第2章

carestohearme。"

Everywomanwhomakesapermanentimpressiononamanisusuallyrecalledtohismind"seyeassheappearedinoneparticularscene，whichseemsordainedtobeherspecialformofmanifestationthroughoutthepagesofhismemory。AsthepatronSainthasherattitudeandaccessoriesinmediaevalillumination，sothesweetheartmaybesaidtohavehersuponthetableofhertrueLove"sfancy，withoutwhichsheisrarelyintroducedthereexceptbyeffort；andthisthoughshemay，onfurtheracquaintance，havebeenobservedinmanyotherphaseswhichonewouldimaginetobefarmoreappropriatetolove"syoungdream。

MissElfride"simagechosetheforminwhichshewasbeheldduringtheseminutesofsinging，forherpermanentattitudeofvisitationtoStephen"seyesduringhissleepingandwakinghoursinafterdays。Theprofileisseenofayoungwomaninapalegraysilkdresswithtrimmingsofswan"s-down，andopeningupfromapointinfront，likeawaistcoatwithoutashirt；thecoolcolourcontrastingadmirablywiththewarmbloomofherneckandface。

Thefurthermostcandleonthepianocomesimmediatelyinalinewithherhead，andhalfinvisibleitself，formstheaccidentallyfrizzledhairintoanebuloushazeoflight，surroundinghercrownlikeanaureola。Herhandsareintheirplaceonthekeys，herlipsparted，andtrillingforth，inatenderdiminuendo，theclosingwordsofthesadapostrophe:

"OLove，whobewailestThefrailtyofallthingshere，WhychooseyouthefrailestForyourcradle，yourhome，andyourbier!"

Herheadisforwardalittle，andhereyesdirectedkeenlyupwardtothetopofthepageofmusicconfrontingher。ThencomesarapidlookintoStephen"sface，andastillmorerapidlookbackagaintoherbusiness，herfacehavingdroppeditssadness，andacquiredacertainexpressionofmischievousarchnessthewhile；

whichlingeredthereforsometime，butwasneverdevelopedintoapositivesmileofflirtation。

Stephensuddenlyshiftedhispositionfromherrighthandtoherleft，wheretherewasjustroomenoughforasmallottomantostandbetweenthepianoandthecorneroftheroom。Intothisnookhesqueezedhimself，andgazedwistfullyupintoElfride"sface。Solongandsoearnestlygazedhe，thathercheekdeepenedtoamoreandmorecrimsontintaseachlinewasaddedtohersong。Concluding，andpausingmotionlessafterthelastwordforaminuteortwo，sheventuredtolookathimagain。Hisfeaturesworeanexpressionofunutterableheaviness。

"Youdon"thearmanysongs，doyou，Mr。Smith，totakesomuchnoticeoftheseofmine？"

"PerhapsitwasthemeansandvehicleofthesongthatIwasnoticing:Imeanyourself，"heansweredgently。

"Now，Mr。Smith!"

"Itisperfectlytrue；Idon"thearmuchsinging。YoumistakewhatIam，Ifancy。BecauseIcomeasastrangertoasecludedspot，youthinkImustneedscomefromalifeofbustle，andknowthelatestmovementsoftheday。ButIdon"t。Mylifeisasquietasyours，andmoresolitary；solitaryasdeath。"

"Thedeathwhichcomesfromaplethoraoflife？Butseriously，I

canquiteseethatyouarenottheleastwhatIthoughtyouwouldbebeforeIsawyou。Youarenotcritical，orexperienced，or——

muchtomind。That"swhyIdon"tmindsingingairstoyouthatI

onlyhalfknow。"Findingthatbythisconfessionshehadvexedhiminawayshedidnotintend，sheaddednaively，"Imean，Mr。

Smith，thatyouarebetter，notworse，forbeingonlyyoungandnotveryexperienced。Youdon"tthinkmylifeheresoverytameanddull，Iknow。"

"Idonot，indeed，"hesaidwithfervour。"Itmustbedelightfullypoetical，andsparkling，andfresh，and——"

"Thereyougo，Mr。Smith!Well，menofanotherkind，whenIgetthemtobehonestenoughtoownthetruth，thinkjustthereverse:

thatmylifemustbeadreadfulboreinitsnormalstate，thoughpleasantfortheexceptionalfewdaystheypasshere。"

