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trembling lips。
Yes； certainly；〃 she replied with a smile； and a glance in his face
as of wonder as to what could trouble him so much。 Then turning；
and leading the way； she said：
〃Come into my room。〃
He followed her。 She turned and shut the door； which he had left
open behind him。 He almost knelt to her； but something held him
back from that。
〃Euphra；〃 he said； 〃what have I done to offend you？〃
〃Offend me！ Nothing。〃This was uttered in a perfect tone of
surprise。
〃How is it that you avoid me as you do； and will not allow me one
moment's speech with you？ You are driving me to distraction。〃
〃Why； you foolish man！〃 she answered； half playfully； pressing the
palms of her little hands together； and looking up in his face； 〃how
can I？ Don't you see how those two dear old ladies swallow me up in
their faddles？ Oh； dear？ Oh； dear！ I wish they would go。 Then it
would be all right againwouldn't it？〃
But Hugh was not to be so easily satisfied。
〃Before they came； ever since that night〃
〃Hush…sh！〃 she interrupted； putting her finger on his lips； and
looking hurriedly round her with an air of fright； of which he could
hardly judge whether it was real or assumed〃hush！〃
Comforted wondrously by the hushing finger； Hugh would yet
understand more。
〃I am no baby； dear Euphra；〃 he said； taking hold of the hand to
which the finger belonged； and laying it on his mouth； 〃do not make
one of me。 There is some mystery in all thisat least something I
do not understand。〃
〃I will tell you all about it one day。 But； seriously； you must be
careful how you behave to me； for if my uncle should； but for one
moment； entertain a suspiciongood…bye to youperhaps good…bye to
Arnstead。 All my influence with him comes from his thinking that I
like him better than anybody else。 So you must not make the poor
old man jealous。 By the bye；〃 she went onrapidly； as if she would
turn the current of the conversation aside〃what a favourite you
have grown with him！ You should have heard him talk of you to the
old ladies。 I might well be jealous of you。 There never was a
tutor like his。〃
Hugh's heart smote him that the praise of even this common man；
proud of his own vanity； should be undeserved by him。 He was
troubled； too； at the flippancy with which Euphra spoke； yet not the
less did he feel that he loved her passionately。
〃I daresay；〃 he replied； 〃he praised me as he would anything else
that happened to be his。 Isn't that old bay horse of his the best
hack in the county？〃
〃You naughty man！ Are you going to be satirical？〃
〃You claim that as your privilege； do you？〃
〃Worse and worse！ I will not talk to you。 But； seriously； for I
must gobring your Italian toto〃 She hesitated。
〃To the librarywhy not？〃 suggested Hugh。
〃No…o；〃 she answered； shaking her head； and looking quite solemn。
〃Well； will you come to my study？ Will that please you better？〃
〃Yes； I will；〃 she answered； with a definitive tone。 〃Good…bye；
now。〃
She opened the door； and having looked out to see that no one was
passing； told him to go。 As he went； he felt as if the oaken floor
were elastic beneath his tread。
It was sometime after the household had retired； however； before
Euphra made her appearance at the door of his study。 She seemed
rather shy of entering； and hesitated； as if she felt she was doing
something she ought not to do。 But as soon as she had entered； and
the door was shut； she appeared to recover herself quite； and they
sat down at the table with their books。 They could not get on very
well with their reading； however。 Hugh often forgot what he was
about； in looking at her； and she seemed nowise inclined to avert
his gazes； or check the growth of his admiration。
Rather abruptly； but apparently starting from some suggestion in the
book； she said to him：
〃By the bye； has Mr。 Arnold ever said anything to you about the
family jewels？〃
〃No；〃 said Hugh。 〃Are there many？〃
〃Yes； a great many。 Mr。 Arnold is very proud of them； as well as of
the portraits； so he treats them in the same waykeeps them locked
up。 Indeed he seldom allows them to see daylight； except it be as a
mark of especial favour to some one。〃
〃I should like much to see them。 I have always been curious about
stones。 They are wonderful； mysterious things to me。〃
Euphra gave him a very peculiar； searching glance； as he spoke。
〃Shall I；〃 he continued； 〃give him a hint that I should like to see
them？〃
〃By no means；〃 answered Euphra； emphatically； 〃except he should
refer to them himself。 He is very jealous of his possessionshis
