第5章

“Inyoursparetime！“Mrs。Coshamechoed。“Thatisaproofofdevotion，indeed。“Shehalfclosedhereyes，andindulgedherselfinafascinatingpictureofabrieflessbarristerlodgedinagarret，writingimmortalnovelsbythelightofafarthingdip。Buttheromancewhichfelluponthefiguresofgreatwritersandilluminedtheirpageswasnofalseradianceinhercase。ShecarriedherpocketShakespeareaboutwithher，andmetlifefortifiedbythewordsofthepoets。HowfarshesawDenham，andhowfarsheconfusedhimwithsomeherooffiction，itwouldbehardtosay。Literaturehadtakenpossessionevenofhermemories。Shewasmatchinghim，presumably，withcertaincharactersintheoldnovels，forshecameout，afterapause，with:

“Um——um——Pendennis——Warrington——IcouldneverforgiveLaura，“shepronouncedenergetically，“fornotmarryingGeorge，inspiteofeverything。GeorgeEliotdidtheverysamething；andLeweswasalittlefrog-facedman，withthemannerofadancingmaster。ButWarrington，now，hadeverythinginhisfavor；intellect，passion，romance，distinction，andtheconnectionwasamerepieceofundergraduatefolly。Arthur，Iconfess，hasalwaysseemedtomeabitofafop；Ican\'timaginehowLauramarriedhim。Butyousayyou\'reasolicitor，Mr。Denham。NowthereareoneortwothingsIshouldliketoaskyou——aboutShakespeare——“Shedrewouthersmall，wornvolumewithsomedifficulty，openedit，andshookitintheair。“Theysay，nowadays，thatShakespearewasalawyer。Theysay，thataccountsforhisknowledgeofhumannature。There\'safineexampleforyou，Mr。

Denham。Studyyourclients，youngman，andtheworldwillbethericheroneofthesedays，Ihavenodoubt。Tellme，howdowecomeoutofit，now；betterorworsethanyouexpected？“

Thuscalledupontosumuptheworthofhumannatureinafewwords，Ralphansweredunhesitatingly:

“Worse，Mrs。Cosham，agooddealworse。I\'mafraidtheordinarymanisabitofarascal——“

“Andtheordinarywoman？“

“No，Idon\'tliketheordinarywomaneither——“

Ah，dearme，I\'venodoubtthat\'sverytrue，verytrue。“Mrs。Coshamsighed。“Swiftwouldhaveagreedwithyou，anyhow——“Shelookedathim，andthoughtthatthereweresignsofdistinctpowerinhisbrow。

Hewoulddowell，shethought，todevotehimselftosatire。

“CharlesLavington，youremember，wasasolicitor，“Mrs。Milvaininterposed，ratherresentingthewasteoftimeinvolvedintalkingaboutfictitiouspeoplewhenyoumightbetalkingaboutrealpeople。

“Butyouwouldn\'trememberhim，Katharine。“

“Mr。Lavington？Oh，yes，Ido，“saidKatharine，wakingfromotherthoughtswithherlittlestart。“ThesummerwehadahousenearTenby。

Irememberthefieldandthepondwiththetadpoles，andmakinghaystackswithMr。Lavington。“

“Sheisright。ThereWASapondwithtadpoles，“Mrs。Coshamcorroborated。“Millaismadestudiesofitfor\'Ophelia。\'Somesaythatisthebestpictureheeverpainted——“

“AndIrememberthedogchainedupintheyard，andthedeadsnakeshanginginthetoolhouse。“

“ItwasatTenbythatyouwerechasedbythebull，“Mrs。Milvaincontinued。“Butthatyoucouldn\'tremember，thoughit\'strueyouwereawonderfulchild。Sucheyesshehad，Mr。Denham！Iusedtosaytoherfather，\'She\'swatchingus，andsummingusallupinherlittlemind。\'

Andtheyhadanurseinthosedays，“shewenton，tellingherstorywithcharmingsolemnitytoRalph，“whowasagoodwoman，butengagedtoasailor。Whensheoughttohavebeenattendingtothebaby，hereyeswereonthesea。AndMrs。Hilberyallowedthisgirl——Susanhernamewas——tohavehimtostayinthevillage。Theyabusedhergoodness，I\'msorrytosay，andwhiletheywalkedinthelanes，theystoodtheperambulatoraloneinafieldwheretherewasabull。Theanimalbecameenragedbytheredblanketintheperambulator，andHeavenknowswhatmighthavehappenedifagentlemanhadnotbeenwalkingbyinthenickoftime，andrescuedKatharineinhisarms！“

“Ithinkthebullwasonlyacow，AuntCelia，“saidKatharine。

“Mydarling，itwasagreatredDevonshirebull，andnotlongafteritgoredamantodeathandhadtobedestroyed。AndyourmotherforgaveSusan——athingIcouldneverhavedone。“

“Maggie\'ssympathieswereentirelywithSusanandthesailor，Iamsure，“saidMrs。Cosham，rathertartly。“Mysister-in-law，“shecontinued，“haslaidherburdensuponProvidenceateverycrisisinherlife，andProvidence，Imustconfess，hasrespondednobly，sofar——“

“Yes，“saidKatharine，withalaugh，forshelikedtherashnesswhichirritatedtherestofthefamily。“Mymother\'sbullsalwaysturnintocowsatthecriticalmoment。“

“Well，“saidMrs。Milvain，“I\'mgladyouhavesomeonetoprotectyoufrombullsnow。“

“Ican\'timagineWilliamprotectinganyonefrombulls，“saidKatharine。

IthappenedthatMrs。CoshamhadoncemoreproducedherpocketvolumeofShakespeare，andwasconsultingRalphuponanobscurepassagein“MeasureforMeasure。“HedidnotatonceseizethemeaningofwhatKatharineandherauntweresaying；William，hesupposed，referredtosomesmallcousin，forhenowsawKatharineasachildinapinafore；

but，nevertheless，hewassomuchdistractedthathiseyecouldhardlyfollowthewordsonthepaper。Amomentlaterheheardthemspeakdistinctlyofanengagementring。

“Ilikerubies，“heheardKatharinesay。

“Tobeimprison\'dintheviewlesswinds，AndblownwithrestlessviolenceroundaboutThependantworld……“

Mrs。Coshamintoned；atthesameinstant“Rodney“fitteditselfto“William“inRalph\'smind。HefeltconvincedthatKatharinewasengagedtoRodney。Hisfirstsensationwasoneofviolentragewithherforhavingdeceivedhimthroughoutthevisit，fedhimwithpleasantoldwives\'tales，lethimseeherasachildplayinginameadow，sharedheryouthwithhim，whileallthetimeshewasastrangerentirely，andengagedtomarryRodney。

Butwasitpossible？Surelyitwasnotpossible。Forinhiseyesshewasstillachild。HepausedsolongoverthebookthatMrs。Coshamhadtimetolookoverhisshoulderandaskherniece:

“Andhaveyousettleduponahouseyet，Katharine？“

Thisconvincedhimofthetruthofthemonstrousidea。Helookedupatonceandsaid:

“Yes，it\'sadifficultpassage。“

Hisvoicehadchangedsomuch，hespokewithsuchcurtnessandevenwithsuchcontempt，thatMrs。Coshamlookedathimfairlypuzzled。

Happilyshebelongedtoagenerationwhichexpecteduncouthnessinitsmen，andshemerelyfeltconvincedthatthisMr。Denhamwasvery，veryclever。ShetookbackherShakespeare，asDenhamseemedtohavenomoretosay，andsecreteditoncemoreaboutherpersonwiththeinfinitelypatheticresignationoftheold。

“Katharine\'sengagedtoWilliamRodney，“shesaid，bywayoffillinginthepause；“averyoldfriendofours。Hehasawonderfulknowledgeofliterature，too——wonderful。“Shenoddedherheadrathervaguely。

“Youshouldmeeteachother。“

Denham\'sonewishwastoleavethehouseassoonashecould；buttheelderlyladieshadrisen，andwereproposingtovisitMrs。Hilberyinherbedroom，sothatanymoveonhispartwasimpossible。Atthesametime，hewishedtosaysomething，butheknewnotwhat，toKatharinealone。Shetookherauntsupstairs，andreturned，comingtowardshimoncemorewithanairofinnocenceandfriendlinessthatamazedhim。

“Myfatherwillbeback，“shesaid。“Won\'tyousitdown？“andshelaughed，asifnowtheymightshareaperfectlyfriendlylaughatthetea-party。

ButRalphmadenoattempttoseathimself。

“Imustcongratulateyou，“hesaid。“Itwasnewstome。“Hesawherfacechange，butonlytobecomegraverthanbefore。

“Myengagement？“sheasked。“Yes，IamgoingtomarryWilliamRodney。“

Ralphremainedstandingwithhishandonthebackofachairinabsolutesilence。Abyssesseemedtoplungeintodarknessbetweenthem。

Helookedather，butherfaceshowedthatshewasnotthinkingofhim。Noregretorconsciousnessofwrongdisturbedher。

“Well，Imustgo，“hesaidatlength。

Sheseemedabouttosaysomething，thenchangedhermindandsaidmerely:

“Youwillcomeagain，Ihope。Wealwaysseem“——shehesitated——“tobeinterrupted。“

Hebowedandlefttheroom。

RalphstrodewithextremeswiftnessalongtheEmbankment。Everymusclewastautandbracedasiftoresistsomesuddenattackfromoutside。

