第4章

Agreatfireroared。Therewasascentofcookedpastry。Hewasdue，atseveno’clock，buthewouldbelate。Thethreechildrenhadgone，tomeethim。Shewasalone。ButataquartertosevenMorelcame，inagain。Neitherwifenorhusbandspoke。Hesatinhisarmchair，quiteawkwardwithexcitement，andshequietlywentonwithherbaking。

Onlybythecarefulwayinwhichshedidthingscoulditbetold，howmuchmovedshewas。Theclocktickedon。

“Whattimedostsayhe’scoming？”Morelaskedforthefifthtime。

“Thetraingetsinathalf-pastsix，“sherepliedemphatically。

“Thenhe’llbehereattenpastseven。”

“Eh，blessyou，it’llbehourslateontheMidland，“

shesaidindifferently。Butshehoped，byexpectinghimlate，tobringhimearly。Morelwentdowntheentrytolookforhim。

Thenhecameback。

“Goodness，man！”shesaid。”You’relikeanill-sittinghen。”

“Hadnayoubetterbegettin’himsummatt’eatready？”

askedthefather。

“There’splentyoftime，“sheanswered。

“There’snotsomuchasIcanseeon，“heanswered，turningcrosslyinhischair。Shebegantoclearhertable。

Thekettlewassinging。Theywaitedandwaited。

MeantimethethreechildrenwereontheplatformatSethleyBridge，ontheMidlandmainline，twomilesfromhome。Theywaitedonehour。

Atraincame——hewasnotthere。Downthelinetheredandgreen，lightsshone。Itwasverydarkandverycold。

“AskhimiftheLondontrain’scome，“saidPaultoAnnie，whentheysawamaninatipcap。

“I’mnot，“saidAnnie。”Youbequiet——hemightsendusoff。”

ButPaulwasdyingforthemantoknowtheywereexpecting，someonebytheLondontrain：，itsoundedsogrand。Yethewasmuch，toomuchscaredofbroachinganyman，letaloneoneinapeakedcap，todaretoask。Thethreechildrencouldscarcelygointothe，waiting-roomforfearofbeingsentaway，andforfear，somethingshouldhappenwhilsttheywereofftheplatform。

Stilltheywaitedinthedarkandcold。

“It’sanhouran’ahalflate，“saidArthurpathetically。

“Well，“saidAnnie，“it’sChristmasEve。”

Theyallgrewsilent。Hewasn’tcoming。Theylooked，downthedarknessoftherailway。TherewasLondon！，Itseemed，theutter-mostofdistance。Theythoughtanythingmighthappen，ifonecamefromLondon。Theywerealltootroubledtotalk。

Cold，andunhappy，andsilent，theyhuddledtogetherontheplatform。

Atlast，aftermorethantwohours，theysawthelightsofan，enginepeeringround，awaydownthedarkness。Aporterranout。

Thechildrendrewbackwithbeatinghearts。Agreattrain，boundforManchester，drewup。Twodoorsopened，andfromone，ofthem，William。Theyflewtohim。Hehandedparcelstothem，cheerily，andimmediatelybegantoexplainthatthisgreattrainhad，stoppedforHISsakeatsuchasmallstationasSethleyBridge：

itwasnotbookedtostop。

Meanwhiletheparentsweregettinganxious。Thetablewasset，thechopwascooked，everythingwasready。Mrs。Morelputon，herblackapron。Shewaswearingherbestdress。Thenshesat，pretendingtoread。Theminuteswereatorturetoher。

“H’m！”saidMorel。”It’sanhouran’aha’ef。”

“Andthosechildrenwaiting！”shesaid。

“Th’traincannaha’comeinyet，“hesaid。

“Itellyou，onChristmasEvethey’reHOURSwrong。”

Theywerebothabitcrosswitheachother，sognawed，withanxiety。Theashtreemoanedoutsideinacold，rawwind。

AndallthatspaceofnightfromLondonhome！，Mrs。Morelsuffered。

Theslightclickoftheworksinsidetheclockirritatedher。

Itwasgettingsolate;itwasgettingunbearable。

Atlasttherewasasoundofvoices，andafootstepintheentry。

“Ha’shere！”criedMorel，jumpingup。

Thenhestoodback。Themotherranafewstepstowards，thedoorandwaited。Therewasarushandapatteroffeet，thedoorburstopen。Williamwasthere。HedroppedhisGladstone，bagandtookhismotherinhisarms。

“Mater！”hesaid。

“Myboy！”shecried。

Andfortwoseconds，nolonger，sheclaspedhimandkissedhim。

Thenshewithdrewandsaid，tryingtobequitenormal：

“Buthowlateyouare！”

“Aren’tI！”hecried，turningtohisfather。”Well，dad！”

Thetwomenshookhands。

“Well，mylad！”

Morel’seyeswerewet。

“Wethoughttha’dniverbecommin’，“hesaid。

“Oh，I’dcome！”exclaimedWilliam。

Thenthesonturnedroundtohismother。

“Butyoulookwell，“shesaidproudly，laughing。

“Well！”heexclaimed。”Ishouldthinkso——cominghome！”

Hewasafinefellow，big，straight，andfearless-looking。He，lookedroundattheevergreensandthekissingbunch，andthelittle，tartsthatlayintheirtinsonthehearth。

“Byjove！mother，it’snotdifferent！”hesaid，asifinrelief。

Everybodywasstillforasecond。Thenhesuddenlysprangforward，pickedatartfromthehearth，andpusheditwholeintohismouth。

“Well，didiveryouseesuchaparishoven！”thefatherexclaimed。

Hehadbroughtthemendlesspresents。Everypennyhehadhehad，spentonthem。Therewasasenseofluxuryoverflowinginthehouse。

Forhismothertherewasanumbrellawithgoldonthepalehandle。

Shekeptittoherdyingday，andwouldhavelostanythingrather，thanthat。Everybodyhadsomethinggorgeous，andbesides，therewere，poundsofunknownsweets：，Turkishdelight，crystallisedpineapple，andsuch-likethingswhich，thechildrenthought，onlythesplendour，ofLondoncouldprovide。AndPaulboastedofthesesweetsamong，hisfriends。

“Realpineapple，cutoffinslices，andthenturnedinto，crystal——fairgrand！”

Everybodywasmadwithhappinessinthefamily。Homewashome，andtheyloveditwithapassionoflove，whateverthesuffering，hadbeen。Therewereparties，therewererejoicings。Peoplecame，intoseeWilliam，toseewhatdifferenceLondonhadmadetohim。

Andtheyallfoundhim“suchagentleman，andSUCHafinefellow，myword“！

Whenhewentawayagainthechildrenretiredtovariousplaces，toweepalone。Morelwenttobedinmisery，andMrs。Morelfeltas，ifshewerenumbedbysomedrug，asifherfeelingswereparalysed。

Shelovedhimpassionately。

Hewasintheofficeofalawyerconnectedwithalarge，shippingfirm，andatthemidsummerhischiefofferedhimatrip，intheMediterraneanononeoftheboats，forquiteasmallcost。

Mrs。Morelwrote：，“Go，go，myboy。Youmayneverhaveachanceagain，andIshouldlovetothinkofyoucruisingthereintheMediterranean，almostbetterthantohaveyouathome。”，ButWilliamcamehomefor，hisfortnight’sholiday。NoteventheMediterranean，whichpulled，atallhisyoungman’sdesiretotravel，andathispoorman’swonder，attheglamoroussouth，couldtakehimawaywhenhemightcomehome。

Thatcompensatedhismotherformuch。

CHAPTERV

PAULLAUNCHESINTOLIFE

MORELwasratheraheedlessman，carelessofdanger。Sohehad，endlessaccidents。Now，whenMrs。Morelheardtherattleofanempty，coal-cartceaseatherentry-end，sheranintotheparlourtolook，expectingalmosttoseeherhusbandseatedinthewaggon，hisface，greyunderhisdirt，hisbodylimpandsickwithsomehurtorother。

