asked

s from that seeing were in her eyes as

riages, and tall footmen, and wine and silver, and gilded furniture, and fine pictures, and

d he turned to her with an almost troubled su

there was no time to send to Heddington for a nurse. She had seen me once in the house of the toll-gate keeper. Ill as she was, I could have laughed, for, as we went in the Earl's car

carriage indeed

arnished baubles, his titles, and stripping

his home? From Ireland

ave its doors flung wide. London and all the folk of

onder within a year, for he

would be rich tomorrow. He bid

man should wear a broadclo

ly the broadcloth

e rest,

the man's

his father's apostasy. She was too fine, dwelt in such high spheres, that he could not think of her being touched by the glittering adventures of this daring young member of Parliament, whose book of travels had been published, on

are not our ways." She paused, and then said solemnly: "He hath a devil. That I feel. But he hath also a mind, and a cruel will. He will hew a path, or make others hew it for him. He will make or break. Nothing will stand in his way, neither

hee know th

prise. He had never before seen in her

ar over and above the lower hills of the village, making a wide ocean of light, at the bottom of which lay the Meeting-house and the Cloistered House, and the Red Mansion with the fruited wall, and all the others

not also go o

, who ca

sad protest of the maternal spirit, of the keeper of the

for me afar, Faith?"

h case she had steeled her heart against loving, that she might be all in all to her sister's child and to her father. There is no habit so powerful as the habit of care of others. In Faith it came as near being a passion as passion could have a place in her even-flowing blood, under that cool flesh, governed by a heart as fair as the apricot blossoms on the wall in her father's g

is shoulder suddenly wit

honour, though thee is outcast to-day....

steadily; he read

oubled. Thee would go far to smother it for me; and I wa

never wound so quickly healed. She shook her head sadly at

played so

reasoning-though he was not worldly enough to call it feminine, and t

t five minutes up, or more," she said, a little breathlessly,

said, but more as an invitation than a rebuke. "Speech wa

drew to him the chair from the doorway, and beckoned

the room and down the hill

d. David roused himself, as from a dream. "But it is dark!" he said, startled

calmly. She had purposely let him play bey

k. "I will keep the music for the sin's rememb