第4章

’Youaremysterious，’hesaidlightly；’andperhapsifIdisentangleyourmysteryIshallfindittocover——indifference。Ihopeitdoes——foryoursake。’

’Howcanyousayso！’sheexclaimedreproachfully。’YetIwishitdidtoo——Iwishitdidcoverindifference——foryours。Butyouhaveallofmethatyoucaretohave，andmaykeepitforlifeifyouwishto。Listen，surelytherewasaknockatthedoor？Letusgoinsidetheroom:Iamalwaysuneasywhenanybodycomes，lestanyawkwarddiscoveryshouldbemadebyavisitorofmymiserablecontrivancesforkeepinguptheestablishment。’

Joeymetthembeforetheyhadleftthelanding。

’Please，Berta，’hewhispered，’Mr。Ladywellhascalled，andI’veshowedhimintotheliberry。Youknow，Berta，thisishowitwas，youknow:IthoughtyouandMr。Julianwereinthedrawing-room，andwouldn’twanthimtoseeyetogether，andsoIaskedhimtostepintotheliberryaminute。’

’Youmustimproveyourwayofspeaking，’shesaid，withquickembarrassment，whetheratthementionofLadywell’snamebeforeJulian，oratthewayJoeycoupledherselfwithChristopher，wasquiteuncertain。’Willyouexcusemeforafewmoments？’shesaid，turningtoChristopher。’Praysitdown；Ishallnotbelong。’Andsheglideddownstairs。

Theyhadbeenstandingjustbythedrawing-roomdoor，andChristopherturnedbackintotheroomwithnoverysatisfactorycountenance。Itwasveryodd，hethought，thatsheshouldgodowntoLadywellinthatmysteriousmanner，whenhemighthavebeenadmittedtowheretheyweretalkingwithoutanytroubleatall。

WhatcouldLadywellhavetosay，asanacquaintancecallinguponherforafewminutes，thathewasnottohear？Indeed，ifitcametothat，whatrighthadLadywelltocalluponheratall，eventhoughshewereawidow，andtosomeextentcharteredtoliveinawaywhichmightbeconsideredatriflefreeifindulgedinbyotheryoungwomen。Thiswasthefirsttimethathehimselfhadventuredintoherhouseonthatveryaccount——adoubtwhetheritwasquitepropertocall，consideringheryouth，andthefertilityofherpositionasgroundforscandal。ButnosoonerdidhearrivethanherewasLadywellblunderingin，and，sincethisconjunctionhadoccurredonhisfirstvisit，thechanceswerethatLadywellcameveryoften。

Julianwalkedupanddowntheroom，everymomentexpandingitselftoaminuteinhisimpatienceatthedelayandvexationatthecause。

Afterscrutinizingforthefifthtimeeveryobjectonthewallsasifafflictedwithmicroscopicclosenessofsight，hishandsunderhiscoat-tails，andhispersonjiggingupanddownuponhistoes，heheardhercomingupthestairs。Whensheenteredtheapartmentherappearancewasdecidedlythatofapersonsubsidingaftersomelittleexcitement。

’Ididnotcalculateuponbeingsolong，’shesaidsweetly，atthesametimethrowingbackherfaceandsmiling。’ButI——waslongerthanIexpected。’

’Itseemedratherlong，’saidChristophergloomily，’butIdon’tmindit。’

’Iamgladofthat，’saidEthelberta。

’Asyouaskedmetostay，Iwasverypleasedtodoso，andalwaysshouldbe；butIthinkthatnowIwillwishyougood-bye。’

’Youarenotvexedwithme？’shesaid，lookingquiteintohisface。

’Mr。Ladywellisnobody，youknow。’

’Nobody？’

’Well，heisnotmuch，Imean。Thecaseis，thatIamsittingtohimforasubjectinwhichmyfaceistobeused——otherwisethanasaportrait——andhecalledaboutit。’

’MayIsay，’saidChristopher，’thatifyouwantyourselfpainted，youareill-advisednottoletitbedonebyamanwhoknowshowtousethebrushalittle？’

’O，hecanpaint！’saidEthelberta，ratherwarmly。’Hislastpicturewasexcellent，Ithink。Itwasgreatlytalkedabout。’

’Iimaginedyoutosaythathewasamerenobody！’

’Yes，but——howprovokingyouare！——nobody，Imean，totalkto。Heisatrueartist，nevertheless。’

Christophermadenoreply。Thewarmunderstandingbetweenthemhadquiteendednow，andtherewasnofanningitupagain。Suddentiffshadbeentheconstantmisfortuneoftheircourtshipindaysgoneby，hadbeentheremotecauseofhermarriagetoanother；andthefamiliarshadowsseemedtoberisingagaintocloudthemwiththesamepersistencyasever。Christopherwentdownstairswithwell-

behavedmoodiness，andleftthehouseforthwith。Thepostmancametothedooratthesametime。

EthelbertaopenedaletterfromPicotee——nowatSandbourneagain；

and，stoopingtothefire-light，shebegantoread:——

’MYDEARETHELBERTA，——IhavetriedtolikestayingatSandbournebecauseyouwishedit，butIcan’tendurethetownatall，dearBerta；everythingissowretchedanddull！O，Ionlywishyouknewhowdismalitishere，andhowmuchIwouldgivetocometoLondon！

IcannothelpthinkingthatIcoulddobetterintown。Yousee，I

shouldbeclosetoyou，andshouldhavethebenefitofyourexperience。IwouldnotmindwhatIdidforalivingcouldIbetherewhereyouallare。Itissolikebanishmenttobehere。IfI

couldnotgetapupil-teachershipinsomeLondonschool(andI

believeIcouldbyadvertising)Icouldstaywithyou，andbegovernesstoGeorginaandMyrtle，forIamsureyoucannotsparetimeenoughtoteachthemastheyoughttobetaught，andEmmelineisnotoldenoughtohaveanycommandoverthem。Icouldalsoassistatyourdressmaking，andyoumustrequireagreatdealofthattobedoneifyoucontinuetoappearinpublic。Mr。Longreadinthepaperstheaccountofyourfirstevening，andafterwardsI

heardtwoladiesofourcommitteetalkingaboutit；butofcoursenotoneofthemknewmypersonalinterestinthediscussion。Nowwillyou，Ethelberta，thinkifImaynotcome:Do，there’sadearsister！IwilldoanythingyousetmeaboutifImayonlycome——

Youreveraffectionate，PICOTEE。’

’Greatpowersabove——whatworriesdobesetme！’criedEthelberta，jumpingup。’Whatcanpossessthechildsosuddenly？——sheusedtolikeSandbournewellenough！’Shesatdown，andhastilyscribbledthefollowingreply:——

’MYDEARPICOTEE——Thereisonlyalittletimetosparebeforethepostgoes，butIwilltrytoansweryourletteratonce。WhateveristhereasonofthisextraordinarydisliketoSandbourne？Itisanicehealthyplace，andyouarelikelytodomuchbetterthaneitherofoureldersisters，ifyoufollowstraightoninthepathyouhavechosen。Ofcourse，ifsuchgoodfortuneshouldattendmethatIgetrichbymycontrivancesofpublicstory-tellingandsoon，Ishallshareeverythingwithyouandtherestofus，inwhichcaseyoushallnotworkatall。But(althoughIhavebeenunexpectedlysuccessfulsofar)thisisproblematical；anditwouldberashtocalculateuponallofusbeingabletolive，orevenussevengirlsonly，uponthefortuneIamgoingtomakethatway。So，thoughI

don’tmeantobeharsh，Imustimpressuponyouthenecessityofgoingonasyouaregoingjustatpresent。Iknowtheplacemustbedull，butwemustallputupwithdulnesssometimes。You，beingnexttomeinage，mustaidmeaswellasyoucanindoingsomethingfortheyoungerones；andifanybodyatallcomesandliveshereotherwisethanasaservant，itmustbeourfather——whowillnot，however，atpresenthearofsuchathingwhenImentionittohim。

Dothinkofallthis，Picotee，andbearup！Perhapsweshallallbehappyandunitedsomeday。Joeyiswaitingtoruntothepost-

officewiththisatonce。Allarewell。SolandDanhavenearlyfinishedtherepairsanddecorationsofmyhouse——butIwilltellyouofthatanothertime——Youraffectionatesister，BERTA。’

18。NEARSANDBOURNE-LONDONSTREETS-ETHELBERTA’S

Whenthisletterreacheditsdestinationthenextmorning，Picotee，inherover-anxiety，couldnotbringherselftoreaditinanybody’spresence，andputitinherpockettillshewasonherwalkacrossthemoor。Shestilllivedatthecottageoutofthetown，thoughatsomeinconveniencetoherself，inordertoteachatasmallvillagenight-schoolwhilststillcarryingonherlargeroccupationofpupil-teacherinSandbourne。

Soshewalkedandread，andwassoonintears。Moreover，whenshethoughtofwhatEthelbertawouldhaverepliedhadthatkeensisterknownthewildnessofhertruereasoninwishingtogo，sheshudderedwithmisery。Towishtogetnearamanonlybecausehehadbeenkindtoher，andhadadmiredherprettyface，andhadgivenherflowers，tonourishapassionallthemorebecauseofitshopelessimpracticability，werethingstodreamof，nottotell。

Picoteewasquiteanunreasoninganimal。Hersisterarrangedsituationsforher，toldherhowtoconductherselfinthem，howtomakeupanew，inunobtrusiveshapes，thevaluablewearingapparelshesentfromtimetotime——soastoprovokeneitherexasperationinthelittlegentry，norsuperciliousnessinthegreat。Ethelbertadideverythingforher，inshort；andPicoteeobeyedorderswiththeabstractedeaseofmindwhichpeopleshowwhohavetheirthinkingdoneforthem，andputouttheirtroublesastheydotheirwashing。