Ifitwerehe，shewouldrunouttohelp。

AboutayearafterWilliamwenttoLondon，andjustafterPaul，hadleftschool，beforehegotwork，Mrs。Morelwasupstairsandher，sonwaspaintinginthekitchen——hewasverycleverwithhisbrush——when，therecameaknockatthedoor。Crosslyheputdownhisbrushtogo。

Atthesamemomenthismotheropenedawindowupstairsandlookeddown。

Apit-ladinhisdirtstoodonthethreshold。

“IsthisWalterMorel’s？”heasked。

“Yes，“saidMrs。Morel。”Whatisit？”

Butshehadguessedalready。

“Yourmester’sgothurt，“hesaid。

“Eh，dearme！”sheexclaimed。”It’sawonderifhehadn’t，lad。

Andwhat’shedonethistime？”

“Idon’tknowforsure，butit’s’islegsomewhere。Theyta’ein’

’imterth’’ospital。”

“Goodgraciousme！”sheexclaimed。”Eh，dear，whataoneheis！

There’snotfiveminutesofpeace，I’llbehangedifthereis！

Histhumb’snearlybetter，andnow——Didyouseehim？”

“Iseedhimatth’bottom。An’Iseed’embring’imupin，atub，an’’eworinadeadfaint。Butheshoutedlikeanythink，whenDoctorFraserexaminedhimi’th’lampcabin——an’cossedan’

swore，an’saidas’eworgoin’tobeta’enwhoam——’eworn’tgoin’

terth’’ospital。”

Theboyfalteredtoanend。

“HeWOULDwanttocomehome，sothatIcanhaveallthebother。

Thankyou，mylad。Eh，dear，ifI’mnotsick——sickandsurfeited，Iam！”

Shecamedownstairs。Paulhadmechanicallyresumedhispainting。

“Anditmustbeprettybadifthey’vetakenhimtothehospital，“

shewenton。”ButwhataCARELESScreatureheis！，OTHERmendon’t，havealltheseaccidents。Yes，heWOULDwanttoputalltheburden，onme。Eh，dear，justasweWEREgettingeasyabitatlast。

Putthosethingsaway，there’snotimetobepaintingnow。Whattime，isthereatrain？，IknowIs’llhavetogotrailingtoKeston。

Is’llhavetoleavethatbedroom。”

“Icanfinishit，“saidPaul。

“Youneedn’t。Ishallcatchtheseveno’clockback，Ishouldthink。Oh，myblessedheart，thefussandcommotion，he’llmake！，AndthosegranitesettsatTinderHill——hemight，wellcallthemkidneypebbles——they’lljolthimalmosttobits。

Iwonderwhytheycan’tmendthem，thestatethey’rein，an’

allthemenasgoacrossinthatambulance。You’dthinkthey’d，haveahospitalhere。Themenboughttheground，and，mysirs，there’dbeaccidentsenoughtokeepitgoing。Butno，theymust，trailthemtenmilesinaslowambulancetoNottingham。It’sa，cryingshame！，Oh，andthefusshe’llmake！，Iknowhewill！

Iwonderwho’swithhim。Barker，Is’dthink。Poorbeggar，he’llwishhimselfanywhererather。Buthe’lllookafterhim，Iknow。

Nowthere’snotellinghowlonghe’llbestuckinthathospital——and，WON’Thehateit！，Butifit’sonlyhislegit’snotsobad。”

Allthetimeshewasgettingready。Hurriedlytakingoffher，bodice，shecrouchedattheboiler，whilethewaterranslowlyintoherlading-can。

“Iwishthisboilerwasatthebottomofthesea！”sheexclaimed，wrigglingthehandleimpatiently。Shehadveryhandsome，strongarms，rathersurprisingonasmallishwoman。

Paulclearedaway，putonthekettle，andsetthetable。

“Thereisn’tatraintillfour-twenty，“hesaid。

“You’vetimeenough。”

“Ohno，Ihaven’t！”shecried，blinkingathimoverthetowel，asshewipedherface。

“Yes，youhave。Youmustdrinkacupofteaatanyrate。

ShouldIcomewithyoutoKeston？”

“Comewithme？，Whatfor，Ishouldliketoknow？，Now，whathave，Itotakehim？，Eh，dear！，Hiscleanshirt——andit’sablessingit，ISclean。Butithadbetterbeaired。Andstockings——hewon’twant，them——andatowel，Isuppose;andhandkerchiefs。Nowwhatelse？”

“Acomb，aknifeandforkandspoon，“saidPaul。Hisfather，hadbeeninthehospitalbefore。

“Goodnessknowswhatsortofstatehisfeetwerein，“

continuedMrs。Morel，asshecombedherlongbrownhair，thatwas，fineassilk，andwastouchednowwithgrey。”He’sveryparticular，towashhimselftothewaist，butbelowhethinksdoesn’tmatter。

Butthere，Isupposetheyseeplentylikeit。”

Paulhadlaidthetable。Hecuthismotheroneortwopieces，ofverythinbreadandbutter。

“Hereyouare，“hesaid，puttinghercupofteainherplace。

“Ican’tbebothered！”sheexclaimedcrossly。

“Well，you’vegotto，sothere，nowit’sputoutready，“

heinsisted。

Soshesatdownandsippedhertea，andatealittle，insilence。

Shewasthinking。

Inafewminutesshewasgone，towalkthetwoandahalfmiles，toKestonStation。Allthethingsshewastakinghimshehadinher，bulgingstringbag。Paulwatchedhergouptheroadbetweenthe，hedges——alittle，quick-steppingfigure，andhisheartachedforher，thatshewasthrustforwardagainintopainandtrouble。Andshe，trippingsoquicklyinheranxiety，feltatthebackofherher，son’sheartwaitingonher，felthimbearingwhatpartoftheburden，hecould，evensupportingher。Andwhenshewasatthehospital，shethought：，“ItWILLupsetthatladwhenItellhimhowbaditis。

I’dbetterbecareful。”，Andwhenshewastrudginghomeagain，shefelthewascomingtoshareherburden。

“Isitbad？”askedPaul，assoonassheenteredthehouse。

“It’sbadenough，“shereplied。

“What？”

Shesighedandsatdown，undoingherbonnet-strings。Herson，watchedherfaceasitwaslifted，andhersmall，work-hardenedhands，fingeringatthebowunderherchin。

“Well，“sheanswered，“it’snotreallydangerous，butthenurse，saysit’sadreadfulsmash。Yousee，agreatpieceofrockfell，onhisleg——here——andit’sacompoundfracture。Therearepieces，ofbonestickingthrough——“

“Ugh——howhorrid！”exclaimedthechildren。

“And，“shecontinued，“ofcoursehesayshe’sgoingtodie——it，wouldn’tbehimifhedidn’t。’I’mdonefor，mylass！’hesaid，lookingatme。’Don’tbesosilly，’Isaidtohim。’You’renotgoing，todieofabrokenleg，howeverbadlyit’ssmashed。’，’Is’llniver，comeoutof’erebutinawoodenbox，’hegroaned。’Well，’Isaid，’ifyouwantthemtocarryyouintothegardeninawoodenbox，whenyou’rebetter，I’venodoubttheywill。’，’Ifwethinkit’s，goodforhim，’saidtheSister。She’sanawfullyniceSister，butratherstrict。”

Mrs。Moreltookoffherbonnet。Thechildrenwaitedinsilence。

“Ofcourse，heISbad，“shecontinued，“andhewillbe。

It’sagreatshock，andhe’slostalotofblood;and，ofcourse，itISaverydangeroussmash。It’snotatallsurethatitwillmend，soeasily。Andthenthere’sthefeverandthemortification——ifittook，badwayshe’dquicklybegone。Butthere，he’saclean-bloodedman，withwonderfulhealingflesh，andsoIseenoreasonwhyitSHOULD

takebadways。Ofcoursethere’sawound——“

Shewaspalenowwithemotionandanxiety。Thethreechildren，realisedthatitwasverybadfortheirfather，andthehouse，wassilent，anxious。

“Buthealwaysgetsbetter，“saidPaulafterawhile。

“That’swhatItellhim，“saidthemother。

Everybodymovedaboutinsilence。

“Andhereallylookednearlydonefor，“shesaid。”Butthe，Sistersaysthatisthepain。”

