第4章

Thesecondwasquitedifferentfromthefirst——akindofintermittentwhistleitseemedprimarily：no，acreak，ametalliccreak，everandanon，likeaplough，orarustywheelbarrow，oratleastawheelofsomekind。Yes，itwas，awheel——thewater-wheelintheshrubberybytheoldmanor-house，whichthecoachmanhadsaidwoulddrivehimmad。

Shedeterminednottothinkanymoreofthesegloomythings；butnowthatshehadoncenoticedthesoundtherewasnosealingherearstoit。Shecouldnothelptimingitscreaks，andputtingonadreadexpectancyjustbeforetheendofeachhalf-minutethatbroughtthem。Toimaginetheinsideoftheengine-house，whencethesenoisesproceeded，wasnowanecessity。Nowindow，butcrevicesinthedoor，throughwhich，probably，themoonbeamsstreamedinthemostattenuatedandskeleton-likerays，strikingsharplyuponportionsofwetrustycranksandchains；aglisteningwheel，turningincessantly，labouringinthedarklikeacaptivestarvinginadungeon；andinsteadofafloorbelow，gurglingwater，whichonaccountofthedarknesscouldonlybeheard；waterwhichlabouredupdarkpipesalmosttowhereshelay。

Sheshivered。Nowshewasdeterminedtogotosleep；therecouldbenothingelselefttobeheardortoimagine——itwashorridthatherimaginationshouldbesorestless。Yetjustforaninstantbeforegoingtosleepshewouldthinkthis——supposeanothersoundSHOULD

come——justsupposeitshould！Beforethethoughthadwellpassedthroughherbrain，athirdsoundcame。

Thethirdwasaverysoftgurgleorrattle——ofastrangeandabnormalkind——yetasoundshehadheardbeforeatsomepastperiodofherlife——when，shecouldnotrecollect。Tomakeitthemoredisturbing，itseemedtobealmostclosetoher——eithercloseoutsidethewindow，closeunderthefloor，orcloseabovetheceiling。Theaccidentalfactofitscomingsoimmediatelyupontheheelsofhersupposition，toldsopowerfullyuponherexcitednervesthatshejumpedupinthebed。Thesameinstant，alittledoginsomeroomnear，havingprobablyheardthesamenoise，setupalowwhine。Thewatch-dogintheyard，hearingthemoanofhisassociate，begantohowlloudlyanddistinctly。Hismelancholynotesweretakenupdirectlyafterwardsbythedogsinthekennelalongwayoff，ineveryvarietyofwail。

Onelogicalthoughtalonewasabletoenterherflurriedbrain。Thelittledogthatbeganthewhiningmusthaveheardtheothertwosoundsevenbetterthanherself。Hehadtakennonoticeofthem，buthehadtakennoticeofthethird。Thethird，then，wasanunusualsound。

Itwasnotlikewater，itwasnotlikewind；itwasnotthenight-

jar，itwasnotaclock，norarat，norapersonsnoring。

Shecreptundertheclothes，andflungherarmstightlyroundMissAldclyffe，asifforprotection。Cythereaperceivedthatthelady"slatepeacefulwarmthhadgivenplacetoasweat。Atthemaiden"stouch，MissAldclyffeawokewithalowscream。

Sherememberedherpositioninstantly。"Osuchaterribledream！"

shecried，inahurriedwhisper，holdingtoCythereainherturn；

"andyourtouchwastheendofit。Itwasdreadful。Time，withhiswings，hour-glass，andscythe，comingnearerandnearertome——

grinningandmocking：thenheseizedme，tookapieceofmeonly……ButIcan"ttellyou。Ican"tbeartothinkofit。Howthosedogshowl！Peoplesayitmeansdeath。"

ThereturnofMissAldclyffetoconsciousnesswassufficienttodispelthewildfancieswhichthelonelinessofthenighthadwoveninCytherea"smind。Shedismissedthethirdnoiseassomethingwhichinalllikelihoodcouldeasilybeexplained，iftroubleweretakentoinquireintoit：largehouseshadallkindsofstrangesoundsfloatingaboutthem。ShewasashamedtotellMissAldclyffeherterrors。

Asilenceoffiveminutes。

"Areyouasleep？"saidMissAldclyffe。

"No，"saidCytherea，inalong-drawnwhisper。

"Howthosedogshowl，don"tthey？"

"Yes。Alittledoginthehousebeganit。"

"Ah，yes：thatwasTotsy。Hesleepsonthematoutsidemyfather"sbedroomdoor。Anervouscreature。"

Therewasasilentintervalofnearlyhalf-an-hour。Aclockonthelandingstruckthree。

"Areyouasleep，MissAldclyffe？"whisperedCytherea。

"No，"saidMissAldclyffe。"Howwretcheditisnottobeabletosleep，isn"tit？"

"Yes，"repliedCytherea，likeadocilechild。

Anotherhourpassed，andtheclockstruckfour。MissAldclyffewasstillawake。

"Cytherea，"shesaid，verysoftly。

Cythereamadenoanswer。Shewassleepingsoundly。

Thefirstglimmerofdawnwasnowvisible。MissAldclyffearose，putonherdressing-gown，andwentsoftlydownstairstoherownroom。

"IhavenottoldherwhoIamafterall，orfoundouttheparticularsofAmbrose"shistory，"shemurmured。"Butherbeinginlovealterseverything。"

3。HALF-PASTSEVENTOTENO"CLOCKA。M。

Cythereaawoke，quietinmindandrefreshed。AconclusiontoremainatKnapwaterwasalreadyinpossessionofher。

FindingMissAldclyffegone，shedressedherselfandsatdownatthewindowtowriteananswertoEdward"sletter，andanaccountofherarrivalatKnapwatertoOwen。Thedismalandheart-breakingpicturesthatMissAldclyffehadplacedbeforehertheprecedingevening，thelaterterrorsofthenight，werenowbutasshadowsofshadows，andshesmiledinderisionatherownexcitability。

ButwritingEdward"sletterwasthegreatconsoler，theeffectofeachworduponhimbeingenactedinherownfaceasshewroteit。

Shefelthowmuchshewouldliketosharehistrouble——howwellshecouldendurepovertywithhim——andwonderedwhathistroublewas。

Butallwouldbeexplainedatlast，sheknew。

AttheappointedtimeshewenttoMissAldclyffe"sroom，intending，withthecontradictorinesscommoninpeople，toperformwithpleasure，asaworkofsupererogation，whatasadutywassimplyintolerable。

MissAldclyffewasalreadyoutofbed。Thebrightpenetratinglightofmorningmadeavastdifferenceintheelderlady"sbehaviourtoherdependent；theday，whichhadrestoredCytherea"sjudgment，hadeffectedthesameforMissAldclyffe。Thoughpracticalreasonsforbadeherregrettingthatshehadsecuredsuchacompanionablecreaturetoread，talk，orplaytoherwheneverherwhimrequired，shewasinwardlyvexedattheextenttowhichshehadindulgedinthewomanlyluxuryofmakingconfidencesandgivingwaytoemotions。

Fewwouldhavesupposedthatthecalmladysittingaristocraticallyatthetoilettable，seemingscarcelyconsciousofCytherea"spresenceintheroom，evenwhengreetingher，wasthepassionatecreaturewhohadaskedforkissesafewhoursbefore。

Itisbothpainfulandsatisfactorytothinkhowoftentheseantithesesaretobeobservedintheindividualmostopentoourobservation——ourselves。Wepasstheeveningwithfaceslitupbysomeflaringilluminationorother：wegetupthenextmorning——thefieryjetshaveallgoneout，andnothingconfrontsusbutafewcrinkledpipesandsootywirework，hardlyevenrecallingtheoutlineoftheblazingpicturethatarrestedoureyesbeforebedtime。

Emotionswouldbehalfstarvediftherewerenocandle-light。

Probablynine-tenthsofthegushinglettersofindiscreetconfessionarewrittenafternineorteno"clockintheevening，andsentoffbeforedayreturnstoleerinvidiouslyuponthem。Fewthatremainopentocatchourglanceasweriseinthemorning，survivethefrigidcriticismofdressing-time。

