! Do you have your oats bruised? Even I was
consulted about that. Most of the people in the parish are quite
disappointed because you don't go about in your full armour."

"I'm afraid it's too late now."

"I own I was a little disappointed myself when you came down to
dinner without a sword. You can have no idea in what a state of rural
simplicity we live here. Would you believe it?--for ten years I have
never seen the sea, and have never been into any town bigger than
Worcester,--unless Hereford be bigger. We did go once to the festival
at Hereford. We have not managed Gloucester yet."

"You've never seen London?"

"Not since I was twelve years old. Papa died when I was fourteen,
and I came here almost immediately afterwards. Fancy, ten years at
Dunripple! There is not a tree or a stone I don't know, and of course
not a face in the parish."

She was very nice; but it was out of the question that she should
ever become his wife. He had thought that he might explain this to
herself by letting her know that he had within the last few months
become engaged to, and had broken his engagement with, his cousin,
Mary Lowther. But he found that he could not do it. In the first
place, she would understand more than he meant her to understand if
he made the attempt. She would know that he was putting her on her
guard, and would take it as an insult. And then he could not bring
himself to talk about Mary Lowther, and to tell their joint secrets.
He was discontented with himself and with Dunripple, and he repented
that he had yielded in respect to his Indian service. Everything had
gone wrong with him. Had he refused to accede to Mary's proposition
for a separation, and had he come to Dunripple as an engaged man, he
might, he thought, have reconciled his uncle,--or at least his Cousin
Gregory,--to his marriage with Mary. But he did not see his way back
to that position now, having been entertained at his uncle's house as
his uncle's heir for so long a time without having mentioned it.

At last he went off to Windsor, sad at heart, having received from
Mary an answer to his letter, which he felt to be very cold, very
discreet, and very unsatisfactory. She had merely expressed a fervent
wish that whether he went to India or whether he remained in England,
he might be prosperous and happy. The writer evidently intended that
the correspondence should not be continued.

CHAPTER XLV.

WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MYSELF?

Pars