,,none ,,other ,,gods ,,by ,,robert ,,hugh ,,benson ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,conventionalists1 ,,the ,,necromancers1 ,a ,,winnowing1 ,,etc4 ,,none ,,other ,,gods ,,dedicatory ,,letter ,,my ,,dear ,,jack ,,kirkby1 ,to whom can ,i dedicate this book but to you who were1 not only the best friend of the man ,i have written about1 but one without whom the book could not have been written8 ,it is to you that ,i owe practically all the materials necessary for the work3 it was to you that ,frank left the greater part of his diary1 such as it was 7and ,i hope ,i have observed your instructions properly as regards the use ,i have made of it72 it was you who took such trouble to identify the places he passed through2 and it was you1 above all1 who gave me so keen an impression of ,frank himself1 that it seems to me ,i must myself have somehow known him intimately1 in spite of the fact that we never met4 ,i think ,i should say that it is this sense of intimacy1 this extraordinary interior accessibility 7so to speak7 of ,frank1 that made him 7as you and ,i both think7 about the most lovable person we have ever known4 ,they were very extraordinary changes that passed over him1 of course--7and ,i suppose we cannot improve1 even with all our modern psychology1 upon the old mystical names for such changes--,purgation1 ,illumination and ,union7--but1 as theologians themselves tell us1 that mysterious thing which ,catholics call the ,grace of ,god does not obliterate1 but rather emphasizes and transfigures the natural characteristics of every man upon whom it comes with power4 ,it was the same element in ,frank1 as it seems to me--the same root-principle1 at least--that made him do those preposterous things connected with bread and butter and a railway train1 that drove him from ,cambridge in defiance of all common-sense and sweet reasonableness2 that held him still to that deplorable and lamentable journey with his two traveling companions1 and that ultimately led him to his death4 ,i mean1 it was the same kind of unreasonable daring and purpose throughout1 though it issued in very different kinds of actions1 and was inspired by very different motives4 ,well1 it is not much good discussing ,frank in public like this4 ,the people who are kind enough to read his life--or1 rather1 the six months of it with which this book deals--must form their own opinion of him4 ,probably a good many will think him a fool4 ,i daresay he was2 but ,i think ,i like that kind of folly4 ,other people may think him simply obstinate and tiresome4 ,well1 ,i like obstinacy of that sort1 and ,i do not find him tiresome4 ,everyone must form their own views1 and ,i have a perfect right to form mine1 which ,i am glad to know coincide with your own4 ,after all1 you knew him better than anyone else4 ,i went to see ,gertie ,trustcott1 as you suggested1 but ,i didn't get any help from her4 ,i think she is the most suburban person ,i have ever met4 ,she could tell me nothing whatever new about him2 she could only corroborate what you yourself had told me1 and what the diaries and other papers contained4 ,i did not stay long with ,miss ,trustcott4 ,and now1 my dear friend1 ,i must ask you to accept this book from me1 and to make the best of it4 ,of course1 ,i have had to conjecture a great deal1 and to embroider even more2 but it is no more than embroidery4 ,i have not touched the fabric itself which you put into my hands2 and anyone who cares to pull out the threads ,i have inserted can do so if they will1 without any fear of the thing falling to pieces4 ,i have to thank you for many pleasurable and even emotional hours4 ,the offering which ,i present to you now is the only return ,i can make4 ,i am1 ,ever yours sincerely1 ,,robert ,,hugh ,,benson4 ,p4,s4--,we've paneled a new room since you were last at ,hare ,street4 ,come and see it soon and sleep in it4 ,we want you badly4 ,and ,i want to talk a great deal more about ,frank4 ,p4,p4,s4--,i hear that her ladyship has gone back to live with her father2 she tried the ,dower ,house in ,westmoreland1 but seems to have found it lonely4 ,is that true8 ,it'll be rather difficult for ,dick1 won't it8 ,,none ,,other ,,gods ,,part ,i ,,chapter ,i 7,i7 ,i think you're behaving like an absolute idiot1 said ,jack ,kirkby indignantly4 ,frank grinned pleasantly1 and added his left foot to his right one in the broad window-seat4 ,these two young men were sitting in one of the most pleasant places in all the world in which to sit on a summer evening--in a ground-floor room looking out upon the ,great ,court of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,it was in that short space of time1 between six and seven1 during which the ,great ,court is largely deserted4 ,the athletes and the dawdlers have not yet returned from field and river2 and ,fellows and other persons1 young enough to know better1 who think that a summer evening was created for the reading of books1 have not yet emerged from their retreats4 ,a white-aproned cook or two moves across the cobbled spaces with trays upon their heads2 a tradesman's boy comes out of the corner entrance from the hostel2 a cat or two stretches himself on the grass2 but1 for the rest1 the court lies in broad sunshine2 the shadows slope eastwards1 and the fitful splash and trickle of the fountain asserts itself clearly above the gentle rumble of ,trinity ,street4 ,within1 the room in which these two sat was much like other rooms of the same standing2 only1 in this one case the walls were paneled with white-painted deal4 ,three doors led out of it--two into a tiny bedroom and a tinier dining-room respectively2 the third on to the passage leading to the lecture-rooms4 ,frank found it very convenient1 since he thus was enabled1 at every hour of the morning when the lectures broke up1 to have the best possible excuse for conversing with his friends through the window4 ,the room was furnished really well4 ,above the mantelpiece1 where rested an array of smoking-materials and a large silver cigarette-box1 hung an ancestral-looking portrait1 in a dull gilded frame1 of an aged man1 with a ruff round his neck1 purchased for one guinea2 there was a sofa and a set of chairs upholstered in a good damask3 a black piano by ,broadwood2 a large oval gate-leg table2 a bureau2 shelves filled with very indiscriminate literature--law books1 novels1 ,badminton1 magazines and ancient school editions of the classics2 a mahogany glass-fronted bookcase packed with volumes of esthetic appearance--green-backed poetry books with white labels2 old leather tomes1 and all the rest of the specimens usual to a man who has once thought himself literary4 ,then there were engravings1 well framed1 round the walls2 a black iron-work lamp1 fitted for electric light1 hung from the ceiling2 there were a couple of oak chests1 curiously carved4 ,on the stained floor lay three or four mellow rugs1 and the window-boxes outside blazed with geraniums4 ,the dbris of tea rested on the window-seat nearest the outer door4 ,frank ,guiseley1 too1 lolling in the window-seat in a white silk shirt1 unbuttoned at the throat1 and gray flannel trousers1 and one white shoe1 was very pleasant to look upon4 ,his hair was as black and curly as a ,neapolitan's2 he had a smiling1 humorous mouth1 and black eyes--of an extraordinary twinkling alertness4 ,his clean-shaven face1 brown in its proper complexion as well as with healthy sunburning 7he had played very vigorous lawn-tennis for the last two months71 looked like a boy's1 except for the very determined mouth and the short1 straight nose4 ,he was a little below middle height--well-knit and active2 and though1 properly speaking1 he was not exactly handsome1 he was quite exceptionally delightful to look at4 ,jack ,kirkby1 sitting in an arm-chair a yard away1 and in the same sort of costume--except that he wore both his shoes and a ,third ,trinity blazer--was a complete contrast in appearance4 ,the other had something of a ,southern ,europe look2 ,jack was obviously ,english--wholesome red cheeks1 fair hair and a small mustache resembling spun silk4 ,he was1 also1 closely on six feet in height4 ,he was anxious just now1 and1 therefore1 looked rather cross1 fingering the very minute hairs of his mustache whenever he could spare the time from smoking1 and looking determinedly away from ,frank upon the floor4 ,for the last week he had talked over this affair1 ever since the amazing announcement2 and had come to the conclusion that once more1 in this preposterous scheme1 ,frank really meant what he said4 ,frank had a terrible way of meaning what he said--he reflected with dismay4 ,there was the affair of the bread and butter three years ago1 before either of them had learned manners4 ,this had consisted in the fastening up in separate brown-paper parcels innumerable pieces of bread and butter1 addressing each with the name of the ,reverend ,junior ,dean 7who had annoyed ,frank in some way71 and the leaving of the parcels about in every corner of ,cambridge1 in hansom cabs1 on seats1 on shop-counters and on the pavements--with the result that for the next two or three days the dean's staircase was crowded with messenger boys and unemployables1 anxious to return apparently lost property4 ,then there had been the matter of the flagging of a fast ,northern train in the middle of the fens with a red pocket-handkerchief1 to find out if it were really true that the train would stop1 followed by a rapid retreat on bicycles so soon as it had been ascertained that it was true2 the ,affair of the ,german ,prince traveling incognito1 into which the ,mayor himself had been drawn2 and the ,affair of the ,nun who smoked a short black pipe in the ,great ,court shortly before midnight1 before gathering up her skirts and vanishing on noiseless india-rubber-shod feet round the kitchen quarters into the gloom of ,neville's ,court1 as the horrified porter descended from his signal-box4 ,now many minds could have conceived these things2 a smaller number of people would have announced their intention of doing them3 but there were very few persons who would actually carry them all out to the very end3 in fact1 ,jack reflected1 ,frank ,guiseley was about the only man of his acquaintance who could possibly have done them4 ,and he had done them all on his own sole responsibility4 ,he had remembered1 too1 during the past week1 certain incidents of the same nature at ,eton4 ,there was the master who had rashly inquired1 with deep sarcasm1 on the fourth or fifth occasion in one week when ,frank had come in a little late for five-o'clock school1 whether ,guiseley would not like to have tea before pursuing his studies4 ,frank1 with a radiant smile of gratitude1 and extraordinary rapidity1 had answered that he would like it very much indeed1 and had vanished through the still half-open door before another word could be uttered1 returning with a look of childlike innocence at about five-and-twenty minutes to six4 ,please1 sir1 he had said1 ,i thought you said ,i might go8 ,and have you had tea8 ,why1 certainly1 sir2 at ,webber's4 ,now all this kind of thing was a little disconcerting to remember now4 ,truly1 the things in themselves had been admirably conceived and faithfully executed1 but they seemed to show that ,frank was the kind of person who really carried through what other people only talked about--and especially if he announced beforehand that he intended to do it4 ,it was a little dismaying1 therefore1 for his friend to reflect that upon the arrival of the famous letter from ,lord ,talgarth--,frank's father--six days previously1 in which all the well-worn phrases occurred as to darkening doors and roof and disgrace to the family1 ,frank had announced that he proposed to take his father at his word1 sell up his property and set out like a prince in a fairy-tale to make his fortune4 99 99 99 99 99 ,jack had argued till he was sick of it1 and to no avail4 ,frank had a parry for every thrust4 ,why wouldn't he wait a bit until the governor had had time to cool down8 ,because the governor must learn1 sooner or later1 that words really meant something1 and that he--,frank--was not going to stand it for one instant4 ,why wouldn't he come and stay at ,barham till further notice8 ,they'd all be delighted to have him3 ,it was only ten miles off ,merefield1 and perhaps--,because ,frank was not going to sponge upon his friends4 ,neither was he going to skulk about near home4 ,well1 if he was so damned obstinate1 why didn't he go into the ,city--or even to the ,bar8 ,because 7#a7 he hadn't any money2 and 7#b7 he would infinitely sooner go on the tramp than sit on a stool4 ,well1 why didn't he enlist1 like a gentleman8 ,frank dared say he would some time1 but he wanted to stand by himself a bit first and see the world4 ,let's see the letter again1 said ,jack at last4 ,where is it8 ,frank reflected4 ,i think it's in that tobacco-jar just behind your head1 he said4 ,no1 it isn't2 it's in the pouch on the floor4 ,i know ,i associated it somehow with smoking4 ,and1 by the way1 give me a cigarette4 ,jack tossed him his case1 opened the pouch1 took out the letter1 and read it slowly through again4 ,merefield ,court1 near ,harrogate4 ,may #bhth1 ,thursday4 ,i am ashamed of you1 sir4 ,when you first told me of your intention1 ,i warned you what would happen if you persisted1 and ,i repeat it now4 ,since you have deliberately chosen1 in spite of all that ,i have said1 to go your own way1 and to become a ,papist1 ,i will have no more to do with you4 ,from this moment you cease to be my son4 ,you shall not1 while ,i live1 darken my doors again1 or sleep under my roof4 ,i say nothing of what you have had from me in the past--your education and all the rest4 ,and1 since ,i do not wish to be unduly hard upon you1 you can keep the remainder of your allowance up to ,july and the furniture of your rooms4 ,but1 after that1 not one penny shall you have from me4 ,you can go to your priests and get them to support you4 ,i am only thankful that your poor mother has been spared this blow4 ,t4 ,jack made a small murmurous sound as he finished4 ,frank chuckled aloud4 ,pitches it in all right1 doesn't he8 he observed dispassionately4 ,if it had been my governor-- began ,jack slowly4 ,my dear man1 it isn't your governor2 it's mine4 ,and ,i'm dashed if there's another man in the world who'd write such a letter as that nowadays4 ,it's--it's too early-,victorian4 ,they'd hardly stand it at the ,adelphi6 ,i could have put it so much better myself4444 ,poor old governor6 ,have you answered it8 ,i 444 ,i forget4 ,i know ,i meant to4444 ,no1 ,i haven't4 ,i remember now4 ,and ,i shan't till ,i'm just off4 ,well1 ,i shall1 remarked ,jack4 ,frank turned a swift face upon him4 ,if you do1 he said1 with sudden fierce gravity1 ,i'll never speak to you again4 ,i mean it4 ,it's my affair1 and ,i shall run it my own way4 ,but-- ,i mean it4 ,now6 give me your word of honor-- ,i-- ,your word of honor1 this instant1 or get out of my room6 ,there was a pause4 ,then3 ,all right1 said ,jack4 ,then there fell a silence once more4 7,,ii7 ,the news began to be rumored about1 soon after the auction that ,frank held of his effects a couple of days later4 ,he carried out the scene admirably1 entirely unassisted1 even by ,jack4 ,first1 there appeared suddenly all over ,cambridge1 the evening before the sale1 just as the crowds of undergraduates and female relations began to circulate about after tea and iced strawberries1 a quantity of sandwich-men1 bearing the following announcement1 back and front3 ,,trinity ,,college1 ,,cambridge4 ,,the ,,hon4 ,,frank ,,guiseley has pleasure in announcing that on ,,june #g,,th 7,saturday7 at half-past ten a4m4 precisely in ,rooms #a1 ,letter ,j1 ,great ,court1 ,trinity ,college1 he will positively offer for ,,sale ,,by ,,auction ,the household effects1 furniture1 books1 etc41 of the ,hon4 ,frank ,guiseley1 including-- ,a piano by ,broadwood 7slightly out of tune72 a magnificent suite of drawing-room furniture1 upholstered in damask1 the sofa only slightly stained with tea2 one oak table and another2 a bed2 a chest of drawers 7imitation walnut1 and not a very good imitation72 a mahogany glass-fronted bookcase1 containing a set of suggestive-looking volumes bound in faint colors1 with white labels2 four oriental mats2 a portrait of a gentleman 7warranted a perfectly respectable ancestor72 dining-room suite 7odd chairs72 numerous engravings of places of interest and noblemen's seats2 a ,silver ,cigarette-box and fifteen ,cigarettes in it 7,melachrino and ,mixed ,american72 a cuckoo-clock 7without cuckoo72 five walking-sticks2 numerous suits of clothes 7one lot suitable for ,charitable ,purposes72 some books--all ,,very ,,curious indeed--comprising the works of an ,eminent ,cambridge ,professor1 and other scholastic luminaries1 as well as many other articles4 ,,at ,,half-,,past ,,ten ,a4,m4 ,,precisely ,all friends1 and strangers1 cordially invited4 ,,no ,,reserve ,,price4 ,it served its purpose admirably1 for by soon after ten o'clock quite a considerable crowd had begun to assemble2 and it was only after a very serious conversation with the ,dean that the sale was allowed to proceed4 ,but it proceeded1 with the distinct understanding that a college porter be present2 that no riotous behavior should be allowed2 that the sale was a genuine one1 and that ,mr4 ,guiseley would call upon the ,dean with further explanations before leaving ,cambridge4 ,the scene itself was most impressive4 ,frank1 in a structure resembling an auctioneer's box1 erected on the hearth-rug1 presided1 with extraordinary gravity1 hammer in hand1 robed in a bachelor's gown and hood4 ,beneath him the room seethed with the company1 male and female1 all in an excellent humor1 and quite tolerable prices were obtained4 ,no public explanations were given of the need for the sale1 and ,jack1 in the deepest dismay1 looked in again that afternoon1 about lunch-time1 to find the room completely stripped1 and ,frank1 very cheerful1 still in his hood and gown1 smoking a cigarette in the window-seat4 ,come in1 he said4 ,and kindly ask me to lunch4 ,the last porter's just gone4 ,jack looked at him4 ,he seemed amazingly genial and natural1 though just a little flushed1 and such an air of drama as there was about him was obviously deliberate4 ,very well2 come to lunch1 said ,jack4 ,where are you going to dine and sleep8 ,i'm dining in hall1 and ,i'm sleeping in a hammock4 ,go and look at my bedroom4 ,jack went across the bare floor and looked in4 ,a hammock was slung across from a couple of pegs1 and there lay a small carpet-bag beneath it4 ,a basin on an upturned box and a bath completed the furniture4 ,you mad ass6 said ,jack4 ,and is that all you have left8 ,certainly4 ,i'm going to leave the clothes ,i've got on to you1 and you can fetch the hammock when ,i've gone4 ,when do you start8 ,mr4 ,guiseley will have his last interview and obtain his exeat from the ,dean at half-past six this evening4 ,he proposes to leave ,cambridge in the early hours of to-morrow morning4 ,you don't mean that6 ,certainly ,i do4 ,what are you going to wear8 ,frank extended two flanneled legs1 ending in solid boots4 ,these--a flannel shirt1 no tie1 a cap1 a gray jacket4 ,jack stood again in silence1 looking at him4 ,how much money did your sale make8 ,that's immaterial4 ,besides1 ,i forget4 ,the important fact is that when ,i've paid all my bills ,i shall have thirteen pounds eleven shillings and eightpence4 ,what8 ,thirteen pounds eleven shillings and eightpence4 ,jack burst into a mirthless laugh4 ,well1 come along to lunch1 he said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seemed to ,jack that he moved in a dreary kind of dream that afternoon as he went about with ,frank from shop to shop1 paying bills4 ,frank's trouser-pockets bulged and jingled a good deal as they started--he had drawn all his remaining money in gold from the bank--and they bulged and jingled considerably less as the two returned to tea in ,jesus ,lane4 ,there1 on the table1 he spread out the coins4 ,he had bought some tobacco1 and two or three other things that afternoon1 and the total amounted now but to twelve pounds nineteen shillings and fourpence4 ,call it thirteen pounds1 said ,frank4 ,there's many a poor man-- ,don't be a damned fool6 said ,jack4 ,i'm being simply prudent1 said ,frank4 ,a contented heart-- ,jack thrust a cup of tea and the buttered buns before him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these two were as nearly brothers as possible1 in everything but blood4 ,their homes lay within ten miles of one another4 ,they had gone to a private school together1 to ,eton1 and to ,trinity4 ,they had ridden together in the holidays1 shot1 dawdled1 bathed1 skated1 and all the rest4 ,they were considerably more brothers to one another than were ,frank and ,archie1 his actual elder brother1 known to the world as ,viscount ,merefield4 ,jack did not particularly approve of ,archie2 he thought him a pompous ass1 and occasionally said so4 ,for ,frank he had quite an extraordinary affection1 though he would not have expressed it so1 to himself1 for all the world1 and a very real admiration of a quite indefinable kind4 ,it was impossible to say why he admired him4 ,frank did nothing very well1 but everything rather well2 he played ,rugby football just not well enough to represent his college2 he had been in the ,lower ,boats at ,eton1 and the ,lent ,boat of his first year at ,cambridge2 then he had given up rowing and played lawn-tennis in the summer and fives in the ,lent ,term just well enough to make a brisk and interesting game4 ,he was not at all learned2 he had reached the ,first ,hundred at ,eton1 and had read ,law at ,cambridge--that convenient branch of study which for the most part fills the vacuum for intelligent persons who have no particular bent and are heartily sick of classics2 and he had taken a ,third ,class and his degree a day or two before4 ,he was remarkably averaged1 therefore2 and yet1 somehow or another1 there was that in him which compelled ,jack's admiration4 ,i suppose it was that which is conveniently labeled character4 ,certainly1 nearly everybody who came into contact with him felt the same in some degree4 ,his becoming a ,catholic had been an amazing shock to ,jack1 who had always supposed that ,frank1 like himself1 took the ordinary sensible ,english view of religion4 ,to be a professed unbeliever was bad form--it was like being a ,little ,englander or a ,radical2 to be pious was equally bad form--it resembled a violent devotion to the ,union ,jack4 ,no2 religion to ,jack 7and he had always hitherto supposed1 to ,frank7 was a department of life in which one did not express any particular views3 one did not say one's prayers2 one attended chapel at the proper times2 if one was musical1 one occasionally went to ,king's on ,sunday afternoon2 in the country one went to church on ,sunday morning as one went to the stables in the afternoon1 and that was about all4 ,frank had been1 too1 so extremely secretive about the whole thing4 ,he had marched into ,jack's rooms in ,jesus ,lane one morning nearly a fortnight ago4 ,come to mass at the ,catholic ,church1 he said4 ,why1 the-- began ,jack4 ,i've got to go4 ,i'm a ,catholic4 ,what6 ,i became one last week4 ,jack had stared at him1 suddenly convinced that someone was mad4 ,when he had verified that it was really a fact2 that ,frank had placed himself under instruction three months before1 and had made his confession--7his confession67--on ,friday1 and had been conditionally baptized2 when he had certified himself of all these things1 and had begun to find coherent language once more1 he had demanded why ,frank had done this4 ,because it's the true religion1 said ,frank4 ,are you coming to mass or are you not8 ,jack had gone then1 and had come away more bewildered than ever as to what it was all about4 ,he had attempted to make a few inquiries1 but ,frank had waved his hands at him1 and repeated that obviously the ,catholic religion was the true one1 and that he couldn't be bothered4 ,and now here they were at tea in ,jesus ,lane for the last time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,of course1 there was a little suppressed excitement about ,frank4 ,he drank three cups of tea and took the last 7and the under7 piece of buttered bun without apologies1 and he talked a good deal1 rather fast4 ,it seemed that he had really no particular plans as to what he was going to do after he had walked out of ,cambridge with his carpet-bag early next morning4 ,he just meant1 he said1 to go along and see what happened4 ,he had had a belt made1 which pleased him exceedingly1 into which his money could be put 7it lay on the table between them during tea71 and he proposed1 naturally1 to spend as little of that money as possible4444 ,no2 he would not take one penny piece from ,jack2 it would be simply scandalous if he--a public-school boy and an ,university man--couldn't keep body and soul together by his own labor4 ,there would be hay-making presently1 he supposed1 and fruit-picking1 and small jobs on farms4 ,he would just go along and see what happened4 ,besides there were always casual wards1 weren't there8 if the worst came to the worst2 and he'd meet other men1 he supposed1 who'd put him in the way of things4 ,oh6 he'd get on all right4 ,would he ever come to ,barham8 ,well1 if it came in the day's work he would4 ,yes3 certainly he'd be most obliged if his letters might be sent there1 and he could write for them when he wanted1 or even call for them1 if1 as he said1 it came in the day's work4 ,what was he going to do in the winter8 ,he hadn't the slightest idea4 ,he supposed1 what other people did in the winter4 ,perhaps he'd have got a place by then--gamekeeper1 perhaps--he'd like to be a gamekeeper4 ,at this ,jack1 mentally1 threw up the sponge4 ,you really mean to go on at this rotten idea of yours8 ,frank opened his eyes wide4 ,why1 of course4 ,good ,lord6 did you think ,i was bluffing8 ,but 444 but it's perfectly mad4 ,why on earth don't you get a proper situation somewhere--land-agent or something8 ,my dear man1 said ,frank1 if you will have it1 it's because ,i want to do exactly what ,i'm going to do4 ,no--,i'm being perfectly serious4 ,i've thought for ages that we're all wrong somehow4 ,we're all so beastly artificial4 ,i don't want to preach1 but ,i want to test things for myself4 ,my religion tells me-- ,he broke off4 ,no2 this is fooling4 ,i'm going to do it because ,i'm going to do it4 ,and ,i'm really going to do it4 ,i'm not going to be an amateur--like slumming4 ,i'm going to find out things for myself4 ,but on the roads-- expostulated ,jack4 ,exactly4 ,that's the very point4 ,back to the land4 ,jack sat up4 ,good ,lord6 he said4 ,why1 ,i never thought of it4 ,what8 ,it's your old grandmother coming out4 ,frank stared4 ,grandmother8 ,yes--old ,mrs4 ,kelly4 ,frank laughed suddenly and loudly4 ,by ,george6 he said1 ,i daresay it is4 ,old ,grandmamma ,kelly6 ,she was a gipsy--so she was4 ,i believe you've hit it1 ,jack4 ,let's see3 she was my grandfather's second wife1 wasn't she8 ,jack nodded4 ,and he picked her up off the roads on his own estate4 ,wasn't she trespassing1 or something8 ,jack nodded again4 ,yes1 he said1 and he was a magistrate and ought to have committed her3 ,and he married her instead4 ,she was a girl1 traveling with her parents4 ,frank sat smiling genially4 ,that's it1 he said4 ,then ,i'm bound to make a success of it4 ,and he took another cigarette4 ,then one more thought came to ,jack3 he had determined already to make use of it if necessary1 and somehow this seemed to be the moment4 ,and ,jenny ,launton1 he said ,i suppose you've thought of her8 ,a curious look came into ,frank's eyes--a look of great gravity and tenderness--and the humor died out4 ,he said nothing for an instant4 ,then he drew out of his breast-pocket a letter in an envelope1 and tossed it gently over to ,jack4 ,i'm telling her in that1 he said4 ,i'm going to post it to-night1 after ,i've seen the ,dean4 ,jack glanced down at it4 ,,miss ,,launton1 ,the ,rectory1 ,merefield1 ,yorks4 ran the inscription4 ,he turned it over2 it was fastened and sealed4 ,i've told her we must wait a bit1 said ,frank1 and that ,i'll write again in a few weeks4 ,jack was silent4 ,and you think it's fair on her8 he asked deliberately4 ,frank's face broke up into humor4 ,that's for her to say1 he observed4 ,and1 to tell the truth1 ,i'm not at all afraid4 ,but a gamekeeper's wife6 ,and you a ,catholic6 ,ah6 you don't know ,jenny1 smiled ,frank4 ,jenny and ,i quite understand one another1 thank you very much4 ,but is it quite fair8 ,good ,lord6 shouted ,frank1 suddenly roused4 ,fair6 ,what the devil does it matter8 ,don't you know that all's fair--under certain circumstances8 ,i do bar that rotten conventionalism4 ,we're all rotten--rotten1 ,i tell you2 and ,i'm going to start fresh4 ,so's ,jenny4 ,kindly don't talk of what you don't understand4 ,he stood up1 stretching4 ,then he threw the end of his cigarette away4 ,i must go to the ,dean1 he said4 ,it's close on the half-hour4 7,,iii7 ,the ,reverend ,james ,mackintosh was an excellent official of his college1 and performed his duties with care and punctilium4 ,he rose about half-past seven o'clock every morning1 drank a cup of tea and went to chapel4 ,after chapel he breakfasted1 on ,tuesdays and ,thursdays with two undergraduates in their first year1 selected in alphabetical order1 seated at his table2 on the other days of the week in solitude4 ,at ten o'clock he lectured1 usually on one of ,st4 ,paul's ,epistles1 on which subjects he possessed note-books filled with every conceivable piece of information that could be gathered together--grammatical1 philological1 topographical1 industrial1 social1 biographical--with a few remarks on the fauna1 flora1 imports1 characteristics and geological features of those countries to which those epistles were written1 and in which they were composed4 ,these notes1 guaranteed to guide any student who really mastered them to success1 and even distinction1 in his examinations1 were the result of a lifetime of loving labor1 and some day1 no doubt1 will be issued in the neat blue covers of the ,cambridge ,bible for ,schools4 ,from eleven to twelve he lectured on ,church history of the first five centuries--after which period1 it will be remembered by all historical students1 ,church history practically ceased4 ,at one he lunched2 from two to four he walked rapidly 7sometimes again in company with a serious theological student71 along the course known as the ,grantchester ,grind1 or to ,coton and back4 ,at four he had tea2 at five he settled down to administer discipline to the college1 by summoning and remonstrating with such undergraduates as had failed to comply with the various regulations2 at half-past seven he dined in hall--a meek figure1 clean shaven and spectacled1 seated between an infidel philosopher and a socialist3 he drank a single glass of wine afterwards in the ,combination ,room1 smoked one cigarette1 and retired again to his rooms to write letters to parents 7if necessary71 and to run over his notes for next day4 ,and he did this1 with the usual mild variations of a ,university life1 every weekday1 for two-thirds of the year4 ,of the other third1 he spent part in ,switzerland1 dressed in a neat gray ,norfolk suit with knickerbockers1 and the rest with clerical friends of the scholastic type4 ,it was a very solemn thought to him how great were his responsibilities1 and what a privilege it was to live in the whirl and stir of one of the intellectual centers of ,england6 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank ,guiseley was to ,mr4 ,mackintosh a very great puzzle4 ,he had certainly been insubordinate in his first year 7,mr4 ,mackintosh gravely suspected him of the ,bread-and-,butter affair1 which had so annoyed his colleague71 but he certainly had been very steady and even deferential ever since4 7,he always took off his hat1 for example1 to ,mr4 ,mackintosh1 with great politeness47 ,certainly he was not very regular at chapel1 and he did not dine in hall nearly so often as ,mr4 ,mackintosh would have wished 7for was it not part of the ,university idea that men of all grades of society should meet as equals under the college roof874 ,but1 then1 he had never been summoned for any very grave or disgraceful breach of the rules1 and was never insolent or offensive to any of the ,fellows4 ,finally1 he came of a very distinguished family2 and ,mr4 ,mackintosh had the keenest remembrance still of his own single interview1 three years ago1 with the ,earl of ,talgarth4 ,mr4 ,mackintosh wondered1 then1 exactly what he would have to say to ,mr4 ,guiseley1 and what ,mr4 ,guiseley would have to say to him4 ,he thought1 if the young man were really going down for good1 as he had understood this morning1 it was only his plain duty to say a few tactful words about responsibility and steadiness4 ,that ridiculous auction would serve as his text4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,mackintosh paused an instant1 as he always did1 before saying ,come in6 to the knock on the door 7,i think he thought it helped to create a little impression of importance74 ,then he said it2 and ,frank walked in4 ,good evening1 ,mr4 ,guiseley4444 ,yes2 please sit down4 ,i understood from you this morning that you wished for your exeat4 ,please1 said ,frank4 ,just so1 said ,mr4 ,mackintosh1 drawing the exeat book--resembling the butt of a check-book--towards him4 ,and you are going down to-morrow8 ,yes1 said ,frank4 ,going home8 murmured the ,dean1 inscribing ,frank's name in his neat little handwriting4 ,no1 said ,frank4 ,not8444 ,to ,london1 perhaps8 ,well1 not exactly1 said ,frank2 at least1 not just yet4 ,mr4 ,mackintosh blotted the book carefully1 and extracted the exeat4 ,he pushed it gently towards ,frank4 ,about that auction6 he said1 smiling indulgently2 ,i did want to have a word with you about that4 ,it was very unusual2 and ,i wondered4444 ,but ,i am happy to think that there was no disturbance4444 ,but can you tell me exactly why you chose that form of 444 of 444 ,i wanted to make as much money as ever ,i could1 said ,frank4 ,indeed6444 ,yes4444 ,and 444 and you were successful8 ,i cleared all my debts1 anyhow1 said ,frank serenely4 ,i thought that very important4 ,mr4 ,mackintosh smiled again4 ,certainly this young man was very well behaved and deferential4 ,well1 that's satisfactory4 ,and you are going to read at the ,bar now8 ,if you will let me say so1 ,mr4 ,guiseley1 even at this late hour1 ,i must say that ,i think that a ,third ,class might have been bettered4 ,but no doubt your tutor has said all that8 ,yes1 ,i think so4 ,well1 then1 a little more application and energy now may perhaps make up for lost time4 ,i suppose you will go to the ,temple in ,october8 ,frank looked at him pensively a moment4 ,no1 ,mr4 ,mackintosh1 he said suddenly2 ,i'm going on the roads4 ,i mean it1 quite seriously4 ,my father's disowned me4 ,i'm starting out to-morrow to make my own living4 ,there was dead silence for an instant4 ,the ,dean's face was stricken1 as though by horror4 ,yet ,frank saw he had not in the least taken it in4 ,yes2 that's really so1 he said4 ,please don't argue with me about it4 ,i'm perfectly determined4 ,your father 444 ,lord ,talgarth 444 the roads 444 your own living 444 the college authorities 444 responsibility6 ,words of this sort burst from ,mr4 ,mackintosh's mouth4 ,yes 444 it's because ,i've become a ,catholic6 ,i expect you've heard that1 sir4 ,mr4 ,mackintosh threw himself back 7if so fierce a word may be used of so mild a manner7--threw himself back in his chair4 ,mr4 ,guiseley1 kindly tell me all about it4 ,i had not heard one word--not one word4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank made a great effort1 and told the story1 quite fairly and quite politely4 ,he described his convictions as well as he could1 the various steps he had taken1 and the climax of the letter from his father4 ,then he braced himself1 to hear what would be said2 or1 rather1 he retired within himself1 and1 so to speak1 shut the door and pulled down the blinds4 ,it was all said exactly as he knew it would be4 ,mr4 ,mackintosh touched upon a loving father's impatience1 the son's youth and impetuosity1 the shock to an ancient family1 the responsibilities of membership in that family1 the dangers of rash decisions1 and1 finally1 the obvious errors of the ,church of ,rome4 ,he began several sentences with the phrase3 ,no thinking man at the present day 444 ,in fact1 ,mr4 ,mackintosh was1 so soon as he had recovered from the first shock1 extraordinarily sensible and reasonable4 ,he said all the proper things1 all the sensible and reasonable and common-sense things1 and he said them1 not offensively or contemptuously1 but tactfully and persuasively4 ,and he put into it the whole of his personality1 such as it was4 ,he even quoted ,st4 ,paul4 ,he perspired a little1 gently1 towards the end3 so he took off his glasses and wiped them1 looking1 still with a smile1 through kind1 short-sighted eyes1 at this young man who sat so still4 ,for ,frank was so quiet that the ,dean thought him already half persuaded4 ,then once more he summed up1 when his glasses were fixed again2 he ran through his arguments lightly and efficiently1 and ended by a quiet little assumption that ,frank was going to be reasonable1 to write to his father once more1 and to wait at least a week4 ,he even called him my dear boy6 ,thanks very much1 said ,frank4 ,then you'll think it over quietly1 my dear boy4 ,come and talk to me again4 ,i've given you your exeat1 but you needn't use it4 ,come in to-morrow evening after hall4 ,frank stood up4 ,thanks1 very much1 ,mr4 ,mackintosh4 ,i'll 444 ,i'll certainly remember what you've said4 ,he took up his exeat as if mechanically4 ,then you can leave that for the present1 smiled the ,dean1 pointing at it4 ,i can write you another1 you know4 ,frank put it down quickly4 ,oh1 certainly6 he said4 ,well1 good-night1 ,mr4 ,guiseley4444 ,i 444 ,i can't tell you how glad ,i am that you confided in me4 ,young men are a little unwise and impetuous sometimes1 you know4 ,good-night 444 good-night4 ,i shall expect you to-morrow4 ,when ,frank reached the court below he stood waiting a moment4 ,then a large smile broke out on his face1 and he hurried across to a passage opposite1 found a friend's door open1 and rushed in4 ,the room was empty4 ,he flew across to the window and crouched down1 peeping over the sill at the opening on the other side of the court leading to ,mr4 ,mackintosh's