第8章
Paulwasrawandirritable。Healsoweariedhismotherveryoften。
Shesawthesunshinegoingoutofhim，andsheresentedit。
Astheywerefinishingbreakfastcamethepostmanwithaletter，fromDerby。Mrs。Morelscreweduphereyestolookattheaddress。
“Giveithere，blindeye！”exclaimedherson，snatchingit，awayfromher。
Shestarted，andalmostboxedhisears。
“It’sfromyourson，Arthur，“hesaid。
“Whatnow——！”criedMrs。Morel。
“’MydearestMother，’“Paulread，“’Idon’tknowwhatmade，mesuchafool。Iwantyoutocomeandfetchmebackfromhere。
IcamewithJackBredonyesterday，insteadofgoingtowork，andenlisted。Hesaidhewassickofwearingtheseatofastoolout，and，liketheidiotyouknowIam，Icameawaywithhim。
“’IhavetakentheKing’sshilling，butperhapsifyou，cameformetheywouldletmegobackwithyou。Iwasafool，whenIdidit。Idon’twanttobeinthearmy。Mydearmother，Iamnothingbutatroubletoyou。Butifyougetmeoutofthis，IpromiseIwillhavemoresenseandconsideration……’“
Mrs。Morelsatdowninherrocking-chair。
“Well，NOW，“shecried，“lethimstop！”
“Yes，“saidPaul，“lethimstop。”
Therewassilence。Themothersatwithherhandsfolded，inherapron，herfaceset，thinking。
“IfI’mnotSICK！”shecriedsuddenly。”Sick！”
“Now，“saidPaul，beginningtofrown，“you’renotgoing，toworryyoursouloutaboutthis，doyouhear。”
“IsupposeI’mtotakeitasablessing，“sheflashed，turningonherson。
“You’renotgoingtomountituptoatragedy，sothere，“
heretorted。
“TheFOOL！——theyoungfool！”shecried。
“He’lllookwellinuniform，“saidPaulirritatingly。
Hismotherturnedonhimlikeafury。
“Oh，willhe！”shecried。”Notinmyeyes！”
“Heshouldgetinacavalryregiment;he’llhavethetime，ofhislife，andwilllookanawfulswell。”
“Swell！——SWELL！——amightyswellideaindeed！——acommonsoldier！”
“Well，“saidPaul，“whatamIbutacommonclerk？”
“Agooddeal，myboy！”criedhismother，stung。
“What？”
“Atanyrate，aMAN，andnotathinginaredcoat。”
“Ishouldn’tmindbeinginaredcoat——ordarkblue，thatwould，suitmebetter——iftheydidn’tbossmeabouttoomuch。”
Buthismotherhadceasedtolisten。
“Justashewasgettingon，ormighthavebeengettingon，athisjob——ayoungnuisance——herehegoesandruinshimselfforlife。
Whatgoodwillhebe，doyouthink，afterTHIS？”
“Itmaylickhimintoshapebeautifully，“saidPaul。
“Lickhimintoshape！——lickwhatmarrowthereWASoutofhisbones。
ASOLDIER！——acommonSOLDIER！——nothingbutabodythatmakesmovements，whenithearsashout！，It’safinething！”
“Ican’tunderstandwhyitupsetsyou，“saidPaul。
“No，perhapsyoucan’t。ButIunderstand“;andshesatback，inherchair，herchininonehand，holdingherelbowwiththeother，brimmedupwithwrathandchagrin。
“AndshallyougotoDerby？”askedPaul。
“Yes。”
“It’snogood。”
“I’llseeformyself。”
“Andwhyonearthdon’tyoulethimstop。It’sjustwhat，hewants。”
“Ofcourse，“criedthemother，“YOUknowwhathewants！”
ShegotreadyandwentbythefirsttraintoDerby，whereshe，sawhersonandthesergeant。Itwas，however，nogood。
WhenMorelwashavinghisdinnerintheevening，shesaidsuddenly：
“I’vehadtogotoDerbyto-day。”
Theminerturneduphiseyes，showingthewhitesinhisblackface。
“Haster，lass。Whattooktheethere？”
“ThatArthur！”
“Oh——an’what’sagatenow？”
“He’sonlyenlisted。”
Morelputdownhisknifeandleanedbackinhischair。
“Nay，“hesaid，“thatheniver’as！”
“AndisgoingdowntoAldershottomorrow。”
“Well！”exclaimedtheminer。”That’sawinder。”，Heconsidered，itamoment，said“H’m！”andproceededwithhisdinner。Suddenlyhis，facecontractedwithwrath。”Ihopehemayneversetfooti’
myhouseagain，“hesaid。
“Theidea！”criedMrs。Morel。”Sayingsuchathing！”
“Ido，“repeatedMorel。”Afoolasrunsawayforasoldier，let’imlookafter’issen;Is’lldonomorefor’im。”
“Afatsightyouhavedoneasitis，“shesaid。
AndMorelwasalmostashamedtogotohispublic-house，thatevening。
“Well，didyougo？”saidPaultohismotherwhenhecamehome。
“Idid。”
“Andcouldyouseehim？”
“Yes。”
“Andwhatdidhesay？”
“HeblubberedwhenIcameaway。”
“H’m！”
“AndsodidI，soyouneedn’t’h’m’！”
Mrs。Morelfrettedafterherson。Sheknewhewouldnot，likethearmy。Hedidnot。Thedisciplinewasintolerabletohim。
“Butthedoctor，“shesaidwithsomepridetoPaul，“saidhe，wasperfectlyproportioned——almostexactly;allhismeasurements，werecorrect。HeISgood-looking，youknow。”
“He’sawfullynice-looking。Buthedoesn’tfetchthegirls，likeWilliam，doeshe？”
“No;it’sadifferentcharacter。He’sagooddeallike，hisfather，irresponsible。”
Toconsolehismother，PauldidnotgomuchtoWilley，Farmatthistime。Andintheautumnexhibitionofstudents’
workintheCastlehehadtwostudies，alandscapeinwater-colour，andastilllifeinoil，bothofwhichhadfirst-prizeawards。
Hewashighlyexcited。
“WhatdoyouthinkI’vegotformypictures，mother？”heasked，cominghomeoneevening。Shesawbyhiseyeshewasglad。
Herfaceflushed。
“Now，howshouldIknow，myboy！”
“Afirstprizeforthoseglassjars——“
“H’m！”
“AndafirstprizeforthatsketchupatWilleyFarm。”
“Bothfirst？”
“Yes。”
“H’m！”
Therewasarosy，brightlookabouther，thoughshesaidnothing。
“It’snice，“hesaid，“isn’tit？”
“Itis。”
“Whydon’tyoupraisemeuptotheskies？”
Shelaughed。
“Ishouldhavethetroubleofdraggingyoudownagain，“
shesaid。
Butshewasfullofjoy，nevertheless。Williamhadbrought，herhissportingtrophies。Shekeptthemstill，andshedidnot，forgivehisdeath。Arthurwashandsome——atleast，agoodspecimen——andwarm，andgenerous，andprobablywoulddowellintheend。ButPaul，wasgoingtodistinguishhimself。Shehadagreatbeliefinhim，themorebecausehewasunawareofhisownpowers。Therewas，somuchtocomeoutofhim。Lifeforherwasrichwithpromise。
