. There was laughter in each face, but
something else; something strenuous, tragic even; as though "Life at its
grindstone set" had been at work on the radiant pair, evoking the
Meredithian series of intellect from the senses,--"brain from blood";
with "spirit," or generous soul, for climax.

But unconsciously Peter had moved aside. In a flash Helena had slipped
past him, and was flying through the wood, homeward, looking back to mock
him, as he sped after her in vain.

CHAPTER XVI

A week had passed. Mrs. Friend at ten o'clock in the morning had just
been having a heart to heart talk with the landlady of the inn on the
subject of a decent luncheon for three persons, and a passable dinner for
four. Food at the inn was neither good nor well-cooked, and as criticism,
even the mildest, generally led to tears, Mrs. Friend's morning lot, when
any guest was expected, was not a happy one. It was a difficult thing
indeed to get anything said or settled at all; since the five-year old
Bobby was generally scrimmaging round, capturing his mother's broom and
threatening to "sweep out" Mrs. Friend, or brandishing the meat-chopper,
as a still more drastic means of dislodging her. The little villain,
having failed to drown himself, was now inclined to play tricks with his
small sister, aged eight weeks; and had only that morning, while his
mother's back was turned, taken the baby out of her cradle, run down a
steep staircase with her in his arms, and laid her on a kitchen chair,
forgetting all about her a minute afterwards. Even a fond mother had been
provoked to smacking, and the inn had been filled with howls and
roarings, which deadened even the thunder of the swollen stream outside.
Then Helena, her fingers in her ears, had made a violent descent upon the
kitchen, and carried off the "limb" to the river, where, being given
something to do in the shape of damming up a brook that ran into the main
stream, he had suddenly developed angelic qualities, and tied himself to
Helena's skirts.

There they both were, on the river's pebbly bank, within hail, Helena in
a short white skirt with a green jersey and cap. She was alternately
helping Bobby to build the dam, and lying with her hands beneath her
head, under the shelter of the bank. Moderately fine weather had
returned, and the Welsh farmer had once more begun to hope that after all
he might get in his oats. The morning sun sparkled on the river, on the
freshly washed oak-w