Shewasquitewillingnottobecleverherself，sinceitwasunnecessarywhileshehadamuch-admiredsister，whowascleverenoughfortwopeopleandtospare。

Thisarrangement，bywhichshegainedanuntroubledexistenceinexchangeforfreedomofwill，hadworkedverypleasantlyforPicoteeuntiltheanomalyoffallinginloveonherownaccountcreatedajarinthemachinery。Thenshebegantoknowhowwearingweremiserabledays，andhowmuchmorewearingweremiserablenights。

ShepicturedChristopherinLondoncallinguponherdignifiedsister(forEthelbertainnocentlymentionedhisnamesometimesinwriting)

andimaginedoverandoveragainthemutualsignsofwarmfeelingbetweenthem。AndnowPicoteeresolveduponanoblecourse。LikeJuliet，shehadbeentroubledwithaconsciousnessthatperhapsherloveforChristopherwasatrifleforwardandunmaidenly，eventhoughshehaddeterminednevertolethimoranybodyinthewholeworldknowofit。Tosetherselftopraythatshemighthavestrengthtoseehimwithoutapangtheloverofhersister，whodeservedhimsomuchmorethanherself，wouldbeagrandpenanceandcorrective。

Afterutteringpetitionstothiseffectforseveraldays，shestillfeltverybad；indeed，inthepsychologicaldifficultyofstrivingforwhatinhersoulshedidnotdesire，ratherworse，ifanything。

Atlast，wearyofwalkingtheoldroadandnevermeetinghim，andblankinageneralpowerlessness，shewrotethelettertoEthelberta，whichwasonlythelastoneofaseriesthathadpreviouslybeenwrittenandtornup。

Nowthishopehadbeenwhirledawaylikethistledown，andthecasewasgrievousenoughtodistractagreaterstoicthanPicotee。Theendofitwasthatshelefttheschooloninsufficientnotice，gaveuphercottagehomeontheplea——trueintheletter——thatshewasgoingtojoinarelativeinLondon，andwentoffthitherbyamorningtrain，leavingherthingspackedreadytobesentonwhensheshouldwriteforthem。

PicoteearrivedintownlateonacoldFebruaryafternoon，bearingasmallbaginherhand。ShecrossedWestminsterBridgeonfoot，justafterdusk，andsawaluminoushazehangingovereachwell-lightedstreetasitwithdrewintodistancebehindthenearerhouses，showingitsdirectionasatrainofmorningmistshowsthecourseofadistantstreamwhenthestreamitselfishidden。ThelightsalongtheriversidetowardsCharingCrosssentaninvertedpalisadeofgleamingswordsdownintotheshakingwater，andthepavementtickedtothetouchofpedestrians’feet，mostofwhomtrippedalongasifwalkingonlytopractiseafavouritequickstep，andheldhandkerchiefstotheirmouthstostrainofftherivermistfromtheirlungs。SheinquiredherwaytoExonburyCrescent，andbetweenfiveandsixo’clockreachedhersister’sdoor。

Twoorthreeminuteswerepassedinaccumulatingresolutionsufficienttoringthebell，whichwhenatlastshedid，wasnotperformedinawayatallcalculatedtomaketheyoungmanJoeyhastentothedoor。Afterthelapseofacertaintimehedid，however，findleisuretostrollandseewhatthecallermightwant，outofcuriositytoknowwhotherecouldbeinLondonafraidtoringabelltwice。

Joey’sdelightexceededevenhissurprise，therulingmaximofhislifebeingthemorethemerrier，underallcircumstances。Thebeamingyoungmanwasabouttorunoffandannounceherupstairsanddownstairs，leftandright，whenPicoteecalledhimhastilytoher。

Inthehallherquickyoungeyehadcaughtsightofanumbrellawithapeculiarhornhandle——anumbrellashehadbeenaccustomedtomeetonSandbourneMooronmanyhappyafternoons。Christopherwasevidentlyinthehouse。

’Joey，’shesaid，asifshewerereadytofaint，’don’ttellBertaI

amcome。Shehascompany，hasshenot？’

’Ono——onlyMr。Julian！’saidthebrother。’He’squiteoneofthefamily！’

’Nevermind——can’tIgodownintothekitchenwithyou？’sheinquired。Therehadbeenblissandmiserymingledinthosetidings，andshescarcelyknewforamomentwhichwaytheyaffectedher。

Whatshedidknowwasthatshehadrunherdearfoxtoearth，andasenseofsatisfactionatthatfeatpreventedherjustnowfromcountingthecostoftheperformance。

’DoesMr。Juliancometoseeherveryoften？’saidshe。

’Oyes——he’salwaysa-coming——aregularboretome。’

’Aregularwhat？’

’Bore！——Ah，Iforgot，youdon’tknowourtownwords。However，comealong。’

Theypassedbythedoorsontiptoe，andtheirmotherupstairsbeing，accordingtoJoey’saccount，inthemidstofanap，Picoteewasunwillingtodisturbher；sotheywentdownatoncetothekitchen，whenforwardrushedGwendolinethecook，flourishingherflouryhands，andCorneliathehousemaid，dancingoverherbrush；andthesehavingwelcomedandmadePicoteecomfortable，whoshouldringthearea-bell，andbeadmitteddownthesteps，butSolandDan。Theworkman-brothers，theirday’sdutiesbeingover，hadcalledtoseetheirrelations，first，asusual，goinghometotheirlodgingsinMaryleboneandmakingthemselvesasspruceasbridegrooms，accordingtotherulesoftheirnewly-acquiredtownexperience。FortheLondonmechanicisonlyninehoursamechanic，thoughthecountrymechanicworks，eats，drinks，andsleepsamechanicthroughoutthewholetwenty-four。

’Godblessmysoul——Picotee！’saidDan，standingfixed。’Well——I

say，thisissplendid！ha-ha！’

’Picotee——whatbroughtyouhere？’saidSol，expandingthecircumferenceofhisfaceinsatisfaction。’Well，comealong——nevermindsolongasyoubehere。’

Picoteeexplainedcircumstancesaswellasshecouldwithoutstatingthem，and，afterageneralconversationofafewminutes，Solinterruptedwith——’AnybodyupstairswithMrs。Petherwin？’

’Mr。Julianwastherejustnow，’saidJoey；’buthemaybegone。

Bertaalwaysletshimslipouthowhecan，theformofringingmeupnotbeingnecessarywithhim。Waitaminute——I’llsee。’

Josephvanishedupthestairs；and，thequestionwhetherChristopherweregoneornotbeinganuninterestingonetothemajority，thetalkingwentonuponothermatters。WhenJoeycreptdownagainaminutelater，Picoteewassittingaloofandsilent，andheaccordinglysingledherouttospeakto。

’Suchalark，Picotee！’hewhispered。’Berta’sa-courtingofheryoungman。Wouldyouliketoseehowtheycarriesonabit？’

’DearlyIshould！’saidPicotee，thepupilsofhereyesdilating。

Joeyconductedhertothetopofthebasementstairs，andtoldhertolisten。Withinafewyardsofthemwasthemorning-roomdoor，nowstandingajar；andanintermittentflirtationinsoftmaleandfemaletonescouldbeheardgoingoninside。Picotee’slipspartedatthuslearningtheconditionofthings，andsheleantagainstthestair-newel。

’My？What’sthematter？’saidJoey。

’IfthisisLondon，Idon’tlikeitatall！’moanedPicotee。

’Well——Ineverseesuchagirl——faintingalloverthestairsfornothingintheworld。’

’O——itwillsoonbegone——itis——itisonlyindigestion。’

’Indigestion？Muchyousimplecountrypeoplecanknowaboutthat！

Youshouldseewhatdevilsofindigestionswegetinhighlife——

eating’normousgreatdinnersandsuppersthatrequirecleverphysicianstocarry’emoff，orelsethey’dcarryusoffwithgoutnextday；andwakinginthemorningwithsuchasplittingheadache，anddrythroat，andinwardcussesabouthumannature，thatyoufeelalltheworldlikesomegreatlord。However，nowlet’sgodownagain。’

’No，no，no！’saidtheunhappymaidenimploringly。’Hark！’

Theylistenedagain。Thevoicesofthemusicianandpoetesshadchanged:therewasadecidedfrigidityintheirtone——thencamealouderexpression——thenasilence。

’Youneedn’tbeafeard，’saidJoey。’Theywon’tfight；blessyou，theybustsoutquarrellinglikethistimesandtimeswhenthey’vebeenover-friendly，butitsoongetsstraightwith’emagain。’

Therewasnowaquickwalkacrosstheroom，andJoeyandhissisterdrewdowntheirheadsoutofsight。Thentheroomdoorwasslammed，quickfootstepswentalongthehall，thefrontdoorclosedjustasloudly，andChristopher’streadpassedintonothingalongthepavement。

’That’sratherawussonethantheymostlyhave；butLord，’tisnothingatall。’

’Idon’tmuchlikebidingherelistening！’saidPicotee。

’O，’tishowwedoallovertheWestEnd，’saidJoey。’’Tisyerignoranceoftownlifethatmakesitseemagooddealto’ee。’

’Youcan’tmakemuchboastabouttownlife；foryouhaven’tleftofftalkingjustastheydodowninWessex。’

’Well，Iowntothat——what’sfairisfair，and’tisatruecharge；

butifItalktheWessexway’tisn’tforwantofknowingbetter；

’tisbecausemystaunchnatermakesmebidefaithfultoouroldancientinstitutions。You’dsoonown’twasn’tignoranceinme，ifyouknowedwhatlargequantitiesofnoblemenIgetsmixedupwitheveryday。Infact’tisthoughtedhereandtherethatIshalldoverywellintheworld。’

’Well，letusgodown，’saidPicotee。’Everythingseemssooverpoweringhere。’

’O，you’llgetbrokeinsoonenough。IfeltjustthesamewhenI

firstenteredintosociety。’

’DoyouthinkBertawillbeangrywithme？Howdoesshetreatyou？’