Shewastoseeherselffulfilled。Notfornothinghadbeen，herstruggle。
SeveraltimesduringtheexhibitionMrs。Morelwenttothe，CastleunknowntoPaul。Shewandereddownthelongroomlooking，attheotherexhibits。Yes，theyweregood。Buttheyhadnotin，themacertainsomethingwhichshedemandedforhersatisfaction。
Somemadeherjealous，theyweresogood。Shelookedatthem，alongtimetryingtofindfaultwiththem。Thensuddenlyshe，hadashockthatmadeherheartbeat。TherehungPaul’spicture！
Sheknewitasifitwereprintedonherheart。
“Name——PaulMorel——FirstPrize。”
Itlookedsostrange，thereinpublic，onthewallsofthe，Castlegallery，whereinherlifetimeshehadseensomanypictures。
Andsheglancedroundtoseeifanyonehadnoticedheragaininfront，ofthesamesketch。
Butshefeltaproudwoman。Whenshemetwell-dressedladies，goinghometothePark，shethoughttoherself：
“Yes，youlookverywell——butIwonderifYOURsonhastwo，firstprizesintheCastle。”
Andshewalkedon，asproudalittlewomanasanyinNottingham。
AndPaulfelthehaddonesomethingforher，ifonlyatrifle。
Allhisworkwashers。
Oneday，ashewasgoingupCastleGate，hemetMiriam。Hehad，seenherontheSunday，andhadnotexpectedtomeetherintown。
Shewaswalkingwitharatherstrikingwoman，blonde，withasullen，expression，andadefiantcarriage。ItwasstrangehowMiriam，inherbowed，meditativebearing，lookeddwarfedbesidethiswoman，withthehandsomeshoulders。MiriamwatchedPaulsearchingly。
Hisgazewasonthestranger，whoignoredhim。Thegirlsawhis，masculinespiritrearitshead。
“Hello！”hesaid，“youdidn’ttellmeyouwerecomingtotown。”
“No，“repliedMiriam，halfapologetically。”Idrove，intoCattleMarketwithfather。”
Helookedathercompanion。
“I’vetoldyouaboutMrs。Dawes，“saidMiriamhuskily;
shewasnervous。”Clara，doyouknowPaul？”
“IthinkI’veseenhimbefore，“repliedMrs。Dawesindifferently，assheshookhandswithhim。Shehadscornfulgreyeyes，askin，likewhitehoney，andafullmouth，withaslightlyliftedupper，lipthatdidnotknowwhetheritwasraisedinscornofallmen，oroutofeagernesstobekissed，butwhichbelievedtheformer。
Shecarriedherheadback，asifshehaddrawnawayincontempt，perhapsfrommenalso。Sheworealarge，dowdyhatofblackbeaver，andasortofslightlyaffectedsimpledressthatmadeherlook，rathersack-like。Shewasevidentlypoor，andhadnotmuchtaste。
Miriamusuallylookednice。
“Wherehaveyouseenme？”Paulaskedofthewoman。
Shelookedathimasifshewouldnottroubletoanswer。Then：
“WalkingwithLouieTravers，“shesaid。
Louiewasoneofthe“Spiral“girls。
“Why，doyouknowher？”heasked。
Shedidnotanswer。HeturnedtoMiriam。
“Whereareyougoing？”heasked。
“TotheCastle。”
“Whattrainareyougoinghomeby？”
“Iamdrivingwithfather。Iwishyoucouldcometoo。
Whattimeareyoufree？”
“Youknownottilleightto-night，damnit！”
Anddirectlythetwowomenmovedon。
PaulrememberedthatClaraDaweswasthedaughterofanold，friendofMrs。Leivers。Miriamhadsoughtheroutbecauseshe，hadoncebeenSpiraloverseeratJordan’s，andbecauseherhusband，BaxterDawes，wassmithforthefactory，makingtheironsfor，crippleinstruments，andsoon。ThroughherMiriamfeltshegot，intodirectcontactwithJordan’s，andcouldestimatebetter，Paul’sposition。ButMrs。Daweswasseparatedfromherhusband，andhadtakenupWomen’sRights。Shewassupposedtobeclever。
ItinterestedPaul。
BaxterDawesheknewanddisliked。Thesmithwasaman，ofthirty-oneorthirty-two。HecameoccasionallythroughPaul’s，corner——abig，well-setman，alsostrikingtolookat，andhandsome。
Therewasapeculiarsimilaritybetweenhimselfandhiswife。
Hehadthesamewhiteskin，withaclear，goldentinge。Hishair，wasofsoftbrown，hismoustachewasgolden。Andhehadasimilar，defianceinhisbearingandmanner。Butthencamethedifference。
Hiseyes，darkbrownandquick-shifting，weredissolute。
Theyprotrudedveryslightly，andhiseyelidshungoverthemina，waythatwashalfhate。Hismouth，too，wassensual。Hiswhole，mannerwasofcoweddefiance，asifhewerereadytoknockanybody，downwhodisapprovedofhim——perhapsbecausehereallydisapproved，ofhimself。
FromthefirstdayhehadhatedPaul。Findingthelad’simpersonal，deliberategazeofanartistonhisface，hegotintoafury。
“Whatareyerlookin’at？”hesneered，bullying。
Theboyglancedaway。Butthesmithusedtostandbehind，thecounterandtalktoMr。Pappleworth。Hisspeechwasdirty，withakindofrottenness。Againhefoundtheyouthwithhiscool，criticalgazefixedonhisface。Thesmithstartedroundasifhe，hadbeenstung。
“What’ryerlookin’at，threehap’ortho’pap？”hesnarled。
Theboyshruggedhisshouldersslightly。
“Whyyer——！”shoutedDawes。
“Leavehimalone，“saidMr。Pappleworth，inthatinsinuating，voicewhichmeans，“He’sonlyoneofyourgoodlittlesopswhocan’t，helpit。”
Sincethattimetheboyusedtolookatthemaneverytime，hecamethroughwiththesamecuriouscriticism，glancingaway，beforehemetthesmith’seye。ItmadeDawesfurious。Theyhated，eachotherinsilence。
ClaraDaweshadnochildren。Whenshehadleftherhusbandthe，homehadbeenbrokenup，andshehadgonetolivewithhermother。
Daweslodgedwithhissister。Inthesamehousewasasister-in-law，and，somehowPaulknewthatthisgirl，LouieTravers，wasnowDawes’swoman。
Shewasahandsome，insolenthussy，whomockedattheyouth，andyet，flushedifhewalkedalongtothestationwithherasshewenthome。
ThenexttimehewenttoseeMiriamitwasSaturdayevening。
