There was a rare blending of heaven and earth in lovely alluring distances, and a luscious odour of sweet ripe things athirst for rain.

The drawing-room windows were thrown up as high as they would go, and it was cooler within than without.

Upstairs the bride's trunks were packed, and the white robe was spread out in state, waiting its moment.

We were all in the drawing-room, Mr.and Mrs.Hill variously unoccupied, Rachel and Arthur sitting together before a window.

In another window I was down on my knees leaning my elbows on the open sash, and gazing out on the idealised world of the hour in a kind of restful reverie, which held the fears and pains and unsatisfied hopes of my heart in a sweet thrall, even as the deep-coloured glory that was abroad fused into common beauty all the rough seams and barren places of the unequal land.