"You always want to go to bed so soon," said Mrs. Ray. "I think you
are getting tired of reading out loud. That will be very sad for me
with my eyes."

"No, I'm not, mamma, and I'll go on again for half an hour, if you
please; but I thought you liked going to bed at ten."

The watch was consulted, and as it was not quite ten Rachel did go on
for another half-hour, and then she went up to her bedroom.

She sat herself down at her open window and looked out for a while
upon the heavens. The summer moon was at its full, so that the green
before the cottage was as clear before her as in the day, and she
could see over into the gloom of Mr. Sturt's farmyard across it. She
had once watched Rowan as he came over the turf towards the cottage
swinging his stick in his hand, and now she gazed on the spot where
the Baslehurst road came in as though she expected that his figure
might again appear. She looked and looked, thinking of this, till she
would hardly have been surprised had that figure really come forth
upon the road. But no figure was to be seen, and after awhile she
withdrew from the window and sat herself down at the little table.
It was very late when she undressed herself and went to her bed,
and later still when her eyes, red with many tears, were closed
in sleep;--but the letter had been written and was ready for her
mother's inspection. This was the letter as it stood after many
struggles in the writing of it,--

Bragg's End,
Thursday, 186--

MY DEAR MR. ROWAN,

I am much obliged to you for having written the letter
which I received from you the other day, and I should have
answered it sooner, only mamma thought it best to see Mr.
Comfort first, as he is our clergyman here, and to ask his
advice. I hope you will not be annoyed because I showed
your letter to mamma, but I could not receive any letter
from you without doing so, and I may as well tell you that
she will read this before it goes.

And now that I have begun I hardly know how to write what
I have to say. Mr. Comfort and mamma have determined that
there must be nothing fixed as an engagement between us,
and that for the present, at least, I may not correspond
with you. This will be my first and last letter. As that
will be so, of course I shall not expect you to write any
more, and I know that you will be very angry. But if you
understood all my feelings I think that perhaps you would