Shehadafireintheparlour，andwaswaitingforhim。Theothers，exceptherfatherandmotherandtheyoungchildren，hadgoneout，sothetwohadtheparlourtogether。Itwasalong，low，warmroom。
TherewerethreeofPaul’ssmallsketchesonthewall，andhisphotowas，onthemantelpiece。Onthetableandonthehighold，rosewoodpianowerebowlsofcolouredleaves。Hesatinthearmchair，shecrouchedonthehearthrugnearhisfeet。Theglowwaswarm，onherhandsome，pensivefaceasshekneeledtherelikeadevotee。
“WhatdidyouthinkofMrs。Dawes？”sheaskedquietly。
“Shedoesn’tlookveryamiable，“hereplied。
“No，butdon’tyouthinkshe’safinewoman？”shesaid，inadeeptone，“Yes——instature。Butwithoutagrainoftaste。Ilikeher，forsomethings。ISshedisagreeable？”
“Idon’tthinkso。Ithinkshe’sdissatisfied。”
“Whatwith？”
“Well——howwouldyouliketobetiedforlifetoamanlikethat？”
“Whydidshemarryhim，then，ifshewastohaverevulsions，sosoon？”
“Ay，whydidshe！”repeatedMiriambitterly。
“AndIshouldhavethoughtshehadenoughfightinher，tomatchhim，“hesaid。
Miriambowedherhead。
“Ay？”shequeriedsatirically。”Whatmakesyouthinkso？”
“Lookathermouth——madeforpassion——andtheverysetback，ofherthroat——“HethrewhisheadbackinClara’sdefiantmanner。
Miriambowedalittlelower。
“Yes，“shesaid。
Therewasasilenceforsomemoments，whilehethoughtofClara。
“Andwhatwerethethingsyoulikedabouther？”sheasked。
“Idon’tknow——herskinandthetextureofher——andher——Idon’t，know——there’sasortoffiercenesssomewhereinher。Iappreciate，herasanartist，that’sall。”
“Yes。”
HewonderedwhyMiriamcrouchedtherebroodinginthatstrangeway。
Itirritatedhim。
“Youdon’treallylikeher，doyou？”heaskedthegirl。
Shelookedathimwithhergreat，dazzleddarkeyes。
“Ido，“shesaid。
“Youdon’t——youcan’t——notreally。”
“Thenwhat？”sheaskedslowly。
“Eh，Idon’tknow——perhapsyoulikeherbecauseshe’sgotagrudge，againstmen。”
Thatwasmoreprobablyoneofhisownreasonsforliking，Mrs。Dawes，butthisdidnotoccurtohim。Theyweresilent。
Therehadcomeintohisforeheadaknittingofthebrowswhichwas，becominghabitualwithhim，particularlywhenhewaswithMiriam。
Shelongedtosmoothitaway，andshewasafraidofit。Itseemed，thestampofamanwhowasnothermaninPaulMorel。
Thereweresomecrimsonberriesamongtheleavesinthebowl。
Hereachedoverandpulledoutabunch。
“Ifyouputredberriesinyourhair，“hesaid，“whywould，youlooklikesomewitchorpriestess，andneverlikeareveller？”
Shelaughedwithanaked，painfulsound。
“Idon’tknow，“shesaid。
Hisvigorouswarmhandswereplayingexcitedlywiththeberries。
“Whycan’tyoulaugh？”hesaid。”Youneverlaughlaughter。
Youonlylaughwhensomethingisoddorincongruous，andthenit，almostseemstohurtyou。”
Shebowedherheadasifhewerescoldingher。
“Iwishyoucouldlaughatmejustforoneminute——just，foroneminute。Ifeelasifitwouldsetsomethingfree。”
“But“——andshelookedupathimwitheyesfrightened，andstruggling——“Idolaughatyou——IDO。”
“Never！，There’salwaysakindofintensity。Whenyoulaugh，Icouldalwayscry;itseemsasifitshowsupyoursuffering。
Oh，youmakemeknitthebrowsofmyverysoulandcogitate。”
Slowlysheshookherheaddespairingly。
“I’msureIdon’twantto，“shesaid。
“I’msodamnedspiritualwithYOUalways！”hecried。
Sheremainedsilent，thinking，“Thenwhydon’tyoubeotherwise。”
Buthesawhercrouching，broodingfigure，anditseemedtotear，himintwo。
“But，there，it’sautumn，“hesaid，“andeverybodyfeels，likeadisembodiedspiritthen。”
Therewasstillanothersilence。Thispeculiarsadness，betweenthemthrilledhersoul。Heseemedsobeautifulwithhis，eyesgonedark，andlookingasiftheyweredeepasthedeepestwell。
“Youmakemesospiritual！”helamented。”AndIdon’twant，tobespiritual。”
Shetookherfingerfromhermouthwithalittlepop，andlooked，upathimalmostchallenging。Butstillhersoulwasnakedinher，greatdarkeyes，andtherewasthesameyearningappealuponher。
Ifhecouldhavekissedherinabstractpurityhewouldhavedoneso。
Buthecouldnotkissherthus——andsheseemedtoleavenootherway。
Andsheyearnedtohim。
Hegaveabrieflaugh。
“Well，“hesaid，“getthatFrenchandwe’lldosome——someVerlaine。”
“Yes，“shesaidinadeeptone，almostofresignation。
Andsheroseandgotthebooks。Andherratherred，nervoushands，lookedsopitiful，hewasmadtocomfortherandkissher。Butthen，bedarednot——orcouldnot。Therewassomethingpreventedhim。
Hiskisseswerewrongforher。Theycontinuedthereadingtillten，o’clock，whentheywentintothekitchen，andPaulwasnaturalandjolly，againwiththefatherandmother。Hiseyesweredarkandshining;
therewasakindoffascinationabouthim。
Whenhewentintothebarnforhisbicyclehefoundthefront，wheelpunctured。
“Fetchmeadropofwaterinabowl，“hesaidtoher。
“Ishallbelate，andthenIs’llcatchit。”
Helightedthehurricanelamp，tookoffhiscoat，turnedup，thebicycle，andsetspeedilytowork。Miriamcamewiththebowl，ofwaterandstoodclosetohim，watching。Shelovedtosee，hishandsdoingthings。Hewasslimandvigorous，withakind，ofeasinesseveninhismosthastymovements。Andbusyathiswork，heseemedtoforgether。Shelovedhimabsorbedly。Shewanted，torunherhandsdownhissides。Shealwayswantedtoembracehim，solongashedidnotwanther。
“There！”hesaid，risingsuddenly。”Now，couldyouhavedone，itquicker？”
“No！”shelaughed。
Hestraightenedhimself。Hisbackwastowardsher。Sheput，hertwohandsonhissides，andranthemquicklydown。
“YouaresoFINE！”shesaid。
Helaughed，hatinghervoice，buthisbloodrousedtoawave，offlamebyherhands。ShedidnotseemtorealiseHIMinallthis。
Hemighthavebeenanobject。Sheneverrealisedthemalehewas。
