derneath
his eyelids, he could not sleep,--visions of satisfied affection, and of
grief and humiliation crowned with joy and happiness and honor.

It had been decided that Stephen should drive his mother to the rectory
in the morning, and there they were to wait the result of Moser's
interview with Julius. The dawning came up with sunshine; the storm was
over, the earth lay smiling in that "clear shining after rain," which is
so exhilarating and full of promise. The sky was as blue, the air as
fresh, fell and wood, meadow and mountain, as clean and bright as if
they had just come new from the fingers of the Almighty. Ducie was
handsomely dressed in dark violet-colored satin, and Stephen noticed
with pride how well her rich clothing and quiet, dignified manner became
her; while Ducie felt even a greater pride in the stately, handsome
young man who drove her with such loving care down Latrigg fell that
eventful morning.

Julius was at breakfast when the company from Ambleside were shown into
the master's room in Seat-Sandal. The lawyer sent in his card; and
Julius, who knew him well, was a trifle annoyed by the visit. "It will
be about your mother's income, Sophia," he said, as he viciously broke
the egg he was holding; "now mind, I am not going to yield one inch."

"Why should you, Julius? I am sure we have been blamed and talked over
enough. We never can be popular here."

"We don't want to be popular here. When we have refurnished the house,
we will bring our company from Oxford and London and elsewhere. We will
have fine dinners and balls, hunting-parties and fishing-parties; and,
depend upon it, we shall very soon have these shepherd lords and
gentlemen begging for our favor."

"Oh, you don't know them, Julius! They would not break bread with us if
they were starving."

"Very well. What do I care?"

But he did care. When the wagoners driving their long teams pretended
not to hear his greeting, for the jingling of their bells, he knew it
was pretence, and the wagoners' aversion hurt him. When the herdsmen
sauntered away from his path, and preferred not to talk to him, he felt
the bitterness of their dislike, though they were only shepherds. When
the gentlemen of the neighborhood looked straight before them, and did
not see him in their path, he burned with an indignation he would have
liked well to express. But no one took the trouble to offend him by word
or deed, and a man cannot pick a quarrel with people f