’Well，Ican’tcomplain。Youseeshe’smyownfleshandblood，andwhatcanIsay？But，insecrettruth，thewagesisterriblelow，andbarelypaysforthetobaccoIconsooms。’

’OJoey，youwickedboy！Ifmotheronlyknewthatyousmoked！’

’Idon’tmindthewickednesssomuchasthesmell。AndMrs。

Petherwinhasgotsuchanoseforafellow’sclothes。’Tisoneofthegreatestknotsinservice——thesmokequestion。’Tisthoughtedthatweshallmakeagreatstiraboutitinthemansionsofthenobilitysoon。’

’HowmuchmoreyouknowoflifethanIdo——youonlyfourteenandmeseventeen！’

’Yes，that’strue。Yousee，ageisnothing——’tisopportunity。AndevenIcan’tboast，formanyayoungermanknowsmore。’

’Butdon’tsmoke，Joey——there’sadear！’

’WhatcanIdo？Societyhevitsrules，andifapersonwishestokeephimselfup，hemustdoastheworlddo。WebeallFashion’sslave——asmuchaslaveasthemeanestintheland！’

Theygotdownstairsagain；andwhenthedinneroftheFrenchladyandgentlemanhadbeensentupandclearedaway，andalsoEthelberta’seveningtea(whichsheformedintoagenuinemeal，makingadinnerofluncheon，whennobodywasthere，togivelesstroubletoherservant-sisters)，theyallsatroundthefire。Thentherustleofadresswasheardonthestaircase，andsquirrel-

hairedEthelbertaappearedinperson。Itwashercustomthustocomedowneveryspareevening，toteachJoeyandhersisterssomethingorother——mostlyFrench，whichshespokefluently；butthecookandhousemaidshowedmoreambitionthanintelligenceinacquiringthattongue，thoughJoeylearntitreadilyenough。

Therewasconsternationinthecampforamomentortwo，onaccountofpoorPicotee，Ethelbertabeingnotwithoutfirmnessinmattersofdiscipline。Hereyeinstantlylighteduponherdisobedientsister，nowlookingtwiceasdisobedientasshereallywas。

’O，youarehere，Picotee？Iamgladtoseeyou，’saidthemistressofthehousequietly。

ThiswasaltogethertoPicotee’ssurprise，forshehadexpectedaroundratingatleast，inherfreshnesshardlybeingawarethatthisreserveoffeelingwasanacquiredhabitofEthelberta’s，andthatcivilitystoodintownforasmuchvexationasatantrumrepresentedinWessex。

Picoteelamelyexplainedheroutwardreasonsforcoming，andsoonbegantofindthatEthelberta’sopinionsonthematterwouldnotbeknownbythetonesofhervoice。ButinnocentPicoteewasaswilyasareligionistinslyelusionsoftheletterwhilstinfringingthespiritofadictum；andbytalkingverysoftlyandearnestlyaboutthewondrousgoodshecoulddobyremaininginthehouseasgovernesstothechildren，andplayingthepartoflady’s-maidtohersisteratshowtimes，shesofarcoaxedEthelbertaoutofherintentionsthatshealmostacceptedtheplanasagoodone。Itwasagreedthatforthepresent，atanyrate，Picoteeshouldremain。

ThenavisitwasmadetoMrs。Chickerel’sroom，wheretheremainderoftheeveningwaspassed；andharmonyreignedinthehousehold。

19。ETHELBERTA’SDRAWING-ROOM

Picotee’sheartwasfitfullyglad。Shewasnearthemanwhohadenlargedhercapacityfromgirl’stowoman’s，alittlenoteortwoofyoungfeelingtoawholediapason；andthoughnearnesswasperhapsnotinitselfagreatreasonforfelicitywhenviewedbesidethecompleterealizationofallthatawomancandesireinsuchcircumstances，itwasmuchincomparisonwiththeouterdarknessoftheprevioustime。

ItbecameevidenttoallthefamilythatsomemisunderstandinghadarisenbetweenEthelbertaandMr。Julian。WhatPicoteehopedinthecentreofherheartastotheissueoftheaffairitwouldbetoocomplexathingtosay。IfChristopherbecamecoldtowardshersisterhewouldnotcometothehouse；ifhecontinuedtocomeitwouldreallybeasEthelberta’slover——altogether，aprettygameofperpetualcheckforPicotee。

Hedidnotmakehisappearanceforseveraldays。Picotee，beingapresentablegirl，anddecidedlyfiner-naturedthanhersistersbelowstairs，wasallowedtositoccasionallywithEthelbertaintheafternoon，whentheteachingofthelittleoneshadbeendonefortheday；andthusshehadanopportunityofobservingEthelberta’semotionalconditionwithreferencetoChristopher，whichPicoteedidwithaninterestthattheeldersisterwasveryfarfromsuspecting。

AtfirstEthelbertaseemedblitheenoughwithouthim。Onemoredaywent，andhedidnotcome，andthenhermannerwasthatofapathy。

Anotherdaypassed，andfromfancifulelevationsoftheeyebrow，andlongbreathings，itbecameapparentthatEthelbertahaddecidedlypassedtheindifferentstage，andwasgettingseriouslyoutofsortsabouthim。Nextmorningshelookedallhope。Hedidnotcomethatdayeither，andEthelbertabegantolookpalewithfear。

’Whydon’tyougoout？’saidPicoteetimidly。

’Icanhardlytell:Ihavebeenexpectingsomeone。’

’WhenshecomesImustrunuptomotheratonce，mustInot？’saidcleverPicotee。

’Itisnotalady，’saidEthelbertablandly。ShecamethenandstoodbyPicotee，andlookedmusinglyoutofthewindow。’Imayaswelltellyou，perhaps，’shecontinued。’ItisMr。Julian。Heis——

Isuppose——mylover，inplainEnglish。’

’Ah！’saidPicotee。

’WhomIamnotgoingtomarryuntilhegetsrich。’

’Ah——howstrange！IfIhadhim——suchalover，Imean——Iwouldmarryhimifhecontinuedpoor。’

’Idon’tdoubtit，Picotee；justasyoucometoLondonwithoutcaringaboutconsequences，orwoulddoanyothercrazythingandnotmindintheleastwhatcameofit。Butsomebodyinthefamilymusttakeapracticalviewofaffairs，orweshouldallgotothedogs。’

Picoteerecoveredfromthesnubbingwhichshefeltthatshedeserved，andchargedgallantlybysaying，withdelicateshowingsofindifference，’DoyoulovethisMr。What’s-his-nameofyours？’

’Mr。Julian？O，he’saverygentlemanlyman。Thatis，exceptwhenheisrude，andill-usesme，andwillnotcomeandapologize！’

’IfIhadhim——alover，IwouldaskhimtocomeifIwantedhimto。’

Ethelbertadidnotgivehermindtothisremark；but，drawingalongbreath，said，withapoutinglaugh，whichpresagedunreality，’Theideaofhisgettingindifferentnow！IhavebeenintendingtokeephimonuntilIgottiredofhisattentions，andthenputanendtothembymarryinghim；buthereishe，beforehehashardlydeclaredhimself，forgettingmyexistenceasmuchasifhehadvowedtoloveandcherishmeforlife。’Tisanunnaturalinversionofthemannersofsociety。’

’Whendidyoufirstgettocareforhim，dearBerta？’

’O——whenIhadseenhimonceortwice。’

’Goodness——howquickyouwere！’

’Yes——ifIaminthemindforlovingIamnottobehinderedbyshortnessofacquaintanceship。’

’NorIneither！’sighedPicotee。

’Noranyotherwoman。Wedon’tneedtoknowamanwellinordertolovehim。That’sonlynecessarywhenwewanttoleaveoff。’

’OBerta——youdon’tbelievethat！’

’Ifawomandidnotinvariablyformanopinionofherchoicebeforeshehashalfseenhim，andlovehimbeforeshehashalfformedanopinion，therewouldbenotearsandpininginthewholefeminineworld，andpoetswouldstarveforwantofatopic。Idon’tbelieveit，doyousay？Ah，well，weshallsee。’

Picoteedidnotknowwhattosaytothis；andEthelbertalefttheroomtoseeaboutherdutiesaspublicstory-teller，inwhichcapacityshehadundertakentoappearagainthisveryevening。

20。THENEIGHBOURHOODOFTHEHALL-THEROADHOME

Londonwasilluminatedbythebroadfullmoon。Thepavementslookedwhiteasifmantledwithsnow；ordinaryhousesweresublimatedtotherankofpublicbuildings，publicbuildingstopalaces，andthefacesofwomenwalkingthestreetstothoseofcalendaredsaintsandguardian-angels，bythepurebleachinglightfromthesky。

InthequietlittlestreetwhereopenedtheprivatedooroftheHallchosenbyEthelbertaforherstory-telling，abroughamwaswaiting。

Thetimewasabouteleveno’clock；andpresentlyaladycameoutfromthebuilding，themoonbeamsforthwithfloodingherface，whichtheyshowedtobethatoftheStory-tellerherself。Shehastenedacrosstothecarriage，whenasecondthoughtarrestedhermotion:

tellingtheman-servantandawomaninsidethebroughamtowaitforher，shewrappedupherfeaturesandglidedroundtothefrontofthehouse，whereshepausedtoobservethecarriagesandcabsdrivinguptoreceivethefashionablecrowdsteppingdownfromthedoors。Standinghereinthethrongwhichherowntalentandingenuityhaddrawntogether，sheappearedtoenjoyherselfbylisteningforaminuteortwotothenamesofseveralpersonsofmoreorlessdistinctionastheywerecalledout，andthenregardedattentivelythefacesofothersoflesserdegree:toscrutinizethelatterwas，astheeventproved，therealobjectofthejourneyfromroundthecorner。Whennearlyeveryonehadleftthedoors，sheturnedbackdisappointed。EthelbertahadbeenfancyingthatheralienatedloverChristopherwasinthebackrowsto-night，but，asfarascouldnowbeobserved，thehopefulsuppositionwasafalseone。

