In the Red Deeps

    ttingroom  eaco and along to to tting  tter  not alone, as usual. Some one ime to feel t it  to c by a side glance, looked s tairs; for Mr akem sometimes came in and inspected t t ting  sell  so tom, and to   at all agitating to Maggie to see Pained itude and pity too en oget t sort of  P be altered by   care about o , tle altered - it ured boys face, y to ay, and after all ations, Maggie felt t so say a feo  still be melanco be, and like o look at o like  t Maggie glanced too s face toarted from  to reac do scrying to repress to recall snatcil surning along the road, and she could go down again.

    It o lengt t be finis s beyond te, and satisfied ting out of doors. One of  o go to St Oggs, o a spot t lay beyond  rise of ground crorees, lying along tes of Dorlcote Mill. Insignificant, I call it, because in  it s oeful result, and t is rees, making an uneven er of a mile along t side of Dorlcote Mill and t fields be bounded by t urned off and led to t o very capricious ed stone-quarry - so long exed t botrees, and retc close-nibbled. In  ao reconcile o an excursion ting every  no  rest ually on t on a grassy ooping aslant from teep above en to ts, like tiniest bells on t of Silence, or see t piercing tant bougo cruant ime too, t ional reason o any ot, on t day so   sometimes, in ion, s s to deny  indulgence in it.

    You may see e turning and enters tcall figure and old lavender goary black silk s-like material; and noies it over ainly suppose o be farteent seem to ed, pered figure ood ary and voluntary , and ts in race: t croing all figure, so  of kinsc en sees in older faces under borderless caps, out of keeping ant youts to flas in a sudden, passionate glance t e all tude, like a damped fire leaping out again when all seemed safe.

    But Maggie  uneasy at t. S trees and t t t storms urned upartled gesture to see P raised , and to  out oo coloured o pleasure. S out  t  t rong in  to speak.

    `You startled me, sly. `I never meet any one o be  me?

    It  to perceive t Maggie felt herself a child again.

    `Yes, I did, said Pill embarrassed. `I o see if you ; but you never came. tcoday, and  you in sig be displeased h me.

    `No, said Maggie  Po accompany o unity of speaking to you. Ive never forgotten o tom, and me too; but I  sure t you om and I  deal of trouble since t makes one t rouble came.

    `I cant believe t you  of me so muc of you, said Pimidly. `Do you kno morning in tudy  me.

    Pure-case from , and opened it. Maggie sao space range, dreamy eyes. It er-colour sketc as a portrait.

    `O dear, said Maggie, smiling, and flus a queer little girl I   pink frock. I really tle pause: `am I like ed me to be?

    t te, but t glance Maggie turned on P t of a coquette. S  it e deligion and love. P  , before ly, `No, Maggie.

    t died out a little from Maggies face, and t trembling of t s turn ao look at hen he said, slowly,

    `You are very muciful t you would be.

    `Am I? said Maggie, turning in a deeper flusurned ook some steps looking straiging o tomed to ty, t in abstaining from t more of abandoning all care for adornment, templation of ,   occurred to  s o like tc sig no room for any otrees and o a green  surrounded by an ampre of t as t about tened, Maggies face  its gloill w Philip again, she said in a serious, sad voice,

    `I  t is trial I o bear in everyt keep anyto love ; and tom is different - and my fat is like deat part  part  never take any notice of eac  I ed to speak to you for. I ed to let you kno tom and I cant do as  suc if I beten all about you, it is not out of envy or pride - or - or any bad feeling.

    Maggie spoke leness as s on, and o fill ears. tronger resemblance to y appeal more strongly to y.

    `I kno you mean,  , `I knoo keep us apart on bot it is not rig you be angry o call you Maggie in my ts - it is not rigo sacrifice everyto ot deal for my fat I  give up a friendstac of any sort, in obedience to any  recognise as right.

    `I dont knoen, ed, it o me t I  bound to give up anytill it o me t I could ty. But no good  - it ate of mind. Im quite sure t o him.

    `But  make o see eacimes? said Po say somet checked himself.

    `O, Im sure  like it. Dont ask me , said Maggie, in a distressed tone. `My fatrongly about some t at all happy.

    `No more am I, said Puously, `I am not happy.

    `ly. `At least - I oug to ask - but Im very, very sorry.

    Purned to ience to stand still any longer, and t out of t trees and buser t last o insist immediately on ting.

    `Ive been a great deal  last, timidly, `since I  , and being discontented because I couldnt ermined for us - and it makes t is laid upon us and doing o do.

    `But I cant give up ly. `It seems to me o be beautiful and good, and  er tisfied  til our feelings are deadened? I deligures - I long to be able to paint sucrive and strive, and cant produce . t is pain to me, and alil my faculties lose tated a little, and t ot iful in it - I  have lived.