Annietookawayhermother’scoatandbonnet。

“AndhelookedatmewhenIcameaway！，Isaid：，’Is’ll，havetogonow，Walter，becauseofthetrain——andthechildren。’

Andhelookedatme。Itseemshard。”

Paultookuphisbrushagainandwentonpainting。Arthurwent，outsideforsomecoal。Anniesatlookingdismal。AndMrs。Morel，inherlittlerocking-chairthatherhusbandhadmadeforher，whenthefirstbabywascoming，remainedmotionless，brooding。

Shewasgrieved，andbitterlysorryforthemanwhowashurtsomuch。

Butstill，inherheartofhearts，wheretheloveshouldhaveburned，therewasablank。Now，whenallherwoman’spitywasrousedtoits，fullextent，whenshewouldhaveslavedherselftodeathtonurse，himandtosavehim，whenshewouldhavetakenthepainherself，ifshecould，somewherefarawayinsideher，shefeltindifferent，tohimandtohissuffering。Ithurthermostofall，thisfailure，tolovehim，evenwhenherousedherstrongemotions。Shebrooded，awhile。

“Andthere，“shesaidsuddenly，“whenI’dgothalfwaytoKeston，IfoundI’dcomeoutinmyworkingboots——andLOOKatthem。”

TheywereanoldpairofPaul’s，brownandrubbedthroughat，thetoes。”Ididn’tknowwhattodowithmyself，forshame，“

sheadded。

Inthemorning，whenAnnieandArthurwereatschool，Mrs。Morel，talkedagaintoherson，whowashelpingherwithherhousework。

“IfoundBarkeratthehospital。Hedidlookbad，poorlittlefellow！，’Well，’Isaidtohim，’whatsortofa，journeydidyouhavewithhim？’，’Dunnaaxme，missis！’hesaid。

’Ay，’Isaid，’Iknowwhathe’dbe。’，’ButitWORbadforhim，Mrs。Morel，itWORthat！’hesaid。’Iknow，’Isaid。’Ativryjolt，Ithoughtmy’eartwouldha’flowncleanouto’mymouth，’hesaid。

’An’thescream’egivessometimes！，Missis，notforafortunewould，Igothroughwi’itagain。’，’Icanquiteunderstandit，’Isaid。

’It’sanastyjob，though，’hesaid，’an’oneas’llbealong，whileaforeit’srightagain。’，’I’mafraiditwill，’Isaid。

IlikeMr。Barker——IDOlikehim。There’ssomethingsomanly，abouthim。”

Paulresumedhistasksilently。

“Andofcourse，“Mrs。Morelcontinued，“foramanlikeyourfather，thehospitalIShard。HeCAN’Tunderstandrulesandregulations。

Andhewon’tletanybodyelsetouchhim，notifhecanhelpit。

Whenhesmashedthemusclesofhisthigh，andithadtobedressed，fourtimesaday，WOULDheletanybodybutmeorhismotherdoit？

Hewouldn’t。So，ofcourse，he’llsufferintherewiththenurses。

AndIdidn’tlikeleavinghim。I’msure，whenIkissedhiman’cameaway，itseemedashame。”

Soshetalkedtoherson，almostasifshewerethinking，aloudtohim，andhetookitinasbesthecould，bysharingher，troubletolightenit。Andintheendshesharedalmosteverything，withhimwithoutknowing。

Morelhadaverybadtime。Foraweekhewasina，criticalcondition。Thenhebegantomend。Andthen，knowinghe，wasgoingtogetbetter，thewholefamilysighedwithrelief，andproceededtolivehappily。

TheywerenotbadlyoffwhilstMorelwasinthehospital。

Therewerefourteenshillingsaweekfromthepit，tenshillings，fromthesickclub，andfiveshillingsfromtheDisabilityFund;

andtheneveryweekthebuttieshadsomethingforMrs。Morel——five，orsevenshillings——sothatshewasquitewelltodo。Andwhilst，Morelwasprogressingfavourablyinthehospital，thefamilywas，extraordinarilyhappyandpeaceful。OnSaturdaysandWednesdays，Mrs。MorelwenttoNottinghamtoseeherhusband。Thenshealways，broughtbacksomelittlething：，asmalltubeofpaintsforPaul，orsomethickpaper;acoupleofpostcardsforAnnie，thatthewhole，familyrejoicedoverfordaysbeforethegirlwasallowedtosend，themaway;orafret-sawforArthur，orabitofprettywood。

Shedescribedheradventuresintothebigshopswithjoy。

Soonthefolkinthepicture-shopknewher，andknewaboutPaul。

Thegirlinthebook-shoptookakeeninterestinher。Mrs。Morel，wasfullofinformationwhenshegothomefromNottingham。Thethree，satroundtillbed-time，listening，puttingin，arguing。ThenPaul，oftenrakedthefire。

“I’mthemaninthehousenow，“heusedtosaytohismother，withjoy。Theylearnedhowperfectlypeacefulthehomecouldbe。

Andtheyalmostregretted——thoughnoneofthemwouldhaveownedto，suchcallousness——thattheirfatherwassooncomingback。

Paulwasnowfourteen，andwaslookingforwork。Hewasa，rathersmallandratherfinely-madeboy，withdarkbrownhairand，lightblueeyes。Hisfacehadalreadylostitsyouthfulchubbiness，andwasbecomingsomewhatlikeWilliam’s——rough-featured，almost，rugged——anditwasextraordinarilymobile。Usuallyhelooked，asifhesawthings，wasfulloflife，andwarm;thenhissmile，likehismother’s，camesuddenlyandwasverylovable;andthen，whentherewasanycloginhissoul’squickrunning，hisfacewent，stupidandugly。Hewasthesortofboythatbecomesaclown，andaloutassoonasheisnotunderstood，orfeelshimself，heldcheap;and，again，isadorableatthefirsttouchofwarmth。

Hesufferedverymuchfromthefirstcontactwithanything。

Whenhewasseven，thestartingschoolhadbeenanightmareanda，torturetohim。Butafterwardshelikedit。Andnowthathefelt，hehadtogooutintolife，hewentthroughagoniesofshrinking，self-consciousness。Hewasquiteacleverpainterforaboyofhisyears，andheknewsomeFrenchandGermanandmathematicsthatMr。Heaton，hadtaughthim。Butnothinghehadwasofanycommercialvalue。

Hewasnotstrongenoughforheavymanualwork，hismothersaid。

Hedidnotcareformakingthingswithhishands，preferredracingabout，ormakingexcursionsintothecountry，orreading，orpainting。

“Whatdoyouwanttobe？”hismotherasked。

“Anything。”

“Thatisnoanswer，“saidMrs。Morel。

Butitwasquitetruthfullytheonlyanswerhecouldgive。

Hisambition，asfarasthisworld’sgearwent，wasquietlytoearn，histhirtyorthirty-fiveshillingsaweeksomewherenearhome，andthen，whenhisfatherdied，haveacottagewithhismother，paintandgooutasheliked，andlivehappyeverafter。Thatwashis，programmeasfarasdoingthingswent。Buthewasproudwithinhimself，measuringpeopleagainsthimself，andplacingthem，inexorably。Andhe，thoughtthatPERHAPShemightalsomakeapainter，therealthing。

Butthatheleftalone。

“Then，“saidhismother，“youmustlookinthepaper，fortheadvertisements。”

Helookedather。Itseemedtohimabitterhumiliation，andananguishtogothrough。Buthesaidnothing。Whenhegotup，inthemorning，hiswholebeingwasknottedupoverthisonethought：

“I’vegottogoandlookforadvertisementsforajob。”

Itstoodinfrontofthemorning，thatthought，killingall，joyandevenlife，forhim。Hisheartfeltlikeatightknot。

Andthen，atteno’clock，hesetoff。Hewassupposedtobe，aqueer，quietchild。Goingupthesunnystreetofthelittletown，hefeltasifallthefolkhemetsaidtothemselves：，“He’sgoing，totheCo-op。reading-roomtolookinthepapersforaplace。