Forthemomentitseemedasiftheattackwereabouttobedirectedagainsthisbody，andhisbrainthuswasonthealert，butwithoutunderstanding。Findinghimself，afterafewminutes，nolongerunderobservation，andnoattackdelivered，heslackenedhispace，thepainspreadallthroughhim，tookpossessionofeverygoverningseat，andmetwithscarcelyanyresistancefrompowersexhaustedbytheirfirsteffortatdefence。Hetookhiswaylanguidlyalongtheriverembankment，awayfromhomeratherthantowardsit。Theworldhadhimatitsmercy。Hemadenopatternoutofthesightshesaw。Hefelthimselfnow，ashehadoftenfanciedotherpeople，adriftonthestream，andfarremovedfromcontrolofit，amanwithnograspuponcircumstancesanylonger。Oldbatteredmenloafingatthedoorsofpublic-housesnowseemedtobehisfellows，andhefelt，ashesupposedthemtofeel，aminglingofenvyandhatredtowardsthosewhopassedquicklyandcertainlytoagoaloftheirown。They，too，sawthingsverythinandshadowy，andwerewaftedaboutbythelightestbreathofwind。Forthesubstantialworld，withitsprospectofavenuesleadingonandontotheinvisibledistance，hadslippedfromhim，sinceKatharinewasengaged。Nowallhislifewasvisible，andthestraight，meagerpathhaditsendingsoonenough。Katharinewasengaged，andshehaddeceivedhim，too。Hefeltforcornersofhisbeinguntouchedbyhisdisaster；buttherewasnolimittothefloodofdamage；notoneofhispossessionswassafenow。Katharinehaddeceivedhim；shehadmixedherselfwitheverythoughtofhis，andreftofhertheyseemedfalsethoughtswhichhewouldblushtothinkagain。Hislifeseemedimmeasurablyimpoverished。

Hesathimselfdown，inspiteofthechillyfogwhichobscuredthefartherbankandleftitslightssuspendeduponablanksurface，upononeoftheriversideseats，andletthetideofdisillusionmentsweepthroughhim。Forthetimebeingallbrightpointsinhislifewereblottedout；allprominencesleveled。AtfirsthemadehimselfbelievethatKatharinehadtreatedhimbadly，anddrewcomfortfromthethoughtthat，leftalone，shewouldrecollectthis，andthinkofhimandtenderhim，insilence，atanyrate，anapology。Butthisgrainofcomfortfailedhimafterasecondortwo，for，uponreflection，hehadtoadmitthatKatharineowedhimnothing。Katharinehadpromisednothing，takennothing；toherhisdreamshadmeantnothing。This，indeed，wasthelowestpitchofhisdespair。Ifthebestofone\'sfeelingsmeansnothingtothepersonmostconcernedinthosefeelings，whatrealityisleftus？Theoldromancewhichhadwarmedhisdaysforhim，thethoughtsofKatharinewhichhadpaintedeveryhour，werenowmadetoappearfoolishandenfeebled。Herose，andlookedintotheriver，whoseswiftraceofdun-coloredwatersseemedtheveryspiritoffutilityandoblivion。

“Inwhatcanonetrust，then？“hethought，asheleantthere。Sofeebleandinsubstantialdidhefeelhimselfthatherepeatedthewordaloud。

“Inwhatcanonetrust？Notinmenandwomen。Notinone\'sdreamsaboutthem。There\'snothing——nothing，nothingleftatall。“

NowDenhamhadreasontoknowthathecouldbringtobirthandkeepaliveafineangerwhenhechose。Rodneyprovidedagoodtargetforthatemotion。Andyetatthemoment，RodneyandKatharineherselfseemeddisembodiedghosts。Hecouldscarcelyrememberthelookofthem。Hismindplungedlowerandlower。Theirmarriageseemedofnoimportancetohim。Allthingshadturnedtoghosts；thewholemassoftheworldwasinsubstantialvapor，surroundingthesolitarysparkinhismind，whoseburningpointhecouldremember，foritburntnomore。

Hehadoncecherishedabelief，andKatharinehadembodiedthisbelief，andshedidsonolonger。Hedidnotblameher；heblamednothing，nobody；hesawthetruth。Hesawthedun-coloredraceofwatersandtheblankshore。Butlifeisvigorous；thebodylives，andthebody，nodoubt，dictatedthereflection，whichnowurgedhimtomovement，thatonemaycastawaytheformsofhumanbeings，andyetretainthepassionwhichseemedinseparablefromtheirexistenceintheflesh。Nowthispassionburntonhishorizon，asthewintersunmakesagreenishpaneinthewestthroughthinningclouds。Hiseyesweresetonsomethinginfinitelyfarandremote；bythatlighthefelthecouldwalk，andwould，infuture，havetofindhisway。Butthatwasalltherewaslefttohimofapopulousandteemingworld。

CHAPTERXIII

ThelunchhourintheofficewasonlypartlyspentbyDenhamintheconsumptionoffood。Whetherfineorwet，hepassedmostofitpacingthegravelpathsinLincoln\'sInnFields。Thechildrengottoknowhisfigure，andthesparrowsexpectedtheirdailyscatteringofbread-

crumbs。Nodoubt，sinceheoftengaveacopperandalmostalwaysahandfulofbread，hewasnotasblindtohissurroundingsashethoughthimself。

Hethoughtthatthesewinterdayswerespentinlonghoursbeforewhitepapersradiantinelectriclight；andinshortpassagesthroughfog-dimmedstreets。WhenhecamebacktohisworkafterlunchhecarriedinhisheadapictureoftheStrand，scatteredwithomnibuses，andofthepurpleshapesofleavespressedflatuponthegravel，asifhiseyeshadalwaysbeenbentupontheground。Hisbrainworkedincessantly，buthisthoughtwasattendedwithsolittlejoythathedidnotwillinglyrecallit；butdroveahead，nowinthisdirection，nowinthat；andcamehomeladenwithdarkbooksborrowedfromalibrary。

MaryDatchet，comingfromtheStrandatlunch-time，sawhimonedaytakinghisturn，closelybuttonedinanovercoat，andsolostinthoughtthathemighthavebeensittinginhisownroom。

Shewasovercomebysomethingverylikeawebythesightofhim；thenshefeltmuchinclinedtolaugh，althoughherpulsebeatfaster。Shepassedhim，andheneversawher。Shecamebackandtouchedhimontheshoulder。

“Gracious，Mary！“heexclaimed。“Howyoustartledme！“

“Yes。Youlookedasifyouwerewalkinginyoursleep，“shesaid。“Areyouarrangingsometerribleloveaffair？Haveyougottoreconcileadesperatecouple？“

“Iwasn\'tthinkingaboutmywork，“Ralphreplied，ratherhastily。

“And，besides，thatsortofthing\'snotinmyline，“headded，rathergrimly。

Themorningwasfine，andtheyhadstillsomeminutesofleisuretospend。Theyhadnotmetfortwoorthreeweeks，andMaryhadmuchtosaytoRalph；butshewasnotcertainhowfarhewishedforhercompany。However，afteraturnortwo，inwhichafewfactswerecommunicated，hesuggestedsittingdown，andshetooktheseatbesidehim。Thesparrowscameflutteringaboutthem，andRalphproducedfromhispocketthehalfofarollsavedfromhisluncheon。Hethrewafewcrumbsamongthem。

“I\'veneverseensparrowssotame，“Maryobserved，bywayofsayingsomething。

“No，“saidRalph。“ThesparrowsinHydeParkaren\'tastameasthis。

Ifwekeepperfectlystill，I\'llgetonetosettleonmyarm。“

Maryfeltthatshecouldhaveforgonethisdisplayofanimalgoodtemper，butseeingthatRalph，forsomecuriousreason，tookaprideinthesparrows，shebethimsixpencethathewouldnotsucceed。

“Done！“hesaid；andhiseye，whichhadbeengloomy，showedasparkoflight。Hisconversationwasnowaddressedentirelytoabaldcock-

sparrow，whoseemedbolderthantherest；andMarytooktheopportunityoflookingathim。Shewasnotsatisfied；hisfacewasworn，andhisexpressionstern。Achildcamebowlingitshoopthroughtheconcourseofbirds，andRalphthrewhislastcrumbsofbreadintothebusheswithasnortofimpatience。

“That\'swhatalwayshappens——justasI\'vealmostgothim，“hesaid。

“Here\'syoursixpence，Mary。Butyou\'veonlygotitthankstothatbruteofaboy。Theyoughtn\'ttobeallowedtobowlhoopshere——“

“Oughtn\'ttobeallowedtobowlhoops！MydearRalph，whatnonsense！“

“Youalwayssaythat，“hecomplained；“anditisn\'tnonsense。What\'sthepointofhavingagardenifonecan\'twatchbirdsinit？Thestreetdoesallrightforhoops。Andifchildrencan\'tbetrustedinthestreets，theirmothersshouldkeepthemathome。“

Marymadenoanswertothisremark，butfrowned。

Sheleantbackontheseatandlookedaboutheratthegreathousesbreakingthesoftgray-blueskywiththeirchimneys。

“Ah，well，“shesaid，“London\'safineplacetolivein。IbelieveI

couldsitandwatchpeoplealldaylong。Ilikemyfellow-

creatures……“

Ralphsighedimpatiently。

“Yes，Ithinkso，whenyoucometoknowthem，“sheadded，asifhisdisagreementhadbeenspoken。

“That\'sjustwhenIdon\'tlikethem，“hereplied。“Still，Idon\'tseewhyyoushouldn\'tcherishthatillusion，ifitpleasesyou。“Hespokewithoutmuchvehemenceofagreementordisagreement。Heseemedchilled。

“Wakeup，Ralph！You\'rehalfasleep！“Marycried，turningandpinchinghissleeve。“Whathaveyoubeendoingwithyourself？Moping？Working？

