Love and Mr. Lewisham

one anyhow," sa

, after breakfast and before school he went through the avenue with a book, and returned from school to his lodgings circuitously through the avenue, and so back to the avenue for thirty minutes or so bef

ands holding his book gripped it very tightly. He did not glance back again, but walked slowly and steadfastly, reading an ode that he could not have translated

head was directed forw

turned with a quality of movement that was a

ught, and held it until she withdrew it.

said Lewi

he said, looking down at her feet, "to thank you for letting Teddy off, you know. That is why I wanted to see you." Lewisham took his first step beside her. "And i

ham was t

en come her

he spoke--"no. No.... That is--At least not often. Now and then. In fac

you read a

teaches on

you

of reading, cer

love

e spoke with real fervour. She _loved_ reading! It was pleasant. She would understand him a little perhaps. "

, "for the matter of that...

casual boy coming upon them. She had not read _much_ Carlyle. She had always wanted to, even from quite a little girl--she had heard so much about him. She knew he was a Re

had never occurred to him at all vividly that these Great Writers had real abiding places. She gave him a few descriptive touches that made the house suddenly real and distinctive to him. She lived quite near, she said, a

raise London, its public libraries, its shops, the multitudes of people, the facilities for "doing what you like," the concerts one could go to, the theatres. (It seemed she moved

feel terribly her inferior. He had only his bookishness and his certificates to set against it all--and she

silvery aments and golden pollen, they turned by mutual impulse and retraced their step

a resolute plunge, "perhaps whil

oluminous black figure approaching. "We may," said Mr. Lewi

roprietary School, chilled him amazingly. Dame Nature no doubt had arranged the meeting of our young couple, but about Bonover she seems to have been culpably careless. She now receded inimitably, and Mr. Lewisham, with the m

rhaps," said Mr. Lewisham,

so too,"

ir of black eyebrows, were now very near, those eyebrows a

nover approachi

es

nged

emark wherewith to cover his employer's approach. He was surprised to find his mind a desert. He made a colossal effor

though," said Mr.

h him. "Isn't

nt Mr. Bonover responded with a markedly formal salute--mock clerical hat sweeping circuitously--and the regard of a searching, disapproving eye, and so pass

troduced. By young Frobisher, say. Nevertheless, Lewisham's spring-tide mood relapsed into winter. He was, he felt, singularly stupid for the rest of their conversation, and the delig

er hand. "I'm afraid I have inte

arming slightly. "I don't know wh

am afraid, my speaking to you, b

Mr. Lewisham, secretly im

then turned back up the avenue in order not to be

might leave Whortley anywhen for the amenities of Clapham. He stopped and stood irresolute. Should he run after her? Then he recalled Bonover's enigmatical e

t last to find Mrs. Mund

nd you read, and you take no account of time. And now you'll have to eat your dinner half cold, and n

, roused from a tangled and apparently gloomy meditatio

e actin' stummik than a full he

apped Mr. Lewisham, and rela

aid Mrs. Monday u