tandpoint beyond the influence of
that inconstancy, the most exquisite of all in its plasticity and ready
sympathies. Partly, too, Stephen's failure to make his hold on her heart
a permanent one was his too timid habit of dispraising himself beside
her--a peculiarity which, exercised towards sensible men, stirs a kindly
chord of attachment that a marked assertiveness would leave untouched,
but inevitably leads the most sensible woman in the world to undervalue
him who practises it. Directly domineering ceases in the man, snubbing
begins in the woman; the trite but no less unfortunate fact being
that the gentler creature rarely has the capacity to appreciate fair
treatment from her natural complement. The abiding perception of the
position of Stephen's parents had, of course, a little to do with
Elfride's renunciation. To such girls poverty may not be, as to the more
worldly masses of humanity, a sin in itself; but it is a sin, because
graceful and dainty manners seldom exist in such an atmosphere. Few
women of old family can be thoroughly taught that a fine soul may wear a
smock-frock, and an admittedly common man in one is but a worm in their
eyes. John Smith's rough hands and clothes, his wife's dialect, the
necessary narrowness of their ways, being constantly under Elfride's
notice, were not without their deflecting influence.

On reaching home after the perilous adventure by the sea-shore, Knight
had felt unwell, and retired almost immediately. The young lady who
had so materially assisted him had done the same, but she reappeared,
properly clothed, about five o'clock. She wandered restlessly about the
house, but not on account of their joint narrow escape from death. The
storm which had torn the tree had merely bowed the reed, and with the
deliverance of Knight all deep thought of the accident had left her. The
mutual avowal which it had been the means of precipitating occupied a
far longer length of her meditations.

Elfride's disquiet now was on account of that miserable promise to meet
Stephen, which returned like a spectre again and again. The perception
of his littleness beside Knight grew upon her alarmingly. She now
thought how sound had been her father's advice to her to give him up,
and was as passionately desirous of following it as she had hitherto
been averse. Perhaps there is nothing more hardening to the tone of
young minds than thus to discover how their dearest and strongest wishes
become gradually