What nonsense to be so worked up because a little girl he had seen for five minutes failed to appear ! Where was his common sense , his `` gumption , '' as old Robert Williamson would have said ? Naturally a man liked to look at a pretty face . But was that any reason why he should feel as if life were flat , stale , and unprofitable simply because he could not look at it ? He called himself a fool and went home in a petulant mood . Arriving there , he plunged fiercely into solving algebraical equations and working out geometry exercises , determined to put out of his head forthwith all vain imaginings of an enchanted orchard , white in the moonshine , with lilts of elfin music echoing down its long arcades . The next day was Sunday and Eric went to church twice . The Williamson pew was one of the side ones at the top of the church and its occupants practically faced the congregation . Eric looked at every girl and woman in the audience , but he saw nothing of the face which , setting will power and common sense flatly at defiance , haunted his memory like a star . Thomas Gordon was there , sitting alone in his long , empty pew near the top of the building ; and Neil Gordon sang in the choir which occupied the front pew of the gallery . He had a powerful and melodious , though untrained voice , which dominated the singing and took the colour out of the weaker , more commonplace tones of the other singers . He was well-dressed in a suit of dark blue serge , with a white collar and tie . But Eric idly thought it did not become him so well as the working clothes in which he had first seen him . He was too obviously dressed up , and he looked coarser and more out of harmony with his surroundings . For two days Eric refused to let himself think of the orchard . Monday evening he went cod-fishing , and Tuesday evening he went up to play checkers with Alexander Tracy . Alexander won all the games so easily that he never had any respect for Eric Marshall again . `` Played like a feller whose thoughts were wool gathering , '' he complained to his wife . `` He 'll never make a checker player -- never in this world . '' CHAPTER VI .
THE STORY OF KILMENY Wednesday evening XXXXX went to the orchard again ; and again he was disappointed .
Eric Marshall Tracy VI Williamson first lilts minutes moonshine pew