snow.

[Illustration: sinking up to his shoulders in a hollow 225-196]

CHAPTER XXV

HARRY AND DOROTHY

(Greek passage)
Humerus in Odyssea.

The youthful suitors, playing each his part,
Stirred pleasing tumult in each fair one's heart.
--Adapted--not translated.

Harry Hedgerow had found means on several occasions of delivering farm
and forest produce at the Tower, to introduce his six friends to the
sisters, giving all the young men in turn to understand that they must
not think of Miss Dorothy; an injunction which, in the ordinary perverse
course of events, might have led them all to think of no one else, and
produced a complication very disagreeable for their introducer. It
was not so, however. 'The beauty of it,' as Harry said to the reverend
doctor, was that each had found a distinct favourite among the seven
vestals. They had not, however, gone beyond giving pretty intelligible
hints. They had not decidedly ventured to declare or propose. They left
it to Harry to prosecute his suit to Miss Dorothy, purposing to step in
on the rear of his success. They had severally the satisfaction of being
assured by various handsome young gipsies, whose hands they had crossed
with lucky shillings, that each of them was in love with a fair young
woman, who was quite as much in love with him, and whom he would
certainly marry before twelve months were over. And they went on their
way rejoicing.

Now Harry was indefatigable in his suit, which he had unbounded liberty
to plead; for Dorothy always listened to him complacently, though
without departing from the answer she had originally given, that she and
her sisters would not part with each other and their young master.

The sisters had not attached much importance to Mr. Falconer's absences;
for on every occasion of his return the predominant feeling he had
seemed to express was that of extreme delight at being once more at
home.

One day, while Mr. Falconer was at the Grange, receiving admonition from
_Orlando Innamorato_, Harry, having the pleasure to find Dorothy alone,
pressed his suit as usual, was listened to as usual, and seemed likely
to terminate without being more advanced than usual, except in so far
as they both found a progressive pleasure, she in listening, and he in
being listened to. There was to both a growing charm in thus 'dallying
with the innocence of love,' and though she always said No with h