Whenshegotroundtothebackagain，amancameforward。ItwasLadywell，whomshehadspokentoalreadythatevening。’Allowmetobringyouyournote-book，Mrs。Petherwin:Ithinkyouhadforgottenit，’hesaid。’Iassureyouthatnobodyhashandleditbutmyself。’

Ethelbertathankedhim，andtookthebook。’Iuseittolookintobetweentheparts，incasemymemoryshouldfailme，’sheexplained。

’IrememberthatIdidlayitdown，nowyouremindme。’

Ladywellhadapparentlymoretosay，andmovedbyhersidetowardsthecarriage；butshedeclinedthearmheoffered，andsaidnotanotherwordtillhewenton，haltingly:

’Yourtriumphto-nightwasverygreat，anditwasasmuchatriumphtomeastoyou；Icannotexpressmyfeeling——IcannotsayhalfthatIwould。IfImightonly——’

’Thankyoumuch，’saidEthelberta，withdignity。’Thankyouforbringingmybook，butImustgohomenow。Iknowthatyouwillseethatitisnotnecessaryforustobetalkinghere。’

’Yes——youarequiteright，’saidtherepressedyoungpainter，struckbyherseriousness。’Blameme；Ioughttohaveknownbetter。Butperhapsaman——well，Iwillsayit——aloverwithoutindiscretionisnoloveratall。Circumspectionanddevotionareacontradictioninterms。Isawthat，andhopedthatImightspeakwithoutrealharm。’

’Youcalculatedhowtobeuncalculating，andarenaturalbyart！’

shesaid，withtheslightestaccentofsarcasm。’Butpraydonotattendmefurther——itisnotatallnecessaryordesirable。Mymaidisinthecarriage。’Shebowed，turned，andenteredthevehicle，seatingherselfbesidePicotee。

’Itwasharsh！’saidLadywelltohimself，ashelookedaftertheretreatingcarriage。’Iwasafool；butitwasharsh。Yetwhatmanonearthlikesawomantoshowtoogreatareadinessatfirst？Sheisright:shewouldbenothingwithoutrepulse！’Andhemovedawayinanoppositedirection。

’Whatmanwasthat？’saidPicotee，astheydrovealong。

’O——amereMr。Ladywell:apainterofgoodfamily，towhomIhavebeensittingforwhathecallsanIdealization。Heisadreadfulsimpleton。’

’Whydidyouchoosehim？’

’Ididnot:hechoseme。Buthissillinessofbehaviourisahopefulsignforthepicture。Ihaveseldomknownamancunningwithhisbrushwhowasnotsimplewithhistongue；or，indeed，anyskillinparticularthatwasnotalliedtogeneralstupidity。’

’Yourownskillisnotlikethat，isit，Berta？’

’Inmen——inmen。Idon’tmeaninwomen。Howchildishyouare！’

TheslightdepressionatfindingthatChristopherwasnotpresent，whichhadfollowedEthelberta’spublictriumphthatevening，wascoveredover，ifnotremoved，byLadywell’sdeclaration，andshereachedhomesereneinspirit。Thatshehadnottheslightestnotionofacceptingtheimpulsivepaintermadelittledifference；alover’sargumentsbeingapttoaffectalady’smoodasmuchbymeasureasbyweight。Auselessdeclarationlikeararechinateacupwithaholeinit，hasitsornamentalvalueinenlargingacollection。

NosoonerhadtheyenteredthehousethanMr。Julian’scardwasdiscovered；andJoeyinformedthemthathehadcomeparticularlytospeakwithEthelberta，quiteforgettingthatitwashereveningfortale-telling。

Thiswasrealdelight，forbetweenherexcitementsEthelbertahadbeenseriouslysick-heartedatthehorriblepossibilityofhisnevercallingagain。Butalas！forChristopher。Therebeingnothinglikeadeadsilenceforgettingone’soff-handsweetheartintoacorner，thereisnothinglikeprematurelyendingitforgettingintothatcornerone’sself。

’Nowwon’tIpunishhimfordaringtostayawaysolong！’sheexclaimedassoonasshegotupstairs。’Itisasbadtoshowconstancyinyourmannersasficklenessinyourheartatsuchatimeasthis。’

’ButIthoughthonestywasthebestpolicy？’saidPicotee。

’Soitis，fortheman’spurpose。Butdon’tyougobelievinginsayings，Picotee:theyareallmadebymen，fortheirownadvantages。Womenwhousepublicproverbsasaguidethrougheventsarethosewhohavenotingenuityenoughtomakeprivateonesaseacheventoccurs。’

Shesatdown，andrapidlywrotealinetoMr。Julian:——

’EXONBURYCRESCENT。

’IreturnfromMayfairHalltofindyouhavecalled。Youwill，I

know，begoodenoughtoforgivemysayingwhatseemsanunfriendlything，whenIassureyouthatthecircumstancesofmypeculiarsituationmakeitdesirable，ifnotnecessary。ItisthatIbegyounottogivemethepleasureofavisitfromyouforsomelittletime，forunhappilythefrequencyofyourkindcallshasbeennoticed；andIamnowinfearthatwemaybetalkedabout——

invidiously——totheinjuryofusboth。Thetown，orasectionofit，hasturneditsbull’s-eyeuponmewithabrightnesswhichIdidnotintheleastanticipate；andyouwill，Iamsure，perceivehowindispensableitisthatIshouldbecircumspect——Yourssincerely，E。PETHERWIN。’

21。ASTREET-NEIGH’SROOMS-CHRISTOPHER’SROOMS

AssoonasEthelbertahaddrivenofffromtheHall，Ladywellturnedbackagain；and，passingthefrontentrance，overtookhisacquaintanceMr。Neigh，whohadbeenoneofthelasttoemerge。Thetwoweregoinginthesamedirection，andtheywalkedashortdistancetogether。

’Hasanythingserioushappened？’saidNeigh，noticinganabstractioninhiscompanion。’Youdon’tseeminyourusualmoodto-night。’

’O，itisonlythataffairbetweenus，’saidLadywell。

’Affair？Betweenyouandwhom？’

’Herandmyself，ofcourse。Itwillbeineveryfellow’smouthnow，Isuppose！’

’But——notanythingbetweenyourselfandMrs。Petherwin？’

’Amerenothing。Butsurelyyoustarted，Neigh，whenyoususpecteditjustthismoment？’

’No——youmerelyfanciedthat。’

’Didshenotspeakwellto-night！Youwereintheroom，Ibelieve？’

’Yes，Ijustturnedinforhalf-an-hour:itseemsthateverybodydoes，soIthoughtImust。ButIhadnoideathatyouwerefeeblethatway。’

’Itisverykindofyou，Neigh——uponmyworditis——verykind；andofcourseIappreciatethedelicacywhich——which——’

’What’skind？’

’Imeanyourwell-intentionedplanformakingmebelievethatnothingisknownofthis。Butstorieswillofcoursegetwind；andifourattachmenthasmademorenoiseintheworldthanIintendeditshould，andcausesanypublicinterest，why——ha-ha！——itmust。

Thereissomelittleromanceinitperhaps，andpeoplewilltalkofmattersofthatsortbetweenindividualsofanyrepute——littleasthatiswithoneofthepair。’

’Ofcoursetheywill——ofcourse。Youarearisingman，remember，whomsomedaytheworldwilldelighttohonour。’

’Thankyouforthat，Neigh。Thankyousincerely。’

’Notatall。Itismerelyjusticetosayit，andonemusthegeneroustodeservethanks。’

’Ha-ha！——that’sverynicelyput，andundeservedIamsure。AndyetIneedawordofthatsortsometimes！’

’Geniusisproverbiallymodest。’

’Praydon’t，Neigh——Idon’tdeserveit，indeed。Ofcourseitiswellmeantinyoutorecognizeanyslightpowers，butIdon’tdeserveit。Certainly，myself-assurancewasnevertoogreat。’Tisthemisfortuneofallchildrenofartthattheyshouldbesodependentuponanyscrapsofpraisetheycanpickuptohelpthemalong。’

’Andwhenthatchildgetssodeepinlovethatyoucanonlyseethewhitesofhiseyes——’

’Ah——now，Neigh——don’t，Isay！’

’Butwhydid——’

’WhydidIloveher？’

’Yes，whydidyouloveher？’

’Ah，ifIcouldonlyturnself-vivisector，andwatchtheoperationofmyheart，Ishouldknow！’

’Mydearfellow，youmustbeverybadindeedtotalklikethat。A

poethimselfcouldn’tbecleanergone。’

’Now，don’tchaff，Neigh；doanything，butdon’tchaff。YouknowthatIamtheeasiestmanintheworldfortakingitatmosttimes。

ButIcan’tstanditnow；Idon’tfeeluptoit。Aglimpseofparadise，andthenperdition。Whatwouldyoudo，Neigh？’

’Shehasrefusedyou，then？’

’Well——notpositivelyrefusedme；butitissonearitthatadullmancouldn’ttellthedifference。Ihardlycanmyself。’

’Howdoyoureallystandwithher？’saidNeigh，withananxietyill-

concealed。

’Offandon——neitheronethingnortheother。Iwasdeterminedtomakeaneffortthelasttimeshesattome，andsoImetherquitecoolly，andspokeonlyoftechnicalitieswithaforcedsmile——youknowthatwayofminefordrawingpeopleout，eh，Neigh？’

’Quite，quite。’

’Aforcedsmile，asmuchastosay，"Iamobligedtoentertainyou，butasameremodelforartpurposes。"Butthedeuceabitdidshecare。AndthenIfrequentlylookedtoseewhattimeitwas，astheendofthesittingdrewnear——ratherarudethingtodo，asarule。’

