te, to run down from St. Launce's to Castle
Poterel, a distance of less than twenty miles, and glide like a ghost
about their old haunts, making stealthy inquiries about her, would be a
fascinating way of passing the first spare hours after reaching home on
the day after the morrow.

He was now a richer man than heretofore, standing on his own bottom; and
the definite position in which he had rooted himself nullified old local
distinctions. He had become illustrious, even sanguine clarus, judging
from the tone of the worthy Mayor of St. Launce's.

Chapter XXXIX

'Each to the loved one's side.'

The friends and rivals breakfasted together the next morning. Not a word
was said on either side upon the matter discussed the previous evening
so glibly and so hollowly. Stephen was absorbed the greater part of the
time in wishing he were not forced to stay in town yet another day.

'I don't intend to leave for St. Launce's till to-morrow, as you know,'
he said to Knight at the end of the meal. 'What are you going to do with
yourself to-day?'

'I have an engagement just before ten,' said Knight deliberately; 'and
after that time I must call upon two or three people.'

'I'll look for you this evening,' said Stephen.

'Yes, do. You may as well come and dine with me; that is, if we can
meet. I may not sleep in London to-night; in fact, I am absolutely
unsettled as to my movements yet. However, the first thing I am going to
do is to get my baggage shifted from this place to Bede's Inn. Good-bye
for the present. I'll write, you know, if I can't meet you.'

It now wanted a quarter to nine o'clock. When Knight was gone, Stephen
felt yet more impatient of the circumstance that another day would have
to drag itself away wearily before he could set out for that spot of
earth whereon a soft thought of him might perhaps be nourished still. On
a sudden he admitted to his mind the possibility that the engagement he
was waiting in town to keep might be postponed without much harm.

It was no sooner perceived than attempted. Looking at his watch, he
found it wanted forty minutes to the departure of the ten o'clock train
from Paddington, which left him a surplus quarter of an hour before it
would be necessary to start for the station.

Scribbling a hasty note or two--one putting off the business meeting,
another to Knight apologizing for not being able to see him in the
evening--paying his bill, and leaving his heavier l