Thesubjectsuppermostinthemindsofthetwowomenwhohadthuscooledfromtheirfires，werenotthevisionaryonesofthelaterhours，butthehardfactsoftheirearlierconversation。AfteraremarkthatCythereaneednotassistherindressingunlessshewishedto，MissAldclyffesaidabruptly——

"Icantellthatyoungman"sname。"ShelookedkeenlyatCytherea。

"ItisEdwardSpringrove，mytenant"sson。"

Theinundationofcolourupontheyoungerladyathearinganamewhichtoherwasaworld，handledasifitwereonlyanatom，toldMissAldclyffethatshehaddivinedthetruthatlast。

"Ah——itishe，isit？"shecontinued。"Well，Iwantedtoknowforpracticalreasons。HisexampleshowsthatIwasnotsofarwronginmyestimateofmenafterall，thoughIonlygeneralized，andhadnothoughtofhim。"Thiswasperfectlytrue。

"Whatdoyoumean？"saidCytherea，visiblyalarmed。

"Mean？Whythatalltheworldknowshimtobeengagedtobemarried，andthattheweddingissoontotakeplace。"Shemadetheremarkbluntlyandsuperciliously，asiftoobtainabsolutionatthehandsofherfamilypridefortheweakconfidencesofthenight。

ButeventhefrigidityofMissAldclyffe"smorningmoodwasovercomebythelookofsickandblankdespairwhichthecarelesslyutteredwordshadproduceduponCytherea"sface。Shesankbackintoachair，andburiedherfaceinherhands。

"Don"tbesofoolish，"saidMissAldclyffe。"Come，makethebestofit。IcannotupsetthefactIhavetoldyouof，unfortunately。ButIbelievethematchcanbebrokenoff。"

"Ono，no。"

"Nonsense。Ilikedhimmuchasayouth，andIlikehimnow。I"llhelpyoutocaptivateandchainhimdown。Ihavegotovermyabsurdfeelingoflastnightinnotwantingyouevertogoawayfromme——ofcourse，Icouldnotexpectsuchathingasthat。There，nowIhavesaidI"llhelpyou，andthat"senough。He"stiredofhisfirstchoicenowthathe"sbeenawayfromhomeforawhile。Thelovethatnoouterattackcanfrightenawayquailsbeforeitsidol"sownhomelyways；itisalwaysso……Come，finishwhatyouaredoingifyouaregoingto，anddon"tbealittlegooseaboutsuchatrumperyaffairasthat。"

"Who——isheengagedto？"Cythereainquiredbyamovementofherlipsbutnosoundofhervoice。ButMissAldclyffedidnotanswer。Itmatterednot，Cythereathought。Anotherwoman——thatwasenoughforher：curiositywasstunned。

Sheappliedherselftotheworkofdressing，scarcelyknowinghow。

MissAldclyffewenton：——

"Youweretooeasilywon。I"dhavemadehimoranybodyelsespeakoutbeforeheshouldhavekissedmyfaceforhispleasure。Butyouareoneofthoseprecipitantlyfondthingswhoareyearningtothrowawaytheirheartsuponthefirstworthlessfellowwhosaysgood-

morning。Inthefirstplace，youshouldn"thavelovedhimsoquickly：inthenext，ifyoumusthavelovedhimoff-hand，youshouldhaveconcealedit。Ittickledhisvanity：“ByJove，thatgirl"sinlovewithmealready！”hethought。"

Tohastenawayattheendofthetoilet，totellMrs。Morris——whostoodwaitinginalittleroompreparedforher，withteapouredout，bread-and-buttercutintodiaphanousslices，andeggsarranged——

thatshewantednobreakfast：thentoshutherselfaloneinherbedroom，washeronlythought。Shewasfollowedthitherbythewell-intentionedmatronwithacupofteaandonepieceofbread-

and-butteronatray，cheerfullyinsistingthatsheshouldeatit。

Tothosewhogrieve，innocentcheerfulnessseemsheartlesslevity。

"No，thankyou，Mrs。Morris，"shesaid，keepingthedoorclosed。

Despitetheincivilityoftheaction，Cythereacouldnotbeartoletapleasantpersonseeherfacethen。

Immediaterevocation——evenifrevocationwouldbemoreeffectivebypostponement——istheimpulseofyoungwoundednatures。Cythereawenttoherblotting-book，tookoutthelonglettersocarefullywritten，sofullofgushingremarksandtenderhints，andsealedupsoneatlywithalittlesealbearing"GoodFaith"asitsmotto，torethemissiveintofiftypieces，andthrewthemintothegrate。Itwasthenthebitterestofanguishestolookuponsomeofthewordsshehadsolovinglywritten，andseethemexistingonlyinmutilatedformswithoutmeaning——tofeelthathiseyewouldneverreadthem，nobodyeverknowhowardentlyshehadpennedthem。

Pityforone"sselfforbeingwastedismostlypresentinthesemoodsofabnegation。

Themeaningofallhisallusions，hisabruptnessintellingherofhislove，hisconstraintatfirst，thenhisdesperatemannerofspeaking，wasclear。Theymusthavebeenthelastflickeringsofaconsciencenotquitedeadtoallsenseofperfidiousnessandfickleness。NowhehadgonetoLondon：shewouldbedismissedfromhismemory，inthesamewayasMissAldclyffehadsaid。AndhereshewasinEdward"sownparish，remindedcontinuallyofhimbywhatshesawandheard。Thelandscape，yesterdaysomuchandsobrighttoher，wasnowbutasthebanquet-halldeserted——allgonebutherself。

MissAldclyffehadwormedhersecretoutofher，andwouldnowbecontinuallymockingherforhertrustingsimplicityinbelievinghim。Itwasaltogetherunbearable：shewouldnotstaythere。

ShewentdownstairsandfoundMissAldclyffehadgoneintothebreakfast-room，butthatCaptainAldclyffe，whoroselaterwithincreasinginfirmities，hadnotyetmadehisappearance。Cythereaentered。MissAldclyffewaslookingoutofthewindow，watchingatrailofwhitesmokealongthedistantlandscape——signifyingapassingtrain。AtCytherea"sentrysheturnedandlookedinquiry。

"Imusttellyounow，"beganCytherea，inatremulousvoice。

"Well，what？"MissAldclyffesaid。

"Iamnotgoingtostaywithyou。Imustgoaway——averylongway。

Iamverysorry，butindeedIcan"tremain！"

"Pooh——whatshallwehearnext？"MissAldclyffesurveyedCytherea"sfacewithleisurelycriticism。"YouarebreakingyourheartagainaboutthatworthlessyoungSpringrove。Iknewhowitwouldbe。ItisasHallamsaysofJuliet——whatlittlereasonyoumayhavepossessedoriginallyhasallbeenwhirledawaybythislove。I

shan"ttakethisnotice，mind。"

"Doletmego！"

MissAldclyffetookhernewpet"shand，andsaidwithseverity，"Astohinderingyou，ifyouaredeterminedtogo，ofcoursethat"sabsurd。Butyouarenotnowinastateofmindfitfordecidinguponanysuchproceeding，andIshallnotlistentowhatyouhavetosay。Now，Cythie，comewithme；we"llletthisvolcanoburstandspenditself，andafterthatwe"llseewhathadbetterbedone。"

ShetookCythereaintoherworkroom，openedadrawer，anddrewfortharolloflinen。

"ThisissomeembroideryIbeganoneday，andnowIshouldlikeitfinished。"

ShethenprecededthemaidenupstairstoCytherea"sownroom。

"There，"shesaid，"nowsitdownhere，goonwiththiswork，andrememberonething——thatyouarenottoleavetheroomonanypretextwhateverfortwohoursunlessIsendforyou——Iinsistkindly，dear。Whilstyoustitch——youaretostitch，recollect，andnotgomooningoutofthewindow——thinkoverthewholematter，andgetcooled；don"tletthefoolishlove-affairpreventyourthinkingasawomanoftheworld。Ifattheendofthattimeyoustillsayyoumustleaveme，youmay。Iwillhavenomoretosayinthematter。Come，sitdown，andpromisetositherethetimeIname。"

