"'Tis so, steward," returned Black Jack, speaking in his usually self-confident tone;"I dare say you do think it strange that a man should steal into this castle, and hide himself for two or three hours, on purpose to scare you out of your wits; but it was not to threaten, or frighten you either, I have come."
"What!" exclaimed he, "has Beauchamp broke cover on such a night as this? Speak!""I am afraid not,many thanks to you; John Byles is not thought enough of in this baronyno, it is more likely Holgrave's wife, if she has any children, will have the nursing."O why when we kissed 'mid the ewes on the hanger,
"I do forgive you, indeed, as truly as I hope to be forgiven!" said Margaret, affectedand turning away, she left the cottage.He had learned one sound lesson, which was the superfluousness of women in the scheme of life. From henceforward he was "shut of" them. Long ago he had denied himself women in their more casual aspect, using them entirely for practical purposes, but now he realised that women no longer had any practical purpose as far as he was concerned. The usefulness of woman was grossly overrated. It is true that she produced offspring, but he thought irritably that Providence might have found some more satisfactory way of perpetuating the human race. Everything a woman did was bound to go wrong somehow. She was nothing but a parasite and an incubus, a blood-sucking triviality, an expense and a snare. So he tore woman out of his life as he tore up the gorse on Boarzell."That's righthave the courage of your earthiness. But don't try to make me think that when you look out[Pg 218] of the window at Boarzell, you don't see the sky beyond it."