Hecan’tgetajob。Isupposehe’slivingonhismother。”，Thenhe，creptupthestonestairsbehindthedraperyshopattheCo-op。，andpeepedinthereading-room。Usuallyoneortwomenwerethere，eitherold，uselessfellows，orcolliers“ontheclub“。Soheentered，fullofshrinkingandsufferingwhentheylookedup，seatedhimselfat，thetable，andpretendedtoscanthenews。Heknewtheywouldthink：

“Whatdoesaladofthirteenwantinareading-roomwithanewspaper？”

andhesuffered。

Thenhelookedwistfullyoutofthewindow。Alreadyhewas，aprisonerofindustrialism。Largesunflowersstaredoverthe，oldredwallofthegardenopposite，lookingintheirjollyway，downonthewomenwhowerehurryingwithsomethingfordinner。

Thevalleywasfullofcorn，brighteninginthesun。Twocollieries，amongthefields，wavedtheirsmallwhiteplumesofsteam。Faroff，onthehillswerethewoodsofAnnesley，darkandfascinating。

Alreadyhisheartwentdown。Hewasbeingtakenintobondage。

Hisfreedominthebelovedhomevalleywasgoingnow。

Thebrewers’waggonscamerollingupfromKestonwithenormous，barrels，fouraside，likebeansinaburstbean-pod。Thewaggoner，thronedaloft，rollingmassivelyinhisseat，wasnotsomuch，belowPaul’seye。Theman’shair，onhissmall，bullethead，wasbleachedalmostwhitebythesun，andonhisthickredarms，rockingidlyonhissackapron，thewhitehairsglistened。

Hisredfaceshoneandwasalmostasleepwithsunshine。Thehorses，handsomeandbrown，wentonbythemselves，lookingbyfarthemasters，oftheshow。

Paulwishedhewerestupid。”Iwish，“hethoughttohimself，“Iwasfatlikehim，andlikeadoginthesun。IwishIwasapig，andabrewer’swaggoner。”

Then，theroombeingatlastempty，hewouldhastilycopy，anadvertisementonascrapofpaper，thenanother，andslip，outinimmenserelief。Hismotherwouldscanoverhiscopies。

“Yes，“shesaid，“youmaytry。”

Williamhadwrittenoutaletterofapplication，couchedin，admirablebusinesslanguage，whichPaulcopied，withvariations。

Theboy’shandwritingwasexecrable，sothatWilliam，whodidall，thingswell，gotintoafeverofimpatience。

Theelderbrotherwasbecomingquiteswanky。InLondonhefound，thathecouldassociatewithmenfarabovehisBestwoodfriends，instation。Someoftheclerksintheofficehadstudiedforthelaw，andweremoreorlessgoingthroughakindofapprenticeship。

Williamalwaysmadefriendsamongmenwhereverhewent，hewassojolly。

Thereforehewassoonvisitingandstayinginhousesofmenwho，inBestwood，wouldhavelookeddownontheunapproachablebankmanager，andwouldmerelyhavecalledindifferentlyontheRector。Sohebegan，tofancyhimselfasagreatgun。Hewas，indeed，rathersurprised，attheeasewithwhichhebecameagentleman。

Hismotherwasglad，heseemedsopleased。Andhislodging，inWalthamstowwassodreary。Butnowthereseemedtocomeakind，offeverintotheyoungman’sletters。Hewasunsettledbyall，thechange，hedidnotstandfirmonhisownfeet，butseemedtospin，rathergiddilyonthequickcurrentofthenewlife。Hismotherwas，anxiousforhim。Shecouldfeelhimlosinghimself。Hehaddanced，andgonetothetheatre，boatedontheriver，beenoutwithfriends;

andsheknewhesatupafterwardsinhiscoldbedroomgrindingaway，atLatin，becauseheintendedtogetoninhisoffice，andinthe，lawasmuchashecould。Heneversenthismotheranymoneynow。

Itwasalltaken，thelittlehehad，forhisownlife。Andshe，didnotwantany，exceptsometimes，whenshewasinatightcorner，andwhentenshillingswouldhavesavedhermuchworry。Shestill，dreamedofWilliam，andofwhathewoulddo，withherselfbehindhim。

Neverforaminutewouldsheadmittoherselfhowheavyandanxious，herheartwasbecauseofhim。

Alsohetalkedagooddealnowofagirlhehadmetatadance，ahandsomebrunette，quiteyoung，andalady，afterwhomthemen，wererunningthickandfast。

“Iwonderifyouwouldrun，myboy，“hismotherwrote，tohim，“unlessyousawalltheothermenchasinghertoo。

Youfeelsafeenoughandvainenoughinacrowd。Buttakecare，andseehowyoufeelwhenyoufindyourselfalone，andintriumph。”

Williamresentedthesethings，andcontinuedthechase。Hehad，takenthegirlontheriver。”Ifyousawher，mother，youwould，knowhowIfeel。Tallandelegant，withtheclearestofclear，transparentolivecomplexions，hairasblackasjet，andsuch，greyeyes——bright，mocking，likelightsonwateratnight。

Itisallverywelltobeabitsatiricaltillyouseeher。

AndshedressesaswellasanywomaninLondon。Itellyou，yoursondoesn’thalfputhisheadupwhenshegoeswalkingdown，Piccadillywithhim。”

Mrs。Morelwondered，inherheart，ifhersondidnotgo，walkingdownPiccadillywithanelegantfigureandfineclothes，ratherthanwithawomanwhowasneartohim。Butshecongratulated，himinherdoubtfulfashion。And，asshestoodoverthewashing-tub，themotherbroodedoverherson。Shesawhimsaddledwithan，elegantandexpensivewife，earninglittlemoney，draggingalong，andgettingdraggledinsomesmall，uglyhouseinasuburb。

“Butthere，“shetoldherself，“Iamverylikelyasilly——meeting，troublehalfway。”，Nevertheless，theloadofanxietyscarcelyever，leftherheart，lestWilliamshoulddothewrongthingbyhimself。

Presently，PaulwasbiddencalluponThomasJordan，ManufacturerofSurgicalAppliances，at21，SpanielRow，Nottingham。

Mrs。Morelwasalljoy。

“There，yousee！”shecried，hereyesshining。”You’veonly，writtenfourletters，andthethirdisanswered。You’relucky，myboy，asIalwayssaidyouwere。”

Paullookedatthepictureofawoodenleg，adornedwithelastic，stockingsandotherappliances，thatfiguredonMr。Jordan’snotepaper，andhefeltalarmed。Hehadnotknownthatelasticstockingsexisted。

Andheseemedtofeelthebusinessworld，withitsregulatedsystem，ofvalues，anditsimpersonality，andhedreadedit。Itseemed，monstrousalsothatabusinesscouldberunonwoodenlegs。

MotherandsonsetofftogetheroneTuesdaymorning。

ItwasAugustandblazinghot。Paulwalkedwithsomethingscrewedup，tightinsidehim。Hewouldhavesufferedmuchphysicalpainrather，thanthisunreasonablesufferingatbeingexposedtostrangers，tobeacceptedorrejected。Yethechatteredawaywithhismother。

Hewouldneverhaveconfessedtoherhowhesufferedoverthesethings，andsheonlypartlyguessed。Shewasgay，likeasweetheart。

Shestoodinfrontoftheticket-officeatBestwood，andPaulwatched，hertakefromherpursethemoneyforthetickets。

Ashesawherhandsintheiroldblackkidglovesgetting，thesilveroutofthewornpurse，hisheartcontractedwithpain，ofloveofher。

Shewasquiteexcited，andquitegay。Hesufferedbecauseshe，WOULDtalkaloudinpresenceoftheothertravellers。

“Nowlookatthatsillycow！”shesaid，“careeringround，asifitthoughtitwasacircus。”

“It’smostlikelyabottfly，“hesaidverylow。

“Awhat？”sheaskedbrightlyandunashamed。

Theythoughtawhile。Hewassensibleallthetimeofhaving，heroppositehim。Suddenlytheireyesmet，andshesmiledto，him——arare，intimatesmile，beautifulwithbrightnessandlove。