Toheartsinadespairingmood，compulsionseemsarelief；anddocilitywasatalltimesnaturaltoCytherea。Shepromised，andsatdown。MissAldclyffeshutthedooruponherandretreated。

Shesewed，stoppedtothink，shedatearortwo，recollectedthearticlesofthetreaty，andsewedagain；andatlengthfellintoareveriewhichtooknoaccountwhateverofthelapseoftime。

4。TENTOTWELVEO"CLOCKA。M。

Aquarterofanhourmighthavepassedwhenherthoughtsbecameattractedfromthepasttothepresentbyunwontedmovementsdownstairs。Sheopenedthedoorandlistened。

Therewerehurryingsalongpassages，openingandshuttingofdoors，tramplinginthestable-yard。Shewentacrossintoanotherbedroom，fromwhichaviewofthestable-yardcouldbeobtained，andarrivedtherejustintimetoseethefigureofthemanwhohaddrivenherfromthestationvanishingdownthecoach-roadonablackhorse——

gallopingatthetopoftheanimal"sspeed。

Anothermanwentoffinthedirectionofthevillage。

Whateverhadoccurred，itdidnotseemtobeherdutytoinquireormeddlewithit，strangeranddependentasshewas，unlessshewererequestedto，especiallyafterMissAldclyffe"sstrictchargetoher。Shesatdownagain，determinedtoletnoidlecuriosityinfluencehermovements。

Herwindowcommandedthefrontofthehouse；andthenextthingshesawwasaclergymanwalkupandenterthedoor。

Allwassilentagaintill，alongtimeafterthefirstmanhadleft，hereturnedagainonthesamehorse，nowmattedwithsweatandtrottingbehindacarriageinwhichsatanelderlygentlemandrivenbyaladinlivery。Thesecametothehouse，entered，andallwasagainthesameasbefore。

Thewholehousehold——master，mistress，andservants——appearedtohaveforgottentheveryexistenceofsuchabeingasCytherea。Shealmostwishedshehadnotvowedtohavenoidlecuriosity。

Half-an-hourlater，thecarriagedroveoffwiththeelderlygentleman，andtwoorthreemessengersleftthehouse，speedinginvariousdirections。Rusticsinsmock-frocksbegantohangabouttheroadoppositethehouse，orleanagainsttrees，lookingidlyatthewindowsandchimneys。

AtapcametoCytherea"sdoor。Sheopenedittoayoungmaid-

servant。

"MissAldclyffewishestoseeyou，ma"am。"Cythereahasteneddown。

MissAldclyffewasstandingonthehearthrug，herelbowonthemantel，herhandtohertemples，hereyesontheground；perfectlycalm，butverypale。

"Cytherea，"shesaidinawhisper，"comehere。"

Cythereawentclose。

"Somethingveryserioushastakenplace，"shesaidagain，andthenpaused，withatremulousmovementofhermouth。

"Yes，"saidCytherea。

"Myfather。Hewasfounddeadinhisbedthismorning。"

"Dead！"echoedtheyoungerwoman。Itseemedimpossiblethattheannouncementcouldbetrue；thatknowledgeofsogreatafactcouldbecontainedinastatementsosmall。

"Yes，dead，"murmuredMissAldclyffesolemnly。"Hediedalone，thoughwithinafewfeetofme。Theroomwesleptinisexactlyoverhisown。"

Cythereasaidhurriedly，"Dotheyknowatwhathour？"

"Thedoctorsaysitmusthavebeenbetweentwoandthreeo"clockthismorning。"

"ThenIheardhim！"

"Heardhim？"

"Heardhimdie！"

"Youheardhimdie？Whatdidyouhear？"

"AsoundIheardoncebeforeinmylife——atthedeathbedofmymother。Icouldnotidentifyit——thoughIrecognizedit。Thenthedoghowled：youremarkedit。IdidnotthinkitworthwhiletotellyouwhatIhadheardalittleearlier。"Shelookedagonized。

"Itwouldhavebeenuseless，"saidMissAldclyffe。"Allwasoverbythattime。"SheaddressedherselfasmuchasCythereawhenshecontinued，"IsitaProvidencewhosentyouhereatthisjuncturethatImightnotbeleftentirelyalone？"

TillthisinstantMissAldclyffehadforgottenthereasonofCytherea"sseclusioninherownroom。SohadCythereaherself。Thefactnowrecurredtobothinonemoment。

"Doyoustillwishtogo？"saidMissAldclyffeanxiously。

"Idon"twanttogonow，"Cythereahadremarkedsimultaneouslywiththeother"squestion。ShewasponderingonthestrangelikenesswhichMissAldclyffe"sbereavementboretoherown；ithadtheappearanceofbeingstillanothercalltohernottoforsakethiswomansolinkedtoherlife，forthesakeofanytrivialvexation。

MissAldclyffeheldheralmostasaloverwouldhaveheldher，andsaidmusingly——

"Wegetmoreandmoreintoonegroove。Inowamleftfatherlessandmotherlessasyouwere。"Othertieslaybehindinherthoughts，butshedidnotmentionthem。

"Youlovedyourfather，Cytherea，andweptforhim？"

"Yes，Idid。Poorpapa！"

"Iwasalwaysatvariancewithmine，andcan"tweepforhimnow！

Butyoumuststayherealways，andmakeabetterwomanofme。"

Thecompactwasthussealed，andCytherea，inspiteofthefailureofheradvertisements，wasinstalledasaveritableCompanion。And，oncemoreinthehistoryofhumanendeavour，apositionwhichitwasimpossibletoreachbyanydirectattempt，wascometobytheseeker"sswervingfromthepath，andregardingtheoriginalobjectasoneofsecondaryimportance。

VII。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTEENDAYS

1。AUGUSTTHESEVENTEENTH

Thetimeofdaywasfouro"clockintheafternoon。Theplacewasthelady"sstudyorboudoir，KnapwaterHouse。ThepersonwasMissAldclyffesittingtherealone，clothedindeepmourning。

ThefuneraloftheoldCaptainhadtakenplace，andhiswillhadbeenread。Itwasveryconcise，andhadbeenexecutedaboutfiveyearsprevioustohisdeath。Itwasattestedbyhissolicitors，Messrs。NyttletonandTayling，ofLincoln"sInnFields。Thewholeofhisestate，realandpersonal，wasbequeathedtohisdaughterCytherea，forhersoleandabsoluteuse，subjectonlytothepaymentofalegacytotherector，theirrelative，andafewsmallamountstotheservants。

MissAldclyffehadnotchosentheeasiestchairofherboudoirtositin，orevenachairofordinarycomfort，butanuncomfortable，high，narrow-backed，oakframedandseatedchair，whichwasallowedtoremainintheroomonlyonthegroundofbeingacompanioninartisticquaintnesstoanoldcofferbesideit，andwasneverusedexcepttostandintoreachforabookfromthehighestrowofshelves。Butshehadsaterectinthischairformorethananhour，forthereasonthatshewasutterlyunconsciousofwhatheractionsandbodilyfeelingswere。Thechairhadstoodnearestherpathonenteringtheroom，andshehadgonetoitinadream。

Shesatintheattitudewhichdenotesunflagging，intense，concentratedthought——asifshewerecastinbronze。Herfeetweretogether，herbodybentalittleforward，andquiteunsupportedbythebackofthechair；herhandsonherknees，hereyesfixedintentlyonthecornerofafootstool。

