Year: 1866

Maurice had been away, selling wood fo
his father, who was laid up with the rheu
matics, and the few times he had been neal
the clerks house, he had not 20 chanced
on Leverton but one day when he came
to the we'll at the time Rachel generally
fetched her water, he saw Ralph sauntel
slowly out of the house, with his hands in
his pockets like an habtue, and go whist
ling up the hill. Poor Maurice was dumb
foundered his holy place, where he was
scarcely allowed to enter, to be profaned
by such man for Leverton's character
was not particularly good and moreover
he regarded the ex-poacher with something
of the feelings of soldier towards de-
serter. That evening Rachel did not come
to the well probably Ralph had carried
her water for her, and Maurice went home
in towering rage.


de did not manage to see her for the next
few dayss, while he was nursing his wrath
to keep it warm. At last one evening she
was tripping across the forest, the nearest
way home there was no path, only the
aimless tracks of the cows in and out of
the holly and thorn thickets, and round the
great beech and oak the long level rays
of the sun lay on the tall fern and touched





beech, which looked like velvet, the even
ing shadows crept in and out, and nothing
stirred but squirrel chattering at her as
she passed, or the rustic of the carpet of
dead leaves where hind stole away.


Presently she heard a nearer rustic, and
turning, found Maurice at her side she
gave him such bright look, her face beam
ed with such genuine pleasure, that his
wrath subsided at once ..... II.
Why. Maurice, where ha' We been this
age, like 2" "Out O. sight, out O. mind" !"
said he, sadly; you've had other things
to mind nor mindin' o. me, Rachel" She
looked up surprised, and then blushed deep
ly at the expression in Maurice's face "He
Is abeen in and out, out and in, most days,
| da know, Rachel I'd swaller it, and new
er make no muoan, but that da know he
be ma fit for thee he be loose hand, a
wild chap that fears neither God nor man.
and he means no good by thee. 'Taint
cause | hate one as have aturned on his
own trade, darling there's deeper wrong
nor thissen as them as da know Ralph
Leverton. Do ye love un, Rachel, dear ?"
he said, tenderly and sadly ~ ha' little
to offer, heaven do know !; but ha' loved
thee ever sim thou werst so high, wild all
my soul and all my strength Pve never
alroken at ere lass only thee I'd twoil
all man mid to make thine happy life,
God bless thee"


In her sudden terror, she sat down where
she STOOD among the fern, and covered her
face with her hands AS Maurice had been
speaking, she remembered her first instinc-
tive repugnance to Leverton that strange
power by which natures perfectly innocent
and ignorant of evil detect by instinct what
more practised minds often miss as if en-
dowed with an additional sense for their
preservation, if they would but listen to it.
Leverton had unconsciously modified his
ordinary bold, reckless look and manner
when he came near her gentle purity, as
you would hardly speak harshly to fawn,
and her first impression had worn Off


very wise woman once said that she
often altered her first impression of per-
son that as she knew more of character,
she modified her opinion very much, but
that she always came back to the first,
when the mind had been quite unpreludiced
and the instinct, which is far stronger in
women than men, had had fair play.


Poor Rachel's cogitations were not so alb
struse, though theyacame to the same end.
She instinctively felt that what Maurice
said was true she remembered her early
impression against Leverton could it be
possible that she could care for this man
Then came up before her the frank, hearty
nature that was standing near her, the low
ing and tender hand which had always been
helpful in her little perplexities, and the
tears began to start through her fingers
1t took a long time, or it seemed so to him,
for her little mind, SO unpractised in read
ing it's own or others emotions, to get so
far !; and poor Maurice standing on thorns
watching her, and at last seeing her tears,
thought it was all up with him and turned
away with sort of smothered groan. ra7
"Good by, Rachel, ,"he said, and he swore
within himself Though in his rude chivalry
he thought it unmanly to threaten her with
it), that he'd list next day" -g-....
Bide, Maurice, bide," cried Rachel, leap
ing up in terror, carena naught for yon
man." But then you care naught for me
either, Rachel, Pm feared" answered Mau-
rice with bound back to her side but his
arm round her waist certainly belied him.
Rachel, however did not push it away on
the contrary, she lifted up her little, shy
blushing, fearful face for him to kiss,-at
least that was the result, the first he had
ever given her and then the two saunter-
ed together into paradise, through that op-
en- door still left for poor scrubby earth, as
some people consider it. ...,. ..... ....
Then Rachel crept quietly home, and was
perfectly unconscious of her grandfather's
remarks, answering yes or no at random all
the evening, for the beating of her own
heart was all the sound she heard ;" while
she lived that one hour over and over again.


Leverton was not long in finding out the
difference of her manner. She had never
shown him anything more than simple civ
lily, but now she looked futtered instead of
amused when he came into the house, and
he very soon guessed the cause. Next he
dogged her footsteps, and found the two
together. Maurice had been working hard
to find some settled occupation, when he
thought he might go to the old clerk with
better chance of success. One evening
Rachel heard his low whistle near the cot
tage and stole out tohear news of his plans
They fingered just little too long at the
edge of the orchard, bidding good by lit
tie too often, for Leverton passed by the
edge of the wood and scowled like the iend
| at the sight of Adam and Eve. He went