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fast。"Withsuchdifferencesofopinionasoccasionallyarosebetweenthevicarandhischurchwardenshewasimmediatelyfamiliar。ThehistoryofthefeveramongthehoppickersatDunstanvillagehehadbeenabletorelateindetailfromthemomentofitsoutbreak。ItwashewhohadfirstdramaticallyrevealedthetruthoftheactionMissVanderpoelhadtakeninthematter，whichrevelationhadarousedsuchenthusiasmashadfilledTheClockInntooverflowingandgivenanimpetustothesaleofbeer。Tread，itwassaid，hadevenmadeaspeechwhichhehadendedwithvaguebutexcellentintentionsbyproposingthejointhealthsofherladyship’ssisterandthe"PresidentofAmerica。"Mr。TewsonwasalwaysgladtoseeMissVanderpoelcrosshisthreshold。ThiswasnotalonebecausesherepresentedthecustomoftheCourt，whichsinceherarrivalhadmeantlargeregularordersandlargebillspromptlypaid，butthatshebroughtwithheranexoticatmosphereofinterestandexcitement。
Hehadmentionedtofriendsthatsomehowatalkwithhermadehimfeel"setupfortheday。"Bettywasnotatallsurethathedidnotprepareandhoardupchoiceremarksorbitsofinformationasopeningstoconversation。
Thismorninghehadthrillingnewsforherandbeganwithitatonce。
"Dr。FenwickatStornhamisverylow，miss，"hesaid。
"He’sverylow，you’llbesorrytohear。Theworryaboutthefeverupsethimterribleandhisbronchitistookhimbad。
He’sanoldman，youknow。"
MissVanderpoelwasverysorrytohearit。ItwasquiteinthenaturalorderofthingsthatsheshouldaskotherquestionsaboutDunstanvillageandtheMount，andsheaskedseveral。
Thefeverwasdyingoutandpaleconvalescentsweresometimesseeninthevillageorstrollingaboutthepark。Hislordshipwastakingcareofthepeopleanddoinghisbestforthemuntiltheyshouldbestrongenoughtoreturntotheirhomes。
"Buthe’sverystrictaboutmakingitplainthatit’syou，miss，theyhavetothankforwhathedoes。"
"Thatisnotquitejust，"saidMissVanderpoel。"HeandMr。Penzancefoughtonthefield。Ionlysuppliedsomeoftheammunition。"
"Thecountydoesn’tthinkofhimasitdidevenayearago，miss，"saidTewsonrathersmugly。"Hewasveryillthoughtofthenamongthegentry。It’swonderfulthechangethat’scomeabout。Ifheshouldfallillthere’llbeadealofsympathy。"
"Ihopethereisnoquestionofhisfallingill，"saidMissVanderpoel。
Mr。Tewsonloweredhisvoiceconfidentially。Thiswasreallyhismostvaluableitemofnews。
"Well，miss，"headmitted，"Ihaveheardthathe’sbeenlookingverybadforagoodbit，anditwastoldmequiteprivate，becausethedoctorsandthevicardon’twantthepeopletobeupsetbyhearingit——thatforaweekhe’snotbeenwellenoughtomakehisrounds。"
"Oh！"Theexclamationwasafaintone，butitwasanexclamation。"Ihopethatmeansnothingreallyserious，"
MissVanderpoeladded。"Everyonewillhopeso。"
"Yes，miss，"saidMr。Tewson，deftlytwistingthestringroundthepackagehewastyingupforher。"Asadrewarditwouldbeifhelosthislifeafterdoingallhehasdone。A
sadreward！Butthere’dbeagooddealofsympathy。"
ThesmallpackagecontainedtriflesofsewingandknittingmaterialsshewasgoingtotaketoMrs。Welden，andsheheldoutherhandforit。Sheknewshedidnotsmilequitenaturallyasshesaidhergood—morningtoTewson。Shewentoutintothepaleambersunshineandstoodafewmoments，gladtofindherselfbathedinitagain。Shesuddenlyneededairandlight。"Asadreward！"Sometimespeoplewerenotrewarded。Bravemenwereshotdeadonthebattlefieldwhentheyweredoingbravethings；bravephysiciansandnursesdiedoftheplaguestheyfaithfullywrestledwith。Hereweredreadandpainconfrontingher——BettyVanderpoel——andwhilealmosteveryoneelseseemedtohavefacedthem，shewaswhollyunusedtotheirappallingclutch。Whatalifehershadbeen——