staircase4 ,he was rewarded almost instantly4 ,even as he settled himself on the window seat a black figure1 with gown ballooning behind1 hurried out and whisked through the archway leading towards the street4 ,he gave him twenty seconds1 and then ran out himself1 and went in pursuit4 ,half-way up the lane he sighted him once more1 and1 following cautiously on tiptoe1 with a handkerchief up to his face1 was in time to behold ,mr4 ,mackintosh disappear into the little telegraph office on the left of ,trinity ,street4 ,that settles it1 then1 observed ,frank1 almost aloud4 ,poor ,jack--,i'm afraid ,i shan't be able to breakfast with him after all6 7,,iv7 ,it was a little after four o'clock on the following morning that a policeman1 pacing with slow1 flat feet along the little lane that leads from ,trinity ,hall to ,trinity ,college1 yawning as he went1 and entirely unconscious of the divine morning air1 bright as wine and clear as water1 beheld a remarkable spectacle4 ,there first appeared1 suddenly tossed on to the spikes that top the gate that guards the hostel1 a species of pad that hung over on both sides of the formidable array of points4 ,upon this1 more cautiously1 was placed by invisible hands a very old saddle without any stirrups4 ,the policeman stepped back a little1 and flattened himself--comparatively speaking--against the outer wall of the hostel itself4 ,there followed a silence4 ,suddenly1 without any warning1 a heavy body1 discernible a moment later as a small carpet-bag1 filled to bursting1 fell abruptly on to the pavement2 and1 again1 a moment later1 two capable-looking hands made their appearance1 grasping with extreme care the central rod on which the spikes were supposed to revolve1 on either side of the saddle4 ,still the policeman did not make any sign2 he only sidled a step or two nearer and stood waiting4 ,when he looked up again1 a young gentleman1 in flannel trousers1 gray jacket1 boots1 and an old deerstalker1 was seated astride of the saddle1 with his back to the observer4 ,there was a pause while the rider looked to this side and that2 and then1 with a sudden movement1 he had dropped clear of the wall1 and come down on feet and hands to the pavement4 ,good morning1 officer6 said the young gentleman1 rising and dusting his hands1 it's all right4 ,like to see my exeat8 ,or perhaps half a crown-- 7,v7 ,about six o'clock in the morning1 ,jack ,kirkby awoke suddenly in his bedroom in ,jesus ,lane4 ,this was very unusual1 and he wondered what it was all about4 ,he thought of ,frank almost instantly1 with a jerk1 and after looking at his watch1 very properly turned over and tried to go to sleep again4 ,but the attempt was useless2 there were far too many things to think about2 and he framed so many speeches to be delivered with convincing force at breakfast to his misguided friend1 that by seven o'clock he made up his mind that he would get up1 go and take ,frank to bathe1 and have breakfast with him at half-past eight instead of nine4 ,he would have longer time1 too1 for his speeches4 ,he got out of bed and pulled up his blind1 and the sight of the towers of ,sidney ,sussex ,college1 gilded with sunshine1 determined him finally4 ,when you go to bathe before breakfast at ,cambridge you naturally put on as few clothes as possible and do not--even if you do so at other times--say your prayers4 ,so ,jack put on a sweater1 trousers1 socks1 canvas shoes1 and a blazer1 and went immediately down the oilcloth-covered stairs4 ,as he undid the door he noticed a white thing lying beneath it1 and took it up4 ,it was a note addressed to himself in ,frank's handwriting2 and there1 standing on the steps1 he read it through2 and his heart turned suddenly sick4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is all the difference in the world between knowing that a catastrophe is going to happen1 and knowing that it has happened4 ,jack knew--at least1 with all his reasonable part--that ,frank was going to leave ,cambridge in the preposterous manner described1 after breakfast with himself2 and it was partly because of this very knowledge that he had got up earlier in order to have an extra hour with ,frank before the final severance came4 ,yet there was something in him--the same thing that had urged him to rehearse little speeches in bed just now--that told him that until it had actually happened1 it had not happened1 and1 just conceivably1 might not happen after all4 ,and he had had no idea how strong this hopeful strain had been in him--nor1 for that matter1 how very deeply and almost romantically he was attached to ,frank--until he felt his throat hammering and his head becoming stupid1 as he read the terse little note in the fresh morning air of ,jesus ,lane4 ,it ran as follows3 ,,dear ,,jack1 ,it's no good1 and ,i'm off early6 ,that ass ,mackintosh went and wired to my people directly ,i left him4 ,i tracked him down4 ,and there'll be the devil to pay unless ,i clear out4 ,so ,i can't come to breakfast4 ,sorry4 ,yours1 ,f4,g4 ,p4,s4--,by the way1 you might as well go round to the little man and try to keep him quiet4 ,tell him it'll make a scandal for ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 if he makes a fuss4 ,that'll stop him1 perhaps4 ,and you might try to rescue my saddle from the porter4 ,he's probably got it by now4 ,three minutes later a figure in a sweater1 gray trousers1 canvas shoes1 ,third ,trinity blazer and no cap1 stood1 very inarticulate with breathlessness1 at the door of the ,senior ,dean's rooms1 demanding of a scandalized bed-maker to see the official in question4 ',e's in his barth1 sir6 expostulated the old woman4 ,then he must come out of it6 panted ,jack4 --,that is1 if 'e's out o' bed4 ,then he can stop in it1 if he isn't4444 ,i tell you-- ,jack gave up arguing4 ,he took the old lady firmly by the shoulders1 and placed her in the doorway of the audience-room2 then he was up the inner stairs in three strides1 through the sitting-room1 and was tapping at the door of the bedroom4 ,a faint sound of splashing ceased4 ,who's there8 ,don't-- ,it's me1 sir--,kirkby6 ,i'm sorry to disturb you1 but-- ,don't come in6 cried an agitated voice1 with a renewed sound of water1 as if someone had hastily scrambled out of the bath4 ,jack cautiously turned the handle and opened the door a crack4 ,a cry of dismay answered his move1 followed by a tremendous commotion and swishing of linen4 ,i'm coming in1 sir1 said ,jack1 struggling between agitation and laughter4 ,it was obvious from the sounds that the clergyman had got into bed again1 wet1 and as ,god made him4 ,there was no answer1 and ,jack pushed the door wider and went in4 ,it was as he had thought4 ,his unwilling host had climbed back into bed as hastily as possible1 and the bed-clothes1 wildly disordered1 were gathered round his person4 ,a face1 with wet hair1 looking very odd and childlike without his glasses1 regarded him with the look of one who sees sacrilege done4 ,a long flannel nightgown lay on the ground between the steaming bath and the bed1 and a quantity of water lay about on the floor1 in footprints and otherwise4 ,may ,i ask what is the meaning of this disgraceful-- ,i'm sorry1 sir1 said ,jack briefly1 but ,frank ,guiseley's bolted4 ,i've just found this note4 ,it did not occur to him1 as he handed the note to a bare arm1 coyly protruded from the tangled bed-clothes1 that this very officer of the college was referred to in it as that ass and the little man4 444 ,all his attention1 not occupied with ,frank1 was fixed on the surprising new discovery that deans had bodies and used real baths like other people4 ,somehow that had never occurred to him he had never imagined them except in smooth1 black clothes and white linen4 ,his discovery seemed to make ,mr4 ,mackintosh more human1 somehow4 ,the ,dean read the note through as modestly as possible1 holding it very close to his nose1 as his glasses were unattainable1 with an arm of which not more than the wrist appeared4 ,he swallowed in his throat once or twice1 and seemed to taste something with his lips1 as his manner was4 ,this is terrible6 said the ,dean4 ,had you any idea-- ,i knew he was going some time to-day1 said ,jack1 and understood that you knew too4 ,but ,i had no idea-- ,you did telegraph1 didn't you1 sir8 ,i certainly telegraphed4 ,yes2 to ,lord ,talgarth4 ,it was my duty4 ,but-- ,well2 he spotted it4 ,that's all4 ,and now he's gone4 ,what's to be done8 ,mr4 ,mackintosh considered a moment or two4 ,jack made an impatient movement4 ,i must telegraph again1 said the ,dean1 with the air of one who has exhausted the resources of civilization4 ,but1 good ,lord6 sir-- ,yes4 ,i must telegraph again4 ,as soon as ,i'm dressed4 ,or perhaps you would-- ,office doesn't open till eight4 ,that's no good4 ,he'll be miles away by then4 ,it's the only thing to be done1 said the ,dean with sudden energy4 ,i forbid you to take any other steps1 ,mr4 ,kirkby4 ,i am responsible-- ,but-- ,we must not make a scandal4444 ,what else did you propose8 ,why--fifty things4 ,motor-cars2 police-- ,certainly not4 ,we must make no scandal as he 444 as he very properly says4 7,the ,dean swallowed in his throat again4 ,jack thought afterwards that it must have been the memory of certain other phrases in the letter47 ,so if you will be good enough to leave me instantly1 ,mr4 ,kirkby1 ,i will finish my dressing and deal with the matter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,jack wheeled and went out of the room4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was a miserable breakfast to which he sat down half an hour later--still in flannels1 and without his bath4 ,frank's place was laid1 in accordance with the instructions he had given his landlady last night1 and he had not the heart to push the things aside4 ,there were soles for two1 and four boiled eggs2 there was coffee and marmalade and toast and rolls and fruit2 and the comfortable appearance of the table simply mocked him4 ,he had had very confused ideas just now as to what was possible with regard to the pursuit of ,frank2 a general vision of twenty motor-cars1 each with a keen-eyed chauffeur and an observant policeman1 was all that had presented itself to his imagination2 but he had begun to realize by now that you cannot1 after all1 abduct a young man who has committed no crime1 and carry him back unwillingly1 even to ,cambridge6 ,neither the ,dean of ,trinity nor a father possesses quite unlimited power over the freedom of a pupil and a son4 ,and1 after all1 ,frank had only taken his father at his word6 ,these reflections1 however1 did not improve the situation4 ,he felt quite certain1 in theory1 that something more could be done than feebly to send another telegram or two2 the only difficulty was to identify that something4 ,he had vague ideas1 himself1 of hiring a motor-car by the day1 and proceeding to scour the country round ,cambridge4 ,but even this did not stand scrutiny4 ,if he had failed to persuade ,frank to remain in ,cambridge1 it was improbable that he could succeed in persuading him to return--even if he found him4 ,about eight important roads run out of ,cambridge1 and he had not a glimmer of an idea as to which of these he had taken4 ,it was possible1 even1 that he had not taken any of them1 and was walking across country4 ,that would be quite characteristic of ,frank4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he finished breakfast dismally1 and blew through an empty pipe1 staring lackadaisically out of the window at the wall of ,sidney ,sussex for two or three minutes before lighting up4 ,cambridge seemed an extraordinary flat and stupid place now that ,frank was no longer within it4 ,really there was nothing particular to do4 ,it had become almost a regular engagement for him to step round to the ,great ,court about eleven1 and see what was to be done4 ,sometimes ,frank wanted lawn-tennis--sometimes a canoe on the ,backs--at any rate1 they would either lunch or dine together4 ,and if they didn't--well1 at any rate1 ,frank was there6 ,he tried to picture to himself what ,frank was doing2 he had visions of a sunlit road running across a fen1 with a figure tramping up it2 of a little wayside inn1 and ,frank drinking beer in the shade4 ,but it seemed an amazing waste of company that the figure should always be alone4 ,why hadn't he proposed to go with him himself8 ,he didn't know2 except1 that it certainly would not have been accepted4 ,and yet they could have had quite a pleasant time for a couple of months2 and1 after a couple of months1 surely ,frank would have had enough of it6 ,but1 again--would he8444 ,frank seemed really in earnest about making his living permanently2 and when ,frank said that he was going do a thing1 he usually did it6 ,and ,jack ,kirkby did not see himself leaving his own mother and sisters indefinitely until ,frank had learned not to be a fool4 ,he lit his pipe at last2 and then remembered the commission with regard to the saddle--whatever that might mean4 ,he would stroll round presently and talk to the porter about it 444 ,yes1 he would go at once2 and he would just look in at ,frank's rooms again4 ,there was the hammock to fetch1 too4 ,but it was a dreary little visit4 ,he went round as he was1 his hands deep in his pockets1 trying to whistle between his teeth and smoke simultaneously2 and he had to hold his pipe in his hand out of respect for rules1 as he conversed with the stately ,mr4 ,hoppett in ,trinity gateway4 ,mr4 ,hoppett knew nothing about any saddle--at least1 not for public communication--but his air of deep and diplomatic suspiciousness belied his words4 ,it's all right1 said ,jack pleasantly1 ,i had nothing to do with the elopement4 ,the ,dean knows all about it4 ,i know nothing about that1 sir1 said ,mr4 ,hoppett judicially4 ,then you've not got the saddle8 ,i have not1 sir4 ,frank's outer door was open as ,jack came to the familiar staircase1 and his heart leaped in spite of himself1 as he peered in and heard footsteps in the bedroom beyond4 ,but it was the bed-maker with a mop1 and a disapproving countenance1 who looked out presently4 ,he's gone1 ,mrs4 ,jillings1 said ,jack4 ,mrs4 ,jillings sniffed4 ,she had heard tales of the auction and thought it a very improper thing for so pleasant a young gentleman to do4 ,yes1 sir4 ,there isn't a saddle here1 is there8 ,saddle1 sir8 ,no1 sir4 ,what should there be a saddle here for8 ,oh1 well1 said ,jack vaguely4 ,i've come to fetch away the hammock1 anyhow4 ,certainly the rooms looked desolate4 ,even the carpets were gone1 and the unstained boards in the middle seemed suggestive of peculiar dreariness4 ,it was really very difficult to believe that these were the rooms where he and ,frank had had such pleasant times--little friendly bridge-parties1 and dinners1 and absurd theatricals1 in which ,frank had sustained1 with extreme rapidity1 with the aid of hardly any properties except a rouge-pot1 a burnt cork and three or four wisps of hair of various shades1 the part of almost any eminent authority in the ,university of ,cambridge that you cared to name4 ,there were long histories1 invented by ,frank himself1 of the darker sides of the lives of the more respectable members of the ,senate--histories that grew1 like legends1 term by term--in which the most desperate deeds were done4 ,the ,master of ,trinity1 for example1 in these ,sagas1 would pass through extraordinary love adventures1 or discover the ,north ,pole1 or give a lecture1 with practical examples1 of the art of flying2 the ,provost of ,king's would conspire with the ,president of ,queen's ,college1 to murder the ,vice-,chancellor and usurp his dignities4 ,and these histories would be enacted with astonishing realism1 chiefly by ,frank himself1 with the help of a zealous friend or two who were content to obey4 ,and these were all over now2 and that was the very door through which the ,vice-,chancellor was accustomed to escape from his assassins6 99 99 99 99 99 ,jack sighed again2 passed through1 picked up the parcel of clothes that lay in the window-seat1 unhitched the hammock in which ,frank had slept last night 7he noticed the ends of three cigarettes placed on the cover of a convenient biscuit-tin71 and went off resembling a retiarius4 ,mrs4 ,jillings sniffed again as she looked after him up the court4 ,she didn't understand those young gentlemen at all2 and frequently said so4 7,,vi7 ,at half-past six o'clock that morning--about the time that ,jack awoke in ,cambridge--,john ,harris1 laborer1 emerged1 very sleepy and frowsy--for he had sat up late last night at the ,spotted ,dog--from the door of a small cottage on the ,ely road1 in the middle of ,grunty ,fen4 ,he looked this way and that1 wondering whether it were as late as his kitchen-clock informed him1 and observing the sun1 that hung now lamentably high up in that enormous dome of summer sky that sat on the fenland like a dish-cover on a dish4 ,and as he turned southwards he became aware of a young gentleman carrying a carpet-bag in one hand1 and a gray jacket over his other arm1 coming up to him1 not twenty yards away4 ,as he came nearer1 ,mr4 ,harris noticed that his face was badly bruised as by a blow4 ,good morning1 said the young gentleman4 ,hot work4 ,john ,harris made some observation4 ,i want some work to do1 said the young gentleman1 disregarding the observation4 ,i'm willing and capable4 ,do you know of any8 ,i mean1 work that ,i shall be paid for4 ,or perhaps some breakfast would do as a beginning4 ,john ,harris regarded the young gentleman in silence4 ,,chapter ,,ii 7,i7 ,merefield ,court1 as every tourist knows may be viewed from ten to five on ,tuesdays and ,thursdays1 when the family are not in residence1 and on ,tuesdays only1 from two to four1 when they are4 ,it is unnecessary1 therefore1 to describe it very closely4 ,it stands very nearly on the top of a hill1 protected by woods from the north winds of ,yorkshire2 and its towers and pinnacles can be seen from ten miles away down the valley4 ,it is built1 architecturally considered1 in the form of an irregular triangular court--quite unique--with the old barbican at the lower end2 the chapel wing directly opposite2 the ruins of the old castle on the left1 keep and all1 and the new house that is actually lived in on the right4 ,it is of every conceivable date 7the housekeeper will supply details7 from the ,british mound on which the keep stands1 to the ,georgian smoking-room built by the grandfather of the present earl2 but the main body of the house1 with which we are principally concerned--the long gray pile facing south down to the lake1 and northwards into the court--is ,jacobean down to the smallest detail1 and extremely good at that4 ,it was on the end of this that the thirteenth earl the fifteenth baron and the fourteenth viscount 7one man1 not three7 thought it proper to build on a ,palladian kind of smoking-room of red sandstone1 brought at enormous cost from half across ,england4 ,fortunately1 however1 ivy has since covered the greater part of its exterior4 ,it was in this room--also used as a billiard-room--that ,archie ,guiseley 7,viscount ,merefield71 and ,dick ,guiseley1 his first cousin1 first heard the news of ,frank's intentions4 ,they were both dressed for dinner1 and were knocking the balls about for ten minutes1 waiting for the gong1 and they were talking in that incoherent way characteristic of billiard-players4 ,the governor's not very well again1 observed ,archie1 and the doctor won't let him go up to town4 ,that's why we're here4 ,dick missed a difficult cannon 7he had only arrived from town himself by the #f4ag71 and began to chalk his cue very carefully4 ,there's nothing whatever to do1 continued ,archie1 so ,i warn you4 ,dick opened his mouth to speak and closed it again1 pursing it up precisely as once more he addressed himself to the balls1 and this time brought off a really brilliant stroke4 ,and he's in a terrible way about ,frank1 continued the other4 ,you've heard all about that8 ,dick nodded4 ,and he swears he won't have him home again1 and that he can go to the devil4 ,dick arched his eyebrows interrogatively4 ,of course1 he doesn't mean it4444 ,but the gout1 you know1 and all that4444 ,i think ,frank had better keep out of the way1 though1 for a bit4 ,oh6 by the way1 the ,rector and ,jenny are coming to dinner4 ,what does ,jenny say to it all8 asked ,dick gently4 ,oh6 ,jenny laughs4 ,these two young men--for ,archie was only twenty-five1 and ,dick a year or two older--were quite remarkably like one another in manner and general bearing4 ,each1 though their faces were entirely different1 wore that same particular form of mask that is fashionable just now4 ,each had a look in his eyes as if the blinds were down--rather insolent and yet rather pleasant4 ,each moved in the same kind of way1 slow and deliberate2 each spoke quietly on rather a low note1 and used as few words as possible4 ,each1 just now1 wore a short braided dinner-jacket of precisely the same cut4 ,for the rest1 they were quite unlike4 ,archie was clean-shaven1 of a medium sort of complexion1 with a big chin and rather loosely built2 ,dick wore a small1 pointed brown beard1 and was neat and alert4 ,neither of them did anything particular in the world4 ,archie was more or less tied to his father1 except in the autumn--for ,archie drew the line at ,homburg1 and went about for short visits1 returning continually to look after the estate2 ,dick lived in a flat in town on six hundred a year1 allowed him by his mother1 and was supposed to be a sort of solicitor4 ,they saw a good deal of one another1 off and on1 and got on together rather better than most brothers2 certainly better than did ,archie and ,frank4 ,it was thought a pity by a good many people that they were only cousins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then1 as they gossiped gently1 the door suddenly opened and a girl came in4 ,she was a very striking girl indeed1 and her beauty was increased just now by obvious excitement held well in check4 ,she was tall and very fair1 and carried herself superbly1 looking taller than she really was4 ,her eyes1 particularly bright just now1 were of a vivid blue1 wide-open and well set in her face2 her mouth was strong and sensible2 and there was a glorious air of breeziness and health about her altogether4 ,she was in evening dress1 and wore a light cloak over her white shoulders4 ,i'm sorry to interrupt1 she said--,oh6 good evening1 ,mr4 ,dick6--but there's something wrong4 ,clarkson ran out to tell us that ,lord ,talgarth--it's a telegram or something4 ,father sent me to tell you4 ,archie looked at her a second2 then he was gone1 swiftly1 but not hurriedly4 ,the girl turned to ,dick4 ,i'm afraid it's something about ,frank1 she said4 ,i heard ,clarkson mention his name to father4 ,is there any more news8 ,dick laid down his cue across the table4 ,i only came an hour ago1 he said4 ,archie was telling me just now4 ,jenny went across to the deep chair on the hearth1 threw off her cloak and sat down4 ,lord ,talgarth's--well--if he was my father ,i should say he was in a passion4 ,i heard his voice4 ,she smiled a little4 ,dick leaned against the table1 looking at her4 ,poor ,frank6 he said4 ,she smiled again1 more freely4 ,yes 444 poor1 dear ,frank6 ,he's always in hot water1 isn't he8 ,i'm afraid it's serious this time1 observed ,dick4 ,what did he want to become a ,catholic for8 ,oh1 ,frank's always unexpected6 ,yes1 ,i know2 but this happens to be just the one very thing-- ,she looked at him humorously4 ,do you know1 ,i'd no notion that ,lord ,talgarth was so deeply religious until ,frank became a ,catholic4 ,yes1 ,i know1 said ,dick4 ,but it is just his one obsession4 ,frank must have known that4 ,and ,i've not the slightest doubt1 said ,jenny1 that that was an additional reason for his doing it4 ,well1 what'll happen8 ,she jerked her head a little4 ,oh6 it'll pass off4 ,you'll see4 ,frank'll find out1 and then we shall all be happy ever afterwards4 ,but meantime8 ,oh6 ,frank'll go and stay with friends a month or two4 ,i daresay he'll come to the ,kirkbys'1 and ,i can go and see him4 ,suppose he does something violent8 ,he's quite capable of it4 ,oh6 ,i shall talk to him4 ,it'll be all right4 ,i'm very sensible indeed1 you know4 ,all my friends tell me that4 ,dick was silent4 ,don't you think so8 ,think what8 ,that ,i'm very sensible4 ,dick made a little movement with his head4 ,oh6 ,i suppose so4 ,yes1 ,i daresay4444 ,and suppose my uncle cuts him off with a shilling8 ,he's quite capable of it4 ,he's a very heavy father1 you know4 ,he won't4 ,i shall talk to him too4 ,yes2 but suppose he does8 ,she threw him a swift glance4 ,frank'll put the shilling on his watch-chain1 after it's been shown with all the other wedding-presents4 ,what are you going to give me1 ,mr4 ,dick8 ,i shall design a piece of emblematic jewelry1 said ,dick very gravely4 ,when's the wedding to be8 ,well1 we hadn't settled4 ,lord ,talgarth wouldn't make up his mind4 ,i suppose next summer some time4 ,miss ,jenny-- ,yes8 ,tell me--quite seriously--what you'd do if there was a real row--a permanent one1 ,i mean--between ,frank and my uncle8 ,dear ,mr4 ,dick--don't talk so absurdly4 ,i tell you there's not going to be a row4 ,i'm going to see to that myself4 ,but suppose there was8 ,jenny stood up abruptly4 ,i tell you ,i'm a very sensible person1 and ,i'm not going to imagine absurdities4 ,what do you want me to say8 ,do you want me to strike an attitude and talk about love in a cottage8 ,well1 that would be one answer4 ,very well1 then4 ,that'll do1 won't it8 ,you can take it as said4444 ,i'm going to see what's happening4 ,but as she went to the door there came footsteps and voices outside2 and the next moment the door opened suddenly1 and ,lord ,talgarth1 followed by his son and the ,rector1 burst into the room4 7,,ii7 ,i am very sorry to have to say it1 but the thirteenth ,earl of ,talgarth was exactly like a man in a book--and not a very good book4 ,his character was1 so to speak1 cut out of cardboard--stiff cardboard1 and highly colored1 with gilt edges showing here and there4 ,he also1 as has been said1 resembled a nobleman on the stage of the ,adelphi4 ,he had a handsome inflamed face1 with an aquiline nose and white eyebrows that moved up and down1 and all the other things2 he was stout and tall1 suffered from the gout1 and carried with him in the house a black stick with an india-rubber pad on the end4 ,there were no shades about him at all4 ,construct a conventionally theatrical heavy father1 of noble family1 and you have ,lord ,talgarth to the life4 ,there really are people like this in the world--of whom1 too1 one can prophesy1 with tolerable certainty1 how they will behave in any given situation4 ,certainly1 ,lord ,talgarth was behaving in character now4 ,he had received meek ,mr4 ,mackintosh's deferential telegram1 occupying several sheets1 informing him that his son had held an auction of all his belongings1 and had proposed to take to the roads2 asking1 also1 for instructions as to how to deal with him4 ,and the hint of defiant obstinacy on the part of ,frank--the fact1 indeed1 that he had taken his father at his word--had thrown that father into a yet more violent fit of passion4 ,jenny had heard him spluttering and exclamatory with anger as she came into the hall 7the telegram had but that instant been put into his hands71 and even now the footmen1 still a little pale1 were exchanging winks in the hall outside2 while ,clarkson1 his valet1 and the butler stood in high and subdued conference a little way off4 ,what ,lord ,talgarth would really have wished was that ,frank should have written to him a submissive--even though a disobedient--letter1 telling him that he could not forego his convictions1 and preparing to assume the rle of a ,christian martyr4 ,for he could have sneered at this1 and after suitable discipline forgiven its writer more or less4 ,of course1 he had never intended for one instant that his threats should really be carried out2 but the situation--to one of ,lord ,talgarth's temperament--demanded that the threats should be made1 and that ,frank should pretend to be crushed by them4 ,that the boy should have behaved like this brought a reality of passion into the affair--disconcerting and infuriating--as if an actor should find his enemy on the stage was armed with a real sword4 ,there was but one possibility left--which ,lord ,talgarth instinctively rather than consciously grasped at--namely1 that an increased fury on his part should once more bring realities back again to a melodramatic level1 and leave himself1 as father1 master both of the situation and of his most disconcerting son4 ,frank had behaved like this in minor matters once or twice before1 and ,lord ,talgarth had always come off victor4 ,after all1 he commanded all the accessories4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when the speeches had been made--,frank cut off with a shilling1 driven to the ,colonies1 brought back again1 and finally starved to death at his father's gates--,lord ,talgarth found himself in a chair1 with ,jenny seated opposite1 and the rest of the company gone to dinner4 ,he did not quite realize how it had all been brought about1 nor by whose arrangement it was that a plate of soup and some fish were to come presently1 and ,jenny and he to dine together4 ,he pulled himself together a little1 however1 and began to use phrases again about his graceless son1 and the young villain1 and not a penny of his4 7,he was1 of course1 genuinely angry2 that must be understood47 ,then ,jenny began to talk4 ,i think1 you know1 she said quietly1 that you aren't going the right way to work4 7,it's very impertinent of me1 isn't it8--but you did say just now you wanted to hear what ,i thought47 ,of course ,i do2 of course ,i do4 ,you're a sensible girl1 my dear4 ,i've always said that4 ,but as for this young-- ,well1 let me say what ,i think4 7,yes1 put the soup down here1 will you4 ,is that right1 ,lord ,talgarth874 ,she waited till the man was gone again and the old man had taken up his spoon4 ,then she took up her own4 ,well1 ,i think what you've done is exactly the thing to make ,frank more obstinate than ever4 ,you see1 ,i know him very well4 ,now1 if you'd only laughed at him and patted his head1 so to speak1 from the beginning1 and told him you thought it an excellent thing for a boy of his character1 who wants looking after-- ,lord ,talgarth glared at her4 ,he was still breathing rather heavily1 and was making something of a noise over his soup4 ,but how can ,i say that1 when ,i think-- ,oh6 you can't say it now1 of course2 it's too late4 ,no2 that would never do4 ,you must keep it up--only you mustn't be really angry4 ,why not try a little cold severity8 ,she looked so charming and humorous that the old man began to melt a little4 ,he glanced up at her once or twice under his heavy eyebrows4 ,i wonder what you'll do1 he said with a kind of gruffness1 when you find you've got to marry a pauper8 ,i shan't have to marry a pauper1 said ,jenny4 ,that wouldn't do either4 ,oh6 you're counting on that eight hundred a year still1 are you8 ,jenny allowed a little coldness to appear on her face4 ,rude banter was all very well1 but it mustn't go too far4 7,secretly she allowed to herself sometimes that this old man had elements of the cad in his character47 ,that's entirely my own affair1 she said1 and ,frank's4 ,lord ,talgarth blazed up a little4 ,and the eight hundred a year is mine1 he said4 ,jenny laid down her spoon as the servant reappeared with the fish and the menu-card4 ,he came very opportunely4 ,and while her host was considering what he would eat next1 she was pondering her next move4 ,jenny1 as has been said1 was an exceedingly sensible girl4 ,she had grown up in the ,rectory1 down at the park gates2 and since her mother's death1 three years previously1 had managed her father's house1 including her father1 with great success4 ,she had begun to extend her influence1 for the last year or two1 even over the formidable lord of the manor himself1 and1 as has been seen1 was engaged to his son4 ,her judgment was usually very sound and very sane1 and the two men1 with the ,rector1 had been perfectly right just now in leaving the old man to her care for an hour or so4 ,if anything could quiet him it would be this girl4 ,she was quite fearless1 quite dignified1 and quite able to hold her own4 ,and her father perceived that she rather enjoyed it4 ,when the man had gone out again1 she resumed3 ,well1 let's leave it1 she said1 for a day or two4 ,there's no hurry1 and-- ,but ,i must answer this--this telegram1 he growled4 ,what am ,i to say to the feller8 ,tell him to follow his discretion1 and that you have complete confidence-- ,but-- ,yes2 ,i know you haven't1 really4 ,but it'll do no harm1 and it'll make him feel important4 ,and what if the boy does take to the roads8 ,let him1 said ,jenny coolly4 ,it won't kill him4 ,he looked up at her again in silence4 ,jenny herself was very far from comfortable1 though she was conscious of real pleasure1 too1 in the situation4 ,she had seen this old man in a passion pretty often1 but she had never seen him in a passion with any real excuse4 ,no one ever thwarted him4 ,he even decided where his doctor should send him for his cure1 and in what month1 and for how long4 ,and she was not1 therefore1 quite certain what would happen1 for she knew ,frank well enough to be quite sure that he meant what he said4 ,however1 she reflected1 the main thing at present was to smooth things down all round as far as possible4 ,then she could judge4 ,can't make out why you ever consented to marry such a chap at all6 he growled presently4 ,oh1 well-- said ,jenny4 7,,iii7 ,it was a delicious evening1 and the three men1 after dinner1 strolled out on to the broad terrace that ran1 looking over the lake1 straight up and down the long side of the house4 ,they had not had the advantage1 since the servants were in the room1 of talking over the situation as they wished1 and there was no knowing when ,lord ,talgarth and ,jenny might emerge4 ,so they sat down at a little stone table at the end furthest from the smoking-room1 and ,archie and ,dick lit their cigarettes4 ,there is not a great deal to say about the ,rector4 ,the most effective fact about him was that he was the father of ,jenny4 ,it was a case1 here1 of ,averill following ,averill3 his father and grandfather1 both second sons1 as was the ,rector himself1 had held the living before him1 and had performed the duties of it in the traditional and perfectly respectable way4 ,this one was a quiet middle-aged man1 clean-shaven except for two small whiskers4 ,he wore a white tie1 and a small gold stud was visible in the long slit of his white shirt-front4 ,he was on very easy terms in this house1 in an unintimate manner1 and dined here once a fortnight or so1 without saying or hearing anything of particular interest4 ,he had been secretly delighted at his daughter's engagement1 and had given his consent with gentle and reserved cordiality4 ,he was a ,tory1 not exactly by choice1 but simply--for the same reason as he was ,church of ,england--because he was unable1 in the fiber of him1 to imagine anything else4 ,of course1 ,lord ,talgarth was the principal personage in his world1 simply because he was ,lord ,talgarth and owned practically the whole parish and two-thirds of the next4 ,he regarded his daughter with the greatest respect1 and left in her hands everything that he decently could4 ,and1 to do her justice1 ,jenny was a very benevolent1 as well as capable1 despot4 ,in short1 the ,rector plays no great part in this drama beyond that of a discreet1 and mostly silent1 ,greek chorus of unimpeachable character4 ,he disapproved deeply1 of course1 of ,frank's change of religion--but he disapproved with that same part of him that appreciated ,lord ,talgarth4 ,it seemed to him that ,catholicism1 in his daughter's future husband1 was a defect of the same kind as would be a wooden leg or an unpleasant habit of sniffing--a drawback1 yet not insuperable4 ,he would be considerably relieved if it could be cured4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the three men sat there for some while without interruption from the smoking-room1 while the evening breeze died1 the rosy sky paled1 and the stars came out one by one1 like diamonds in the clear blue4 ,they said1 of course1 all the proper things1 and ,dick heard a little more than he had previously known4 ,dick was always conscious of a faint1 almost impersonal1 resentment against destiny when he stayed at ,merefield4 ,it was obvious to him that the position of heir there was one which would exactly have suited his tastes and temperament4 ,he was extremely pleased to belong to the family--and it was1 indeed1 a very exceptional family as regards history3 it had been represented in nearly every catastrophe since the ,norman ,conquest1 and always on the winning side1 except once--but it was difficult to enjoy the distinction as it deserved1 living1 as he did1 in a flat in ,london all by himself4 ,when his name was mentioned to a well-informed stranger1 it was always greeted by the question as to whether he was one of the ,guiseleys of ,merefield1 and it seemed to him singularly annoying that he could only answer ,first cousin4 ,archie1 of course1 was a satisfactory heir2 there was no question of that--he was completely of ,dick's own school of manner--but it seemed a kind of outrage that ,frank1 with his violent convictions and his escapades1 should be ,archie's only brother4 ,there was little of that repose about him that a ,guiseley needed4 ,it would be about half-past nine that the sound of an opening door1 and voices1 from the further end of the terrace1 told them that the smoking-room conference was over1 and they stood up as ,jenny1 very upright and pale in the twilight1 with her host at her side1 came up towards them4 ,dick noticed that the cigar his uncle carried was smoked down almost to the butt1 and augured well from that detail4 ,the old man's arm was in the girl's1 and he supported himself on the other side1 limping a little1 on his black stick4 ,he sat down with a grunt and laid his stick across the table4 ,well1 boys1 we've settled it1 he said4 ,jenny's to write the telegram4 ,no one need be anxious any more1 announced ,jenny imperturbably4 ,lord ,talgarth's extremely angry still1 as he has every right to be1 and ,frank's going to be allowed to go on the tramp if he wants to4 ,the ,rector waited1 in deferential silence1 for corroboration4 ,jenny's a very sensible girl1 observed ,lord ,talgarth4 ,and what she says is quite right4 ,do