Despisingtheworld，asusual？“

Ashemerelyshookhishead，andfilledhispipe，shewenton:

“It\'sabitofapose，isn\'tit？“

“Notmorethanmostthings，“hesaid。

“Well，“Maryremarked，“I\'veagreatdealtosaytoyou，butImustgoon——wehaveacommittee。“Sherose，buthesitated，lookingdownuponhimrathergravely。“Youdon\'tlookhappy，Ralph，“shesaid。“Isitanything，orisitnothing？“

Hedidnotimmediatelyanswerher，butrose，too，andwalkedwithhertowardsthegate。Asusual，hedidnotspeaktoherwithoutconsideringwhetherwhathewasabouttosaywasthesortofthingthathecouldsaytoher。

“I\'vebeenbothered，“hesaidatlength。“Partlybywork，andpartlybyfamilytroubles。Charleshasbeenbehavinglikeafool。HewantstogoouttoCanadaasafarmer——“

“Well，there\'ssomethingtobesaidforthat，“saidMary；andtheypassedthegate，andwalkedslowlyroundtheFieldsagain，discussingdifficultieswhich，asamatteroffact，weremoreorlesschronicintheDenhamfamily，andonlynowbroughtforwardtoappeaseMary\'ssympathy，which，however，soothedRalphmorethanhewasawareof。Shemadehimatleastdwelluponproblemswhichwererealinthesensethattheywerecapableofsolution；andthetruecauseofhismelancholy，whichwasnotsusceptibletosuchtreatment，sankrathermoredeeplyintotheshadesofhismind。

Marywasattentive；shewashelpful。Ralphcouldnothelpfeelinggratefultoher，themoreso，perhaps，becausehehadnottoldherthetruthabouthisstate；andwhentheyreachedthegateagainhewishedtomakesomeaffectionateobjectiontoherleavinghim。Buthisaffectiontooktheratheruncouthformofexpostulatingwithheraboutherwork。

“Whatd\'youwanttositonacommitteefor？“heasked。“It\'swasteofyourtime，Mary。“

“Iagreewithyouthatacountrywalkwouldbenefittheworldmore，“

shesaid。“Lookhere，“sheaddedsuddenly，“whydon\'tyoucometousatChristmas？It\'salmostthebesttimeofyear。“

“CometoyouatDisham？“Ralphrepeated。

“Yes。Wewon\'tinterferewithyou。Butyoucantellmelater，“shesaid，ratherhastily，andthenstartedoffinthedirectionofRussellSquare。Shehadinvitedhimontheimpulseofthemoment，asavisionofthecountrycamebeforeher；andnowshewasannoyedwithherselfforhavingdoneso，andthenshewasannoyedatbeingannoyed。

“IfIcan\'tfaceawalkinafieldalonewithRalph，“shereasoned，“I\'dbetterbuyacatandliveinalodgingatEaling，likeSallySeal——andhewon\'tcome。OrdidhemeanthatheWOULDcome？“

Sheshookherhead。Shereallydidnotknowwhathehadmeant。Sheneverfeltquitecertain；butnowshewasmorethanusuallybaffled。

Washeconcealingsomethingfromher？Hismannerhadbeenodd；hisdeepabsorptionhadimpressedher；therewassomethinginhimthatshehadnotfathomed，andthemysteryofhisnaturelaidmoreofaspelluponherthansheliked。Moreover，shecouldnotpreventherselffromdoingnowwhatshehadoftenblamedothersofhersexfordoing——fromendowingherfriendwithakindofheavenlyfire，andpassingherlifebeforeitforhissanction。

Underthisprocess，thecommitteeratherdwindledinimportance；theSuffrageshrank；shevowedshewouldworkharderattheItalianlanguage；shethoughtshewouldtakeupthestudyofbirds。Butthisprogramforaperfectlifethreatenedtobecomesoabsurdthatsheverysooncaughtherselfoutintheevilhabit，andwasrehearsingherspeechtothecommitteebythetimethechestnut-coloredbricksofRussellSquarecameinsight。Indeed，shenevernoticedthem。Sheranupstairsasusual，andwascompletelyawakenedtorealitybythesightofMrs。Seal，onthelandingoutsidetheoffice，inducingaverylargedogtodrinkwateroutofatumbler。

“MissMarkhamhasalreadyarrived，“Mrs。Sealremarked，withduesolemnity，“andthisisherdog。“

“Averyfinedog，too，“saidMary，pattinghimonthehead。

“Yes。Amagnificentfellow，Mrs。Sealagreed。“AkindofSt。Bernard，shetellsme——solikeKittohaveaSt。Bernard。Andyouguardyourmistresswell，don\'tyou，Sailor？Youseethatwickedmendon\'tbreakintoherlarderwhenshe\'soutatHERwork——helpingpoorsoulswhohavelosttheirway……Butwe\'relate——wemustbegin！“andscatteringtherestofthewaterindiscriminatelyoverthefloor，shehurriedMaryintothecommittee-room。

CHAPTERXIV

Mr。Clactonwasinhisglory。Themachinerywhichhehadperfectedandcontrolledwasnowabouttoturnoutitsbi-monthlyproduct，acommitteemeeting；andhisprideintheperfectstructureoftheseassemblieswasgreat。Helovedthejargonofcommittee-rooms；helovedthewayinwhichthedoorkeptopeningastheclockstruckthehour，inobediencetoafewstrokesofhispenonapieceofpaper；andwhenithadopenedsufficientlyoften，helovedtoissuefromhisinnerchamberwithdocumentsinhishands，visiblyimportant，withapreoccupiedexpressiononhisfacethatmighthavesuitedaPrimeMinisteradvancingtomeethisCabinet。Byhisordersthetablehadbeendecoratedbeforehandwithsixsheetsofblotting-paper，withsixpens，sixink-pots，atumblerandajugofwater，abell，and，indeferencetothetasteoftheladymembers，avaseofhardychrysanthemums。Hehadalreadysurreptitiouslystraightenedthesheetsofblotting-paperinrelationtotheink-pots，andnowstoodinfrontofthefireengagedinconversationwithMissMarkham。Buthiseyewasonthedoor，andwhenMaryandMrs。Sealentered，hegavealittlelaughandobservedtotheassemblywhichwasscatteredabouttheroom:

“Ifancy，ladiesandgentlemen，thatwearereadytocommence。“

Sospeaking，hetookhisseatattheheadofthetable，andarrangingonebundleofpapersuponhisrightandanotheruponhisleft，calleduponMissDatchettoreadtheminutesofthepreviousmeeting。Maryobeyed。Akeenobservermighthavewonderedwhyitwasnecessaryforthesecretarytoknitherbrowssocloselyoverthetolerablymatter-of-factstatementbeforeher。CouldtherebeanydoubtinhermindthatithadbeenresolvedtocircularizetheprovinceswithLeafletNo。3，ortoissueastatisticaldiagramshowingtheproportionofmarriedwomentospinstersinNewZealand；orthatthenetprofitsofMrs。Hipsley\'sBazaarhadreachedatotaloffivepoundseightshillingsandtwopencehalf-penny？

Couldanydoubtastotheperfectsenseandproprietyofthesestatementsbedisturbingher？Noonecouldhaveguessed，fromthelookofher，thatshewasdisturbedatall。ApleasanterandsanerwomanthanMaryDatchetwasneverseenwithinacommittee-room。Sheseemedacompoundoftheautumnleavesandthewintersunshine；lesspoeticallyspeaking，sheshowedbothgentlenessandstrength，anindefinablepromiseofsoftmaternityblendingwithherevidentfitnessforhonestlabor。Nevertheless，shehadgreatdifficultyinreducinghermindtoobedience；andherreadinglackedconviction，asif，aswasindeedthecase，shehadlostthepowerofvisualizingwhatsheread。Anddirectlythelistwascompleted，hermindfloatedtoLincoln\'sInnFieldsandtheflutteringwingsofinnumerablesparrows。WasRalphstillenticingthebald-headedcock-sparrowtosituponhishand？Hadhesucceeded？Wouldheeversucceed？ShehadmeanttoaskhimwhyitisthatthesparrowsinLincoln\'sInnFieldsaretamerthanthesparrowsinHydePark——perhapsitisthatthepassers-byarerarer，andtheycometorecognizetheirbenefactors。Forthefirsthalf-hourofthecommitteemeeting，MaryhadthustodobattlewiththeskepticalpresenceofRalphDenham，whothreatenedtohaveitallhisownway。Marytriedhalfadozenmethodsofoustinghim。Sheraisedhervoice，shearticulateddistinctly，shelookedfirmlyatMr。

Clacton\'sbaldhead，shebegantowriteanote。Toherannoyance，herpencildrewalittleroundfigureontheblotting-paper，which，shecouldnotdeny，wasreallyabald-headedcock-sparrow。ShelookedagainatMr。Clacton；yes，hewasbald，andsoarecock-sparrows。

Neverwasasecretarytormentedbysomanyunsuitablesuggestions，andtheyallcame，alas！withsomethingludicrouslygrotesqueaboutthem，whichmight，atanymoment，provokehertosuchflippancyaswouldshockhercolleaguesforever。Thethoughtofwhatshemightsaymadeherbiteherlips，asifherlipswouldprotecther。