Helightedhisbicycle-lamp，bouncedthemachineonthebarn，floortoseethatthetyresweresound，andbuttonedhiscoat。
“That’sallright！”hesaid。
Shewastryingthebrakes，thatsheknewwerebroken。
“Didyouhavethemmended？”sheasked。
“No！”
“Butwhydidn’tyou？”
“Thebackonegoesonabit。”
“Butit’snotsafe。”
“Icanusemytoe。”
“Iwishyou’dhadthemmended，“shemurmured。
“Don’tworry——cometoteatomorrow，withEdgar。”
“Shallwe？”
“Do——aboutfour。I’llcometomeetyou。”
“Verywell。”
Shewaspleased。Theywentacrossthedarkyardtothegate。
Lookingacross，hesawthroughtheuncurtainedwindowofthe，kitchentheheadsofMr。andMrs。Leiversinthewarmglow。
Itlookedverycosy。Theroad，withpinetrees，wasquiteblack，infront。
“Tilltomorrow，“hesaid，jumpingonhisbicycle。
“You’lltakecare，won’tyou？”shepleaded。
“Yes。”
Hisvoicealreadycameoutofthedarkness。Shestoodamoment，watchingthelightfromhislampraceintoobscurityalongtheground。
Sheturnedveryslowlyindoors。Orionwaswheelingupoverthewood，hisdogtwinklingafterhim，halfsmothered。Fortheresttheworld，wasfullofdarkness，andsilent，saveforthebreathingofcattle，intheirstalls。Sheprayedearnestlyforhissafetythatnight。
Whenhelefther，sheoftenlayinanxiety，wonderingifhehadgot，homesafely。
Hedroppeddownthehillsonhisbicycle。Theroadsweregreasy，sohehadtoletitgo。Hefeltapleasureasthemachineplunged，overthesecond，steeperdropinthehill。”Heregoes！”hesaid。
Itwasrisky，becauseofthecurveinthedarknessatthebottom，andbecauseofthebrewers’waggonswithdrunkenwaggonersasleep。
Hisbicycleseemedtofallbeneathhim，andhelovedit。
Recklessnessisalmostaman’srevengeonhiswoman。
Hefeelsheisnotvalued，sohewillriskdestroyinghimselfto，depriveheraltogether。
Thestarsonthelakeseemedtoleaplikegrasshoppers，silverupontheblackness，ashespunpast。Thentherewasthelong，climbhome。
“See，mother！”hesaid，ashethrewhertheberriesandleaves，ontothetable。
“H’m！”shesaid，glancingatthem，thenawayagain。
Shesatreading，alone，asshealwaysdid。
“Aren’ttheypretty？”
“Yes。”
Heknewshewascrosswithhim。Afterafewminuteshesaid：
“EdgarandMiriamarecomingtoteatomorrow。”
Shedidnotanswer。
“Youdon’tmind？”
Stillshedidnotanswer。
“Doyou？”heasked。
“YouknowwhetherImindornot。”
“Idon’tseewhyyoushould。Ihaveplentyofmealsthere。”
“Youdo。”
“Thenwhydoyoubegrudgethemtea？”
“Ibegrudgewhomtea？”
“Whatareyousohorridfor？”
“Oh，saynomore！，You’veaskedhertotea，it’squitesufficient。
She’llcome。”
Hewasveryangrywithhismother。Heknewitwasmerely，Miriamsheobjectedto。Heflungoffhisbootsandwenttobed。
Paulwenttomeethisfriendsthenextafternoon。Hewasglad，toseethemcoming。Theyarrivedhomeataboutfouro’clock。
EverywherewascleanandstillforSundayafternoon。Mrs。Morelsat，inherblackdressandblackapron。Sherosetomeetthevisitors。
WithEdgarshewascordial，butwithMiriamcoldandrathergrudging。
YetPaulthoughtthegirllookedsoniceinherbrowncashmerefrock。
Hehelpedhismothertogettheteaready。Miriamwouldhave，gladlyproffered，butwasafraid。Hewasratherproudofhishome。
Therewasaboutitnow，hethought，acertaindistinction。
Thechairswereonlywooden，andthesofawasold。Butthehearthrug，andcushionswerecosy;thepictureswereprintsingoodtaste;
therewasasimplicityineverything，andplentyofbooks。
Hewasneverashamedintheleastofhishome，norwasMiriam，ofhers，becausebothwerewhattheyshouldbe，andwarm。
Andthenhewasproudofthetable;thechinawaspretty，theclothwasfine。Itdidnotmatterthatthespoonswerenot，silvernortheknivesivory-handled;everythinglookednice。
Mrs。Morelhadmanagedwonderfullywhileherchildrenweregrowingup，sothatnothingwasoutofplace。
Miriamtalkedbooksalittle。Thatwasherunfailingtopic。
ButMrs。Morelwasnotcordial，andturnedsoontoEdgar。
AtfirstEdgarandMiriamusedtogointoMrs。Morel’spew。
Morelneverwenttochapel，preferringthepublic-house。Mrs。Morel，likealittlechampion，satattheheadofherpew，Paulattheotherend;
andatfirstMiriamsatnexttohim。Thenthechapelwaslikehome。
Itwasaprettyplace，withdarkpewsandslim，elegantpillars，andflowers。Andthesamepeoplehadsatinthesameplacesever，sincehewasaboy。Itwaswonderfullysweetandsoothingtosit，thereforanhourandahalf，nexttoMiriam，andneartohismother，unitinghistwolovesunderthespelloftheplaceofworship。
Thenhefeltwarmandhappyandreligiousatonce。Andafter，chapelhewalkedhomewithMiriam，whilstMrs。Morelspenttherest，oftheeveningwithheroldfriend，Mrs。Burns。Hewaskeenly，aliveonhiswalksonSundaynightswithEdgarandMiriam。
Heneverwentpastthepitsatnight，bythelightedlamp-house，thetallblackheadstocksandlinesoftrucks，pastthefansspinning，slowlylikeshadows，withoutthefeelingofMiriamreturningtohim，keenandalmostunbearable。
ShedidnotverylongoccupytheMorels’pew。Herfathertook，oneforthemselvesoncemore。Itwasunderthelittlegallery，oppositetheMorels’。WhenPaulandhismothercameinthechapel，theLeivers’spewwasalwaysempty。Hewasanxiousforfearshewould，notcome：，itwassofar，andthereweresomanyrainySundays。
Then，oftenverylateindeed，shecamein，withherlongstride，herheadbowed，herfacehiddenunderherbatofdarkgreenvelvet。
Herface，asshesatopposite，wasalwaysinshadow。Butitgave，himaverykeenfeeling，asifallhissoulstirredwithinhim，toseeherthere。Itwasnotthesameglow，happiness，andpride，thathefeltinhavinghismotherincharge：，somethingmore，wonderful，lesshuman，andtingedtointensitybyapain，asifthereweresomethinghecouldnotgetto。
