'For if the Lord's anointment had descended upon women instead of
men, Miss Elfride would be Lord Luxellian--Lady, I mane. But as
it is, the blood is run out, and she's nothing to the Luxellian
family by law, whatever she may be by gospel.'
'I used to fancy,' said Simeon, 'when I seed Miss Elfride hugging
the little ladyships, that there was a likeness; but I suppose
'twas only my dream, for years must have altered the old family
shape.'
'And now we'll move these two, and home-along,' interposed John
Smith, reviving, as became a master, the spirit of labour, which
had showed unmistakable signs of being nearly vanquished by the
spirit of chat, 'The flagon of ale we don't want we'll let bide
here till to-morrow; none of the poor souls will touch it 'a
b'lieve.'
So the evening's work was concluded, and the party drew from the
abode of the quiet dead, closing the old iron door, and shooting
the lock loudly into the huge copper staple--an incongruous act of
imprisonment towards those who had no dreams of escape.
Chapter XXVII
'How should I greet thee?'
Love frequently dies of time alone--much more frequently of
displacement. With Elfride Swancourt, a powerful reason why the
displacement should be successful was that the new-comer was a
greater man than the first. By the side of the instructive and
piquant snubbings she received from Knight, Stephen's general
agreeableness seemed watery; by the side of Knight's spare love-
making, Stephen's continual outflow seemed lackadaisical.
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