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Shehadseenthehoppickers’hutsandhadrecognisedtheircondition。Merebrickshedsinwhichthepickerssleptuponbundlesofhayorstrawintheirbestdays；intheirdecaytheydidnotevenprovideshelter。Infineweatherthehopgathererssleptwellenoughinthem，cookingtheirfoodingypsy—fashionintheopen。Whentheraindescended，itmustrundownwallsanddripthroughtheholesintheroofsinstreamswhichwouldsoakclothesandbedding。TheworstthatNigelandMrs。
Brenthadimpliedwastrue。Illnessofanyorder，undersuchcircumstances，wouldhavesmallchanceofrecovery，butmalignanttyphoidwithoutshelter，withoutpropernourishmentornursing，hadnotonechanceinamillion。Andhe——thisoneman——stoodaloneinthemidstofthetragedy——responsibleandhelpless。Hewouldfeelhimselfresponsibleassheherselfwould，ifshewereinhisplace。Shewasconsciousthatsuddenlytheeventoftheafternoon——theinterviewuponthemarshes，hadrecededuntilithadbecomeanalmostunmeaningincident。Whatdidthedegenerate，melodramaticfollymatter————！
Shehadrestlesslyleftherchairbeforethedressing—table，andwaswalkingtoandfro。Shepausedandstoodlookingdownatthecarpet，thoughshescarcelysawit。
"Nothingmattersbutonething——oneperson，"sheownedtoherselfaloud。"Isupposeitisalwayslikethis。Rosy，Ughtred，evenfatherandmother——everyoneseemslessnearthantheywere。Itistoostrong——toostrong。Itis————"thewordsdroppedslowlyfromherlips，"thestrongestthing——
intheworld。"
Sheliftedherfaceandthrewoutherhands，alovelyyounghalf—sadsmilecurlingthedeepcornersofhermouth。"Sometimesonefeelssodisdained，"shesaid——"sodisdainedwithallone’spower。PerhapsIamanunwantedthing。"
Buteveninthiscasetherewereaidsonemightmakeanefforttogive。Shewenttoherwriting—tableandsatthinkingforsometime。Afterwardsshebegantowriteletters。ThreeorfourwereaddressedtoLondon——onewastoMr。Penzance……
MountDunstanandhisvicarwerewalkingthroughthevillagetothevicarage。Theyhadbeentothehoppickers’hutstoseethepeoplewhowereillofthefever。Bothofthemnoticedthatcottagedoorsandwindowswereshut，andthathereandtherealarmedfaceslookedoutfrombehindlatticedpanes。
"Theyareinapanicoffear，"MountDunstansaid，"andbywayofsafeguardtheyshutouteverybreathofairandstifleindoors。Somethingmustbedone。"
Catchingtheeyeofawomanwhowaspeeringoverhershortwhitedimityblind，hebeckonedtoherauthoritatively。
Shecametothedoorandhesitatedthere，curtsyingnervously。
MountDunstanspoketoheracrossthehedge。
"Youneednotcomeouttome，Mrs。Binner。Youmaystaywhereyouare，"hesaid。"AreyouobeyingtheordersgivenbytheGuardians？"
"Yes，mylord。Yes，mylord，"withmorecurtsys。
"Yourhealthisverymuchinyourownhands，"headded。
"Youmustkeepyourcottageandyourchildrencleanerthanyouhaveeverkeptthembefore，andyoumustusethedisinfectantIsentyou。Keepawayfromthehuts，andopenyourwindows。Ifyoudon’topenthem，Ishallcomeanddoitforyou。Badairisinfectionitself。Doyouunderstand？"
"Yes，mylord。Thankyourlordship。"
"Goinandopenyourwindowsnow，andtellyourneighbourstodothesame。Ifanyoneisillletmeknowatonce。
ThevicarandIwilldoourbestforeveryone。"
Bythattimecuriosityhadovercomefear，andothercottagedoorshadopened。MountDunstanpasseddowntherowandsaidafewwordstoeachwomanormanwholookedout。
Questionswereaskedanxiouslyandheansweredthem。Thathewaspersonallyunafraidwascomfortinglyplain，andthemeresightofhimwas，onthewhole，anunexplainablesupport。
"Weheardsaidyourlordshipwasgoingaway，"putinastoutmotherwithaheavychildonherarm，aslighttestinessscarcelyconcealedbyrespectfulgood—manners。Shewasamatronwithatemper，andthataMountDunstanshouldavoidresponsibilitiesseemedhighlycredible。