Atthistimehewasbeginningtoquestiontheorthodoxcreed。
Hewastwenty-one，andshewastwenty。Shewasbeginning，todreadthespring：，hebecamesowild，andhurthersomuch。
Allthewayhewentcruellysmashingherbeliefs。Edgarenjoyedit。
Hewasbynaturecriticalandratherdispassionate。ButMiriam，sufferedexquisitepain，as，withanintellectlikeaknife，theman，shelovedexaminedherreligioninwhichshelivedandmovedandhad，herbeing。Buthedidnotspareher。Hewascruel。Andwhenthey，wentalonehewasevenmorefierce，asifhewouldkillhersoul。
Hebledherbeliefstillshealmostlostconsciousness。
“Sheexults——sheexultsasshecarrieshimofffromme，“
Mrs。MorelcriedinherheartwhenPaulhadgone。”She’snot，likeanordinarywoman，whocanleavememyshareinhim。
Shewantstoabsorbhim。Shewantstodrawhimoutandabsorb，himtillthereisnothingleftofhim，evenforhimself。
Hewillneverbeamanonhisownfeet——shewillsuckhimup。”
Sothemothersat，andbattledandbroodedbitterly。
Andhe，cominghomefromhiswalkswithMiriam，waswild，withtorture。Hewalkedbitinghislipsandwithclenchedfists，goingatagreatrate。Then，broughtupagainstastile，hestoodfor，someminutes，anddidnotmove。Therewasagreathollowofdarkness，frontinghim，andontheblackupslopespatchesoftinylights，andinthelowesttroughofthenight，aflareofthepit。
Itwasallweirdanddreadful。Whywashetornso，almostbewildered，andunabletomove？，Whydidhismothersitathomeandsuffer？
Heknewshesufferedbadly。Butwhyshouldshe？，Andwhydid，hehateMiriam，andfeelsocrueltowardsher，atthethought，ofhismother。IfMiriamcausedhismothersuffering，thenhe，hatedher——andheeasilyhatedher。Whydidshemakehimfeel，asifhewereuncertainofhimself，insecure，anindefinitething，asifhehadnotsufficientsheathingtopreventthenightandthe，spacebreakingintohim？，Howhehatedher！，Andthen，whatarush，oftendernessandhumility！
Suddenlyheplungedonagain，runninghome。Hismother，sawonhimthemarksofsomeagony，andshesaidnothing。
Buthehadtomakehertalktohim。Thenshewasangrywithhim，forgoingsofarwithMiriam。
“Whydon’tyoulikeher，mother？”hecriedindespair。
“Idon’tknow，myboy，“sherepliedpiteously。”I’msureI’ve，triedtolikeher。I’vetriedandtried，butIcan’t——Ican’t！”
Andhefeltdrearyandhopelessbetweenthetwo。
Springwastheworsttime。Hewaschangeable，andintense，andcruel。Sohedecidedtostayawayfromher。Thencamethe，hourswhenheknewMiriamwasexpectinghim。Hismotherwatched，himgrowingrestless。Hecouldnotgoonwithhiswork。Hecould，donothing。Itwasasifsomethingweredrawinghissoulouttowards，WilleyFarm。Thenheputonhishatandwent，sayingnothing。
Andhismotherknewhewasgone。Andassoonashewasontheway，hesighedwithrelief。Andwhenhewaswithherhewascruelagain。
OnedayinMarchhelayonthebankofNethermere，withMiriam，sittingbesidehim。Itwasaglistening，white-and-blueday。
Bigclouds，sobrilliant，wentbyoverhead，whileshadowsstole，alongonthewater。Theclearspacesintheskywereofclean，coldblue。Paullayonhisbackintheoldgrass，lookingup。
HecouldnotbeartolookatMiriam。Sheseemedtowanthim，andheresisted。Heresistedallthetime。Hewantednowtogive，herpassionandtenderness，andhecouldnot。Hefeltthatshewanted，thesouloutofhisbody，andnothim。Allhisstrengthandenergy，shedrewintoherselfthroughsomechannelwhichunitedthem。
Shedidnotwanttomeethim，sothatthereweretwoofthem，manandwomantogether。Shewantedtodrawallofhimintoher。
Iturgedhimtoanintensitylikemadness，whichfascinatedhim，asdrug-takingmight。
HewasdiscussingMichaelAngelo。Itfelttoherasifshewere，fingeringtheveryquiveringtissue，theveryprotoplasmoflife，assheheardhim。Itgaveherdeepestsatisfaction。Andintheend，itfrightenedher。Therehelayinthewhiteintensityofhissearch，andhisvoicegraduallyfilledherwithfear，solevelitwas，almostinhuman，asifinatrance。
“Don’ttalkanymore，“shepleadedsoftly，layingherhand，onhisforehead。
Helayquitestill，almostunabletomove。Hisbodywas，somewherediscarded。
“Whynot？，Areyoutired？”
“Yes，anditwearsyouout。”
Helaughedshortly，realising。
“Yetyoualwaysmakemelikeit，“hesaid。
“Idon’twishto，“shesaid，verylow。
“Notwhenyou’vegonetoofar，andyoufeelyoucan’tbearit。
Butyourunconsciousselfalwaysasksitofme。AndIsupposeI
wantit。”
Hewenton，inhisdeadfashion：
“IfonlyyoucouldwantME，andnotwantwhatIcanreeloff，foryou！“
“I！”shecriedbitterly——“I！，Why，whenwouldyouletmetakeyou？”
“Thenit’smyfault，“hesaid，and，gatheringhimselftogether，hegotupandbegantotalktrivialities。Hefeltinsubstantial。
Inavaguewayhehatedherforit。Andheknewhewasasmuchto，blamehimself。This，however，didnotpreventhishatingher。
Oneeveningaboutthistimehehadwalkedalongthehomeroad，withher。Theystoodbythepastureleadingdowntothewood，unabletopart。Asthestarscameoutthecloudsclosed。Theyhad，glimpsesoftheirownconstellation，Orion，towardsthewest。
Hisjewelsglimmeredforamoment，hisdogranlow，strugglingwith，difficultythroughthespumeofcloud。
Orionwasforthemchiefinsignificanceamongtheconstellations。
Theyhadgazedathimintheirstrange，surchargedhoursoffeeling，untiltheyseemedthemselvestoliveineveryoneofhisstars。
ThiseveningPaulhadbeenmoodyandperverse。Orionhadseemedjust，anordinaryconstellationtohim。Hehadfoughtagainsthisglamour，andfascination。Miriamwaswatchingherlover’smoodcarefully。