you mean to say-- began ,archie4 ,the old man frowned round at him4 ,all that ,i've said holds good1 he said4 ,frank's made his bed and he must lie on it4 ,i warned him4 ,and ,jenny sees that1 too4 ,archie glanced at the girl1 and ,dick looked hard at her1 straight into her face4 ,but there was absolutely no sign there of any perturbation4 ,certainly she looked white in the falling dusk1 but her eyes were merry and steadfast1 and her voice perfectly natural4 ,that's how we've settled it1 she said4 ,and if ,i'm satisfied1 ,i imagine everyone else ought to be4 ,and ,i'm going to write ,frank a good long letter all by myself4 ,come along1 father1 we must be going4 ,lord ,talgarth isn't well1 and we mustn't keep him up4 7,,iv7 ,when the last game of billiards had been played1 and whisky had been drunk1 and ,archie had taken up his candle1 ,dick stood still1 with his own in his hand4 ,aren't you coming8 said ,archie4 ,dick paused4 ,i think ,i'll smoke one more cigarette on the terrace1 he said4 ,it's a heavenly night1 and ,i want to get the taste of the train out of my mouth4 ,all right1 then4 ,lock up1 will you1 when you come in8 ,i'm off4 ,it was1 indeed1 a heavenly night4 ,behind him as he sat at the table where they had had coffee the great house shimmered pale in the summer twilight1 broken here by a line or two of yellow light behind shuttered windows1 here with the big oriel window of the hall1 blazing with coats1 fully illuminated4 7,he must remember1 he thought1 to put out the lights there as he went to bed47 ,and about him was the great soft1 sweet-smelling darkness1 roofed in by the far-off sky alight with stars2 and beneath him in the valley he could catch the glimmer of the big lake and the blotted masses of pine and cypress black against it4 ,it was here1 then1 under these circumstances1 that ,dick confessed to himself1 frankly and openly for the first time1 that he was in love with ,jenny ,launton4 ,he had known her for years1 off and on1 and had thought of her as a pretty girl and a pleasant companion4 ,he had skated with her1 ridden with her1 danced with her1 and had only understood1 with a sense of mild shock1 at the time of her engagement to ,frank six months before1 that she was of an age to become a wife to someone4 ,that had been the beginning of a process which culminated to-night1 as he now understood perfectly4 ,its next step had been a vague wonder why ,archie hadn't fallen in love with her himself2 and he had explained it by saying that ,archie had too great a sense of his own importance to permit himself to marry a rector's daughter with only a couple of hundred a year of her own4 7,and in this explanation ,i think he was quite correct47 ,then he had begun to think of her himself a good deal--dramatically1 rather than realistically--wondering what it would feel like to be engaged to her4 ,if a younger son could marry her1 surely a first cousin could--even of the ,guiseleys4 ,so it had gone on1 little by little4 ,he had danced with her here at ,christmas--just after the engagement--and had stayed on a week longer than he had intended4 ,he had come up again at ,easter1 and again at ,whitsuntide1 though he always protested to his friends that there was nothing to do at ,merefield in the summer4 ,and now here he was again1 and the thing had happened4 ,at first1 as he sat here1 he tried to analyze his attitude to ,frank4 ,he had never approved of ,frank altogether2 he didn't quite like the queer kinds of things that ,frank did2 for ,frank's reputation at ,merefield was very much what it was at ,cambridge4 ,he did ridiculous and undignified things4 ,as a small boy1 he had fought at least three pitched battles in the village1 and that was not a proper thing for a ,guiseley to do4 ,he liked to go out with the keepers after poachers1 and ,dick1 very properly1 asked himself what keepers were for except to do that kind of thing for you8 ,there had been a bad row here1 too1 scarcely eighteen months ago2 it had been something to do with a horse that was ill-treated1 and ,frank had cut a very absurd and ridiculous figure1 getting hot and angry1 and finally thrashing a groom1 or somebody1 with his own hands1 and there had been uncomfortable talk about police-courts and actions for assault4 ,finally1 he had fallen in love with1 proposed to1 and become engaged to1 ,jenny ,launton4 ,that was an improper thing for a younger son to do1 anyhow1 at his age1 and ,dick now perceived that the fact that ,jenny was ,jenny aggravated the offense a hundredfold4 ,and1 last of all1 he had become a ,catholic--an act of enthusiasm which seemed to ,dick really vulgar4 ,altogether1 then1 ,frank was not a satisfactory person1 and it would do him no harm to have a little real discipline at last4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was the striking of midnight from the stable clock that woke ,dick up from his deep reverie1 and was the occasion of his perceiving that he had come to no conclusion about anything1 except that ,frank was an ass1 that ,jenny was--well--,jenny1 and that he1 ,dick1 was an ill-used person4 ,i do not like to set down here1 even if ,i could1 all the considerations that had passed through ,dick's mind since a quarter-past eleven1 simply because the very statement of them would give a false impression4 ,dick was not a knave1 and he did not deceive himself about himself more than most of us do4 ,yet he had considered a number of points that1 strictly speaking1 he ought not to have considered4 ,he had wondered whether ,frank would die2 he had wondered whether1 if he did not1 ,lord ,talgarth would really be as good as his word2 and1 if so1 what effect that would have on ,jenny4 ,finally1 he had wondered1 with a good deal of intellectual application1 what exactly ,jenny had meant when she had announced all that about the telegram she was going to send in ,lord ,talgarth's name1 and the letter she was going to send in her own4 7,he had asked ,archie just now in the smoking-room1 and he1 too1 had confessed himself beaten4 ,only1 he had been quite sure that jenny would get her way and obtain ,frank's forgiveness47 ,also1 in the course of his three-quarters of an hour he had considered1 for perhaps the hundredth time since he had come to the age of discretion1 what exactly three lives between a man and a title stood for4 ,lord ,talgarth was old and gouty2 ,archie was not married1 and showed no signs of it2 and ,frank--well1 ,frank was always adventurous and always in trouble4 ,well1 ,i have set down the points1 after all4 ,but it must not be thought that the gentleman with the pointed brown beard and thoughtful eyes1 who at five minutes past twelve went up the two steps into the smoking-room1 locked the doors1 as he had been directed1 took up his candle and went to bed1 went with an uneasy conscience1 or1 in fact1 was a villain in any way whatever4 ,,chapter ,,iii 7,i7 ,the first spot in ,frank's pilgrimage which ,i have been able to visit and identify in such a way that ,i am able to form to myself a picture of his adventure more or less complete in all its parts1 lies about ten miles north-west of ,doncaster1 in a little valley1 where curiously enough another pilgrim named ,richard lived for a little while nearly six hundred years ago4 ,up to the time of ,frank's coming there1 in the season of hay-making1 numberless little incidents of his experience stand out1 vivid1 indeed1 but fragmentary1 yet they do not form to my mind a coherent whole4 ,i think ,i understand to some extent the process by which he became accustomed to ordinary physical hard living1 into which the initiation began with his series of almost wholly sleepless nights and heavy sleep-burdened days4 ,night was too strange--in barns1 beneath hay-ricks1 in little oppressive rooms1 in stable-lofts--for him to sleep easily at first2 and between his tramps1 or in the dinner-hour1 when he managed to get work1 he would drop off in the hot sunshine down into depths of that kind of rest that is like the sea itself--glimmering gulfs1 lit by glimpses of consciousness of the grass beneath his cheek1 the bubble of bird-song in the copses1 stretching down into profound and utter darkness4 ,of how the little happenings of every day wore themselves into a coherent whole1 and modified1 not indeed himself1 but his manner of life and his experience and knowledge1 ,i can make no real picture at all4 ,the first of these took place within ten miles of ,cambridge on his first morning1 and resulted in the bruised face which ,mr4 ,harris noticed2 it concerned a piece of brutality to a dog in which ,frank interfered4444 7,he was extraordinarily tender to animals47 ,then there was the learning as to how work was obtained1 and1 even more considerable1 the doing of the work4 ,the amateur1 as ,frank pointed out later1 began too vigorously and became exhausted2 the professional set out with the same deliberation with which he ended4 ,one must not run at one's spade1 or hoe1 or whatever it was2 one must exercise a wearisome self-control 444 survey the work to be done1 turn slowly1 spit on one's hands1 and after a pause begin1 remembering that the same activity must show itself1 if the work was to be renewed next day1 up to the moment of leaving off4 ,then there was the need of becoming accustomed to an entirely different kind of food1 eaten in an entirely different way1 and under entirely different circumstances4 ,there was experience to be gained as to washing clothes--,i can almost see ,frank now by a certain kind of stream1 stripped to the waist1 waiting while his shirt dried1 smoking an ill-rolled cigarette1 yet alert for the gamekeeper4 ,above all1 there was an immense volume of learning--or1 rather1 a training of instinct--to be gained respecting human nature3 a knowledge of the kind of man who would give work1 the kind of man who meant what he said1 and the kind of man who did not2 the kind of woman who would threaten the police if milk or bread were asked for--,frank learned to beg very quickly--the kind of woman who would add twopence and tell him to be off1 and the kind of woman who1 after a pause and a slow scrutiny1 would deliberately refuse to supply a glass of water4 ,then there was the atmosphere of the little towns to be learned--the intolerable weariness of pavements1 and the patient persistence of policemen who would not allow you to sit down4 ,he discovered1 also1 during his wanderings1 the universal fact that policemen are usually good-hearted1 but with absolutely no sense of humor whatever2 he learned this through various attempts to feign that the policeman was in fancy-dress costume and had no real authority4 ,he learned1 too1 that all crimes pale before resisting the police in the execution of their duty2 then1 he had to learn1 to1 the way in which other tramps must be approached--the silences necessary1 the sort of questions which were useless1 the jokes that must be laughed at and the jokes that must be resented4 ,all this is beyond me altogether2 it was beyond even ,frank's own powers of description4 ,a boy1 coming home for the holidays for the first time1 cannot make clear to his mother1 or even to himself1 what it is that has so utterly changed his point of view1 and his relations towards familiar things4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so with ,frank4 ,he could draw countless little vignettes of his experiences and emotions--the particular sensation elicited1 for example1 by seeing through iron gates happy people on a lawn at tea--the white china1 the silver1 the dresses1 the flannels1 the lawn-tennis net--as he went past1 with string tied below his knees to keep off the drag of the trousers1 and a sore heel2 the emotion of being passed by a boy and a girl on horseback2 the flood of indescribable associations roused by walking for half a day past the split-oak paling of a great park1 with lodge-gates here and there1 the cooing of wood-pigeons1 and the big house1 among its lawns and cedars and geranium-beds1 seen now and then1 far off in the midst4 ,but what he could not describe1 or understand1 was the inner alchemy by which this new relation to things modified his own soul1 and gave him a point of view utterly new and bewildering4 ,curiously enough1 however 7as it seems to me71 he never seriously considered the possibility of abandoning this way of life1 and capitulating to his father4 ,a number of things1 ,i suppose--inconceivable to myself--contributed to his purpose2 his gipsy blood1 his extraordinary passion for romance1 the attraction of a thing simply because it was daring and unusual1 and finally1 a very exceptionally strong will that1 for myself1 ,i should call obstinacy4 ,the silence--as regards his old world--was absolute and unbroken4 ,he knew perfectly well that by now letters and telegrams must be waiting for him at ,jack's home1 including at least one from ,jenny1 and probably a dozen2 but as to ,jenny1 he knew she would understand1 and as to the rest1 he honestly did not care at all4 ,he sent her a picture postcard once or twice--from ,ely1 ,peterborough1 ,sleaford and ,newark--towns where he stayed for a ,sunday 7,i have seen in ,sleaford the little room where he treated himself to a bed for two nights7--and was content4 ,he made no particular plans for the future2 he supposed something would turn up2 and he settled with himself1 by the help of that same will which ,i have mentioned before1 that he would precipitate no conclusions till he reached ,barham later on in the early autumn4 ,his faith and morals during these weeks are a little difficult to describe4 ,as regards his morals1 at least in one particular point1 he had formulated the doctrine that1 when he was very hungry1 game might not be touched1 but that rabbits and birds were permissible if they could be snared in the hedges of the high-road4 ,he became an expert at this kind of thing1 and ,jack has described to me1 as taught by ,frank1 a few devices of which ,i was entirely ignorant4 ,frank tramped for a couple of days with a gamekeeper out of work1 and learned these things from him1 as well as one or two simple methods of out-of-door cookery4 ,as regards his religion1 ,i think ,i had better not say much just now2 very curious influences were at work upon him3 ,i can only say that ,frank himself has described more than once1 when he could be induced to talk1 the extraordinary1 and indeed indescribable1 thrill with which he saw1 now and again1 in town or country1 a priest in his vestments go to the altar--for he heard mass when he could4444 ,so much1 then1 is all that ,i can say of the small1 detached experiences that he passed through1 up to the point when he came out one evening at sunset from one of the fields of ,hampole where he had made hay all day1 when his job was finished1 and where he met1 for the first time1 the ,major and ,gertie ,trustcott4 7,,ii7 ,they were standing with the sunset light behind them1 as a glory--two disreputable figures1 such as one sees in countless thousands along all the high-roads of ,england in the summer4 ,the ,major himself was a lean man1 with a red mustache turning gray1 deep-set1 narrow1 blood-shot eyes1 a chin and very square jaw shaved about two days previously4 ,he had an old cricketing cap on his head1 trousers tied up with string1 like ,frank's1 and one of those long1 square-tailed1 yellowish coats with broad side-pockets such as a gamekeeper might have worn twenty years ago4 ,one of his boots was badly burst1 and he1 seemed to rest his weight by preference on the other foot4 ,he was not prepossessing2 but ,frank saw1 with his newly-gained experience1 that he was different from other tramps4 ,he glanced at the girl and saw that she too was not quite of the regular type1 though less peculiar than her companion2 and he noticed with an odd touch at his heart that she had certain characteristics in common with ,jenny4 ,she was not so tall1 but she had the same colored hair under a filthy white sun-bonnet and the same kind of blue eyes3 but her oval face again was weak and rather miserable4 ,they were both deeply sunburned4 ,frank had learned the discretion of the roads by now1 and did no more than jerk his head almost imperceptibly as he went past4 7,he proposed to go back to the farm to get his dwindled belongings1 as the job was over1 and to move on a few miles northward before sleeping47 ,as he went1 however1 he knew that the man had turned and was looking after him3 but he made no sign4 ,he had no particular desire for company4 ,he also knew by instinct1 practically for certain1 that these two were neither husband and wife1 nor father and daughter4 ,the type was obvious4 ,i say1 sir6 ,frank turned as bucolically as he could4 ,i say1 sir--can you direct this lady and myself to a lodging8 ,frank had tried to cultivate a low and characterless kind of voice1 as of a servant or a groom out of work4 ,he knew he could never learn the proper accent4 ,depends on what kind of lodging you want1 sir4 ,what'd suit you 'ud suit us1 said the ,major genially1 dropping the sir4 ,i'm going further1 sir1 said ,frank4 ,i've done my job here4 ,the ,major turned to the girl1 and ,frank caught the words1 ,what d'you say1 ,gertie8 ,there was a murmur of talk2 and then the man turned to him again3 ,if you've no objection1 sir1 we'll come with you4 ,my good lady here is good for a mile or two more1 she says1 and we'd like some company4 ,frank hesitated4 ,he did not in the least wish for company himself4 ,he glanced at the girl again4 ,very good1 sir1 he said4 ,then if you'll wait here ,i'll be back in five minutes--,i've got to get my belongings4 ,he nodded to the low farm buildings in the valley just below the village4 ,we will await you here1 sir1 said the ,major magnificently1 stroking his mustache4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as ,frank came back up the little hill a few minutes later1 he had made up his mind as to what to say and do4 ,it was his first experience of a gentleman-tramp1 and it was obvious that under the circumstances he could not pretend to be anything else himself4 ,but he was perfectly determined not to tell his name4 ,none of his belongings had anything more than his initials upon them1 and he decided to use the name he had already given more than once4 ,probably they would not go far together2 but it was worth while to be on the safe side4 ,he came straight up to the two as they sat side by side with their feet in the ditch4 ,i'm ready1 sir1 he said4 ,yes2 you've spotted me all right4 ,university man and public school boy1 said the ,major without moving4 ,eton and ,cambridge1 said ,frank4 ,the ,major sprang up4 ,harrow and the ,army1 he said4 ,shake hands4 ,this was done4 ,name8 said the ,major4 ,frank grinned4 ,i haven't my card with me1 he said4 ,but ,frank ,gregory will do4 ,i understand1 said the ,major4 ,and ',the ,major' will do for me4 ,it has the advantage of being true4 ,and this lady8--well1 we'll call her my wife4 ,frank bowed4 ,he felt he was acting in some ridiculous dream2 but his sense of humor saved him4 ,the girl gave a little awkward bow in response1 and dropped her eyes4 ,certainly she was very like ,jenny1 and very unlike4 ,and a name8 asked ,frank4 ,we may as well have one in case of difficulties4 ,the ,major considered4 ,what do you say to ,trustcott8 he asked4 ,will that do8 ,perfectly1 said ,frank4 ,major and ,mrs4 ,trustcott4444 ,well1 shall we be going8 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank had no particular views as to lodgings1 or even to roads1 so long as the direction was more or less northward4 ,he was aiming1 generally speaking1 at ,selby and ,york2 and it seemed that this would suit the ,major as well as anything else4 ,there is1 ,i believe1 some kind of routine amongst the roadsters2 and about that time of the year most of them are as far afield as at any time from their winter quarters4 ,the ,major and ,mrs4 ,trustcott1 he soon learned1 were ,southerners2 but they would not turn homewards for another three months yet1 at least4 ,for himself1 he had no ideas beyond a general intention to reach ,barham some time in the autumn1 before ,jack went back to ,cambridge for his fourth year4 ,the country is not prepossessing about here1 observed the ,major presently2 ,hampole is an exception4 ,frank glanced back at the valley they were leaving4 ,it had1 indeed1 an extraordinarily retired and rural air2 it was a fertile little tract of ground1 very limited and circumscribed1 and the rail that ran through it was the only sign of the century4 ,but the bright air was a little dimmed with smoke2 and already from the point they had reached tall chimneys began to prick against the horizon4 ,you have been here before8 he said4 ,why1 yes2 and about this time last year1 wasn't it1 ,gertie8 ,i understand a hermit lived here once4 ,a hermit might almost live here to-day1 said ,frank4 ,you are right1 sir1 said the ,major4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank began to wonder1 as he walked1 as to why this man was on the roads4 ,curiously enough1 he believed his statement that he had been in the army4 ,the air of him seemed the right thing4 ,a militia captain would have swaggered more2 a complete impostor would have given more details4 ,frank began to fish for information4 ,you have been long on the roads8 he said4 ,the ,major did not appear to hear him4 ,you have been long on the roads8 persisted ,frank4 ,the other glanced at him furtively and rather insolently4 ,the younger man first1 please4 ,frank smiled4 ,oh1 certainly6 he said4 ,well1 ,i have left ,cambridge at the end of ,june only4 ,ah6 ,anything disgraceful8 ,you won't believe me1 ,i suppose1 if ,i say ',no'8 ,oh6 ,i daresay ,i shall4 ,well1 then1 ',no4' ,then may ,i ask--8 ,oh1 yes6 ,i was kicked out by my father--,i needn't go into details4 ,i sold up my things and came out4 ,that's all6 ,and you mean to stick to it8 ,certainly--at least for a year or two4 ,that's all right4 ,well1 then--,major--what did we say8 ,trustcott8 ,ah1 yes1 ,trustcott4 ,well1 then1 ,i think we might add ',eleventh ,hussars'2 that's near enough4 ,the final catastrophe was1 ,i think1 cards4 ,not that ,i cheated1 you understand4 ,i will allow no man to say that of me4 ,but that was what was said4 ,a gentleman of spirit1 you understand1 could not remain in a regiment when such things could be said4 ,then we tumbled downhill2 and ,i've been at this for four years4 ,and1 you know1 sir1 it might be worse6 ,frank nodded4 ,naturally he did not believe as necessarily true this terse little story1 and he was absolutely certain that if cards were mixed up in it at all1 obviously the ,major had cheated4 ,so he just took the story and put it away1 so to speak4 ,it was to form1 he perceived1 the understanding on which they consorted together4 ,then he began to wonder about the girl4 ,the ,major soon supplied a further form4 ,and ,mrs4 ,trustcott1 here8 ,well1 she joined me1 let us say1 rather more than eighteen months ago4 ,we had been acquainted before that1 however4 ,that was when ,i was consenting to serve as groom to some--er--some ,jewish bounder in town4 ,mrs4 ,trustcott's parents live in town4 ,the girl1 who had been trudging patiently a foot or two behind them1 just glanced up at ,frank and down again4 ,he wondered exactly what her own attitude was to all this4 ,but she made no comment4 ,and now we know one another1 finished the ,major in a tone of genial finality4 ,so where are you taking us--er--,mr4 ,gregory8 7,,iii7 ,they were fortunate that night4 ,the part of ,yorkshire where they were traveling consists chiefly of an innumerable quantity of little cottages1 gathered for the most part round collieries4 ,one has the impression--at any rate1 from a motor--that there is nothing but villages4 ,but that is not a fact4 ,there are stretches of road1 quite solitary at certain hours2 and in one of these they noticed presently a little house1 not twenty yards from the road1 once obviously forming part of a row of colliers' cottages1 of which the rest were demolished4 ,it was not far off from ruin itself1 and was very plainly uninhabited4 ,across the front door were nailed deal props1 originally1 perhaps1 for the purpose of keeping it barred1 and useful for holding it in its place4 ,the ,major and ,gertie kept watch on the road while ,frank pushed open the crazy little gate and went round to the back4 ,a minute later he called to them softly4 ,he had wrenched open the back door1 and within in the darkness they could make out a little kitchen1 stripped of everything--table1 furniture1 and even the range itself4 ,the ,major kicked something presently in the gloom1 swore softly1 and announced he had found a kettle4 ,they decided that all this would do very well4 99 99 99 99 99 ,tramps do not demand very much1 and these were completely contented when they had made a small fire1 damped down with a turf to prevent it smoking1 had boiled a little water1 stewed some tea1 and eaten what they had4 ,even this was not luxurious4 ,the ,major produced the heel of a cheese and two crushed-looking bananas1 and ,frank a half-eaten tin of sardines and a small1 stale loaf4 ,the ,major announced presently that he would make a savory2 and1 indeed1 with cheese melted on to the bread1 and sardines on the top1 he did very well4 ,gertie moved silently about2 and ,frank1 in the intervals of rather abrupt conversation with the ,major1 found his eyes following her as she spread out their small possessions1 vanished up the stairs and reappeared4 ,certainly she was very like ,jenny1 even in odd little details--the line of her eyebrows1 the angle of her chin and so forth--perhaps more in these details than in anything else4 ,he began to wonder a little about her--to imagine her past1 to forecast her future4 ,it seemed all rather sordid4 ,she disappeared finally without a word3 he heard her steps overhead1 and then silence4 ,then he had to attend to the ,major a little more4 ,it was easy enough to tell you1 said that gentleman4 ,how8 ,oh1 well1 if nothing else1 your clothes4 ,aren't they shabby enough8 ,the ,major eyed him with half-closed lids1 by the light of the single candle-end1 stuck in its own wax on the mantelshelf4 ,they're shabby enough1 but they're the wrong sort4 ,there's the cut1 first--though that doesn't settle it4 ,but these are gray flannel trousers1 for one thing1 and then the coat's not stout enough4 ,they might have been given me1 said ,frank1 smiling4 ,they fit you too well for that4 ,i'll change them when ,i get a chance1 observed ,frank4 ,it would be as well1 assented the ,major4 99 99 99 99 99 ,somehow or another the sense of sordidness1 which presently began to affect ,frank so profoundly1 descended on him for the first time that night4 ,he had managed1 by his very solitariness hitherto1 to escape it so far4 ,it had been possible to keep up a kind of pose so far2 to imagine the adventure in the light of a very much prolonged and very realistic picnic4 ,but with this other man the thing became impossible4 ,it was tolerable to wash one's own socks2 it was not so tolerable to see another man's socks hung up on the peeling mantelpiece a foot away from his own head1 and to see two dirty ankles1 not his own1 emerging from crazy boots4 ,the ,major1 too1 presently1 when he grew a trifle maudlin over his own sorrows1 began to call him ,frankie1 and my boy1 and somehow it mattered1 from a man with the ,major's obvious record4 ,frank pulled himself up only just in time to prevent a retort when it first happened1 but it was not the slightest use to be resentful4 ,the thing had to be borne4 ,and it became easier when it occurred to him to regard the ,major as a study2 it was even interesting to hear him give himself away1 yet all with a pompous appearance of self-respect1 and to recount his first meeting with ,gertie1 now asleep upstairs4 ,the man was1 in fact1 exactly what ,frank1 in his prosperous days1 would have labeled ,bounder4 ,he had a number of meaningless little mannerisms--a way of passing his hand over his mustache1 a trick of bringing a look of veiled insolence into his eyes2 there were subjects he could not keep away from--among them ,harrow ,school1 the ,universities 7which he called ',varsity71 the regiment he had belonged to1 and a certain type of adventure connected with women and champagne4 ,and underneath the whole crust of what the ,major took to be breeding1 there was a piteous revelation of a feeble1 vindictive1 and rather nasty character4 ,it became more and more evident that the cheating incident--or1 rather1 the accusation1 as he persisted in calling it--was merely the last straw in his fall1 and that the whole thing had been the result of a crumbly unprincipled kind of will underneath1 rather than of any particular strain of vice4 ,he appeared1 even now1 to think that his traveling about with a woman who was not his wife was a sort of remnant of fallen splendor--as a man might keep a couple of silver spoons out of the ruin of his house4 ,i recommend you to pick up with one1 remarked the ,major4 ,there are plenty to be had1 if you go about it the right way4 ,thanks1 said ,frank1 but it's not my line4 7,,iv7 ,the morning1 too1 was a little trying4 ,frank had passed a tolerable night4 ,the ,major had retired upstairs about ten o'clock1 taking his socks with him1 presumably to sleep in them1 and ,frank had heard him creaking about upstairs for a minute or two2 there had followed two clumps as the boots were thrown off2 a board suddenly spoke loudly2 there was a little talking--obviously the ,major had awakened ,gertie in order to make a remark or two--and then silence4 ,frank had not slept for half an hour2 he was thinking1 with some depression1 of the dreary affair into which he had been initiated1 of the ,major1 and of ,gertie1 for whom he was beginning to be sorry4 ,he did not suppose that the man actually bullied her2 probably he had done this sufficiently for the present--she was certainly very quiet and subdued--or perhaps she really admired him1 and thought it rather magnificent to travel about with an ex-officer4 ,anyhow1 it was rather deplorable4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,when he awoke next morning1 the depression was on him still2 and it was not lifted by the apparition of ,gertie on which he opened his eyes from his corner1 in an amazingly dirty petticoat1 bare-armed1 with her hair in a thick untidy pig-tail1 trying to blow the fire into warmth again4 ,frank jumped up--he was in his trousers and shirt4 ,let me do that1 he said4 ,i'll do it1 said ,gertie passionlessly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,major came down ten minutes later1 considerably the worse for his night's rest4 ,yesterday he had had a day's beard on him2 to-day he had two1 and there was a silvery sort of growth in the stubble that made it look wet4 ,his eyes1 too1 were red and sunken1 and he began almost instantly to talk about a drink4 ,frank stood it for a few minutes1 then he understood and capitulated4 ,i'll stand you one1 he said1 if you'll get me two packets of ,cinderellas4 ,what's the good of that8 said the ,major4 ,pubs aren't open yet4 ,it's only just gone five4 ,you'll have to wait1 then1 said ,frank shortly4 ,presently the ,major did begin to bully ,gertie4 ,he asked her what the devil was the good of her if she couldn't make a fire burn better than that4 ,he elbowed her out of the way and set to work at it himself4 ,she said nothing at all4 ,yet there was not the faintest use in ,frank's interfering1 and1 indeed1 there was nothing to interfere in4 ,food1 too1 this morning1 seemed disgusting2 and again ,frank learned the difference between a kind of game played by oneself and a reality in which two others joined4 ,there had been something almost pleasing about unrolling the food wrapped up at supper on the previous night1 and eating it1 with or without cooking1 all alone2 but there was something astonishingly unpleasant in observing sardines that were now common property lying in greasy newspaper1 a lump of bread from which their hands tore pieces1 and a tin bowl of warmish cocoa from which all must drink4 ,this last detail was a contribution on the part of ,major and ,mrs4 ,trustcott1 and it would have been ungracious to refuse4 ,the ,major1 too1 was sullen and resentful this morning1 and growled at ,gertie more than once4 ,even the weather seemed unpropitious as they set out together again soon after six4 ,rain had fallen in the night1 yet not all the rain that there was overhead4 ,there were still clouds hanging1 mixed with the smoke from the chimneys2 the hedges seemed dulled and black in spite of their green2 the cinder path they walked on was depressing1 the rain-fed road even more so4 ,they passed a dozen men on their way to the pits1 who made remarks on the three1 and retaliation was out of the question4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was very disconcerting to ,frank to find the difference that his new circumstances made2 and yet he did not seriously consider changing them4 ,it seemed to him1 somehow or other1 in that strange fashion in which such feelings come1 that the whole matter was pre-arranged1 and that the company in which he found himself was as inevitably his--at least for the present--as the family to a child born into it4 ,and there was1 of course1 too1 a certain element of relief in feeling himself no longer completely alone2 and there was also1 as ,frank said later1 a curious sense of attraction towards1 and pity for1 ,gertie that held him there4 ,at the first public-house that was open the ,major stopped4 ,i'll get your ,cinderellas now1 if you like1 he said4 ,this had not been ,frank's idea1 but he hardly hesitated4 ,all right1 he said4 ,here's fourpence4 ,the ,major vanished through the swing-doors as a miner came out1 and a gush of sweet and sickly scent--beer1 spirits1 tobacco--poured upon the fresh air4 ,and there was a vision of a sawdusted floor and spittoons within4 ,frank looked at ,gertie1 who had stopped like a patient donkey1 and1 like a prudent one1 had let her bundle instantly down beside the ,major's4 ,like one1 too8 he said4 ,she shook her head4 ,not for me4 444 ,and no more4 ,in a couple of minutes the ,major was out again4 ,only had one packet left1 he said1 and with an air of extreme punctiliousness and magnanimity replaced one penny in ,frank's hand4 ,he had the air of one who is insistent on the little honesties of life4 ,there was also a faintly spirituous atmosphere about him1 and his eyes looked a little less sunken4 ,then he handed over the cigarettes4 ,shouldn't mind one myself1 he said genially4 ,frank gave him one before lighting his own4 ,you're a good sort1 said the ,major1 and ,i wish ,i could give you one of my old cigars ,i used to give my friends4 ,ah6 well1 when your ship comes home1 observed ,frank1 throwing away his match4 ,the ,major nodded his head as with an air of fallen grandeur4 ,well1 he said1 vorwrts4 ,that means 'forward1' my dear1 he explained to ,gertie4 ,gertie said nothing4 ,they took up their bundles and went on4 7,v7 ,it was not till a week later that ,gertie did that which was to effect so much in ,frank--she confided in him4 ,the week had consisted of the kind of thing that might be expected--small negligible adventures2 work now and then--the ,major and ,frank working side by side--a digging job on one day1 the carrying of rather dingy smoke-stained hay on another1 the scraping of garden-paths that ran round the small pink house of a retired tradesman1 who observed them magnificently though a plate-glass window all the while1 with a cigar in his teeth1 and ultimately gave them ninepence between them4 ,they slept here and there--once1 on a rainy night1 in real lodgings1 once below a haystack4 ,frank said hardly a word to ,gertie1 and did little more than listen to the ,major1 who was already beginning to repeat himself2 but he was aware that the girl was watching him4 ,the crisis came about under circumstances that might be expected--on a rather sentimental kind of ,sunday evening1 in a village whose name ,i forget 7perhaps it was ,escrick7 between ,selby and ,york4 ,frank had made a small excursion by himself in the morning and had managed to hear mass2 they had dined well off cold bacon and beans1 and had walked on in the afternoon some miles further2 and they came to the village a little after six o'clock4 ,the ,major had a blister1 which he had exhibited at least four times to the company1 and had refused to go further2 and as they came to the outskirts of the village1 volunteered to go and look for shelter1 if the two would wait for him at a stile that led across fields to the old church4 ,the scene was rather like the setting of the last act in a melodrama of a theater on the ,surrey side of the ,thames--the act in which the injured heroine1 with her child1 sinks down fainting as the folk are going to church in the old village on a ,june evening among the trees--leading up to moonlight effects and reunion4 ,there was no organ to play off1 but the bells were an excellent substitute1 and it was these that presently melted the heart of ,gertie4 ,when the ,major had disappeared1 limping1 the two climbed over the stile and sat down with their bundles under the hedge1 but they presently found that they had chosen something of a thoroughfare4 ,voices came along presently1 grew louder1 and stopped as the speakers climbed the stile4 ,the first pair was of a boy and girl1 who instantly clasped again mutual waists1 and went off up the path across the field to the churchyard without noticing the two tramps2 their heads were very near together4 ,then other couples came along1 old and young1 and twice a trio--one1 two young men in black1 who skirmished on either side of a very sedate girl in white2 one1 two girls who shoved one another1 and giggled1 walking in step three yards behind another young man with his hat on one side1 who gloried in being talked at and pretended to be rapt in abstraction4 ,then some children came2 then a family--papa walking severely apart in a silk hat1 and mamma1 stout and scarlet-faced1 in the midst of the throng4 ,finally there came along a very old ,darby and ,joan1 who with many ,yorkshire ejaculations helped one another over the stile1 and moved on with bent heads1 scolding one another affectionately4 ,it was as this last couple reached the spot where the path ran into the corn that the peal of four bells broke out1 and ,gertie broke down4 ,frank had not been noticing her particularly4 ,he was gloomy himself2 the novelty of the whole affair had gone2 the ,major was becoming intolerable1 and ,frank's religion was beginning to ebb from his emotions4 ,mass this morning had not