ike when you've gone again."

"I shan't go--I'm never going. Never, Sabina. I--I couldn't live without
you. Kiss me, for God's sake. I must kiss you--I must--or I shall go
mad."

His arms were round her and he felt her hot cheek against his. They were
young in love and dared not look into each other's eyes. But she kissed
him back, and then, as he released her, she ran away, slipped through
the wicket, where they stood and hastened off by the lane to Bridetown.
He glowed at her touch and panted at his triumph. She had not rebuked
him, but let him see that she loved him and kissed him for his kiss. He
did not attempt to follow her then but turned full of glory. Here was a
thing that dwarfed every interest of life and made life itself a
triviality by comparison. She loved him; he had won her; nothing else
that would be, or had been, in the whole world mattered beside such a
triumph. His head had touched the stars.

And he felt amazingly grateful to her. His thoughts for the moment were
full of chivalry. Her life must be translated to higher terms and new
values. She should have the best that the world could offer, and he
would win it for her. Her trust was so pathetic and beautiful. To be
trusted by her made him feel a finer thing and more important to the
cosmic scheme.

In itself this was a notable sensation and an addition of power, for
nobody had ever trusted him until now. And here was a radiant creature,
the most beautiful in the world, who trusted him with herself. His love
brought a sense of splendour; her love brought a sense of strength.

He swung back to the house feeling in him such mastery as might bend the
whole earth to his purposes, take Leviathan with a hook, and hang the
constellations in new signs upon the void of heaven.

CHAPTER X

WORK

Sarah Northover and another young woman were tending the Spread Board.
To this came the 'long line' from the hackler--those strides of amber
hemp and lint-white flax that Mr. Baggs prepared in the hackler's shop.
The Spread Board worked upon the long line as the Carder on the tow.
Over its endless leathern platform, or spreading carriage, the long
fibre was drawn into the toothed gills of the machine and converted into
sliver for the Drawing Frames.

With swift and rhythmic flinging apart of her arms over her head, Sarah
separated the stricks into three and laid them overlapping on the
carriage. The ribbon thus created was never-ending and wound awa