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"Ah! yes," she said, "that reminds me of something about which I do so want you to enlighten me. This young Captain Faircloth, who so opportunely appeared on the scene and rescued darling Damaris, I believe I met him this morning, as I walked up from the front gate. I wondered who he was. His appearance interested me, so did his voice.
She has squandered love upon me squandered money, upon me too; but wisely and cleverly, with results. Still " he paused "well, it takes two, doesn't it, to make a man? One isn't one's mother's son only." "But Mrs. Faircloth is a widow," Damaris reasoned, in wondering directness. "I have heard people speak of her husband. She was married." "But not to my father.
"On the contrary, all you have told me goes to lessen certain difficulties, make the crooked, in some degree, straight and rough places plain." For, if Faircloth had been here so recently, broken bread too in the house, so he argued, it became the easier to bid him return.
She wished it, ma'am," Mary declared, heated and resentful at the unmerited rebuke. "She as good as called to him to come and take her out of church. It wasn't for us to interfere, so we held back." "Captain Faircloth? But this becomes more and more extraordinary! Who is Captain Faircloth?" "Ah! there you touch it, you must excuse my saying, ma'am." Mrs. Cooper gasped.
The personality of this man clearly admitted no denial, as little bragged as it apologized, since his candour matched his force of will. Taking stock of him thus, from the corner of the sofa, imagination, intelligence, affections alike actively in play, Damaris' colour rose, her pulse quickened, and her great eyes grew wide, finely and softly gay. Faircloth moved. Turned his head.
Faircloth continued to look at her; but his expression softened, gaining a certain spirituality. "I have questioned more than once to-day whether I had not been foolhardy in letting you come here whether distance wasn't safest, and the hunger of absence sweeter than the full meal of your presence for for both of us, things being between us as they actually are. What if the bubble burst?
My train leaves Marychurch at six, and I have to call at the Inn, to bid my mother good-bye, on my way to the station." Was the perfect harmony, the perfect adjustment of spirit to spirit a wee bit jarred, did a mist come up over the heavenly bright sky, Faircloth asked himself? And answered doggedly that, if it were so, he could not help it.
It followed that, when in opening the churchyard gate and holding it back for her to pass, Faircloth perforce let go her hand and, the spell of contact severed, found himself constrained to speak at last, saying: "You know you have done a mighty splendid, dangerous thing no less than burned your boats and that in the heat of generous impulse, blind, perhaps I can't but fear so to the heavy cost."
"Both as a warning to others, and in the interests of their own future, an example must be made of these two lads." "Must it?" Faircloth said, towering above him in the pale bewildering mist. The little boys, who had remained curiously and rather dangerously still since the advent of this stranger, now strained together, signalling, whispering. Sawyer shook them impatiently apart.
Patch hears they handled him ever so rough, tore his coat, and were on the very tick of pitching him in. But Captain Faircloth would not suffer it. He took a very high line with them, it is said. And not content with getting Mr. Sawyer away, walked with him as far as the Grey House to protect him from any further interference." She gave the pillows sundry judicious strokings and pats. "I hope Mr.
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