been a success from an emotional point of view2 he had had an uncomfortable seat on a pitch-pine bench in a tin church with an ,american organ2 the very young priest had been tiresome and antipathetic4444 ,frank had done his best1 but he was tired and bored2 the little church had been very hot1 and it was no longer any fun to be stared at superciliously by a stout tradesman as he came out into the hot sunshine afterwards4 ,just now he had been watching the figures make their appearance from the stile1 re-form groups and dwindle slowly down to the corn1 and their heads and shoulders bob along above it--all with a kind of resentment4 ,these people had found their life2 he was still looking for his4 ,he was watching1 too1 the strangely unreal appearance of the sunlit fields1 the long shadows1 the golden smoky light1 and the church tower1 set among cypresses half a mile away--yet without any conscious sentiment4 ,he had not said a word to ,gertie1 nor she to him1 and he was totally taken by surprise when1 after the first soft crash of bells for evening service1 she had suddenly thrown herself round face forward among the grasses and burst out sobbing4 ,my dear girl6 said ,frank1 whatever's the matter8 ,then he stopped4 99 99 99 99 99 ,fortunately1 the procession of worshipers had run dry1 and the two were quite alone4 ,he sat upright1 utterly ignorant of what to say4 ,he thought perhaps she was in pain 444 should he run for the ,major or a doctor8444 ,then1 as after a minute or two of violent sobbing she began a few incoherent words1 he understood4 ,oh6 ,i'm a wicked girl 444 a wicked girl 444 it's all so beautiful 444 the church bells 444 my mother6 99 99 99 99 99 ,he understood1 then1 what had precipitated this crisis and broken down the girl's reserve4 ,it was1 in fact1 exactly that same appeal which holds a gallery breathless and tearful in the last act of a ,surrey-side melodrama--the combination of ,sunday quiet1 a sunset1 church bells1 associations and human relationships2 and ,gertie's little suburban soul responded to it as a bell to a bell-rope4 ,it was this kind of thing that stood to her for holiness and peace and purity1 and it had gone clean through her heart4 ,and he understood1 too1 that it was his presence that had allowed her to break down4 ,the ,major's atmosphere had held her taut so far4 ,frank was conscious of a lump in his own throat as he stared out1 helpless1 first at the peaceful ,sunday fields and then down at the shaking shoulders and the slender1 ill-clad1 writhed form of ,gertie4444 ,he did not know what to do 444 he hoped the ,major would not be back just yet4 ,then he understood he must say something4 ,don't cry1 he said4 ,the ,major-- ,she sat up on the instant in sudden consternation1 her pretty1 weak1 sunburned face disfigured with tears1 but braced for the moment by fear4 ,no1 no1 said ,frank2 he isn't coming yet2 but-- ,then she was down again1 moaning and talking4 ,oh6444 ,oh6444 ,i'm a wicked girl4444 ,my mother6444 and ,i never thought ,i should come to this6 ,well1 why don't you chuck it8 said ,frank practically4 ,i can't6444 ,i can't6 ,i 444 ,i love him6 ,that had not occurred to this young man as a conceivable possibility1 and he sat silenced4 ,the church-bells pealed on2 the sun sank a little lower2 ,gertie sobbed more and more gently2 and ,frank's mind worked like a mill1 revolving developments4 ,finally1 she grew quiet1 lay still1 and1 as the bells gave place to one of their number1 sat up4 ,she dabbed at her eyes with a handful of wet grass1 passed her sleeve across them once or twice1 and began to talk4 ,i 444 ,i'm very silly1 ,frankie1 she said1 but ,i can't help it4 ,i'm better now4 ,don't tell ,george4 ,of course ,i shan't6 said ,frank indignantly4 ,you're a gentleman too1 said ,gertie4 7,frank winced a little1 interiorly1 at the too47 ,i can see that you're polite to a lady4 ,and ,i don't know however ,i came to tell you4 ,but there it is1 and no harm's done4 ,why don't you leave him8 said ,frank courageously4 ,a little wave of feeling went over her face4 ,he's a gentleman1 she said4444 ,no1 ,i can't leave him4 ,but it does come over you sometimes2 doesn't it8 7,her face wavered again47 ,it was them bells1 and the people and all4 ,where's your home8 ,she jerked her head in a vague direction4 ,down ,londonwards1 she said4 ,but that's all done with4 ,i've made my bed1 and-- ,tell me plainly3 does he bully you8 ,not to say bully1 she said4 ,he struck me once1 but never again4 ,tell me if he does it again4 ,a small1 sly1 admirative look came into her eyes4 ,we'll see1 she said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank was conscious of a considerable sense of disappointment4 ,the thing had been almost touching just now1 as the reserve first broke up1 but it was a very poor little soul1 it seemed to him1 that had at last made its appearance4 7,he did not yet see that that made it all the more touching47 ,he did not quite see what to do next4 ,he was ,christian enough to resent the whole affair2 but he was aristocratic enough in his fastidiousness to think at this moment that perhaps it did not matter much for people of this sort4 ,perhaps it was the highest ideal that persons resembling the ,major and ,gertie could conceive4 ,but her next remark helped to break up his complacency4 ,you're a ,catholic1 she said4 ,people say that you ,catholics don't mind this kind of thing--me and the ,major1 ,i mean4 ,there was a dreadful sort of sly suggestiveness about this remark that stung him4 ,he exploded3 and his wounded pride gave him bitterness4 ,my good girl1 he said1 ,catholics simply loathe it4 ,and even1 personally1 ,i think it's beastly4 ,well--,i 444 ,i think it's beastly1 said ,frank didactically4 ,a good girl like you1 well-brought-up1 good parents1 nice home1 religious--instead of which --he ended in a burst of ironical reminiscence--you go traveling about with a-- he checked himself--a man who isn't your husband4 ,why don't you marry him8 ,i can't6 wailed ,gertie1 suddenly stricken again with remorse2 his wife's alive4 ,frank jumped4 ,somehow that had never occurred to him4 ,and yet how amazingly characteristic of the ,major6 ,well--leave him1 then6 ,i can't6 cried poor ,gertie4 ,i can't6444 ,i can't6 ,,chapter ,,iv 7,i7 ,frank awoke with a start and opened his eyes4 ,but it was still dark and he could see nothing4 ,so he turned over on the other side and tried to go to sleep4 ,the three of them had come to this little town last night after two or three days' regular employment2 they had sufficient money between them2 they had found a quite tolerable lodging2 they had their programme1 such as it was1 for the next day or so2 and--by the standard to which he had learned to adjust himself--there was no sort of palpable cause for the horror that presently fell on him4 ,i can only conjecture that the origin lay within1 not without1 his personality4 ,the trouble began with the consciousness that on the one side he was really tired1 and on the other that he could not sleep and1 to clinch it1 the knowledge that a twenty-mile walk lay before him4 ,he began to tell himself that sleep was merely a question of will--of will deliberately relaxing attention4 ,he rearranged his position a little2 shifted his feet1 fitted himself a little more closely into the outlines of the bed1 thrust one hand under the pillow and bade himself let go4 ,then the procession of thoughts began as orderly as if by signal4 ,he found himself presently1 after enumerating all the minor physical points of discomfort--the soreness of his feet1 the knobbiness of the bed1 the stuffiness of the room in which the three were sleeping1 the sound of the ,major's slow snoring--beginning to consider the wisdom of the whole affair4 ,this was a point that he had not consciously yet considered1 from the day on which he had left ,cambridge4 ,the impetus of his first impulse and the extreme strength of his purpose had1 up to the present--helped along by novelty--kept him going4 ,of course1 the moment had to come sooner or later2 but it seems a little hard that he was obliged to face it in that peculiarly dreary clarity of mind that falls upon the sleepless an hour or two before the dawn4 ,for1 as he looked at it all now1 he saw it as an outsider would see it1 no longer from the point of view of his own personality4 ,he perceived a young man1 of excellent abilities and prospects1 sacrificing these things for an idea that fell to pieces the instant it was touched4 ,he touched it now with a critical finger1 and it did so fall to pieces2 there was1 obviously1 nothing in it at all4 ,it was an impulse of silly pride1 of obstinacy1 of the sort of romance that effects nothing4 ,there was ,merefield waiting for him--for he knew perfectly well that terms could be arranged2 there was all that leisureliness and comfort and distinction in which he had been brought up and which he knew well how to use2 there was ,jenny2 there was his dog1 his horse 444 there was1 in fact1 everything for which ,merefield stood4 ,he saw it all now1 visualized and clear in the dark2 and he had exchanged all this--well--for this room1 and the ,major's company1 and back-breaking toil4444 ,and for no reason4 ,so he regarded all this for a good long while2 with his eyes closed1 with the darkness round him1 with every detail visible and insistent1 seen as in the cold light of morning before colors reassert themselves and reconcile all into a reasonable whole4444 444 ,i must really go to sleep6 said ,frank to himself1 and screwed up his eyes tight4 ,there came1 of course1 a reaction presently1 and he turned to his religion4 ,he groped for his rosary under his pillow1 placed before him 7according to the instructions given in the little books7 the ,mystery of the ,annunciation to ,mary1 and began the ,our ,father4 444 ,half-way through it he began all over again to think about ,cambridge1 and ,merefield and ,jack ,kirkby1 and the auction in his own rooms1 and his last dinner-party and the design on the menu-cards1 and what a fool he was2 and when he became conscious of the rosary again he found that he held in his fingers the last bead but three in the fifth decade4 ,he had repeated four and a half decades without even the faintest semblance of attention4 ,he finished them hopelessly1 and then savagely thrust the string of beads under his pillow again2 turned over once more1 rearranged his feet1 wished the ,major would learn how to sleep like a gentleman2 and began to think about his religion in itself4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after all1 he began to say to himself1 what proof was there--real scientific proof--that the thing was true at all8 ,certainly there was a great deal of it that was1 very convincing--there was the curious ring of assertion and confidence in it1 there was its whole character1 composed 7like personality7 of countless touches too small to be definable2 there was the definite evidence adduced from history and philosophy and all the rest4 ,but underneath all that--was there1 after all1 any human evidence in the world sufficient to establish the astounding dogmas that lay at the root8 ,was it conceivable that any such evidence could be forthcoming8 ,he proceeded to consider the series of ancient dilemmas which1 ,i suppose1 have presented themselves at some time or another to every reasonable being--,free-will and ,predestination2 ,love and ,pain2 ,foreknowledge and ,sin2 and their companions4 ,and it appeared to him1 in this cold1 emotionless mood1 when the personality shivers1 naked1 in the presence of monstrous and unsympathetic forces1 that his own religion1 as much as every other1 was entirely powerless before them4 ,he advanced yet further3 he began to reflect upon the innumerable little concrete devotions that he had recently learned--the repetition of certain words1 the performance of certain actions--the rosary for instance2 and he began to ask himself how it was credible that they could possibly make any difference to eternal issues4 ,these things had not yet surrounded themselves with the atmosphere of experience and association1 and they had lost the romance of novelty2 they lay before him detached1 so to say1 and unconvincing4 ,i do not mean to say that during this hour he consciously disbelieved2 he honestly attempted to answer these questions2 he threw himself back upon authority and attempted to reassure himself by reflecting that human brains a great deal more acute than his own found in the dilemmas no final obstacles to faith2 he placed himself under the shelter of the ,church and tried to say blindly that he believed what she believed4 ,but1 in a sense1 he was powerless3 the blade of his adversary was quicker than his own2 his will was very nearly dormant2 his heart was entirely lethargic1 and his intellect was clear up to a certain point and extraordinarily swift4444 ,half an hour later he was in a pitiable state2 and had begun even to question ,jenny's loyalty4 ,he had turned to the thought of her as a last resort for soothing and reassurance1 and now1 in the chilly dawn1 even she seemed unsubstantial4 ,he began by remembering that ,jenny would not live for ever2 in fact1 she might die at any moment2 or he might2 and he ended by wondering1 firstly1 whether human love was worth anything at all1 and1 secondly1 whether he possessed ,jenny's4 ,he understood now1 with absolute certitude1 that there was nothing in him whatever which could possibly be loved by anyone2 the whole thing had been a mistake1 not so much on his part as on ,jenny's4 ,she had thought him to be something he was not4 ,she was probably regretting already the engagement2 she would certainly not fulfill it4 ,and could she possibly care for anyone who had been such an indescribable fool as to give up ,merefield1 and his prospects and his past and his abilities1 and set out on this absurd and childish adventure8 ,so once more he came round in a circle and his misery was complete4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he sat up in bed with a sudden movement as the train of thought clicked back into its own beginning1 clasped his hands round his knees and stared round the room4 ,the window showed a faint oblong of gray now1 beyond where the ,major breathed1 and certain objects were dingily and coldly visible4 ,he perceived the broken-backed chair on which his clothes were heaped--with the exception of his flannel shirt1 which he still wore2 he caught a glimmer of white where ,gertie's blouse hung up for an airing4 ,he half expected that things would appear more hopeful if he sat up in bed4 ,yet they did not4 ,the sight of the room1 such as it was1 brought the concrete and material even more forcibly upon him--the gross things that are called ,facts4 ,and it seemed to him that there were no facts beyond them4 ,these were the bones of the ,universe--a stuffy bedroom1 a rasping flannel suit1 a cold dawn1 a snoring in the gloom1 and three bodies1 heavy with weariness4444 ,there once had been other facts3 ,merefield and ,cambridge and ,eton had once existed2 ,jenny had once been a living person who loved him2 once there had been a thing called ,religion4 ,but they existed no longer4 ,he had touched reality at last4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank drew a long1 dismal sigh2 he lay down2 he knew the worst now2 and in five minutes he was asleep4 7,,ii7 ,of course1 the thing wore away by midday1 and matters had readjusted themselves4 ,but the effect remained as a kind of bruise below the surface4 ,he was conscious that it had once been possible for him to doubt the value of everything2 he was aware that there was a certain mood in which nothing seemed worth while4 ,it was practically his first experience of the kind1 and he did not understand it4 ,but it did its work2 and ,i date from that day a certain increased sort of obstinacy that showed itself even more plainly in his character4 ,one thing or the other must be the effect of such a mood in which--even though only for an hour or two--all things other than physical take on themselves an appearance of illusiveness3 either the standard is lowered and these things are treated as slightly doubtful2 or the will sets its teeth and determines to live by them1 whether they are doubtful or not4 ,and the latter ,i take to be the most utter form of faith4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about midday the twine round ,frank's bundle broke abruptly1 and every several article fell on to the road4 ,he repressed a violent feeling of irritation1 and turned round to pick them up4 ,the ,major and ,gertie instinctively made for a gate in the hedge1 rested down their bundles and leaned against it4 ,frank gathered the articles--a shirt1 a pair of softer shoes1 a razor and brush1 a tin of potted meat1 a rosary1 a small round cracked looking-glass and a piece of lead piping--and packed them once more carefully together on the bank4 ,he tested his string1 knotted it1 drew it tight1 and it broke again4 ,the tin of potted meat--like some small intelligent animal--ran hastily off the path and dived into a small drain4 ,a short cry of mirth broke from the ,major1 and ,gertie smiled4 ,frank said nothing at all4 ,he lay down on the road1 plunged his arm into the drain and drew up the potted meat2 it had some disagreeable-looking moist substance adhering to it1 which he wiped off on to his sleeve1 and then regretted having done so4 ,again he packed his things2 again he drew the string tight1 and again it snapped4 ,lord6 man1 don't be so hard on it4 ,frank looked up with a kind of patient fury4 ,his instinct was to kick every single object that lay before him on the path as hard as possible in every direction4 ,have you any more string8 he said4 ,no4 ,stick the things in your pocket and come on4 ,frank made no answer4 ,he went to the hedge and drew out a long supple twig of hazel1 stripped it of its leaves1 and once more tried1 with it1 to tie up his parcel4 ,but the angle was too acute1 and just as the twig tightened satisfactorily it snapped1 and this time the razor slid out sideways into a single minute puddle that lay on the path4 ,the ,major snorted in mirthful impatience4 ,but-- ,kindly let me alone1 said ,frank icily4 ,the thing's got to go like this1 or not at all4 ,he drew out the razor from the puddle1 opened it and dried the blade on his sleeve4 ,during the process ,gertie moved suddenly1 and he looked up4 ,when he looked down again be perceived that he had slit a neat slice into the cloth of his jacket4 ,he remained quite still for one moment4 ,then he sat down on the bank1 and examined the twine once more4 ,the ,major began to make slightly offensive comments4 ,then ,frank looked up4 ,you can go to hell6 he said quite softly1 or anywhere else you like4 ,but ,i'm going to do up the bundle in my way and not yours4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now that is a sort of parable4 ,it really happened1 for it was reported to a witness by ,frank himself exactly as ,i have told it1 and it seems to me a very good little symbol of his state of mind4 ,it is quite indefensible1 of course--and especially his regrettable language that closed the interview2 but it gives a pleasant little glimpse1 ,i think1 of ,frank's character just now1 in section4 ,the things had to go in a certain way3 he saw no adequate reason to change that way1 and ultimately1 of course1 the twine held4 ,it must have been a great satisfaction to him4 7,,iii7 ,it seems that ,frank must have been allowed just now to sample several different kinds of moods1 for he had a very different kind of awakening a day or two later4 ,they had come to some piece of open country that ,i am unable to identify1 and for some reason or other determined to spend the night out of doors4 ,there was a copse a hundred yards away from the road1 and in the copse a couple of small shelters built1 probably1 for wood-pigeon shooting4 ,the ,major and ,gertie took possession of one1 and ,frank of the other1 after they had supped in the dark under the beeches4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank slept deeply and well1 half waking once1 however1 at that strange moment of the night when the earth turns and sighs in her sleep1 when every cow gets up and lies down again4 ,he was conscious of a shrill crowing1 thin as a bugle1 from some farm-yard out of sight2 then he turned over and slept again4 ,when he awoke it was daylight4 ,he lay on his back looking at the network of twigs overhead1 the beech leaves beyond1 and the sky visible only in glimpses--feeling extremely awake and extremely content4 ,certainly he was a little stiff when he moved1 but there was a kind of interior contentment that caused that not to matter4 ,after a minute or two he sat up1 felt about for his shoes and slipped them on4 ,then he unwound the wrapping about his neck1 and crept out of the shelter4 ,it was that strange pause before the dawn when the light has broadened so far as to extinguish the stars1 and to bring out all the colors of earth into a cold deliberate kind of tint4 ,everything was absolutely motionless about him as he went under the trees and came out above the wide park-land of which the copse was a sort of barrier4 ,the dew lay soaking and thick on the grass slopes1 but there was not yet such light as to bring out its sparkle2 and everywhere1 dotted on the green before him1 sat hundreds of rabbits1 the nearest not twenty yards away4 ,the silence and the solemnity of the whole seemed to him extraordinary4 ,there was not a leaf that stirred--each hung as if cut of steel2 there was not a bird which chirped nor a distant cock that crew2 the rabbits eyed him unafraid in this hour of truce4 ,it seemed to him like some vast stage on to which he had wandered unexpectedly4 ,the performance of the day before had been played to an end1 the night scene-shifting was finished1 and the players of the new eternal drama were not yet come4 ,an hour hence they would be all about3 the sounds would begin again2 men would cross the field-paths1 birds would be busy2 the wind would awake and the ceaseless whisper of leaves answer its talking4 ,but at present the stage was clear-swept1 washed1 clean and silent4 ,it was the solemnity then that impressed him most--solemnity and an air of expectation4 ,yet it was not mere expectation4 ,there was a suggestion of the fundamental and the normal1 as if perhaps movement and sound were1 after all1 no better than interruptions2 as if this fixed poise of nature were something complete in itself2 as if these trees hung out their leaves to listen to something that they could actually hear1 as if these motionless creatures of the woodland were looking upon something that they could actually see2 as if there were some great secret actually present and displayed in dead silence and invisibility before those only who possessed the senses necessary to perceive it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was odd to regard life from this standpoint--to look back upon the days and their incidents that were past1 forward upon the days and incidents to come4 ,again it was possible for ,frank to look upon these things as an outsider and a deliberate critic--as he had done in the stuffy room of the lodging-house in the town4 ,yet now1 though he was again an outsider1 though he was again out of the whirl of actual living1 he seemed to be looking at things--staring out1 as he was1 almost unseeingly at the grass slopes before him--from exactly the opposite side4 ,then1 they had seemed to him the only realities1 these tangible physical things1 and all else illusion3 now it was the physical things that were illusive1 and something else that was real4 ,once again the two elements of life lay detached--matter and spirit2 but it was as obviously now spirit that was the reality as it had been matter a day or two before4 ,it was obviously absurd to regard these outward things on which he looked as anything but a frame of something completely different4 ,they were too silent1 too still1 too little self-sufficient to be complete in themselves4 ,something solid lay embraced within them4444 ,so1 then1 he stared and ruminated1 scarcely perceiving that he thought1 so intensely conscious was he of that of which he thought4 ,it was not that he understood anything of that on which he looked2 he was but aware that there was something to be understood4 ,and the trees hung rigid above him1 and the clear blue sky still a hard stone beyond them1 not yet flushed with dawn2 and the grass lay before him1 contracted1 it seemed1 with cold1 and every blade soaked in wet2 and the silence was profound4444 ,then a cock crew1 a mile away1 a thin1 brazen cry2 a rabbit sat up1 then crouched and bolted1 and the spell faded like a mist4 ,frank turned and walked back under the trees1 to see if the ,major was awake4 ,,chapter ,v 7,i7 ,we are arrived now at one of those few deplorable incidents in ,frank's career1 against which there is no defense4 ,and the painful thing about it is that ,frank never seemed to think that it required any defense4 ,he shows no penitence for it in his diary3 and yet moralists are united in telling us that we must never do evil that good may come4 ,it is only1 paralleled by his rash action in leaving ,cambridge in defiance of all advice and good sense2 so far1 that is to say1 as a legally permissible act1 however foolish1 can be paralleled by one of actual crime4 ,moralists1 probably1 would tell us1 in fact1 that the first led inevitably to the second4 ,it fell out in this way4 ,once or twice in his travels with the ,major he had been haunted by an uncomfortable suspicion that this or that contribution that the warrior made to their common table had not been come by honestly4 ,when a gentleman1 known to possess no more than tenpence1 and with a predilection to drink1 leaves the shelter of a small copse2 let us say1 at seven o'clock1 and reappears1 rather breathless1 forty minutes later with a newly-plucked fowl--or even with a fowl not plucked at all1 and still warm1 or with half a dozen eggs2 and1 in addition1 issues out again later in the evening and returns with a strong smell of spirits and a watery eye--it seems a little doubtful as to whether he has been scrupulously honest4 ,in cases of this kind ,frank persevered in making some excuse for not joining in the festivity3 he put it to himself as being a matter of pride2 but it is hard to understand that it was simply that in a young man who made no scruple of begging in cases of necessity4 ,however1 there it was1 and even the ,major1 who began by protesting1 ended by acquiescing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they were somewhere in the neighborhood of ,market ,weighton when the thing happened--,i cannot identify the exact spot4 ,the situation was as follows3 ,they had secured an excellent barn for their night's lodging--facing on the road on the outskirts of a village4 ,behind them were1 the farm buildings1 and the farmer's household gone to bed4 ,the sun had set and it was dark4 ,they had supped sparingly1 of necessity1 and had finished every morsel of food4 7,frank had even found himself mechanically gathering up crumbs on a wet finger47 ,they had had a bad week of it2 the corn was not yet ready for cutting1 and there seemed no work anywhere for honest men4 ,the ,major's gloom had become terrible2 he had even made remarks upon a choice between a workhouse and a razor4 ,he had got up after supper and turned his waistcoat pockets inside out to secure the last possible grains of tobacco1 and had smoked about a quarter of a pipeful gathered in this way without uttering one word4 ,he had then uttered a short string of them1 had seized his cap and disappeared4 ,frank1 too1 was even more heavy and depressed than usual4 ,the last shreds of romance were gone from his adventure long ago1 and yet his obstinacy held firm4 ,but he found he could not talk much4 ,he watched ,gertie listlessly as she1 listless too1 began to spread out nondescript garments to make a bed in the corner4 ,he hardly spoke to her1 nor she to him4 ,he was beginning to feel sleepy1 when he heard rather hurried steps1 as of one trying to run on tiptoe1 coming up the lane1 and an instant later in popped the ,major4 ,put out that damned light6 he whispered sharply4 ,the candle end went out with the swiftness of thought4 ,what's up8 ,frank roused himself to ask4 ,there had been a strenuous look about the face seen an instant before that interested him4 ,there was dead silence4 ,gertie seemed frozen into motionlessness in her corner1 almost as if she had had experience of this kind of thing before4 ,frank listened with all his ears2 it was useless to stare into the dark3 here in this barn the blackness was complete4 ,at first there was no sound at all1 except a very soft occasional scrape of a boot-nail that betokened that the ,major was seeking cover somewhere4 ,then1 so suddenly that he started all over1 ,frank felt a hand on his arm and smelt a tobacco-laden breath4 7,alas6 there had been no drink to-night47 ,see here1 ,frankie1 my boy4444 ,i 444 ,i've got the thing on me4444 ,what shall ,i do with it8444 ,it's no good chucking it away3 they'd find it4 ,got what8 whispered ,frank4 ,there was a kid coming along 444 she had a tin of something 444 ,i don't even know what it is4444 ,and 444 and she screamed out and someone ran out4 ,but they couldn't spot me2 it was too dark4 ,hush6 whispered ,frank sharply1 and the hand tightened on his arm4 ,but it was only a rat somewhere in the roof4 ,well8 he said4 ,frankie 444 ,i suppose you wouldn't take it from me 444 and 444 and be off somewhere4 ,we could meet again later4444 ,i 444 ,i'm afraid someone may have spotted us coming through the village earlier4 ,they'll 444 they'll search1 ,i expect4 ,you can do your own dirty work1 whispered ,frank earnestly through the darkness4 ,frankie1 my boy 444 don't be hard on a poor devil4444 ,i 444 ,i can't leave ,gertie4 ,well1 hide it somewhere4 ,no good--they'd 444 ,good ,god--6 ,the voice was stricken into silence once more1 as a light1 hardly seen before it was gone again1 shone through a crack in the side of the barn4 ,then there was unmistakable low talking somewhere4 ,frank felt the man1 crouched at his side1 suddenly stand up noiselessly1 and in that instant his own mind was made up4 ,give it here1 you fool1 he said4 ,here6 ,he felt a smooth flat and circular thing thrust suddenly into his hands with a whisper that he could not catch1 and simultaneously he heard a rush of footsteps outside4 ,he had just time to stuff the thing inside his coat and roll over as if asleep when the door flew open1 and three or four men1 with a policeman at their head1 burst into the barn4 7,,ii7 ,it would be charitable1 ,i think1 to suppress the name of the small market-town where the trial was held4 ,the excellent magistrates who conducted it certainly did their best under very difficult circumstances2 for what are you to do if a man accused of theft cordially pleads guilty8 and yet1 certainly it would distress them to hear of a very obvious miscarriage of justice executed at their hands4 ,on ,friday morning at ten o'clock the vehicles began to arrive--the motor of the country gentleman1 the dog-cart of the neighboring rector1 and the brougham of the retired general4 ,it was the ,general who presided4 ,the court-room was not more dismal than court-rooms usually are4 ,when ,i visited it on my little pilgrimage1 undertaken a few months ago1 it had been repainted and the woodwork grained to represent oak4 ,even so1 it was not cheering4 ,at the upper end1 under one of the windows1 were ranged five seats on a das1 with a long baize-covered table before them4 ,then1 on a lower level1 stood the clerk's and solicitors' table1 fenced by a rail from the vulgar crowd who pressed in1 hot and excited1 to see the criminals and hear justice done4 ,there was a case arising from an ancient family feud1 exploded at last into crime2 one lady had thrown a clog at another as the last repartee in a little dialogue held at street doors2 the clog had been well aimed1 and the victim appeared now with a very large white bandage under her bonnet1 to give her testimony4 ,this swelled the crowd beyond its usual proportions1 as both ladies were well known in society4 ,the ,general was a kindly-looking old man 7,frank recognized his name as soon as he heard it that morning1 though he had never met him before7 and conversed cheerily with his brother magistrates as they took their seats4 ,the ,rector was--well1 like other rectors1 and the ,squire like other squires4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was a quarter to twelve before the ladies' claims were adjusted4 ,they were both admonished in a paternal kind of way1 and sent about their business1 since there was disputed evidence as to whether or not the lady with the bandage had provoked the attack1 not only by her language1 but by throwing a banana-skin at the lady without the bandage4 ,they were well talked to1 their husbands were bidden to keep them in order1 and they departed1 both a little crestfallen1 to discuss the whole matter over a pint of beer4 ,there was a little shifting about in court2 a policeman1 looking curiously human without his helmet1 pushed forward from the door and took his place by the little barrier4 ,the magistrates and the clerk and the inspector all conferred a little together1 and after an order or two1 the door near the back of the court leading from the police-cells opened1 and ,frank stepped forward into the dock1 followed by another policeman who clicked the barrier behind the prisoner and stood1 waiting1 like ,rhadamanthus4 ,through the hedge of the front row of the crowd peered the faces of ,gertie and the ,major4 ,we need not bother with the preliminaries--in fact1 ,i forget how they ran--,frank gave his name of ,frank ,gregory1 his age as twenty-two years1 his occupation as casual laborer1 and his domicile as no fixed abode4 ,the charge was read to him4 ,it was to the effect that he1 on the night of ,tuesday1 the twenty-third instant1 had in the village 7whose name ,i choose to forget1 if ,i ever knew it71 seized from ,maggie ,cooper1 aged nine years1 a tin of preserved salmon1 with intent to steal4 ,the question put to the prisoner was3 ,did he or did he not plead guilty8 ,i plead guilty1 sir1 said ,frank1 without a tremor4 ,he had been two full days in the cells by now1 and it had not improved his appearance4 ,he was still deeply sunburned1 but he was a little pale under the eyes1 and he was unshaven4 ,he had also deliberately rumpled his hair and pulled his clothes to make them look as untidy as possible4 ,he answered in a low voice1 so as to attract as little attention as possible4 ,he had given one quick look at the magistrates as he came in1 to make sure he had never met them out shooting or at dinner-parties1 and he had been deeply relieved to find them total strangers4 ,you plead guilty1 eh8 said the ,general4 ,frank nodded4 ,well1 well6 let's hear the whole story4 ,where is the complainant8 ,a rather pale and awe-stricken child appeared somewhere in a little box opposite ,frank1 with a virtuous mother in black silk behind her4 ,it appeared that this child was on her way to her aunt--her father was a grocer--with a tin of salmon that had been promised and forgotten 7that was how she came to be out so late74 ,as she reached the corner by ,barker's ,lane a man had jumped at her and seized the tin4 7,no2 he had not used any other violence47 ,she had screamed at the top of her voice1 and ,mrs4 ,jennings' door had opened4 ,then the man had run away4 ,had she seen the man clearly8 ,no1 she hadn't seen him at all2 she had just seen that he was a man4 7,called himself one1 put in a voice47 ,the witness here cast an indignant--almost vindictive--look at ,frank4 ,then a few corroborations were issued4 ,mrs4 ,jennings1 a widow lady1 keeping house for her brother who was a foreman in ,marks' yard1 ratified the statement about the door being opened4 ,she was going to shut up for the night when she heard the child scream4 ,her brother1 a severe-looking man1 with a black beard1 finished her story4 ,he had heard his sister call out1 as he was taking off his boots at the foot of the stairs2 he had run out with his laces dangling1 in time to see the man run past the public-house fifty yards up the street4 ,no 444 he1 too1 had not seen the man clearly1 but he had seen him before1 in company with another2 the two had come to his yard that afternoon to ask for work and been refused1 as they wanted no more hands4 ,well1 what had happened then8 ,he had hammered at two or three doors as he ran past1 among them that of the police-constable1 and himself had run on1 in time to hear the prisoner's footsteps run up the lane leading to the barn4 ,he had stopped then as he was out of breath1 and as he thought they would have the man now1 since there was no exit from the lane except through ,mr4 ,patten's farm-yard1 and if he'd gone that way they'd have heard the dogs4 ,finally the police-constable corroborated the entire story1 and added that he1 in company with the foreman and two other men1 had proceeded to the barn immediately1 and there had found the prisoner1 who was pretending to be asleep1 with the tin of salmon 7produced and laid on the table7 hidden inside his jacket4 ,he had then taken him into custody4 ,was there any one else in the barn8 ,yes--two persons1 who gave the names of ,george and ,gertie ,trustcott4 ,these were prepared to give evidence as to the prisoner's identity1 and as to his leaving and returning to the barn on the evening in question1 if the magistrate wished4444 ,yes2 they were present in court4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,general began to turn a little testy as the constable finished4 ,he seemed a magistrate who liked to be paternal1 and he appeared to grow impatient under the extraordinarily correct language of the policeman4 ,he turned to ,frank--seeming to forget all about the two witnesses not yet called--and spoke rather sharply3 ,you don't deny all that8 ,you plead guilty1 eh8 ,yes1 sir1 said ,frank1 gazing at the very pink salmon emblazoned on the tin4 ,why did you do it8 ,i was hungry1 sir4 ,hungry1 eh8 ,an able-bodied lad like you8 ,can't you work1 then8 ,when ,i can get it1 sir1 said ,frank ,eh8444 eh8 ,well1 that's true enough4 ,you couldn't get it that day1 anyhow4 ,mr4 ,what's-his-name's told us that4 ,yes1 sir4 ,then the ,rector leaned forward swiftly--to ,frank's horror4 ,you speak like an educated man4 ,do ,i1 sir8 ,i'm very pleased to hear it4 ,there was a faint snigger in court4 ,where were you educated8 