"Icouldliveherealways!"hesaid，andwithsuchatoneandlookofunconsciousrevelationthatElfridewasstartledtofindthatherharmonieshadfiredasmallTroy，intheshapeofStephen"sheart。Shesaidquickly:

"Butyoucan"tliveherealways。"

"Ohno。"Andhedrewhimselfinwiththesensitivenessofasnail。

Elfride"semotionsweresuddenashisinkindling，buttheleastofwoman"slesserinfirmities——loveofadmiration——causedaninflammabledispositiononhispart，soexactlysimilartoherown，toappearasmeritoriousinhimasmodestymadeherownseemculpableinher。

ChapterIV

"Whereheavestheturfinmanyamould"ringheap。"

Forreasonsofhisown，StephenSmithwasstirringashorttimeafterdawnthenextmorning。Fromthewindowofhisroomhecouldsee，first，twoboldescarpmentsslopingdowntogetherliketheletterV。Towardsthebottom，likeliquidinafunnel，appearedthesea，grayandsmall。Onthebrowofonehill，ofrathergreateraltitudethanitsneighbour，stoodthechurchwhichwastobethesceneofhisoperations。Thelonelyedificewasblackandbare，cuttingupintotheskyfromtheverytipofthehill。Ithadasquaremoulderingtower，owningneitherbattlementnorpinnacle，andseemedamonolithictermination，ofonesubstancewiththeridge，ratherthanastructureraisedthereon。Roundthechurchranalowwall；over-toppingthewallingenerallevelwasthegraveyard；notasagraveyardusuallyis，afragmentoflandscapewithitsduevarietyofchiaro-oscuro，butamereprofileagainstthesky，serratedwiththeoutlinesofgravesandaveryfewmemorialstones。Notatreecouldexistupthere:

nothingbutthemonotonousgray-greengrass。

Fiveminutesafterthiscasualsurveywasmadehisbedroomwasempty，anditsoccupanthadvanishedquietlyfromthehouse。

Attheendoftwohourshewasagainintheroom，lookingwarmandglowing。Henowpursuedtheartisticdetailsofdressing，whichonhisfirstrisinghadbeenentirelyomitted。Andaverybloomingboyhelooked，afterthatmysteriousmorningscamper。

Hismouthwasatriumphofitsclass。Itwasthecleanly-cut，piquantlypursed-upmouthofWilliamPitt，asrepresentedinthewellorlittleknownbustbyNollekens——amouthwhichisinitselfayoungman"sfortune，ifproperlyexercised。Hisroundchin，whereitsupperpartturnedinward，stillcontinueditsperfectandfullcurve，seemingtopressintoapointthebottomofhisnetherlipattheirplaceofjunction。

OncehemurmuredthenameofElfride。Ah，thereshewas!Onthelawninaplaindress，withouthatorbonnet，runningwithaboy"svelocity，superaddedtoagirl"slightness，afteratamerabbitshewasendeavouringtocapture，herstrategicintonationsofcoaxingwordsalternatingwithdesperaterushessomuchoutofkeepingwiththem，thatthehollownessofsuchexpressionswasbuttooevidenttoherpet，whodartedanddodgedincarefullytimedcounterpart。

Thescenedowntherewasaltogetherdifferentfromthatofthehills。Athicketofshrubsandtreesenclosedthefavouredspotfromthewildernesswithout；evenatthistimeoftheyearthegrasswasluxuriantthere。Nowindblewinsidetheprotectingbeltofevergreens，wastingitsforceuponthehigherandstrongertreesformingtheoutermarginofthegrove。

Thenheheardaheavypersonshufflingaboutinslippers，andcalling"Mr。Smith!"Smithproceededtothestudy，andfoundMr。

Swancourt。Theyoungmanexpressedhisgladnesstoseehishostdownstairs。

"Ohyes；IknewIshouldsoonberightagain。Ihavenotmadetheacquaintanceofgoutformorethantwoyears，anditgenerallygoesoffthesecondnight。Well，wherehaveyoubeenthismorning？Isawyoucomeinjustnow，Ithink!"

