第1章

Theramblerwho，foroldassociationorotherreasons，shouldtracetheforsakencoach-roadrunningalmostinameridionallinefromBristoltothesouthshoreofEngland，wouldfindhimselfduringthelatterhalfofhisjourneyinthevicinityofsomeextensivewoodlands，interspersedwithapple-orchards。Herethetrees，timberorfruit-bearing，asthecasemaybe，maketheway-

sidehedgesraggedbytheirdripandshade，stretchingovertheroadwitheasefulhorizontality，asiftheyfoundtheunsubstantialairanadequatesupportfortheirlimbs。Atoneplace，whereahilliscrossed，thelargestofthewoodsshowsitselfbisectedbythehigh-way，astheheadofthickhairisbisectedbythewhitelineofitsparting。Thespotislonely。

Thephysiognomyofadesertedhighwayexpressessolitudetoadegreethatisnotreachedbymeredalesordowns，andbespeaksatomb-likestillnessmoreemphaticthanthatofgladesandpools。

Thecontrastofwhatiswithwhatmightbeprobablyaccountsforthis。Tostep，forinstance，attheplaceundernotice，fromthehedgeoftheplantationintotheadjoiningpalethoroughfare，andpauseamiditsemptinessforamoment，wastoexchangebytheactofasinglestridethesimpleabsenceofhumancompanionshipforanincubusoftheforlorn。

Atthisspot，ontheloweringeveningofaby-gonewinter’sday，therestoodamanwhohadentereduponthescenemuchintheaforesaidmanner。Alightingintotheroadfromastilehardby，he，thoughbynomeansa“chosenvessel“forimpressions，wastemporarilyinfluencedbysomesuchfeelingofbeingsuddenlymorealonethanbeforehehademergeduponthehighway。

Itcouldbeseenbyaglanceathisratherfinicalstyleofdressthathedidnotbelongtothecountryproper；andfromhisair，afterawhile，thatthoughtheremightbeasombrebeautyinthescenery，musicinthebreeze，andawanprocessionofcoachingghostsinthesentimentofthisoldturnpike-road，hewasmainlypuzzledabouttheway。Thedeadmen’sworkthathadbeenexpendedinclimbingthathill，theblisteredsolesthathadtroddenit，andthetearsthathadwettedit，werenothisconcern；forfatehadgivenhimnotimeforanybutpracticalthings。

Helookednorthandsouth，andmechanicallyproddedthegroundwithhiswalking-stick。Acloserglanceathisfacecorroboratedthetestimonyofhisclothes。Itwasself-complacent，yettherewassmallapparentgroundforsuchcomplacence。Nothingirradiatedit；totheeyeofthemagicianincharacter，ifnottotheordinaryobserver，theexpressionenthronedtherewasabsolutesubmissiontoandbeliefinalittleassortmentofformsandhabitudes。

Atfirstnotasoulappearedwhocouldenlightenhimashedesired，orseemedlikelytoappearthatnight。Butpresentlyaslightnoiseoflaboringwheelsandthesteadydigofahorse’sshoe-tipsbecameaudible；andthereloomedinthenotchofthehillandplantationthattheroadformedhereatthesummitacarrier’svandrawnbyasinglehorse。Whenitgotnearer，hesaid，withsomerelieftohimself，“’TisMrs。Dollery’s——thiswillhelpme。”

Thevehiclewashalffullofpassengers，mostlywomen。Hehelduphisstickatitsapproach，andthewomanwhowasdrivingdrewrein。

“I’vebeentryingtofindashortwaytoLittleHintockthislasthalf-hour，Mrs。Dollery。”hesaid。“ButthoughI’vebeentoGreatHintockandHintockHousehalfadozentimesIamatfaultaboutthesmallvillage。Youcanhelpme，Idaresay？”

Sheassuredhimthatshecould——thatasshewenttoGreatHintockhervanpassednearit——thatitwasonlyupthelanethatbranchedoutofthelaneintowhichshewasabouttoturn——justahead。