persisted the ,rector4 ,am ,i bound to incriminate myself1 sir8 ,incriminate8 said the ,general suddenly interested4 ,eh8 you mean1 after a good education4 ,i see4 ,no1 of course you're not1 my lad4 ,thank you1 sir4 ,and you plead guilty8 ,and you'd like the case dealt with now8 ,if you please1 sir4 ,the clerk rose swiftly in his place and began to whisper to the magistrates behind his hand4 ,frank understood perfectly what was happening2 he understood that it was doubtful whether or no his case could be dealt with in this court4 ,he exploded within himself a violent adjuration to the ,supreme ,authorities1 and the next instant the ,general sat back4 ,nonsense6 nonsense6 ,it isn't highway robbery at all within the meaning of the term4 ,we'll deal with it now--eh1 gentlemen8 ,there was a little more whispering1 and finally the ,general settled himself and took up a quill pen4 ,well1 we'll deal with it now1 my lad1 as you wish4 ,i'm sorry to see a fellow like you in this position--particularly if you've had a good education1 as you seem to have had4 ,cowardly thing1 you know1 to attack a child like that1 isn't it8 even if you were hungry4 ,you ought to be more hardy than that1 you know--a great fellow like you--than to mind a bit of hunger4 ,boys like you ought to enlist2 that'd make a man of you in no time4 ,but no4444 ,i know you2 you won't4444 ,you'd sooner loaf about and pick up what you can--sooner than serve ,his ,majesty4 ,well1 well1 there's no compulsion--not yet2 but you should think over it4 ,come and see me1 if you like1 when you've done your time1 and we'll see what can be done4 ,that'd be better than loafing about and picking up tins of salmon1 eh8 ,well1 ,i've no more to say4 ,but you just think over it4 ,and we'll give you fourteen days4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then as ,frank went out he saw the three magistrates lean back in conversation4 7,,iii7 ,i find it very hard to explain1 even to myself1 the extraordinary depression that fell upon ,frank during his fourteen days4 ,he could hardly bear even to speak of it afterwards1 and ,i find in his diary no more than a line or two1 and those as bald as possible4 ,apparently it was no kind of satisfaction to him to know that the whole thing was entirely his own doing1 or that it was the thought of ,gertie that had made him1 in the first instance1 take the tin from the ,major4 ,yet it was not that there was any sense of guilt1 or even of mistake4 ,one would have thought that from everybody's point of view1 and particularly ,gertie's1 it would be an excellent thing for the ,major to go to prison for a bit4 ,it would certainly do him no harm1 and it would be a real opportunity to separate the girl from his company4 ,as for any wrong in his pleading guilty1 he defended it 7,i must say1 with some adroitness7 by saying that it was universally acknowledged that the plea of ,not ,guilty is merely formal1 and in no way commits one to its intrinsic truth 7and he is right there1 at least according to ,moral ,theology as well as common sense7 and1 therefore1 that the alternative plea is also merely formal4 ,and yet he was depressed by his fourteen days to the verge of melancholia4 ,there are several contributory causes that may be alleged4 ,first1 there is the extreme ignominy of all the circumstances1 beginning with the paternal scolding in court1 in the presence of grocers and persons who threw clogs1 continuing with the dreary journey by rail1 in handcuffs1 and the little crowds that gathered to laugh or stare1 and culminating with the details of the prison life4 ,it is not pleasant for a cleanly man to be suspected of dirt1 to be bathed and examined all over by a man suffering himself apparently from some species of eczema2 it is not pleasant to be ordered about peremptorily by uniformed men1 who1 three months before1 would have touched their hats to you1 and to have to do things instantly and promptly for the single reason that one is told to do them4 ,secondly1 there was the abrupt change of life--of diet1 air and exercise4444 ,thirdly1 there was the consideration1 the more terrible because the more completely unverifiable1 as to what difference all this would make1 not only to the regard of his friends for him1 but to his own regard for himself4 ,innocence of a fault does not entirely do away with the distress and stigma of its punishment4 ,he imagined himself telling ,jenny2 he tried to see her laughing1 and somehow he could not4 ,it was wholly uncharacteristic of all that he knew of her1 and yet somehow1 night after night1 as the hours dragged by1 he seemed to see her looking at him a little contemptuously4 ,at any rate1 he almost heard her say1 if you didn't do it1 you made a friend of a man who did4 ,and you were in prison4 ,oh6 there are countless excellent explanations of his really terrible depression2 and yet somehow it does not seem to me at all in line with what ,i know of ,frank1 to think that they explain it in the least4 ,i prefer to believe1 with a certain priest who will appear by and by1 that the thing was just one stage of a process that had to be accomplished1 and that if it had not come about in this way1 it must have come about in another4 ,as for his religion1 all emotional grasp of that fled1 it seemed finally1 at the touch of real ignominy4 ,he retained the intellectual reasons for which he had become a ,catholic1 but the thing seemed as apart from him as his knowledge of law--such as it was--acquired at ,cambridge1 or his proficiency in lawn-tennis4 ,certainly it was no kind of consolation to him to reflect on the sufferings of ,christian martyrs6 ,it was a ,friday evening when he came out and went quickly round the corner of the jail1 in order to get away from any possibility of being identified with it4 ,he had had a short interview with the ,governor--a very conscientious and religious man1 who made a point of delivering what he called a few earnest words to every prisoner before his release4 ,but1 naturally enough1 they were extraordinarily off the point4 ,it was not helpful to ,frank to have it urged upon him to set about an honest livelihood--it was what he had tried to do every day since ,june--and not to go about robbing innocent children of things like tins of salmon--it was the very last thing he had ever dreamed of doing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he had also had more than one interview with the chaplain of the ,established ,church1 in consequence of his resolute refusal to acknowledge any religious body at all 7he had determined to scotch this possible clue to his identification72 and those interviews had not been more helpful than any other4 ,it is not of much use to be entreated to turn over a new leaf when you see no kind of reason for doing so2 and little books left tactfully in your cell1 directed to the same point1 are equally useless4 ,frank read them drearily through4 ,he did not actually kick them from side to side of his cell when he had finished2 that would have been offensive to the excellent intentions of the reverend gentleman4444 ,altogether ,i do not quite like to picture ,frank as he was when he came out of jail1 and hurried away4 ,it is such a very startling contrast with the gayety with which he had begun his pilgrimage4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he had had plenty of time to think over his plans during the last fortnight1 and he went1 first1 straight to the post-office4 ,the ,governor had given him half-a-crown to start life with1 and he proposed to squander fourpence of it at once in two stamps1 two sheets of paper and two envelopes4 ,his first letter was to be to ,jack2 the second to ,major ,trustcott1 who had thoughtfully given him the address where he might be found about that date4 ,but there were to be one or two additional difficulties first4 ,he arrived at the post-office1 went up the steps and through the swing doors4 ,the place had been newly decorated1 with a mahogany counter and light brass lattice rails1 behind which two young ladies of an inexpressibly aristocratic demeanor and appearance were engaged in conversation3 their names1 as he learned from a few sentences he listened to before daring to interrupt so high a colloquy1 were ,miss ,mills and ,miss ,jamieson4 ,after a decent and respectful pause ,frank ventured on his request4 ,two stamps1 two sheets of paper and two envelopes1 please 444 miss4 7,he did manage that67 ,miss ,mills continued her conversation3 ,so ,i said to her that that would never do1 that ,harold would be sure to get hold of it1 and that then-- ,frank shuffled his feet a little4 ,miss ,mills cast him a high glance4 --,there'd be trouble1 ,i said1 ,miss ,jamieson4 ,you did quite right1 dear4 ,two stamps1 two sheets of paper and two envelopes1 please1 miss4 ,he clicked four pence together on the counter4 ,miss ,mills rose slowly from her place1 went a yard or two1 and took down a large book4 ,frank watched her gratefully4 ,then she took a pen and began to make entries in it4 ,two stamps1 two sheets of paper and two envelopes1 please4 ,frank's voice shook a little with anger4 ,he had not learned his lesson yet4 ,miss ,mills finished her entry2 looked at ,frank with extreme disdain1 and finally drew out a sheet of stamps4 ,pennies8 she inquired sharply4 ,please4 ,two penny stamps were pushed across and two pennies taken up4 ,and now two sheets of paper and two envelopes1 please1 miss1 went on ,frank1 encouraged4 ,he thought himself foolish to be angry4 ,miss ,jamieson uttered a short laugh and glanced at ,miss ,mills4 ,miss ,mills pursed her lips together and took up her pen once more4 ,will you be good enough to give me what ,i ask for1 at once1 please8 ,the whole of ,frank blazed in this small sentence3 but ,miss ,mills was equal to it4 ,you ought to know better1 she said1 than to come asking for such things here6 ,taking up a lot of time like that4 ,you don't keep them8 ,miss ,mills uttered a small sound4 ,miss ,jamieson tittered4 ,shops are the proper places for writing-paper4 ,this is a post-office4 ,words cannot picture the superb high breeding shown in this utterance4 ,frank should have understood that he had been guilty of gross impertinence in asking such things of ,miss ,mills2 it was treating her almost as a shop-girl4 ,but he was extremely angry by now4 ,then why couldn't you have the civility to tell me so at once8 ,miss ,jamieson laid aside a little sewing she was engaged on4 ,look here1 young man1 you don't come bullying and threatening here4 ,i'll have to call the policeman if you do4444 ,i was at the railway station last ,friday week1 you know4 ,frank stood still for one furious instant4 ,then his heart sank and he went out without a word4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the letters got written at last1 late that evening1 in the back room of a small lodging-house where he had secured a bed4 ,i have the one he wrote to ,jack before me as ,i write1 and ,i copy it as it stands4 ,it was without address or date4 ,,dear ,,jack1 ,i want you to do1 something for me4 ,i want you to go to ,merefield and see1 first1 ,jenny1 and then my father2 and tell them quite plainly and simply that ,i've been in prison for a fortnight4 ,i want ,jenny to know first1 so that she can think of what to say to my father4 ,the thing ,i was sent to prison for was that ,i pleaded guilty to stealing a tin of salmon from a child called ,mary ,cooper4 ,you can see the account of the case in the ,county ,gazette for last ,saturday week1 the twenty-seventh4 ,the thing ,i really did was to take the tin from somebody else ,i was traveling with4 ,he asked me to4 ,next1 ,i want you to send on any letters that may have come for me to the address ,i enclose on a separate piece of paper4 ,please destroy the address at once2 but you can show this letter to ,jenny and give her my love4 ,you are not to come and see me4 ,if you don't1 ,i'll come and see you soon4 ,things are pretty bad just now1 but ,i'm going to go through with it4 ,yours1 ,f4 ,p4,s4--,by the way1 please address me as ,mr4 ,f4 ,gregory when you write4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he was perfectly obstinate1 you understand1 still4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank's troubles as regards prison were by no means exhausted by his distressing conversation with the young ladies in the post office1 and the next one fell on him as he was leaving the little town early on the ,saturday morning4 ,he had just turned out of the main street and was going up a quiet side lane that looked as if it would lead to the ,york ,road1 when he noticed a disagreeable little scene proceeding up a narrow cul-de-sac across whose mouth he was passing4 ,a tall1 loose-limbed young man1 in his working-clothes1 obviously slightly excited with drink1 had hold of a miserable old man by the scruff of the neck with one hand1 and was cuffing him with the other4 ,now ,i do not wish to represent ,frank as a sort of knight-errant1 but the fact is that if anyone with respectable and humane ideas goes on the tramp 7,i have this from the mouth of experienced persons7 he has to make up his mind fairly soon either to be a redresser of wrongs or to be conveniently short-sighted4 ,frank was not yet sufficiently experienced to have learned the wisdom of the second alternative4 ,he went straight up the cul-de-sac and without any words at all hit the young man as hard as possible under the ear nearest to him4 ,there seems to have been a moment of amazed silence2 the young man dropped the old one1 who fled out into the lane1 and struck back at ,frank1 who parried4 ,simultaneously a woman screamed somewhere2 and faces began to appear at windows and doors4 ,it is curious how the customs of the ,middle ,ages1 as well as some of their oaths1 seem to have descended to the ranks of the ,british working-man4 ,in the old days--as also in prize-fights to-day--it was quite usual to assail your adversary with insults as well as with blows4 ,this was done now4 ,the young man1 with a torrent of imprecations1 demanded who ,frank thought he was1 asked where he was coming to1 required of society in general an explanation of a stranger's interfering between a son and a qualified father4 ,there was a murmur of applause and dissent1 and ,frank answered1 with a few harmless expletives such as he had now learned to employ as a sort of verbal disguise1 that he did not care how many sons or fathers were in question1 that he did not propose to see a certain kind of bully abuse an old man1 and that he would be happy to take the old man's place4444 ,then the battle was set4 ,frank had learned to box in a certain small saloon in ,market ,street1 ,cambridge1 and knew perfectly well how to take care of himself4 ,he received about half the force of one extremely hard blow just on his left cheek-bone before he got warmed to his work2 but after that he did the giving and the loose-limbed young man the receiving1 ,frank was even scientific2 he boxed in the ,american manner1 crouching1 with both arms half extended 7and this seems to have entirely bewildered his adversary7 and he made no effort to reach the face4 ,he just thumped away steadily below the spot where the ribs part1 and where--a doctor informs me--a nerve-center1 known as the solar plexus1 is situated4 ,he revolved1 too1 with considerable agility1 round his opponent1 and gradually drew the battle nearer and nearer to the side lane outside4 ,he knew enough of slum-chivalry by now to be aware that if a sympathizer1 or sycophant1 of the young man happened to be present1 he himself would quite possibly 7if the friend happened to possess sufficient courage7 suddenly collapse from a disabling blow on the back of the neck4 ,also1 he was not sure whether there was any wife in the question2 and in this case it would be a poker1 or a broken bottle1 held dagger-wise1 that he would have to meet4 ,and he wished therefore to have more room round him than the cul-de-sac afforded4 ,but there was no need for precaution4 ,the young man had begun to look rather sickly under the eyes and to hiccup three or four times in distressed manner2 when suddenly the clamor round the fight ceased4 ,frank was aware of a shrill old voice calling out something behind him2 and the next instant1 simultaneously with the dropping of his adversary's hands1 he himself was seized from behind by the arms1 and1 writhing1 discerned is blue sleeve and a gloved hand holding him4 ,now1 what's all this8 said a voice in his ear4 ,there was a chorus of explanation1 declaring that ',alb had been set upon without provocation4 ,there was a particularly voluble woman with red arms and an exceedingly persuasive manner1 who advanced from a doorway and described the incident from her own point of view4 ,she had been hanging out the children's things1 she began1 and so forth2 and ,frank was declared the aggressor and ',alb the innocent victim4 ,then the chorus broke out again1 and ',alb1 after another fit of hiccupping1 corroborated the witnesses in a broken and pathetically indignant voice4 ,frank tore himself from one embracing arm and faced round1 still held by the other4 ,all right2 ,i shan't run away4444 ,look here2 that's a black lie4 ,he was hitting that old man4 ,where is he8 ,come on1 uncle1 and tell us all about it4 ,the old man advanced1 his toothless face contorted with inexplicable emotion1 and corroborated the red-armed woman1 and the chorus generally1 with astonishing volubility and emphasis4 ,you old fool6 said ,frank curtly4 ,what are you afraid of8 ,let's have the truth1 now4 ,wasn't he hitting you8 ,he1 he1 he6 giggled the old man1 torn by the desire of self-preservation on one side and1 let us hope1 by a wish for justice on the other4 ,he warn't hittin' of me4 ,he's my son1 he is4444 ',alb is4444 ,we were just having-- ,there6 get out of this1 said the policeman1 releasing ,frank with a shove4 ,we don't want your sort here4 ,coming and making trouble4444 ,yes2 my lad4 ,you needn't look at me like that4 ,i know you4 ,who the deuce are you talking to8 snapped ,frank4 ,i know who ,i'm talking to1 well enough1 pronounced the policeman judicially4 ,f4 ,gregory1 ain't it8 ,now you be off out of this1 or you'll be in trouble again4 ,there was something vaguely kindly about the man's manner1 and ,frank understood that he knew very tolerably where the truth lay1 but wished to prevent further disturbance4 ,he gulped down his fury4 ,it was no good saying anything2 but the dense of the injustice of the universe was very bitter4 ,he turned away-- ,a murmur of indignation broke out from the crowd1 bidding the policeman do his duty4 ,and as ,frank went up the lane1 he heard that zealous officer addressing the court with considerable vigor4 ,but it was very little comfort to him4 ,he walked out of the town with his anger and resentment still hot in his heart at the indignity of the whole affair4 7,v7 ,by the ,sunday afternoon ,frank was well on his way to ,york4 ,it was a heavy1 hot day1 sunny1 but with brooding clouds on the low horizons2 and he was dispirited and tired as he came at last into a small1 prim village street rather after two o'clock 7its name1 once more1 ,i suppress74 ,his possessions by now were greatly reduced4 ,his money had gone1 little by little1 all through his journey with the ,major1 and he had kept of other things only one extra flannel shirt1 a pair of thick socks and a small saucepan he had bought one day4 ,the half-crown that the ,governor had given him was gone1 all but fourpence1 and he wanted1 if possible1 to arrive at ,york1 where he was to meet the ,major1 at least with that sum in his possession4 ,twopence would pay for a bed and twopence more for supper4 ,half-way up the street he stopped suddenly4 ,opposite him stood a small brick church1 retired by a few yards of turf1 crossed by a path1 from the iron railings that abutted on the pavement3 and a notice-board proclaimed that in this1 church of the ,sacred ,heart mass was said on ,sundays at eleven1 on holidays of obligation at nine1 and on weekdays at eight-thirty ,a4,m4 ,confessions were heard on ,saturday evenings and on ,thursday evenings before the first ,friday1 from eight to nine ,p4,m4 ,catechism was at three ,p4,m4 on ,sundays2 and rosary1 sermon and benediction at seven ,p4,m4 ,a fat cat1 looking as if it were dead1 lay relaxed on the grass beneath this board4 ,the door was open and ,frank considered an instant4 ,but he thought that could wait for a few minutes as he glanced at the next house4 ,this was obviously the presbytery4 ,frank had never begged from a priest before1 and he hesitated a little now4 ,then he went across the street into the shadow on the other side1 leaned against the wall and looked4 ,the street was perfectly empty and perfectly quiet1 and the hot summer air and sunshine lay on all like a charm4 ,there was another cat1 he noticed1 on a doorstep a few yards away1 and he wondered how any living creature in this heat could possibly lie like that1 face coiled round to the feet1 and the tail laid neatly across the nose4 ,a dreaming cock crooned heart-brokenly somewhere out of sight1 and a little hot breeze scooped up a feather of dust in the middle of the road and dropped again4 ,even the presbytery looked inviting on a day like this4 ,he had walked a good twenty-five miles to-day1 and the suggestion of a dark1 cool room was delicious4 ,it was a little pinched-looking house1 of brick1 like the church1 squeezed between the church and a large grocery with a flamboyant inscription over its closed shutters4 ,all the windows were open1 hung inside with cheap lace curtains1 and protected with dust-screens4 ,he pictured the cold food probably laid out within1 and his imagination struck into being a tall glass jug of something like claret-cup1 still half-full4 ,frank had not dined to-day4 ,then he limped boldly across the street1 rapped with the cast-iron knocker1 and waited4 ,nothing at all happened4 99 99 99 99 99 ,presently the cat from the notice-board appeared round the corner1 eyed ,frank suspiciously1 decided that he was not dangerous1 came on1 walking delicately1 stepped up on to the further end of the brick stair1 and began to arch itself about and rub its back against the warm angle of the doorpost4 ,frank rapped again1 interrupting the cat for an instant1 and then stooped down to scratch it under the ear4 ,the cat crooned delightedly4 ,steps sounded inside the house2 the cat stopped writhing1 and as the door opened1 darted in noiselessly with tail erect past the woman who held the door uninvitingly half open4 ,she had a thin1 lined face and quick black eyes4 ,what do you want8 she asked sharply1 looking up and down ,frank's figure with suspicion4 ,her eyes dwelt for a moment on the bruise on his cheek-bone4 ,i want to see the priest1 please1 said ,frank4 ,you can't see him4 ,i am very sorry1 said ,frank1 but ,i must see him4 ,coming here begging6 exclaimed the woman bitterly4 ,i'd be ashamed6 ,be off with you6 ,frank's dignity asserted itself a little4 ,don't speak to me in that tone1 please4 ,i am a ,catholic1 and ,i wish to see the priest4 ,the woman snorted2 but before she could speak there came the sound of an opening door and a quick step on the linoleum of the little dark passage4 ,what's all this8 said a voice1 as the woman stepped back4 ,he was a big1 florid young man1 with yellow hair1 flushed as if with sleep2 his eyes were bright and tired-looking1 and his collar was plainly unbuttoned at the back4 ,also1 his cassock was unfastened at the throat and he bore a large red handkerchief in his hand4 ,obviously this had just been over his face4 ,now1 ,i do not blame this priest in the slightest4 ,he had sung a late mass--which never agreed with him--and in his extreme hunger he had eaten two platefuls of hot beef1 with ,yorkshire pudding1 and drunk a glass and a half of solid beer4 ,and he had just fallen into a deep sleep before giving ,catechism1 when the footsteps and voices had awakened him4 ,further1 every wastrel ,catholic that came along this road paid him a call1 and he had not yet met with one genuine case of want4 ,when he had first come here he had helped beggars freely and generously1 and he lived on a stipend of ninety pounds a year1 out of which he paid his housekeeper fifteen4 ,what do you want8 he said4 ,may ,i speak to you1 father8 said ,frank4 ,certainly4 ,say what you've got to say4 ,will you help me with sixpence1 father8 ,the priest was silent1 eyeing ,frank closely4 ,are you a ,catholic8 ,yes1 father4 ,i didn't see you at mass this morning4 ,i wasn't here this morning4 ,i was walking on the roads4 ,where did you hear mass8 ,i didn't hear it at all1 father4 ,i was on the roads4 ,what's your work8 ,i haven't any4 ,why's that8 ,frank shrugged his shoulders a little4 ,i do it when ,i can get it1 he said4 ,you speak like an educated man4 ,i am pretty well educated4 ,the priest laughed shortly4 ,what's that bruise on your cheek8 ,i was in a street fight1 yesterday1 father4 ,oh1 this is ridiculous6 he said4 ,where did you come from last8 ,frank paused a moment4 ,he was very hot and very tired4444 ,then he spoke4 ,i was in prison till ,friday1 he said4 ,i was given fourteen days on the charge of robbing a child1 on the twenty-sixth4 ,i pleaded guilty4 ,will you help me1 father8 ,if the priest had not been still half stupid with sleep and indigestion1 and standing in the full blaze of this hot sun1 he might have been rather struck by this last sentence4 ,but he did have those disadvantages1 and he saw in it nothing but insolence4 ,he laughed again1 shortly and angrily4 ,i'm amazed at your cheek1 he said4 ,no1 certainly not6 ,and you'd better learn manners before you beg again4 ,then he banged the door4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about ten minutes later he woke up from a doze1 very wide awake indeed1 and looked round4 ,there lay on the table by him a ,dutch cheese1 a large crusty piece of bread and some very soft salt butter in a saucer4 ,there was also a good glass of beer left--not claret-cup--in a glass jug1 very much as ,frank had pictured it4 ,he got up and went out to the street door1 shading his eyes against the sun4 ,but the street lay hot and dusty in the afternoon light1 empty from end to end1 except for a cat1 nose in tail1 coiled on the grocery door-step4 ,then he saw two children1 in white frocks1 appear round a corner1 and he remembered that it was close on time for ,catechism4 ,,chapter ,,vi 7,i7 ,about the time that ,frank was coming into the village where the priest lived1 ,jenny had just finished lunch with her father4 ,she took a book1 two cigarettes1 a small silver matchbox and a ,japanese fan1 and went out into the garden4 ,she had no duties this afternoon2 she had played the organ admirably at the morning service1 and would play it equally admirably at the evening service4 ,the afternoon devotions in the little hot ,sunday school--she had decided1 in company with her father a year or two ago--and the management of the children1 were far better left in the professional hands of the schoolmistress4 ,she went straight out of the drawing-room windows1 set wide and shaded by awnings1 and across the lawn to the seat below the ancient yews4 ,there she disposed herself1 with her feet up1 lit a cigarette1 buried the match and began to read4 99 99 99 99 99 ,she had not heard from ,frank for nearly three weeks2 his last communication had been a picture postcard of ,selby ,abbey1 with the initial ,f neatly printed at the back4 ,but she was not very greatly upset4 ,she had written her letter as she had promised1 and had heard from ,jack ,kirkby1 to whose care she sent it1 that he had no idea of ,frank's whereabouts1 and that he would send on the letter as soon as he knew more4 ,she supposed that ,frank would communicate with her again as soon as he thought proper4 ,other circumstances to be noted were that ,dick had gone back to town some while ago1 but would return almost immediately now for the grouse-shooting2 that ,archie and ,lord ,talgarth were both up at the house--indeed1 she had caught sight of them in the red-curtained chancel-pew this morning1 and had exchanged five words with them both after the service--and that in all other respects other things were as they had been a month ago4 ,the ,dean of ,trinity had telegraphed in great dismay on the morning following his first communication that ,frank had gone1 and that no one had the slightest idea of his destination2 he had asked whether he should put detectives on the track1 and had been bidden1 in return1 politely but quite firmly1 to mind his own business and leave ,lord ,talgarth's younger son to ,lord ,talgarth4 ,it was a sleepy afternoon1 even up here among the hills1 and ,jenny had not read many pages before she became aware of it4 ,the ,rectory garden was an almost perfect place for a small doze2 the yews about her made a grateful shade1 and the limes behind them even further cooled the air1 and1 when the breeze awoke1 as one talking in his sleep1 the sound about her was as of gentle rain4 ,the air was bright and dusty with insects2 from the limes overhead1 the geranium beds1 and the orchard fifty yards away1 came the steady murmur of bees and flies4 ,jenny woke up twenty minutes later with a sudden start1 and saw someone standing almost over her4 ,she threw her feet down1 still bewildered by the sudden change and the glare on which she opened her eyes1 and perceived that it was ,jack ,kirkby1 looking very dusty and hot4 ,i am so sorry1 said ,jack apologetically1 but ,i was told you were out here4 ,she did not know ,jack very well1 though she had known him a long time4 ,she looked upon him as a pleasant sort of boy whom she occasionally met at lawn-tennis parties and flower shows1 and things like that1 and she knew perfectly how to talk to young men4 ,how nice of you to came over1 she said4 ,did you bicycle8 ,have something to drink8 ,she made room for him on the seat and held out her second cigarette4 ,it's your last1 said ,jack4 ,i've lots more in the house4 ,she watched him as he lit it1 and as the last shreds of sleep rolled away1 put the obvious question4 ,you've news of ,frank8 ,jack threw away the match and drew two or three draughts of smoke before answering4 ,yes1 he said4 ,where is he8 ,he gave an address at ,york1 though he wasn't there when he wrote4 ,i sent your letter on there yesterday4 ,oh ,i did he give any account of himself8 ,jack looked at her4 ,well1 he did4 ,i've come about that4 ,it's not very pleasant4 ,is he ill8 asked ,jenny sharply4 ,oh1 no2 not at all2 at least1 he didn't say so4 ,what's the matter1 then8 ,jack fumbled in his breast-pocket and drew out a letter1 which he held a moment before unfolding4 ,i think you'd better read what he says1 ,miss ,launton4 ,it isn't pleasant1 but it's all over now4 ,i thought ,i'd better tell you that first4 ,she held out her hand without speaking4 ,jack gave it her1 and addressed himself carefully to his cigarette4 ,he didn't like this kind of thing at all1 he wished ,frank wouldn't give him unpleasant commissions4 ,but1 of course1 it had to be done4 ,he looked out at the lawn and the sleepy house1 but was aware of nothing except the girl beside him in her white dress and the letter in her hands4 ,when she had finished it1 she turned back and read it again4 ,then she remained perfectly still1 with the letter held on her knee4 ,poor1 dear old boy6 she said suddenly and quietly4 ,an enormous wave of relief rolled up and enveloped ,jack4 ,he had been exceedingly uncomfortable this morning1 ever since the letter had come4 ,his first impulse had been to ride over instantly after breakfast2 then he had postponed it till lunch2 then he had eaten some cold beef about half-past twelve and come straight away4 ,he told himself he must give her plenty of time to write by the late ,sunday night post4 ,he had not exactly distrusted ,jenny2 ,frank's confidence was too overwhelming and too infectious4 ,but he had reflected that it was not a wholly pleasant errand to have to inform a girl that her lover had been in prison for a fortnight4 ,but the tone in which she had just said those four words was so serene and so compassionate that he was completely reassured4 ,this really was a fine creature1 he said to himself4 ,i'm extraordinarily glad you take it like that1 he said4 ,jenny looked at him out of her clear1 direct eyes4 ,you didn't suppose ,i should abuse him1 did you8444 ,how exactly like ,frank6 ,i suppose he did it to save some blackguard or other4 ,i expect that was it1 said ,jack4 ,poor1 dear old boy6 she said again4 ,there was a moment's silence4 ,then ,jack began again3 ,you see1 ,i've got to go and tell ,lord ,talgarth4 ,miss ,launton1 ,i wish you'd come with me4 ,then we can both write by to-night's post4 ,jenny said nothing for an instant4 ,then3 ,i suppose that would be best1 she said4 ,shall we go up pretty soon8 ,i expect we shall find him in the garden4 ,jack winced a little4 ,jenny smiled at him openly4 ,best to get it over1 ,mr4 ,jack4 ,i know it's like going to the dentist4 ,but it can't be as bad as you think4 ,it never is4 ,besides1 you'll have somebody to hold your hand1 so to speak4 ,i hope ,i shan't scream out loud1 observed ,jack4 ,yes1 we'd better go--if you don't mind4 ,he stood up and waited4 ,jenny rose at once4 ,i'll go and get a hat4 ,wait for me here1 will you8 ,i needn't tell father till this evening4 7,,ii7 ,the park looked delicious as they walked slowly up the grass under the shade of the trees by the side of the drive4 ,the great beeches and elms rose in towering masses1 in clump after clump1 into the distance1 and beneath the nearest stood a great stag with half a dozen hinds about him1 eyeing the walkers4 ,the air was very still2 only from over the hill came the sound of a single church bell1 where some infatuated clergyman hoped to gather the lambs of his flock together for instruction in the ,christian religion4 ,that's a beauty1 said ,jack1 waving a languid hand towards the stag4 ,did you ever hear of the row ,frank and ,i got into when we were boys8 ,jenny smiled4 ,she had been quite silent since leaving the ,rectory4 ,i heard of a good many1 she said4 ,which was this8 ,jack recounted a story of ,red ,indians and ambuscades and a bow and arrows1 ending in the flight of a frantic stag over the palings and among the garden beds2 it was on a ,sunday afternoon1 too4 ,frank was caned by the butler1 ,i remember2 by ,lord ,talgarth's express orders4 ,certainly he richly deserved it4 ,i was a guest1 and got off clear4 ,how old were you8 ,we were both about eleven1 ,i think4 ,frank doesn't strike me as more than about twelve now1 observed ,jenny4 ,there's something in that1 admitted ,jack4444 ,oh6 ,lord6 how hot it is6 ,he fanned himself with his hat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was no sign of life as they passed into the court and up to the pillared portico2 and at last1 when the butler appeared1 the irregular state of his coat-collar showed plainly that he but that moment had put his coat on4 7,this would be about the time that ,frank left the village after his interview with the priest47 ,yes2 it seemed that ,lord ,talgarth was probably in the garden2 and1 if so1 almost certainly in the little square among the yews along the upper terrace4 ,his lordship usually went there on hot days4 ,would ,miss ,launton and ,mr4 ,kirkby kindly step this way8 ,no2 he was not to trouble4 ,they would find their own way4 ,on the upper terrace8 ,on the upper terrace1 miss4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the upper terrace was the one part of the old ,elizabethan garden left entirely unaltered4 ,on either side rose up a giant wall of yew1 shaped like a castle bastion1 at least ten feet thick2 and between the two ran a broad gravel path up to the sun-dial1 bordered on either side by huge herbaceous beds1 blazing with the color of late summer4 ,in two or three places grass paths crossed these1 leading by a few yards of turf to windows cut in the hedge to give a view of the long1 dazzling lake below1 and there was one gravel path1 parallel to these1 that led to the little yew-framed square built out on the slope of the hill4 ,two very silent persons now came out from the house by the garden door on the south side1 turned along the path1 went up a dozen broad steps1 passed up the yew walk and finally turned again down the short gravel way and stood abashed4 ,his lordship was indeed here6 ,a long wicker chair was set in one angle1 facing them1 in such a position that the movement of the sun would not affect the delightful shade in which the chair stood4 ,a small table stood beside it1 with the ,times newspaper tumbled on to it1 a box of cigars1 a spirit-bottle of iridescent glass1 a syphon1 and a tall tumbler in which a little ice lay crumbled at the bottom4 ,and in the wicker chair1 with his mouth wide open1 slept ,lord ,talgarth4 ,good gracious6 whispered ,jenny4 ,there was a silence1 and then like far-off thunder a slow meditative snore4 ,it was not an object of beauty or dignity that they looked upon4 ,in one second ,i shall laugh1 asserted ,jenny1 still in a cautious whisper4 ,i think we'd better-- began ,jack2 and stopped petrified1 to see one vindictive-looking eye opened and regarding him1 it seemed1 with an expression of extraordinary malignity4 ,then the other eye opened1 the mouth abruptly closed and ,lord ,talgarth sat up4 ,god bless my soul6 ,he rolled his eyes about a moment while intelligence came back4 ,you needn't be ashamed of it1 said ,jenny4 ,mr4 ,jack ,kirkby caught me at it1 too1 half an hour ago4 ,his lordship's senses had not even now quite returned4 ,he still stared at them innocently like a child1 cleared his throat once or twice1 and finally stood up4 ,jack ,kirkby1 so it is6 ,how do1 ,jack8 ,and ,jenny8 ,that's who we are1 said ,jenny4 ,are you sure you're quite recovered8 ,recovered6 ,eh--6 7,he emitted a short laugh47 ,sit down4 ,there's chairs somewhere4 ,jack hooked out a couple that were leaning folded against the low wall of yew beneath the window and set them down4 ,have a cigar1 ,jack8 ,no1 thanks4 ,they were on good terms--these two4 ,jack shot really well1 and was smart and deferential4 ,lord ,talgarth asked no more than this from a young man4 ,well--what's the matter8 ,jack left it thoughtfully for ,jenny to open the campaign4 ,she did so very adroitly4 ,mr4 ,jack came over to see me1 she said1 and ,i thought ,i couldn't entertain him better than by bringing him up to see you4 ,you haven't such a thing as a cigarette1 ,lord ,talgarth8 ,he felt about in his pockets1 drew out a case and pushed it across the table4 ,thanks1 said ,jenny2 