’Ofcourse。Butthatwasyourfinesse。Ha-ha！——capital！Yetwhynotstruggleagainstsuchslavery？Itisregularlypullingyoudown。What’sawoman’sbeauty，afterall？’

’Wellyoumaysayso！Athingeasiertofeelthandefine，’murmuredLadywell。’Butit’snouse，Neigh——Ican’thelpitaslongassherepulsesmesoexquisitely！Ifshewouldonlycareformealittle，Imightgettotroublelessabouther。’

’Andlovehernomorethanoneordinarilydoesagirlbythetimeonegetsirrevocablyengagedtoher。ButIsupposeshekeepsyoubacksothoroughlythatyoucarryontheoldadorationwithasmuchvigourasifitwereanewfancyeverytime？’

’Partlyyes，andpartlyno！It’sverytrue，andit’snottrue！’

’’Tistobehopedshewon’thateyououtright，forthenyouwouldabsolutelydieofidolizingher。’

’Don’t，Neigh！——Stillthere’ssometruthinit——suchistheperversityofourhearts。Fancymarryingsuchawoman！’

’Weshouldfeelaseternallyunitedtoherafteryearsandyearsofmarriageastoadearnewangelmetatlastnight’sdance。’

’Exactly——justwhatIshouldhavesaid。ButdidIhearyousay"We，"Neigh？Youdidn’tsay"WEshouldfeel？"’

’Say"we"？——yes——ofcourse——puttingmyselfinyourplacejustinthewayofspeaking，youknow。’

’Ofcourse，ofcourse；butoneissuchafoolatthesetimesthatoneseemstodetectrivalryineverytrumperysound！Wereyouneveralittletouched？’

’NotI。Myheartisinthehappypositionofacountrywhichhasnohistoryordebt。’

’IsupposeIshouldrejoicetohearit，’saidLadywell。’Buttheconsciousnessofafellow-suffererbeinginjustsuchanotherholeissuchareliefalways，andsoftensthesenseofone’sfollysoverymuch。’

’There’slessChristianityinthatsentimentthaninyourconfessingtoit，oldfellow。Iknowthetruthofitnevertheless，andthat’swhymarriedmenadviseotherstomarry。Werealltheworldtiedup，thepleasantlytiedoneswouldbeequivalenttothoseatpresentfree。Butwhatifyourfellow-suffererisnotonlyinanothersuchahole，butinthesameone？’

’No，Neigh——never！Don’ttriflewithafriendwho——’

’Thatis，refusedlikeyourself，aswellasinlove。’

’Ah，thanks，thanks！Itsuddenlyoccurredtomethatwemightbedeadagainstoneanotherasrivals，andafriendshipofmanylong——

daysbesnappedlikea——likeareed。’

’No——no——onlyajest，’saidNeigh，withastrangelyacceleratedspeech。’Love-makingisanornamentalpursuitthatmatter-of-factfellowslikemearequiteunfitfor。Amanmusthavecourtedatleasthalf-a-dozenwomenbeforehe’samatchforone；andsincetriumphliessofarahead，Ishallkeepoutofthecontestaltogether。’

’Yourlifewouldbepleasanterifyouwereengaged。Itisanicething，afterall。’

’Itis。Theworstofitwouldbethat，whenthetimecameforbreakingitoff，afellowmightgetintoanactionforbreach——womenaresofondofthatsortofthingnow；andIhatelove-affairsthatdon’tendpeaceably！’

’Butenditbypeaceablymarrying，mydearfellow！’

’Itwouldseemsosingular。Besides，Ihaveahorrorofantiquity:

andyousee，aslongasamankeepssingle，hebelongsinameasuretotherisinggeneration，howeveroldhemaybe；butassoonashemarriesandhaschildren，hebelongstothelastgeneration，howeveryounghemaybe。OldJones’ssonisadealyoungerthanyoungBrown’sfather，thoughtheyareboththesameage。’

’Atanyrate，honestcourtshipcuresamanofmanyevilshehadnopowertostembefore。’

’Bysubstitutinganincurablematrimony！’

’Ah——twopersonsmusthaveamindforthatbeforeitcanhappen！’

saidLadywell，sorrowfullyshakinghishead。

’Ithinkyou’llfindthatifonehasamindforit，itwillbequitesufficient。Buthereweareatmyrooms。Comeinforhalf-an-

hour？’

’Notto-night，thanks！’

Theyparted，andNeighwentin。Whenhegotupstairshemurmuredinhisdeepestchestnote，’O，lords，thatIshouldcometothis！ButIshallneverbesuchafoolastomarryher！Whataflatthatpooryoungdevilwasnottodiscoverthatweweretarredwiththesamebrush。O，thedeuce，thedeuce！’hecontinued，walkingabouttheroomasifpassionatelystamping，butnotquitedoingitbecauseanothermanhadroomsbelow。

Neighdrewfromhispocket-bookanenvelopeembossedwiththenameofafashionablephotographer，andoutofthispulledaportraitoftheladywhohad，infact，enslavedhissecretselfequallywithhisfrankyoungfriendthepainter。Aftercontemplatingitawhilewithafaceofcynicaladoration，hemurmured，shakinghishead，’Ah，mylady；ifyouonlyknewthis，Ishouldbesnappeduplikeasnail！

Notaminute’speaceformetillIhadmarriedyou。IwonderifI

shall！——Iwonder。’

Neighwasamanoffive-and-thirty——Ladywell’sseniorbytenyears；

and，beingofaphlegmatictemperament，hehadglidedthusfarthroughtheperiodofeligibilitywithimpunity。Heknewaswellasanymanhowfarhecouldgowithawomanandyetkeepclearofhavingtomeetherinchurchwithoutherbonnet；butitisdoubtfulifhismindthatnightwerelessdisturbedwiththequestionhowtoguidehimselfoutofthenaturalcoursewhichhispassionforEthelbertamighttempthiminto，thanwasLadywell’sbyhisardentwishtosecureher。

AboutthetimeatwhichNeighandLadywellpartedcompany，ChristopherJulianwasenteringhislittleplaceinBloomsbury。ThequaintfigureofFaith，inherbonnetandcloak，waskneelingonthehearth-rugendeavouringtostiradullfireintoabrightone。

’What——Faith！youhaveneverbeenoutalone？’hesaid。

Faith’ssoft，quick-shuttingeyeslookedunutterablethings，andshereplied，’IhavebeentohearMrs。Petherwin’sstory-tellingagain。’

’Andwalkedallthewayhomethroughthestreetsatthistimeofnight，Isuppose！’

’Well，nobodymolestedme，eithergoingorcomingback。’

’Faith，Igaveyoustrictordersnottogointothestreetsaftertwoo’clockintheday，andnowhereyouaretakingnonoticeofwhatIsayatall！’

’Thetruthis，Kit，Iwantedtoseewithmyspectacleswhatthiswomanwasreallylike，andIwentwithoutthemlasttime。Islippedinbehind，andnobodysawme。’

’Idon’tthinkmuchofherafterwhatIhaveseentonight，’saidChristopher，moodilyrecurringtoapreviousthought。

’Why？Whatisthematter？’

’IthoughtIwouldcallonherthisafternoon，butwhenIgotthereIfoundshehadleftearlyfortheperformance。Sointheevening，whenIthoughtitwouldbeallover，IwenttotheprivatedooroftheHalltospeaktoherasshecameout，andaskherflatlyaquestionortwowhichIwasfoolenoughtothinkImustaskherbeforeIwenttobed。JustasIwasdrawingnearshecameout，and，insteadofgettingintothebroughamthatwaswaitingforher，shewentroundthecorner。Whenshecamebackamanmetherandgavehersomething，andtheystayedtalkingtogethertwoorthreeminutes。Themeetingmaycertainlynothavebeenintentionalonherpart；butshehasnobusinesstobegoingonsocoollywhen——when——

infact，Ihavecometotheconclusionthatawoman’saffectionisnotworthhaving。Theonlyfeelingwhichhasanydignityorpermanenceorworthisfamilyaffectionbetweencloseblood-

relations。’

’Andyetyousnubmesometimes，Mr。Kit。’

’And，forthematterofthat，yousnubme。Still，youknowwhatI

mean——there’snoneofthatoff-and-onhumbugbetweenus。Ifwegrumblewithoneanotherweareunitedjustthesame:ifwedon’twritewhenweareparted，wearejustthesamewhenwemeet——therehasbeensomerationalreasonforsilence；butasforloversandsweethearts，thereisnothingwortharushinwhattheyfeel！’

Faithsaidnothinginreplytothis。Theopinionsshehadformeduponthewisdomofherbrother’spursuitofEthelbertawouldhavecomejustthenwithanillgrace。Itmust，however，havebeenevidenttoChristopher，hadhenotbeentoopreoccupiedforobservation，thatFaith’simpressionsofEthelbertawerenotquitefavourableasregardedherwomanhood，notwithstandingthatshegreatlyadmiredhertalents。

22。ETHELBERTA’SHOUSE

EthelbertacameindoorsonedayfromtheUniversityboat-race，andsatdown，withoutspeaking，besidePicotee，asiflostinthought。

’Didyouenjoythesight？’saidPicotee。

’Iscarcelyknow。Wecouldn’tseeatallfromMrs。Belmaine’scarriage，sotwoofus——veryrashly——agreedtogetoutandberowedacrosstotheothersidewherethepeoplewerequitefew。Butwhentheboatmanhadusinthemiddleoftheriverhedeclaredhecouldn’tlandusontheothersidebecauseofthebarges，sotherewewereinadreadfulstate——tossedupanddownlikecorksupongreatwavesmadebysteamerstillImadeupmymindforadrowning。

Well，atlastwegotbackagain，butcouldn’treachthecarriageforthecrowd；andIdon’tknowwhatweshouldhavedoneifagentlemanhadn’tcome——sentbyMrs。Belmaine，whowasinagreatfrightaboutus；thenhewasintroducedtome，and——Iwonderhowitwillend！’