"IshallstaywhereIam，"MountDunstananswered。
"Myplaceishere。"
Theybelievedhim，MountDunstanthoughhewas。Itcouldnotbesaidthattheywerefondofhim，butgraduallyithadbeenborneinuponthemthathiswordwastobereliedon，thoughhismannerwasunalluringandtheyknewhewastoopoortodohisdutybythemorhisestate。Ashewalkedawaywiththevicar，windowswereopened，andinoneortwountidycottagesasuddenflourishingofmopsandbroomsbegan。
TherewasdarktroubleinMountDunstan’sface。Inthehutstheyhadlefttwomenstiffontheirstraw，andtwowomenandachildinastateofcollapse。Addedtothesewereothersstrickenhelpless。Anumberofworkersinthehopgardens，onrealisingthedangerthreateningthem，hadgatheredtogetherbundlesandchildren，and，leavingtheharvestbehind，hadgoneonthetrampagain。Thosewhoremainedweretheweakerorlesscautious，orwereheldbysometietothosewhowerealreadyillofthefever。Thevillagedoctorwasanoldmanwhohadspenthisblamelesslifeinbringinglittlecottagersintotheworld，attendingtheirmeaslesandwhoopingcoughs，andtheirfather’sandgrandfather’srheumatics。Hehadneverfacedavillagecrisisinthecourseofhisseventy—fiveyears，andwasaghastandflurriedwithfright。Hismethodsremainedthoseofhisyouth，andweremarkedchieflybyareadinesstoprescribecalomelinanyemergency。Ayoungerandstrongermanwasneeded，aswellasamanofmoremoderntraining。Buteventhemostbrilliantpractitionerofthehourcouldnothaveprovidedshelterandnourishment，andwithoutthemhisskillwouldhavecountedasnothing。Forthreeweekstherehadbeennorain，whichwasaconditionofthebarometernotlikelytolast。
Alreadygreycloudsweregatheringandobscuringthebluenessofthesky。
Thevicarglancedupwardsanxiously。
"Whenitcomes，"hesaid，"therewillbeadownpour，andapersistentone。"
"Yes，"MountDunstananswered。
Hehadlainawakethinkingthroughoutthenight。Howwasamantosleep！ItwasasBettyVanderpoelhadknownitwouldbe。He，who——beggarthoughhemightbe——wasthelordoftheland，wasthemantofacethestraitofthesepoorworkersontheland，ashisown。Someactionmustbetaken。Whataction？Ashewalkedbyhisfriend’ssidefromthehutswherethedeadmenlayitrevealeditselfthathesawhisway。
Theyweregoingtothevicaragetoconsultamedicalbook，butonthewaytheretheypassedapartoftheparkwhere，throughabreakinthetimberthehuge，white，blind—facedhousestoodonview。MountDunstanlaidhishandonMr。
Penzance’sshoulderandstoppedhim"Lookthere！"hesaid。"THEREareweather—tightroomsenough。"
Astartledexpressionshoweditselfonthevicar’sface。
"Forwhat？"heexclaimed"Forahospital，"brusquely"Icangivethemonething，atleast——shelter。"
"Itisaveryremarkablethingtothinkofdoing，"Mr。
Penzancesaid。
"ItisnotsoremarkableasthatlabourersonmylandshoulddieatmygatebecauseIcannotgivethemdecentroofstocoverthem。Thereisaroofthatwillshieldthemfromtheweather。TheyshallbebroughttotheMount。"
Thevicarwassilentamoment，andaflushofsympathywarmedhisface。
"Youarequiteright，Fergus，"hesaid，"entirelyright。"
"Letusgotoyourstudyandplanhowitshallbedone，"
MountDunstansaid。
Astheywalkedtowardsthevicarage，hewentontalking。
"WhenIlieawakeatnight，thereisonethreadwhichalwayswindsitselfthroughmythoughtswhatsoevertheyare。
Idon’tfindthatIcandisentangleit。ItconnectsitselfwithReubenS。Vanderpoel’sdaughter。Youwouldknowthatwithoutmytellingyou。Ifyouhadeverstruggledwithaninsanepassion————"
"Itisnotinsane，Irepeat，"putinPenzanceunflinchingly。
"Thankyou——whetheryouarerightorwrong，"answeredMountDunstan，stridingbyhisside。"WhenIamawake，sheisasmuchapartofmyexistenceasmybreathitself。
WhenIthinkthingsover，IfindthatIamaskingmyselfifherthoughtsw
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