In the Lane
MAGGIE had been four days at her aunt Mosss giving the early June sunshine quite a new brightness in the care-dimmed eyes of that affeate woman, and making an epoch for her cousins great and small, who were learning her words and as by heart, as if she had been a tra avatar of perfect wisdom ay. She was standing on the causeway with her aunt and a group of cousins feeding the chis, at that quiet moment in the life of the farmyard before the afternoon milking-time. The great buildings round the hollow yard were as dreary and tumbledown as ever, but over the old garden wall the straggling rose-bushes were beginning to toss their summer weight, and the grey wood and old bricks of the house, on its higher level, had a look of sleepy age in the broad after-noon sunlight, that suited the quiest time. Maggie with her bo over her arm, was smiling down at a hatall fluffy chis when her aunt exclaimed,
`Goodness me! who is that gentleman ing in at the gate?
It was a gentleman on a tall bay horse; and the flanks and neck of the horse were streaked black with fast riding. Maggie felt a beating at head a - horrible as the sudden leaping to life of a savage enemy who had feigned death.
`Who is it, my dear? said Mrs Moss, seeing in Maggies face the evidehat she knew.
`It is Mr Stephe, said Maggie, rather faintly. `My cousin Lucys - a gentleman who is very intimate at my cousins.
Stephen was already close to them, had jumped off his horse, and now raised his hat as he advanced.
`Hold the horse, Willy, said Mrs Moss to the twelve-year-old boy.
`No, thank you, said Stephen, pulling at the horses impatiently tossing head. `I must be going again immediately. I have a message to deliver to you, Miss Tulliver - on private business. May I take the liberty of asking you to walk a few yards with me?
He had a half-jaded, half-irritated look, such as a mas when he has been dogged by some care or annoyahat makes his bed and his dinner of little use to him. He spoke almost abruptly, as if his erraoo pressing for him to trouble himself about what would be thought by Mrs Moss of his visit and request. Good Mrs Moss, rather nervous in the presence of this apparently haughty gentleman, was inwardly w whether she would be doing right to invite him again to leave his horse and walk in, when Maggie, feeling all the embarrassment of the situation, and uo say anything, put on her bo and turo walk towards the gate.
Stephen turoo and walked by her side, leading his horse.
Not a word oken till they were out in the lane and had walked four or five yards, when Maggie, who had been looking straight before her all the while, turned again to walk back saying, with haughty rese,
`There is no need for me to go any farther. I dont know whether you sider it gentlemanly and delicate duct to place me in a position that forced me to e out with you - or whether you wished to insult me still further by thrusting an interview upon me in this way.
`Of course you are angry with me for ing, said Stephen, bitterly. `Of course it is of no sequence what a man has to suffer - it is only your womans dignity that you care about.
Maggie gave a slight start, such as might have e from the slightest possible electric shock.
`As if it were not enough that Im entangled in this way - that Im mad with love for you - that I resist the stro passion a man feel, because I try to be true to other claims - bu