Atlastshemovedandtappedherfingersuponthetableatherside。

Herpent-upideashadfinallyfoundsomechanneltoadvancein。

Motionsbecamemoreandmorefrequentasshelabouredtocarryfurtherandfurthertheproblemwhichoccupiedherbrain。Shesatbackanddrewalongbreath：shesatsidewaysandleantherforeheaduponherhand。Laterstillshearose，walkedupanddowntheroom——atfirstabstractedly，withherfeaturesasfirmlysetasever；butbydegreesherbrowrelaxed，herfootstepsbecamelighterandmoreleisurely；herheadrodegracefullyandwasnolongerbowed。Sheplumedherselflikeaswanafterexertion。

"Yes，"shesaidaloud。"TogetHIMherewithoutlettinghimknowthatIhaveanyotherobjectthanthatofgettingausefulman——

that"sthedifficulty——andthatIthinkIcanmaster。"

Sherangforthenewmaid，aplacidwomanoffortywithafewgreyhairs。

"AskMissGrayeifshecancometome。"

Cythereawasnotfaroff，andcamein。

"Doyouknowanythingaboutarchitectsandsurveyors？"saidMissAldclyffeabruptly。

"Knowanything？"repliedCytherea，poisingherselfonhertoetoconsiderthecompassofthequestion。

"Yes——knowanything，"saidMissAldclyffe。

"Owenisanarchitectandsurveyor"sdraughtsman，"themaidensaid，andthoughtofsomebodyelsewhowaslikewise。

"Yes！that"swhyIaskedyou。Whatarethedifferentkindsofworkcomprisedinanarchitect"spractice？Theylayoutestates，andsuperintendthevariousworksdoneuponthem，Ishouldthink，amongotherthings？"

"Thoseare，moreproperly，alandorbuildingsteward"sduties——atleastIhavealwaysimaginedso。Countryarchitectsincludethosethingsintheirpractice；cityarchitectsdon"t。"

"Iknowthat，child。Butasteward"sisanindefinitefastandlooseprofession，itseemstome。Shouldn"tyouthinkthatamanwhohadbeenbroughtupasanarchitectwoulddoforasteward？"

Cythereahaddoubtswhetheranarchitectpurewoulddo。

Thechiefpleasureconnectedwithaskinganopinionliesinnotadoptingit。MissAldclyffereplieddecisively——

"Nonsense；ofcoursehewould。YourbrotherOwenmakesplansforcountrybuildings——suchascottages，stables，homesteads，andsoon？"

"Yes；hedoes。"

"Andsuperintendsthebuildingofthem？"

"Yes；hewillsoon。"

"Andhesurveysland？"

"Oyes。"

"Andheknowsabouthedgesandditches——howwidetheyoughttobe，boundaries，levelling，plantingtreestokeepawaythewinds，measuringtimber，housesforninety-nineyears，andsuchthings？"

"Ihaveneverheardhimsaythat；butIthinkMr。Gradfielddoesthosethings。Owen，Iamafraid，isinexperiencedasyet。"

"Yes；yourbrotherisnotoldenoughforsuchapostyet，ofcourse。

Andthentherearerent-days，theauditandwindingupoftradesmen"saccounts。Iamafraid，Cytherea，youdon"tknowmuchmoreaboutthematterthanIdomyself……Iamgoingoutjustnow，"shecontinued。"Ishallnotwantyoutowalkwithmeto-day。

Runawaytilldinner-time。"

MissAldclyffewentoutofdoors，anddownthestepstothelawn：

thenturningtotheleft，throughashrubbery，sheopenedawicketandpassedintoaneglectedandleafycarriage-drive，leadingdownthehill。Thisshefollowedtillshereachedthepointofitsgreatestdepression，whichwasalsothelowestgroundinthewholegrove。

Thetreeshereweresointerlaced，andhungtheirbranchessoneartheground，thatawholesummer"sdaywasscarcelylongenoughtochangetheairpervadingthespotfromitsnormalstateofcoolnesstoevenatemporarywarmth。Theunvaryingfreshnesswashelpedbythenearnessofthegroundtothelevelofthesprings，andbythepresenceofadeep，sluggishstreamcloseby，equallywellshadedbybushesandahighwall。Followingtheroad，whichnowranalongatthemarginofthestream，shecametoanopeninginthewall，ontheothersideofthewater，revealingalargerectangularnookfromwhichthestreamproceeded，coveredwithfroth，andaccompaniedbyadullroar。Twomoresteps，andshewasoppositethenook，infullviewofthecascadeformingitsfurtherboundary。Overthetopcouldbeseenthebrightouterskyintheformofacrescent，causedbythecurveofabridgeacrosstherapids，andthetreesabove。

Beautifulaswasthesceneshedidnotlookinthatdirection。Thesamestanding-groundaffordedanotherprospect，straightinthefront，lesssombrethanthewaterontherightorthetreesallaround。Theavenueandgrovewhichflankeditabruptlyterminatedafewyardsahead，wherethegroundbegantorise，andontheremoteedgeofthegreenswardthuslaidopen，stoodallthatremainedoftheoriginalmanor-house，towhichthedarkmargin-lineofthetreesintheavenueformedanadequateandwell-fittingframe。ItwasthepicturethuspresentedthatwasnowinterestingMissAldclyffe——notartisticallyorhistorically，butpractically——asregardeditsfitnessforadaptationtomodernrequirements。

Infront，detachedfromeverythingelse，rosethemostancientportionofthestructure——anoldarchedgateway，flankedbythebasesoftwosmalltowers，andnearlycoveredwithcreepers，whichhadclamberedovertheeavesofthesinkingroof，andupthegabletothecrestoftheAldclyffefamilyperchedontheapex。Behindthis，atadistanceoftenortwentyyards，cametheonlyportionofthemainbuildingthatstillexisted——anElizabethanfragment，consistingofasmuchascouldbecontainedunderthreegablesandacrossroofbehind。Againstthewallcouldbeseenraggedlinesindicatingtheformofotherdestroyedgableswhichhadoncejoineditthere。Themullionedandtransomedwindows，containingfiveorsixlights，weremostlybrickeduptotheextentoftwoorthree，andtheremainingportionfittedwithcottagewindow-framescarelesslyinserted，tosuitthepurposetowhichtheoldplacewasnowapplied，itbeingpartitionedoutintosmallroomsdownstairstoformcottagesfortwolabourersandtheirfamilies；theupperportionwasarrangedasastorehousefordiverskindsofrootsandfruit。

Theownerofthepicturesquespot，afterhersurveyfromthispoint，wentuptothewallsandwalkedintotheoldcourt，wherethepaving-stoneswerepushedsidewaysandupwardsbythethrustofthegrassesbetweenthem。Twoorthreelittlechildren，withtheirfingersintheirmouths，cameouttolookather，andthenranintotelltheirmothersinloudtonesofsecrecythatMissAldclyffewascoming。MissAldclyffe，however，didnotcomein。Sheconcludedhersurveyoftheexteriorbymakingacompletecircuitofthebuilding；thenturnedintoanookashortdistanceoffwhereroundandsquaretimber，asaw-pit，planks，grindstones，heapsofbuildingstoneandbrick，explainedthatthespotwasthecentreofoperationsforthebuildingworkdoneontheestate。

Shepaused，andlookedaround。Amanwhohadseenherfromthewindowoftheworkshopsbehind，cameoutandrespectfullyliftedhishattoher。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadbeenseenwalkingoutsidethehousesinceherfather"sdeath。

"Strooden，couldtheOldHousebemadeadecentresidenceof，withoutmuchtrouble？"sheinquired。

Themechanicconsidered，andspokeaseachconsiderationcompleteditself。

"Youdon"tforget，ma"am，thattwo-thirdsoftheplaceisalreadypulleddown，orgonetoruin？"

"Yes；Iknow。"

"Andthatwhat"sleftmayalmostaswellbe，ma"am。"

"Whymayit？"

""Twassocutupinsidewhentheymadeitintocottages，thatthewholecarcaseisfullofcracks。"

"Stillbypullingdowntheinsertedpartitions，andaddingalittleoutside，itcouldbemadetoanswerthepurposeofanordinarysixoreight-roomedhouse？"

"Yes，ma"am。"

