A Witch of the HIlls
Florence Warden
A WITCH OF THE HILLS
BY
FLORENCE WARDEN
AUTHOR OF 'THE HOUSE ON THE MARSH,' ETC.
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. II
LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET
Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen
1888
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
[1]
A WITCH OF THE HILLS
CHAPTER XIV
That visit of Mr. Ellmer's,—hard as I tried,and, as I believe, Babiole tried, to cheat myselfinto believing the contrary,—spoiled theold frank intercourse between us for ever. Itwas my fault, I know. Dreams that stirredmy soul and shook my body had sprung upsuddenly on that faint basis of a spurious tiebetween me and the girl I had before half-unconsciouslyloved. Now my long-torpidpassions stirred with life again and held WalpurgisNight revels within me. Our lessons[2]had to be laid by for a time, while I wentsalmon-fishing, and tried to persuade myselfthat it had been long neglect of my rod thathad caused forgotten passions and yearningsto run riot in my blood in this undisciplinedmanner. But it would not do. Tired out Iwould drag my way home, eat a huge dinner,and sink half-asleep into my old chair. Insteadof my falling into stupid, happy, dreamlessslumber, the leaden numbness of fatiguewould settle upon my limbs, while the onefigure whose growing ascendancy over mywhole nature I made these energetic effortsto throw off, would pass and repass throughmy mind's dull vision, the one thing distinct,the one thing ever-recurring, enticing me tofollow it, eluding me, coming within my grasp,escaping me, and so on for ever.
Then I tried a new tack: the lessons wereresumed. But we were both more reservedthan in the old days, and I, at least, was constrained[3]also. It was not the old child-pupilsitting by my side; it was the woman I wantedto cherish in my bosom. The old free correction,discussion, were exchanged for poorendeavours by little implied compliments, bymild attempts at eloquence, by appeals to hersentiment when the subject in hand allowedit, to gain her goodwill, to prepare her for thetime, which must come, when I should haveto e