"Yes；Ihavebeenforawalk。"

"Startearly？"

"Yes。"

"Veryearly，Ithink？"

"Yes，itwasratherearly。"

"Whichwaydidyougo？Tothesea，Isuppose。Everybodygoesseaward。"

"No；Ifolloweduptheriverasfarastheparkwall。"

"Youaredifferentfromyourkind。Well，Isupposesuchawildplaceisanovelty，andsotemptedyououtofbed？"

"Notaltogetheranovelty。Ilikeit。"

Theyouthseemedaversetoexplanation。

"Youmust，youmust；togocock-watchingthemorningafterajourneyoffourteenorsixteenhours。Butthere"snoaccountingfortastes，andIamgladtoseethatyoursarenomeaner。Afterbreakfast，butnotbefore，Ishallbegoodforatenmiles"walk，MasterSmith。"

Certainlythereseemednothingexaggeratedinthatassertion。Mr。

Swancourtbydaylightshowedhimselftobeamanwho，incommonwiththeothertwopeopleunderhisroof，hadreallystrongclaimstobeconsideredhandsome，——handsome，thatis，inthesenseinwhichthemoonisbright:theravinesandvalleyswhich，onacloseinspection，areseentodiversifyitssurfacebeingleftoutoftheargument。Hisfacewasofatintthatneverdeepeneduponhischeeksnorlighteneduponhisforehead，butremaineduniformthroughout；theusualneutralsalmon-colourofamanwhofeedswell——nottosaytoowell——anddoesnotthinkhard；everyporebeinginvisibleworkingorder。Histoutensemblewasthatofahighlyimprovedclassoffarmer，dressedupinthewrongclothes；

thatofafirm-standingperpendicularman，whosefallwouldhavebeenbackwardsindirectionifhehadeverlosthisbalance。

Thevicar"sbackgroundwasatpresentwhatavicar"sbackgroundshouldbe，hisstudy。Heretheconsistencyends。Allalongthechimneypiecewererangedbottlesofhorse，pig，andcowmedicines，andagainstthewallwasahightable，madeupofthefragmentsofanoldoakIychgate。Uponthisstoodstuffedspecimensofowls，divers，andgulls，andoverthembunchesofwheatandbarleyears，labelledwiththedateoftheyearthatproducedthem。

Somecasesandshelves，moreorlessladenwithbooks，theprominenttitlesofwhichwereDr。Brown"s"NotesontheRomans，"Dr。Smith"s"NotesontheCorinthians，"andDr。Robinson"s"NotesontheGalatians，Ephesians，andPhilippians，"justsavedthecharacteroftheplace，inspiteofagirl"sdoll"s-housestandingabovethem，amarineaquariuminthewindow，andElfride"shathangingonitscorner。

"Business，business!"saidMr。Swancourtafterbreakfast。Hebegantofinditnecessarytoactthepartofafly-wheeltowardsthesomewhatirregularforcesofhisvisitor。

Theypreparedtogotothechurch；thevicar，onsecondthoughts，mountinghiscoal-blackmaretoavoidexertinghisfoottoomuchatstarting。Stephensaidheshouldwantamantoassisthim。

"Worm!"thevicarshouted。

Aminuteortwoafteravoicewasheardroundthecornerofthebuilding，mumbling，"Ah，Iusedtobestrongenough，but"tisalterednow!Well，there，I"masindependentasonehereandthere，eveniftheydowrite"squireaftertheirnames。"

"What"sthematter？"saidthevicar，asWilliamWormappeared；

whentheremarkswererepeatedtohim。

"Wormsayssomeverytruethingssometimes，"Mr。Swancourtsaid，turningtoStephen。"Now，asregardsthatword"esquire。”Why，Mr。Smith，thatword"esquire"isgonetothedogs，——usedonthelettersofeveryjackanapeswhohasablackcoat。Anythingelse，Worm？"

"Ay，thefolkhavebegunfryingagain!"

"Dearme!I"msorrytohearthat。"

"Yes，"WormsaidgroaninglytoStephen，"I"vegotsuchanoiseinmyheadthatthere"snolivingnightnorday。"Tisjustforalltheworldlikepeoplefryingfish:fry，fry，fry，alldaylonginmypoorhead，tillIdon"tknowwhe"rI"mhereoryonder。There，GodA"mightywillfinditoutsoonerorlater，Ihope，andrelieveme。"

"Now，mydeafness，"saidMr。Swancourtimpressively，"isadeadsilence；butWilliamWorm"sisthatofpeoplefryingfishinhishead。Veryremarkable，isn"tit？"

