Only a Girl's Love

d turning to follow the direction of his eyes, saw the

rried a whip in his hand with which he barred the entrance against a couple of colleys, a huge

l of admiration for the graceful figure in the close-fitting velvet, and the han

rew back, the big ones throwing themselves down on t

, his head bent. "I thought Mr. Etheridge was alone,

ud humility, Stella, girl-like, noticed that he did not even venture to hold out his hand, and certainly Mr. Adel

he said, conscious that her face had grow

forgiven," and he

instinctive desire to hide her bare arms and the flour, now

't," s

olded that a sculptor would have sighed over it in despair at

d, not as Mr. Adelstone would hav

oment, his eyes smiling into hers; then he relinquished it, with not a wo

and there was in his voice, Stella noticed, a frank candor that was almost boyish but full of respect.

4

hin hand, but still keeping a hold, as it were, on his beloved eas

iends with the huge mastiff, much to the jealous disgust of

a moment; his eyes fixed on the kneeling girl r

e added, for Stella's behalf, "th

ed her face

biting me, wouldn't you?" and she drew the mastiffs great head on to her lap, w

of them!" said Mr. Etherid

Lord Leycester, "but they will be quite q

don't bite my niece,

should not allow her to go near them. Please go on

ge waved hi

sit down?

ster shook

o ask you a fa

eridge

t is

er laughed h

he said. "My tongue cleaves

e relaxed into a smile as his eyes rested on the

sively frightened,"

he benefit of his title; he had known him when Leycester had been a boy, running in and

o do a little

ed and looked at

opening out opposite the small

y," began

ent on, interrup

river. Right up from the stream it stretches green, with the young Spring leaves, to the sky above the hill. In the open space between the trees the primroses have made a golden carpet. I saw two kingfishers sailing up it as I stood a

neeling over the dog, listened too, with down-bent face, and

e poem. She saw the picture as he drew it, and in her heart

at moment. As well associate the darkness of a Winter's night with the bright gladness of

paused, but he

le as a rock. Indeed your eloquence is wasted; it is not an impressionable man whom you

ll not

d man

t an excuse, and mask my refusal. With you

er smiled an

"I meant it for a prese

turned toward him.

own his brush and

u say so at fi

ycester

o something for me-for myself,"

ian," said Mr. Etheridge.

ester. "I have nothing to thank you for.

ek-next

hing out his hand with a peculiar gesture

d man

t so! It would always b

now, very slowly, but surely, as we speak; in a week it will be gone, and

round with comical di

turned to Stella with the air of a man

I am led, like a pig to market, will I or will

ew h

be all the thing

trode to an old-

nd yourself into the

the cabinet, he stopped s

a presiding spirit. I am so used to taking liberties with your uncl

e and smil

an my uncle's, then," she sa

and color-box; then, with some difficulty, he disentangled a folding camp-s

a rueful countenance, but seeing that resista

, Stella? I must

out, followed by all the dogs, and fetched the soft

Etheridge dropp

hings," he said; but L

g. And Mr. Etheridge, witho

king at Stella, a wistfu

that I am emboldened to venture

lashed for a moment in her eyes; the

ake a puddin

ms, and then at her, with

orning is-how grand the river lo

shook h

4

head, too highly

am sorry now that I have gained my wa

e things and held out her hand; but as he took the finger which s

u still

udding for anything, my l

de covered his face, but it we

and still holding her hand he drew her to the window and pointed with his whip, "there's t

la, gently withd

d, his eyes fixed on hers wi

in her ears, and her face paled. He noticed the sudden

d, quietly, "yo

a sudden impulse she raised her

ill come!

hout a word, called to t

t into the kitchen-not laughing nor singing, but with a st

rd to describe the sensation. Was it his face or his voice that haunted her? As she stood absently looking d

nishment. She was getting used to Stella's quickly

ook her head firmly; not by one inch would she swerve f

came down. As she passed out of the house and down the path, the mastiff leaped the ga

own and came

"I thought a pudding was a mystery w

4

im, her dark brows dr

d for me?"

e back. I did not like to thi

was s

?" he asked, i

a moment, then she l

she

coloring of Spring stretched before her, and she had no thought of turning back, no thou

soft mist of a Summer evening; blindly, passively she was

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