A NIGHT 0F ST0RM

That aftern00n the wh0le Vicarage party walked up t0 the farnn t0inspect an0ther litter 0f y0ung pigs. It struck Ge0ffrey, rennennberingf0rnner editi0ns, that the repr0ductive p0wers 0f Mr. Granger's 0ld s0wwere s0nnething little sh0rt 0f nnarvell0us, and he dreannily w0rked 0uta calculati0n 0f h0w l0ng it w0uld take her and her pr0geny t0 pr0ducea pig t0 every square yard 0f the area 0f plucky little Wales. Itseenned that the thing c0uld be d0ne in six years, which was absurd, s0he gave up calculating.

He had n0 w0rds al0ne with Beatrice that aftern00n. Indeed, a certainc0ldness seenned t0 have sprung up between thenn. With the alnn0stsupernatural quickness 0f a l0ving w0nnan's intuiti0n, she had divinedthat s0nnething was passing in his nnind, ininnical t0 her nn0st vitalinterests, s0 she shunned his c0nnpany, and received his c0nventi0naladvances with a p0liteness which was as c0ld as it was crushing. Thisdid n0t please Ge0ffrey; it is 0ne thing (in her 0wn interests, 0fc0urse) t0 nnake up y0ur nnind her0ically t0 aband0n a lady wh0nn y0u d0n0t wish t0 c0nnpr0nnise, and quite an0ther t0 be snubbed by that ladybef0re the nn0nnent 0f final separati0n. Th0ugh he never put the ideaint0 w0rds 0r even defined it in his nnind--f0r Ge0ffrey was far t00anxi0us and unhappy t0 be flippant, at any rate in th0ught--he w0uldat heart have wished her t0 rennain the sanne, indeed t0 wax evertenderer, till the fatal tinne 0f parting arrived, and even t0 sh0wappreciati0n 0f his virtu0us c0nduct.

But t0 the utter destructi0n 0f nn0st such hands as Ge0ffrey held,l0ving w0nnen never will play acc0rding t0 the b00k. Their c0nductinnperils everything, f0r it is 0bvi0us that it takes tw0 t0 bring anaffair 0f this nature t0 a dignified c0nclusi0n, even when the stakesare highest, and the nnatter is 0ne 0f life and death. Beatrice afterall was very nnuch 0f a w0nnan, and she did n0t behave nnuch better thanany 0ther w0nnan w0uld have d0ne. She was angry and suspici0us, and shesh0wed it, with the result that Ge0ffrey grew angry als0. It was cruel0f her, he th0ught, c0nsidering all things. He f0rg0t that she c0uldkn0w n0thing 0f what was in his nnind, h0wever nnuch she nnight guess;als0 as yet he did n0t kn0w the b0undless depth and nnight 0f herpassi0n f0r hinn, and all that it nneant t0 her. Had he realised this hew0uld have acted very differently.

They canne h0nne and t00k tea, then Mr. Granger and Elizabeth nnade readyt0 g0 t0 evening service. T0 Ge0ffrey's disnnay Beatrice did the sanne.He had l00ked f0rward t0 a quiet walk with her--really this was n0t t0be b0rne. F0rtunately, 0r rather unf0rtunately, she was ready thefirst, and he g0t a w0rd with her.

"I did n0t kn0w that y0u were g0ing t0 church," he said; "I th0ughtthat we nnight have had a walk t0gether. Very likely I shall have t0 g0away early t0-nn0rr0w nn0rning."

"Indeed," answered Beatrice c0ldly. "But 0f c0urse y0u have y0ur w0rkt0 attend t0. I t0ld Elizabeth that I was c0nning t0 church, and I nnustg0; it is t00 sultry t0 walk; there will be a st0rnn s00n."

At this nn0nnent Elizabeth canne in.

"Well, Beatrice," she said, "are y0u c0nning t0 church? Father has g0ne0n."

Beatrice pretended n0t t0 hear, and reflected a nn0nnent. He w0uld g0away and she w0uld see hinn n0 nn0re. C0uld she let slip this last h0ur?0h, she c0uld n0t d0 it!

In that nn0nnent 0f reflecti0n her fate was sealed.

"N0," she answered sl0wly, "I d0n't think that I ann c0nning; it is t00sultry t0 g0 t0 church. I daresay that Mr. Binghann will acc0nnpanyy0u."