"Icanhearthefrying-pana-fizzingasnaterelaslife，"saidWormcorroboratively。

"Yes，itisremarkable，"saidMr。Smith。

"Verypeculiar，verypeculiar，"echoedthevicar；andtheyallthenfollowedthepathupthehill，boundedoneachsidebyalittlestonewall，fromwhichgleamedfragmentsofquartzandblood-redmarbles，apparentlyofinestimablevalue，intheirsettingofbrownalluvium。Stephenwalkedwiththedignityofamanclosetothehorse"shead，Wormstumbledalongastone"sthrowintherear，andElfridewasnowhereinparticular，yeteverywhere；sometimesinfront，sometimesbehind，sometimesatthesides，hoveringabouttheprocessionlikeabutterfly；notdefinitelyengagedintravelling，yetsomehowchiminginatpointswiththegeneralprogress。

Thevicarexplainedthingsashewenton:"Thefactis，Mr。Smith，Ididn"twantthisbotherofchurchrestorationatall，butitwasnecessarytodosomethinginself-defence，onaccountofthosed——

dissenters:Iusethewordinitsscripturalmeaning，ofcourse，notasanexpletive。"

"Howveryodd!"saidStephen，withtheconcerndemandedofseriousfriendliness。

"Odd？That"snothingtohowitisintheparishofTwinkley。Boththechurchwardensare——；there，Iwon"tsaywhattheyare；andtheclerkandthesextonaswell。"

"Howverystrange!"saidStephen。

"Strange？Mydearsir，that"snothingtohowitisintheparishofSinnerton。However，astoourownparish，Ihopeweshallmakesomeprogresssoon。"

"Youmusttrusttocircumstances。"

"Therearenocircumstancestotrustto。WemayaswelltrustinProvidenceifwetrustatall。Buthereweare。Awildplace，isn"tit？ButIlikeitonsuchdaysasthese。"

Thechurchyardwasenteredonthissidebyastonestile，overwhichhavingclambered，youremainedstillonthewildhill，thewithinnotbeingsodividedfromthewithoutastoobliteratethesenseofopenfreedom。Adelightfulplacetobeburiedin，postulatingthatdelightcanaccompanyamantohistombunderanycircumstances。Therewasnothinghorribleinthischurchyard，intheshapeoftightmoundsbondedwithsticks，whichshoutimprisonmentintheearsratherthanwhisperrest；ortrimgarden-

flowers，whichonlyraiseimagesofpeopleinnewblackcrapeandwhitehandkerchiefscomingtotendthem；orwheel-marks，whichremindusofhearsesandmourningcoaches；orcypress-bushes，whichmakeaparadeofsorrow；orcoffin-boardsandboneslyingbehindtrees，showingthatweareonlyleaseholdersofourgraves。

No；nothingbutlong，wild，untutoredgrass，diversifyingtheformsofthemoundsitcovered，——themselvesirregularlyshaped，withnoeyetoeffect；theimpressivepresenceoftheoldmountainthatallthiswasapartofbeingnowhereexcludedbydisguisingart。Outsideweresimilarslopesandsimilargrass；andthenthesereneimpassivesea，visibletoawidthofhalfthehorizon，andmeetingtheeyewiththeeffectofavastconcave，liketheinteriorofabluevessel。Detachedrocksstooduprightafar，acollaroffoamgirdingtheirbases，andrepeatinginitswhitenesstheplumageofacountlessmultitudeofgullsthatrestlesslyhoveredabout。

"Now，Worm!"saidMr。Swancourtsharply；andWormstartedintoanattitudeofattentionatoncetoreceiveorders。Stephenandhimselfwerethenleftinpossession，andtheworkwentontillearlyintheafternoon，whendinnerwasannouncedbyUnityofthevicaragekitchenrunningupthehillwithoutabonnet。

Elfridedidnotmakeherappearanceinsidethebuildingtilllateintheafternoon，andcamethenbyspecialinvitationfromStephenduringdinner。ShelookedsointenselyLIVINGandfullofmovementasshecameintotheoldsilentplace，thatyoungSmith"sworldbegantobelitby"thepurplelight"inallitsdefiniteness。Wormwasgotridofbysendinghimtomeasuretheheightofthetower。

Whatcouldshedobutcomeclose——soclosethataminutearcofherskirttouchedhisfoot——andaskedhimhowhewasgettingonwithhissketches，andsetherselftolearntheprinciplesofpracticalmensurationasappliedtoirregularbuildings？Thenshemustascendthepulpittore-imagineforthehundredthtimehowitwouldseemtobeapreacher。

Presentlysheleantoverthefrontofthepulpit。

"Don"tyoutellpapa，willyou，Mr。Smith，ifItellyousomething？"shesaidwithasuddenimpulsetomakeaconfidence。