thatinlookingbackoveritsheshouldrealisethatshehadneverbeentouchedbyanythinglikethisbefore！TherecamebacktoherthelookofalmostawedwonderinG。Selden’shonesteyeswhenhesaid："Whatitmustbetobeyou——justYOU！"Hehadbeenthinkingonlyofthemillionsandofthefreedomfromalleverydayanxietiesthemillionsgave。Shesmiledfaintlyasthethoughtcrossedherbrain。Themillions！
Therollingupofthemyearbyyear，becausemillionswerebreeders！Thenewspaperstoriesofthem——thewonderatandbeliefintheirpower！Itwasallgoingonjustasbefore，andyetherestoodaVanderpoelinanEnglishvillagestreet，ofnomoreworthasfaraspowertoaidherselfwentthanJoeButtle’sgirlwiththethickwaistandroundredcheeks。JennyButtlewouldhavebelievedthatherladyship’srichAmericansistercoulddoanythingshechose，openanydoor，commandanypresence，sweepasideanyobstaclewithawaveofherhand。
Butofthetwo，JennyButtle’spathwouldhavelaidstraighterbeforeher。Ifshehadhad"ayoungman"whohadfallenillshewouldhavebeenfreeifhismotherhadcherishednoobjectiontotheir"walkingout"——tospendallhersparehoursinhiscottage，makinggruelandpoultices，cryinguntilhernoseandeyeswerered，andpouringforthherhopesandfearstoanyneighbourwhocameinoroutorhungoverthedividinggardenhedge。Ifthepatientdied，thedeeperhermourningandthelouderhersobsathisfuneralthemorerespectableanddeservingofsympathyandadmirationwouldJennyButtlehavebeencounted。Herladyship’srichAmericansisterhadno"youngman"；shehadnotatanytimebeenaskedto"walkout。"Eveninthedarkdaysofthefever，eachofwhichhadcarriedthoughtandactionofherstothesceneoftrouble，therehadreignedunbrokensilence，exceptforthevicar’snotesofwarmandappreciativegratitude。
"Youareveryobstinate，Fergus，"Mr。Penzancehadsaid。
AndMountDunstanhadshakenhisheadfiercelyandanswered：
"Don’tspeaktomeaboutit。Onlyobstinacywillsavemefrombehavinglike——otherblackguards。"
Mr。Penzance，carefullypolishinghiseyeglassesashewatchedhim，wasnotsparinginhiscomment。
"Thatispurefolly，"hesaid，"purebull—necked，stubbornfolly，chargingwithitsheaddown。Beforeithasdonewithyouitwillhavemadeyousufferquiteenough。"
"Besureofthat，"MountDunstanhadsaid，settinghisteeth，ashesatinhischairclaspinghishandsbehindhisheadandgloweringintospace。
Mr。Penzancequietly，speculatively，lookedhimover，andreflectedaloud——or，soitsounded。
"Itisabig—bonedandbig—muscledcharacteristic，buttherearethingswhicharestronger。Someoneminutewillarrive——
justoneminute——whichwillbestronger。Oneofthosemomentswhenthemysteriesoftheuniverseareatwork。"
"Don’tspeaktomelikethat，Itellyou！"MountDunstanbrokeoutpassionately。Andhesprangupandmarchedoutoftheroomlikeanangryman。
MissVanderpoeldidnotgotoMrs。Welden’scottageatonce，butwalkedpastitsdoordownthelane，wheretherewerenomorecottages，butonlyhedgesandfieldsoneithersideofher。"Notwellenoughtomakehisrounds"mightmeanmuchorlittle。Itmightmeanatemporarybreakdownfromoverfatigueorasickeningfordeadlyillness。Shelookedatagroupofcroppingsheepinafieldandataflockofrookswhichhadjustalightednearitwithcawingandflappingofwings。Shekepthereyesonthemmerelytosteadyherself。
Thethoughtsshehadbroughtoutwithherhadgrownheavierandwerehorriblydifficulttocontrol。Onemustnotallowone’sselftobelievetheworstwillcome——onemustnotallowit。
Shealwaysheldthisrulebeforeherself，andnowshewasnotholdingitsteadily。Therewasnothingtodo。ShecouldwriteamerenoteofinquirytoMr。Penzance，butthatwasall。Shecouldonlywalkupanddownthelanesandthink——whetherhelaydyingornot。Shecoulddonothing，evenifadaycamewhensheknewthatapithadbeendugintheclayandhehadbeenloweredintoitwithcreakingropes，andtheclodsshovelledbackup
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