Page:Arthur Machen - The Hill of Dreams.djvu/39

THE HILL OF DREAMS of misty cloud, and hung, a golden glorious lantern, in mid-air; and, set in the dusky hedge, the little green fires of the glowworms appeared. He sauntered slowly up the lane, drinking in the religion of the scene, and thinking the country by night as mystic and wonderful as a dimly-lit cathedral. He had quite forgotten the 'manly young fellows' and their sports, and only wished as the land began to shimmer and gleam in the moonlight that he knew by some medium of words or colour how to represent the loveliness about his way.

'Had a pleasant evening, Lucian?' said his father when he came in.

'Yes, I had a nice walk home. Oh, in the afternoon we played cricket. I didn't care for it much. There was a boy named De Carti there, he is staying with the Dixons. Mrs. Dixon whispered to me when we were going in to tea, "He's a second cousin of Lord De Carti's," and she looked quite grave as if she were in church.'

The parson grinned grimly and lit his old pipe.

'Baron De Carti's great-grandfather was a Dublin attorney,' he remarked. 'Which his name was Jeremiah M'Carthy. His prejudiced fellow-citizens called him the Unjust Steward, 29