Buthesaidnothingthatgavehimaway，tillthemomentcametopart，whenhestoodfrowninggloomilyatthegatheredclouds，behindwhich，thegreatconstellationmustbestridingstill。
Therewastobealittlepartyathishousethenextday，atwhichshewastoattend。
“Ishan’tcomeandmeetyou，“hesaid。
“Oh，verywell;it’snotveryniceout，“sherepliedslowly。
“It’snotthat——onlytheydon’tlikemeto。TheysayIcare，moreforyouthanforthem。Andyouunderstand，don’tyou？
Youknowit’sonlyfriendship。”
Miriamwasastonishedandhurtforhim。Ithadcosthiman，effort。Shelefthim，wantingtosparehimanyfurtherhumiliation。
Afinerainblewinherfaceasshewalkedalongtheroad。
Shewashurtdeepdown;andshedespisedhimforbeingblown，aboutbyanywindofauthority。Andinherheartofhearts，unconsciously，shefeltthathewastryingtogetawayfromher。
Thisshewouldneverhaveacknowledged。Shepitiedhim。
AtthistimePaulbecameanimportantfactorinJordan’swarehouse。
Mr。Pappleworthlefttosetupabusinessofhisown，andPaul，remainedwithMr。JordanasSpiraloverseer。Hiswageswere，toberaisedtothirtyshillingsattheyear-end，ifthingswentwell。
StillonFridaynightMiriamoftencamedownforherFrenchlesson。
PauldidnotgosofrequentlytoWilleyFarm，andshegrievedat，thethoughtofhereducation’scomingtoend;moreover，theyboth，lovedtobetogether，inspiteofdiscords。SotheyreadBalzac，anddidcompositions，andfelthighlycultured。
Fridaynightwasreckoningnightfortheminers。
Morel“reckoned“——sharedupthemoneyofthestall——eitherintheNewInn，atBrettyorinhisownhouse，accordingashisfellow-buttieswished。
Barkerhadturnedanon-drinker，sonowthemenreckonedatMorel’shouse。
Annie，whohadbeenteachingaway，wasathomeagain。
Shewasstillatomboy;andshewasengagedtobemarried。
Paulwasstudyingdesign。
MorelwasalwaysingoodspiritsonFridayevening，unlessthe，week’searningsweresmall。Hebustledimmediatelyafterhisdinner，preparedtogetwashed。Itwasdecorumforthewomentoabsent，themselveswhilethemenreckoned。Womenwerenotsupposedtospy，intosuchamasculineprivacyasthebutties’reckoning，norwerethey，toknowtheexactamountoftheweek’searnings。So，whilsther，fatherwassplutteringinthescullery，Anniewentouttospend，anhourwithaneighbour。Mrs。Morelattendedtoherbaking。
“Shutthatdoo-er！”bawledMorelfuriously。
Anniebangeditbehindher，andwasgone。
“IfthaoppensitagainwhileI’mweshin’me，I’llma’ethy，jawrattle，“hethreatenedfromthemidstofhissoap-suds。Paul，andthemotherfrownedtohearhim。
Presentlyhecamerunningoutofthescullery，withthesoapy，waterdrippingfromhim，ditheringwithcold。
“Oh，mysirs！”hesaid。”Wheer’smytowel？”
Itwashungonachairtowarmbeforethefire，otherwisehe，wouldhavebulliedandblustered。Hesquattedonhisheelsbefore，thehotbaking-firetodryhimself。
“F-ff-f！”hewent，pretendingtoshudderwithcold。
“Goodness，man，don’tbesuchakid！”saidMrs。Morel。
“It’sNOTcold。”
“Theestripthysenstarknak’dtoweshthyfleshi’thatscullery，“
saidtheminer，asherubbedhishair;“nowtb’raice-’ouse！”
“AndIshouldn’tmakethatfuss，“repliedhiswife。
“No，tha’ddropdownstiff，asdeadasadoor-knob，wi’
thyneshsides。”
“Whyisadoor-knobdeaderthananythingelse？”askedPaul，curious。
“Eh，Idunno;that’swhattheysay，“repliedhisfather。
“Butthere’sthatmuchdraughti’yonscullery，asitblowsthrough，yourribslikethroughafive-barredgate。”
“Itwouldhavesomedifficultyinblowingthroughyours，“
saidMrs。Morel。
Morellookeddownruefullyathissides。
“Me！”heexclaimed。”I’mnowtb’raskinnedrabbit。
Mybonesfairjutsoutonme。”
“Ishouldliketoknowwhere，“retortedhiswife。
“Iv’ry-wheer！，I’mnobbutasacko’faggots。”
Mrs。Morellaughed。Hehadstillawonderfullyyoungbody，muscular，withoutanyfat。Hisskinwassmoothandclear。
Itmighthavebeenthebodyofamanoftwenty-eight，exceptthat，therewere，perhaps，toomanybluescars，liketattoo-marks，wherethe，coal-dustremainedundertheskin，andthathischestwastoohairy。
Butheputhishandonhissideruefully。Itwashisfixedbeliefthat，becausebedidnotgetfat，hewasasthinasastarvedrat。
Paullookedathisfather’sthick，brownishhandsallscarred，withbrokennails，rubbingthefinesmoothnessofhissides，andthe，incongruitystruckhim。Itseemedstrangetheywerethesameflesh。
“Isuppose，“hesaidtohisfather，“youhadagoodfigureonce。”
“Eh！”exclaimedtheminer，glancinground，startledandtimid，likeachild。
“Hehad，“exclaimedMrs。Morel，“ifhedidn’thurtlehimself，upasifhewastryingtogetinthesmallestspacehecould。”
“Me！”exclaimedMorel——“meagoodfigure！，Iwornivermuch，moren’raskeleton。”
“Man！”criedhiswife，“don’tbesuchapulamiter！”
“’Strewth！”hesaid。”Tha’sniverknowedmebutwhatIlooked，asifIworgoin’offinarapiddecline。”
Shesatandlaughed。
“You’vehadaconstitutionlikeiron，“shesaid;“andnever，amanhadabetterstart，ifitwasbodythatcounted。Youshould，haveseenhimasayoungman，“shecriedsuddenlytoPaul，drawingherselfuptoimitateherhusband’soncehandsomebearing。
Morelwatchedhershyly。Hesawagainthepassionshe，hadhadforhim。Itblazeduponherforamoment。Hewasshy，ratherscared，andhumble。Yetagainhefelthisoldglow。
Andthenimmediatelyhefelttheruinhehadmadeduringtheseyears。
Hewantedtobustleabout，torunawayfromit。
“Gi’emybackabitofawesh，“heaskedher。
Hiswifebroughtawell-soapedflannelandclappedit，onhisshoulders。Hegaveajump。
“Eh，thamuckylittle’ussy！”hecried。”Cowdasdeath！”
“Yououghttohavebeenasalamander，“shelaughed，washinghisback。Itwasveryrarelyshewoulddoanything，sopersonalforhim。Thechildrendidthosethings。