’Wasthereanythingsowonderfulinthebeginning，then？’

’Yes。OneofthecoolestandmostpractisedmeninLondonwasill-

manneredtowardsmefromsheerabsenceofmind——andcouldtherebehigherflattery？Whenamanofthatsortdoesnotgiveyouthepolitenessyoudeserve，itmeansthatinhisheartheisrebellingagainstanotherfeelingwhichhispridesuggeststhatyoudonotdeserve。O，IforgottosaythatheisaMr。Neigh，anephewofMr。

Doncastle’s，wholivesateaseaboutPiccadillyandPallMall，andhasafewacressomewhere——butIdon’tknowmuchofhim。TheworstofmypositionnowisthatIexcitethissuperficialinterestinmanypeopleandadeepfriendshipinnobody。Ifwhatallmysupportersfeelcouldbecollectedintotheheartsoftwoorthreetheywouldlovemebetterthantheylovethemselves；butnowitpervadesallandoperatesinnone。’

’Butitmustoperateinthisgentleman？’

’Well，yes——justforthepresent。Butmenintownhavesomanycontrivancesforgettingoutoflovethatyoucan’tcalculateuponkeepingtheminfortwodaystogether。However，itisallthesametome。There’sonly——butletthatbe。’

’Whatisthereonly？’saidPicoteecoaxingly。

’Onlyoneman，’murmuredEthelberta，inmuchlowertones。’Imean，whosewifeIshouldcaretobe；andtheveryqualitiesIlikeinhimwill，Ifear，preventhiseverbeinginapositiontoaskme。’

’Ishethemanyoupunishedtheweekbeforelastbyforbiddinghimtocome？’

’Perhapsheis:buthedoesnotwantcivilityfromme。Wherethere’smuchfeelingthere’slittleceremony。’

’Itcertainlyseemsthathedoesnotwantcivilityfromyoutomakehimattentivetoyou，’saidPicotee，stiflingasigh；’forhereisaletterinhishandwriting，Ibelieve。’

’Youmighthavegivenittomeatonce，’saidEthelberta，openingtheenvelopehastily。Itcontainedveryfewsentences:theyweretotheeffectthatChristopherhadreceivedherletterforbiddinghimtocall；thathehadthereforeatfirstresolvednottocallorevenseehermore，sincehehadbecomesuchashadowinherpath。

Still，asitwasalwaysbesttodonothinghastily，hehadonsecondthoughtsdecidedtoaskhertogranthimalastspecialfavour，andseehimagainjustonce，forafewminutesonlythatafternoon，inwhichhemightatleastsayFarewell。Toavoidallpossibilityofcompromisingherinanybody’seyes，hewouldcallathalf-pastsix，whenothercallerswerelikelytobegone，knowingthatfromthepeculiarconstitutionofthehouseholdthehourwouldnotinterferewithherarrangements。Therebeingnotimeforananswer，hewouldassumethatshewouldseehim，andkeeptheengagement；therequestbeingonewhichcouldnotrationallybeobjectedto。

’There——readit！’saidEthelberta，withgladdispleasure。’Didyoueverhearsuchaudacity？FixingatimesosoonthatIcannotreply，andthusmakingcapitaloutofapretendednecessity，whenitisreallyanarbitraryarrangementofhisown。That’srealrebellion——

forcinghimselfintomyhousewhenIsaidstrictlyhewasnottocome；andthen，thatitcannotrationallybeobjectedto——Idon’tlikehis"rationally。"’

’Wherethere’smuchlovethere’slittleceremony，didn’tyousayjustnow？’observedinnocentPicotee。

’Andwherethere’slittlelove，noceremonyatall。Thesemannersofhisaredreadful，andIbelievehewillneverimprove。’

’Itmakesyoucarenotabitabouthim，doesitnot，Berta？’saidPicoteehopefully。

’Idon’tanswerforthat，’saidEthelberta。’Ifeel，asmanyothersdo，thatawantofceremonywhichisproducedbyabstractionofmindisnodefectinapoetormusician，fatalasitmaybetoanordinaryman。’

’Mightyme！Yousoonforgivehim。’

’Picotee，don’tyoubesoquicktospeak。BeforeIhavefinished，howdoyouknowwhatIamgoingtosay？I’llnevertellyouanythingagain，ifyoutakemeupso。OfcourseIamgoingtopunishhimatonce，andmakehimrememberthatIamalady，evenifIdolikehimalittle。’

’Howdoyoumeantopunishhim？’saidPicotee，withinterest。

’Bywritingandtellinghimthatonnoaccountishetocome。’

’Butthereisnottimeforaletter——’

’Thatdoesn’tmatter。ItwillshowhimthatIdidnotMEANhimtocome。’

Athearingtheverymercifulnatureofthepunishment，Picoteesighedwithoutreplying；andEthelbertadespatchedhernote。Thehourofappointmentdrewnear，andEthelbertashowedsymptomsofunrest。Sixo’clockstruckandpassed。Shewalkedhereandtherefornothing，anditwasplainthatadreadwasfillingher:herlettermightaccidentallyhavehad，inadditiontothemoraleffectwhichshehadintended，thepracticaleffectwhichshedidnotintend，byarrivingbefore，insteadofafter，hispurposedvisittoher，therebystoppinghiminspiteofallhercare。

’HowlongarelettersgoingtoBloomsbury？’shesaidsuddenly。

’Twohours，Joeytellsme，’repliedPicotee，whohadalreadyinquiredonherownprivateaccount。

’There！’exclaimedEthelbertapetulantly。’HowIdislikeamantomisrepresentthings！Hesaidtherewasnottimeforareply！’

’Perhapshedidn’tknow，’saidPicotee，inangeltones；’andsoithappensallright，andhehasgotit，andhewillnotcomeafterall。’

Theywaitedandwaited，butChristopherdidnotappearthatnight；

thetruecasebeingthathisdeclarationaboutinsufficienttimeforareplywasmerelyaningenioussuggestiontohernottobesocruelastoforbidhim。Hewasfarfromsuspectingwhentheletterofdenialdidreachhim——aboutanhourbeforethetimeofappointment——

thatitwassentbyarefinementofart，ofwhichtherealintentionwasfutility，andthatbutforhisownmisstatementitwouldhavebeencarefullydelayed。

Thenextdayanotherlettercamefromthemusician，decidedlyshortandtothepoint。Theirateloverstatedthathewouldnotbemadeafoolofanylonger:underanycircumstanceshemeanttocomethatself-sameafternoon，andshoulddecidedlyexpecthertoseehim。

’Iwillnotseehim！’saidEthelberta。’Whydidhenotcalllastnight？’

’Becauseyoutoldhimnotto，’saidPicotee。

’Goodgracious，asifawoman’swordsaretobetranslatedasliterallyasHomer！Surelyheisawarethatmoreoftenthannot"No"issaidtoaman’simportunitiesbecauseitistraditionallythecorrectmodestreply，andfornothingelseintheworld。Ifallmentookwordsassuperficiallyashedoes，weshoulddieofdecoruminshoals。’

’Ah，Berta！howcouldyouwritealetterthatyoudidnotmeanshouldbeobeyed？’

’Ididinameasuremeanit，althoughIcouldhaveshownChristianforgivenessifithadnotbeen。Nevermind；Iwillnotseehim。

I’llplaguemyheartforthecreditofmysex。’

Toensurethefulfilmentofthisresolve，Ethelbertadeterminedtogivewaytoaheadachethatshewasbeginningtobeawareof，gotoherroom，disorganizeherdress，andruinherhairbylyingdown；soputtingitoutofherpowertodescendandmeetChristopheronanymomentaryimpulse。

Picoteesatintheroomwithher，reading，orpretendingtoread，andEthelbertapretendedtosleep。Christopher’sknockcameupthestairs，andwithittheendofthefarce。

’I’lltellyouwhat，’saidEthelbertainthepromptandbroadly-

awaketoneofonewhohadbeenconcentratedontheexpectationofthatsoundforalengthoftime，’itwasamistakeinmetodothis！

Joeywillbesuretomakeamuddleofit。’

Joeywasheardcomingupthestairs。Picoteeopenedthedoor，andsaid，withananxietytranscendingEthelberta’s，’Well？’

’O，willyoutellMrs。PetherwinthatMr。Juliansayshe’llwait。’

’Youwerenottoaskhimtowait，’saidEthelberta，within。

’Iknowthat，’saidJoey，’andIdidn’t。He’sdoingthatoutofhisownhead。’

’ThenletMr。Julianwait，byallmeans，’saidEthelberta。’Allowhimtowaitifhelikes，buttellhimitisuncertainifIshallbeabletocomedown。’

Joeythenretired，andthetwosistersremainedinsilence。

’Iwonderifhe’sgone，’Ethelbertasaid，attheendofalongtime。

’Ithoughtyouwereasleep，’saidPicotee。’ShallweaskJoey？I

havenotheardthedoorclose。’

Joeywassummoned，andafteraleisurelyascent，interspersedbyvariousgymnasticperformancesoverthehandrailhereandthere，appearedagain。

’He’stherejestthesame:hedon’tseemtobeinnohurryatall，’

saidJoey。

’Whatishedoing？’inquiredPicoteesolicitously。

’O，onlylookingathiswatchsometimes，andhummingtunes，andplayingrat-a-tat-tatuponthetable。Hesayshedon’tmindwaitingabit。’

’Youmusthavemadeamistakeinthemessage，’saidEthelberta，within。

’Well，no。Iamcorrectasajineralthing。Ijestsaidperhapsyouwouldbeengagedalltheevening，andperhapsyouwouldn’t。’

WhenJoeyhadagainretired，andtheyhadwaitedanothertenminutes，Ethelbertasaid，’Picotee，doyougodownandspeakafewwordstohim。Iamdeterminedheshallnotseeme。Youknowhimalittle；yourememberwhenhecametotheLodge？’