family possessions； I mean。 Poor old man！ he has not much else to
plume himself upon； has he？〃
〃He is kind to you； Euphra。〃
She looked at him as if she did not understand him。
〃Yes。 What then？〃
〃You ought not to be unkind to him。〃
〃You odd creature！ I am not unkind to him。 I like him。 But we are
not getting on with our reading。 What could have led me to talk
about family…jewels？ Oh！ I see。 What a strange thing the
association of ideas is！ There is not a very obvious connexion
here； is there？〃
〃No。 One cannot account for such things。 The links in the chain of
ideas are sometimes slender enough。 Yet the slenderest is
sufficient to enable the electric flash of thought to pass along the
line。〃
She seemed pondering for a moment。
〃That strikes me as a fine simile；〃 she said。 〃You ought to be a
poet yourself。〃
Hugh made no reply。
〃I daresay you have hundreds of poems in that old desk； now？〃
〃I think they might be counted by tens。〃
〃Do let me see them。〃
〃You would not care for them。〃
〃Wouldn't I； Hugh？〃
〃I will； on one conditiontwo conditions； I mean。〃
〃What are they？〃
〃One is； that you show me yours。〃
〃Mine？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Who told you I wrote verses？ That silly boy？〃
〃NoI saw your verses before I saw you。 You remember？〃
〃It was very dishonourable in you to read them。〃
〃I only saw they were verses。 I did not read a word。〃
〃I forgive you； then。 You must show me yours first； till I see
whether I could venture to let you see mine。 If yours were very bad
indeed； then I might risk showing mine。〃
And much more of this sort； with which I will not weary my readers。
It ended in Hugh's taking from the old escritoire a bundle of
papers； and handing them to Euphra。 But the reader need not fear
that I am going to print any of these verses。 I have more respect
for my honest prose page than to break it up so。 Indeed； the whole
of this interview might have been omitted； but for two
circumstances。 One of them was； that in getting these papers； Hugh
had to open a concealed portion of the escritoire； which his
mathematical knowledge had enabled him to discover。 It had
evidently not been opened for many years before he found it。 He had
made use of it to hold the only treasures he hadpoor enough
treasures； certainly！ Not a loving note； not a lock of hair even
had henothing but the few cobwebs spun from his own brain。 It is
true； we are rich or poor according to what we are； not what we
have。 But what a man has produced； is not what he is。 He may even
impoverish his true self by production。
When Euphra saw him open this place； she uttered a suppressed cry of
astonishment。
〃Ah！〃 said Hugh； 〃you did not know of this hidie…hole； did you？〃
〃Indeed； I did not。 I had used the desk myself； for this was a
favourite room of mine before you came； but I never found that。
Dear me！ Let me look。〃
She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned over him； as he pointed
out the way of opening it。
〃Did you find nothing in it？〃 she said； with a slight tremour in her
voice。
〃Nothing whatever。〃
〃There may be more places。〃
〃No。 I have accounted for the whole bulk； I believe。〃
〃How strange！〃
〃But now you must give me my guerdon；〃 said Hugh timidly。
The fact was； the poor youth had bargained； in a playful manner； and
yet with an earnest； covetous heart； for one； the first kiss； in
return for the poems she begged to see。
She turned her face towards him。
The second circumstance which makes the interview worth recording
is； that； at this moment； three distinct knocks were heard on the
window。 They sprang asunder； and saw each other's face pale as
death。 In Euphra's； the expression of fright was mingled with one
of annoyance。 Hugh； though his heart trembled like a bird； leaped
to the window。 Nothing was to be seen but the trees that 〃stretched
their dark arms〃 within a few feet of the oriel。 Turning again
towards Euphra； he found； to his mortification； that she had
vanishedand had left the packet of poems behind her。
He replaced them in their old quarters in the escritoire； and his
vague dismay at the unaccountable noises； was drowned in the bitter
waters of miserable humiliation。 He slept at last； from the
exhaustion of disappointment。
When he awoke； however； he tried to persuade himself that he had
made far too much of the trifling circumstance of her leaving the
verses behind。 For was she not terrified？Why； then； did she leave
him and go alone to her own room？She must have felt that she ought
not to be in his； at that hour