Theneachlookedoutofthewindow。

Thesixteenslowmilesofrailwayjourneypassed。Themother，andsonwalkeddownStationStreet，feelingtheexcitementoflovers，havinganadventuretogether。InCarringtonStreettheystopped，tohangovertheparapetandlookatthebargesonthecanalbelow。

“It’sjustlikeVenice，“hesaid，seeingthesunshine，onthewaterthatlaybetweenhighfactorywalls。

“Perhaps，“sheanswered，smiling。

Theyenjoyedtheshopsimmensely。

“Nowyouseethatblouse，“shewouldsay，“wouldn’tthatjust，suitourAnnie？，Andforone-and-eleven-three。Isn’tthatcheap？”

“Andmadeofneedleworkaswell，“hesaid。

“Yes。”

Theyhadplentyoftime，sotheydidnothurry。Thetown，wasstrangeanddelightfultothem。Buttheboywastiedupinside，inaknotofapprehension。HedreadedtheinterviewwithThomasJordan。

Itwasnearlyeleveno’clockbySt。Peter’sChurch。

TheyturnedupanarrowstreetthatledtotheCastle。Itwas，gloomyandold-fashioned，havinglowdarkshopsanddarkgreenhouse，doorswithbrassknockers，andyellow-ochreddoorstepsprojecting，ontothepavement;thenanotheroldshopwhosesmallwindowlooked，likeacunning，half-shuteye。Motherandsonwentcautiously，lookingeverywherefor“ThomasJordanandSon“。Itwaslikehunting，insomewildplace。Theywereontiptoeofexcitement。

Suddenlytheyspiedabig，darkarchway，inwhichwerenames，ofvariousfirms，ThomasJordanamongthem。

“Hereitis！”saidMrs。Morel。”ButnowWHEREisit？”

Theylookedround。Ononesidewasaqueer，dark，cardboardfactory，ontheotheraCommercialHotel。

“It’suptheentry，“saidPaul。

Andtheyventuredunderthearchway，asintothejaws，ofthedragon。Theyemergedintoawideyard，likeawell，withbuildingsallround。Itwaslitteredwithstrawandboxes，andcardboard。Thesunshineactuallycaughtonecratewhosestraw，wasstreamingontotheyardlikegold。Butelsewheretheplace，waslikeapit。Therewereseveraldoors，andtwoflightsofsteps。

Straightinfront，onadirtyglassdooratthetopofastaircase，loomedtheominouswords“ThomasJordanandSon——SurgicalAppliances。”

Mrs。Morelwentfirst，hersonfollowedher。CharlesImountedhis，scaffoldwithalighterheartthanhadPaulMorelashefollowedhis，motherupthedirtystepstothedirtydoor。

Shepushedopenthedoor，andstoodinpleasedsurprise。Infront，ofherwasabigwarehouse，withcreamypaperparcelseverywhere，andclerks，withtheirshirt-sleevesrolledback，weregoingabout，inanat-homesortofway。Thelightwassubdued，theglossycream，parcelsseemedluminous，thecounterswereofdarkbrownwood。

Allwasquietandveryhomely。Mrs。Moreltooktwostepsforward，thenwaited。Paulstoodbehindher。ShehadonherSunday，bonnetandablackveil;heworeaboy’sbroadwhitecollaranda，Norfolksuit。

Oneoftheclerkslookedup。Hewasthinandtall，witha，smallface。Hiswayoflookingwasalert。Thenheglancedround，totheotherendoftheroom，wherewasaglassoffice。Andthen，hecameforward。Hedidnotsayanything，butleanedinagentle，inquiringfashiontowardsMrs。Morel。

“CanIseeMr。Jordan？”sheasked。

“I’llfetchhim，“answeredtheyoungman。

Hewentdowntotheglassoffice。Ared-faced，white-whiskered，oldmanlookedup。HeremindedPaulofapomeraniandog。

Thenthesamelittlemancameuptheroom。Hehadshortlegs，wasratherstout，andworeanalpacajacket。So，withoneearup，asitwere，hecamestoutlyandinquiringlydowntheroom。

“Good-morning！”hesaid，hesitatingbeforeMrs。Morel，indoubtastowhethershewereacustomerornot。

“Good-morning。Icamewithmyson，PaulMorel。Youaskedhim，tocallthismorning。”

“Comethisway，“saidMr。Jordan，inarathersnappylittle，mannerintendedtobebusinesslike。

Theyfollowedthemanufacturerintoagrubbylittleroom，upholsteredinblackAmericanleather，glossywiththerubbingof，manycustomers。Onthetablewasapileoftrusses，yellowwash-leather，hoopstangledtogether。Theylookednewandliving。Paulsniffedthe，odourofnewwash-leather。Hewonderedwhatthethingswere。Bythis，timehewassomuchstunnedthatheonlynoticedtheoutsidethings。

“Sitdown！”saidMr。Jordan，irritablypointingMrs。Morel，toahorse-hairchair。Shesatontheedgeinanuncertainfashion。

Thenthelittleoldmanfidgetedandfoundapaper。

“Didyouwritethisletter？”hesnapped，thrustingwhatPaul，recognisedashisownnotepaperinfrontofhim。

“Yes，“heanswered。

Atthatmomenthewasoccupiedintwoways：，first，infeeling，guiltyfortellingalie，sinceWilliamhadcomposedtheletter;

second，inwonderingwhyhisletterseemedsostrangeanddifferent，inthefat，redhandoftheman，fromwhatithadbeenwhenitlay，onthekitchentable。Itwaslikepartofhimself，goneastray。

Heresentedthewaythemanheldit。

“Wheredidyoulearntowrite？”saidtheoldmancrossly。

Paulmerelylookedathimshamedly，anddidnotanswer。

“HeISabadwriter，“putinMrs。Morelapologetically。

Thenshepushedupherveil。Paulhatedherfornotbeingprouder，withthiscommonlittleman，andhelovedherfaceclearoftheveil。

“AndyousayyouknowFrench？”inquiredthelittleman，stillsharply。

“Yes，“saidPaul。

“Whatschooldidyougoto？”

“TheBoard-school。”

“Anddidyoulearnitthere？”

“No——I——“Theboywentcrimsonandgotnofarther。

“Hisgodfathergavehimlessons，“saidMrs。Morel，halfpleading，andratherdistant。

Mr。Jordanhesitated。Then，inhisirritablemanner——healways，seemedtokeephishandsreadyforaction——hepulledanothersheetof，paperfromhispocket，unfoldedit。Thepapermadeacracklingnoise。

HehandedittoPaul。

“Readthat，“hesaid。

ItwasanoteinFrench，inthin，flimsyforeignhandwriting，thattheboycouldnotdecipher。Hestaredblanklyatthepaper。

“’Monsieur，’“hebegan;thenhelookedingreatconfusion，atMr。Jordan。”It’sthe——it’sthe——“

Hewantedtosay“handwriting“buthiswitswouldnolongerwork，evensufficientlytosupplyhimwiththeword。Feelinganutterfool，andhatingMr。Jordan，heturneddesperatelytothepaperagain。

“’Sir，——Pleasesendme’——er——er——Ican’ttellthe——er——’two，pairs——grisfilbas——greythreadstockings’——er——er——’sans——without’——

er——Ican’ttellthewords——er——’doigts——fingers’——er——Ican’ttellthe——“

Hewantedtosay“handwriting“butthewordstillrefused，tocome。Seeinghimstuck，Mr。Jordansnatchedthepaperfromhim。

“’Pleasesendbyreturntwopairsgreythreadstockings，withoutTOES。’“

“Well，“flashedPaul，“’doigts’means’fingers’——aswell——as，arule——“

Thelittlemanlookedathim。Hedidnotknowwhether“doigts“

meant“fingers“;heknewthatforallHISpurposesitmeant“toes“。

“Fingerstostockings！”hesnapped。

“Well，itDOESmeanfingers，“theboypersisted。

Hehatedthelittleman，whomadesuchaclodofhim。

Mr。Jordanlookedatthepale，stupid，defiantboy，thenatthemother，whosatquietandwiththatpeculiarshut-offlookofthepoor，whohavetodependonthefavourofothers。

