第2章

Intheroomfromwhichthischeerfulblazeproceeded，hebeheldagirlseatedonawillowchair，andbusilyoccupiedbythelightofthefire，whichwasampleandofwood。Withabill-hookinonehandandaleatherglove，muchtoolargeforher，ontheother，shewasmakingspars，suchasareusedbythatchers，withgreatrapidity。Sheworealeatherapronforthispurpose，whichwasalsomuchtoolargeforherfigure。Onherlefthandlayabundleofthestraight，smoothstickscalledspar-gads——therawmaterialofhermanufacture；onherright，aheapofchipsandends——therefuse——withwhichthefirewasmaintained；infront，apileofthefinishedarticles。Toproducethemshetookupeachgad，lookedcriticallyatitfromendtoend，cutittolength，splititintofour，andsharpenedeachofthequarterswithdexterousblows，whichbroughtittoatriangularpointpreciselyresemblingthatofabayonet。

Besideher，incaseshemightrequiremorelight，abrasscandlestickstoodonalittleroundtable，curiouslyformedofanoldcoffin-stool，withadealtopnailedon，thewhitesurfaceofthelattercontrastingoddlywiththeblackcarvedoakofthesubstructure。Thesocialpositionofthehouseholdinthepastwasalmostasdefinitivelyshownbythepresenceofthisarticleasthatofanesquireornoblemanbyhisoldhelmetsorshields。

Ithadbeencustomaryforeverywell-to-dovillager，whosetenurewasbycopyofcourt-roll，orinanywaymorepermanentthanthatofthemerecotter，tokeepapairofthesestoolsfortheuseofhisowndead；butforthelastgenerationortwoafeelingofcuibonohadledtothediscontinuanceofthecustom，andthestoolswerefrequentlymadeuseofinthemannerdescribed。

Theyoungwomanlaiddownthebill-hookforamomentandexaminedthepalmofherrighthand，which，unliketheother，wasungloved，andshowedlittlehardnessorroughnessaboutit。Thepalmwasredandblistering，asifthispresentoccupationwerenotfrequentenoughwithhertosubdueittowhatitworkedin。Aswithsomanyrighthandsborntomanuallabor，therewasnothinginitsfundamentalshapetobearoutthephysiologicalconventionalismthatgradationsofbirth，gentleormean，showthemselvesprimarilyintheformofthismember。Nothingbutacastofthedieofdestinyhaddecidedthatthegirlshouldhandlethetool；andthefingerswhichclaspedtheheavyashhaftmighthaveskilfullyguidedthepencilorsweptthestring，hadtheyonlybeensettodoitingoodtime。

Herfacehadtheusualfulnessofexpressionwhichisdevelopedbyalifeofsolitude。Wheretheeyesofamultitudebeatlikewavesuponacountenancetheyseemtowearawayitsindividuality；butinthestillwaterofprivacyeverytentacleoffeelingandsentimentshootsoutinvisibleluxuriance，tobeinterpretedasreadilyasachild’slookbyanintruder。Inyearsshewasnomorethannineteenortwenty，butthenecessityoftakingthoughtatatooearlyperiodoflifehadforcedtheprovisionalcurvesofherchildhood’sfacetoaprematurefinality。Thusshehadbutlittlepretensiontobeauty，saveinoneprominentparticular——herhair。Itsabundancemadeitalmostunmanageable；itscolorwas，roughlyspeaking，andasseenherebyfirelight，brown，butcarefulnotice，oranobservationbyday，wouldhaverevealedthatitstrueshadewasarareandbeautifulapproximationtochestnut。

OnthisonebrightgiftofTimetotheparticularvictimofhisnowbeforeusthenew-comer’seyeswerefixed；meanwhilethefingersofhisrighthandmechanicallyplayedoversomethingstickingupfromhiswaistcoat-pocket——thebowsofapairofscissors，whosepolishmadethemfeeblyresponsivetothelightwithin。Inherpresentbeholder’smindthesceneformedbythegirlishspar-makercomposeditselfintoapost-Raffaelitepictureofextremestquality，whereinthegirl’shairalone，asthefocusofobservation，wasdepictedwithintensityanddistinctness，andherface，shoulders，hands，andfigureingeneral，beingablurredmassofunimportantdetaillostinhazeandobscurity。

Hehesitatednolonger，buttappedatthedoorandentered。Theyoungwomanturnedatthecrunchofhisbootsonthesandedfloor，andexclaiming，“Oh，Mr。Percombe，howyoufrightenedme！”quitelosthercolorforamoment。

Hereplied，“Youshouldshutyourdoor——thenyou’dhearfolkopenit。”

“Ican’t。”shesaid；“thechimneysmokesso。Mr。Percombe，youlookasunnaturaloutofyourshopasacanaryinathorn-hedge。

Surelyyouhavenotcomeouthereonmyaccount——for——“

“Yes——tohaveyouransweraboutthis。”Hetouchedherheadwithhiscane，andshewinced。“Doyouagree？”hecontinued。“ItisnecessarythatIshouldknowatonce，astheladyissoongoingaway，andittakestimetomakeup。”

“Don’tpressme——itworriesme。Iwasinhopesyouhadthoughtnomoreofit。IcanNOTpartwithit——sothere！”

“Now，lookhere，Marty。”saidthebarber，sittingdownonthecoffin-stooltable。“Howmuchdoyougetformakingthesespars？”

“Hush——father’sup-stairsawake，andhedon’tknowthatIamdoinghiswork。”

“Well，nowtellme。”saidtheman，moresoftly。“Howmuchdoyouget？”

“Eighteenpenceathousand。”shesaid，reluctantly。

“Whoareyoumakingthemfor？”

