"Not envy, sure! for if you gave me

Leave to take or to refuse

In earnest, do you think I'd choose

That sort of new love to enslave me?"--R. BROWNING.

So, instead of going to Belfast, here was Colonel Keith actually

taking a lodging and settling himself into it; nay, even going over to

Avoncester on a horse-buying expedition, not merely for the Temples, but

for himself.

This time Rachel did think herself sure of Miss Williams' ear in peace,

and came down on her with two fat manuscripts upon Human Reeds and

Military Society, preluding, however, by bitter complaints of the

"Traveller" for never having vouchsafed her an answer, nor having even

restored "Curatocult," though she had written three times, and sent a

directed envelope and stamps for the purpose. The paper must be ruined

by so discourteous an editor, indeed she had not been nearly so much

interested as usual by the last few numbers. If only she could get her

paper back, she should try the "Englishwoman's Hobby-horse," or some

other paper of more progress than that "Traveller." "Is it not very

hard to feel one's self shut out from the main stream of the work of the

world when one's heart is burning?"

"I think you overrate the satisfaction."

"You can't tell! You are contented with that sort of home peaceful

sunshine that I know suffices many. Even intellectual as you are, you

can't tell what it is to feel power within, to strain at the leash, and

see others in the race."

"I was thinking whether you could not make an acceptable paper on the

lace system, which you really know so thoroughly."

"The fact is," said Rachel, "it is much more difficult to describe from

one's own observation than from other sources."

"But rather more original," said Ermine, quite overcome by the naivete

of the confession.

"I don't see that," said Rachel. "It is abstract reasoning from given

facts that I aim at, as you will understand when you have heard my

'Human Reeds,' and my other--dear me, there's your door bell. I thought

that Colonel was gone for the day."

"There are other people in the world besides the Colonel," Ermine began

to say, though she hardly felt as if there were, and at any rate a

sense of rescue crossed her. The persons admitted took them equally by

surprise, being Conrade Temple and Mr. Keith.

"I thought," said Rachel, as she gave her unwilling hand to the latter,

"that you would have been at Avoncester to-day."

"I always get out of the way of horse-dealing. I know no greater bore,"

he answered.

"Mamma sent me down," Conrade was explaining; "Mr. Keith's uncle found

out that he knew Miss Williams--no, that's not it, Miss Williams' uncle

found out that Mr. Keith preached a sermon, or something of that sort,

so mamma sent me down to show him the way to call upon her; but I need

not stay now, need I?"




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