"Aboutwhatwoulditcost？"wasthequestionwhichhadinvariablycomenextineverycommunicationofthiskindtowhichthesuperintendingworkmanhadbeenapartyduringhiswholeexperience。

Tohissurprise，MissAldclyffedidnotputit。Themanthoughtherobjectinalteringanoldhousemusthavebeenanunusuallyabsorbingonenottopromptwhatwassoinstinctiveinownersashardlytorequireanypromptingatall。

"Thankyou：that"ssufficient，Strooden，"shesaid。"Youwillunderstandthatitisnotunlikelysomealterationmaybemadehereinashorttime，withreferencetothemanagementoftheaffairs。"

Stroodensaid"Yes，"inacomplexvoice，andlookeduneasy。

"DuringthelifeofCaptainAldclyffe，withyouastheforemanofworks，andhehimselfashisownsteward，everythingworkedwell。

Butnowitmaybenecessarytohaveasteward，whosemanagementwillencroachfurtheruponthingswhichhavehithertobeenleftinyourhandsthandidyourlatemaster"s。WhatImeanis，thathewilldirectlyandindetailsuperintendall。"

"Then——Ishallnotbewanted，ma"am？"hefaltered。

"Oyes；ifyouliketostayonasforemanintheyardandworkshopsonly。Ishouldbesorrytoloseyou。However，youhadbetterconsider。Iwillsendforyouinafewdays。"

Leavinghimtosuspense，andalltheillsthatcameinitstrain——

distractedapplicationtohisduties，andanundefinednumberofsleeplessnightsanduntasteddinners，MissAldclyffelookedatherwatchandreturnedtotheHouse。Shewasabouttokeepanappointmentwithhersolicitor，Mr。Nyttleton，whohadbeentoBudmouth，andwascomingtoKnapwateronhiswaybacktoLondon。

2。AUGUSTTHETWENTIETH

OntheSaturdaysubsequenttoMr。Nyttleton"svisittoKnapwaterHouse，thesubjoinedadvertisementappearedintheFieldandtheBuildernewspapers：——

"LANDSTEWARD。

"AgentlemanofintegrityandprofessionalskillisrequiredimmediatelyfortheMANAGEMENTofanESTATE，containingabout1000

acres，uponwhichagriculturalimprovementsandtheerectionofbuildingsarecontemplated。Hemustbeamanofsuperioreducation，unmarried，andnotmorethanthirtyyearsofage。Considerablepreferencewillbeshownforonewhopossessesanartisticaswellasapracticalknowledgeofplanningandlayingout。Theremunerationwillconsistofasalaryof22Opounds，withtheoldmanor-houseasaresidence——AddressMessrs。NyttletonandTayling，solicitors，Lincoln"sInnFields。"

AcopyofeachpaperwassenttoMissAldclyffeonthedayofpublication。ThesameeveningshetoldCythereathatshewasadvertisingforasteward，whowouldliveattheoldmanor-house，showingherthepaperscontainingtheannouncement。

Whatwasthedriftofthatremark？thoughtthemaiden；orwasitmerelymadetoherinconfidentialintercourse，asotherarrangementsweretoldherdaily。Yetitseemedtohavemoremeaningthancommon。Sherememberedtheconversationaboutarchitectsandsurveyors，andherbrotherOwen。MissAldclyffeknewthathissituationwasprecarious，thathewaswelleducatedandpractical，andwasapplyinghimselfheartandsoultothedetailsoftheprofessionandallconnectedwithit。MissAldclyffemightbereadytotakehimifhecouldcompetesuccessfullywithotherswhowouldreply。Shehazardedaquestion：

"WoulditbedesirableforOwentoanswerit？"

"Notatall，"saidMissAldclyffeperemptorily。

AflatanswerofthiskindhadceasedtoalarmCytherea。MissAldclyffe"sbluntmoodwasnotherworst。Cythereathoughtofanotherman，whosename，inspiteofresolves，tears，renunciationsandinjuredpride，lingeredinherearslikeanoldfamiliarstrain。

Thatmanwasqualifiedforastewardshipunderaking。

"WoulditbeofanyuseifEdwardSpringroveweretoanswerit？"shesaid，resolutelyenunciatingthename。

"Nonewhatever，"repliedMissAldclyffe，againinthesamedecidedtone。

"Youareveryunkindtospeakinthatway。"

"Nowdon"tpoutlikeagoosie，asyouare。Idon"twantmenlikeeitherofthem，for，ofcourse，Imustlooktothegoodoftheestateratherthantothatofanyindividual。ThemanIwantmusthavebeenmorespeciallyeducated。IhavetoldyouthatwearegoingtoLondonnextweek；itismostlyonthisaccount。"

CythereafoundthatshehadmistakenthedriftofMissAldclyffe"speculiarexplicitnessonthesubjectofadvertising，andwrotetotellherbrotherthatifhesawthenoticeitwouldbeuselesstoreply。

3。AUGUSTTHETWENTY-FIFTH

Fivedaysaftertheabove-mentioneddialoguetookplacetheywenttoLondon，and，withscarcelyaminute"spause，tothesolicitors"

officesinLincoln"sInnFields。

Theyalightedoppositeoneofthecharacteristicentrancesabouttheplace——agatewhichwasnever，andcouldneverbe，closed，flankedbylamp-standardscarryingnolamp。Rustwastheonlyactiveagenttobeseenthereatthistimeofthedayandyear。Thepalingsalongthefrontwererustedawayattheirbasetothethinnessofwires，andthesuccessivecoatsofpaint，withwhichtheywereoverlaidinbygonedays，hadbeencompletelyunderminedbythesameinsidiouscanker，whichliftedoffthepaintinflakes，leavingtherawsurfaceoftheirononpalings，standards，andgatehinges，ofastaringblood-red。

Butonceinsidetherailingsthepicturechanged。Thecourtandofficeswereacompletecontrasttothegrandruinoftheoutworkwhichenclosedthem。Well-paintedrespectabilityextendedover，within，andaroundthedoorstep；andinthecarefullysweptyardnotaparticleofdustwasvisible。

Mr。Nyttleton，whohadjustcomeupfromMargate，wherehewasstayingwithhisfamily，wasstandingatthetopofhisownstaircaseasthepairascended。Hepolitelytooktheminside。

"Isthereacomfortableroominwhichthisyoungladycansitduringourinterview？"saidMissAldclyffe。

ItwasratherafavouritehabitofherstomakemuchofCythereawhentheywereout，andsnubherforitafterwardswhentheygothome。

"Certainly——Mr。Tayling"s。"Cythereawasshownintoaninnerroom。

Socialdefinitionsareallmaderelatively：anabsolutedatumisonlyimagined。ThesmallgentryaboutKnapwaterseemedunpractisedtoMissAldclyffe，MissAldclyffeherselfseemedunpractisedtoMr。

Nyttleton"sexperiencedoldeyes。

"Nowthen，"theladysaid，whenshewasalonewiththelawyer；"whatistheresultofouradvertisement？"

Itwaslatesummer；theestate-agency，building，engineering，andsurveyingworldsweredull。Therewereforty-fiverepliestotheadvertisement。

Mr。NyttletonspreadthemonebyonebeforeMissAldclyffe。"Youwillprobablyliketoreadsomeofthemyourself，madam？"hesaid。

"Yes，certainly，"saidshe。

"Iwillnottroubleyouwiththosewhicharefrompersonsmanifestlyunfitatfirstsight，"hecontinued；andbeganselectingfromtheheaptwosandthreeswhichhehadmarked，collectingothersintohishand。

"Themanwewantliesamongthese，ifmyjudgmentdoesn"tdeceiveme，andfromthemitwouldbeadvisabletoselectacertainnumbertobecommunicatedwith。"