"Ohno，thatIwon"t，"saidhe，staringup。

"Well，Iwritepapa"ssermonsforhimveryoften，andhepreachesthembetterthanhedoeshisown；andthenafterwardshetalkstopeopleandtomeaboutwhathesaidinhissermonto-day，andforgetsthatIwroteitforhim。Isn"titabsurd？"

"Howcleveryoumustbe!"saidStephen。"Icouldn"twriteasermonfortheworld。"

"Oh，it"seasyenough，"shesaid，descendingfromthepulpitandcomingclosetohimtoexplainmorevividly。"Youdoitlikethis。Didyoueverplayagameofforfeitscalled"Whenisit？

whereisit？whatisit？""

"No，never。"

"Ah，that"sapity，becausewritingasermonisverymuchlikeplayingthatgame。Youtakethetext。Youthink，whyisit？whatisit？andsoon。Youputthatdownunder"Generally。”ThenyouproceedtotheFirst，Secondly，andThirdly。Papawon"thaveFourthlys——saystheyareallmyeye。ThenyouhaveafinalCollectively，severalpagesofthisbeingputingreatblackbrackets，writingopposite，"LEAVETHISOUTIFTHEFARMERSARE

FALLINGASLEEP。”ThencomesyourInConclusion，thenAFewWordsAndIHaveDone。Well，allthistimeyouhaveputonthebackofeachpage，"KEEPYOURVOICEDOWN"——Imean，"sheadded，correctingherself，"that"showIdoinpapa"ssermon-book，becauseotherwisehegetslouderandlouder，tillatlastheshoutslikeafarmerupa-field。Oh，papaissofunnyinsomethings!"

Then，afterthischildishburstofconfidence，shewasfrightened，asifwarnedbywomanlyinstinct，whichforthemomentherardourhadoutrun，thatshehadbeentooforwardtoacomparativestranger。

Elfridesawherfatherthen，andwentawayintothewind，beingcaughtbyagustassheascendedthechurchyardslope，inwhichgustshehadthemotions，withoutthemotives，ofahoiden；thegrace，withouttheself-consciousness，ofapirouetter。Sheconversedforaminuteortwowithherfather，andproceededhomeward，Mr。SwancourtcomingontothechurchtoStephen。Thewindhadfreshenedhiswarmcomplexionasitfreshenstheglowofabrand。Hewasinamoodofjollity，andwatchedElfridedownthehillwithasmile。

"Youlittleflyaway!youlookwildenoughnow，"hesaid，andturnedtoStephen。"Butshe"snotawildchildatall，Mr。Smith。

Assteadyasyou；andthatyouaresteadyIseefromyourdiligencehere。"

"IthinkMissSwancourtveryclever，"Stephenobserved。

"Yes，sheis；certainly，sheis，"saidpapa，turninghisvoiceasmuchaspossibletotheneutraltoneofdisinterestedcriticism。

"Now，Smith，I"lltellyousomething；butshemustn"tknowitfortheworld——notfortheworld，mind，forsheinsistsuponkeepingitadeadsecret。Why，SHEWRITESMYSERMONSFORMEOFTEN，andaverygoodjobshemakesofthem!"

"Shecandoanything。"

"Shecandothat。Thelittlerascalhastheverytrickofthetrade。But，mindyou，Smith，notawordaboutittoher，notasingleword!"

"Notaword，"saidSmith。

"Lookthere，"saidMr。Swancourt。"Whatdoyouthinkofmyroofing？"Hepointedwithhiswalking-stickatthechancelroof"Didyoudothat，sir？"

"Yes，Iworkedinshirt-sleevesallthetimethatwasgoingon。I

pulleddowntheoldrafters，fixedthenewones，putonthebattens，slatedtheroof，allwithmyownhands，Wormbeingmyassistant。Weworkedlikeslaves，didn"twe，Worm？"

"Ay，sure，wedid；harderthansomehereandthere——hee，hee!"

saidWilliamWorm，croppingupfromsomewhere。"Likeslaves，"ab"lieve——hee，hee!Andweren"tyefoamingmad，sir，whenthenailswouldn"tgostraight？MightyI!There，"tisn"tsobadtocussandkeepitinastocussandletitout，isit，sir？"

"Well——why？"

"Becauseyou，sir，whenyewerea-puttingontheroof，onlyusedtocussinyourmind，whichis，Isuppose，noharmatall。"