“Thenextworldwon’tbehalfhotenoughforyou，“sheadded。
“No，“hesaid;“tha’ltseeasit’sdraughtyforme。”
Butshehadfinished。Shewipedhiminadesultoryfashion，andwentupstairs，returningimmediatelywithhisshifting-trousers。
Whenhewasdriedhestruggledintohisshirt。Then，ruddyandshiny，withhaironend，andhisflanneletteshirthangingoverhis，pit-trousers，hestoodwarmingthegarmentshewasgoingtoputon。
Heturnedthem，hepulledtheminsideout，hescorchedthem。
“Goodness，man！”criedMrs。Morel，“getdressed！”
“Shouldtheeliketoclapthysenintobritchesascowd，asatubo’water？”hesaid。
Atlasthetookoffhispit-trousersanddonneddecentblack。
Hedidallthisonthehearthrug，ashewouldhavedoneifAnnie，andherfamiliarfriendshadbeenpresent。
Mrs。Morelturnedthebreadintheoven。Thenfromthered，earthenwarepanchionofdoughthatstoodinacornershetook，anotherhandfulofpaste，workedittothepropershape，anddropped，itintoatin。AsshewasdoingsoBarkerknockedandentered。
Hewasaquiet，compactlittleman，wholookedasifhewouldgo，throughastonewall。Hisblackhairwascroppedshort，hishead，wasbony。Likemostminers，hewaspale，buthealthyandtaut。
“Evenin’，missis，“henoddedtoMrs。Morel，andheseated，himselfwithasigh。
“Good-evening，“sherepliedcordially。
“Tha’smadethyheelscrack，“saidMorel。
“IdunnoasIhave，“saidBarker。
Hesat，asthemenalwaysdidinMorel’skitchen，effacinghimselfrather。
“How’smissis？”sheaskedofhim。
Hehadtoldhersometimeback：
“We’reexpectin’usthirdjustnow，yousee。”
“Well，“heanswered，rubbinghishead，“shekeepspretty，middlin’，Ithink。”
“Let’ssee——when？”askedMrs。Morel。
“Well，Ishouldn’tbesurprisedanytimenow。”
“Ah！Andshe’skeptfairly？”
“Yes，tidy。”
“That’sablessing，forshe’snonetoostrong。”
“No。An’I’vedoneanothersillytrick。”
“What’sthat？”
Mrs。MorelknewBarkerwouldn’tdoanythingverysilly。
“I’mcomebe-outth’market-bag。”
“Youcanhavemine。”
“Nay，you’llbewantin’thatyourself。”
“Ishan’t。Itakeastringbagalways。”
Shesawthedeterminedlittlecollierbuyingintheweek’s，groceriesandmeatontheFridaynights，andsheadmiredhim。
“Barker’slittle，buthe’stentimesthemanyouare，“shesaid，toherhusband。
JustthenWessonentered。Hewasthin，ratherfrail-looking，withaboyishingenuousnessandaslightlyfoolishsmile，despitehissevenchildren。Buthiswifewasapassionatewoman。
“Iseeyou’vekestedme，“hesaid，smilingrathervapidly。
“Yes，“repliedBarker。
Thenewcomertookoffhiscapandhisbigwoollenmuffler。
Hisnosewaspointedandred。
“I’mafraidyou’recold，Mr。Wesson，“saidMrs。Morel。
“It’sabitnippy，“hereplied。
“Thencometothefire。”
“Nay，Is’lldowhereIam。”
Bothcollierssatawayback。Theycouldnotbeinducedtocome，ontothehearth。Thehearthissacredtothefamily。
“Gothywaysi’th’armchair，“criedMorelcheerily。
“Nay，thankyer;I’mverynicelyhere。”
“Yes，come，ofcourse，“insistedMrs。Morel。
Heroseandwentawkwardly。HesatinMorel’sarmchairawkwardly。
Itwastoogreatafamiliarity。Butthefiremadehimblissfullyhappy。
“Andhow’sthatchestofyours？”demandedMrs。Morel。
Hesmiledagain，withhisblueeyesrathersunny。
“Oh，it’sverymiddlin’，“hesaid。
“Wi’arattleinitlikeakettle-drum，“saidBarkershortly。
“T-t-t-t！”wentMrs。Morelrapidlywithhertongue。”Didyou，havethatflannelsingletmade？”
“Notyet，“hesmiled。
“Then，whydidn’tyou？”shecried。
“It’llcome，“hesmiled。
“Ah，an’Doomsday！”exclaimedBarker。
BarkerandMorelwerebothimpatientofWesson。But，then，theywerebothashardasnails，physically。
WhenMorelwasnearlyreadyhepushedthebagofmoneytoPaul。
“Countit，boy，“heaskedhumbly。
Paulimpatientlyturnedfromhisbooksandpencil，tippedthebag，upsidedownonthetable。Therewasafive-poundbagofsilver，sovereignsandloosemoney。Hecountedquickly，referredtothe，checks——thewrittenpapersgivingamountofcoal——putthemoneyinorder。
ThenBarkerglancedatthechecks。
Mrs。Morelwentupstairs，andthethreemencametotable。
Morel，asmasterofthehouse，satinhisarmchair，withhisback，tothehotfire。Thetwobuttieshadcoolerseats。Noneofthem，countedthemoney。
“WhatdidwesaySimpson’swas？”askedMorel;andthebutties，cavilledforaminuteoverthedayman’searnings。Thentheamount，wasputaside。
“An’BillNaylor’s？”
Thismoneyalsowastakenfromthepack。
Then，becauseWessonlivedinoneofthecompany’shouses，andhisrenthadbeendeducted，MorelandBarkertookfour-and-sixeach。
AndbecauseMorel’scoalshadcome，andtheleadingwasstopped，BarkerandWessontookfourshillingseach。Thenitwasplainsailing。
Morelgaveeachofthemasovereigntilltherewerenomoresovereigns;
eachhalfacrowntilltherewerenomorehalf-crowns;eachashilling，tilltherewerenomoreshillings。Iftherewasanythingattheend，thatwouldn’tsplit，Moreltookitandstooddrinks。
Thenthethreemenroseandwent。Morelscuttledoutofthehouse，beforehiswifecamedown。Sheheardthedoorclose，anddescended。
Shelookedhastilyatthebreadintheoven。Then，glancingon，thetable，shesawhermoneylying。Paulhadbeenworkingall，thetime。Butnowhefelthismothercountingtheweek’smoney，andherwrathrising，“T-t-t-t-t！”wenthertongue。
Hefrowned。Hecouldnotworkwhenshewascross。
Shecountedagain。
“Ameaslytwenty-fiveshillings！”sheexclaimed。”Howmuch，wasthecheque？”
“Tenpoundseleven，“saidPaulirritably。Hedreadedwhat，wascoming。
“Andhegivesmeascrattlin’twenty-five，an’
hisclubthisweek！，ButIknowhim。Hethinksbecause，YOU’REearningheneedn’tkeepthehouseanylonger。
