On a day about three weeks later, the Swancourt trio were sitting quietly in the drawing-room of The Crags, Mrs.¬†SwancourtвАЩs house at Endelstow, chatting, and taking easeful survey of their previous month or two of townвБ†вАФa tangible weariness even to people whose acquaintances there might be counted on the fingers. + 

A mere season in London with her practised stepmother had so advanced ElfrideвАЩs perceptions, that her courtship by Stephen seemed emotionally meagre, and to have drifted back several years into a childish past. In regarding our mental experiences, as in visual observation, our own progress reads like a dwindling of that we progress from. + 

She was seated on a low chair, looking over her romance with melancholy interest for the first time since she had become acquainted with the remarks of The Present thereupon. + 

вАЬStill thinking of that reviewer, Elfie?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot of him personally; but I am thinking of his opinion. Really, on looking into the volume after this long time has elapsed, he seems to have estimated one part of it fairly enough.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo, no; I wouldnвАЩt show the white feather now! Fancy that of all people in the world the writer herself should go over to the enemy. How shall MonmouthвАЩs men fight when Monmouth runs away?вАЭ + 

вАЬI donвАЩt do that. But I think he is right in some of his arguments, though wrong in others. And because he has some claim to my respect I regret all the more that he should think so mistakenly of my motives in one or two instances. It is more vexing to be misunderstood than to be misrepresented; and he misunderstands me. I cannot be easy whilst a person goes to rest night after night attributing to me intentions I never had.вАЭ + 

вАЬHe doesnвАЩt know your name, or anything about you. And he has doubtless forgotten there is such a book in existence by this time.вАЭ + 

вАЬI myself should certainly like him to be put right upon one or two matters,вАЭ said the vicar, who had hitherto been silent. вАЬYou see, critics go on writing, and are never corrected or argued with, and therefore are never improved.вАЭ + 

вАЬPapa,вАЭ said Elfride brightening, вАЬwrite to him!вАЭ + 

вАЬI would as soon write to him as look at him, for the matter of that,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Swancourt. + 

вАЬDo! And say, the young person who wrote the book did not adopt a masculine pseudonym in vanity or conceit, but because she was afraid it would be thought presumptuous to publish her name, and that she did not mean the story for such as he, but as a sweetener of history for young people, who might thereby acquire a taste for what went on in their own country hundreds of years ago, and be tempted to dive deeper into the subject. Oh, there is so much to explain; I wish I might write myself!вАЭ + 

вАЬNow, Elfie, IвАЩll tell you what we will do,вАЭ answered Mr.¬†Swancourt, tickled with a sort of bucolic humour at the idea of criticizing the critic. вАЬYou shall write a clear account of what he is wrong in, and I will copy it and send it as mine.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, now, directly!вАЭ said Elfride, jumping up. вАЬWhen will you send it, papa?вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, in a day or two, I suppose,вАЭ he returned. Then the vicar paused and slightly yawned, and in the manner of elderly people began to cool from his ardour for the undertaking now that it came to the point. вАЬBut, really, it is hardly worth while,вАЭ he said. + 

вАЬO papa!вАЭ said Elfride, with much disappointment. вАЬYou said you would, and now you wonвАЩt. That is not fair!вАЭ + 

вАЬBut how can we send it if we donвАЩt know whom to send it to?вАЭ + 

вАЬIf you really want to send such a thing it can easily be done,вАЭ said Mrs.¬†Swancourt, coming to her stepdaughterвАЩs rescue. вАЬAn envelope addressed, вАШTo the Critic of The Court of Kellyon Castle, care of the Editor of The Present,вАЩ would find him.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, I suppose it would.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy not write your answer yourself, Elfride?вАЭ Mrs.¬†Swancourt inquired. + 

вАЬI might,вАЭ she said hesitatingly; вАЬand send it anonymously: that would be treating him as he has treated me.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo use in the world!вАЭ + 

вАЬBut I donвАЩt like to let him know my exact name. Suppose I put my initials only? The less you are known the more you are thought of.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes; you might do that.вАЭ + 

Elfride set to work there and then. Her one desire for the last fortnight seemed likely to be realized. As happens with sensitive and secluded minds, a continual dwelling upon the subject had magnified to colossal proportions the space she assumed herself to occupy or to have occupied in the occult criticвАЩs mind. At noon and at night she had been pestering herself with endeavours to perceive more distinctly his conception of her as a woman apart from an author: whether he really despised her; whether he thought more or less of her than of ordinary young women who never ventured into the fire of criticism at all. Now she would have the satisfaction of feeling that at any rate he knew her true intent in crossing his path, and annoying him so by her performance, and be taught perhaps to despise it a little less. + 

Four days later an envelope, directed to Miss Swancourt in a strange hand, made its appearance from the postbag. + 