"Idon"tthinkyouknowwhatgoesoninmymind，Worm。"

"Oh，doan"tI，sir——hee，hee!MaybeI"mbutapoorwamblingthing，sir，andcan"treadmuch；butIcanspellaswellassomehereandthere。Doan"tyemind，sir，thatblustrousnightwhenyeaskedmetoholdthecandletoyeinyerworkshop，whenyouweremakinganewchairforthechancel？"

"Yes；whatofthat？"

"Istoodwiththecandle，andyousaidyoulikedcompany，if"twasonlyadogorcat——maningme；andthechairwouldn"tdonohow。"

"Ah，Iremember。"

"No；thechairwouldn"tdonohow。"Awasverywelltolookat；

but，Lord!——"

"Worm，howoftenhaveIcorrectedyouforirreverentspeaking？"

"——"Awasverywelltolookat，butyoucouldn"tsitinthechairnohow。"Twasalla-twistwi"thechair，liketheletterZ，directlyyousatdownuponthechair。"Getup，Worm，"saysyou，whenyouseedthechairgoalla-swaywi"me。Upyoutookthechair，andflungenlikefireandbrimstonetot"otherendofyourshop——allinapassion。"Damnthechair!"saysI。"JustwhatI

wasthinking，"saysyou，sir。"Icouldseeitinyourface，sir，"

saysI，"andIhopeyouandGodwillforgi"emeforsayingwhatyouwouldn"t。”Tosaveyourlifeyoucouldn"thelplaughing，sir，atapoorwamblerreadingyourthoughtssoplain。Ay，I"maswiseasonehereandthere。"

"Ithoughtyouhadbetterhaveapracticalmantogooverthechurchandtowerwithyou，"Mr。SwancourtsaidtoStephenthefollowingmorning，"soIgotLordLuxellian"spermissiontosendforamanwhenyoucame。Itoldhimtobethereatteno"clock。

He"saveryintelligentman，andhewilltellyouallyouwanttoknowaboutthestateofthewalls。HisnameisJohnSmith。"

ElfridedidnotliketobeseenagainatthechurchwithStephen。

"Iwillwatchhereforyourappearanceatthetopofthetower，"

shesaidlaughingly。"Ishallseeyourfigureagainstthesky。"

"AndwhenIamupthereI"llwavemyhandkerchieftoyou，MissSwancourt，"saidStephen。"Intwelveminutesfromthispresentmoment，"headded，lookingathiswatch，"I"llbeatthesummitandlookoutforyou。"

Shewentroundtothecornerofthesbrubbery，whenceshecouldwatchhimdowntheslopeleadingtothefootofthehillonwhichthechurchstood。Thereshesawwaitingforhimawhitespot——amasoninhisworkingclothes。Stephenmetthismanandstopped。

Tohersurprise，insteadoftheirmovingontothechurchyard，theybothleisurelysatdownuponastoneclosebytheirmeeting-

place，andremainedasifindeepconversation。Elfridelookedatthetime；nineofthetwelveminuteshadpassed，andStephenshowednosignsofmoving。Moreminutespassed——shegrewcoldwithwaiting，andshivered。Itwasnottilltheendofaquarterofanhourthattheybegantoslowlywendupthehillatasnail"space。

"Rudeandunmannerly!"shesaidtoherself，colouringwithpique。

"Anybodywouldthinkhewasinlovewiththathorridmasoninsteadofwith——"

Thesentenceremainedunspoken，thoughnotunthought。

Shereturnedtotheporch。

"Isthemanyousentforalazy，sit-still，do-nothingkindofman？"sheinquiredofherfather。

"No，"hesaidsurprised；"quitethereverse。HeisLordLuxellian"smaster-mason，JohnSmith。"

"Oh，"saidElfrideindifferently，andreturnedtowardsherbleakstation，andwaitedandshiveredagain。Itwasatrifle，afterall——achildishthing——lookingoutfromatowerandwavingahandkerchief。Buthernewfriendhadpromised，andwhyshouldheteaseherso？Theeffectofablowisasproportionatetothetextureoftheobjectstruckastoitsownmomentum；andshehadsuchasuperlativecapacityforbeingwoundedthatlittlehitsstruckherhard。

Itwasnottilltheendofhalfanhourthattwofigureswereseenabovetheparapetofthedrearyoldpile，motionlessasbitternsonaruinedmosque。EventhenStephenwasnottrueenoughtoperformwhathewassocourteoustopromise，andhevanishedwithoutmakingasign。