’WhatmustIsaytohim？’

Ethelbertapausedbeforereplying。’Trytofindoutif——ifheismuchgrievedatnotseeingme，andsay——givehimtounderstandthatIwillforgivehim，Picotee。’

’Verywell。’

’AndPicotee——’

’Yes。’

’IfhesaysheMUSTseeme——IthinkIwillgetup。ButonlyifhesaysMUST:yourememberthat。’

Picoteedepartedonhererrand。Shepausedonthestaircasetrembling，andthinkingbetweenthethrillshowveryfarwouldhavebeentheconductofherpoorslightedselffromproudrecalcitrationhadMr。Julian’sgentlerequestbeenaddressedtoherinsteadoftoEthelberta；andshewentsomewayinthepainfuldiscoveryofhowmuchmoretantalizingitwastowatchanenviedsituationthatwasheldbyanotherthantobeoutofsightofitaltogether。HerewasChristopherwaitingtobestowlove，andEthelbertanotgoingdowntoreceiveit:acommodityunequalledinvaluebyanyotherinthewholewideworldwasbeingwantonlywastedwithinthatveryhouse。

Ifshecouldonlyhavestoodto-nightasthebelovedEthelberta，andnotasthedespisedPicotee，howdifferentwouldbethisgoingdown！

Thusshewentalong，redandpalemovinginhercheeksasintheNorthernLightsattheirstrongesttime。

MeanwhileChristopherhadsatwaitingminutebyminutetilltheeveningshadesgrewbrowner，andthefiresanklow。Joey，findinghimselfnotparticularlywanteduponthepremisesafterthesecondinquiry，hadslippedouttowitnessaniggerperformanceroundthecorner，andJulianbegantothinkhimselfforgottenbyallthehousehold。Theperceptiongraduallycooledhisemotionsandenabledhimtoholdhishatquitesteadily。

WhenPicoteegentlythrustopenthedoorshewassurprisedtofindtheroomindarkness，thefiregonecompletelyout，andtheformofChristopheronlyvisiblebyafaintpatchoflight，which，comingfromalampontheoppositesideofthewayandfallinguponthemirror，wasthrownasapalenebulosityuponhisshoulder。Picoteewastooflurriedatsightofthefamiliaroutlinetoknowwhattodo，and，insteadofgoingorcallingforalight，shemechanicallyadvancedintotheroom。Christopherdidnotturnormoveinanyway，andthensheperceivedthathehadbeguntodozeinhischair。

Instantly，withtheprecipitancyofthetimorous，shesaid，’Mr。

Julian！’andtouchedhimontheshoulder——murmuringthen，’O，Ibegpardon，I——Iwillgetalight。’

Christopher’sconsciousnessreturned，andhisfirstact，beforerising，wastoexclaim，inaconfusedmanner，’Ah——youhavecome——

thankyou，Berta！’thenimpulsivelytoseizeherhand，asithungbesidehishead，andkissitpassionately。Hestoodup，stillholdingherfingers。

Picoteegaspedoutsomething，butwascompletelydeprivedofarticulateutterance，andinanothermomentbeingunabletocontrolherselfatthissortoffirstmeetingwiththemanshehadgonethroughfireandwatertobenear，andmoreparticularlybytheoverpoweringkissuponherhand，burstintohystericalsobbing。

Julian，inhisinabilitytoimaginesomuchemotion——oratleasttheexhibitionofit——inEthelberta，gentlydrewPicoteefurtherforwardbythehandheheld，andutilizedthesolitaryspotoflightfromthemirrorbymakingitfalluponherface。Recognizingthechildishfeatures，heatonce，withanexclamation，droppedherhandandstartedback。Beinginpointoffactacompletebundleofnervesandnothingelse，histhinfigureshooklikeaharp-stringinpainfulexcitementatacontretempswhichwouldscarcelyhavequickenedthepulseofanordinaryman。

PoorPicotee，feelingherselfinthewindofacivild——，startedbackalso，sobbingmorethanever。Itwasalittletoomuchthatthefirstresultofhisdiscoveryofthemistakeshouldbeabsoluterepulse。Sheleantagainstthemantelpiece，whenJulian，muchbewilderedathersuperfluityofemotion，assistedhertoaseatinsheerhumanity。ButChristopherwasbynomeanspleasedwhenheagainthoughtroundthecircleofcircumstances。

’Howcouldyouallowsuchanabsurdthingtohappen？’hesaid，inastern，thoughtremblingvoice。’YouknewImightmistake。Ihadnoideayouwereinthehouse:Ithoughtyouweremilesaway，atSandbourneorsomewhere！ButIsee:itisjustdoneforajoke，ha-ha！’

ThismadePicoteeratherworsestill。’O-O-O-O！’shereplied，inthetoneofpouringfromabottle。’WhatshallIdo-o-o-o！Itis——

notdonefora——jokeatall-l-l-l！’

’Notdoneforajoke？Thennevermind——don’tcry，Picotee。Whatwasitdonefor，Iwonder？’

Picotee，mistakingthepurportofhisinquiry，imaginedhimtorefertoherarrivalinthehouse，quiteforgetting，inherguiltysenseofhavingcomeonhisaccount，thathewouldhavenorightorthoughtofaskingquestionsaboutanaturalvisittoasister，andshesaid:’Whenyou——wentawayfrom——Sandbourne，I——I——Ididn’tknowwhattodo，andthenIranaway，andcamehere，andthenEthelberta——wasangrywithme；butshesaysImaystay；butshedoesn’tknowthatIknowyou，andhowweusedtomeetalongtheroadeverymorning——andIamafraidtotellher——O，whatshallIdo！’

’Nevermindit，’saidChristopher，asenseofthetruestateofhercasedawninguponhimwithunpleasantdistinctness，andbringingsomeirritationathisawkwardposition；thoughitwasimpossibletobelongangrywithagirlwhohadnotreasoningforesightenoughtoperceivethatdoubtfulpleasureandcertainpainmustbetheresultofanymeetingwhilstheartswereatcrosspurposesinthisway。

’Whereisyoursister？’heasked。

’Shewouldn’tcomedown，unlesssheMUST，’saidPicotee。’Youhavevexedher，andshehasaheadachebesidesthat，andIcameinstead。’

’SothatImightn’tbewastedaltogether。Well，it’sastrangebusinessbetweenthethreeofus。Ihaveheardofone-sidedlove，andreciprocallove，andallsorts，butthisismyfirstexperienceofaconcatenatedaffection。Youfollowme，IfollowEthelberta，andshefollows——Heavenknowswho！’

’Mr。Ladywell！’saidthemortifiedPicotee。

’GoodGod，ifIdidn’tthinkso！’saidChristopher，feelingtothesolesofhisfeetlikeamaninalegitimatedrama。

’No，no，no！’saidthefrightenedgirlhastily。’IamnotsureitisMr。Ladywell。That’saltogetheramistakeofmine！’

’Ah，yes，youwanttoscreenher，’saidChristopher，withawitheringsmileatthespotoflight。’Verysisterly，doubtless；

butnoneofthatwilldoforme。Iamtoooldabirdbyfar——byveryfar！NowareyousureshedoesnotloveLadywell？’

’Yes！’

’Well，perhapsIblameherwrongly。Shemayhavesomelittlegoodfaith——awomanhas，hereandthere。HowdoyouknowshedoesnotloveLadywell？’

’BecauseshewouldpreferMr。Neightohim，anyday。’

’Ha！’

’No，no——youmistake，sir——shedoesn’tloveeitheratall——

Ethelbertadoesn’t。ImeantthatshecannotloveMr。LadywellbecausehestandslowerinheropinionthanMr。Neigh，andhimshecertainlydoesnotcarefor。Sheonlylovesyou。Ifyouonlyknewhowtruesheisyouwouldn’tbesosuspiciousabouther，andIwishIhadnotcomehere——yes，Ido！’

’Icannottellwhattothinkofit。PerhapsIdon’tknowmuchofthisworldafterall，orwhatgirlswilldo。Butyoudon’texcusehertome，Picotee。’

BeforethistimePicoteehadbeensimulatinghasteingettingalight；butinherdreadofappearingvisiblytoChristopher’seyes，andshowinghimthepreciseconditionofhertear-stainedface，sheputitoffmomentaftermoment，andstirredthefire，inhopethatthefaintilluminationthusproducedwouldbesufficienttosaveherfromthechargeofstupidconductasentertainer。

Flutteringaboutonthehornsofthisdilemma，shewasgreatlyrelievedwhenChristopher，whoreadherdifficulty，andthegeneralpainfulnessofthesituation，saidthatsinceEthelbertawasreallysufferingfromaheadachehewouldnotwishtodisturbhertillto-

morrow，andwentoffdownstairsandintothestreetwithoutfurtherceremony。

Meanwhileotherthingshadhappenedupstairs。NosoonerhadPicoteelefthersister’sroom，thanEthelbertathoughtitwouldafterallhavebeenmuchbetterifshehadgonedownherselftospeaktothisadmirablypersistentlover。Wasshenotdriftingsomewhatintothecharacterofcoquette，evenifhergroundofoffence——awordofChristopher’saboutsomebodyelse’smeanparentage，whichwasspokeninutterforgetfulnessofherownposition，buthadwoundedhertothequicknevertheless——wastosomeextentatenableone？SheknewwhatfacilitiesinsufferingChristopheralwaysshowed；howatouchtootherpeoplewasablowtohim，ablowtothemhisdeepwound，althoughhetooksuchpainstolookstolidandunconcernedunderthoseinflictions，andtriedtosmileasifhehadnofeelingswhatever。Itwouldbemoregeneroustogodowntohim，andbekind。

Shejumpedupwiththatalertnesswhichcomessospontaneouslyatthosesweetbrighttimeswhendesireanddutyrunhandinhand。