Butallthesesuggestionswerebutflotsamandjetsamcasttothesurfacebyamoreprofounddisturbance，which，asshecouldnotconsideritatpresent，manifesteditsexistencebythesegrotesquenodsandbeckonings。Considerit，shemust，whenthecommitteewasover。Meanwhile，shewasbehavingscandalously；shewaslookingoutofthewindow，andthinkingofthecolorofthesky，andofthedecorationsontheImperialHotel，whensheoughttohavebeenshepherdinghercolleagues，andpinningthemdowntothematterinhand。Shecouldnotbringherselftoattachmoreweighttooneprojectthantoanother。Ralphhadsaid——shecouldnotstoptoconsiderwhathehadsaid，buthehadsomehowdivestedtheproceedingsofallreality。Andthen，withoutconsciouseffort，bysometrickofthebrain，shefoundherselfbecominginterestedinsomeschemefororganizinganewspapercampaign。Certainarticlesweretobewritten；

certaineditorsapproached。Whatlinewasitadvisabletotake？ShefoundherselfstronglydisapprovingofwhatMr。Clactonwassaying。

Shecommittedherselftotheopinionthatnowwasthetimetostrikehard。Directlyshehadsaidthis，shefeltthatshehadturneduponRalph\'sghost；andshebecamemoreandmoreinearnest，andanxioustobringtheothersroundtoherpointofview。Oncemore，sheknewexactlyandindisputablywhatisrightandwhatiswrong。Asifemergingfromamist，theoldfoesofthepublicgoodloomedaheadofher——capitalists，newspaperproprietors，anti-suffragists，and，insomewaysmostperniciousofall，themasseswhotakenointerestonewayoranother——amongwhom，forthetimebeing，shecertainlydiscernedthefeaturesofRalphDenham。Indeed，whenMissMarkhamaskedhertosuggestthenamesofafewfriendsofhers，sheexpressedherselfwithunusualbitterness:

“Myfriendsthinkallthiskindofthinguseless。“ShefeltthatshewasreallysayingthattoRalphhimself。

“Oh，they\'rethatsort，arethey？“saidMissMarkham，withalittlelaugh；andwithrenewedvigortheirlegionschargedthefoe。

Mary\'sspiritshadbeenlowwhensheenteredthecommittee-room；butnowtheywereconsiderablyimproved。Sheknewthewaysofthisworld；

itwasashapely，orderlyplace；shefeltconvincedofitsrightanditswrong；andthefeelingthatshewasfittodealaheavyblowagainstherenemieswarmedherheartandkindledhereye。Inoneofthoseflightsoffancy，notcharacteristicofherbuttiresomelyfrequentthisafternoon，sheenvisagedherselfbatteredwithrotteneggsuponaplatform，fromwhichRalphvainlybeggedhertodescend。

But——

“WhatdoImattercomparedwiththecause？“shesaid，andsoon。Muchtohercredit，howeverteasedbyfoolishfancies，shekeptthesurfaceofherbrainmoderateandvigilant，andsubduedMrs。Sealverytactfullymorethanoncewhenshedemanded，“Action！——everywhere！——atonce！“asbecameherfather\'sdaughter。

Theothermembersofthecommittee，whowereallratherelderlypeople，wereagooddealimpressedbyMary，andinclinedtosidewithherandagainsteachother，partly，perhaps，becauseofheryouth。ThefeelingthatshecontrolledthemallfilledMarywithasenseofpower；andshefeltthatnoworkcanequalinimportance，orbesoexcitingas，theworkofmakingotherpeopledowhatyouwantthemtodo。Indeed，whenshehadwonherpointshefeltaslightdegreeofcontemptforthepeoplewhohadyieldedtoher。

Thecommitteenowrose，gatheredtogethertheirpapers，shookthemstraight，placedthemintheirattache-cases，snappedthelocksfirmlytogether，andhurriedaway，having，forthemostpart，tocatchtrains，inordertokeepotherappointmentswithothercommittees，fortheywereallbusypeople。Mary，Mrs。Seal，andMr。Clactonwereleftalone；theroomwashotanduntidy，thepiecesofpinkblotting-paperwerelyingatdifferentanglesuponthetable，andthetumblerwashalffullofwater，whichsomeonehadpouredoutandforgottentodrink。

Mrs。Sealbeganpreparingthetea，whileMr。Clactonretiredtohisroomtofilethefreshaccumulationofdocuments。MarywastoomuchexcitedeventohelpMrs。Sealwiththecupsandsaucers。Sheflungupthewindowandstoodbyit，lookingout。Thestreetlampswerealreadylit；andthroughthemistinthesquareonecouldseelittlefigureshurryingacrosstheroadandalongthepavement，onthefartherside。

Inherabsurdmoodoflustfularrogance，Marylookedatthelittlefiguresandthought，“IfIlikedIcouldmakeyougointhereorstopshort；Icouldmakeyouwalkinsinglefileorindoublefile；IcoulddowhatIlikedwithyou。“ThenMrs。Sealcameandstoodbyher。

“Oughtn\'tyoutoputsomethingroundyourshoulders，Sally？“Maryasked，inratheracondescendingtoneofvoice，feelingasortofpityfortheenthusiasticineffectivelittlewoman。ButMrs。Sealpaidnoattentiontothesuggestion。

“Well，didyouenjoyyourself？“Maryasked，withalittlelaugh。

Mrs。Sealdrewadeepbreath，restrainedherself，andthenburstout，lookingout，too，uponRussellSquareandSouthamptonRow，andatthepassers-by，“Ah，ifonlyonecouldgeteveryoneofthosepeopleintothisroom，andmakethemunderstandforfiveminutes！

ButtheyMUSTseethetruthsomeday……IfonlyonecouldMAKE

themseeit……“

MaryknewherselftobeverymuchwiserthanMrs。Seal，andwhenMrs。

Sealsaidanything，evenifitwaswhatMaryherselfwasfeeling，sheautomaticallythoughtofallthattherewastobesaidagainstit。Onthisoccasionherarrogantfeelingthatshecoulddirecteverybodydwindledaway。

“Let\'shaveourtea，“shesaid，turningbackfromthewindowandpullingdowntheblind。“Itwasagoodmeeting——didn\'tyouthinkso，Sally？“sheletfall，casually，asshesatdownatthetable。SurelyMrs。SealmustrealizethatMaryhadbeenextraordinarilyefficient？

“Butwegoatsuchasnail\'space，“saidSally，shakingherheadimpatiently。

AtthisMaryburstoutlaughing，andallherarrogancewasdissipated。

“Youcanaffordtolaugh，“saidSally，withanothershakeofherhead，“butIcan\'t。I\'mfifty-five，andIdaresayIshallbeinmygravebythetimewegetit——ifweeverdo。“

“Oh，no，youwon\'tbeinyourgrave，“saidMary，kindly。

“It\'llbesuchagreatday，“saidMrs。Seal，withatossofherlocks。

“Agreatday，notonlyforus，butforcivilization。That\'swhatI

feel，youknow，aboutthesemeetings。Eachoneofthemisasteponwardsinthegreatmarch——humanity，youknow。Wedowantthepeopleafterustohaveabettertimeofit——andsomanydon\'tseeit。I

wonderhowitisthattheydon\'tseeit？“

Shewascarryingplatesandcupsfromthecupboardasshespoke，sothathersentencesweremorethanusuallybrokenapart。Marycouldnothelplookingattheoddlittlepriestessofhumanitywithsomethinglikeadmiration。Whileshehadbeenthinkingaboutherself，Mrs。Sealhadthoughtofnothingbuthervision。

“Youmustn\'twearyourselfout，Sally，ifyouwanttoseethegreatday，“shesaid，risingandtryingtotakeaplateofbiscuitsfromMrs。Seal\'shands。

“Mydearchild，whatelseismyoldbodygoodfor？“sheexclaimed，clingingmoretightlythanbeforetoherplateofbiscuits。“Shouldn\'tIbeproudtogiveeverythingIhavetothecause？——forI\'mnotanintelligencelikeyou。Thereweredomesticcircumstances——I\'dliketotellyouoneofthesedays——soIsayfoolishthings。Ilosemyhead，youknow。Youdon\'t。Mr。Clactondoesn\'t。It\'sagreatmistake，toloseone\'shead。Butmyheart\'sintherightplace。AndI\'msogladKithasabigdog，forIdidn\'tthinkherlookingwell。“

Theyhadtheirtea，andwentovermanyofthepointsthathadbeenraisedinthecommitteerathermoreintimatelythanhadbeenpossiblethen；andtheyallfeltanagreeablesenseofbeinginsomewaybehindthescenes；ofhavingtheirhandsuponstringswhich，whenpulled，wouldcompletelychangethepageantexhibiteddailytothosewhoreadthenewspapers。Althoughtheirviewswereverydifferent，thissenseunitedthemandmadethemalmostcordialintheirmannerstoeachother。

Mary，however，leftthetea-partyratherearly，desiringbothtobealone，andthentohearsomemusicattheQueen\'sHall。ShefullyintendedtouseherlonelinesstothinkoutherpositionwithregardtoRalph；butalthoughshewalkedbacktotheStrandwiththisendinview，shefoundherminduncomfortablyfullofdifferenttrainsofthought。Shestartedoneandthenanother。Theyseemedeventotaketheircolorfromthestreetshehappenedtobein。ThusthevisionofhumanityappearedtobeinsomewayconnectedwithBloomsbury，andfadeddistinctlybythetimeshecrossedthemainroad；thenabelatedorgan-grinderinHolbornsetherthoughtsdancingincongruously；andbythetimeshewascrossingthegreatmistysquareofLincoln\'sInnFields，shewascoldanddepressedagain，andhorriblyclear-sighted。

