ut as this was by no means unusual, he took no notice
of it. At breakfast-time he knew that she was not far off by hearing her
in the kitchen, and though he saw nothing of her person, that back
apartment being rigorously closed against his eyes, she seemed to be
talking, ordering, and bustling about among the pots and skimmers in so
ordinary a manner, that there was no reason for his wasting more time in
fruitless surmise.

The minister suffered from these distractions, and his extemporized
sermons were not improved thereby. Already he often said Romans for
Corinthians in the pulpit, and gave out hymns in strange cramped metres,
that hitherto had always been skipped, because the congregation could not
raise a tune to fit them. He fully resolved that as soon as his few
weeks of stay approached their end he would cut the matter short, and
commit himself by proposing a definite engagement, repenting at leisure
if necessary.

With this end in view, he suggested to her on the evening after her
mysterious sleep that they should take a walk together just before dark,
the latter part of the proposition being introduced that they might
return home unseen. She consented to go; and away they went over a
stile, to a shrouded footpath suited for the occasion. But, in spite of
attempts on both sides, they were unable to infuse much spirit into the
ramble. She looked rather paler than usual, and sometimes turned her
head away.

'Lizzy,' said Stockdale reproachfully, when they had walked in silence a
long distance.

'Yes,' said she.

'You yawned--much my company is to you!' He put it in that way, but he
was really wondering whether her yawn could possibly have more to do with
physical weariness from the night before than mental weariness of that
present moment. Lizzy apologized, and owned that she was rather tired,
which gave him an opening for a direct question on the point; but his
modesty would not allow him to put it to her; and he uncomfortably
resolved to wait.

The month of February passed with alternations of mud and frost, rain and
sleet, east winds and north-westerly gales. The hollow places in the
ploughed fields showed themselves as pools of water, which had settled
there from the higher levels, and had not yet found time to soak away.
The birds began to get lively, and a single thrush came just before
sunset each evening, and sang hopefully on the large elm-tree which stood
nearest to Mrs. Newberry's house