“Andwhencouldhecome？”heasked。

“Well，“saidMrs。Morel，“assoonasyouwish。Hehasfinished，schoolnow。”

“HewouldliveinBestwood？”

“Yes;buthecouldbein——atthestation——atquartertoeight。”

“H’m！”

ItendedbyPaul’sbeingengagedasjuniorspiralclerkateight，shillingsaweek。Theboydidnotopenhismouthtosayanother，word，afterhavinginsistedthat“doigts“meant“fingers“。He，followedhismotherdownthestairs。Shelookedathimwithher，brightblueeyesfullofloveandjoy。

“Ithinkyou’lllikeit，“shesaid。

“’Doigts’doesmean’fingers’，mother，anditwasthewriting。

Icouldn’treadthewriting。”

“Nevermind，myboy。I’msurehe’llbeallright，andyou，won’tseemuchofhim。Wasn’tthatfirstyoungfellownice？

I’msureyou’lllikethem。”

“Butwasn’tMr。Jordancommon，mother？，Doesheownitall？”

“Isupposehewasaworkmanwhohasgoton，“shesaid。

“Youmustn’tmindpeoplesomuch。They’renotbeingdisagreeable，toYOU——it’stheirway。Youalwaysthinkpeoplearemeaningthings，foryou。Buttheydon’t。”

Itwasverysunny。Overthebigdesolatespaceofthemarket-place，theblueskyshimmered，andthegranitecobblesofthepavingglistened。

ShopsdowntheLongRowweredeepinobscurity，andtheshadowwasfull，ofcolour。Justwherethehorsetramstrundledacrossthemarket，wasarowoffruitstalls，withfruitblazinginthesun——apples，andpilesofreddishoranges，smallgreen-gageplumsandbananas。

Therewasawarmscentoffruitasmotherandsonpassed。

Graduallyhisfeelingofignominyandofragesank。

“Whereshouldwegofordinner？”askedthemother。

Itwasfelttobearecklessextravagance。Paulhadonly，beeninaneating-houseonceortwiceinhislife，andthenonly，tohaveacupofteaandabun。MostofthepeopleofBestwood，consideredthatteaandbread-and-butter，andperhapspottedbeef，wasalltheycouldaffordtoeatinNottingham。Realcookeddinner，wasconsideredgreatextravagance。Paulfeltratherguilty。

Theyfoundaplacethatlookedquitecheap。ButwhenMrs。Morel，scannedthebilloffare，herheartwasheavy，thingsweresodear。

Sosheorderedkidney-piesandpotatoesasthecheapestavailabledish。

“Weoughtn’ttohavecomehere，mother，“saidPaul。

“Nevermind，“shesaid。”Wewon’tcomeagain。”

Sheinsistedonhishavingasmallcurranttart，becausehe，likedsweets。

“Idon’twantit，mother，“hepleaded。

“Yes，“sheinsisted;“you’llhaveit。”

Andshelookedroundforthewaitress。Butthewaitress，wasbusy，andMrs。Moreldidnotliketobotherherthen。

Sothemotherandsonwaitedforthegirl’spleasure，whilstshe，flirtedamongthemen。

“Brazenhussy！”saidMrs。MoreltoPaul。”Looknow，she’stakingthatmanHISpudding，andhecamelongafterus。”

“Itdoesn’tmatter，mother，“saidPaul。

Mrs。Morelwasangry。Butshewastoopoor，andherorders，weretoomeagre，sothatshehadnotthecouragetoinsistonher，rightsjustthen。Theywaitedandwaited。

“Shouldwego，mother？”hesaid。

ThenMrs。Morelstoodup。Thegirlwaspassingnear。

“Willyoubringonecurranttart？”saidMrs。Morelclearly。

Thegirllookedroundinsolently。

“Directly，“shesaid。

“Wehavewaitedquitelongenough，“saidMrs。Morel。

Inamomentthegirlcamebackwiththetart。Mrs。Morel，askedcoldlyforthebill。Paulwantedtosinkthroughthefloor。

Hemarvelledathismother’shardness。Heknewthatonlyyears，ofbattlinghadtaughthertoinsistevensolittleonherrights。

Sheshrankasmuchashe。

“It’sthelasttimeIgoTHEREforanything！”shedeclared，whentheywereoutsidetheplace，thankfultobeclear。

“We’llgo，“shesaid，“andlookatKeep’sandBoot’s，andone，ortwoplaces，shallwe？”

Theyhaddiscussionsoverthepictures，andMrs。Morel，wantedtobuyhimalittlesablebrushthatbehankeredafter。

Butthisindulgenceherefused。Hestoodinfrontofmilliners’

shopsanddrapers’shopsalmostbored，butcontentforherto，beinterested。Theywanderedon。

“Now，justlookatthoseblackgrapes！”shesaid。”Theymake，yourmouthwater。I’vewantedsomeofthoseforyears，butIs’ll，havetowaitabitbeforeIgetthem。”

Thensherejoicedintheflorists，standinginthedoorwaysniffing。

“Oh！oh！，Isn’titsimplylovely！”

Paulsaw，inthedarknessoftheshop，anelegantyounglady，inblackpeeringoverthecountercuriously。

“They’relookingatyou，“hesaid，tryingtodrawhismotheraway。

“Butwhatisit？”sheexclaimed，refusingtobemoved。

“Stocks！”heanswered，sniffinghastily。”Look，there’s，atubful。”

“Sothereis——redandwhite。Butreally，Ineverknew，stockstosmelllikeit！”And，tohisgreatrelief，shemoved，outofthedoorway，butonlytostandinfrontofthewindow。

“Paul！”shecriedtohim，whowastryingtogetoutof，sightoftheelegantyoungladyinblack——theshop-girl。“Paul！

Justlookhere！”

Hecamereluctantlyback。

“Now，justlookatthatfuchsia！”sheexclaimed，pointing。

“H’m！”Hemadeacurious，interestedsound。”You’dthink，everysecondastheflowerswasgoingtofalloff，theyhang，sobigan’heavy。”

“Andsuchanabundance！”shecried。

“Andthewaytheydropdownwardswiththeirthreadsandknots！”

“Yes！”sheexclaimed。”Lovely！”

“Iwonderwho’llbuyit！”hesaid。

“Iwonder！”sheanswered。”Notus。”

“Itwoulddieinourparlour。”

“Yes，beastlycold，sunlesshole;itkillseverybitofaplant，youputin，andthekitchenchokesthemtodeath。”

Theyboughtafewthings，andsetofftowardsthestation。

Lookingupthecanal，throughthedarkpassofthebuildings，theysawtheCastleonitsbluffofbrown，green-bushedrock，inapositivemiracleofdelicatesunshine。

“Won’titbeniceformetocomeoutatdinner-times？”saidPaul。

“Icangoallroundhereandseeeverything。Is’llloveit。”

“Youwill，“assentedhismother。

Hehadspentaperfectafternoonwithhismother。Theyarrived，homeinthemellowevening，happy，andglowing，andtired。

Inthemorninghefilledintheformforhisseason-ticket，andtookittothestation。Whenhegotback，hismotherwasjust，beginningtowashthefloor。Hesatcroucheduponthesofa。

“Hesaysit’llbehereonSaturday，“hesaid。

“Andhowmuchwillitbe？”

“Aboutonepoundeleven，“hesaid。

Shewentonwashingherfloorinsilence。

“Isitalot？”heasked。

“It’snomorethanIthought，“sheanswered。

“An’Is’llearneightshillingsaweek，“hesaid。

Shedidnotanswer，butwentonwithherwork。Atlastshesaid：

“ThatWilliampromisedme，whenhewenttoLondon，ashe’dgive，meapoundamonth。Hehasgivenmetenshillings——twice;andnowI

knowhehasn’tafarthingifIaskedhim。NotthatIwantit。

Onlyjustnowyou’dthinkhemightbeabletohelpwiththisticket，whichI’dneverexpected。”

“Heearnsalot，“saidPaul。

“Heearnsahundredandthirtypounds。Butthey’reallalike。

They’relargeinpromises，butit’spreciouslittlefulfilment，youget。”