and then1 without the faintest change of tone3 ,we've some news of ,frank at last4 ,frank1 eh8 ,have you8 ,and what's the young cub at1 now8 ,he's in trouble1 as usual1 poor boy6 remarked ,jenny1 genially4 ,he's very well1 thank you1 and sends you his love4 ,lord ,talgarth cast her a pregnant glance4 ,well1 if he didn't1 ,i'm sure he meant to1 went on ,jenny2 but ,i expect he forgot4 ,you see1 he's been in prison4 ,the old man jerked such a face at her1 that even her nerve failed for an instant4 ,jack saw her put her cigarette up to her mouth with a hand that shook ever so slightly4 ,and yet before the other could say one word she recovered herself4 ,please let me say it right out to the end first1 she said4 ,no2 please don't interrupt6 ,mr4 ,jack1 give me the letter 444 oh6 ,i've got it4 7,she drew it out and began to unfold it1 talking all the while with astonishing smoothness and self-command47 ,and ,i'll read you all the important part4 ,it's written to ,mr4 ,kirkby4 ,he got it this morning and very kindly brought it straight over here at once4 ,jack was watching like a terrier4 ,on the one side he saw emotions so furious and so conflicting that they could find no expression1 and on the other a restraint and a personality so complete and so compelling that they simply held the field and permitted no outburst4 ,her voice was cool and high and natural4 ,then he noticed her flick a glance at himself1 sideways1 and yet perfectly intelligible4 ,he stood up4 ,yes1 do just take a stroll1 ,mr4 ,kirkby4444 ,come back in ten minutes4 ,and as he passed out again through the thick archway on to the terrace he heard1 in an incredibly matter-of-fact voice1 the letter begin4 ,,dear ,,jack4444 ,then he began to wonder what1 as a matter of interest1 ,lord ,talgarth's first utterance would be4 ,but he felt he could trust ,jenny to manage him4 ,she was an astonishingly sane and sensible girl4 7,,iii7 ,he was at the further end of the terrace1 close beneath the stable wall1 when the stable clock struck the quarter for the second time4 ,that would make1 he calculated1 about seventeen minutes1 and he turned reluctantly to keep his appointment4 ,but he was still thirty yards away from the opening when a white figure in a huge white hat came quickly out4 ,she beckoned to him with her head1 and he followed her down the steps4 ,she gave him one glance as if to reassure him as he caught her up1 but said not a word1 good or bad1 till they had passed through the house again1 and were well on their way down the drive4 ,well8 said ,jack4 ,jenny hesitated a moment4 ,i suppose anyone else would have called him violent1 she said4 ,poor old dear6 ,but it seems to me he behaved rather well on the whole--considering all things4 ,what's he going to do8 ,if one took anything he said as containing any truth at all1 it would mean that he was going to flog ,frank with his own hands1 kick him first up the steps of the house then down again1 and finally drown him in the lake with a stone round his neck4 ,i think that was the sort of programme4 ,but-- ,oh6 we needn't be frightened1 said ,jenny4 ,but if you ask me what he will do1 ,i haven't the faintest idea4 ,did you suggest anything8 ,he knows what my views are1 said jenny4 ,and those8 ,well--make him a decent allowance and let him alone4 ,he won't do that6 said ,jack4 ,that's far too sensible4 ,you think so8 ,that would solve the whole problem1 of course1 went on ,jack1 marriage and everything4 ,i suppose it would have to be about eight hundred a year4 ,and ,talgarth must have at least thirty thousand4 ,oh6 he's more than that1 said ,jenny4 ,he gives ,mr4 ,dick twelve hundred4 ,there was a pause4 ,jack did not know what to think4 ,he was only quite certain that the thing would have been far worse if he had attempted to manage it himself4 ,well1 what shall ,i say to ,frank8 he asked4 ,jenny paused again4 ,it seems to me the best thing for you to do is not to write4 ,i'll write myself this evening1 if you'll give me his address1 and explain-- ,i can't do that1 said ,jack4 ,i'm awfully sorry1 but-- ,you can't give me his address8 ,no1 ,i'm afraid ,i mustn't4 ,you see1 ,frank's very particular in his letter4444 ,then how can ,i write to him8 ,mr4 ,kirkby1 you're really rather-- ,by ,george6 ,i've got it6 cried ,jack4 ,if you don't mind my waiting at the ,rectory4 ,why shouldn't you write to him now1 and let me take the letter away and post it8 ,it'll go all the quicker1 too1 from ,barham4 ,he glanced at her1 wondering whether she were displeased4 ,her answer reassured him4 ,that'll do perfectly1 she said1 if you're sure you don't mind waiting4 ,the ,rectory garden seemed more than ever a harbor from storm as they turned into it4 ,the sun was a little lower now1 and the whole lawn lay in shadow4 ,as they came to the door she stopped4 ,i think ,i'd better go and get it over1 she said4 ,i can tell father all about it after you've gone4 ,will you go now and wait there8 ,she nodded towards the seat where they had sat together earlier4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it was nearly an hour before she came out again1 and a neat maid1 in apron and cap1 had come discreetly out with the tea-things1 set them down and retired4 ,jack had been thinking of a hundred things1 which all centered round one--,frank4 ,he had had a real shock this morning4 ,it had been intolerable to think of ,frank in prison1 for even ,jack could guess something of what that meant to him2 and the tone of the letter had been so utterly unlike what he had been accustomed to from his friend4 ,he would have expected a bubbling torrent of remarks--wise and foolish--full of personal descriptions and unkind little sketches4 ,and1 indeed1 there had come this sober narration of facts and requests4444 ,but in all this there was one deep relief--that it should be a girl like ,jenny who was the heart of the situation4 ,if she had been in the least little bit disturbed1 who could tell what it would mean to ,frank8 ,for ,frank1 as he knew perfectly well1 had a very deep heart indeed1 and had enshrined ,jenny in the middle of it4 ,any wavering or hesitation on her part would have meant misery to his friend4 ,but now all was perfectly right1 he reflected2 and really1 after all1 it did not matter very much what ,lord ,talgarth said or did4 ,frank was a free agent2 he was very capable and very lovable2 it couldn't possibly be long before something turned up1 and then1 with ,jenny's own money the two could manage very well4 ,and ,lord ,talgarth could not live for ever2 and ,archie would do the right thing1 even if his father didn't4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was after half-past four before he looked up at a glint of white and saw ,jenny standing at the drawing-room window4 ,she stood there an instant with a letter in her hand2 then she stepped over the low sill and came towards him across the grass1 serene and dignified and graceful4 ,her head was bare again1 and the great coils of her hair flashed suddenly as they caught a long horizontal ray from the west4 ,here it is1 she said4 ,will you direct it8 ,i've told him everything4 ,jack nodded4 ,that's excellent6 he said4 ,it shall go to-night4 ,he glanced up at her and saw her looking at him with just the faintest wistfulness4 ,he understood perfectly1 he said to himself3 she was still a little unhappy at not being allowed to send the letter herself4 ,what a good girl she was6 ,have some tea before you go8 she said4 ,thanks4 ,i'd better not4 ,they'll be wondering what's happened to me4 ,as he shook hands he tried to put something of his sympathy into his look4 ,he knew exactly how she was feeling1 and he thought her splendidly brave4 ,but she hardly met his eyes1 and again he felt he knew why4 ,as he opened the garden gate beyond the house he turned once more to wave4 ,but she was busy with the tea-things1 and a black figure was advancing briskly upon her from the direction of the study end of the house4 ,,chapter ,,vii 7,i7 ,life had been a little difficult for the ,major for the last fortnight or so4 ,not only was ,frank's material and moral support lacking to him1 but the calls upon him1 owing to ,gertie's extreme unreasonableness1 had considerably increased4 ,he had explained to her1 over and over again1 with a rising intensity each time1 how unselfishly he had acted throughout1 how his sole thought had been for her in his recent course of action4 ,it would never have done1 he explained pacifically1 for a young man like ,frank to have the responsibility of a young girl like ,gertie on his hands1 while he 7the ,major7 was spending a fortnight elsewhere4 ,and1 in fact1 even on the most economical grounds he had acted for the best1 since it had been himself who had been charged in the matter of the tin of salmon1 it would not have been a fortnight1 but more like two months1 during which the little community would have been deprived of his labor4 ,he reminded her that ,frank had had a clean record up to that time with the police4444 ,but explanation had been fruitless4 ,gertie had even threatened a revelation of the facts of the case at the nearest police-station1 and the ,major had been forced to more manly tactics with her4 ,he had not used a stick2 his hands had served him very well1 and in the course of his argument he had made a few insincere remarks on the mutual relations of ,frank and ,gertie that the girl remembered4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he had obtained a frugal little lodging in one of the small streets of ,york1 down by the river--indeed looking straight on to it2 and1 for a wonder1 five days' regular work at the unloading of a string of barges4 ,the five days expired on the ,saturday before ,frank was expected1 but he had several shillings in hand on the ,sunday morning when ,frank's letter arrived1 announcing that he hoped to be with them again on ,sunday night or ,monday morning4 ,two letters1 also1 had arrived for his friend on the ,sunday morning--one in a feminine handwriting and re-directed1 with an old postmark of ,june1 as well as one of the day before--he had held it up to the light and crackled it between his fingers1 of course1 upon receiving it--and the other an obvious bill--one postmark was ,cambridge and the other ,barham4 ,he decided to keep them both intact4 ,besides1 ,gertie had been present at their delivery4 ,the ,major spent1 on the whole1 an enjoyable ,sunday4 ,he lay in bed till a little after twelve o'clock1 with a second-hand copy of the ,sporting ,times1 and a tin of tobacco beside him4 ,they dined at about one o'clock1 and he managed to get a little spirit to drink with his meal4 ,he had walked out--not very far--with ,gertie in the afternoon1 and had managed by representing himself as having walked seven miles--he was determined not to risk anything by foolishly cutting it too fine--to obtain a little more4 ,they had tea about six1 and ate1 each of them1 a kippered herring and some watercress4 ,then about seven o'clock ,frank suddenly walked in and sat down4 ,give me something to eat and drink1 he said4 ,he looked1 indeed1 extraordinarily strained and tired1 and sat back on the upturned box by the fireplace as if in exhaustion4 ,he explained presently when ,gertie had cooked another herring1 and he had drunk a slop-basinful of tea1 that he had walked fasting since breakfast1 but he said nothing about the priest4 ,the ,major with an air of great preciseness measured out half a finger of whisky and insisted1 with the air of a paternal doctor1 upon his drinking it immediately4 ,and now a cigarette1 for ,god's sake1 said ,frank4 ,by the way1 ,i've got some work for to-morrow4 ,that's first-rate1 my boy1 said the ,major4 ,i've been working myself this week4 ,frank produced his fourpence and laid it on the corner of the table4 ,that's for supper and bed to-night1 he said4 ,nonsense1 my boy2 put it back in your pocket4 ,kindly take that fourpence1 remarked ,frank4 ,you can add some breakfast to-morrow1 if you like4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he related his adventures presently--always excepting the priest--and described how he had met a man at the gate of a builder's yard this evening as he came through ,york1 who had promised him a day's job1 and if things were satisfactory1 more to follow4 ,he seemed a decent chap1 said ,frank4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,major and ,gertie had not much to relate4 ,they had left the market-town immediately after ,frank's little matter in the magistrates' court1 and had done pretty well1 arriving in ,york ten days ago4 ,they hardly referred to ,frank's detention1 though he saw ,gertie looking at him once or twice in a curiously shy kind of way1 and understood what was in her mind4 ,but for very decency's sake the ,major had finally to say something4 ,by the way1 my boy1 ,i won't forget what you did for me and for my little woman here4 ,i'm not a man of many words1 but-- ,oh6 that's all right1 said ,frank sleepily4 ,you'll do as much for me one day4 ,the ,major assented with fervor and moist eyes4 ,it was not till ,frank stood up to go to bed that anyone remembered the letters4 ,by the way1 there are two letters come for you1 said the ,major1 hunting in the drawer of the table4 ,frank's bearing changed4 ,he whisked round in an instant4 ,where are they8 ,they were put into his hand4 ,he looked at them carefully1 trying to make out the postmark--turned them upside down and round1 but he made no motion to open them4 ,where am ,i to sleep8 he said suddenly4 ,and can you spare a bit of candle8 7,and as he went upstairs1 it must have been just about the time that the letter-box at ,barham was cleared for the late ,sunday post47 7,,ii7 ,frank lay a long time awake in the dark that night1 holding tight in his hand ,jenny's letter1 written to him in ,june4 ,the bill he had not even troubled to open4 ,for the letter said exactly and perfectly just all those things which he most wished to hear1 in the manner in which he wished to hear them4 ,it laughed at him gently and kindly2 it called him an extraordinarily silly boy2 it said that his leaving ,cambridge1 and1 above all1 his manner of leaving it--,frank had added a postscript describing his adventure with the saddle and the policeman--were precisely what the writer would have expected of him2 it made delightful and humorous reflections upon the need of ,frank's turning over a new leaf--there was quite a page of good advice2 and finally it gave him a charming description--just not over the line of due respect--of his father's manner of receiving the news1 with extracts from some of the choicest remarks made upon that notable occasion4 ,it occupied four closely-written pages1 and if there were1 running underneath it all1 just the faintest taint of strain and anxiety1 loyally concealed--well--that made the letter no less pleasant4 ,i have not said a great deal about what ,jenny meant to ,frank1 just because he said so very little about her himself4 ,she was1 in fact1 almost the only element in his variegated life upon which he had not been in the habit of pouring out torrential comments and reflections4 ,his father and ,archie were not at all spared in his conversation with his most intimate friends2 in fact1 he had been known1 more than once1 in a very select circle at ,cambridge1 to have conducted imaginary dialogues between those two on himself as their subject1 and he could imitate with remarkable fidelity his ,cousin ,dick over a billiard-table4 ,but he practically never mentioned ,jenny2 he had not even a photograph of her on his mantelpiece4 ,and it very soon became known among his friends1 when the news of his engagement leaked out through ,jack1 that it was not to be spoken of in his presence4 ,he had preserved the same reticence1 it may be remembered1 about his religion4 ,and so ,frank at last fell asleep on a little iron bedstead1 just remembering that it was quite possible he might have another letter from her to-morrow1 if ,jack had performed his commission immediately4 ,but he hardly expected to hear till ,tuesday4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gertie was up soon after five next morning to get breakfast for her men1 since the ,major had announced that he would go with ,frank to see whether possibly there might not be a job for him too2 and as soon as they had gone1 very properly went to sleep again on the bed in the sitting-room4 ,gertie had a strenuous time of it1 in spite of the ,major's frequently expressed opinion that women had no idea what work was4 ,for1 first1 there was the almost unending labor of providing food and cooking it as well as possible2 there was almost a standing engagement of mending and washing clothes2 there were numerous arguments to be conducted1 on terms of comparative equality1 if possible1 with landladies or farmers' wives--,gertie always wore a brass wedding-ring and showed it sometimes a little ostentatiously2 and1 finally1 when the company was on the march1 it was only fair that she should carry the heavier half of the luggage1 in order to compensate for her life of luxury and ease at other times4 ,gertie1 then1 was usually dog-tired1 and slept whenever she could get a chance4 ,it was nearly eight o'clock before she was awakened again by sharp knocking on her door2 and on opening it1 found the landlady' standing there1 examining a letter with great attention4 7,it had already been held up to the light against the kitchen window47 ,for one of your folks1 isn't it1 ,mrs4--er-- ,gertie took it4 ,it was written on excellent paper1 and directed in a man's handwriting to ,mr4 ,gregory3 ,thank you1 ,mrs4--er-- said ,gertie4 ,then she went back into her room1 put the letter carefully away in the drawer of the table and set about her household business4 ,about eleven o'clock she stepped out for a little refreshment4 ,she had1 of course1 a small private exchequer of her own1 amounting usually to only a few pence1 of which the ,major knew nothing4 ,this did not strike her as at all unfair2 she only wondered gently sometimes at masculine innocence in not recognizing that such an arrangement was perfectly certain4 ,she got into conversation with some elder ladies1 who also had stepped out for refreshment1 and had occasion1 at a certain point1 to lay her wedding-ring on the bar-counter for exhibition4 ,so it was not until a little after twelve that she remembered the time and fled4 ,she was not expecting her men home to dinner2 in fact1 she had wrapped up provisions for them in fragments of the ,major's ,sporting ,times before they had left2 but it was safer to be at home4 ,one never knew4 ,as she came into the room1 for an instant her heart leaped into her mouth1 but it was only ,frank4 ,whatever's the matter8 she said4 ,turned off1 said ,frank shortly4 ,he was sitting gloomily at the table with his hands in his pockets4 ,turned off8 ,he nodded4 ,what's up8 ',tecs1 said ,frank4 ,gertie's mouth opened a little4 ,one of them saw me going in and wired for instructions4 ,he had seen the case in the police-news and thought ,i answered to the description4 ,then he came back at eleven and told the governor4 ,and-- ,yes4 ,there was a pause4 ,and ,george8 ,oh6 he's all right1 said ,frank a little bitterly4 ,there's nothing against him4 ,got any dinner1 ,gertie8 ,i can't pay for it 444 oh1 yes1 ,i can2 here's half a day4 7,he chucked ninepence upon the table2 the sixpence rolled off again1 but he made no movement to pick it up47 ,gertie looked at him a moment4 ,well-- she began emphatically1 then she stooped to pick up the sixpence4 ,frank sighed4 ,oh6 don't begin all that--there's a good girl4 ,i've said it all myself--quite adequately1 ,i assure you4 ,gertie's mouth opened again4 ,she laid the sixpence on the table4 ,i mean1 there's nothing to be said1 explained ,frank4 ,the point is--what's to be done8 ,gertie had no suggestions4 ,she began to scrape out the frying-pan in which the herrings had been cooked last night4 ,there's a letter for you1 she said suddenly4 ,frank sat up4 ,where8 ,in the drawer there--by your hand4 ,frankie4444 ,frank tore at the handle and it came off4 ,he uttered a short exclamation4 ,then1 with infinite craft he fitted the handle in again1 wrapped in yet one more scrap of the ,sporting ,times1 and drew out the drawer4 ,his face fell abruptly as he saw the handwriting4 ,that can wait1 he muttered1 and chucked the letter face downwards on to the table4 ,frankie1 said the girl again1 still intent on her frying-pan4 ,well8 ,it's all my fault1 she said in a low voice4 ,your fault6 ,how do you make that out8 ,if it hadn't been for me1 you wouldn't have taken the tin from ,george1 and4444 ,oh1 ,lord6 said ,frank1 if we once begin on that6444 ,and if it hadn't been for ,george1 he wouldn't have taken the tin2 and if it hadn't been for ,maggie ,cooper1 there wouldn't have been the tin2 and if it hadn't been for ,maggie's father's sister1 she wouldn't have gone out with it4 ,it's all ,maggie's father's sister's fault1 my dear6 ,it's nothing to do with you4 ,the words were brisk enough1 but the manner was very heavy4 ,it was like repeating a lesson learned in childhood4 ,that's all right1 began ,gertie again1 but-- ,my dear girl1 ,i shall be annoyed if you go back to all that4 ,why can't you let it alone8 ,the point is1 ,what's to happen8 ,i can't go on sponging on you and the ,major4 ,gertie flushed under her tan4 ,if you ever leave us1 she said1 ,i'll-- ,well8 ,i'll 444 ,i'll never leave ,george4 ,frank was puzzled for a moment4 ,it seemed a non sequitur4 ,do you mean-- ,i've got me eyes1 said ,gertie emphatically1 and ,i know what you're thinking1 though you don't say much4 ,and ,i've been thinking1 too4 ,frank felt a faint warmth rise in his own heart4 ,you mean you've been thinking over what ,i said the other day8 ,gertie bent lower over her frying-pan and scraped harder than ever4 ,do stop that confounded row one second6 shouted ,frank4 ,the noise stopped abruptly4 ,gertie glanced up and down again4 ,then she began again1 more gently4 ,that's better1 said ,frank4444 ,well1 ,i hope you have1 he went on paternally4 ,you're a good girl1 ,gertie1 and you know better4 ,go on thinking about it1 and tell me when you've made up your mind4 ,when'll dinner be ready8 ,half an hour1 said ,gertie4 ,well1 ,i'll go out for a bit and look round4 ,he took up the letter carelessly and went out4 7,,iii7 ,as he passed the window ,gertie glanced towards it with the corner of her eye4 ,then1 frying-pan still in hand1 she crept up to the angle and watched him go down the quay4 ,a very convenient barrel was set on the extreme edge of the embankment above the water1 with another beside it1 and ,frank made for this immediately4 ,she saw him sit on one of the barrels and put the letter1 still unopened1 on the top of the other4 ,then he fumbled in his pockets a little1 and presently a small blue cloud of smoke went upwards like incense4 ,gertie watched him for an instant1 but he did not move again4 ,then she went back to her frying-pan4 ,twenty minutes later dinner was almost ready4 ,gertie had spread upon the table1 with great care1 one of the ,major's white pocket-handkerchiefs4 ,he insisted upon those being1 not only retained1 but washed occasionally1 and ,gertie understood something of his reasons1 since in the corner of each was embroidered a monogram1 of which the letters were not ,g4,t4 ,but she never could make out what they were4 ,upon this tablecloth she had placed on one side a black-handled fork with two prongs1 and a knife of the same pattern 7this was for ,frank7 and on the other a small pewter tea-spoon and a knife1 of which the only handle was a small iron spike from which the wood had fallen away4 7,this was for herself47 ,then there was a tooth-glass for ,frank1 and a teacup--without a handle1 but with a gold flower in the middle of it1 to make up--for herself4 ,in the center of the pocket-handkerchief stood a crockery jug1 with a mauve design of ,york ,minster1 with a thundercloud behind it and a lady and gentleman with a child bowling a hoop in front of it4 ,this was the landlady's property1 and was half full of beer4 ,besides all this1 there were two plates1 one of a cold blue color1 with a portrait of the ,prince ,consort1 whiskers and hat complete1 in a small medallion in the center1 and the other white1 with a representation of the ,falls of ,lodore4 ,there was no possibility of mistaking any of the subjects treated upon these various pieces of table-ware1 since the title of each was neatly printed1 in various styles1 just below the picture4 ,gertie regarded this array with her head on one side4 ,it was not often that they dined in such luxury4 ,she wished she had a flower to put in the center4 ,then she stirred the contents of the frying-pan with an iron spoon1 and went again to the window4 ,the figure on the barrel had not moved2 but even as she looked she saw him put out his hand to the letter4 ,she watched him4 ,she saw him run a finger inside the envelope1 and toss the envelope over the edge of the quay4 ,then she saw him unfold the paper inside and become absorbed4 ,this would never do4 ,gertie's idea of a letter was that it occupied at least several minutes to read through2 so she went out quickly to the street door to call him in4 ,she called him1 and he did not turn his head1 nor even answer4 ,she called him again4 7,,iv7 ,the letter that ,frank read lies1 too1 with a few other papers1 before me as ,i write4 ,it runs as follows3 ,,my ,,dear ,,frank1 ,i know you won't like what ,i have to say1 but it has to be said4 ,believe me1 it costs me as much to write as you to read--perhaps more4 ,it is this3 ,our engagement must be at an end4 ,you have a perfect right to ask me for reasons1 so ,i will give them at once1 as ,i don't want to open the subject again4 ,it would do no kind of good4 ,my mind is absolutely made up4 ,my main reason is this3 ,when ,i became engaged to you ,i did not know you properly4 ,i thought you were quite different from what you are4 ,i thought that underneath all your nice wildness1 and so on1 there was a very solid person4 ,and ,i hinted that1 you will remember1 in my first letter1 which ,i suppose you have received just before this4 ,and now ,i simply can't think that any longer4 ,i don't in the least blame you for being what you are3 that's not my business4 ,but ,i must just say this--that a man who can do what you've done1 not only for a week or two1 as ,i thought at first1 as a sort of game1 but for nearly three months1 and during that time could leave me with only three or four postcards and no news2 above all1 a man who could get into such disgrace and trouble1 and actually go to prison1 and yet not seem to mind much--well1 it isn't what ,i had thought of you4 ,you see1 there are a whole lot of things together4 ,it isn't just this or that1 but the whole thing4 ,first you became a ,catholic1 without telling me anything until just before4 ,i didn't like that1 naturally1 but ,i didn't say anything4 ,it isn't nice for a husband and wife to be of different religions4 ,then you ran away from ,cambridge2 then you got mixed up with this man you speak of in your letter to ,jack2 and you must have been rather fond of him1 you know1 to go to prison for him1 as ,i suppose you did4 ,and yet1 after all that1 ,i expect you've gone to meet him again in ,york4 ,and then there's the undeniable fact of prison4 ,you see1 it's all these things together--one after another4 ,i have defended you to your father again and again2 ,i haven't allowed anybody to abuse you without standing up for you2 but it really has gone too far4 ,you know ,i did half warn you in that other letter4 ,i know you couldn't have got it till just now1 but that wasn't my fault2 and the letter shows what ,i was thinking1 even three months ago4 ,don't be too angry with me1 ,frank4 ,i'm very fond of you still1 and ,i shall always stand up for you when ,i can4 ,and please don't answer this in any way4 ,jack ,kirkby isn't answering just yet4 ,i asked him not1 though he doesn't know why4 ,your father is going to send the news that the engagement is broken off to the newspapers4 ,yours sincerely1 ,,jenny ,,launton4 ,,part ,,ii ,,chapter ,i 7,i7 ,barham1 as all ,yorkshire knows1 lies at the foot of a long valley1 where it emerges into the flatter district round ,harrogate4 ,it has a railway all to itself1 which goes no further1 for ,barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors1 and lies on the way to nowhere4 ,it is almost wholly an agricultural town1 and has a curious humped bridge1 right in the middle of the town1 where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks4 ,it has two churches--one1 disused1 on a precipitous spur above the town1 surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard1 full1 literally1 to bursting 7the ,kirkbys lie there1 generation after generation of them1 beneath pompous tombs71 and the other church a hideous rectangular building1 with flat walls and shallow1 sham ,gothic windows4 ,it was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago4 ,the town itself is an irregular and rather picturesque place1 with a twisting steep ,high ,street1 looking as if a number of houses had been shot at random into this nook among the hills and left to find their own levels4 ,the big house where the ,kirkbys have lived since the middle of the seventeenth century is close to the town1 as the squire's house ought to be1 and its park gates open right upon the northern end of the old bridge4 ,there's nothing of great interest in the house 7,i believe there is an old doorway in the cellar1 mentioned in guide-books71 since it was rebuilt about the same time as the new church first rose4 ,it is just a big1 comfortable1 warm1 cool1 shady sort of house1 with a large hall and a fine oak staircase1 surrounded by lawns and shrubberies1 that adjoin on the west the lower slopes1 first of the park and then of the moors that stretch away over the horizon4 ,there is a pleasant feudal air about the whole place--feudal1 in a small and neighborly kind of way4 ,jack's father died just a year before his only son came of age2 and ,jack himself1 surrounded by sisters and an excellent and beneficently-minded mother1 has succeeded to all the immemorial rights and powers1 written and unwritten1 of the ,squire of ,barham4 ,he entertained me delightfully for three or four days a few months ago1 when ,i was traveling about after ,frank's footsteps1 and ,i noticed with pleasure as we drove through the town that there was hardly a living creature in the town whom he did not salute2 and who did not salute him4 ,he took me first to the bridge and pulled up in the middle of it1 to point out a small recess in it1 over the central pier1 intended1 no doubt1 to give shelter to foot-passengers before the bridge was widened1 in case a large vehicle came through4 ,there1 he said4 ,that's the place ,i first saw ,frank when he came4 ,we drove on up through the town1 and at the foot of the almost precipitous hill leading up to the ruined church we got out1 leaving the dog-cart in charge of the groom4 ,we climbed the hill slowly1 for it was a hot day1 ,jack uttering reminiscences at intervals 7many of which are recorded in these pages7 and turned in at the churchyard gate4 ,and this was the place1 said ,jack1 where ,i said good-by to him4 7,,ii7 ,it was on the twenty-fifth of ,september1 a ,monday1 that ,jack sat in the smoking-room1 in ,norfolk jacket and gaiters1 drinking tea as fast as he possibly could4 ,he had been out on the moors all day1 and was as thirsty as the moors could make him1 and he had been sensual enough to smoke a cigarette deliberately before beginning tea1 in order to bring his thirst to an acute point4 ,then1 the instant he had finished he snatched for his case again1 for this was to be the best cigarette of the whole day1 and discovered that his sensuality had overreached itself for once1 and that there were none left4 ,he clutched at the silver box with a sinking heart1 half-remembering that he had filled his case with the last of them this morning4 ,it was a fact1 and he knew that there were no others in the house4 ,this would never do1 and he reflected that if he sent a man for some more1 he would not get them for at least twenty minutes4 7,jack never could understand why an able-bodied footman always occupied twenty minutes in a journey that ought to take eight47 ,so he put on his cap again1 stepped out of the low window and set off down the drive4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was getting a little dark as he passed out of the lodge-gates4 ,the sun1 of course1 had set at least an hour before behind the great hill to the west1 but the twilight proper was only just beginning4 ,he was nearly at the place now1 and as he breasted the steep ascent of the bridge1 peered over it1 at least with his mind's eye1 at the tobacconist's shop--first on the left--where a store of ,mr4 ,jack's cigarettes was always on hand4 ,he noticed in the little recess ,i have just spoken of a man leaning with his elbows on the parapet1 and staring out up the long reach of the stream to the purple evening moors against the sky and the luminous glory itself2 and as he came opposite him1 wondered vaguely who it was and whether he knew him4 ,then1 as he got just opposite him1 he stopped1 uneasy at heart4 99 99 99 99 99 ,naturally ,frank was never very far away from ,jack's thoughts just now--ever since1 indeed1 he had heard the news in a very discreet letter from the ,reverend ,james ,launton a week or two ago4 7,i need not say he had answered this letter1 not to the father1 but to the daughter1 but had received no reply47 ,he had written a frantic letter to ,frank himself then1 but it had been returned1 marked3 ,unknown at this address4 ,and ever since he had eyed all tramps on the road with an earnestness that elicited occasionally a salute1 and occasionally an impolite remark4 ,the figure whose back he saw now certainly was not much like ,frank2 but then--again--it was rather like him4 ,it was dressed in a jacket and trousers so stained with dust and wet as to have no color of their own at all1 and a cloth cap of the same appearance4 ,a bundle tied up in a red handkerchief1 and a heavy stick1 rested propped against an angle of the recess4 ,jack cleared his throat rather loud and stood still1 prepared to be admiring the view1 in case of necessity2 the figure turned an eye over its shoulder1 then faced completely round2 and it was ,frank ,guiseley4 ,jack for the first instant said nothing at all1 but stood transfixed1 with his mouth a little open and his eyes staring4 ,frank's face was sunburned almost beyond recognition1 his hair seemed cut shorter than usual1 and the light was behind him4 ,then ,jack recovered4 ,my dear man1 he said1 why the-- ,he seized him by the hands and held him1 staring at him4 ,yes2 it's me all right1 said ,frank4 ,i was just wondering-- ,come along1 instantly4444 ,damn6 ,i've got to go to a tobacconist's2 it's only just here4 ,there isn't a cigarette in the house4 ,come with me8 ,i'll wait here1 said ,frank4 ,will you8 ,i shan't be a second4 ,it was1 as a matter of fact1 scarcely one minute before ,jack was back2 he had darted in1 snatched a box from the shelf and vanished1 crying out to put it down to him4 ,he found ,frank had faced round again and was staring at the water and sky and high moors4 ,he snatched up his friend's bundle and stick4 ,come along1 he said1 we shall have an hour or two before dinner4 ,frank1 in silence1 took the bundle and stick from him again1 firmly and irresistibly1 and they did not speak again till they were out of ear-shot of the lodge4 ,then ,jack began1 taking ,frank's arm--a custom for which he had often been rebuked4 ,my dear old man6 he said4 ,i 444 ,i can't say what ,i feel4 ,i know the whole thing1 of course1 and ,i've expressed my mind plainly to ,miss ,jenny4 ,yes8 ,and to your father4 ,neither have answered1 and naturally ,i haven't been over again4444 ,dick's been there1 by the way4 ,frank made no comment4 ,you look simply awful1 old chap1 pursued ,jack cheerily4 ,where on earth have you been for the last month8 ,i wrote to ,york and got the letter returned4 ,oh6 ,i've been up and down1 said ,frank impassively4 ,with the people you were with before--the man1 ,i mean8 ,no4 ,i've left them for the present4 ,but ,i shall probably join them again later4 ,join4446 began the other aghast4 ,certainly6 ,this thing's only just begun1 said ,frank1 with that same odd impassivity4 ,we've seen the worst of it1 ,i fancy4 ,but you don't mean you're going back6 ,why1 it's ridiculous6 ,frank stopped4 ,they were within sight of the house now and the lights shone pleasantly out4 ,by the way1 ,jack1 ,i quite forgot4 ,you will kindly give me your promise to make no sort of effort to detain me when ,i want to go again1 or ,i shan't come any further4 ,but1 my dear chap-- ,kindly promise at once1 please4 ,oh1 well6 ,i promise1 but-- ,that's all right1 said ,frank1 and moved on4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i say1 said ,jack1 as they came up to the hall door4 ,will you talk now or will you change1 or what8 ,i should like a hot bath first4 ,by the way1 have you anyone staying in the house8 ,not a soul2 and only two sisters at home4 ,and my mother1 of course4 ,what about clothes8 ,i'll see about that4 ,come on round to the smoking-room window4 ,then ,i'll get in ,jackson and explain to him4 ,i suppose you don't mind your name being known8 ,he'll probably recognize you1 anyhow4 ,not in the least1 so long as no one interferes4 ,jack rang the bell as soon as they came into the smoking-room1 and ,frank sat down in a deep chair4 ,then the butler came4 ,he cast one long look at the astonishing figure in the chair4 ,oh6--er--,jackson1 this is ,mr4 ,frank ,guiseley4 ,he's going to stay here4 ,he'll want some clothes and things4 ,i rather think there are some suits of mine that might do4 ,i wish you'd look them out4 ,i beg your pardon1 sir8 ,this is ,mr4 ,frank ,guiseley--of ,merefield4444 ,it is1 really6 ,but we don't want more people talking than are necessary4 ,you understand8 ,please don't say anything about it1 except that he's come on a walking-tour4 ,and please tell the housekeeper to get the ,blue ,room ready1 and let somebody turn on the hot water in the bath-room until further notice4 ,that's all1 ,jackson 444 and the clothes4 ,you understand8 ,yes1 sir4 ,and get the eau de lubin from my dressing-room and put it in the bath-room4 ,oh1 yes2 and the wooden bowl of soap4 ,these clothes of mine are not to be thrown away1 please1 ,jackson1 said ,frank gravely from the chair4 ,i shall want them again4 ,yes1 sir4 ,that's all1 then1 said ,jack4 ,mr4 ,jackson turned stiffly and left the room4 ,it's all right1 said ,jack4 ,you remember old ,jackson4 ,he won't say a word4 ,lucky no one saw us as we came up4 ,it doesn't matter much1 does it8 said ,frank4 ,there was a pause4 ,i say1 ,frank1 when will you tell me-- ,i'll answer any questions after dinner to-night4 ,i simply can't talk now4 ,dinner was a little difficult that night4 ,mrs4 ,kirkby had been subjected to a long lecture from her son during the half hour in which she ought to have been dressing1 in order to have it firmly implanted in her mind that ,frank--whom she had known from a boy--was simply and solely in the middle of a walking-tour all by himself4 ,she understood the situation perfectly in a minute and a half--7she was a very shrewd woman who did not say much7--but ,jack was not content4 ,he hovered about her room1 fingering photographs and silver-handled brushes1 explaining over and over again how important it was that ,frank should be made to feel at his case1 and that ,fanny and ,jill--7who were just old enough to come to dinner in white high-necked frocks that came down to their very slender ankles1 and thick pig-tails down their backs7--must not be allowed to bother him4 ,mrs4 ,kirkby said1 ,yes1 ,i understand1 about a hundred and thirty times1 and glanced at the clock4 ,she stood with one finger on the electric button for at least five minutes before venturing to ring for her maid1 and it was only that lady's discreet tap at one minute before eight that finally got ,jack out of the room4 ,he looked in on ,frank in the middle of his dressing1 found to his relief that an oldish suit of dress-clothes fitted him quite decently1 and then went to put on his own4 ,he came down to the drawing-room seven minutes after the gong with his ears very red and his hair in a plume1 to find ,frank talking to his mother1 and eyed by his sisters who were pretending to look at photographs1 with all the ease in the world4 ,but dinner itself was difficult4 ,it was the obvious thing to talk about ,frank's walking-tour2 and yet this was exactly what ,jack dared not do4 ,the state of the moors1 and the deplorable ravages made among the young grouse by the early rains1 occupied them all to the end of fish2 to the grouse succeeded the bullocks3 to the bullocks1 the sheep1 and1 by an obvious connection--obvious to all who knew that gentleman--from the sheep to the new curate4 ,but just before the chocolate souffle there came a pause1 and ,jill1 the younger of the two sisters1 hastened to fill the gap4 ,did you have a nice walking-tour1 ,mr4 ,guiseley8 ,frank turned to her politely4 ,yes1 very nice1 considering1 he said4 ,have you been alone all the time8 pursued ,jill1 conscious of a social success4 ,well1 no1 said ,frank4 ,i was traveling with a 444 well1 with a man who was an officer in the army4 ,he was a major4 ,and did you-- ,that's enough1 ,jill1 said her mother decidedly4 ,don't bother ,mr4 ,guiseley4 ,he's tired with his walk4 ,the two young men sat quiet for a minute or two after the ladies had left the room4 ,then ,jack spoke4 ,well8 he said4 ,frank looked up4 ,there was an odd1 patient kind of look in his eyes that touched ,jack a good deal4 ,frank had not been distinguished for submissiveness hitherto4 ,oh6 a bit later1 if you don't mind1 he said4 ,we can talk in the smoking-room4 7,,iv7 ,well1 ,i'll tell you the whole thing as far as ,i understand it1 began ,frank1 as the door closed behind ,jackson1 who had brought whisky and candles4 ,and then ,i'll answer any questions you want4 ,he settled himself back in his chair1 stretching out his legs and clasping his hands behind his head4 ,jack had a good view of him and could take notice of his own impressions1 though he found them hard to put into words afterwards4 ,the words he finally chose were subdued and patient again1 and there are hardly two words that would have been less applicable to ,frank three months before4 ,at the same time his virility was more noticeable than ever2 he had about him1 ,jack said1 something of the air of a very good groom--a hard-featured and sharp1 yet not at all unkindly look1 very capable and1 at the same time1 very much restrained4 ,there was no sentimental nonsense about him at all--his sorrow had not taken that form4 ,well1 ,i needn't talk much about ,jenny's last letter and what happened after that4 ,i was entirely unprepared1 of course4 ,i hadn't the faintest idea--,well1 she was the one person about whom ,i had no doubts at all6 ,i actually left the letter unread for a few minutes 7the envelope was in your handwriting1 you know7--because ,i had to think over what ,i had to do next4 ,the police had got me turned away from a builder's yard-- ,jack emitted a small sound4 ,he was staring at ,frank with all his eyes4 ,yes2 that's their way1 said ,frank4 ,well1 when ,i read it1 ,i simply couldn't think any more at all for a time4 ,the girl we were traveling with--she had picked up with the man ,i had got into trouble over1 you know--the girl was calling me to dinner1 she told me afterwards4 ,i didn't hear a sound4 ,she came and touched me at last1 and ,i woke up4 ,but ,i couldn't say anything4 ,they don't even now know what's the matter4 ,i came away that afternoon4 ,i couldn't even wait for the ,major-- ,eh8 ,the ,major4444 ,oh6 that's what the chap calls himself4 ,i don't think he's lying1 either4 ,i simply couldn't stand him another minute just then4 ,but ,i sent them a postcard that night--,i forget where from2 and--,there aren't any letters for me1 are there8 ,one or two bills4 ,oh6 well1 ,i shall hear soon1 ,i expect4 ,i must join them again in a day or two4 ,they're somewhere in this direction1 ,i know4 ,and what did you do8 ,frank considered4 ,i'm not quite sure4 ,i know ,i walked a great deal4 ,people were awfully good to me4 ,one woman stopped her motor--and ,i hadn't begged1 either-- ,you6 ,begged6 ,lord1 yes2 lots of times4444 ,well1 she gave me a quid1 and ,i didn't even thank her4 ,and that lasted me very well1 and ,i did a little work too1 here and there4 ,but1 good ,lord6 what did you do8 ,i walked4 ,i couldn't bear towns or people or anything4 ,i got somewhere outside of ,ripon at last1 and went out on to the moors4 ,i found an old shepherd's hut for about a week or ten days-- ,and you-- ,lived there8 ,yes4 ,i mended the hut thoroughly before ,i came away4 ,and then ,i thought ,i'd come on here4 ,what were you doing on the bridge8 ,waiting till dark4 ,i was going to ask at the lodge then whether you were at home4 ,and if ,i hadn't been8 ,gone on somewhere else1 ,i suppose4 ,jack tried to help himself to a whisky and soda1 but the soda flew out all over his shirt-front like a fountain1 and he was forced to make a small remark4 ,then he made another4 ,what about prison8 ,frank smiled4 ,oh6 ,i've almost forgotten that4 ,it was beastly at the time1 though4 ,and 444 and the ,major and the work6 ,lord6 ,frank1 you do tell a story badly4 ,he smiled again much more completely4 ,i'm too busy inside1 he said4 ,those things don't seem to matter much1 somehow4 ,inside8 ,what the deuce do you mean8 ,frank made a tiny deprecating gesture4 ,well1 what it's all about1 you know 444 ,jack4 ,yes4 ,it's a frightfully priggish thing to say1 but ,i'm extraordinarily interested as to what's going to happen next--inside1 ,i mean4 ,at least1 sometimes2 and then at other times ,i don't care a hang4 ,jack looked bewildered1 and said so tersely4 ,frank leaned forward a little4 ,it's like this1 you see4 ,something or other has taken me in hand3 ,i'm blessed if ,i know what4 ,all these things don't happen one on the top of the other just by a fluke4 ,there's something going on1 and ,i want to know what it is4 ,and ,i suppose something's going to happen soon4 ,for ,god's sake do say what you mean6 ,i can't more than that4 ,i tell you ,i don't know4 ,i only wish somebody could tell me4 ,but what does it all amount to8 ,what are you going to do next8 ,oh6 ,i know that all right4 ,i'm going to join the ,major and ,gertie again4 ,frank6 ,yes8444 ,no1 not a word1 please4 ,you promised you wouldn't4 ,i'm going to join those two again and see what happens4 ,but why8 ,that's my job4 ,i know that much4 ,i've got to get that girl back to her people again4 ,she's not his wife1 you know4 ,but what the devil-- ,it seems to me to matter a good deal4 ,oh6 she's a thoroughly stupid girl1 and he's a proper cad2 but that doesn't matter4 ,it's got to be done2 or1 rather1 ,i've got to try to do it4 ,i daresay ,i shan't succeed1 but that1 again1 doesn't matter4 ,i've got to do my job1 and then we'll see4 ,jack threw up his hands4 ,you're cracked6 he said4 ,i daresay1 said ,frank solemnly4 ,there was a pause4 ,it seemed to ,jack that the whole thing must be a dream4 ,this simply wasn't ,frank at all4 ,the wild idea came to him that the man who sat before him with ,frank's features was some kind of changeling4 ,mentally he shook himself4 ,and what about ,jenny8 he said4 ,frank sat perfectly silent and still for an instant4 ,then he spoke without heat4 ,i'm not quite sure1 he said4 ,sometimes ,i'd like to 444 well1 to make her a little speech about what she's done1 and sometimes ,i'd like to crawl to her and kiss her feet--but both those things are when ,i'm feeling bad4 ,on the whole1 ,i think--though ,i'm not sure--that is not my business any more2 in fact1 ,i'm pretty sure it's not4 ,it's part of the whole campaign and out of my hands4 ,it's no good talking about that any more4 ,so please don't1 ,jack4 ,one question8 ,well8 ,have you written to her or sent her a message8 ,no4 ,and ,i want to say one other thing4 ,i don't think it's against the bargain4 ,well8 ,will you take five hundred pounds and go out to the colonies8 ,frank looked up with an amused smile4 ,no1 ,i won't--thanks very much4444 ,am ,i in such disgrace as all that1 then8 ,you know ,i don't mean that1 said ,jack quietly4 ,no1 old chap4 ,i oughtn't to have said that4 ,i'm sorry4 ,jack waved a hand4 ,i thought perhaps you'd loathe ,england1 and would like--,and you don't seem absolutely bursting with pride1 you know4 ,honestly1 ,i don't think ,i am1 said ,frank4 ,but ,england suits me very well--and there are the other two1 you know4 ,but ,i'll tell you one thing you could do for me4 ,yes8 ,pay those extra bills4 ,i don't think they're much4 ,that's all right1 said ,jack4 ,and you really mean to go on with it all8 ,why1 yes4 7,v7 ,the moors had been pretty well shot over already since the twelfth of ,august1 but the two had a very pleasant day1 for all that1 a couple of days later4 ,they went but with a keeper and half a dozen beaters--,frank in an old homespun suit of ,jack's1 and his own powerful boots1 and made a very tolerable bag4 ,there was one dramatic moment1 ,jack told me1 when they found that luncheon had been laid at a high point on the hills from which the great gray mass of ,merefield and the shimmer of the lake in front of the house were plainly visible only eight miles away4 ,the flag was flying1 too1 from the flagstaff on the old keep1 showing1 according to ancient custom1 that ,lord ,talgarth was at home4 ,frank looked at it a minute or two with genial interest1 and ,jack wondered whether he had noticed1 as he himself had1 that even the ,rectory roof could be made out1 just by the church tower at the foot of the hill4 ,neither said anything1 but as the keeper came up to ask for orders as they finished lunch1 he tactfully observed that there was a wonderful fine view of ,merefield4 ,yes1 said ,frank1 you could almost make out people with a telescope4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the two were walking together alone as they dropped down1 an hour before sunset1 on to the upper end of ,barham4 ,they were both glowing with the splendid air and exercise1 and were just in that state of weariness that is almost unmixed physical pleasure to an imaginative thinker who contemplates a hot bath1 a quantity of tea1 and a long evening in a deep chair4 ,frank still preserved his impassive kind of attitude towards things in general1 but ,jack noticed with gentle delight that he seemed more off his guard1 and that he even walked with something more of an alert swing than he had on that first evening when they trudged up the drive together4 ,their road led them past the gate of the old churchyard1 and as they approached it1 dropping their feet faster and faster down the steep slope1 ,jack noticed two figures sitting on the road-side1 with their feet in the ditch--a man and a girl4 ,he was going past them1 just observing that the man had rather an unpleasant face1 with a ragged mustache1 and that the girl was sunburned1 fair-haired and rather pretty1 when he became aware that ,frank had slipped behind him4 ,the next instant he saw that ,frank was speaking to them1 and his heart dropped to zero4 ,all right1 he heard ,frank say1 ,i was expecting you4 ,this evening1 then4444 ,i say1 ,jack6 ,jack turned4 ,jack1 this is ,major and ,mrs4 ,trustcott1 ,i told you of4 ,this is my friend1 ,mr4--er--,mr4 ,jack4 ,jack bowed vaguely1 overwhelmed with disgust4 ,very happy to make your acquaintance1 sir1 said the ,major1 straightening himself in a military manner4 ,my good lady and ,i were resting here4 ,very pleasant neighborhood4 ,i'm glad you like it1 said ,jack4 ,then1 this evening1 said ,frank again4 ,can you wait an hour or two8 ,certainly1 my boy1 said the ,major4 ,time's no consideration with us1 as you know4 7,jack perceived that this was being said at him1 to show the familiarity this man enjoyed with his friend47 ,would nine o'clock be too late8 ,nine o'clock it shall be1 said the ,major4 ,and here8 ,here4 ,so long1 then1 said ,frank4 ,oh1 by the way-- ,he moved a little closer to this appalling pair1 and ,jack stood off1 to hear the sound of a sentence or two1 and then the chink of money4 ,so long1 then1 said ,frank again4 ,come along1 ,jack2 we must make haste4 ,good-evening1 sir1 cried the ,major1 but ,jack made no answer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank1 you don't mean to tell me that those are the people8 ,that's the ,major and ,gertie--yes4 ,and what was all that about this evening8 ,i must go1 ,jack4 ,i'm sorry2 but ,i told you it couldn't be more than a few days at the outside4 ,jack was silent1 but it was a hard struggle4 ,by the way1 how shall we arrange8 went on the other4 ,i can't take these clothes1 you know2 and ,i can't very well be seen leaving the house in my own4 ,do as you like1 snapped ,jack4 ,look here1 old man1 don't be stuffy4 ,how would it do if ,i took a bag and changed up in that churchyard8 ,it's locked up after dark1 isn't it8 ,yes4 ,you've got a key1 ,i suppose8 ,yes4 ,well1 then1 that's it4 ,and ,i'll leave the bag and the key in the hedge somewhere4 ,jack was silent4 ,jack held himself loyally in hand that evening1 but he could not talk much4 ,he consented to explain to his mother that ,frank had to be off after dinner that night1 and he also visited the housekeeper's room1 and caused a small bundle1 not much larger than a leg of mutton1 including two small bottles which jingled together1 to be wrapped up in brown paper--in which he inserted also a five-pound note 7he knew ,frank would not take more7--and the whole placed in the bag in which ,frank's old clothes were already concealed4 ,for the rest of the evening he sat1 mostly silent1 in one chair1 trying not to watch ,frank in another2 pretending to read1 but endeavoring to picture to his imagination what he himself would feel like if he were about to join the ,major and ,gertie in the churchyard at nine o'clock4444 ,frank sat quite quiet all the evening1 reading old volumes of ,punch4 ,they dined at half-past seven1 by request--,frank still in his homespun suit4 ,fanny and ,jill were rather difficult4 ,it seemed to them both a most romantic thing that this black-eyed1 sunburned young man1 with whom they had played garden-golf the day before1 should really be continuing his amazing walking-tour1 in company with two friends1 at nine o'clock that very night4 ,they wondered innocently why the two friends had not been asked to join them at dinner4 ,it was exciting1 too1 and unusual1 that this young man should dine in an old homespun suit4 ,they asked a quantity of questions4 ,where was ,mr4 ,guiseley going first8 ,frank didn't quite know2 ,where would he sleep that night8 ,frank didn't quite know2 he would have to see4 ,when was the walking-tour going to end8 ,frank didn't quite know4 ,did he really like it8 ,oh1 well1 ,frank thought it was a good thing to go on a walking tour1 even if you were rather uncomfortable sometimes4 ,the leave-taking was unemotional4 ,jack had announced suddenly and loudly in the smoking-room before dinner that he was going to see the last of ,frank1 as far as the churchyard2 ,frank had protested1 but had yielded4 ,the rest had all said good-by to him in the hall1 and at a quarter to nine the two young men went out into the darkness4 7,,vi7 ,it was a clear autumn night--a wonderful night of stars--and the skies blazed softly overhead down to the great blotted masses of the high moors that stood round ,barham4 ,it was perfectly still1 too--the wind had dropped1 and the only sound as the two walked down the park was the low talking of the stream over the stones beyond the belt of trees fifty yards away from the road4 ,jack was sick at heart2 but even so1 he tells me1 he was conscious that ,frank's silence was of a peculiar sort4 ,he felt somehow as if his friend were setting out to some great sacrifice in which he was to suffer1 and was only partly conscious of it--or1 at least1 so buoyed by some kind of exaltation or fanaticism as not to realize what he was doing4 7,he reminded me of a certain kind of dream that most people have now and then1 of accompanying some friend to death3 the friend goes forward1 silent and exultant1 and we cannot explain nor hold him back4 ,that was the sort of feeling1 said ,jack lamely47 99 99 99 99 99 ,jack had the grim satisfaction of carrying the bag in which1 so to speak1 the knife and fillet were hidden4 ,he changed his mood half a dozen times even in that quarter of an hour's walk through the town4 ,now the thing seemed horrible1 like a nightmare2 now absurdly preposterous2 now rather beautiful2 now perfectly ordinary and commonplace4 ,after all1 ,jack argued with himself1 there are such people as tramps1 and they survive4 ,why should not ,frank8 ,he had gipsy blood in him1 too4 ,what in the world was he--,jack--frightened of8 ,do you remember our talking about your grandmother8 he said suddenly1 as they neared the lodge4 ,yes4 ,why8 ,only ,i've just thought of something else4 ,wasn't one of your people executed under ,elizabeth8 ,by gad1 yes2 so he was4 ,i'd quite forgotten4 ,it was being on the wrong side for once4 ,how--the wrong side8 ,there was amusement in ,frank's voice as he answered4 ,it was for religion1 he said4 ,he was a ,papist4 ,all the rest of them conformed promptly4 ,they were a most accommodating lot4 ,they changed each time without making any difficulty4 ,i remember my governor telling us about it once4 ,he thought them very sensible4 ,and so they were1 by ,george6 from one point of view4 ,has your religion anything to do with all this8 ,oh1 ,i suppose so1 said ,frank1 with an indifferent air4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there were a good many doors open in the ,high ,street as they went up it1 and ,jack saluted half a dozen people mechanically as they touched their hats to him as he passed in the light from the houses4 ,what does it feel like being squire8 asked ,frank4 ,oh1 ,i don't know1 said ,jack4 ,rather good fun1 ,i should think1 said ,frank4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they were nearing the steep part of the ascent presently1 and the church clock struck nine4 ,bit late1 said ,frank4 ,when will you come again8 asked the other suddenly4 ,i'm here another fortnight1 you know1 and then at ,christmas again4 ,come for ,christmas if you can4 ,ah6 ,i don't know where ,i shall be4 ,give my love to ,cambridge1 though4 ,frank6 ,yes8 ,mayn't ,i say what ,i think8 ,no6 99 99 99 99 99 ,ah6 there was the roof of the old church standing out against the stars1 and there could be no more talking4 ,they might come upon the other two at any moment now4 ,they went five steps further1 and there1 in the shadow of the gate1 burned a dull red spot of fire1 that kindled up as they looked1 and showed for an instant the heavy eyes of the ,major with a pipe in his mouth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,good-evening1 sir1 came the military voice1 and the girl rose to her feet beside him4 ,you're just in time4 ,good-evening1 said ,jack dully4 ,we've had a pleasant evening of it up here1 ,mr4 ,kirkby1 after we'd stepped down and had a bit of supper at the ',crown4' ,i suppose you heard my name there1 said ,jack4 ,quite right1 sir4 ,give us the key1 said ,frank abruptly4 ,he unlocked the door and pushed it back over the grass-grown gravel4 ,wait for me here1 will you8 he said to ,jack4 ,i'm coming in4 ,i'll show you where to change4 99 99 99 99 99 ,twenty yards of an irregular twisted path1 over which they stumbled two or three times1 led them down to the little ruined doorway at the west end of the old church4 ,jack's father had restored the place admirably1 so far as restoration was possible1 and there stood now1 strong as ever1 the old tower1 roofed and floored throughout1 abutting on the four roofless walls1 within which ran the double row of column bases4 ,jack struck a light1 kindled a bicycle lamp he had brought with him1 and led the way4 ,come in here1 he said4 ,frank followed him into the room at the base of the tower and looked round4 ,this looks all right1 he said4 ,it was a ,catholic church once1 ,i suppose8 ,yes2 the parson says this was the old sacristy4 ,they've found things here1 ,i think--cupboards in the wall1 and so on4 ,this'll do excellently1 said ,frank4 ,i shan't be five minutes4 ,jack went out again without a word4 ,he felt it was a little too much to expect him to see the change actually being made1 and the garments of sacrifice put on4 7,it struck him with an unpleasant shock1 considering the form of his previous metaphor1 that he should have taken ,frank into the old sacristy47 ,he sat down on the low wall1 built to hold the churchyard from slipping altogether down the hill-side1 and looked out over the little town below4 ,the sky was more noticeable here2 one was more conscious of the enormous silent vault1 crowded with the steady stars1 cool and aloof2 and1 beneath1 of the feverish little town with sparks of red light dotted here and there1 where men wrangled and planned and bargained1 and carried on the little affairs of their little life with such astonishing zest4 ,jack was far from philosophical as a rule1 but it is a fact that meditations of this nature did engross him for a minute or two while he sat and waited for ,frank1 and heard the low voices talking in the lane outside4 ,it even occurred to him for an instant that it was just possible that what ,frank had said in the smoking-room before dinner was true1 and that ,something really did have him in hand1 and really1 did intend a definite plan and result to emerge from this deplorable and quixotic nonsense4 7,i suppose the contrast of stars and human lights may have helped to suggest this sort of thing to him47 ,then he gave himself up again to dismal considerations of a more particular kind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he heard ,frank come out1 and turned to see him in the dim light1 bag in hand1 dressed again as he had been three days ago4 ,on his head once more was the indescribable cap2 on his body the indescribable clothes4 ,he wore on his feet the boots in which he had tramped the moors that day4 7,how far away seemed that afternoon now1 and the cheerful lunch in the sunshine on the hill-top67 ,here ,i am1 ,jack4 ,then every promise went to the winds4 ,jack stood up and took a step towards him4 ,frank1 ,i do implore you to give up this folly4 ,i asked you not to do it at ,cambridge1 and ,i ask you again now4 ,i don't care a damn what ,i promised4 ,it's simple madness1 and-- ,frank had wheeled without a word1 and was half-way to the gate4 ,jack stumbled after him1 calling under his breath2 but the other had already passed through the gate and joined the ,major and ,gertie before ,jack could reach him4 ,and so you think up here is the right direction8 ,frank was saying4 ,i got some tips at the ',crown1' said the ,major4 ,there are some farms up there1 where-- ,frank1 may ,i speak to you a minute8 ,no4444 ,all right1 ,major2 ,i'm ready at once if you are4 ,he turned towards ,jack4 ,by the way1 he said1 what's in this parcel8 ,something to eat and drink1 murmured ,jack4 ,oh 444 ,i shan't want that1 thanks very much4 ,here's the bag with the clothes in it4 ,i'm awfully grateful1 old man1 for all your kindness4 ,awfully sorry to have bothered you4 ,by the way1 ,frankie1 put in the hateful voice at his side1 ,i'll take charge of that parcel1 if you don't want it4 ,catch hold1 then1 said ,frank4 ,you're welcome to it1 if you'll carry it4 ,you all right1 ,gertie8 ,the girl murmured something inaudible4 ,as at their first meeting1 she had said nothing at all4 ,the ,major lifted a bundle out of the depths of the hedge1 slung it on his stick1 and stood waiting1 his face again illuminated with the glow of his pipe4 ,he had handed the new parcel to ,gertie without a word4 ,well1 good-by again1 old man1 said ,frank1 holding out his hand4 ,he1 too1 ,jack saw1 had his small bundle wrapped up in the red handkerchief1 as on the bridge when they had first met4 ,jack took his hand and shook it4 ,he could say nothing4 ,then the three turned and set their faces up the slope4 ,he could see them1 all silent together1 pass up1 more and more dim in the darkness of the hedge1 the two men walking together1 the girl a yard behind them4 ,then they turned the corner and were gone4 ,but ,jack still stood where ,frank had left him1 listening1 until long after the sound of their footfalls had died away4 7,,vii7 ,jack had a horrid dream that night4 ,he was wandering1 he thought1 gun in hand after grouse1 alone on the high moors4 ,it was one of those heavy days1 so common in dreams1 when the light is so dim that very little can be seen4 ,he was aware of countless hill-tops round him1 and valleys that ran down into profound darkness1 where only the lights of far-off houses could be discerned4 ,his sport was of that kind peculiar to sleep-imaginings4 ,enormous birds1 larger than ostriches1 rose occasionally by ones or twos with incredible swiftness1 and soared like balloons against the heavy1 glimmering sky4 ,he fired at these and feathers sprang from them1 but not a bird fell4 ,once he inflicted an indescribable wound 444 and the bird sped across the sky1 blotting out half of it1 screaming4 ,then as the screaming died he became aware that there was a human note in it1 and that ,frank was crying to him1 somewhere across the confines of the wold1 and the horror that had been deepening with each shot he fired rose to an intolerable climax4 ,then began one of the regular nightmare chases3 he set off to run2 the screaming grew fainter each instant2 he could not see his way in the gloom2 he clambered over bowlders2 he sank in bogs1 and dragged his feet from them with infinite pains2 his gun became an unbearable burden1 yet he dared not throw it from him2 he knew that he should need it presently4444 ,the screaming had ceased now1 yet he dared not stop running2 ,frank was in some urgent peril1 and he knew it was not yet too late1 if he could but find him soon4 ,he ran and ran2 the ground was knee-deep now in the feathers that had fallen from the wounded birds2 it was darker than ever1 yet he toiled on hopelessly1 following1 as he thought1 the direction from which the cries had come4 ,then as at last he topped the rise of a hill1 the screaming broke out again1 shrill and frightful1 close at hand1 and the next instant he saw beneath him in the valley a hundred yards away that for which he had run so far4 ,running up the slope below1 at right angles to his own path came ,frank1 in the dress-clothes he had borrowed1 with pumps upon his feet2 his hands were outstretched1 his face white as ashes1 and he screamed as he ran4 ,behind him ran a pack of persons whose faces he could not see2 they ran like hounds1 murmuring as they came in a terrible whining voice4 ,then ,jack understood that he could save ,frank2 he brought his gun to the shoulder1 aimed it at the brown of the pack and drew the trigger4 ,a snap followed1 and he discovered that he was unloaded2 he groped in his cartridge-belt and found it empty4444 ,he tore at his pockets1 and found at last one cartridge2 and as he dashed it into the open breach1 his gun broke in half4 ,simultaneously the quarry vanished over an edge of hill1 and the pack followed1 the leaders now not ten yards behind the flying figure in front4 ,jack stood there1 helpless and maddened4 ,then he flung the broken pieces of his gun at the disappearing runners2 sank down in the gloom1 and broke out into that heart-shattering nightmare sobbing which shows that the limit has been reached4 ,he awoke1 still sobbing--certain that ,frank was in deadly peril1 if not already dead1 and it was a few minutes before he dared to go to sleep once more4 ,,chapter ,,ii 7,i7 ,the ,rectory garden at ,merefield was1 obviously1 this summer1 the proper place to spend most of the day4 ,certainly the house was cool--it was one of those long1 low1 creeper-covered places that somehow suggest ,william ,,iv4 and crinolines 7if it is a fact that those two institutions flourished together1 as ,i think71 with large1 darkish rooms and wide1 low staircases and tranquil-looking windows through which roses peep2 but the shadow of the limes and the yews was cooler still4 ,a table stood almost permanently through those long1 hot summer days in the place where ,dick had sat with ,jenny1 and here the ,rector and his daughter breakfasted1 lunched and dined1 day after day1 for a really extraordinarily long period4 ,jenny herself lived in the garden even more than her father2 she got through the household business as quickly as possible after breakfast1 and came out to do any small businesses that she could during the rest of the morning4 ,she wrote a few letters1 read a few books1 sewed a little1 and1 on the whole1 presented a very domestic and amiable picture4 ,she visited poor people for an hour or so two or three days a week1 and occasionally1 when ,lord ,talgarth was well enough1 rode out with him and her father after tea1 through the woods1 and sometimes with ,lord ,talgarth alone4 ,she suffered practically no pangs of conscience at all on the subject of ,frank4 ,her letter had been perfectly sincere1 and she believed herself to have been exceedingly sensible4 7,it is1 perhaps1 one may observe1 one of the most dangerous things in the world to think oneself sensible2 it is even more dangerous than to be told so47 ,for the worst of it all was that she was quite right4 ,it was quite plain that she and ,frank were not suited to one another2 that she had looked upon that particular quality in him which burst out in the bread-and-butter incident1 the leaving of ,cambridge1 the going to prison1 and so forth1 as accidental to his character1 whereas it was essential4 ,it was also quite certain that it was the apotheosis of common-sense for her to recognize that1 to say so1 and to break off the engagement4 ,of course1 she had moments of what ,i should call grace1 and she would call insanity1 when she wondered for a little while whether to be sensible was the highest thing in life2 but her general attitude to these was as it would be towards temptation of any other kind4 ,to be sensible1 she would say1 was to be successful and effective2 to be otherwise was to fail and to be ineffective4 ,very well1 then4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the beginning of ,september ,dick ,guiseley came to ,merefield to shoot grouse4 ,the grouse1 as ,i think ,i have already remarked1 were backward this year1 and1 after a kind of ceremonial opening1 to give warning as it were1 on the twelfth of ,august1 they were left in peace4 ,business was to begin on the third1 and on the evening of the second ,dick arrived4 ,he opened upon the subject that chiefly occupied his thoughts just now with ,archie that night when ,lord ,talgarth had gone to bed4 ,they were sitting in the smoking-room1 with the outer door well open to admit the warm evening air4 ,they had discussed the prospects of grouse next day with all proper solemnity1 and ,archie had enumerated the people who were to form their party4 ,the ,rector was coming to shoot1 and ,jenny was to ride out and join them at lunch4 ,then ,archie yawned largely1 finished his drink1 and took up his candle4 ,oh6 she's coming1 is she8 said ,dick meditatively4 ,archie struck a match4 ,how's ,frank8 went on ,dick4 ,haven't heard from him4 ,where is the poor devil8 ,haven't an idea4 ,dick emitted a monosyllabic laugh4 ,and how's she behaving8 ,jenny8 ,oh6 just as usual4 ,she's a sensible girl and knows her mind4 ,dick pondered this an instant4 ,i'm going to bed1 said ,archie4 ,got to have a straight eye to-morrow4 ,oh6 sit down a second4444 ,i want to talk4 ,archie1 as a compromise1 propped himself against the back of a chair4 ,she doesn't regret it1 then8 pursued ,dick4 ,not she1 said ,archie4 ,it would never have done4 ,i know1 agreed ,dick warmly4 7,it was a real pleasure to him that head and heart went together in this matter47 ,but sometimes1 you know1 women regret that sort of thing4 ,wish they hadn't been quite so sensible1 you know4 ,jenny doesn't1 said ,archie4 ,dick took up his glass which he had filled with his third whisky-and-soda1 hardly five minutes before1 and drank half of it4 ,he sucked his mustache1 and in that instant confidentialism rose in his heart4 ,well1 ,i'm going to have a shot myself1 he said4 ,what8 ,i'm going to have a shot4 ,she can but say ',no4' ,archie's extreme repose of manner vanished for a second4 ,his jaw dropped a little4 ,but1 good ,lord6 ,i hadn't the faintest-- ,i know you hadn't4 ,but ,i've had it for a long time4444 ,what d'you think1 ,archie8 ,my good chap-- ,yes1 ,i know2 leave all that out4 ,we'll take that as read4 ,what comes next8 ,archie looked at him a moment4 ,how d'you mean8 ,do you mean1 do ,i approve8 ,well1 ,i didn't mean that1 admitted ,dick4 ,i meant1 how'd ,i better set about it8 ,archie's face froze ever so slightly4 7,it will be remembered that ,jack ,kirkby considered him pompous47 ,you must do it your own way1 he said4 ,sorry1 old man1 said ,dick4 ,didn't mean to be rude4 ,archie straightened himself from the chair-back4 ,it's all rather surprising1 he said4 ,it never entered my head4 ,i must think about it4 ,good-night4 ,put the lights out when you come4 ,archie1 old man1 are you annoyed8 ,no1 no2 that's all right1 said ,archie4 ,and really and truly that was all that passed between these two that night on the subject of ,jenny--so reposeful were they4 7,,ii7 ,there was a glorious breeze blowing over the hills as ,jenny rode slowly up about noon next day4 ,the country is a curious mixture--miles of moor1 as desolate and simple and beautiful as moors can be1 and by glimpses1 now and then in the valleys between1 of entirely civilized villages1 with even a town or two here and there1 prick-up spires and roofs2 and1 even more ominous1 in this direction and that1 lie patches of smoke about the great chimneys4 ,jenny was meditative as she rode up alone4 ,it is very difficult to be otherwise when one has passed through one considerable crisis1 and foresees a number of others that must be met1 especially if one has not made up one's mind as to the proper line of action4 ,it is all very well to be sensible1 but a difficulty occasionally arises as to which of two or three courses is the more in accordance with that character4 ,to be impulsive certainly leads to trouble sometimes1 but also1 sometimes it saves it4 ,jenny looked charming in repose4 ,she was in a delightful green habit2 she wore a plumy kind of hat2 she rode an almost perfect little mare belonging to ,lord ,talgarth1 and her big blue1 steady eyes roved slowly round her as she went1 seeing nothing4 ,it was1 in fact1 the almost perfect little mare who first gave warning of the approach to the sportsmen1 by starting violently all over at the sound of a shot1 fired about half a mile away4 ,jenny steadied her1 pulled her up1 and watched between the cocked and twitching ears4 ,below her1 converging slowly upwards1 away from herself1 moved a line of dots1 each precisely like its neighbor in color 7,lord ,talgarth was very particular1 indeed1 about the uniform of his beaters71 and by each moved a red spot1 which ,jenny understood to be a flag4 ,the point towards which they were directed culminated in a low1 rounded hill1 and beneath the crown of this1 in a half circle1 were visible a series of low defenses1 like fortifications1 to command the face of the slope and the dips on either side4 ,this was always the last beat--in this moor--before lunch2 and lunch itself1 she knew1 would be waiting on the other side of the hill4 ,occasionally as she watched1 she saw a slight movement behind this or that butt--no more--and the only evidence of human beings1 beside the beaters1 lay in the faint wreath of all but invisible smoke that followed the reports1 coming now quicker and quicker1 as the grouse took alarm4 ,once with a noise like a badly ignited rocket1 there burst over the curve before her a flying brown thing1 that1 screaming with terrified exultation1 whirred within twenty yards of her head and vanished into silence4 7,one cocked ear of the mare bent back to see if the rocket were returning or not47 ,jenny's meditations became more philosophical than ever as she looked4 ,she found herself wondering how much free choice the grouse--if they were capable themselves of philosophizing--would imagine themselves to possess in the face of this noisy but insidious death4 ,she reminded herself that every shred of instinct and experience that each furious little head contained bade the owner of it to fly as fast and straight as possible1 in squawking company with as many friends as possible1 away from those horrible personages in green and silver with the agitating red flags1 and up that quiet slope which1 at the worst1 only emitted sudden noises4 ,a reflective grouse would perhaps 7and two out of three did7 consider that he could fly faster and be sooner hidden from the green