"Ishouldliketoseeeveryone——onlyjusttoglancethemover——

exactlyastheycame，"shesaidsuasively。

Helookedasifhethoughtthisawasteofhistime，butdismissinghissentimentunfoldedeachsinglyandlaiditbeforeher。Ashelaidthemout，itstruckhimthatshestudiedthemquiteasrapidlyashecouldspreadthem。Heslylyglancedupfromtheoutercornerofhiseyetohers，andnoticedthatallshedidwaslookatthenameatthebottomoftheletter，andthenputtheenclosureasidewithoutfurtherceremony。Hethoughtthisanoddwayofinquiringintothemeritsofforty-fivemenwhoatconsiderabletroublegaveindetailreasonswhytheybelievedthemselveswellqualifiedforacertainpost。Shecametothefinalone，andputitdownwiththerest。

Thentheladysaidthatinheropinionitwouldbebesttogetasmanyrepliesastheypossiblycouldbeforeselecting——"togiveusawiderchoice。Whatdoyouthink，Mr。Nyttleton？"

Itseemedtohim，hesaid，thatagreaternumberthanthosetheyalreadyhadwouldscarcelybenecessary，andiftheywaitedformore，therewouldbethisdisadvantageattendingit，thatsomeofthosetheynowcouldcommandwouldpossiblynotbeavailable。

"Nevermind，wewillrunthatrisk，"saidMissAldclyffe。"Lettheadvertisementbeinsertedoncemore，andthenwewillcertainlysettlethematter。"

Mr。Nyttletonbowed，andseemedtothinkMissAldclyffe，forasinglewoman，andonewhotillsoveryrecentlyhadneverconcernedherselfwithbusinessofanykind，averymeddlesomeclient。Butshewasrich，andhandsomestill。"She"sanewbroominestate-

managementasyet，"hethought。"Shewillsoongettiredofthis，"

andhepartedfromherwithoutasentimentwhichcouldmarhishabitualblandness。

Thetwoladiesthenproceededwestward。DismissingthecabinWaterlooPlace，theywentalongPallMallonfoot，whereinplaceoftheusualwell-dressedclubbists——rubicundwithalcohol——weretobeseen，inlinenpinafores，flocksofhouse-painterspallidfromwhitelead。WhentheyhadreachedtheGreenPark，Cythereaproposedthattheyshouldsitdownawhileundertheyoungelmsatthebrowofthehill。Thistheydid——thegrowlofPiccadillyontheirlefthand——

themonasticseclusionofthePalaceontheirright：beforethem，theclocktoweroftheHousesofParliament，standingforthwithametalliclustreagainstalividLambethsky。

MissAldclyffestillcarriedinherhandacopyofthenewspaper，andwhileCythereahadbeeninterestingherselfinthepicturearound，glancedagainattheadvertisement。

Sheheavedaslightsigh，andbegantofolditupagain。Intheactionhereyecaughtsightoftwoconsecutiveadvertisementsonthecover，onerelatingtosomelectureonArt，andaddressedtomembersoftheInstituteofArchitects。Theotheremanatedfromthesamesource，butwasaddressedtothepublic，andstatedthattheexhibitionofdrawingsattheInstitute"sroomswouldcloseattheendofthatweek。

Hereyelightedup。ShesentCythereabacktothehotelinacab，thenturnedroundbyPiccadillyintoBondStreet，andproceededtotheroomsoftheInstitute。Thesecretarywassittinginthelobby。

Aftermakingherpayment，andlookingatafewofthedrawingsonthewalls，inthecompanyofthreegentlemen，theonlyothervisitorstotheexhibition，sheturnedbackandaskedifshemightbeallowedtoseealistofthemembers。Shewasalittleconnectedwiththearchitecturalworld，shesaid，withasmile，andwasinterestedinsomeofthenames。

"Hereitis，madam，"hereplied，politelyhandingherapamphletcontainingthenames。

MissAldclyffeturnedtheleavestillshecametotheletterM。Thenameshehopedtofindtherewasthere，withtheaddressappended，aswasthecasewithalltherest。

TheaddresswasatsomechambersinastreetnotfarfromCharingCross。"Chambers，"asaresidence，hadalwaysbeenassumedbytheladytoimplytheconditionofabachelor。Shemurmuredtwowords，"Therestill。"

Anotherrequesthadyettobemade，butitwasofamorenoticeablekindthanthefirst，andmightcompromisethesecrecywithwhichshewishedtoactthroughoutthisepisode。Herobjectwastogetoneoftheenvelopeslyingonthesecretary"stable，stampedwiththedieoftheInstitute；andinordertogetitshewasabouttoaskifshemightwriteanote。

Butthesecretary"sbackchancedtobeturned，andhenowwenttowardsoneofthemenattheotherendoftheroom，whohadcalledhimtoasksomequestionrelatingtoanetchingonthewall。Quickasthought，MissAldclyffestoodbeforethetable，slippedherhandbehindher，tookoneoftheenvelopesandputitinherpocket。

Shesaunteredroundtheroomsfortwoorthreeminuteslonger，thenwithdrewandreturnedtoherhotel。

HereshecuttheKnapwateradvertisementfromthepaper，putitintotheenvelopeshehadstolen，embossedwiththesociety"sstamp，anddirecteditinaroundclerklyhandtotheaddressshehadseeninthelistofmembers"namessubmittedtoher：——

AENEASMANSTON，ESQ。，WYKEHAMCHAMBERS，SPRINGGARDENS。

Thisendedherfirstday"sworkinLondon。

4。FROMAUGUSTTHETWENTY-SIXTHTOSEPTEMBERTHEFIRST

ThetwoCythereascontinuedattheWestminsterHotel，MissAldclyffeinforminghercompanionthatbusinesswoulddetaintheminLondonanotherweek。Thedayspassedasslowlyandquietlyasdayscanpassinacityatthattimeoftheyear，theshutteredwindowsaboutthesquaresandterracesconfrontingtheireyeslikethewhiteandsightlessorbsofblindmen。OnThursdayMr。Nyttletoncalled，bringingthewholenumberofrepliestotheadvertisement。Cythereawaspresentattheinterview，byMissAldclyffe"srequest——eitherfromwhimordesign。

Tenadditionallettersweretheresultofthesecondweek"sinsertion，makingfifty-fiveinall。MissAldclyffelookedthemoverasbefore。Onewassigned——

AENEASMANSTON，133，TURNGATESTREET，LIVERPOOL。

"Now，then，Mr。Nyttleton，willyoumakeaselection，andIwilladdoneortwo，"MissAldclyffesaid。

Mr。Nyttletonscannedthewholeheapofletters，testimonials，andreferences，sortingthemintotwoheaps。Manston"smissive，afteramereglance，wasthrownamongstthesummarilyrejectedones。

MissAldclyfferead，orpretendedtoreadafterthelawyer。Whenhehadfinished，fivelayinthegrouphehadselected。"Wouldyouliketoaddtothenumber？"hesaid，turningtothelady。

"No，"shesaidcarelessly。"Well，twoorthreeadditionalonesrathertookmyfancy，"sheadded，searchingforsomeinthelargercollection。

Shedrewoutthree。OnewasManston"s。

"Theseeight，then，shallbecommunicatedwith，"saidthelawyer，takinguptheeightlettersandplacingthembythemselves。

Theystoodup。"IfImyself，MissAldclyffe，wereonlyconcernedpersonally，"hesaid，inanoff-handway，andholdingupalettersingly，"Ishouldchoosethismanunhesitatingly。Hewriteshonestly，isnotafraidtonamewhathedoesnotconsiderhimselfwellacquaintedwith——ararethingtofindinanswerstoadvertisements；heiswellrecommended，andpossessessomequalitiesrarelyfoundincombination。Oddlyenough，heisnotreallyasteward。Hewasbredafarmer，studiedbuildingaffairs，servedonanestateforsometime，thenwentwithanarchitect，andisnowwellqualifiedasarchitect，estateagent，andsurveyor。Thatmanissuretohaveafineheadforamanorlikeyours。"Hetappedtheletterashespoke。"Yes，Ishouldchoosehimwithouthesitation——

speakingpersonally。"

"AndIthink，"shesaidartificially，"Ishouldchoosethisoneasamatterofmerepersonalwhim，which，ofcourse，can"tbegivenwaytowhenpracticalquestionshavetobeconsidered。"