Thedarkremovedthestimulusofhumancompanionship，andatearactuallysliddownhercheek，accompanyingasuddenconvictionwithinherthatshelovedRalph，andthathedidn\'tloveher。Alldarkandemptynowwasthepathwheretheyhadwalkedthatmorning，andthesparrowssilentinthebaretrees。Butthelightsinherownbuildingsooncheeredher；allthesedifferentstatesofmindweresubmergedinthedeepfloodofdesires，thoughts，perceptions，antagonisms，whichwashedperpetuallyatthebaseofherbeing，toriseintoprominenceinturnwhentheconditionsoftheupperworldwerefavorable。SheputoffthehourofclearthoughtuntilChristmas，sayingtoherself，asshelitherfire，thatitisimpossibletothinkanythingoutinLondon；and，nodoubt，Ralphwouldn\'tcomeatChristmas，andshewouldtakelongwalksintotheheartofthecountry，anddecidethisquestionandalltheothersthatpuzzledher。Meanwhile，shethought，drawingherfeetupontothefender，lifewasfullofcomplexity；

lifewasathingonemustlovetothelastfiberofit。

Shehadsatthereforfiveminutesorso，andherthoughtshadhadtimetogrowdim，whentherecamearingatherbell。Hereyebrightened；shefeltimmediatelyconvincedthatRalphhadcometovisither。Accordingly，shewaitedamomentbeforeopeningthedoor；

shewantedtofeelherhandssecureuponthereinsofallthetroublesomeemotionswhichthesightofRalphwouldcertainlyarouse。

Shecomposedherselfunnecessarily，however，forshehadtoadmit，notRalph，butKatharineandWilliamRodney。Herfirstimpressionwasthattheywerebothextremelywelldressed。Shefeltherselfshabbyandslovenlybesidethem，anddidnotknowhowsheshouldentertainthem，norcouldsheguesswhytheyhadcome。Shehadheardnothingoftheirengagement。Butafterthefirstdisappointment，shewaspleased，forshefeltinstantlythatKatharinewasapersonality，and，moreover，sheneednotnowexerciseherself-control。

“Wewerepassingandsawalightinyourwindow，sowecameup，“

Katharineexplained，standingandlookingverytallanddistinguishedandratherabsent-minded。

“Wehavebeentoseesomepictures，“saidWilliam。“Oh，dear，“heexclaimed，lookingabouthim，“thisroomremindsmeofoneoftheworsthoursinmyexistence——whenIreadapaper，andyouallsatroundandjeeredatme。Katharinewastheworst。IcouldfeelhergloatingovereverymistakeImade。MissDatchetwaskind。MissDatchetjustmadeitpossibleformetogetthrough，Iremember。“

Sittingdown，hedrewoffhislightyellowgloves，andbeganslappinghiskneeswiththem。Hisvitalitywaspleasant，Marythought，althoughhemadeherlaugh。Theverylookofhimwasinclinedtomakeherlaugh。Hisratherprominenteyespassedfromoneyoungwomantotheother，andhislipsperpetuallyformedwordswhichremainedunspoken。

“WehavebeenseeingoldmastersattheGraftonGallery，“saidKatharine，apparentlypayingnoattentiontoWilliam，andacceptingacigarettewhichMaryofferedher。Sheleantbackinherchair，andthesmokewhichhungaboutherfaceseemedtowithdrawherstillfurtherfromtheothers。

“Wouldyoubelieveit，MissDatchet，“Williamcontinued，“Katharinedoesn\'tlikeTitian。Shedoesn\'tlikeapricots，shedoesn\'tlikepeaches，shedoesn\'tlikegreenpeas。ShelikestheElginmarbles，andgraydayswithoutanysun。She\'satypicalexampleofthecoldnorthernnature。IcomefromDevonshire——“

Hadtheybeenquarreling，Marywondered，andhadthey，forthatreason，soughtrefugeinherroom，orweretheyengaged，orhadKatharinejustrefusedhim？Shewascompletelybaffled。

Katharinenowreappearedfromherveilofsmoke，knockedtheashfromhercigaretteintothefireplace，andlooked，withanoddexpressionofsolicitude，attheirritableman。

“Perhaps，Mary，“shesaidtentatively，“youwouldn\'tmindgivingussometea？Wedidtrytogetsome，buttheshopwassocrowded，andinthenextonetherewasabandplaying；andmostofthepictures，atanyrate，wereverydull，whateveryoumaysay，William。“Shespokewithakindofguardedgentleness。

Mary，accordingly，retiredtomakepreparationsinthepantry。

“Whatintheworldaretheyafter？“sheaskedofherownreflectioninthelittlelooking-glasswhichhungthere。Shewasnotlefttodoubtmuchlonger，for，oncomingbackintothesitting-roomwiththetea-

things，Katharineinformedher，apparentlyhavingbeeninstructedsotodobyWilliam，oftheirengagement。

“William，“shesaid，“thinksthatperhapsyoudon\'tknow。Wearegoingtobemarried。“

MaryfoundherselfshakingWilliam\'shand，andaddressinghercongratulationstohim，asifKatharinewereinaccessible；shehad，indeed，takenholdofthetea-kettle。

“Letmesee，“Katharinesaid，“oneputshotwaterintothecupsfirst，doesn\'tone？Youhavesomedodgeofyourown，haven\'tyou，William，aboutmakingtea？“

Marywashalfinclinedtosuspectthatthiswassaidinordertoconcealnervousness，butifso，theconcealmentwasunusuallyperfect。

Talkofmarriagewasdismissed。Katharinemighthavebeenseatedinherowndrawing-room，controllingasituationwhichpresentednosortofdifficultytohertrainedmind。Rathertohersurprise，MaryfoundherselfmakingconversationwithWilliamaboutoldItalianpictures，whileKatharinepouredouttea，cutcake，keptWilliam\'splatesupplied，withoutjoiningmorethanwasnecessaryintheconversation。

SheseemedtohavetakenpossessionofMary\'sroom，andtohandlethecupsasiftheybelongedtoher。ButitwasdonesonaturallythatitbrednoresentmentinMary；onthecontrary，shefoundherselfputtingherhandonKatharine\'sknee，affectionately，foraninstant。Wastheresomethingmaternalinthisassumptionofcontrol？AndthinkingofKatharineasonewhowouldsoonbemarried，thesematernalairsfilledMary\'smindwithanewtenderness，andevenwithawe。Katharineseemedverymucholderandmoreexperiencedthanshewas。

MeanwhileRodneytalked。Ifhisappearancewassuperficiallyagainsthim，ithadtheadvantageofmakinghissolidmeritssomethingofasurprise。Hehadkeptnotebooks；heknewagreatdealaboutpictures。

Hecouldcomparedifferentexamplesindifferentgalleries，andhisauthoritativeanswerstointelligentquestionsgainednotalittle，Maryfelt，fromthesmarttapswhichhedealt，ashedeliveredthem，uponthelumpsofcoal。Shewasimpressed。

“Yourtea，William，“saidKatharinegently。

Hepaused，gulpeditdown，obediently，andcontinued。

AndthenitstruckMarythatKatharine，intheshadeofherbroad-brimmedhat，andinthemidstofthesmoke，andintheobscurityofhercharacter，was，perhaps，smilingtoherself，notaltogetherinthematernalspirit。Whatshesaidwasverysimple，butherwords，even“Yourtea，William，“weresetdownasgentlyandcautiouslyandexactlyasthefeetofaPersiancatsteppingamongChinaornaments。

ForthesecondtimethatdayMaryfeltherselfbaffledbysomethinginscrutableinthecharacterofapersontowhomshefeltherselfmuchattracted。ShethoughtthatifshewereengagedtoKatharine，she，too，wouldfindherselfverysoonusingthosefretfulquestionswithwhichWilliamevidentlyteasedhisbride。AndyetKatharine\'svoicewashumble。

“Iwonderhowyoufindthetimetoknowallaboutpicturesaswellasbooks？“sheasked。

“HowdoIfindthetime？“Williamanswered，delighted，Maryguessed，atthislittlecompliment。“Why，Ialwaystravelwithanotebook。AndIaskmywaytothepicturegallerytheveryfirstthinginthemorning。AndthenImeetmen，andtalktothem。There\'samaninmyofficewhoknowsallabouttheFlemishschool。IwastellingMissDatchetabouttheFlemishschool。Ipickedupalotofitfromhim——

it\'sawaymenhave——Gibbons，hisnameis。Youmustmeethim。We\'llaskhimtolunch。Andthisnotcaringaboutart，“heexplained，turningtoMary，“it\'soneofKatharine\'sposes，MissDatchet。Didyouknowsheposed？Shepretendsthatshe\'sneverreadShakespeare。AndwhyshouldshereadShakespeare，sincesheISShakespeare——Rosalind，youknow，“andhegavehisqueerlittlechuckle。Somehowthiscomplimentappearedveryold-fashionedandalmostinbadtaste。Maryactuallyfeltherselfblush，asifhehadsaid“thesex“or“theladies。“Constrained，perhaps，bynervousness，Rodneycontinuedinthesamevein。

“Sheknowsenough——enoughforalldecentpurposes。Whatdoyouwomenwantwithlearning，whenyouhavesomuchelse——everything，Ishouldsay——everything。Leaveussomething，eh，Katharine？“

“Leaveyousomething？“saidKatharine，apparentlywakingfromabrownstudy。“Iwasthinkingwemustbegoing——“

“Isitto-nightthatLadyFerrilbydineswithus？No，wemustn\'tbelate，“saidRodney，rising。“D\'youknowtheFerrilbys，MissDatchet？

TheyownTrantemAbbey，“headded，forherinformation，asshelookeddoubtful。“AndifKatharinemakesherselfverycharmingto-night，perhaps\'lllendittousforthehoneymoon。“