    `O P feel so. But  began to beat ent.

    `ell, turning quickly round and fixing reatingly on ented to live, if you  me see you sometimes. ted, o  me. And if I could only see you no me talk to you a little, and s you cared for me - and t o be glad of life.

    `But eringly. (Could s  speak to erest to vary t erest before it came.)

    `If you  me see you imes - ented if it  could injure no ones  en my life. Besides-- P on, ive astuteness of love at one-and-ty, `if ty beto us, ry and quenc by our friends by our influence on bot bring about a  , if I could kno t believe ty in my orary.

    Maggie s, under conflicting ts. It seemed to ion t to see P only innocent but good; per really o find contentment, as s. t said t music to Maggie; but at it t monotonous o obey - t sucervieo be discovered in, somet, if discovered, must cause anger and pain, and t t as a spiritual blig t again, like c breeze, persuading  ts and  tile sacrifice for one, to t iveness too  ain pang, alt made  to  tterness to ion t Maggie  as frank and unconstrained towards him as when she was a child.

    `I cant say eit last, turning round and o , lest I s seek for guidance.

    `May I come again, to-morro day - or next week?

    `I tter e, said Maggie faltering again. `I o go to St Oggs sometimes, and I can put tter in t.

    `O no, said P  be so  see tter - and -  any enmity, I believe, but ly from me;  deal about ion. Pray let me come ell me ell me, I en as I can till I do see you.

    `I t must be so, t be quite certain of coming icular evening.

    Maggie felt a great relief in adjourning to enjoy tes of companions t s linger a little: t time t, so pain Pelling ermination.

    `I cant  er a fes of silence, `range it is t alked to eac as if it erday  Lorton. And yet  botered in t is five years.  you seemed to  of feeling t I  quite so sure t you   so muco fill your mind - I  quite sure you  me now.

    `I  t you  see you, said P made me like you better t  to explain t: I dont trongest effects our natures are susceptible of can ever be explained. e can neitect t nor t on us. test of painters only once painted a mysteriously divine c old  - and  tell o be divine. I tores laid up in our ure t our understanding can make no complete inventory of. Certain strains of music affect me so strangely - I can never  ttitude of mind for a time, and if t  I might be capable of heroisms.

    `A you mean about music - I feel so, said Maggie, clasping uosity. `At least, sone, `I used to feel so  church.

    `And you long for it, Maggie? said P ionate pity. `Atle t is beautiful in your life. tle girl.

    to t, reflected from ters.

    `No, I ly, `except a very, very few.

    Paken from  a small volume, and  the back, as he said,

    `A o take it  it in my pocket because I am studying a scene for a picture.

    Maggie  too and saitle: it revived an old impression ering force.

    `quot;te,quot; saking t once - I read to o read t. I  on  in my o of t beginning. Poor Minna! I  get my mind aland Isles - I used to feel the rough sea.

    Maggie spoke rapidly ening eyes.

    `take t volume c. `I dont  it noead - you among tcing shadows.

    Maggie   o P, as if to say `avaunt to floating visions.

    `Do keep it, Maggie, said Preatingly, `it will give you pleasure.

    `No, tting it aside  o be; it o see and kno would make me long for a full life.

    `But you  al lot:   is narroicism - I dont like to see you persisting in it, Maggie. Poetry and art and knowledge are sacred and pure.

    `But not for me - not for me, said Maggie, oo muc  - t last long.

    `Dont  saying quot;good by,quot; Maggie, said Pcinued still to  speaking. `I must not go any fart I?

    `O no, I forgot; goodby, said Maggie, pausing and putting out o ion brougrong current to Per tood looking at eacs, hdrawing her hand,

    `Im very grateful to you for t is very s to  a iful t seems t God s so t you could care about a queer little girl  I t you cared for me more tom did.

    `A fretfully, `you her.

    `Per, said Maggie, simply, `but t tanding om by t is dark to me. But I s you - t keep apart.

    `Dont say so, Maggie, said P t little girl in my mind for five years, didnt I earn some part in  not to take e away from me.

    `Not if I  I am not - I must submit. Sated a moment and ted to say to you, t you ter not take more notice of my brot boo old me not to speak to you again, and  c. I am too long away. Good by. She gave him her hand once more.

    `I sen as I can till I see you again, Maggie. - hers.

    `Yes, yes, I  fir-tree; ter es, as if ill.

    Maggie   already begun; P o do not remember and oed intervie you must not suppose t  isfied  persuading  o infuse some o Maggies life - seeking t ends for  test promise of love to girlisenderness s o cely ty, t s love o associate  cenderness, o. If any o claim it all. ty of it t a mind like s very yout tree, for  of t and space it o flouris , by persuading  of em of privation?  not seeing her.