Cytherea，afterlookingoutofthewindow，andthenatthenewspapers，hadbecomeinterestedintheproceedingsbetweenthecleverMissAldclyffeandthekeenoldlawyer，whichremindedherofagameatcards。Shelookedinquiringlyatthetwoletters——oneinMissAldclyffe"shand，theotherinMr。Nyttleton"s。

"Whatisthenameofyourman？"saidMissAldclyffe。

"Hisname——"saidthelawyer，lookingdownthepage；"whatishisname？——itisEdwardSpringrove。"

MissAldclyffeglancedtowardsCytherea，whowasgettingredandpalebyturns。ShelookedimploringlyatMissAldclyffe。

"Thenameofmyman，"saidMissAldclyffe，lookingatherletterinturn；"is，Ithink——yes——AEneasManston。"

5。SEPTEMBERTHETHIRD

Thenextmorningbutonewasappointedfortheinterviews，whichweretobeatthelawyer"soffices。Mr。NyttletonandMr。Taylingwerebothintownfortheday，andthecandidateswereadmittedonebyoneintoaprivateroom。InthewindowrecesswasseatedMissAldclyffe，wearingherveildown。

Thelawyerhad，inhisletterstotheselectednumber，timedeachcandidateatanintervaloftenorfifteenminutesfromthoseprecedingandfollowing。Theywereshowninastheyarrived，andhadshortconversationswithMr。Nyttleton——terse，andtothepoint。

MissAldclyffeneithermovednorspokeduringthisproceeding；itmighthavebeensupposedthatshewasquiteunmindfulofit，haditnotbeenforwhatwasrevealedbyakeenpenetrationoftheveilcoveringhercountenance——theraysfromtwobrightblackeyes，directedtowardsthelawyerandhisinterlocutor。

Springrovecamefifth；Manstonseventh。Whentheexaminationofallwasended，andthelastmanhadretired，Nyttleton，againasattheformertime，blandlyaskedhisclientwhichoftheeightshepersonallypreferred。"Istillthinkthefifthwespoketo，Springrove，themanwhoseletterIpounceduponatfirst，tobebyfarthebestqualified，inshort，mostsuitablegenerally。"

"IamsorrytosaythatIdifferfromyou；Ileantomyfirstnotionstill——thatMr——Mr。Manstonismostdesirableintoneandbearing，andevenspecifically；Ithinkhewouldsuitmebestinthelong-

run。"

Mr。Nyttletonlookedoutofthewindowatthewhitenedwallofthecourt。

"Ofcourse，madam，youropinionmaybeperfectlysoundandreliable；

asortofinstinct，Iknow，oftenleadsladiesbyashortcuttoconclusionstruerthanthosecometobymenafterlaboriousround-

aboutcalculations，basedonlongexperience。ImustsayI

shouldn"trecommendhim。"

"Why，pray？"

"Well，letuslookfirstathisletterofanswertotheadvertisement。Hedidn"treplytillthelastinsertion；that"sonething。Hisletterisboldandfrankintone，soboldandfrankthatthesecondthoughtafterreadingitisthatnothonesty，butunscrupulousnessofconsciencedictatedit。Itiswritteninanindifferentmood，asifhefeltthathewashumbuggingusinhisstatementthathewastherightmanforsuchanoffice，thathetriedhardtogetitonlyasamatterofformwhichrequiredthatheshouldneglectnoopportunitythatcameinhisway。"

"Youmayberight，Mr。Nyttleton，butIdon"tquiteseethegroundsofyourreasoning。"

"Hehasbeen，asyouperceive，almostentirelyusedtotheofficedutiesofacityarchitect，theexperiencewedon"twant。Youwantamanwhoseacquaintancewithrurallandedpropertiesismorepracticalandcloser——somebodywho，ifhehasnotfilledexactlysuchanofficebefore，haslivedacountrylife，knowstheinsandoutsofcountrytenancies，building，farming，andsoon。"

"He"sbyfarthemostintellectuallookingofthemall。"

"Yes；hemaybe——youropinion，MissAldclyffe，isworthmorethanmineinthatmatter。Andmorethanyousay，heisamanofparts——

hisbrainpowerwouldsoonenablehimtomasterdetailsandfithimforthepost，Idon"tmuchdoubtthat。Buttospeakclearly"(herehiswordsstartedoffatajog-trot)"Iwouldn"truntheriskofplacingthemanagementofanestateofmineinhishandsonanyaccountwhatever。There，that"sflatandplain，madam。"

"But，definitely，"shesaid，withashowofimpatience，"whatisyourreason？"

"Heisavoluptuarywithactivity；whichisaverybadformofman——

asbadasitisrare。"

"Oh。Thankyouforyourexplicitstatement，Mr。Nyttleton，"saidMissAldclyffe，startingalittleandflushingwithdispleasure。

Mr。Nyttletonnoddedslightly，asasortofneutralmotion，simplysignifyingareceiptoftheinformation，goodorbad。

"AndIreallythinkitishardlyworthwhiletotroubleyoufurtherinthis，"continuedthelady。"He"squitegoodenoughforalittleinsignificantplacelikemineatKnapwater；andIknowthatIcouldnotgetonwithoneoftheothersforasinglemonth。We"lltryhim。"

"Certainly，MissAldclyffe，"saidthelawyer。AndMr。Manstonwaswrittento，totheeffectthathewasthesuccessfulcompetitor。

"Didyouseehowunmistakablyhertemperwasgettingthebetterofher，thatminuteyouwereintheroom？"saidNyttletontoTayling，whentheirclienthadleftthehouse。Nyttletonwasamanwhosurveyedeverybody"scharacterinasunlessandshadowlessnorthernlight。Aculpableslyness，whichmarkedhimasaboy，hadbeenmouldedbyTime，theImprover，intohonourablecircumspection。

Wefrequentlyfindthatthequalitywhich，conjoinedwiththesimplicityofthechild，isvice，isvirtuewhenitpervadestheknowledgeoftheman。

"Shewasasnearasdamn-ittoboilingoverwhenIaddedupherman，"continuedNyttleton。"Hishandsomefaceishisqualificationinhereyes。Theyhavemetbefore；Isawthat。"

"Hedidn"tseemconsciousofit，"saidthejunior。

"Hedidn"t。Thatwasratherpuzzlingtome。Butstill，ifeverawoman"sfacespokeoutplainlythatshewasinlovewithaman，hersdidthatshewaswithhim。Pooroldmaid，she"salmostoldenoughtobehismother。IfthatManston"saschemerhe"llmarryher，assureasIamNyttleton。Let"shopehe"shonest，however。"

"Idon"tthinkshe"sinlovewithhim，"saidTayling。Hehadseenbutlittleofthepair，andyethecouldnotreconcilewhathehadnoticedinMissAldclyffe"sbehaviourwiththeideathatitwasthebearingofawomantowardsherlover。

"Well，yourexperienceofthefieryphenomenonismorerecentthanmine，"rejoinedNyttletoncarelessly。"Andyoumayrememberthenatureofitbest。"

VIII。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTEENDAYS

1。FROMTHETHIRDTOTHENINETEENTHOFSEPTEMBER

MissAldclyffe"stendernesstowardsCytherea，betweenthehoursofherirascibility，increasedtillitbecamenolessthandotingfondness。LikeNatureinthetropics，withherhurricanesandthesubsequentluxuriantvegetationeffacingtheirravages，MissAldclyffecompensatedforheroutburstsbyexcessofgenerosityafterwards。Sheseemedtobecompletelywonoutofherselfbyclosecontactwithayoungwomanwhosemodestywasabsolutelyunimpaired，andwhoseartlessnesswasasperfectaswascompatiblewiththecomplexitynecessarytoproducetheduecharmofwomanhood。