“Mr。Melbury，thetimber-dealer，justbelowhere。”

“Andhowmanycanyoumakeinaday？”

“Inadayandhalfthenight，threebundles——that’sathousandandahalf。”

“Twoandthreepence。”Thebarberpaused。“Well，lookhere。”hecontinued，withtheremainsofacalculationinhistone，whichcalculationhadbeenthereductiontofiguresoftheprobablemonetarymagnetismnecessarytooverpowertheresistantforceofherpresentpurseandthewoman’sloveofcomeliness，“here’sasovereign——agoldsovereign，almostnew。”Hehelditoutbetweenhisfingerandthumb。“That’sasmuchasyou’dearninaweekandahalfatthatroughman’swork，andit’syoursforjustlettingmesnipoffwhatyou’vegottoomuchof。”

Thegirl’sbosommovedaverylittle。“Whycan’ttheladysendtosomeothergirlwhodon’tvalueherhair——nottome？”sheexclaimed。

“Why，simpleton，becauseyoursistheexactshadeofherown，and’tisashadeyoucan’tmatchbydyeing。ButyouarenotgoingtorefusemenowI’vecomeallthewayfromShertono’purpose？”

“IsayIwon’tsellit——toyouoranybody。”

“Nowlisten。”andhedrewupalittlecloserbesideher。“Theladyisveryrich，andwon’tbeparticulartoafewshillings；soIwilladvancetothisonmyownresponsibility——I’llmaketheonesovereigntwo，ratherthangobackempty-handed。”

“No，no，no！”shecried，beginningtobemuchagitated。“Youarea-temptingme，Mr。Percombe。YougoonliketheDeviltoDr。

Faustusinthepennybook。ButIdon’twantyourmoney，andwon’tagree。Whydidyoucome？Isaidwhenyougotmeintoyourshopandurgedmesomuch，thatIdidn’tmeantosellmyhair！”Thespeakerwashotandstern。

“Marty，nowhearken。Theladythatwantsitwantsitbadly。And，betweenyouandme，you’dbetterletherhaveit。’Twillbebadforyouifyoudon’t。”

“Badforme？Whoisshe，then？”

Thebarberheldhistongue，andthegirlrepeatedthequestion。

“Iamnotatlibertytotellyou。Andassheisgoingabroadsoonitmakesnodifferencewhosheisatall。”

“Shewantsittogoabroadwi’？”

Percombeassentedbyanod。Thegirlregardedhimreflectively。

“BarberPercombe。”shesaid，“Iknowwho’tis。’TissheattheHouse——Mrs。Charmond！”

“That’smysecret。However，ifyouagreetoletmehaveit，I’lltellyouinconfidence。”

“I’llcertainlynotletyouhaveitunlessyoutellmethetruth。

ItisMrs。Charmond。”

Thebarberdroppedhisvoice。“Well——itis。Yousatinfrontofherinchurchtheotherday，andshenoticedhowexactlyyourhairmatchedherown。Eversincethenshe’sbeenhankeringforit，andatlastdecidedtogetit。Asshewon’twearittillshegoesoffabroad，sheknowsnobodywillrecognizethechange。I’mcommissionedtogetitforher，andthenitistobemadeup。I

shouldn’thavevampedallthesemilesforanylessimportantemployer。Now，mind——’tisasmuchasmybusinesswithherisworthifitshouldbeknownthatI’veletouthername；buthonorbetweenustwo，Marty，andyou’llsaynothingthatwouldinjureme？”

“Idon’twishtotelluponher。”saidMarty，coolly。“Butmyhairismyown，andI’mgoingtokeepit。”

“Now，that’snotfair，afterwhatI’vetoldyou。”saidthenettledbarber。“Yousee，Marty，asyouareinthesameparish，andinoneofhercottages，andyourfatherisill，andwouldn’tliketoturnout，itwouldbeaswelltoobligeher。Isaythatasafriend。ButIwon’tpressyoutomakeupyourmindto-night。

You’llbecomingtomarketto-morrow，Idaresay，andyoucancallthen。Ifyouthinkitoveryou’llbeinclinedtobringwhatI

want，Iknow。”

“I’venothingmoretosay。”sheanswered。

Hercompanionsawfromhermannerthatitwasuselesstourgeherfurtherbyspeech。“Asyouareatrustyyoungwoman。”hesaid，“I’llputthesesovereignsuphereforornament，thatyoumayseehowhandsometheyare。Bringthehairto-morrow，orreturnthesovereigns。”Hestuckthemedgewiseintotheframeofasmallmantlelooking-glass。“Ihopeyou’llbringit，foryoursakeandmine。Ishouldhavethoughtshecouldhavesuitedherselfelsewhere；butasit’sherfancyitmustbeindulgedifpossible。

Ifyoucutitoffyourself，mindhowyoudoitsoastokeepallthelocksoneway。”Heshowedherhowthiswastobedone。

“ButIsha’nt。”shereplied，withlaconicindifference。“Ivaluemylookstoomuchtospoil’em。Shewantsmyhairtogetanotherloverwith；thoughifstoriesaretrueshe’sbroketheheartofmanyanoblegentlemanalready。”

“Lord，it’swonderfulhowyouguessthings，Marty。”saidthebarber。“I’vehaditfromthemthatknowthattherecertainlyissomeforeigngentlemaninhereye。However，mindwhatIask。”

“She’snotgoingtogethimthroughme。”

Percombehadretiredasfarasthedoor；hecameback，plantedhiscaneonthecoffin-stool，andlookedherintheface。“MartySouth。”hesaid，withdeliberateemphasis，“YOU’VEGOTALOVER

YOURSELF，andthat’swhyyouwon’tletitgo！”