Shehastilysetherhairanddressinorder——notsuchmatchlessorderasshecouldhavewishedthemtobein，buttimewasprecious——

anddescendedthestairs。Whenonthepointofpushingopenthedrawing-roomdoor，whichwantedaboutaninchofbeingclosed，shewasastoundedtodiscoverthattheroomwasintotaldarkness，andstillmoretohearPicoteesobbinginside。Toretreatagainwastheonlyactionshewascapableofatthatmoment:theclashbetweenthispictureandtheanticipatedsceneofPicoteeandChristophersittinginfrigidproprietyatoppositesidesofawell-lightedroomwastoogreat。Sheflittedupstairsagainwiththeleastpossiblerustle，andflungherselfdownonthecouchasbefore，pantingwithexcitementatthenewknowledgethathadcometoher。

TherewasonlyonepossibleconstructiontobeputuponthisinEthelberta’srapidmind，andthatapproximatedtothetrueone。ShehadknownforsometimethatPicoteeoncehadalover，orsomethingakintoit，andthathehaddisappointedherinawaywhichhadneverbeentold。Nostranger，saveinthecapacityoftheonebeloved，couldwoundawomansufficientlytomakeherweep，anditfollowedthatChristopherwasthemanofPicotee’schoice。AsEthelbertarecalledtheconversations，conclusionafterconclusioncamelikepulsationsinanachinghead。’O，howdidithappen，andwhoistoblame？’sheexclaimed。’Icannotdoubthisfaith，andI

cannotdoubthers；andyethowcanIkeepdoubtingthemboth？’

ItwascharacteristicofEthelberta’sjealousmotherlyguardoverheryoungsistersthat，amidthesecontendinginquiries，herforemostfeelingwaslessoneofhopeforherownlovethanofchampionshipforPicotee’s。

23。ETHELBERTA’SHOUSE(continued)

Picoteewasheardonthestairs:Ethelbertacoveredherface。

’Ishewaiting？’shesaidfaintly，onfindingthatPicoteedidnotbegintospeak。

’No；heisgone，’saidPicotee。

’Ah，whyisthat？’camequicklyfromunderthehandkerchief。’Hehasforgottenme——that’swhatitis！’

’Ono，hehasnot！’saidPicotee，justasbitterly。

Ethelbertahadfartoomuchheroismtoletmuchinthisstrainescapeher，thoughhersisterwaspreparedtogoanylengthsinthesame。’Isuppose，’continuedEthelberta，inthequietwayofonewhohadonlyaheadachethematterwithher，’thatherememberedyouafterthemeetingatAnglebury？’

’Yes，herememberedme。’

’Didyoutellmeyouhadseenhimbeforethattime？’

’IhadseenhimatSandbourne。Idon’tthinkItoldyou。’

’Atwhosehousedidyoumeethim？’

’Atnobody’s。Ionlysawhimsometimes，’repliedPicotee，ingreatdistress。

Ethelberta，thoughofallwomenmostmiserable，wasbrimmingwithcompassionforthethrobbinggirlsonearlyrelatedtoher，inwhomshecontinuallysawherownweakpointswithoutthecounterpoiseofherstrongones。Butitwasnecessarytorepressherselfawhile:

theintendedwaysofherlifewereblockedandbrokenupbythisjarofinterests，andshewantedtimetopondernewplans。’Picotee，I

wouldratherbealonenow，ifyoudon’tmind，’shesaid。’Youneednotleavemeanylight；itmakesmyeyesache，Ithink。’

Picoteelefttheroom。ButEthelbertahadnotlongbeenaloneandindarknesswhensomebodygentlyopenedthedoor，andenteredwithoutacandle。

’Berta，’saidthesoftvoiceofPicoteeagain，’mayIcomein？’

’Oyes，’saidEthelberta。’Haseverythinggonerightwiththehousethisevening？’

’Yes；andGwendolinewentoutjustnowtobuyafewthings，andsheisgoingtocallrounduponfatherwhenhehasgothisdinnerclearedaway。’

’Ihopeshewillnotstayandtalktotheotherservants。Somedayshewillletdropsomethingorotherbeforefathercanstopher。’

’OBerta！’saidPicotee，closebesideher。Shewaskneelinginfrontofthecouch，andnowflingingherarmacrossEthelberta’sshoulderandshakingviolently，shepressedherforeheadagainsthersister’stemple，andbreathedoutuponhercheek:

’IcameinagaintotellyousomethingwhichIoughttohavetoldyoujustnow，andIhavecometosayitatoncebecauseIamafraidIshan’tbeabletoto-morrow。Mr。JulianwastheyoungmanIspoketoyouofalongtimeago，andIshouldhavetoldyouallabouthim，butyousaidhewasyouryoungmantoo，and——andIdidn’tknowwhattodothen，becauseIthoughtitwaswronginmetoloveyouryoungman；andBerta，hedidn’tmeanmetolovehimatall，butIdiditmyself，thoughIdidnotwanttodoit，either；itwouldcometome！

AndIdidn’tknowhebelongedtoyouwhenIbeganit，orIwouldnothavelethimmeetmeatall；noIwouldn’t！’

’Meetyou？Youdon’tmeantosayheusedtomeetyou？’whisperedEthelberta。

’Yes，’saidPicotee；’buthecouldnothelpit。Weusedtomeetontheroad，andtherewasnootherroadunlessIhadgoneeversofarround。Butitisworsethanthat，Berta！ThatwaswhyIcouldn’tbideinSandbourne，and——andranawaytoyouuphere；itwasnotbecauseIwantedtoseeyou，Berta，butbecauseI——Iwanted——’

’Yes，yes，Iknow，’saidEthelbertahurriedly。

’AndthenwhenIwentdownstairshemistookmeforyouforamoment，andthatcaused——aconfusion！’

’O，well，itdoesnotmuchmatter，’saidEthelberta，kissingPicoteesoothingly。’YououghtnotofcoursetohavecometoLondoninsuchamanner；but，sinceyouhavecome，wewillmakethebestofit。

Perhapsitmayendhappilyforyouandforhim。Whoknows？’

’Thendon’tyouwanthim，Berta？’

’Ono；notatall！’

’What——anddon’tyouREALLYwanthim，Berta？’repeatedPicotee，startingup。

’Iwouldmuchratherhepaidhisaddressestoyou。HeisnotthesortofmanIshouldwishto——thinkitbesttomarry，evenifIweretomarry，whichIhavenointentionofdoingatpresent。Hecallstoseemebecauseweareoldfriends，buthiscallsdonotmeananythingmorethanthathetakesaninterestinme。ItisnotatalllikelythatIshallseehimagain！andIcertainlynevershallseehimunlessyouarepresent。’

’Thatwillbeverynice。’

’Yes。Andyouwillbealwaysdistanttowardshim，andgotoleavetheroomwhenhecomes，whenIwillcallyouback；butsupposewecontinuethisto-morrow？Icantellyoubetterthenwhattodo。’

WhenPicoteehadleftherthesecondtime，Ethelbertaturnedoveruponherbreastandshookinconvulsivesobswhichhadlittlerelationshipwithtears。Thisabandonmentendedassuddenlyasithadbegun——notlastingmorethanaminuteandahalfaltogether——andshegotupinanunconsideredandunusualimpulsetoseekrelieffromthestingingsarcasmofthisevent——theunhappyloveofPicotee——bymentioningsomethingofittoanothermemberofthefamily，hereldestsisterGwendoline，whowasawomanfullofsympathy。

Ethelbertadescendedtothekitchen，itbeingnowaboutteno’clock。

Theroomwasempty，Gwendolinenothavingyetreturned，andCornelia，beingbusyaboutherownaffairsupstairs。TheFrenchfamilyhadgonetothetheatre，andthehouseonthataccountwasveryquietto-night。Ethelbertasatdowninthedismalplacewithoutturningupthegas，andinafewminutesadmittedGwendoline。

Theround-facedcountrycookflounderedin，untyingherbonnetasshecame，layingitdownonachair，andtalkingatthesametime。

’SuchaplaceasthisLondonis，tobesure！’sheexclaimed，turningonthegastillitwhistled。’IwishIwasdowninWessexagain。

Lord-a-mercy，Berta，Ididn’tseeitwasyou！IthoughtitwasCornelia。AsIwassaying，Ithoughtthat，afterbidinginthisundergroundcellaralltheweek，makingupmessesforthemFrenchfolk，andneverpleasing’em，andnevershall，becauseIdon’tunderstandthatline，IthoughtIwouldgooutandseefather，youknow。’

’Isheverywell？’saidEthelberta。

’Yes；andheisgoingtocallroundwhenhehastime。Well，asI

wasa-cominghome-alongIthought，"PleasetheLordI’llhavesomechippolsforsupperjustforaplaintrate，"andIwentroundtothelategreengrocer’sfor’em；anddoyouknowtheyswearedmedownthattheyhadn’tgotsuchthingsaschippolsintheshop，andhadneverheardof’emintheirlives。AtlastIsaid，"Why，howcanyoutellmesuchabrazenstory？——heretheybe，heapsof’em！"ItmademesovexedthatIcameawaythereandthen，andwouldn’thaveone——no，notatagift。’

’Theycallthemyoungonionshere，’saidEthelbertaquietly；’youmustalwaysrememberthat。But，Gwendoline，Iwanted——’

Ethelbertafeltsickatheart，andstopped。ShehadcomedownonthewingsofanimpulsetounfoldhertroubleaboutPicoteetoherhard-headedandmucholdersister，lessforadvicethantogetsomeheart-easebyinterchangeofwords；butalas，shecouldproceednofurther。ThewretchedhomelinessofGwendoline’smindseemedatthisparticularjuncturetobeabsolutelyintolerable，andEthelbertawassuddenlyconvincedthattoinvolveGwendolineinanysuchdiscussionwouldsimplybeincreasingherownburden，andaddingworseconfusiontohersister’salreadyconfusedexistence。