вАЬOh,вАЭ said Elfride, her heart sinking within her. вАЬCan it be from that manвБ†вАФa lecture for impertinence? And actually one for Mrs.¬†Swancourt in the same handwriting!вАЭ She feared to open hers. вАЬYet how can he know my name? No; it is somebody else.вАЭ + 

вАЬNonsense!вАЭ said her father grimly. вАЬYou sent your initials, and the Directory was available. Though he wouldnвАЩt have taken the trouble to look there unless he had been thoroughly savage with you. I thought you wrote with rather more asperity than simple literary discussion required.вАЭ This timely clause was introduced to save the character of the vicarвАЩs judgment under any issue of affairs. + 

вАЬWell, here I go,вАЭ said Elfride, desperately tearing open the seal. + 

вАЬTo be sure, of course,вАЭ exclaimed Mrs.¬†Swancourt; and looking up from her own letter. вАЬChristopher, I quite forgot to tell you, when I mentioned that I had seen my distant relative, Harry Knight, that I invited him here for whatever length of time he could spare. And now he says he can come any day in August.вАЭ + 

вАЬWrite, and say the first of the month,вАЭ replied the indiscriminate vicar. + 

She read on, вАЬGoodness meвБ†вАФand that isnвАЩt all. He is actually the reviewer of ElfrideвАЩs book. How absurd, to be sure! I had no idea he reviewed novels or had anything to do with The Present. He is a barristerвБ†вАФand I thought he only wrote in the Quarterlies. Why, Elfride, you have brought about an odd entanglement! What does he say to you?вАЭ + 

Elfride had put down her letter with a dissatisfied flush on her face. вАЬI donвАЩt know. The idea of his knowing my name and all about me!вБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Why, he says nothing particular, only thisвБ†вАФ + 

вАЬMy Dear MadamвБ†вАФThough I am sorry that my remarks should have seemed harsh to you, it is a pleasure to find that they have been the means of bringing forth such an ingeniously argued reply. Unfortunately, it is so long since I wrote my review, that my memory does not serve me sufficiently to say a single word in my defence, even supposing there remains one to be said, which is doubtful. You will find from a letter I have written to Mrs.¬†Swancourt, that we are not such strangers to each other as we have been imagining. Possibly, I may have the pleasure of seeing you soon, when any argument you choose to advance shall receive all the attention it deserves. + 

вАЬThat is dim sarcasmвБ†вАФI know it is.вАЭ + 

вАЬOh no, Elfride.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd then, his remarks didnвАЩt seem harshвБ†вАФI mean I did not say so.вАЭ + 

вАЬHe thinks you are in a frightful temper,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Swancourt, chuckling in undertones. + 

вАЬAnd he will come and see me, and find the authoress as contemptible in speech as she has been impertinent in manner. I do heartily wish I had never written a word to him!вАЭ + 

вАЬNever mind,вАЭ said Mrs.¬†Swancourt, also laughing in low quiet jerks; вАЬit will make the meeting such a comical affair, and afford splendid byplay for your father and myself. The idea of our running our heads against Harry Knight all the time! I cannot get over that.вАЭ + 

The vicar had immediately remembered the name to be that of Stephen SmithвАЩs preceptor and friend; but having ceased to concern himself in the matter he made no remark to that effect, consistently forbearing to allude to anything which could restore recollection of the (to him) disagreeable mistake with regard to poor StephenвАЩs lineage and position. Elfride had of course perceived the same thing, which added to the complication of relationship a mesh that her stepmother knew nothing of. + 

The identification scarcely heightened KnightвАЩs attractions now, though a twelvemonth ago she would only have cared to see him for the interest he possessed as StephenвАЩs friend. Fortunately for KnightвАЩs advent, such a reason for welcome had only begun to be awkward to her at a time when the interest he had acquired on his own account made it no longer necessary. + 

These coincidences, in common with all relating to him, tended to keep ElfrideвАЩs mind upon the stretch concerning Knight. As was her custom when upon the horns of a dilemma, she walked off by herself among the laurel bushes, and there, standing still and splitting up a leaf without removing it from its stalk, fetched back recollections of StephenвАЩs frequent words in praise of his friend, and wished she had listened more attentively. Then, still pulling the leaf, she would blush at some fancied mortification that would accrue to her from his words when they met, in consequence of her intrusiveness, as she now considered it, in writing to him. + 

The next development of her meditations was the subject of what this manвАЩs personal appearance might beвБ†вАФwas he tall or short, dark or fair, gay or grim? She would have asked Mrs.¬†Swancourt but for the risk she might thereby incur of some teasing remark being returned. Ultimately Elfride would say, вАЬOh, what a plague that reviewer is to me!вАЭ and turn her face to where she imagined India lay, and murmur to herself, вАЬAh, my little husband, what are you doing now? Let me see, where are youвБ†вАФsouth, east, where? Behind that hill, ever so far behind!вАЭ + 