“Hespendsoverfiftyshillingsaweekonhimself，“saidPaul。

“AndIkeepthishouseonlessthanthirty，“shereplied;

“andamsupposedtofindmoneyforextras。Buttheydon’tcare，abouthelpingyou，oncethey’vegone。He’dratherspenditon，thatdressed-upcreature。”

“Sheshouldhaveherownmoneyifshe’ssogrand，“saidPaul。

“Sheshould，butshehasn’t。Iaskedhim。AndIknowhe，doesn’tbuyheragoldbanglefornothing。Iwonderwhoeverbought，MEagoldbangle。”

Williamwassucceedingwithhis“Gipsy“ashecalledher。

Heaskedthegirl——hernamewasLouisaLilyDenysWestern——fora，photographtosendtohismother。Thephotocame——ahandsomebrunette，takeninprofile，smirkingslightly——and，itmightbe，quitenaked，foronthephotographnotascrapofclothingwastobeseen，onlyanakedbust。

“Yes，“wroteMrs。Moreltoherson，“thephotographof，Louieisverystriking，andIcanseeshemustbeattractive。

Butdoyouthink，myboy，itwasverygoodtasteofagirlto，giveheryoungmanthatphototosendtohismother——thefirst？

Certainlytheshouldersarebeautiful，asyousay。ButIhardly，expectedtoseesomuchofthematthefirstview。”

Morelfoundthephotographstandingonthechiffonierin，theparlour。Hecameoutwithitbetweenhisthickthumbandfinger。

“Whodostreckonthisis？”heaskedofhiswife。

“It’sthegirlourWilliamisgoingwith，“repliedMrs。Morel。

“H’m！’Er’sabrightspark，fromth’lookon’er，an’

oneaswunnadohimowermuchgoodneither。Whoisshe？”

“HernameisLouisaLilyDenysWestern。”

“An’comeagainto-morrer！”exclaimedtheminer。”An’is’er，anactress？”

“Sheisnot。She’ssupposedtobealady。”

“I’llbet！”heexclaimed，stillstaringatthephoto。”Alady，isshe？，An’howmuchdoesshereckonterkeepupthissorto’

gameon？”

“Onnothing。Sheliveswithanoldaunt，whomshehates，andtakeswhatbitofmoney’sgivenher。”

“H’m！”saidMorel，layingdownthephotograph。”Thenhe’s，afooltoha’ta’enupwi’suchaoneasthat。”

“DearMater，“Williamreplied。”I’msorryyoudidn’tlike，thephotograph。ItneveroccurredtomewhenIsentit，thatyou，mightn’tthinkitdecent。However，ItoldGypthatitdidn’tquite，suityourprimandpropernotions，soshe’sgoingtosendyouanother，thatIhopewillpleaseyoubetter。She’salwaysbeingphotographed;

infact，thephotographersaskheriftheymaytakeherfornothing。”

Presentlythenewphotographcame，withalittlesillynote，fromthegirl。Thistimetheyoungladywasseeninablacksatin，eveningbodice，cutsquare，withlittlepuffsleeves，andblack，lacehangingdownherbeautifularms。

“Iwonderifsheeverwearsanythingexcepteveningclothes，“

saidMrs。Morelsarcastically。”I’msureIoughttobeimpressed。”

“Youaredisagreeable，mother，“saidPaul。”Ithinkthefirst，onewithbareshouldersislovely。”

“Doyou？”answeredhismother。”Well，Idon’t。”

OntheMondaymorningtheboygotupatsixtostartwork。

Hehadtheseason-ticket，whichhadcostsuchbitterness，inhis，waistcoatpocket。Heloveditwithitsbarsofyellowacross。

Hismotherpackedhisdinnerinasmall，shut-upbasket，andheset，offataquartertoseventocatchthe7。15train。Mrs。Morelcame，totheentry-endtoseehimoff。

Itwasaperfectmorning。Fromtheashtreetheslender，greenfruitsthatthechildrencall“pigeons“weretwinklinggaily，downonalittlebreeze，intothefrontgardensofthehouses。

Thevalleywasfullofalustrousdarkhaze，throughwhichtheripe，cornshimmered，andinwhichthesteamfromMintonpitmeltedswiftly。

Puffsofwindcame。PaullookedoverthehighwoodsofAldersley，wherethecountrygleamed，andhomehadneverpulledathim，sopowerfully。

“Good-morning，mother，“hesaid，smiling，butfeelingveryunhappy。

“Good-morning，“sherepliedcheerfullyandtenderly。

Shestoodinherwhiteapronontheopenroad，watchinghim，ashecrossedthefield。Hehadasmall，compactbodythatlooked，fulloflife。Shefelt，asshesawhimtrudgingoverthefield，thatwherehedeterminedtogohewouldget。ShethoughtofWilliam。

Hewouldhaveleapedthefenceinsteadofgoingroundthestile。

HewasawayinLondon，doingwell。PaulwouldbeworkinginNottingham。

Nowshehadtwosonsintheworld。Shecouldthinkoftwoplaces，greatcentresofindustry，andfeelthatshehadputamanintoeach，ofthem，thatthesemenwouldworkoutwhatSHEwanted;theywere，derivedfromher，theywereofher，andtheirworksalsowouldbehers。

AllthemorninglongshethoughtofPaul。

Ateighto’clockheclimbedthedismalstairsofJordan’s，SurgicalApplianceFactory，andstoodhelplesslyagainstthefirst，greatparcel-rack，waitingforsomebodytopickhimup。Theplace，wasstillnotawake。Overthecountersweregreatdustsheets。

Twomenonlyhadarrived，andwereheardtalkinginacorner，astheytookofftheircoatsandrolleduptheirshirt-sleeves。It，wastenpasteight。Evidentlytherewasnorushofpunctuality。

Paullistenedtothevoicesofthetwoclerks。Thenheheard，someonecough，andsawintheofficeattheendoftheroomanold，decayingclerk，inaroundsmoking-capofblackvelvetembroidered，withredandgreen，openingletters。Hewaitedandwaited。

Oneofthejuniorclerkswenttotheoldman，greetedhim，cheerilyandloudly。Evidentlytheold“chief“wasdeaf。

Thentheyoungfellowcamestridingimportantlydowntohiscounter。

HespiedPaul。

“Hello！”hesaid。”Youthenewlad？”

“Yes，“saidPaul。

“H’m！What’syourname？”

“PaulMorel。”

“PaulMorel？，Allright，youcomeonroundhere。”

Paulfollowedhimroundtherectangleofcounters。Theroom，wassecondstorey。Ithadagreatholeinthemiddleofthefloor，fencedaswithawallofcounters，anddownthiswideshaft，theliftswent，andthelightforthebottomstorey。Alsothere，wasacorrespondingbig，oblongholeintheceiling，andone，couldseeabove，overthefenceofthetopfloor，somemachinery;

andrightawayoverheadwastheglassroof，andalllightforthe，threestoreyscamedownwards，gettingdimmer，sothatitwasalways，nightonthegroundfloorandrathergloomyonthesecondfloor。

Thefactorywasthetopfloor，thewarehousethesecond，thestorehouse，thegroundfloor。Itwasaninsanitary，ancientplace。

Paulwasledroundtoaverydarkcorner。

“Thisisthe’Spiral’corner，“saidtheclerk。”You’reSpiral，withPappleworth。He’syourboss，buthe’snotcomeyet。Hedoesn’t，getheretillhalf-pasteight。Soyoucanfetchtheletters，ifyoulike，fromMr。Mellingdownthere。”

Theyoungmanpointedtotheoldclerkintheoffice。

“Allright，“saidPaul。

“Here’sapegtohangyourcapon。Hereareyourentryledgers。

Mr。Pappleworthwon’tbelong。”

Andthethinyoungmanstalkedawaywithlong，busystrides，overthehollowwoodenfloor。

AfteraminuteortwoPaulwentdownandstoodinthedoor，oftheglassoffice。Theoldclerkinthesmoking-caplooked，downovertherimofhisspectacles。

“Good-morning，“hesaid，kindlyandimpressively。”Youwant，thelettersfortheSpiraldepartment，Thomas？”