No，allhehastodowithhismoneyistoguttleit。ButI’llshowhim！”
“Oh，mother，don’t！”criedPaul。
“Don’twhat，Ishouldliketoknow？”sheexclaimed。
“Don’tcarryonagain。Ican’twork。”
Shewentveryquiet。
“Yes，it’sallverywell，“shesaid;“buthowdoyouthink，I’mgoingtomanage？”
“Well，itwon’tmakeitanybettertowhittleaboutit。”
“Ishouldliketoknowwhatyou’ddoifyouhadittoput，upwith。”
“Itwon’tbelong。Youcanhavemymoney。Lethimgotohell。”
Hewentbacktohiswork，andshetiedherbonnet-stringsgrimly。
Whenshewasfrettedhecouldnotbearit。Butnowhebegan，toinsistonherrecognizinghim。
“Thetwoloavesatthetop，“shesaid，“willbedone，intwentyminutes。Don’tforgetthem。”
“Allright，“heanswered;andshewenttomarket。
Heremainedaloneworking。Buthisusualintenseconcentration，becameunsettled。Helistenedfortheyard-gate。Ataquarter-past，sevencamealowknock，andMiriamentered。
“Allalone？”shesaid。
“Yes。”
Asifathome，shetookoffhertam-o’-shanterandherlongcoat，hangingthemup。Itgavehimathrill。Thismightbetheirownhouse，hisandhers。Thenshecamebackandpeeredoverhiswork。
“Whatisit？”sheasked。
“Stilldesign，fordecoratingstuffs，andforembroidery。”
Shebentshort-sightedlyoverthedrawings。
Itirritatedhimthatshepeeredsointoeverythingthat，washis，searchinghimout。Hewentintotheparlourandreturned，withabundleofbrownishlinen。Carefullyunfoldingit，hespreaditonthefloor。Itprovedtobeacurtainorportiere，beautifullystencilledwithadesignonroses。
“Ah，howbeautiful！”shecried。
Thespreadcloth，withitswonderfulreddishrosesanddark，greenstems，allsosimple，andsomehowsowicked-looking，layat，herfeet。Shewentonherkneesbeforeit，herdarkcurlsdropping。
Hesawhercrouchedvoluptuouslybeforehiswork，andhisheart，beatquickly。Suddenlyshelookedupathim。
“Whydoesitseemcruel？”sheasked。
“What？”
“Thereseemsafeelingofcrueltyaboutit，“shesaid。
“It’sjollygood，whetherornot，“hereplied，foldingup，hisworkwithalover’shands。
Sheroseslowly，pondering。
“Andwhatwillyoudowithit？”sheasked。
“SendittoLiberty’s。Ididitformymother，butIthink，she’dratherhavethemoney。”
“Yes，“saidMiriam。Hehadspokenwithatouchofbitterness，andMiriamsympathised。MoneywouldhavebeennothingtoHER。
Hetooktheclothbackintotheparlour。Whenhereturned，hethrewtoMiriamasmallerpiece。Itwasacushion-cover，withthesamedesign。
“Ididthatforyou，“hesaid。
Shefingeredtheworkwithtremblinghands，anddidnotspeak。
Hebecameembarrassed。
“ByJove，thebread！”hecried。
Hetookthetoploavesout，tappedthemvigorously。Theyweredone。
Heputthemonthehearthtocool。Thenhewenttothescullery，wettedhishands，scoopedthelastwhitedoughoutofthepunchion，anddroppeditinabaking-tin。Miriamwasstillbentoverher，paintedcloth。Hestoodrubbingthebitsofdoughfromhishands。
“Youdolikeit？”heasked。
Shelookedupathim，withherdarkeyesoneflameoflove。
Helaugheduncomfortably。Thenhebegantotalkaboutthedesign。
Therewasforhimthemostintensepleasureintalkingabouthis，worktoMiriam。Allhispassion，allhiswildblood，wentinto，thisintercoursewithher，whenhetalkedandconceivedhiswork。
Shebroughtforthtohimhisimaginations。Shedidnotunderstand，anymorethanawomanunderstandswhensheconceivesachildinherwomb。
Butthiswaslifeforherandforhim。
Whiletheyweretalking，ayoungwomanofabouttwenty-two，smallandpale，hollow-eyed，yetwitharelentlesslookabouther，enteredtheroom。ShewasafriendattheMorel’s。
“Takeyourthingsoff，“saidPaul。
“No，I’mnotstopping。”
ShesatdowninthearmchairoppositePaulandMiriam，whowereonthesofa。Miriammovedalittlefartherfromhim。
Theroomwashot，withascentofnewbread。Brown，crisploaves，stoodonthehearth。
“Ishouldn’thaveexpectedtoseeyouhereto-night，MiriamLeivers，“saidBeatricewickedly。
“Whynot？”murmuredMiriamhuskily。
“Why，let’slookatyourshoes。”
Miriamremaineduncomfortablystill。
“Ifthadoesnathadurs’na，“laughedBeatrice。
Miriamputherfeetfromunderherdress。Herboots，hadthatqueer，irresolute，ratherpatheticlookaboutthem，whichshowedhowself-consciousandself-mistrustfulshewas。
Andtheywerecoveredwithmud。
“Glory！，You’reapositivemuck-heap，“exclaimedBeatrice。
“Whocleansyourboots？”
“Icleanthemmyself。”
“Thenyouwantedajob，“saidBeatrice。”Itwouldha’
takenalotofmentoha’broughtmedownhereto-night。Butlove，laughsatsludge，doesn’tit，’Postlemyduck？”
“Interalia，“hesaid。
“Oh，Lord！areyougoingtospoutforeignlanguages？
Whatdoesitmean，Miriam？”
Therewasafinesarcasminthelastquestion，butMiriamdid，notseeit。
“’Amongotherthings，’Ibelieve，“shesaidhumbly。
Beatriceputhertonguebetweenherteethandlaughedwickedly。
“’Amongotherthings，’’Postle？”sherepeated。”Doyoumean，lovelaughsatmothers，andfathers，andsisters，andbrothers，andmenfriends，andladyfriends，andevenattheb’lovedhimself？”
Sheaffectedagreatinnocence。
“Infact，it’sonebigsmile，“hereplied。
“Upitssleeve，’PostleMorel——youbelieveme，“shesaid;
andshewentoffintoanotherburstofwicked，silentlaughter。
Miriamsatsilent，withdrawnintoherself。EveryoneofPaul’s，friendsdelightedintakingsidesagainsther，andhelefther，inthelurch——seemedalmosttohaveasortofrevengeuponherthen。
“Areyoustillatschool？”askedMiriamofBeatrice。
“Yes。”
“You’venothadyournotice，then？”
“IexpectitatEaster。”
“Isn’titanawfulshame，toturnyouoffmerelybecauseyou，didn’tpasstheexam。？”
“Idon’tknow，“saidBeatricecoldly。
“Agathasaysyou’reasgoodasanyteacheranywhere。