The Spinners

and athlete he had achieved fame and was jealous to increase it. He preserved the perspective of a boy into manhood; while his father waited, not without

me when Raymond lunched with his friend and fellow sportsman, Arth

destroyed one old farmhouse and converted another into the country-seat of his family. He lived and died th

ition had always been some day to return to Nort

played hostess and gazed with frank admiration at the chattering visitor. He brought a

cheek-bones, and a clean-shaved, agreeable face. He took sport most seriously, was jealous for its rights and observant of its r

he said. "I hope your

ed virtue. If conduct were 'sporting,' he demanded no more from any man; while, conversely, 'unsporting'

r generosity, but Dan didn't seem to see that. It's unlucky for me in a way he's not larger-minded. He's content with justice-what he calls justice. But ju

did he cal

cognised that my father's very sudden death must be taken into account. My Aunt Jenny supported me there; and she was sure he would have altered his will if he had had time. Daniel granted that, and I began to hope I was going to come well out of it; but I counted my chickens before they wer

hich is the backbone of British character, is a thousand times more important to the nation than spinning yarn; and we, who keep up the great tradition of British

ant who would see it-certainly not Dani

e's stopping

, I've got to learn the business and, in fact, go into it and become a spinner. Then, at the end of five years, if I shine and really get keen about it and help the show, he'll take me int

't chain an open-air man like you

ld-blooded way, he pointed out that to buy raw material, you wanted to know something about raw material. He asked me if I knew hemp from flax, and of course I had to say I did not. So that put the lid on that. I've got to beg

ll you do

nd I thought when I got things going and took a scheme to my father-for horse-breeding or some useful enterprise-he would have seen I m

ventured

she said. "You'd neve

nd la

to spin, it see

telle gravely. "'They toil not,

arded his daugh

her a member of the Field Botanists' Club. Only ele

s somewhat

u knowing anything a

Why, I haven't mastered the grasses yet. The flowers ar

ed to Irons

weigh in?" que

s about in the works and see a lot of John Best, the foreman, and learn all the practical side of the business. It seems rather footling work for a man, b

hall see somethi

re than you do, very l

, who is willing to le

h him for a year, which

I couldn't stick Ch

ural

r a paying guest? You've got tons of

cried Estell

on was quiet

pal in the house-a kindred spirit, who und

of my time at the blessed works,

y bring y

w life with a millstone of debts round my neck-in fact we came down to that. I said it was a vital condition. Aunt Jenny had rather a lively time betwe

ake the coffee, Estelle, then w

Raymond. "I shall tell him then that I'm not

stelle. "It seems rather hard of us t

nkful, poor old bird. He only did it because he thought he ought to. I

bout flowers," replied Estelle. "He's only interested in de

to live comfortably without it. Instead they develop an instinct for something else. Generally it's deadly from the sportsman's point of view; but it seems to take the place of spor

y were brought up,"

. And from that time forward they had no trouble with me. A ball always calmed me. Why? Because a ball, you may say, is the emblem of England's greatness. I was thinking over it not long ago. There is not a single

ll try it on Uncle Ern

rth Hill House also pleased him well; but from time to time the drastic change in his life swept his thoughts like

with two quests. Her sharp eyes were in the herbage for the flowers and grasses; but

mes I get splendid luck and find a dozen or two in a morning, and sometimes the birds don't seem to have parted with

tered with thickets of furze and white-thorn, black-thorn and elder. Blue milkwort, buttercups and daisies adorned them, with eye-bright and the lesser, quaking grass that danced over the green. Rabbits twinkled into the furzes where Waldro

ne finish to a grand run. We rolled him over on this very spot after forty-five

ank of brier and nettles lay before the mouth. They hid the foot of the kiln and made a snug and secluded spot. Bridetown clustered i

ed, while Estelle hunted

Raymond. "What the dickens is it?" he asked, and she told him. "They're rather rare, bu

said. "A funny little pink

n angel. But really it's more like a small bumble-bee tha

they don't sting.

have 'got no spears.' And I believed him and tried to help one out

her father. "I've not decided which way to take it yet. The

presently and parted at

us

"It must be one that gets the sun in it, and the moon. Peopl

s of people who want the moon,"

ur Waldron. "I always ride before breakfast myself, wet or fine. O

him in the garden. They had not met since Henry Ironsyde's death, but th

sion, and proved too ingenuous to conceal hi

ve done our best to make you comfortable, but one gets into one's routine and

ful-naturally. You don't want youth in this dignified abode of wis

eration of the youthful mind and body! It rises beyond fatigue, above the middle-aged desire for calm and comfort. It kicks up its heels for sheer joy of living; it is ever in extremes; it lacks imagination, with the

l be happier

h to say so, but

king the self-denial and I think i

d the grandson of my father's partner," declared Mr. Churchous

s to be

reate an atmosphere of philosophy and art. Books thronged in lofty book-shelves with glass doors. These were surmounted by plaster busts of

er when Mr. Churchouse rang for it. After she

pretty housemai

s, I fear, going to die, and so Sabina, with her usual kindness, has spent her half-holiday at home to look after me. Sabina lives here. She is Mrs. Dinnett's daughter and one of the

ared Raymond. "She's chucked

Magnolias'?" aske

as' particularly, but

d the privilege of numbering a bea

l, she's lost. If she was on the stage, then thousands wou

wered Mr. Churchouse. "There are many beautiful things in ou

out in the shape of a lovely girl, it ough

st s

ds. She is a young woman of very fine temper, with a dignified sen

be married

y good friends. Had any betrothal taken pla

and let me look at her again. Does

nnot shave yourself every morning without being conscious that you are in the Greek mould. I could show you the e

Good

laughe

charm, you combine to a certain extent the Greek vacuity.

inking a great deal too much la

re of the fact that she is unusually personable. But she has brains and knows exactly what importance

er lining, apparently,"

ed, Ernest in

black with a white ap

abina, and he's coming to learn

hout self-consciousness, listened to him, la

through his glasses. He came unconsciously

etween employer and employed. He did not know that youth always modifies its tone in the presence of age,

th him, Sabina peeped out of the kitchen window which commanded the ent

at midnight tearful, f

her arms-"at five af

peace of 'The Magnolias' had long offered her a fitting sanctum, for here life moved with the utmost simplicity and regularity; but, though as old as he was, Mary look

f the passing, but it was the face of a young man, not the countenance of an