“Iagreethatmaybeareason。Otherwiseshe\'sadullwoman，“saidKatharine。“Atleast，“sheadded，asiftoqualifyherabruptness，“I

finditdifficulttotalktoher。“

“Becauseyouexpecteveryoneelsetotakeallthetrouble。I\'veseenhersitsilentawholeevening，“hesaid，turningtoMary，ashehadfrequentlydonealready。“Don\'tyoufindthat，too？Sometimeswhenwe\'realone，I\'vecountedthetimeonmywatch“——herehetookoutalargegoldwatch，andtappedtheglass——“thetimebetweenoneremarkandthenext。AndonceIcountedtenminutesandtwentyseconds，andthen，ifyou\'llbelieveme，sheonlysaid\'Um！\'“

“I\'msureI\'msorry，“Katharineapologized。“Iknowit\'sabadhabit，butthen，yousee，athome——“

Therestofherexcusewascutshort，sofarasMarywasconcerned，bytheclosingofthedoor。ShefanciedshecouldhearWilliamfindingfreshfaultonthestairs。Amomentlater，thedoor-bellrangagain，andKatharinereappeared，havingleftherpurseonachair。Shesoonfoundit，andsaid，pausingforamomentatthedoor，andspeakingdifferentlyastheywerealone:

“Ithinkbeingengagedisverybadforthecharacter。“Sheshookherpurseinherhanduntilthecoinsjingled，asifshealludedmerelytothisexampleofherforgetfulness。ButtheremarkpuzzledMary；itseemedtorefertosomethingelse；andhermannerhadchangedsostrangely，nowthatWilliamwasoutofhearing，thatshecouldnothelplookingatherforanexplanation。Shelookedalmoststern，sothatMary，tryingtosmileather，onlysucceededinproducingasilentstareofinterrogation。

Asthedoorshutforthesecondtime，shesankontothefloorinfrontofthefire，trying，nowthattheirbodieswerenottheretodistracther，topiecetogetherherimpressionsofthemasawhole。

And，thoughpridingherself，withallothermenandwomen，uponaninfallibleeyeforcharacter，shecouldnotfeelatallcertainthatsheknewwhatmotivesinspiredKatharineHilberyinlife。Therewassomethingthatcarriedheronsmoothly，outofreach——something，yes，butwhat？——somethingthatremindedMaryofRalph。Oddlyenough，hegaveherthesamefeeling，too，andwithhim，too，shefeltbaffled。

Oddlyenough，fornotwopeople，shehastilyconcluded，weremoreunlike。Andyetbothhadthishiddenimpulse，thisincalculableforce——thisthingtheycaredforanddidn\'ttalkabout——oh，whatwasit？

CHAPTERXV

ThevillageofDishamliessomewhereontherollingpieceofcultivatedgroundintheneighborhoodofLincoln，notsofarinlandbutthatasound，bringingrumorsofthesea，canbeheardonsummernightsorwhenthewinterstormsflingthewavesuponthelongbeach。

Solargeisthechurch，andinparticularthechurchtower，incomparisonwiththelittlestreetofcottageswhichcomposethevillage，thatthetravelerisapttocasthismindbacktotheMiddleAges，astheonlytimewhensomuchpietycouldhavebeenkeptalive。

SogreatatrustintheChurchcansurelynotbelongtoourday，andhegoesontoconjecturethateveryoneofthevillagershasreachedtheextremelimitofhumanlife。Sucharethereflectionsofthesuperficialstranger，andhissightofthepopulation，asitisrepresentedbytwoorthreemenhoeinginaturnip-field，asmallchildcarryingajug，andayoungwomanshakingapieceofcarpetoutsidehercottagedoor，willnotleadhimtoseeanythingverymuchoutofkeepingwiththeMiddleAgesinthevillageofDishamasitisto-day。Thesepeople，thoughtheyseemyoungenough，looksoangularandsocrudethattheyremindhimofthelittlepicturespaintedbymonksinthecapitallettersoftheirmanuscripts。Heonlyhalfunderstandswhattheysay，andspeaksveryloudandclearly，asthough，indeed，hisvoicehadtocarrythroughahundredyearsormorebeforeitreachedthem。HewouldhaveafarbetterchanceofunderstandingsomedwellerinParisorRome，BerlinorMadrid，thanthesecountrymenofhiswhohavelivedforthelasttwothousandyearsnottwohundredmilesfromtheCityofLondon。

TheRectorystandsabouthalfamilebeyondthevillage。Itisalargehouse，andhasbeengrowingsteadilyforsomecenturiesroundthegreatkitchen，withitsnarrowredtiles，astheRectorwouldpointouttohisguestsonthefirstnightoftheirarrival，takinghisbrasscandlestick，andbiddingthemmindthestepsupandthestepsdown，andnoticetheimmensethicknessofthewalls，theoldbeamsacrosstheceiling，thestaircasesassteepasladders，andtheattics，withtheirdeep，tent-likeroofs，inwhichswallowsbred，andonceawhiteowl。Butnothingveryinterestingorverybeautifulhadresultedfromthedifferentadditionsmadebythedifferentrectors。

Thehouse，however，wassurroundedbyagarden，inwhichtheRectortookconsiderablepride。Thelawn，whichfrontedthedrawing-roomwindows，wasarichanduniformgreen，unspottedbyasingledaisy，andontheothersideofittwostraightpathsledpastbedsoftall，standingflowerstoacharminggrassywalk，wheretheRev。WyndhamDatchetwouldpaceupanddownatthesamehoureverymorning，withasundialtomeasurethetimeforhim。Asoftenasnot，hecarriedabookinhishand，intowhichhewouldglance，thenshutitup，andrepeattherestoftheodefrommemory。HehadmostofHoracebyheart，andhadgotintothehabitofconnectingthisparticularwalkwithcertainodeswhichherepeatedduly，atthesametimenotingtheconditionofhisflowers，andstoopingnowandagaintopickanythatwerewitheredoroverblown。Onwetdays，suchwasthepowerofhabitoverhim，herosefromhischairatthesamehour，andpacedhisstudyforthesamelengthoftime，pausingnowandthentostraightensomebookinthebookcase，oralterthepositionofthetwobrasscrucifixesstandinguponcairnsofserpentinestoneuponthemantelpiece。Hischildrenhadagreatrespectforhim，creditedhimwithfarmorelearningthanheactuallypossessed，andsawthathishabitswerenotinterferedwith，ifpossible。Likemostpeoplewhodothingsmethodically，theRectorhimselfhadmorestrengthofpurposeandpowerofself-sacrificethanofintellectoroforiginality。Oncoldandwindynightsherodeofftovisitsickpeople，whomightneedhim，withoutamurmur；andbyvirtueofdoingdulldutiespunctually，hewasmuchemployeduponcommitteesandlocalBoardsandCouncils；

andatthisperiodofhislife(hewassixty-eight)hewasbeginningtobecommiseratedbytenderoldladiesfortheextremeleannessofhisperson，which，theysaid，waswornoutupontheroadswhenitshouldhavebeenrestingbeforeacomfortablefire。Hiselderdaughter，Elizabeth，livedwithhimandmanagedthehouse，andalreadymuchresembledhimindrysincerityandmethodicalhabitofmind；ofthetwosonsone，Richard，wasanestateagent，theother，Christopher，wasreadingfortheBar。AtChristmas，naturally，theymettogether；andforamonthpastthearrangementoftheChristmasweekhadbeenmuchinthemindofmistressandmaid，whopridedthemselveseveryyearmoreconfidentlyupontheexcellenceoftheirequipment。ThelateMrs。Datchethadleftanexcellentcupboardoflinen，towhichElizabethhadsucceededattheageofnineteen，whenhermotherdied，andthechargeofthefamilyrestedupontheshouldersoftheeldestdaughter。Shekeptafineflockofyellowchickens，sketchedalittle，certainrose-treesinthegardenwerecommittedspeciallytohercare；andwhatwiththecareofthehouse，thecareofthechickens，andthecareofthepoor，shescarcelyknewwhatitwastohaveanidleminute。Anextremerectitudeofmind，ratherthananygift，gaveherweightinthefamily。WhenMarywrotetosaythatshehadaskedRalphDenhamtostaywiththem，sheadded，outofdeferencetoElizabeth\'scharacter，thathewasverynice，thoughratherqueer，andhadbeenoverworkinghimselfinLondon。NodoubtElizabethwouldconcludethatRalphwasinlovewithher，buttherecouldbenodoubteitherthatnotawordofthiswouldbespokenbyeitherofthem，unless，indeed，somecatastrophemadementionofitunavoidable。

MarywentdowntoDishamwithoutknowingwhetherRalphintendedtocome；buttwoorthreedaysbeforeChristmasshereceivedatelegramfromRalph，askinghertotakearoomforhiminthevillage。Thiswasfollowedbyaletterexplainingthathehopedhemighthavehismealswiththem；butquiet，essentialforhiswork，madeitnecessarytosleepout。

MarywaswalkinginthegardenwithElizabeth，andinspectingtheroses，whentheletterarrived。

“Butthat\'sabsurd，“saidElizabethdecidedly，whentheplanwasexplainedtoher。“Therearefivesparerooms，evenwhentheboysarehere。Besides，hewouldn\'tgetaroominthevillage。Andheoughtn\'ttoworkifhe\'soverworked。“

“Butperhapshedoesn\'twanttoseesomuchofus，“Marythoughttoherself，althoughoutwardlysheassented，andfeltgratefultoElizabethforsupportingherinwhatwas，ofcourse，herdesire。Theywerecuttingrosesatthetime，andlayingthem，headbyhead，inashallowbasket。

