hts
were such as will occur to any reader who has passed the witching
age of twenty; and the scent of the heliotrope-bed in the
flower-garden below, seemed to rise very strongly on the night
air.

CHAPTER XXXII

A CRISIS

In the forenoon of the following day, Tom rode slowly along the
street of Englebourn towards the Rectory gate. He had left Barton
soon after breakfast, without having been able to exchange a word
with Mary except in the presence of her mother, and yet he had
felt more anxious than ever before at least to say good bye to
her without witnesses. With this view he had been up early, and
had whistled a tune in the hall, and held a loud conversation
with the boys, who appeared half dressed in the gallery above,
while he brushed the dilapidated white hat to let all whom it
might concern know that he was on the move. Then he had walked up
and down the garden in full view of the windows till the bell
rang for prayers. He was in the breakfast room before the bell
had done ringing, and Mrs. Porter, followed by her daughter,
entered at the same moment. He could not help fancying that the
conversation at breakfast was a little constrained, and
particularly remarked that nothing was said by the heads of the
family when the boys vociferously bewailed his approaching
departure, and tried to get him to name some day for his return
before their holidays ended. Instead of encouraging the idea,
Mrs. Porter reminded Neddy and Charley that they had only ten
days more, and had not yet looked at the work they had to do for
their tutor in the holidays. Immediately after breakfast Mrs.
Porter had wished him good bye herself very kindly, but (he could
not help thinking), without that air of near relationship which
he had flattered himself was well established between himself and
all the members of the Porter family; and then she had added,
"Now Mary, you must say good bye; I want you to come and help me
this morning." He had scarcely looked at her all morning, and now
one shake of the hand and she was spirited away in a moment, and
he was left standing, dissatisfied and uncomfortable, with a
sense of incompleteness in his mind, and as if he had had a
thread in his life suddenly broken off, which he could not tell
how to get joined again.

However, there was nothing for it but to get off. He had no
excuse for delay, and had a long ride before him; so he and the
boys went round to the stable. On their passage through