The White Peacock

last he stayed away from her. She had been several times down to the mill, but because she fancied they were very familiar, receiving her on to their rough plane like one o

ife, sat down in the window sill to think, and her strong teeth bit at her handkerchief till it

he hills, and the roads were black and deep with mud. The trees in the wood slouched sulkily. It was a day to be shut out and ignored if possible. I heaped up the

id?" she sa

st brought in t

the mirror, lifted her hair, all curled by the fog, and stared haughtily a

rom the dining-room, that Rebecca went first to

you r

y," said Lettie coldly. Rebecca loo

-past four. I c

hearing the clink

was unlacing her boots, "and d

the mud," wa

hat a state for your boots!-and your skirts too,

," said Lettie-but mot

t was on the tip of our tongues to ask Lettie what ailed her, b

, I met Lesl

ntatively, "Did he c

not look

t was speaking volumes; then,

he did no

stony British

uldn't have made such a babyish show of

o show-he still may

imation was extravagant. He need not have troub

very cross

k all this way home, and he could take up

he dr

her toast into strips vic

of him, wasn'

, you have tre

mean, manly baby! M

mother, "do not kn

p quality,

ettie, "he is a mean f

ere in a bad humour. Mother smiled at me, sighed, and proceeded to Mr. Gla

m my mother, concerning a bazaar in process at the chur

om Eberwich ended at Nethermere; their yellow blur on the

lay in a great armchair by the fire, immune among clouds of blue smoke. Marie was perched on the steps, a great volume on her kne

d Leslie says he's not a pastry cook, though I'm sure I

s the

he big volume a lit

they're not in my cookery book, and I've looked through page upon page of the encyclopedia, right through 'Spain,' and there's nothing yet, and there

t them for

est, but I had fairly set my heart on t

ely. Suppose I g

both out-William has gone to meet father-and mother has sent George to carry some things to the vicarage. I can't ask one of

slie,"

s," she replied

ot deign

you Le

ha

to Woodsi

at

Do, there's

are t

th engaged-t

a girl

ike this? W

is

r. Isn't he mean, C

to do. Mother is reading, and Lettie is stitching. T

oking at me softly. Then she put aw

" she said, laying her

reluctantly. "There's no end to

is overcoat. He put one arm slowly in the sleeve, and then t

ptoe, "You are a great creature! C

hair to stand

e coat sharply, but he sto

bad. I can't get it

coat and je

giving him his cap.

ty night!" said he

s," s

's better than this

d you enjoy

e plainly the cry of some night birds over Nethermere, and the peevish, wailing, yarling cry of so

ed mother, "I am

Lettie, who sat with her lap fu

r hand, adorned as it was by the thimble. "How ni

claimed, the

joyed yourself,"

sely,

le through the new stuff. Then

the air of a man who ha

o you

I say embarrassed-look. D

said m

ask him questions," Lettie conc

her cotton, and was trying

g this miserable weather

'Ever of thee I'm fo-o-ondly dreēam

't know. We imagined him al

k him to roar his old roars

they like?

dove, to judge from your present

ed uncom

suddenly beginning

ssy cat, where

London to see

sy cat, what d

little mouse

Poor mouse!-but I guess she's none the

London," he repl

m between her teeth. "I suppose you don't m

ere she was," he

hought perhaps you had met her in

ght," he

you come and

at the offi

Eberwich," she

ve

of it. I thought I might see you

up secretly to watch his face red

e is near; when it is someone one has a sympathy with." She continued to stitch, then she

t--" another pause, another fixing, a pin

ce till rather lat

away calmly

outh again, fixed down a fo

ittle

ut of the room fo

She stitched swiftly and unerringly. There

me for the pleasure of pl

d, looking up for the first

didn't want me I

roke the silence for some mome

you think I

hether you wanted me o

use bad language. It is the privil

you begin it

ember--" she

ed sarca

so beastly cut

refused to speak, and went on stitching. He fidgeted about

-have we

. She could fix the cloth, regard it quizzically, rearrange it, settle dow

so this a

, Lettie, can'

the question

get it,"

e call like an eager hound. He crossed quickly to h

ething for me, d

ated kindly, a sort

you know, haven't you? You kn

reproof, the sweetest of surrenders and forgiveness. He leaned

a littl

wing in her lap

was late, and about ten o'clock we stood at the window

ung on flaccid stalks, pinched at the neck. The grass plot was strewn with fallen leaves, wet and brilliant: scarlet splashes of Virginia creeper, golden drift from the limes, ruddy brown shawls under the beeches, and away bac

" said Lett

an old grey holly tree on the edge of the clearing. He flapped again, recovered

er our noses," said Lettie petulantly.

or mine?

ing at me,

pupil of his eye at this

ined to take this omen unto

sorrow, tw

letter, fo

ilver, six

or a secret

ance. There'll be three more shortly, and

y, but whenever I've particularly noticed

u notice fou

eply. "She declares an old crow croaked in their appl

ow for her,

omehow I laughed. She hoped he had gone to heaven-but-I'm si

rry!" I

een an old nuisance, Syb. I can't understand why women marry such men. I felt downr

protecting herself from the cold window pane. The wet, grey wind shook the half naked trees, whose leaves

in front of the house, staying near the old forerunner. Lettie watched them, half amused, half melancholy. One bird was carried

your fourt

m down. He swept in level flight down the stream, outspread and still, as if fixed in despair. I grieved for him. Sadly two of his fellows rose and were carr

say 'Nevermor

oked a trifle lugubrious. Then she continue

" I a

now. Fancy thi

at Leslie would come-now she began t

t and opened the door. He came in. She gave him one b

-I have been awfully rude to le

adful day!"