Hereturnedatmidday。Elfridelookedvexedwhenunconsciousthathiseyeswereuponher；whenconscious，severe。However，herattitudeofcoldnesshadlongoutlivedthecoldnessitself，andshecouldnolongerutterfeignedwordsofindifference。

"Ah，youweren"tkindtokeepmewaitinginthecold，andbreakyourpromise，"shesaidatlastreproachfully，intonestoolowforherfather"spowersofhearing。

"Forgive，forgiveme!"saidStephenwithdismay。"Ihadforgotten——quiteforgotten!Somethingpreventedmyremembering。"

"Anyfurtherexplanation？"saidMissCapricious，pouting。

Hewassilentforafewminutes，andlookedaskance。

"None，"hesaid，withtheaccentofonewhoconcealedasin。

ChapterV

"Bosom"dhighintuftedtrees。"

Itwasbreakfasttime。

Asseenfromthevicaragedining-room，whichtookawarmtoneoflightfromthefire，theweatherandsceneoutsideseemedtohavestereotypedthemselvesinunrelievedshadesofgray。Thelong-

armedtreesandshrubsofjuniper，cedar，andpinevarieties，weregrayishblack；thoseofthebroad-leavedsort，togetherwiththeherbage，weregrayish-green；theeternalhillsandtowerbehindthemweregrayish-brown；thesky，droppingbehindall，grayofthepurestmelancholy。

Yetinspiteofthissombreartisticeffect，themorningwasnotonewhichtendedtolowerthespirits。Itwasevencheering。Foritdidnotrain，norwasrainlikelytofallformanydaystocome。

Elfridehadturnedfromthetabletowardsthefireandwasidlyelevatingahand-screenbeforeherface，whensheheardtheclickofalittlegateoutside。

"Ah，here"sthepostman!"shesaid，asashuffling，activemancamethroughanopeningintheshrubberyandacrossthelawn。Shevanished，andmethimintheporch，afterwardscominginwithherhandsbehindherback。

"Howmanyarethere？Threeforpapa，oneforMr。Smith，noneforMissSwancourt。And，papa，lookhere，oneofyoursisfrom——whomdoyouthink？——LordLuxellian。AndithassomethingHARDinit——alumpofsomething。I"vebeenfeelingitthroughtheenvelope，andcan"tthinkwhatitis。"

"WhatdoesLuxellianwritefor，Iwonder？"Mr。Swancourthadsaidsimultaneouslywithherwords。HehandedStephenhisletter，andtookhisown，puttingonhiscountenanceahigherclassoflookthanwascustomary，asbecameapoorgentlemanwhowasgoingtoreadaletterfromapeer。

Stephenreadhismissivewithacountenancequitethereverseofthevicar"s。

"PERCYPLACE，ThursdayEvening。

"DEARSMITH，——OldH。isinatoweringragewithyouforbeingsolongaboutthechurchsketches。Swearsyouaremoretroublethanyouareworth。HesaysIamtowriteandsayyouaretostaynolongeronanyconsideration——thathewouldhavedoneitallinthreehoursveryeasily。Itoldhimthatyouwerenotlikeanexperiencedhand，whichheseemedtoforget，butitdidnotmakemuchdifference。However，betweenyouandmeprivately，ifIwereyouIwouldnotalarmmyselfforadayorso，ifIwerenotinclinedtoreturn。Iwouldmakeouttheweekandfinishmyspree。HewillblowupjustasmuchifyouappearhereonSaturdayasifyoukeepawaytillMondaymorning——Yoursverytruly，"SIMPKINSJENKINS。

"Dearme——veryawkward!"saidStephen，ratherenl"air，andconfusedwiththekindofconfusionthatassailsanunderstrapperwhenhehasbeenenlargedbyaccidenttothedimensionsofasuperior，andissomewhatrudelypareddowntohisoriginalsize。

"Whatisawkward？"saidMissSwancourt。

Smithbythistimerecoveredhisequanimity，andwithittheprofessionaldignityofanexperiencedarchitect。

"ImportantbusinessdemandsmyimmediatepresenceinLondon，I

regrettosay，"hereplied。

"What!Mustyougoatonce？"saidMr。Swancourt，lookingovertheedgeofhisletter。"Importantbusiness？Ayoungfellowlikeyoutohaveimportantbusiness!"

