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Only a few days elapsed before she asked again. A letter had reached her from Stephen. It had been timed to come on that day by special arrangement between them. In it he named the earliest morning on which he could meet her at Plymouth. Her father had been on a journey to Stratleigh, and returned in unusual buoyancy of spirit.
'I courted her through the privet hedge yonder: not entirely, you know, but we used to walk there of an evening nearly every evening at last. But I needn't tell you details now; everything was terribly matter-of-fact, I assure you. At last, that day I saw her at Stratleigh, we determined to settle it off-hand.
She took it and read it as she went upstairs to change her habit. STRATLEIGH, Thursday. 'DEAR ELFRIDE, On second thoughts I will not return to-day, but only come as far as Wadcombe. I shall be at home by to-morrow afternoon, and bring a friend with me. Yours, in haste, After making a quick toilet she felt more revived, though still suffering from a headache.
The vehicle came to the junction of the four ways half-a-minute before the carrier reached the same spot, and crossed directly in his front, proceeding by the lane on the other side. Inside the carriage Stephen could just discern an elderly lady with a younger woman, who seemed to be her maid. The road they had taken led to Stratleigh, a small watering-place sixteen miles north.
In the evening he drove away towards Stratleigh, quite alone. It was an unusual course for him. At the door Elfride had been again almost impelled by her feelings to pour out all. 'Why are you going to Stratleigh, papa? she said, and looked at him longingly. 'I will tell you to-morrow when I come back, he said cheerily; 'not before then, Elfride.
It was only finally settled between us when I went to Stratleigh a few days ago. He lowered his voice to a sly tone of merriment. 'Now, as to your stepmother, you'll find she is not much to look at, though a good deal to listen to. She is twenty years older than myself, for one thing. 'You forget that I know her. She called here once, after we had been, and found her away from home.
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