its awkwardness. There was room for a little pity, also for a very little exultation: the former at his position, the latter at her own.

nity, and turning again to him with a little

a'am," said one of th

tion. "Ay, that 'a is,"

" said a third,

!" said number

im to speak to the ba

d loneliness would have been necessary to gi

discovering that this Ashtoreth of strange report was only a modification of Venus the we

thsheba, "you shall take a little refreshment af

deal freer, Miss, if so be ye'd send it to

men straggled on to the village in twos and three

settled, I think, about your coming, and I am

a lodging?" in

t mean to contribute. "If you follow on the road till you come to Warren's Malthouse, where they are all gone

astonished at the reencounter with Bathsheba, glad of his nearness to her, and perplexed at the rapidity with which the unpractised gi

and Gabriel's footsteps were deadened by its softness, even at this indurating period of the year. When abreast of a trunk which appeared to be the oldest of the old, he became aware that a figure was standin

girl, rather

you," said Ga

said the gir

the low and dulcet note suggestive of romanc

ren's Malthouse?" Gabriel resumed, primarily to gain

d then went on again. "Do you know how late they keep open the Buck's Head Inn?" She

ad is, or anything about it. Do y

d add more seemed to proceed from an unconscious desire to show unconcern by making a remark, which is notice

the new shephe

you seem almost a f

d to the past, his eyes to the feet of the girl; and for the first time he saw lying there a

sh about having seen me here, will

u wish me not

ther poor, and I don't want people to know anyth

a cold night," Gabriel observed.

and leaving me? I thank you m

not very well off, perhaps you would accept this trifle fro

it," said the st

abriel's fingers alighted on the young woman's wrist. It was beating with a throb of tragic intensity. He had frequently felt the same quick, hard beat in the fe

s the m

thi

there

your having see

will. Good-n

d-ni

as it was sometimes called. He fancied that he had felt himself in the penumbra of a very deep sadness when touching that s