e is red, Lettie! What

into th

did yo

wouldn't come

e were silent

pecting me?"

new you'

r and put his arm around her, as she s

me," he ple

she m

, again and again, till she was out of breath, an

" he said, laughing into her eyes. He saw her te

!"-he put his face to her's a

e," he said, gentl

rs rising up from my heart and throat. They are quite pain

r long while, she came upstairs and found mother-and a

ed to have lost my substance, to have become detached from concrete things and the firm trodden pavement of everyday life. Onward, a

-pane shivered with running water. Then I found it had ceased to rain; that there was a sickly yellow gleam of sunlight, brightening

hink of it all

half winged bird as I was, incomprehensible,

a raven could ans

him. He turned uneasily; he rose, waved his wings as i

aid I, "you won't he

nd, yet never ceased to complain of it. They enjoyed the struggle, and lamented it in wild lament, through which came a sound of exultation. All the lapwings

d find it bitter, but they wouldn't like to m

pped his wings, and launched off, uttering one "Ca

I was very cold, s

f those loose curls that always dance f

wines round my finger. Do you know, your hair-th

won't be kept in b

it brushes my face-so-and s

and I'll tell you what

ll-tel

d-anemones, till they run panting and swaying right up to our wall. Like the ringing of blue

with rapturo

usic, sir,"

es did I throw?"

exclaimed, h

vingly upon her, "this Atalanta-I belie

aresses. "It was you-the apples of your firm heels-the

s of your cheeks, and your breasts, and your very fists-they can't stop me-

d wickedl

ose-tho

dmits it-e

reathe. Did you c

d you ga

Everythi

ry a

ow you

look

ye. Suppose now we

r-a slop

w-suppose I were one-lik

warm b

ed Damosel' and you kicking the b

e you dr

hinking-thought

ask that for? Oh-I thi

rayers-that your thin

aelities. You-You're not a Burne-Jonesess-you're an Albert Moore. I think there'

en you

feel my arms full of you; I'd rather touch that red mou

never sing hymns

ou here-yes, I

is but a f

ud, my fawn. There's a nice Carmen about a fawn. 'Time to leave its mothe

oor old

forget you. What's that

t is

uch a tease, there's no get

hom the dept

ll-I

while

be properly e

Christmas-till

e months! Wh

I shall be able to choose the

hree m

engaged-it doesn't matt

ould be married

te--. But what wil

thing I've done. You'll make a fine wife,

flutter br

wi

en you fly too near the light, or when you play dodge with a butterfly net-away goes my part-you can't fly

many words about? You

at I d

able. Let me look at

l? Does the image flatter you?-Or is it a trou

looking-you are laughing at me.-Wh

just like Narcissus-a s

eriou

ous. You'd die of i

ha

ike I am n

ing she referred to the

-

l raindrop was shaken out of the trees; I slipped on the wet paths. Black bars striped the grey tree-trunks, where water had

and disheartening. The ground sobbed at every step. The brook was full, swirling along, hurrying, talking to itself, in

nting, and they immed

y, for it was Sunday afternoon. I satisfied the little ones; I s

dly hid her papers when I entered. George was sitting by the fire, reading. He looked up as I entered, and I loved him w

against the wall. The clock itself went slowly, with languid throbs. We gathered round the fire, and talked quietly, a

down his book-looked at

ap of gold which grew beneath the pulper. The smell of pulped turnips, keen and sweet, brings back to me the feeling of many w

Sunday!" I

didn't notice it. You know-Father often forgets-he

g the first layers of chop and turnip and meal-in ran Emily, with her hair in silken, twining confusion, her eyes glowing-to bid us go in to tea before the milking was begun. It was the

the father radiating comfort as the lamp shone yellow light. Sunday tea was imperfect without a visitor; with me, they al

e Cyril here at Sunday

able; he looked up with a half-appealing glance when George at last

mild, conciliatory tone,

ps of turnip scattered orange gleams over the earthen floor; the lofty roof, with its swallows' nests under the tiles, was deep in shadow, and the corners were full of darkness, hid

him my message. When he had finished the feed

empest was at our ho

his hands at the cow's udder, about to beg

tically engage

e side of the cow, as if he would begin to milk. But he did not. The cow looked round and stirred uneasily. He began to draw the milk, and then to milk mechanically. I watched the

really

odd

does your

is pl

r legs. He looked at her angrily, and went on milking. Then,

nued to milk. She did not yield much that night; she was very restive; he took the stool from beneath him and gave her a g

t he was going to talk. But just then the father came along with his bucke

Cyril-I thought you'd have milk

a day of rest-and milkin

said, joking in his ripe fashion. "Why G

t

ry. Julia, old lady, do

I heard his good-humoured "Stand over, old lass," from the othe

said George, looking savage

cted Lettie to h

'd made up her mind to it. It didn't

?" s

he was a prize-with a

!" s

ook how she turne

you?"

o squeeze her ti

ipped her before, a

t-running to comforts-she strikes

ralise, it'

ke a pros

I believe s

ueerly. He looked quite childi

, wh

him-hon

I left him and went to talk to his father. When the latter's four

ing over to poor Julia, stood scratching her back, and her poll, and her nose, looking into her big, startle

sadly, rubbing his face, and lookin

them. I never thought about it--till

t his ruefu