“Though。”continuedMrs。Dollery，“’tissuchalittlesmallplacethat，asatowngentleman，you’dneedhaveacandleandlanterntofinditifyedon’tknowwhere’tis。Bedad！Iwouldn’tlivethereifthey’dpaymeto。NowatGreatHintockyoudoseetheworldabit。”

Hemountedandsatbesideher，withhisfeetoutside，wheretheywereeverandanonbrushedoverbythehorse’stail。

Thisvan，drivenandownedbyMrs。Dollery，wasratheramovableattachmentoftheroadwaythananextraneousobject，tothosewhoknewitwell。Theoldhorse，whosehairwasoftheroughnessandcolorofheather，whoseleg-joints，shoulders，andhoofsweredistortedbyharnessanddrudgeryfromcolthood——thoughifallhadtheirrights，heought，symmetricalinoutline，tohavebeenpickingtheherbageofsomeEasternplaininsteadoftugginghere——

hadtroddenthisroadalmostdailyfortwentyyears。Evenhissubjectionwasnotmadecongruousthroughout，fortheharnessbeingtooshort，histailwasnotdrawnthroughthecrupper，sothatthebreechingslippedawkwardlytooneside。HekneweverysubtleinclineofthesevenoreightmilesofgroundbetweenHintockandShertonAbbas——themarket-towntowhichhejourneyed——

asaccuratelyasanysurveyorcouldhavelearneditbyaDumpylevel。

Thevehiclehadasquareblacktiltwhichnoddedwiththemotionofthewheels，andatapointinitoverthedriver’sheadwasahooktowhichthereinswerehitchedattimes，whentheyformedacatenarycurvefromthehorse’sshoulders。Somewhereabouttheaxleswasaloosechain，whoseonlyknownpurposewastoclinkasitwent。Mrs。Dollery，havingtohopupanddownmanytimesintheserviceofherpassengers，wore，especiallyinwindyweather，shortleggingsunderhergownformodesty’ssake，andinsteadofabonnetafelthattieddownwithahandkerchief，toguardagainstanearachetowhichshewasfrequentlysubject。Intherearofthevanwasaglasswindow，whichshecleanedwithherpocket-

handkerchiefeverymarket-daybeforestarting。Lookingatthevanfromtheback，thespectatorcouldthusseethroughitsinteriorasquarepieceofthesameskyandlandscapethathesawwithout，butintrudedonbytheprofilesoftheseatedpassengers，who，astheyrumbledonward，theirlipsmovingandheadsnoddinginanimatedprivateconverse，remainedinhappyunconsciousnessthattheirmannerismsandfacialpeculiaritiesweresharplydefinedtothepubliceye。

Thishourofcominghomefrommarketwasthehappyone，ifnotthehappiest，oftheweekforthem。Snuglyensconcedunderthetilt，theycouldforgetthesorrowsoftheworldwithout，andsurveylifeandrecapitulatetheincidentsofthedaywithplacidsmiles。

Thepassengersinthebackpartformedagrouptothemselves，andwhilethenew-comerspoketotheproprietress，theyindulgedinaconfidentialchatabouthimasaboutotherpeople，whichthenoiseofthevanrenderedinaudibletohimselfandMrs。Dollery，sittingforward。

“’TisBarberPercombe——hethat’sgotthewaxenwomaninhiswindowatthetopofAbbeyStreet。”saidone。“Whatbusinesscanbringhimfromhisshopouthereatthistimeandnotajourneymanhair-

cutter，butamaster-barberthat’sleftoffhispolebecause’tisnotgenteel！”

Theylistenedtohisconversation，butMr。Percombe，thoughhehadnoddedandspokengenially，seemedindisposedtogratifythecuriositywhichhehadaroused；andtheunrestrainedflowofideaswhichhadanimatedtheinsideofthevanbeforehisarrivalwascheckedthenceforward。

