'Look here, my boy,' he said.
The boy parted his lips, opened his eyes, and answered nothing.
'Here's sixpence for you, on condition that you don't again come
within twenty yards of my heels, all the way up the valley.'
The boy, who apparently had not known he had been looking at
Knight's heels at all, took the sixpence mechanically, and Knight
went on again, wrapt in meditation.
'A nice voice,' Elfride thought; 'but what a singular temper!'
'Now we must get indoors before he ascends the slope,' said Mrs.
Swancourt softly. And they went across by a short cut over a
stile, entering the lawn by a side door, and so on to the house.
Mr. Swancourt had gone into the village with the curate, and
Elfride felt too nervous to await their visitor's arrival in the
drawing-room with Mrs. Swancourt. So that when the elder lady
entered, Elfride made some pretence of perceiving a new variety of
crimson geranium, and lingered behind among the flower beds.
There was nothing gained by this, after all, she thought; and a
few minutes after boldly came into the house by the glass side-
door. She walked along the corridor, and entered the drawing-
room. Nobody was there.
A window at the angle of the room opened directly into an
octagonal conservatory, enclosing the corner of the building.
From the conservatory came voices in conversation--Mrs.
Swancourt's and the stranger's.
She had expected him to talk brilliantly.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218