in a pulse of purple glory
over the spot. The soft wind which blew straight from Barton
seemed laden with her name, and whispered it in the firs, over
his head. Every nerve in his body was bounding with new life, and
he could sit still no longer. He rose, sprang on his horse, and,
with a shout of joy, turned from the vale and rushed away on to
the heath, northwards towards his home behind the chalk hills. He
had ridden into Englebourn in the morning an almost unconscious
dabbler by the margin of the great stream; he rode from the
Hawk's Lynch in the afternoon over head and ears and twenty, a
hundred, ay, unnumbered fathoms below that, deep; consciously,
and triumphantly in love.

But at what a pace, and in what a form! Love, at least in his
first access, must be as blind a horseman as he is an archer. The
heath was rough with peat-cutting and turf-cutting and many a
deep-rutted farm road, and tufts of heather and furze. Over them
and through them went horse and man--horse rising seven and man
twenty off, a well-matched pair in age for a wild ride--headlong
towards the north, till a blind rut somewhat deeper than usual
put an end to their career, and sent the good horse staggering
forward some thirty feet on to his nose and knees, and Tom over
his shoulder, on to his back in the heather.

"Well, it's lucky it's no worse," thought our hero, as he picked
himself up and anxiously examined the horse, who stood trembling
and looking wildly puzzled at the whole proceeding; "I hope he
hasn't overreached. What will the governor say? His knees are all
right. Poor old boy!" he said, patting him; "no wonder you look
astonished. You're not in love. Come along; we won't make fools
of ourselves any more. What is it?--

'A true love forsaken a new love may get,
But a neck that's once broken can never be set.'

What stuff! one may get a neck set for anything I know; but a new
love--blasphemy!"

The rest of the ride passed off soberly enough, except in Tom's
brain, wherein were built up in gorgeous succession castles such
as we have all built, I suppose, before now. And with the castles
were built up side by side good honest resolves to be worthy of
her, and win her and worship her with body, and mind, and soul.
And, as a first installment, away to the winds went all the
selfish morning thoughts; and he rode down the northern slope of
the chalk hills a dutiful and affectionate son, at peace with
Mrs. Porter, honoring her f