“IfRalphwerehere，he\'dfindthisverydull，“Marythought，withalittleshiverofirritation，whichledhertoplaceherrosethewrongwayinthebasket。Meanwhile，theyhadcometotheendofthepath，andwhileElizabethstraightenedsomeflowers，andmadethemstanduprightwithintheirfenceofstring，Marylookedatherfather，whowaspacingupanddown，withhishandbehindhisbackandhisheadbowedinmeditation。Obeyinganimpulsewhichsprangfromsomedesiretointerruptthismethodicalmarching，Marysteppedontothegrasswalkandputherhandonhisarm。

“Aflowerforyourbuttonhole，father，“shesaid，presentingarose。

“Eh，dear？“saidMr。Datchet，takingtheflower，andholdingitatananglewhichsuitedhisbadeyesight，withoutpausinginhiswalk。

“Wheredoesthisfellowcomefrom？OneofElizabeth\'sroses——Ihopeyouaskedherleave。Elizabethdoesn\'tlikehavingherrosespickedwithoutherleave，andquiteright，too。“

Hehadahabit，Maryremarked，andshehadnevernoticeditsoclearlybefore，oflettinghissentencestailawayinacontinuousmurmur，whereuponhepassedintoastateofabstraction，presumedbyhischildrentoindicatesometrainofthoughttooprofoundforutterance。

“What？“saidMary，interrupting，forthefirsttimeinherlife，perhaps，whenthemurmurceased。Hemadenoreply。Sheknewverywellthathewishedtobeleftalone，butshestucktohissidemuchasshemighthavestucktosomesleep-walker，whomshethoughtitrightgraduallytoawaken。Shecouldthinkofnothingtorousehimwithexcept:

“Thegarden\'slookingverynice，father。“

“Yes，yes，yes，“saidMr。Datchet，runninghiswordstogetherinthesameabstractedmanner，andsinkinghisheadyetloweruponhisbreast。Andsuddenly，astheyturnedtheirstepstoretracetheirway，hejerkedout:

“Thetraffic\'sverymuchincreased，youknow。Morerolling-stockneededalready。Fortytruckswentdownyesterdaybythe12。15——countedthemmyself。They\'vetakenoffthe9。3，andgivenusan8。30instead——

suitsthebusinessmen，youknow。Youcamebytheold3。10yesterday，Isuppose？“

Shesaid“Yes，“asheseemedtowishforareply，andthenhelookedathiswatch，andmadeoffdownthepathtowardsthehouse，holdingtheroseatthesameangleinfrontofhim。Elizabethhadgoneroundtothesideofthehouse，wherethechickenslived，sothatMaryfoundherselfalone，holdingRalph\'sletterinherhand。Shewasuneasy。Shehadputofftheseasonforthinkingthingsoutverysuccessfully，andnowthatRalphwasactuallycoming，thenextday，shecouldonlywonderhowherfamilywouldimpresshim。Shethoughtitlikelythatherfatherwoulddiscussthetrainservicewithhim；Elizabethwouldbebrightandsensible，andalwaysleavingtheroomtogivemessagestotheservants。Herbrothershadalreadysaidthattheywouldgivehimaday\'sshooting。ShewascontenttoleavetheproblemofRalph\'srelationstotheyoungmenobscure，trustingthattheywouldfindsomecommongroundofmasculineagreement。ButwhatwouldhethinkofHER？

Wouldheseethatshewasdifferentfromtherestofthefamily？Shedevisedaplanfortakinghimtohersitting-room，andartfullyleadingthetalktowardstheEnglishpoets，whonowoccupiedprominentplacesinherlittlebookcase。Moreover，shemightgivehimtounderstand，privately，thatshe，too，thoughtherfamilyaqueerone——

queer，yes，butnotdull。Thatwastherockpastwhichshewasbentonsteeringhim。AndshethoughthowshewoulddrawhisattentiontoEdward\'spassionforJorrocks，andtheenthusiasmwhichledChristophertocollectmothsandbutterfliesthoughhewasnowtwenty-

two。PerhapsElizabeth\'ssketching，ifthefruitswereinvisible，mightlendcolortothegeneraleffectwhichshewishedtoproduceofafamily，eccentricandlimited，perhaps，butnotdull。Edward，sheperceived，wasrollingthelawn，forthesakeofexercise；andthesightofhim，withpinkcheeks，brightlittlebrowneyes，andageneralresemblancetoaclumsyyoungcart-horseinitswintercoatofdustybrownhair，madeMaryviolentlyashamedofherambitiousscheming。Shelovedhimpreciselyashewas；shelovedthemall；andasshewalkedbyhisside，upanddown，anddownandup，herstrongmoralsenseadministeredasounddrubbingtothevainandromanticelementarousedinherbythemerethoughtofRalph。Shefeltquitecertainthat，forgoodorforbad，shewasveryliketherestofherfamily。

Sittinginthecornerofathird-classrailwaycarriage，ontheafternoonofthefollowingday，Ralphmadeseveralinquiriesofacommercialtravelerintheoppositecorner。TheycenteredroundavillagecalledLampsher，notthreemiles，heunderstood，fromLincoln；

wasthereabighouseinLampsher，heasked，inhabitedbyagentlemanofthenameofOtway？

Thetravelerknewnothing，butrolledthenameofOtwayonhistongue，reflectively，andthesoundofitgratifiedRalphamazingly。Itgavehimanexcusetotakealetterfromhispocketinordertoverifytheaddress。

“StogdonHouse，Lampsher，Lincoln，“hereadout。

“You\'llfindsomebodytodirectyouatLincoln，“saidtheman；andRalphhadtoconfessthathewasnotboundtherethisveryevening。

“I\'vegottowalkoverfromDisham，“hesaid，andintheheartofhimcouldnothelpmarvelingatthepleasurewhichhederivedfrommakingabagmaninatrainbelievewhathehimselfdidnotbelieve。Fortheletter，thoughsignedbyKatharine\'sfather，containednoinvitationorwarrantforthinkingthatKatharineherselfwasthere；theonlyfactitdisclosedwasthatforafortnightthisaddresswouldbeMr。

Hilbery\'saddress。Butwhenhelookedoutofthewindow，itwasofherhethought；she，too，hadseenthesegrayfields，and，perhaps，shewastherewherethetreesranupaslope，andoneyellowlightshonenow，andthenwentoutagain，atthefootofthehill。Thelightshoneinthewindowsofanoldgrayhouse，hethought。Helaybackinhiscornerandforgotthecommercialtraveleraltogether。TheprocessofvisualizingKatharinestoppedshortattheoldgraymanor-house；

instinctwarnedhimthatifhewentmuchfurtherwiththisprocessrealitywouldsoonforceitselfin；hecouldnotaltogetherneglectthefigureofWilliamRodney。SincethedaywhenhehadheardfromKatharine\'slipsofherengagement，hehadrefrainedfrominvestinghisdreamofherwiththedetailsofreallife。Butthelightofthelateafternoonglowedgreenbehindthestraighttrees，andbecameasymbolofher。Thelightseemedtoexpandhisheart。Shebroodedoverthegrayfields，andwaswithhimnowintherailwaycarriage，thoughtful，silent，andinfinitelytender；butthevisionpressedtooclose，andmustbedismissed，forthetrainwasslackening。Itsabruptjerksshookhimwideawake，andhesawMaryDatchet，asturdyrussetfigure，withadashofscarletaboutit，asthecarriagesliddowntheplatform。Atallyouthwhoaccompaniedhershookhimbythehand，tookhisbag，andledthewaywithoututteringonearticulateword。

Neverarevoicessobeautifulasonawinter\'sevening，whenduskalmosthidesthebody，andtheyseemtoissuefromnothingnesswithanoteofintimacyseldomheardbyday。SuchanedgewasthereinMary\'svoicewhenshegreetedhim。Aboutherseemedtohangthemistofthewinterhedges，andtheclearredofthebrambleleaves。Hefelthimselfatoncesteppingontothefirmgroundofanentirelydifferentworld，buthedidnotallowhimselftoyieldtothepleasureofitdirectly。TheygavehimhischoiceofdrivingwithEdwardorofwalkinghomeacrossthefieldswithMary——notashorterway，theyexplained，butMarythoughtitanicerway。Hedecidedtowalkwithher，beingconscious，indeed，thathegotcomfortfromherpresence。

Whatcouldbethecauseofhercheerfulness，hewondered，halfironically，andhalfenviously，asthepony-cartstartedbrisklyaway，andtheduskswambetweentheireyesandthetallformofEdward，standinguptodrive，withthereinsinonehandandthewhipintheother。Peoplefromthevillage，whohadbeentothemarkettown，wereclimbingintotheirgigs，orsettingoffhomedowntheroadtogetherinlittleparties。ManysalutationswereaddressedtoMary，whoshoutedback，withtheadditionofthespeaker\'sname。Butsoonsheledthewayoverastile，andalongapathwornslightlydarkerthanthedimgreensurroundingit。Infrontofthemtheskynowshoweditselfofareddish-yellow，likeasliceofsomesemilucentstonebehindwhichalampburnt，whileafringeofblacktreeswithdistinctbranchesstoodagainstthelight，whichwasobscuredinonedirectionbyahumpofearth，inallotherdirectionsthelandlyingflattotheveryvergeofthesky。Oneoftheswiftandnoiselessbirdsofthewinter\'snightseemedtofollowthemacrossthefield，circlingafewfeetinfrontofthem，disappearingandreturningagainandagain。

Maryhadgonethiswalkmanyhundredtimesinthecourseofherlife，generallyalone，andatdifferentstagestheghostsofpastmoodswouldfloodhermindwithawholesceneortrainofthoughtmerelyatthesightofthreetreesfromaparticularangle，oratthesoundofthepheasantcluckingintheditch。Butto-nightthecircumstanceswerestrongenoughtooustallotherscenes；andshelookedatthefieldandthetreeswithaninvoluntaryintensityasiftheyhadnosuchassociationsforher。