Paulresentedbeingcalled“Thomas“。Buthetooktheletters，andreturnedtohisdarkplace，wherethecountermadeanangle，wherethegreatparcel-rackcametoanend，andwherethere，werethreedoorsinthecorner。Hesatonahighstoolandread，theletters——thosewhosehandwritingwasnottoodifficult。

Theyranasfollows：

“Willyoupleasesendmeatonceapairoflady’ssilkspiral，thigh-hose，withoutfeet，suchasIhadfromyoulastyear;

length，thightoknee，etc。”，Or，“MajorChamberlainwishes，torepeathispreviousorderforasilknon-elasticsuspensorybandage。”

Manyoftheseletters，someoftheminFrenchorNorwegian，wereagreatpuzzletotheboy。Hesatonhisstoolnervouslyawaiting，thearrivalofhis“boss“。Hesufferedtorturesofshynesswhen，athalf-pasteight，thefactorygirlsforupstairstroopedpasthim。

Mr。Papplewortharrived，chewingachlorodynegum，atabout，twentytonine，whenalltheothermenwereatwork。Hewasathin，sallowmanwitharednose，quick，staccato，andsmartlybut，stifflydressed。Hewasaboutthirty-sixyearsold。Therewas，somethingrather“doggy“rathersmart，rather’cuteandshrewd，andsomethingwarm，andsomethingslightlycontemptibleabouthim。

“Youmynewlad？”hesaid。

Paulstoodupandsaidhewas。

“Fetchedtheletters？”

Mr。Pappleworthgaveachewtohisgum。

“Yes。”

“Copied’em？”

“No。”

“Well，comeonthen，let’slookslippy。Changedyourcoat？”

“No。”

“Youwanttobringanoldcoatandleaveithere。”，Hepronounced，thelastwordswiththechlorodynegumbetweenhissideteeth。

Hevanishedintothedarknessbehindthegreatparcel-rack，reappearedcoatless，turningupasmartstripedshirt-cuffover，athinandhairyarm。Thenheslippedintohiscoat。Paulnoticed，howthinhewas，andthathistrouserswereinfoldsbehind。

Heseizedastool，draggeditbesidetheboy’s，andsatdown。

“Sitdown，“hesaid。

Paultookaseat。

Mr。Pappleworthwasveryclosetohim。Themanseized，theletters，snatchedalongentry-bookoutofarackinfront，ofhim，flungitopen，seizedapen，andsaid：

“Nowlookhere。Youwanttocopytheselettersinhere。”

Hesniffedtwice，gaveaquickchewathisgum，staredfixedlyat，aletter，thenwentverystillandabsorbed，andwrotetheentryrapidly，inabeautifulflourishinghand。HeglancedquicklyatPaul。

“Seethat？”

“Yes。”

“Thinkyoucandoitallright？”

“Yes。”

“Allrightthen，let’sseeyou。”

Hesprangoffhisstool。Paultookapen。Mr。Pappleworth，disappeared。Paulratherlikedcopyingtheletters，buthewroteslowly，laboriously，andexceedinglybadly。Hewasdoingthefourthletter，andfeelingquitebusyandhappy，whenMr。Pappleworthreappeared。

“Nowthen，how’r’yergettingon？，Done’em？”

Heleanedovertheboy’sshoulder，chewing，andsmelling，ofchlorodyne。

“Strikemybob，lad，butyou’reabeautifulwriter！”

heexclaimedsatirically。”Ne’ermind，howmanyh’yerdone？

Onlythree！，I’d’aeaten’em。Geton，mylad，an’putnumbers，on’em。Here，look！，Geton！”

Paulgroundawayattheletters，whilstMr。Pappleworthfussed，overvariousjobs。Suddenlytheboystartedasashrillwhistle，soundednearhisear。Mr。Pappleworthcame，tookaplugoutofapipe，andsaid，inanamazinglycrossandbossyvoice：

“Yes？”

Paulheardafaintvoice，likeawoman’s，outofthemouthof，thetube。Hegazedinwonder，neverhavingseenaspeaking-tubebefore。

“Well，“saidMr。Pappleworthdisagreeablyintothetube，“you’dbettergetsomeofyourbackworkdone，then。”

Againthewoman’stinyvoicewasheard，soundingprettyandcross。

“I’venottimetostandherewhileyoutalk，“saidMr。Pappleworth，andhepushedtheplugintothetube。

“Come，mylad，“hesaidimploringlytoPaul，“there’sPolly，cryingoutforthemorders。Can’tyoubuckupabit？，Here，comeout！”

Hetookthebook，toPaul’simmensechagrin，andbegan，thecopyinghimself。Heworkedquicklyandwell。Thisdone，heseizedsomestripsoflongyellowpaper，aboutthreeincheswide，andmadeouttheday’sordersforthework-girls。

“You’dbetterwatchme，“hesaidtoPaul，workingallthe，whilerapidly。Paulwatchedtheweirdlittledrawingsoflegs，andthighs，andankles，withthestrokesacrossandthenumbers，andthefewbriefdirectionswhichhischiefmadeupontheyellowpaper。

ThenMr。Pappleworthfinishedandjumpedup。

“Comeonwithme，“hesaid，andtheyellowpapersflying，inhishands，hedashedthroughadooranddownsomestairs，intothebasementwherethegaswasburning。Theycrossedthecold，dampstoreroom，thenalong，drearyroomwithalongtableontrestles，intoasmaller，cosyapartment，notveryhigh，whichhadbeen，builtontothemainbuilding。Inthisroomasmallwomanwith，aredsergeblouse，andherblackhairdoneontopofherhead，waswaitinglikeaproudlittlebantam。

“Herey’are！”saidPappleworth。

“Ithinkitis’hereyouare’！”exclaimedPolly。”Thegirls，havebeenherenearlyhalfanhourwaiting。Justthinkofthe，timewasted！”

“YOUthinkofgettingyourworkdoneandnottalkingsomuch，“

saidMr。Pappleworth。”Youcouldha’beenfinishingoff。”

“YouknowquitewellwefinishedeverythingoffonSaturday！”

criedPony，flyingathim，herdarkeyesflashing。

“Tu-tu-tu-tu-terterter！”hemocked。”Here’syournewlad。

Don’truinhimasyoudidthelast。”

“Aswedidthelast！”repeatedPolly。”Yes，WEdoalot，ofruining，wedo。Myword，aladwouldTAKEsomeruiningafter，he’dbeenwithyou。”

“It’stimeforworknow，notfortalk，“saidMr。Pappleworth，severelyandcoldly。

“Itwastimeforworksometimeback，“saidPolly，marchingaway，withherheadintheair。Shewasanerectlittlebodyofforty。

Inthatroomweretworoundspiralmachinesonthebenchunder，thewindow。Throughtheinnerdoorwaywasanotherlongerroom，withsixmoremachines。Alittlegroupofgirls，nicelydressed，inwhiteaprons，stoodtalkingtogether。

“Haveyounothingelsetodobuttalk？”saidMr。Pappleworth。

“Onlywaitforyou，“saidonehandsomegirl，laughing。

“Well，geton，geton，“hesaid。”Comeon，mylad。

You’llknowyourroaddownhereagain。”

AndPaulranupstairsafterhischief。Hewasgivensome，checkingandinvoicingtodo。Hestoodatthedesk，labouringinhis，execrablehandwriting。PresentlyMr。Jordancamestruttingdownfrom，theglassofficeandstoodbehindhim，totheboy’sgreatdiscomfort。

Suddenlyaredandfatfingerwasthrustontheformhewasfillingin。

“MR。J。A。Bates，Esquire！”exclaimedthecrossvoicejust，behindhisear。

Paullookedat“Mr。J。A。Bates，Esquire“inhisownvilewriting，andwonderedwhatwasthematternow。

“Didn’ttheyteachyouanybetterTHANthatwhiletheywereatit？

Ifyouput’Mr。’youdon’tputEsquire’-amancan’tbebothatonce。”

Theboyregrettedhistoo-muchgenerosityindisposing，ofhonours，hesitated，andwithtremblingfingers，scratchedout，the“Mr。”ThenallatonceMr。Jordansnatchedawaytheinvoice。