Cytherea，onherpart，perceivedwithhonestsatisfactionthatherinfluenceforgoodoverMissAldclyffewasconsiderable。Ideasandhabitspeculiartotheyounger，whichtheelderladyhadoriginallyimitatedasamerewhim，shegrewincourseoftimetotakeapositivedelightin。Amongotherswereeveningandmorningprayers，dreamingoverout-doorscenes，learningaversefromsomepoemwhilstdressing。

Yettrytoforcehersympathiesasmuchasshewould，Cythereacouldfeelnomorethanthankfulforthis，evenifshealwaysfeltasmuchasthankful。Themysteriouscloudhangingoverthepastlifeofhercompanion，ofwhichtheuncertainlightalreadythrownuponitonlyseemedtorenderstilldarkertheunpenetratedremainder，nourishedinherafeelingwhichwasscarcelytooslighttobecalleddread。

Shewouldhaveinfinitelypreferredtobetreateddistantly，asthemeredependent，bysuchachangeablenature——likeafountain，alwaysherself，yetalwaysanother。Thatacrimeofanydeepdyehadeverbeenperpetratedorparticipatedinbyhernamesake，shewouldnotbelieve；buttherecklessadventuringofthelady"syouthseemedconnectedwithdeedsofdarknessratherthanoflight。

SometimesMissAldclyffeappearedtobeonthepointofmakingsomeabsorbingconfidence，butreflectioninvariablyrestrainedher。

Cythereahopedthatsuchaconfidencewouldcomewithtime，andthatshemightthusbeameansofsoothingamindwhichhadobviouslyknownextremesuffering。

ButMissAldclyffe"sreticenceconcerningherpastwasnotimitatedbyCytherea。Thoughsheneverdisclosedtheonefactofherknowledgethatthelove-suitbetweenMissAldclyffeandherfatherterminatedabnormally，themaiden"snaturalingenuousnessonsubjectsnotsetdownforspecialguardhadenabledMissAldclyffetowormfromher，fragmentbyfragment，everydetailofherfather"shistory。CythereasawhowdeeplyMissAldclyffesympathized——anditcompensatedher，tosomeextent，forthehastyresentmentsofothertimes。

Thusuncertainlyshelivedon。ItwasperceivedbytheservantsoftheHousethatsomesecretbondofconnectionexistedbetweenMissAldclyffeandhercompanion。Buttheywerewomanandwoman，notwomanandman，thefactswereetherealandrefined，andsotheycouldnotbeworkedupintoatakingstory。Whether，asoldcriticsdisputed，asupernaturalmachinerybenecessarytoanepicorno，anungodlymachineryisdecidedlynecessarytoascandal。

AnotherletterhadcometoherfromEdward——veryshort，butfullofentreaty，askingwhyshewouldnotwritejustoneline——justonelineofcoldfriendshipatleast？Shethenallowedherselftothink，littlebylittle，whethershehadnotperhapsbeentooharshwithhim；andatlastwonderedifhewerereallymuchtoblameforbeingengagedtoanotherwoman。"Ah，Brain，thereisoneinmestrongerthanyou！"shesaid。Theyoungmaidnowcontinuallypulledouthisletter，readitandre-readit，almostcryingwithpitythewhile，tothinkwhatwretchedsuspensehemustbeenduringathersilence，tillherheartchidherforhercruelty。Shefeltthatshemustsendhimaline——onelittleline——justaweelinetokeephimalive，poorthing；sighinglikeDonnaClara——

"Ah，werehenowbeforeme，Inspiteofinjuredpride，IfearmyeyeswouldpardonBeforemytonguecouldchide。"

2。SEPTEMBERTHETWENTIETH。THREETOFOURP。M。

ItwasthethirdweekinSeptember，aboutfiveweeksafterCytherea"sarrival，whenMissAldclyfferequestedheronedaytogothroughthevillageofCarrifordandassistherselfincollectingthesubscriptionsmadebysomeoftheinhabitantsoftheparishtoareligioussocietyshepatronized。MissAldclyffeformedoneofwhatwascalledaLadies"Association，eachmemberofwhichcollectedtributarystreamsofshillingsfromherinferiors，toaddtoherownpoundattheend。

MissAldclyffetookparticularinterestinCytherea"sappearancethatafternoon，andtheobjectofherattentionwas，indeed，gratifyingtolookat。Thesightofthelithegirl，setoffbyanairydress，coquettishjacket，flexiblehat，arayofstarlightineacheyeandawarofliliesandrosesineachcheek，wasapalpablepleasuretothemistressofthemansion，yetapleasurewhichappearedtopartakelessofthenatureofaffectionatesatisfactionthanofmentalgratification。

EightnameswereprintedinthereportasbelongingtoMissAldclyffe"slist，withtheamountofsubscription-moneyattachedtoeach。

"Iwillcollectthefirstfour，whilstyoudothesamewiththelastfour，"saidMissAldclyffe。

ThenamesoftwotradespeoplestoodfirstinCytherea"sshare：thencameaMissHinton：lastofallintheprintedlistwasMr。

Springrovetheelder。Underneathhisnamewaspencilled，inMissAldclyffe"shandwriting，"Mr。Manston。"

Manstonhadarrivedontheestate，inthecapacityofsteward，threeorfourdayspreviously，andoccupiedtheoldmanor-house，whichhadbeenalteredandrepairedforhisreception。

"CallonMr。Manston，"saidtheladyimpressively，lookingatthenamewrittenunderCytherea"sportionofthelist。

"Buthedoesnotsubscribeyet？"

"Iknowit；butcallandleavehimareport。Don"tforgetit。"

"Sayyouwouldbepleasedifhewouldsubscribe？"

"Yes——sayIshouldbepleasedifhewould，"repeatedMissAldclyffe，smiling。"Good-bye。Don"thurryinyourwalk。Ifyoucan"tgeteasilythroughyourtaskto-dayputoffsomeofittillto-morrow。"

Eachthenstartedonherrounds：Cythereagoinginthefirstplacetotheoldmanor-house。Mr。Manstonwasnotindoors，whichwasarelieftoher。Shecalledthenonthetwogentleman-farmers"wives，whosoontransactedtheirbusinesswithher，frigidlyindifferenttoherpersonality。Apersonwhosociallyisnothingisthoughtlessofbypeoplewhoarenotmuchthanbythosewhoareagreatdeal。

ShethenturnedtowardsPeakhillCottage，theresidenceofMissHinton，wholivedtherehappilyenough，withanelderlyservantandahouse-dogascompanions。Herfather，andlastremainingparent，hadretiredthitherfouryearsbeforethistime，afterhavingfilledthepostofeditortotheCasterbridgeChronicleforeighteenortwentyyears。Therehediedsoonafter，andthoughcomparativelyapoorman，helefthisdaughtersufficientlywellprovidedforasamodestfundholderandclaimantofsundrysmallsumsindividendstomaintainherselfasmistressatPeakhill。

AtCytherea"sknockaninnerdoorwasheardtoopenandclose，andfootstepscrossedthepassagehesitatingly。ThenextminuteCythereastoodfacetofacewiththeladyherself。

AdelaideHintonwasaboutnine-and-twentyyearsofage。Herhairwasplentiful，likeCytherea"sown；herteethequalledCytherea"sinregularityandwhiteness。Butshewasmuchpaler，andhadfeaturestootransparenttobeinplaceamonghouseholdsurroundings。HermouthexpressedlovelessforciblythanCytherea"s，and，asanaturalresultofhergreatermaturity，hertreadwaslesselastic，andshewasmoreself-possessed。

Shehadbeenagirlofthatkindwhichmotherspraiseasnotforward，bywayofcontrast，whendisparagingthosewarmeroneswithwhomlovingisanendandnotameans。Menofforty，too，saidofher，"agoodsensiblewifeforanyman，ifshecarestomarry，"thecaringtomarrybeingthrowninasthevaguesthypothesis，becauseshewassopractical。Yetitwouldbesingularif，insuchcases，theimportantsubjectofmarriageshouldbeexcludedfrommanipulationbyhandsthatarereadyforpracticalperformanceineverydomesticconcernbesides。