Within the dining-room there were also, with one of the twain, the same
signs of a hidden purpose that marked the farmer. The young lady's mind
was straying as clearly into the shadows as that of the loiterer was
fixed upon the room--nay, it could be said that she was quite conscious
of his presence outside. Impatience caused her foot to beat silently on
the carpet, and she more than once rose to leave the table. This
proceeding was checked by her father, who would put his hand upon her
shoulder and unceremoniously press her down into her chair, till he
should have concluded his observations. Her replies were brief enough,
and there was factitiousness in her smiles of assent to his views. A
small iron casement between two of the mullions was open, and some
occasional words of the dialogue were audible without.

'As for drains--how can I put in drains? The pipes don't cost much,
that's true; but the labour in sinking the trenches is ruination. And
then the gates--they should be hung to stone posts, otherwise there's no
keeping them up through harvest.' The Squire's voice was strongly toned
with the local accent, so that he said 'drains' and 'geats' like the
rustics on his estate.

The landscape without grew darker, and the young man's figure seemed to
be absorbed into the trunk of the tree. The small stars filled in
between the larger, the nebulae between the small stars, the trees quite
lost their voice; and if there was still a sound, it was from the cascade
of a stream which stretched along under the trees that bounded the lawn
on its northern side.

At last the young girl did get to her feet and secure her retreat. 'I
have something to do, papa,' she said. 'I shall not be in the drawing-
room just yet.'