“Well，Ralph，“shesaid，“thisisbetterthanLincoln\'sInnFields，isn\'tit？Look，there\'sabirdforyou！Oh，you\'vebroughtglasses，haveyou？EdwardandChristophermeantomakeyoushoot。Canyoushoot？Ishouldn\'tthinkso——“

“Lookhere，youmustexplain，“saidRalph。“Whoaretheseyoungmen？

WhereamIstaying？“

“Youarestayingwithus，ofcourse，“shesaidboldly。“Ofcourse，you\'restayingwithus——youdon\'tmindcoming，doyou？“

“IfIhad，Ishouldn\'thavecome，“hesaidsturdily。Theywalkedoninsilence；Marytookcarenottobreakitforatime。ShewishedRalphtofeel，asshethoughthewould，allthefreshdelightsoftheearthandair。Shewasright。Inamomentheexpressedhispleasure，muchtohercomfort。

“ThisisthesortofcountryIthoughtyou\'dlivein，Mary，“hesaid，pushinghishatbackonhishead，andlookingabouthim。“Realcountry。Nogentlemen\'sseats。“

Hesnuffedtheair，andfeltmorekeenlythanhehaddoneformanyweeksthepleasureofowningabody。

“Nowwehavetofindourwaythroughahedge，“saidMary。InthegapofthehedgeRalphtoreupapoacher\'swire，setacrossaholetotraparabbit。

“It\'squiterightthattheyshouldpoach，“saidMary，watchinghimtuggingatthewire。“IwonderwhetheritwasAlfredDugginsorSidRankin？Howcanoneexpectthemnotto，whentheyonlymakefifteenshillingsaweek？Fifteenshillingsaweek，“sherepeated，comingoutontheothersideofthehedge，andrunningherfingersthroughherhairtoridherselfofabramblewhichhadattacheditselftoher。“I

couldliveonfifteenshillingsaweek——easily。“

“Couldyou？“saidRalph。“Idon\'tbelieveyoucould，“headded。

“Ohyes。Theyhaveacottagethrownin，andagardenwhereonecangrowvegetables。Itwouldn\'tbehalfbad，“saidMary，withasobernesswhichimpressedRalphverymuch。

“Butyou\'dgettiredofit，“heurged。

“Isometimesthinkit\'stheonlythingonewouldnevergettiredof，“

shereplied。

Theideaofacottagewhereonegrewone\'sownvegetablesandlivedonfifteenshillingsaweek，filledRalphwithanextraordinarysenseofrestandsatisfaction。

“Butwouldn\'titbeonthemainroad，ornextdoortoawomanwithsixsquallingchildren，who\'dalwaysbehangingherwashingouttodryacrossyourgarden？“

“ThecottageI\'mthinkingofstandsbyitselfinalittleorchard。“

“AndwhatabouttheSuffrage？“heasked，attemptingsarcasm。

“Oh，thereareotherthingsintheworldbesidestheSuffrage，“shereplied，inanoff-handmannerwhichwasslightlymysterious。

Ralphfellsilent。Itannoyedhimthatsheshouldhaveplansofwhichheknewnothing；buthefeltthathehadnorighttopressherfurther。Hismindsettledupontheideaoflifeinacountrycottage。

Conceivably，forhecouldnotexamineintoitnow，herelayatremendouspossibility；asolutionofmanyproblems。Hestruckhisstickupontheearth，andstaredthroughtheduskattheshapeofthecountry。

“D\'youknowthepointsofthecompass？“heasked。

“Well，ofcourse，“saidMary。“Whatd\'youtakemefor？——aCockneylikeyou？“Shethentoldhimexactlywherethenorthlay，andwherethesouth。

“It\'smynativeland，this，“shesaid。“Icouldsmellmywayaboutitblindfold。“

Asiftoprovethisboast，shewalkedalittlequicker，sothatRalphfounditdifficulttokeeppacewithher。Atthesametime，hefeltdrawntoherashehadneverbeenbefore；partly，nodoubt，becauseshewasmoreindependentofhimthaninLondon，andseemedtobeattachedfirmlytoaworldwherehehadnoplaceatall。Nowtheduskhadfallentosuchanextentthathehadtofollowherimplicitly，andevenleanhishandonhershoulderwhentheyjumpedabankintoaverynarrowlane。Andhefeltcuriouslyshyofherwhenshebegantoshoutthroughherhandsataspotoflightwhichswunguponthemistinaneighboringfield。Heshouted，too，andthelightstoodstill。

“That\'sChristopher，comeinalready，andgonetofeedhischickens，“

shesaid。

SheintroducedhimtoRalph，whocouldseeonlyatallfigureingaiters，risingfromaflutteringcircleofsoftfeatherybodies，uponwhomthelightfellinwaveringdiscs，callingoutnowabrightspotofyellow，nowoneofgreenish-blackandscarlet。Marydippedherhandinthebuckethecarried，andwasatoncethecenterofacirclealso；

andasshecasthergrainshetalkedalternatelytothebirdsandtoherbrother，inthesameclucking，half-inarticulatevoice，asitsoundedtoRalph，standingontheoutskirtsoftheflutteringfeathersinhisblackovercoat。

Hehadremovedhisovercoatbythetimetheysatroundthedinner-

table，butneverthelesshelookedverystrangeamongtheothers。A

countrylifeandbreedinghadpreservedinthemallalookwhichMaryhesitatedtocalleitherinnocentoryouthful，asshecomparedthem，nowsittingroundinanoval，softlyilluminatedbycandlelight；andyetitwassomethingofthekind，yes，eveninthecaseoftheRectorhimself。Thoughsuperficiallymarkedwithlines，hisfacewasaclearpink，andhisblueeyeshadthelong-sighted，peacefulexpressionofeyesseekingtheturnoftheroad，oradistantlightthroughrain，orthedarknessofwinter。ShelookedatRalph。Hehadneverappearedtohermoreconcentratedandfullofpurpose；asifbehindhisforeheadweremassedsomuchexperiencethathecouldchooseforhimselfwhichpartofithewoulddisplayandwhichparthewouldkeeptohimself。

Comparedwiththatdarkandsterncountenance，herbrothers\'faces，bendinglowovertheirsoup-plates，weremerecirclesofpink，unmoldedflesh。

“Youcamebythe3。10，Mr。Denham？“saidtheReverendWyndhamDatchet，tuckinghisnapkinintohiscollar，sothatalmostthewholeofhisbodywasconcealedbyalargewhitediamond。“Theytreatusverywell，onthewhole。Consideringtheincreaseoftraffic，theytreatusverywellindeed。Ihavethecuriositysometimestocountthetrucksonthegoods\'trains，andthey\'rewelloverfifty——welloverfifty，atthisseasonoftheyear。“

Theoldgentlemanhadbeenrousedagreeablybythepresenceofthisattentiveandwell-informedyoungman，aswasevidentbythecarewithwhichhefinishedthelastwordsinhissentences，andhisslightexaggerationinthenumberoftrucksonthetrains。Indeed，thechiefburdenofthetalkfelluponhim，andhesustaineditto-nightinamannerwhichcausedhissonstolookathimadmiringlynowandthen；

fortheyfeltshyofDenham，andweregladnottohavetotalkthemselves。ThestoreofinformationaboutthepresentandpastofthisparticularcornerofLincolnshirewhicholdMr。Datchetproducedreallysurprisedhischildren，forthoughtheyknewofitsexistence，theyhadforgottenitsextent，astheymighthaveforgottentheamountoffamilyplatestoredintheplate-chest，untilsomerarecelebrationbroughtitforth。

Afterdinner，parishbusinesstooktheRectortohisstudy，andMaryproposedthattheyshouldsitinthekitchen。

“It\'snotthekitchenreally，“Elizabethhastenedtoexplaintoherguest，“butwecallitso——“

“It\'sthenicestroominthehouse，“saidEdward。

“It\'sgottheoldrestsbythesideofthefireplace，wherethemenhungtheirguns，“saidElizabeth，leadingtheway，withatallbrasscandlestickinherhand，downapassage。“ShowMr。Denhamthesteps，Christopher……WhentheEcclesiasticalCommissionerswereheretwoyearsagotheysaidthiswasthemostinterestingpartofthehouse。

Thesenarrowbricksprovethatitisfivehundredyearsold——fivehundredyears，Ithink——theymayhavesaidsix。“She，too，feltanimpulsetoexaggeratetheageofthebricks，asherfatherhadexaggeratedthenumberoftrucks。Abiglamphungdownfromthecenteroftheceilingand，togetherwithafinelogfire，illuminatedalargeandloftyroom，withraftersrunningfromwalltowall，afloorofredtiles，andasubstantialfireplacebuiltupofthosenarrowredbrickswhichweresaidtobefivehundredyearsold。Afewrugsandasprinklingofarm-chairshadmadethisancientkitchenintoasitting-room。Elizabeth，afterpointingoutthegun-racks，andthehooksforsmokinghams，andotherevidenceofincontestableage，andexplainingthatMaryhadhadtheideaofturningtheroomintoasitting-room——otherwiseitwasusedforhangingoutthewashandforthementochangeinaftershooting——consideredthatshehaddoneherdutyashostess，andsatdowninanuprightchairdirectlybeneaththelamp，besideaverylongandnarrowoaktable。Sheplacedapairofhornspectaclesuponhernose，anddrewtowardsherabasketfulofthreadsandwools。Inafewminutesasmilecametoherface，andremainedtherefortherestoftheevening。