At what time of the morning does the carrier pass Endelstow lane ?' 'Seven o'clock.' And then he left them.

His thoughts were, that should the vicar permit him to become engaged, to hope for an engagement, or in any way to think of his beloved Elfride, he might stay longer.

Should he be forbidden to think of any such thing, he resolved to go at once.

And the latter, even to young hopefulness, seemed the more probable alternative.
Stephen walked back to the vicarage through the meadows, as he had come, surrounded by the soft musical purl of the water through little weirs, the modest light of the moon, the freshening smell of the dews out-spread around.

It was a time when mere seeing is meditation, and meditation peace.