Thustheyrodeontilltheyturnedintoahalf-invisiblelittlelane，whence，asitreachedthevergeofaneminence，couldbediscernedinthedusk，abouthalfamiletotheright，gardensandorchardssunkinaconcave，and，asitwere，snippedoutofthewoodland。Fromthisself-containedplaceroseinstealthysilencetallstemsofsmoke，whichtheeyeofimaginationcouldtracedownwardtotheirrootonquiethearth-stonesfestoonedoverheadwithhamsandflitches。Itwasoneofthosesequesteredspotsoutsidethegatesoftheworldwheremayusuallybefoundmoremeditationthanaction，andmorepassivitythanmeditation；wherereasoningproceedsonnarrowpremises，andresultsininferenceswildlyimaginative；yetwhere，fromtimetotime，nolessthaninotherplaces，dramasofagrandeurandunitytrulySophocleanareenactedinthereal，byvirtueoftheconcentratedpassionsandcloselyknitinterdependenceofthelivestherein。

ThisplacewastheLittleHintockofthemaster-barber’ssearch。

Thecomingnightgraduallyobscuredthesmokeofthechimneys，butthepositionofthesequesteredlittleworldcouldstillbedistinguishedbyafewfaintlights，winkingmoreorlessineffectuallythroughtheleaflessboughs，andtheundiscernedsongsterstheybore，intheformofballsoffeathers，atroostamongthem。

Outofthelanefollowedbythevanbranchedayetsmallerlane，atthecornerofwhichthebarberalighted，Mrs。Dollery’svangoingontothelargervillage，whosesuperioritytothedespisedsmalleroneasanexemplaroftheworld’smovementswasnotparticularlyapparentinitsmeansofapproach。

“Averycleverandlearnedyoungdoctor，who，theysay，isinleaguewiththedevil，livesintheplaceyoubegoingto——notbecausethere’sanybodyfor’ntocurethere，butbecause’tisthemiddleofhisdistrict。”

Theobservationwasflungatthebarberbyoneofthewomenatparting，asalastattempttogetathiserrandthatway。

Buthemadenoreply，andwithoutfurtherpausethepedestrianplungedtowardstheumbrageousnook，andpacedcautiouslyoverthedeadleaveswhichnearlyburiedtheroadorstreetofthehamlet。

Asveryfewpeopleexceptthemselvespassedthiswayafterdark，amajorityofthedenizensofLittleHintockdeemedwindow-curtainsunnecessary；andonthisaccountMr。Percombemadeithisbusinesstostopoppositethecasementsofeachcottagethathecameto，withademeanorwhichshowedthathewasendeavoringtoconjecture，fromthepersonsandthingsheobservedwithin，thewhereaboutsofsomebodyorotherwhoresidedhere。

Onlythesmallerdwellingsinterestedhim；oneortwohouses，whosesize，antiquity，andramblingappurtenancessignifiedthatnotwithstandingtheirremotenesstheymustformerlyhavebeen，iftheywerenotstill，inhabitedbypeopleofacertainsocialstanding，beingneglectedbyhimentirely。Smellsofpomace，andthehissoffermentingcider，whichreachedhimfromthebackquartersofothertenements，revealedtherecentoccupationofsomeoftheinhabitants，andjoinedwiththescentofdecayfromtheperishingleavesunderfoot。

Halfadozendwellingswerepassedwithoutresult。Thenext，whichstoodoppositeatalltree，wasinanexceptionalstateofradiance，theflickeringbrightnessfromtheinsideshiningupthechimneyandmakingaluminousmistoftheemergingsmoke。Theinterior，asseenthroughthewindow，causedhimtodrawupwithaterminativeairandwatch。Thehousewasratherlargeforacottage，andthedoor，whichopenedimmediatelyintotheliving-

room，stoodajar，sothataribbonoflightfellthroughtheopeningintothedarkatmospherewithout。Everynowandthenamoth，decrepitfromthelateseason，wouldflitforamomentacrosstheout-comingraysanddisappearagainintothenight。