The White Peacock

to go anywhere, she did not want to do anything, so she insisted on my just going out with her as far as the edge of the water. We crossed the tangle of fe

clatter of these among the pebbles, the swish of the rushes a

and stands with its feet washed round with waters. We broke our way along the shore, crushing the sharp-scented wild mint, whose odour checks the breath, and examining here and there among the marshy places ragged nests of water-fowl, now deserted. Some slim young lap-wings started at our app

the crazy little th

; then they go whining, skelping off from a f

sly showered down upon her myriad crumbs from its flowers like slices of bread, and bathed her in

t been bounding forward after its prey when it was caught. It was gaunt and wild; no wonder it

w cruel!" cried L

ap. The cat struck with her teeth, tearing the cloth convulsively. When i

in my jacket, and pic

Ben-we always prop

u do with it?

y Mill cats," said I, "an

brought her home. They stared, on seeing me enter the kitchen

rs. Nickie Ben," said

ng out her hand to touch the cat, but

hey all go," s

ee days with their bare ankles in a t

nger, fetched Mr. Nickie Ben, another fine black cat, to survey his crippled mate. Mr. Nickie Ben looked, shrugged

exclaimed in surprise on seeing

ollie. He dropped on his knees on

n," sa

y, shuddering violentl

?" I

one-

ting her!" c

good,"

hurried out of the kit

going to do?

replied, taking up the poor ca

"is to swing her round and kn

sick," excl

e took a length of twine and fastened a noose round the animal's neck, and

said he. Lettie looked at hi

followed him across the yard to the garden. On the ban

s replied, he smiled, and dropped the poor writhing c

ank some time. He

quietly, "isn't it cr

othing

an me?" as

ything! If we move the bloo

er seriously,

he cord he held to an ash-pole. Then he went to get a s

t had made a prettier corpse, y

o the ground, and hauled up

ideous object, "haven't her good

have done," L

"Shall you have ba

uble me," she answ

ry high; there was a great rough beam across the ceiling. On the mantel-piece, and in the fireplace, and over t

? If I had seen it I should have hated the sight of

ularly pleased if he t

out callousness and brutality," sai

ly healthy. He's never been sick, not anyway, yet." She sat down and played at ran

and people. She was intensely serious, and gene

answer. His appearance, however, scattered her words like startled birds. He had come straight from washing in the scullery, to the parlour, and he stood behind Lettie's chair unconcernedly wiping the moisture from his arms. His sleeves were ro

ne in it?" he repeated, rubbing the tow

d and white. Then having curiously examined the sudden meeting of the sunhot skin with the white flesh in his throat, her eyes m

e asked, fingering the

ngs from a little heap of m

he asked thrilling a little as

ing yo

song?" s

" he laughed with clumsy insinu

ang with gusto. Then she gave him "Drink to me only with thine eyes." At the end she turned and asked him if he liked the wor

his challenge with a blue blaze of her eyes. Then her eyelashes drooped on to her ch

many quite uneducated people. Their eyes are so eloquent, and full of knowledge." She had continued to look at him as she spoke-watching his faint appreciation of her upturned face, and her hair, where the light was always tan

nd she sang "Should he upbraid." She had a fine soprano voice, and the song delighted him. He moved nearer to her, and

as if, dear me, all one had to do was to turn over to the ri

mphatically, thus ack

re' than carefully shut the door on him, while

to consider what she m

do," s

?" he

r senses aslee

?" he

are like a stalled ox, food and comfort, no

e replied, smi

while I play this piece. Well, I'll

ce, and turned to him a quick, laughing glance, while she played. At the end of the page she nodded, but he was oblivious; "Yes!" she said

d he, blushi

inuing to play without observi

w tell me how you felt

replied, covered

"but I didn't mean that. I meant

l anything," he replied deliberately

sleep or stupid. Did you really see nothing

hought awhile-an

d what they are like to touch-and I thought it was a new experience to feel somebody's hair tickling my c

worse a

ch where I was sitting talking to E

to go home, P

ight-quite e

ink I ought to be h

go,"

" I a

upper," ur

ieve--" sh

ther fish to

en she flashed into sudden wrath, exclaim

somewhere?" aske

she said

rip, the big bull terrier, lay at his feet pretending to sleep; Mr. Nickie Ben reposed calmly on the sofa; Mrs. Saxton and Molli

nce. He was proud of the stately, mumbling old thing, and used to say that it was full of music for those that

nging?" asked the father proudly, but

s in love he'll sing

hoed the father, laughi

he finds out something

about it, and h

le said, "There is hardly any

claimed, "I've ta

job to put them on ag

tch it-what's she here

ossed her head, and t

r supper," said the fat

per!" laug

go into the spinney near the house to a

rking to the door. "Be quiet," ordered the father,

and was persuaded to sit down at table. He swallowed a morsel of bread and cheese, and a cup of coffee,

then?" interru

echoed

or the unemployed, or somet

arty, not a baza

be some church matter of your mother's.

ennis tournament in which she was to take part. At this point he became aware that he was monopolising the convers

Mr. Saxton?-I know

of cheese into his cheek. "I never

hing two plates over a stain in the cloth, and who

lad if you would come to

l be at school. T

aid the father, beaming. But

s look, but talked brightly to Mr. Saxton, who was delighted. George, flattered, joined in the talk with gusto. The

rised if that little red

with a sparkle of am

he father, "I th

George continued deliberat

said Emi

go," sa

Lettie and his black eyes w

?" said Lettie. "I brought nothin

that we all laughed, but Leslie was very angry that she should appear ludicrous before them. He showed her all the polite attentions poss

is arm with an air of injured dignity. Sh

ht to have been hom

replied, "but I

w I was comi

ound me," s

find you; flirting with a

"He did-it is true-cal

think you like

she said, with ga

ned," he replied sarcastically. "Bu

and really thrilli

," said Leslie. He himself had

she insisted, agg

ry. "I'm glad

please," she said pointedl

rt in knowing I don't pl

! You amuse me

speak, preferring, I s

d her skirts above the wet grass. When he had left u

n infan

an ass," I

e's more agreeable on the

" I repeate