Works The well-beloved Author:Thomas Hardy Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II THE INCARNATION IS ASSUMED TO BE TRUE It was difficult to meet her again, even though on this lump of rock the difficulty lay as a rule rather in avoida... more »nce than in meeting. But Avice had been transformed into a /t t very different kind of young woman by the L ( l self-consciousness engendered of her impulsive greeting, and, notwithstanding their near neighborhood, he could not encounter her, try as he would. No sooner did he appear an inch beyond his father's door than she was to earth like a fox; she bolted up-stairs to her room. Anxious to soothe her after his unintentional slight, he could not stand these evasions long. The manners of the isle were primitive and straightforward, even among the well-to-do; and noting her disappearance one day, he followed her into the house and onward to the foot of the stairs. " Avice!" he called, "Yes, Mr. Pierston." " Why do you run up-stairs like that ?" "Oh — only because I wanted to come up for something." " Well, if you've got it, can't you come down again ?" " No, I can't very well." " Come, dear Avice. That's what you are, you know." There was no response. " Well, if you won't, you won't!" he continued. " I don't want to bother you." And Pierston went away. He was stopping to look at the old-fashioned flowers under the garden walls when he heard a voice behind him. "Mr. Pierston — I wasn't angry with you. When you were gone I thought — you might mistake me, and I felt I could do no less than come and assure you of my friendship still." Turning, he saw the blushing Avice immediately behind him. "You are a good, dear girl!" said he, and, seizing her hand, set upon her cheek the kind of kiss that should have been the response to hers on the day of his coming. " Darling Avice, forgive m...« less