"Thetruthis，"saidStephenblushing，andratherashamedofhavingpretendedevensoslightlytoaconsequencewhichdidnotbelongtohim，——"thetruthis，Mr。HewbyhassenttosayIamtocomehome；andImustobeyhim。"

"Isee；Isee。Itispolitictodoso，youmean。NowIcanseemorethanyouthink。Youaretobehispartner。IbookedyouforthatdirectlyIreadhislettertometheotherday，andthewayhespokeofyou。Hethinksagreatdealofyou，Mr。Smith，orhewouldn"tbesoanxiousforyourreturn。"

UnpleasanttoStephensuchremarksasthesecouldnotsound；tohavetheexpectancyofpartnershipwithoneofthelargest-

practisingarchitectsinLondonthrustuponhimwascheering，howeveruntenablehefelttheideatobe。Hesawthat，whateverMr。Hewbymightthink，Mr。Swancourtcertainlythoughtmuchofhimtoentertainsuchanideaonsuchslendergroundastobeabsolutelynogroundatall。Andthen，unaccountably，hisspeakingfaceexhibitedacloudofsadness，whichareflectionontheremotenessofanysuchcontingencycouldhardlyhavesufficedtocause。

Elfridewasstruckwiththatlookofhis；evenMr。Swancourtnoticedit。

"Well，"hesaidcheerfully，"nevermindthatnow。Youmustcomeagainonyourownaccount；notonbusiness。Cometoseemeasavisitor，youknow——say，inyourholidays——allyoutownmenhaveholidayslikeschoolboys。Whenarethey？"

"InAugust，Ibelieve。"

"Verywell；comeinAugust；andthenyouneednothurryawayso。

Iamgladtogetsomebodydecenttotalkto，orat，inthisoutlandishultimaThule。But，bythebye，Ihavesomethingtosay——youwon"tgoto-day？"

"No；Ineednot，"saidStephenhesitatingly。"IamnotobligedtogetbackbeforeMondaymorning。"

"Verywell，then，thatbringsmetowhatIamgoingtopropose。

ThisisaletterfromLordLuxellian。Ithinkyouheardmespeakofhimastheresidentlandownerinthisdistrict，andpatronofthisliving？"

"I——knowofhim。"

"HeisinLondonnow。Itseemsthathehasrunuponbusinessforadayortwo，andtakenLadyLuxellianwithhim。Hehaswrittentoaskmetogotohishouse，andsearchforapaperamonghisprivatememoranda，whichheforgottotakewithhim。"

"Whatdidhesendintheletter？"inquiredElfride。

"Thekeyofaprivatedeskinwhichthepapersare。Hedoesn"tliketotrustsuchamattertoanybodyelse。Ihavedonesuchthingsforhimbefore。AndwhatIproposeis，thatwemakeanafternoonofit——allthreeofus。GoforadrivetoTarganBay，comehomebywayofEndelstowHouse；andwhilstIamlookingoverthedocumentsyoucanrambleabouttheroomswhereyoulike。I

havetherunofthehouseatanytime，youknow。Thebuilding，thoughnothingbutamassofgablesoutside，hasasplendidhall，staircase，andgallerywithin；andthereareafewgoodpictures。"

"Yes，thereare，"saidStephen。

"Haveyouseentheplace，then？

"IsawitasIcameby，"hesaidhastily。

"Ohyes；butIwasalludingtotheinterior。Andthechurch——St。

Eval"s——ismucholderthanourSt。Agnes"here。Idodutyinthatandthisalternately，youknow。Thefactis，Ioughttohavesomehelp；ridingacrossthatparkfortwomilesonawetmorningisnotatallthething。Ifmyconstitutionwerenotwellseasoned，asthankGoditis，"——hereMr。Swancourtlookeddownhisfront，asifhisconstitutionwerevisiblethere，——"Ishouldbecoughingandbarkingalltheyearround。Andwhenthefamilygoesaway，thereareonlyaboutthreeservantstopreachtowhenIgetthere。

Well，thatshallbethearrangement，then。Elfride，youwillliketogo？"

Elfrideassented；andthelittlebreakfast-partyseparated。

Stephenrosetogoandtakeafewfinalmeasurementsatthechurch，thevicarfollowinghimtothedoorwithamysteriousexpressionofinquiryonhisface。

"You"llputupwithournothavingfamilyprayerthismorning，I

hope？"hewhispered。