men with red flags1 if he slid crosswise down the valleys on either side4 ,but--,jenny observed--that was already calculated by these human enemies1 and butts 7like angels' swords7 commanded even these approaches too4 ,it was obvious1 then1 that however great might be the illusion of free choice1 in reality there was none3 they were betrayed hopelessly by the very instincts intended to safeguard them2 practical common-sense1 in this case1 at least1 led them straight into the jaws of death4 ,a little originality and impulsiveness would render them immortal so far as guns were concerned4444 ,yes2 but there was one who had been original1 who had actually preferred to fly straight past a monster in green on a gray mare rather than to face the peaceful but deathly slopes2 and he had escaped4 ,but obviously he was an exception4 ,originality in grouse-- ,at this point the mare breathed slowly and contemptuously and advanced a delicate1 impatient foot1 having quite satisfied herself that danger was no longer imminent2 and ,jenny became aware she was thinking nonsense4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there were a number of unimportant but well-dressed persons at lunch1 with most of whom ,jenny was acquainted4 ,these extended themselves on the ground and said the right things one after another2 and all began with long drinks1 and all ended with heavy meals4 ,there were two other women whom she knew slightly1 who had driven up half an hour before4 ,everything was quite perfect--down even to hot grilled grouse that emerged from emblazoned silver boxes1 and hot black coffee poured from ,thermos flasks4 ,jenny asked intelligent questions and made herself agreeable4 ,at the close of lunch she found herself somehow sitting on a small rock beside ,dick4 ,lord ,talgarth was twenty yards away1 his gaitered legs very wide apart1 surveying the country and talking to the keeper4 ,her father was looking down the barrels of his rather ineffective gun1 and ,archie1 with three or four other men and two women1 a wife and a sister1 was smoking with his back against a rock4 ,shall you be in to-morrow8 asked ,dick casually4 ,jenny paused an instant4 ,i should think so6 she said4 ,i've got one or two things to do4 ,perhaps ,i may look in8 ,i want to talk to you about something if ,i may4 ,shan't you be shooting again8 ,no2 ,i'm not very fit and shall take a rest4 ,jenny was silent4 ,about what time8 pursued ,dick4 ,jenny roused herself with a little start4 ,she had been staring out over the hills and wondering if that was the church above ,barham that she could almost see against the horizon4 ,oh6 any time up to lunch1 she said vaguely4 ,dick stood up slowly with a satisfied air and stretched himself4 ,he looked very complete and trim1 thought ,jenny1 from his flat cap to his beautifully-spatted shooting-boots4 7,it was twelve hundred a year1 at least1 wasn't it87 ,well1 ,i suppose we shall be moving directly1 he said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a beater came up bringing the mare just before the start was made4 ,all right1 you can leave her1 said ,jenny4 ,i won't mount yet4 ,just hitch the bridle on to something4 ,it was a pleasant and picturesque sight to see the beaters1 like a file of medieval huntsmen1 dwindle down the hill in their green and silver in one direction1 and1 five minutes later1 the sportsmen in another4 ,it looked like some mysterious military maneuver on a small scale2 and again ,jenny considered the illusion of free choice enjoyed by the grouse1 who1 perhaps1 two miles away1 crouched in hollows among the heather4 ,and yet1 practically speaking1 there was hardly any choice at all4444 ,lady ,richard1 the wife of one of the men1 interrupted her in a drawl4 ,looks jolly1 doesn't it8 she said4 ,jenny assented cordially4 7,she hated this woman1 somehow1 without knowing why4 ,she said to herself it was the drawl and the insolent cold eyes and the astonishing complacency2 and she only half acknowledged that it was the beautiful lines of the dress and the figure and the assured social position47 ,we're driving1 went on the tall girl4 ,you rode1 didn't you8 ,yes4 ,lord ,talgarth's mare1 isn't it8 ,i thought ,i recognized her4 ,yes4 ,i haven't got a horse of my own1 you know1 said ,jenny deliberately4 ,oh6 ,jenny suddenly felt her hatred rise almost to passion4 ,i must be going1 she said4 ,i've got to visit an old woman who's dying4 ,a rector's daughter1 you know-- ,ah6 yes4 ,then ,jenny mounted from a rock 7,lady ,richard held the mare's head and settled the habit71 and rode slowly away downhill4 7,,iii7 ,dick approached the ,rectory next day a little before twelve o'clock with as much excitement in his heart as he ever permitted to himself4 ,dick is a good fellow--,i haven't a word to say against him1 except perhaps that he used to think that to be a ,guiseley1 and to have altogether sixteen hundred a year and to live in a flat in ,st4 ,james's1 and to possess a pointed brown beard and melancholy brown eyes and a reposeful manner1 relieved him from all further effort4 ,i have wronged him1 however2 he had made immense efforts to be proficient at billiards1 and had really succeeded2 and1 since his ultimate change of fortune1 has embraced even further responsibilities in a conscientious manner4 ,of course1 he had been in love before in a sort of way2 but this was truly different4 ,he wished to marry ,jenny very much indeed4444 ,that she was remarkably sensible1 really beautiful and eminently presentable1 of course1 paved the way2 but1 if ,i understand the matter rightly1 these were not the only elements in the case4 ,it was the genuine thing4 ,he did not quite know how he would face the future if she refused him2 and he was sufficiently humble to be in doubt4 ,the neat maid told him at the door that ,miss ,launton had given directions that he was to be shown into the garden if he came4444 ,no2 ,miss ,launton was in the morning-room1 but she should be told at once4 ,so ,dick strolled across the lawn and sat down by the garden table4 ,he looked at the solemn1 dreaming house in the late summer sunshine2 he observed a robin issue out from a lime tree and inspect him sideways2 and then another robin issue from another lime tree and drive the first one away4 ,then he noticed a smear of dust on his own left boot1 and flicked it off with a handkerchief4 ,then1 as he put his handkerchief away again1 he saw ,jenny coming out from the drawing-room window4 ,she looked really extraordinarily beautiful as she came slowly across towards him and he stood to meet her4 ,she was bare-headed1 but her face was shadowed by the great coils of hair4 ,she was in a perfectly plain pink dress1 perfectly cut1 and she carried herself superbly4 ,she looked just a trifle paler than yesterday1 he thought1 and there was a very reserved1 steady kind of question in her eyes4 7,i am sorry to be obliged to go on saying this sort of thing about ,jenny every time she comes upon the scene2 but it is the sort of thing that everyone is obliged to go on thinking whenever she makes her appearance47 ,i've got a good deal to say1 said ,dick1 after they had sat a moment or two4 ,may ,i say it right out to the end8 ,why1 certainly1 said ,jenny4 ,dick leaned back and crossed one knee over the other4 ,his manner was exactly right--at any rate1 it was exactly what he wished it to be1 and all through his little speech he preserved it4 ,it was quite restrained1 extremely civilized1 and not at all artificial4 ,it was his method of presenting a fact--the fact that he really was in love with this girl--and was in his best manner4 ,there was a lightness of touch about this method of his1 but it was only on the surface4 ,i daresay it's rather bad form my coming and saying all this so soon1 but ,i can't help that4 ,i know you must have gone through an awful lot in the last month or two--perhaps even longer--but ,i don't know about that4 ,and ,i want to begin by apologizing if ,i am doing what ,i shouldn't4 ,the fact is that--well1 that ,i daren't risk waiting4 ,he did not look at ,jenny 7he was observing the robin that had gone and come again since ,jenny had appeared71 but he was aware that at his first sentence she had suddenly settled down into complete motionlessness4 ,he wondered whether that was a good omen or not4 ,well1 now1 he said1 let me give a little account of myself first4 ,i'm just thirty-one2 ,i've got four hundred a year of my own1 and ,lord ,talgarth allows me twelve hundred a year more4 ,then ,i've got other expectations1 as they say4 ,my uncle gives me to understand that my allowance is secured to me in his will2 and ,i'm the heir of my aunt1 ,lady ,simon1 whom you've probably met4 ,i just mention that to show ,i'm not a pauper-- ,mr4 ,guiseley-- began ,jenny4 ,please wait4 ,i've not done yet4 ,do you mind8 444 ,i'm a decent living man4 ,i'm not spotless1 but ,i'll answer any questions you like to put--to your father4 ,i've not got any profession1 though ,i'm supposed to be a solicitor2 but ,i'm perfectly willing to work if 444 if it's wished1 or to stand for ,parliament1 or anything like that--there hasn't1 so far1 seemed any real1 particular reason why ,i should work4 ,that's all4 ,and ,i think you know the sort of person ,i am1 all round4 ,and now we come to the point4 7,dick hesitated a fraction of a second4 ,he was genuinely moved47 ,the point is that ,i'm in love with you1 and ,i have been for some time past4 ,i 444 ,i can't put it more plainly 444 7,one moment1 please1 ,i've nearly done47 444 ,i can't think of anything else2 and ,i haven't been able to for the last two or three months4 ,i 444 ,i 444 ,i'm fearfully sorry for poor old ,frank2 ,i'm very fond of him1 you know1 but ,i couldn't help finding it an extraordinary relief when ,i heard the news4 ,and now ,i've come to ask you1 perfectly straight1 whether you'll consent to be my wife4 ,dick looked at her for the first time since he had begun his little speech4 ,she still sat absolutely quiet 7she had not even moved at the two words she had uttered71 but she had gone paler still4 ,her mouth was in repose1 without quiver or movement1 and her beautiful eyes looked steadily on to the lawn before her4 ,she said nothing4 ,if you can't give me an answer quite at once1 began ,dick again presently1 ,i'm perfectly willing to-- ,she turned and looked him courageously in the face4 ,i can't say ',yes1' she said4 ,that would be absurd4444 ,you have been quite straightforward with me1 and ,i must be straightforward with you4 ,that is what you wish1 isn't it8 ,dick inclined his head4 ,his heart was thumping furiously with exultation--in spite of her words4 ,then what ,i say is this3 ,you must wait a long time4 ,if you had insisted on an answer now1 ,i should have said ',no4' ,i hate to keep you waiting1 particularly when ,i do really think it will be ',no' in the long run2 but as ,i'm not quite sure1 and as you've been perfectly honest and courteous1 if you really wish it ,i won't say ',no' at once4 ,will that do8 ,whatever you say1 said ,dick4 ,you mustn't forget ,i was engaged to ,frank till quite lately4 ,don't you see how that obscures one's judgment8 ,i simply can't judge now1 and ,i know ,i can't4444 ,you're willing to wait1 then8--even though ,i tell you now that ,i think it will be ',no'8 ,whatever you say1 said ,dick again2 and may ,i say thank you for not saying ',no' at once8 ,a very slight look of pain came into the girl's eyes4 ,i would sooner you didn't1 she said4 ,i'm sorry you said that4444 ,i'm sorry1 said poor ,dick4 ,there was a pause4 ,one other thing1 said ,jenny4 ,would you mind not saying anything to my father8 ,i don't want him to be upset any more4 ,have you told anybody else you were--8 ,yes1 said ,dick bravely1 ,i told ,archie4 ,i'm sorry you did that4 ,will you then just tell him exactly what ,i said--exactly1 you know4 ,that ,i thought it would be ',no'2 but that ,i only didn't say so at once because you wished it4 ,very well1 said ,dick4 ,it was a minute or so before either spoke again4 ,jenny had that delightful and soothing gift which prevents silence from being empty4 ,it is the same gift1 in another form1 as that which enables its possessor to put people at their ease4 7,it is1 ,i suppose1 one of the elements of tact47 ,dick had a sense that they were still talking gently and reasonably1 though he could not quite understand all that ,jenny was meaning4 ,she interrupted it by a sudden sentence4 ,i wonder if it's fair1 she said4 ,you know ,i'm all but certain4 ,i only don't say so because-- ,let it be at that1 said ,dick4 ,it's my risk1 isn't it8 7,,iii7 ,when he had left her at last1 she sat on perfectly still in the same place4 ,the robin had given it up in despair3 this human creature was not going to scratch garden-paths as she sometimes did1 and disclose rich worms and small fat maggots4 ,but a cat had come out instead and was now pacing with stiff forelegs1 lowered head and trailing tail1 across the sunny grass1 endeavoring to give an impression that he was bent on some completely remote business of his own4 ,he paused at the edge of the shadow and eyed the girl malignantly4 ,wow6 said the cat4 ,there was no response4 ,wow6 said the cat4 ,jenny roused herself4 ,wow6 said ,jenny meditatively4 ,wow6 said the cat1 walking on4 ,wow6 said ,jenny4 ,again there was a long silence4 ,wow6 said ,jenny indignantly4 ,the cat turned a slow head sideways as he began to cross the path1 but said nothing4 ,he waited for another entreaty1 but ,jenny paid no more attention4 ,as he entered the yews he turned once more4 ,wow6 said the cat1 almost below his breath4 ,but ,jenny made no answer4 ,the cat cast one venomous look and disappeared4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then there came out a dog--a small brown and black animal1 very sturdy on his legs1 and earnest and independent in air and manner4 ,he was the illegitimate offspring of a fox-terrier4 ,he trotted briskly across from the direction of the orchard1 diagonally past ,jenny4 ,as he crossed the trail of the cat he paused1 smelt1 and followed it up for a yard or two1 till he identified for certain that it proceeded from an acquaintance2 then he turned to resume his journey4 ,the movement attracted the girl's attention4 ,lama6 called ,jenny imperiously4 ,come here this instant6 ,lama put his head on one side1 nodded and smiled at her indulgently1 and trotted on4 99 99 99 99 99 ,oh1 dear me6 said ,jenny1 sighing out loud4 ,,chapter ,,iii 7,i7 ,there lived 7and still lives1 ,i believe7 in the small ,yorkshire village of ,tarfield a retired doctor1 entirely alone except for his servants1 in a large house4 ,it is a very delightful house1 only--when ,i stayed there not long ago--it seemed to me that the doctor did not know how to use it4 ,it stands in its own grounds of two or three acres1 on the right-hand side of the road to a traveler going north1 separated by a row of pollarded limes from the village street1 and approached--or1 rather1 supposed to be approached--by a ,charles ,,ii4 gate of iron-scroll work4 ,i say supposed to be approached because the gate is invariably kept locked1 and access can only be gained to the house through the side gate from the stable-yard4 ,the grounds were abominably neglected when ,i saw them2 grass was growing on every path1 and as fine a crop of weeds surged up amongst the old autumn flowers as ever ,i have seen4 ,the house1 too1 was a sad sight4 ,there here two big rooms1 one on either side of the little entrance-hall--one a dining-room1 the other a sort of drawing-room--and both were dreary and neglected-looking places4 ,in the one the doctor occasionally ate1 in the other he never sat except when a rare visitor came to see him1 and the little room supposed to be a study at the foot of the stairs in the inner hall that led through the kitchen was hardly any better4 ,i was there1 ,i say1 last autumn1 and the condition of the place must have been very much the same as that in which it was when ,frank came to ,tarfield in ,october4 ,for the fact was that the doctor--who was possessed of decent private means--devoted the whole of his fortune1 the whole of his attention1 and the whole of his life--such as it was--to the study of toxins upstairs4 ,toxins1 ,i understand1 have something to do with germs4 ,their study involves1 at any rate at present1 a large stock of small animals1 such as mice and frogs and snakes and guinea-pigs and rabbits1 who are given various diseases and then studied with loving attention4 ,i saw the doctor's menagerie when ,i went to see him about ,frank2 they were chiefly housed in a large room over the kitchen1 communicating with the doctor's own room by a little old powder-closet with two doors1 and the smell was indescribable4 ,ranks of cages and boxes rose almost to the ceiling1 and in the middle of the room was a large business-like looking wooden kitchen-table with various appliances on it4 ,i saw the doctor's room also--terribly shabby1 but undoubtedly a place of activity4 ,there were piles of books and unbound magazines standing about in corners1 with more on the table1 as well as a heap of note-books4 ,an array of glass tubes and vary-colored bottles stood below the window1 with a microscope1 and small wooden boxes on one side4 ,and there was1 besides1 something which ,i think he called an incubator--a metal affair1 standing on four slender legs2 a number of glass tubes emerged from this1 each carefully stoppered with cotton wool1 and a thermometer thrust itself up in one corner4 ,a really high degree of proficiency in any particular subject invariably leads to atrophy in other directions4 ,a man who eats and breathes and dreams ,toxins1 for instance1 who lives so much in ,toxins that he corresponds almost daily with learned and unintelligible ,germans2 who knows so much about ,toxins that when he enters1 with shabby trousers and a small hand-bag1 into the room of a polished specialist in ,harley ,street1 he sees as in a dream the specialist rise and bow before him--who1 when he can be persuaded to contribute a short and highly technical article to a medical magazine1 receives a check for twenty-five guineas by return of post--a man of this kind is peculiarly open to the danger of thinking that anything which cannot be expressed in terms of ,toxin is negligible nonsense4 ,it is the characteristic danger of every specialist in every branch of knowledge2 even theologians are not wholly immune4 ,it was so in the case of ,dr4 ,whitty 7,i forget all the initials that should follow his name74 ,he had never been married1 he never took any exercise2 occasionally1 when a frog's temperature approached a crisis1 he slept in his clothes1 and forgot to change them in the morning4 ,and he was the despair of the zealous vicar4 ,he was perfectly convinced that1 since the force that underlay the production of ,toxins could accomplish so much1 it could surely accomplish everything4 ,he could reduce his roses1 his own complexion1 the grass on his garden-paths1 the condition of his snakes'1 and frogs' skins1 and the texture of his kitchen-table--if you gave him time--to terms of ,toxin2 therefore1 argued ,dr4 ,whitty1 you could1 if you had more time1 reduce everything else to the same terms4 ,there wasn't such a thing as a soul1 of course--it was a manifestation of a combination of ,toxins 7or anti-,toxins1 ,i forget which72 there was no ,god--the idea of ,god was the result of another combination of ,toxins1 akin to a belief in the former illusion4 ,roughly speaking1 ,i think his general position was that as ,toxins are a secretion of microbes 7,i am certain of that phrase1 anyhow71 so thought and spiritual experiences and so forth are a secretion of the brain4 ,i know it sounded all very brilliant and unanswerable and analogous to other things4 ,he hardly ever took the trouble to say all this2 he was far too much interested in what he already knew1 or was just on the point of finding out1 to treat of these extravagant and complicated ramifications of his subject4 ,when he really got to know his mice and bats1 as they deserved to be known1 it might be possible to turn his attention to other things4 ,meanwhile1 it was foolish and uneconomical4 ,so here he lived1 with a man-of-all-work and his man's wife1 and daily went from strength to strength in the knowledge of ,toxins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was to this household that there approached1 in the month of ,october1 a small and dismal procession of three4 ,the doctor was first roused to a sense of what was happening as he shuffled swiftly through his little powder-closet one morning soon after breakfast1 bearing in his hand the corpse of a mouse which had at last1 and most disappointingly1 succumbed to a severe attack of some hybrid of leprosy4 ,as he flew through to his microscope he became aware of an altercation in the stable-yard beneath4 ,i tell you he ain't a proper doctor1 he heard his man explaining2 he knows nothing about them things4 ,my good fellow1 began a high1 superior voice out of sight2 but ,dr4 ,whitty swept on1 and was presently deep in indescribable disgustingness of the highest possible value to the human race1 especially in the ,south ,seas4 ,time meant nothing at all to him1 when this kind of work was in hand2 and it was after what might be an hour or two hours1 or ten minutes1 that he heard a tap on his door4 ,he uttered a sound without moving his eye1 and the door opened4 ,very sorry1 sir1 said his man1 but there's a party in the yard as won't-- ,the doctor held up his hand for silence1 gazed a few moments longer1 poked some dreadful little object two or three times1 sighed and sat back4 ,eh8 ,there's a party in the yard1 sir1 wants a doctor4 7,this sort of thing had happened before47 ,tell them to be off1 he said sharply4 ,he was not an unkindly man1 but this sort of thing was impossible4 ,tell them to go to ,dr4 ,foster4 ,i 'ave1 sir1 said the man4 ,tell them again1 said the doctor4 ,i 'ave1 sir4 ',arf a dozen times4 ,the doctor sighed--he was paying practically no attention at all1 of course4 ,the leprous mouse had been discouraging2 that was all4 ,if you'd step down1 sir1 an instant-- ,the doctor returned from soaring through a ,toxined universe4 ,nonsense1 he said sharply4 ,tell them ,i'm not practicing4 ,what do they want8 ,please1 sir1 it's a young man as 'as poisoned 'is foot1 'e says4 ',e looks very bad1 and-- ,eh8 ,poison8 ,yes1 sir4 ,the doctor appeared to reflect a moment 7that mouse1 you know--72 then he recovered4 ,i'll be down directly1 he said almost mechanically4 ,take 'em all into the study4 7,,ii7 ,dr4 ,whitty could hardly explain to me1 even when he tried1 exactly why he had made an exception in this particular instance4 ,of course1 ,i understand perfectly myself why he did2 but1 for himself1 all he could say was that he supposed the word ,poison happened to meet his mood4 ,he had honestly done with the mouse just now2 he had no other very critical case1 and he thought he might as well look at the poisoned young man for an instant1 before finally despatching him to ,dr4 ,foster1 six miles further on4 ,when he came into the study ten minutes later he found the party ranged to meet him4 ,a girl was sitting on a box in the corner by the window1 and stood up to receive him2 a young man was sitting back in a ,windsor chair1 with one boot off1 jerking spasmodically2 his eyes stared unmeaningly before him4 ,a tallish1 lean man of a particularly unprepossessing appearance was leaning over him with an air of immense solicitude4 ,they were all three evidently of the tramp-class4 ,what they saw--with the exception of ,frank1 ,i expect1 who was too far gone to notice anything--was a benignant-looking old man1 very shabby1 in an alpaca jacket1 with a rusty velvet cap on his head1 and very bright short-sighted eyes behind round spectacles4 ,this figure appeared in the doorway1 stood looking at them a moment1 as if bewildered as to why he or they were there at all2 and then1 with a hasty shuffling movement1 darted across the floor and down on his knees4 ,the following colloquy was held as soon as the last roll of defiled bandage had dropped to the floor1 and ,frank's foot was disclosed4 ,how long's this been going on8 asked the doctor sharply1 holding the discolored thing carefully in his two hands4 ,well1 sir1 said the ,major reflectively1 he began to limp about--let's see--four days ago4 ,we were coming through-- ,the doctor1 watching ,frank's face curiously 7the spasm was over for the present71 cut the ,major short by a question to the patient4 ,now1 my boy1 how d'you feel now8 ,frank's lips moved2 he seemed to be trying to lick them2 but he said nothing1 and his eyes closed1 and he grinned once or twice1 as if sardonically4 ,when did these spasms begin8 went on the doctor1 abruptly turning to the ,major again4 ,well1 sir--if you mean that jerking--,frankie began to jerk about half an hour ago when we were sitting down a bit2 but he's seemed queer since breakfast4 ,and he didn't seem to be able to eat properly4 ,how do you mean8 ,d'you mean he couldn't open his mouth8 ,well1 sir1 it was something like that4 ,the doctor began to make comments in a rapid undertone1 as if talking to himself2 he pressed his hand once or twice against ,frank's stomach2 he took up the filthy bandage and examined it4 ,then he looked at the boot4 ,where's the sock8 he asked sharply4 ,gertie produced it from a bundle4 ,he looked at it closely1 and began to mumble again4 ,then he rose to his feet4 ,what's the matter with him1 doctor8 asked the ,major1 trying to look perturbed4 ,we call it tetanus1 said the doctor4 ,who are you1 my man8 he said4 ,any relation8 ,the ,major looked at him loftily4 ,no1 sir4444 ,i am his friend4 ,ha6 ,then you must leave your friend in my charge4 ,he shall be well in a week at the latest4 ,the ,major was silent4 ,well8 snapped the doctor4 ,i understood from your servant1 sir-- ,you speak like an educated man4 ,i am an educated man4 ,ha--well--no business of mine4 ,what were you about to say8 ,i understood from your servant1 sir1 that this was not quite in your line2 and since-- ,the specialist smiled grimly4 ,he snatched up a book from a pile on the table1 thrust open the title-page and held it out4 ,read that1 sir4444 ,as it happens1 it's my hobby4 ,go and ask ,dr4 ,foster1 if you like4444 ,no1 sir2 ,i must have your friend2 it's a good sound case4 ,the ,major read the title-page in a superior manner4 ,it purported to be by a ,james ,whitty1 and the name was followed by a series of distinctions and of the initials1 which ,i have forgotten4 ,f4,r4,s4 were the first4 ,my name1 said the doctor4 ,the ,major handed the book back with a bow4 ,i am proud to make your acquaintance1 ,dr4 ,whitty4 ,i have heard of you4 ,may ,i present ,mrs4 ,trustcott8 ,gertie looked confused4 ,the doctor made a stiff obeisance4 ,then his face became animated again4 ,we must move your friend upstairs1 he said4 ,if you will help1 ,mr4 ,trustcott1 ,i will call my servant4 7,,iii7 ,it was about half-past nine that night that the doctor1 having rung the bell in the spare bedroom1 met his man at the threshold4 ,i'll sleep in this room to-night1 he said2 you can go to bed4 ,bring in a mattress1 will you8 ,the man looked at his master's face4 7,he looked queer-like1 reported ,thomas later to his wife47 ,hope the young man's doing well1 sir8 ,a spasm went over the doctor's face4 ,most extraordinary young man in the world1 he said4444 ,then he broke off4 ,bring the mattress at once1 ,thomas4 ,then you can go to bed4 ,he went back and closed the door4 99 99 99 99 99 ,thomas had seldom seen his master so perturbed over a human being before4 ,he wondered what on earth was the matter4 ,during the few minutes that he was in the room he looked at the patient curiously1 and he noticed that the doctor was continually looking at him too4 ,thomas described to me ,frank's appearance4 ,he was very much flushed1 he said1 with very bright eyes1 and he was talking incessantly4 ,and it was evidently this delirious talking that had upset the doctor4 ,i tried to get out of ,doctor ,whitty what it was that ,frank had actually said1 but the doctor shut up his face tight and would say nothing4 ,thomas was more communicative1 though far from adequate4 ,it was about religion1 he said1 that ,frank was talking--about religion4444 ,and that was really about all that he could say of that incident4 ,thomas awoke about one o'clock that night1 and1 still with the uneasiness that he had had earlier in the evening1 climbed out of bed without disturbing his wife1 put on his slippers and great-coat and made his way down the attic stairs4 ,the ,october moon was up1 and1 shining through the staircase window1 showed him the door of the spare bedroom with a line of light beneath it4 ,from beyond that door came the steady murmur of a voice4444 ,now ,thomas's nerves were strong3 he was a little lean kind of man1 very wiry and active1 nearly fifty years old1 and he had lived with his master1 and the mice and the snakes1 and disagreeable objects in bottles1 for more than sixteen years4 ,he had been a male nurse in an asylum before that4 ,yet there was something--he told me later--that gripped him suddenly as he was half-way down the stairs and held him in a kind of agony which he could in no way describe4 ,it was connected with the room behind that lighted door4 ,it was not that he feared for his master1 nor for ,frank4 ,it was something else altogether4 7,what a pity it is that our system of education teaches neither self-analysis nor the art of narration67 ,he stood there--he told me--he should think for the better part of ten minutes1 unable to move either way1 listening1 always listening1 to the voice that rose and sank and lapsed now and then into silences that were worse than all1 and telling himself vigorously that he was not at all frightened4 ,it was a creak somewhere in the old house that disturbed him and snapped the thin1 rigid little thread that seemed to paralyze his soul2 and still in a sort of terror1 though no longer in the same stiff agony1 he made his way down the three or four further steps of the flight1 laid hold of the handle1 turned it and peered in4 ,frank was lying quiet so far as he could see4 ,a night-light burned by the bottles and syringes on the table at the foot of the bed1 and1 although shaded from the young man's face1 still diffused enough light to shoes the servant the figure lying there1 and his master1 seated beyond the bed1 very close to it1 still in his day-clothes--still1 even1 in his velvet cap--his chin propped in his hand1 staring down at his patient1 utterly absorbed and attentive4 ,there was nothing particularly alarming in all that1 and yet there was that in the room which once more seized the man at his heart and held him there1 rigid again1 terrified1 and1 above all1 inexpressibly awed4 7,at least1 that is how ,i should interpret his description47 ,he said that it wasn't like the spare bedroom at all1 as he ordinarily knew it 7and1 indeed1 it was a mean sort of room when ,i saw it1 without a fireplace1 though of tolerable size74 ,it was like another room altogether1 said ,thomas4 ,he tried to listen to what ,frank was saying1 and ,i imagine he heard it all quite intelligently2 yet1 once more1 all he could say afterwards was that it was about religion 444 about religion4444 ,so he stood1 till he suddenly perceived that the doctor was looking at him with a frown and contorted features of eloquence4 ,he understood that he was to go4 ,he closed the door noiselessly2 and1 after another pause1 sped upstairs without a sound in his red cloth slippers4 7,,iv7 ,when ,frank awoke to normal consciousness again1 he lay still1 wondering what it was all about4 ,he saw a table at the foot of his bed and noticed on it a small leather case1 two green bottles stoppered with india-rubber1 and a small covered bowl looking as if it contained beef-tea4 ,he extended his explorations still further1 and discovered an ,hanoverian wardrobe against the left wall1 a glare of light 7which he presently discerned to be a window71 a dingy wall-paper1 and finally a door4 ,as he reached this point the door opened and an old man with a velvet skull-cap1 spectacles1 and a kind1 furrowed face1 came in and stood over him4 ,well8 said the old man4 ,i am a bit stiff1 said ,frank4 ,are you hungry8 ,i don't think so4 ,well1 you're doing very well1 if that's any satisfaction to you1 observed the doctor1 frowning on him doubtfully4 ,frank said nothing4 ,the doctor sat down on a chair by the bed that ,frank suddenly noticed for the first time4 ,well1 said the doctor1 ,i suppose you want to know the facts4 ,here they are4 ,my name is ,whitty2 ,i'm a doctor2 you're in my house4 ,this is ,wednesday afternoon2 your friends brought you here yesterday morning4 ,i've given them some work in the garden4 ,you were ill yesterday1 but you're all right now4 ,what was the matter8 ,we won't bother about names1 said the doctor with a kind sharpness4 ,you had a blister2 it broke and became a sore2 then you wore one of those nasty cheap socks and it poisoned it4 ,that's all4 ,that's in those bottles8 asked ,frank languidly4 7,he felt amazingly weak and stupid47 ,well1 it's an anti-toxin1 said the doctor4 ,that doesn't tell you much1 does it8 ,no1 said ,frank4444 ,by the way1 who's going to pay you1 doctor8 ,i can't4 ,the doctor's face rumpled up into wrinkles4 7,frank wished he wouldn't sit with his back to the window47 ,don't you bother about that1 my boy4 ,you're a case--that's what you are4 ,frank attempted a smile out of politeness4 ,now1 how about some more beef-tea1 and then going to sleep again8 ,frank assented4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was not until the ,thursday morning that things began to run really clear again in ,frank's mind4 ,he felt for his rosary under his pillow and it wasn't there4 ,then he thumped on the floor with a short stick which had been placed by him1 remembering that in some previous existence he had been told to do this4 ,a small1 lean man appeared at the door1 it seemed1 with the quickness of thought4 ,my rosary1 please1 said ,frank4 ,it's a string of beads4 ,i expect it's in my trouser-pocket4 ,the man looked at him with extraordinary earnestness and vanished4 ,then the doctor appeared holding the rosary4 ,is this what you want8 he asked4 ,that's it6 ,thanks very much4 ,you're a ,catholic8 went on the other1 giving it him4 ,yes4 ,the doctor sat down again4 ,i thought so1 he said4 ,frank wondered why4 ,then a thought crossed his mind4 ,have ,i been talking8 he said4 ,i suppose ,i was delirious8 ,the doctor made no answer for a moment2 he was looking at him fixedly4 ,then he roused himself4 ,well1 yes1 you have1 he said4 ,frank felt rather uncomfortable4 ,hope ,i haven't said anything ,i shouldn't4 ,the old man laughed shortly and grimly4 ,oh1 no1 he said4 ,far from it4 ,at least1 your friends wouldn't think so4 ,what was it about8 ,we'll talk about that later1 if you like1 said the doctor4 ,now ,i want you to get up a bit after you've had some food4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was with a very strange sensation that ,frank found himself out in the garden next day1 in a sheltered corner1 seated in a wicker chair in which1 by the help of bamboo poles1 he had been carried downstairs by ,thomas and the ,major1 with the doctor leading the way and giving directions as to how to turn the corners4 ,the chair was brought out through an irregularly-shaped little court at the back of the house and set down in the warm autumn noon1 against an old wall1 with a big kitchen garden1 terribly neglected1 spread before him4 ,the smoke of burning went up in the middle distance1 denoting the heap of weeds pulled by the ,major and ,gertie during the last three days4 ,he saw ,gertie in the distance once or twice1 in a clean sun-bonnet1 going about her business1 but she made no sign4 ,the smell of the burning weeds gave a pleasant1 wholesome and acrid taste to his mouth4 ,now then1 said the doctor1 we can have our little talk4 ,and he sat down beside him on another chair4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank felt a little nervous1 he scarcely knew why4 ,it seemed to him that it would be far better not to refer to the past at all4 ,and it appeared to him a little unusual that a doctor should be so anxious about it4 ,twice or three times since yesterday this old man had begun to ask him a question and had checked himself4 ,there was a very curious eagerness about him now4 ,i'm awfully grateful and all that1 said ,frank4 ,is there anything special you want to know8 ,i suppose ,i've been talking about my people8 ,the doctor waved a wrinkled hand4 ,no1 no1 he said1 not a word4 ,you talked about a girl a little1 of course--everybody does2 but not much4 ,no1 it isn't that4 ,frank felt relieved4 ,he wasn't anxious about anything else4 ,i'm glad of that4 ,by the way1 may ,i smoke8 ,the doctor produced a leather case of cigarettes and held it out4 ,take one of these1 he said4 ,because1 continued ,frank1 ,i'm afraid ,i mustn't talk about my people4 ,the name ,i've got now is ,gregory1 you know4 ,he lit his cigarette1 noticing how his fingers still shook1 and dropped the match4 ,no1 it's not about that1 said the doctor2 it's not about that4 ,frank glanced at him1 astonished by his manner4 ,well1 then--8 he began4 ,i want to know first1 said the doctor slowly1 where you've got all your ideas from4 ,i've never heard such a jumble in my life4 ,i know you were delirious2 but 444 but it hung together somehow2 and it seemed much more real to you than anything else4 ,what did8 asked ,frank uncomfortably4 ,the doctor made no answer for a moment4 ,he looked out across the untidy garden with its rich1 faded finery of wild flowers and autumn leaves1 and the yellowing foliage beyond the wall1 and the moors behind--all transfigured in ,october sunshine4 ,the smoke of the burning weeds drew heavenly lines and folds of ethereal lace-work across the dull splendors beyond4 ,well1 he said at last1 everything4 ,you know ,i've heard hundreds and hundreds of folks 444 he broke off again1 444 and ,i know what people call religion about here--and such a pack of nonsense 444 7,he turned on ,frank again suddenly47 ,where d'you get your ideas from8 ,do you mean the ,catholic religion8 said ,frank4 ,bah6 don't call it that4 ,i know what that is-- ,frank interrupted him4 ,well1 that's my religion1 he said4 ,i haven't got any other4 ,but 444 but the way you hold it1 cried the other2 the grip 444 the grip it has of you4 ,that's the point4 ,d'you mean to tell me-- ,i mean that ,i don't care for anything else in the whole world1 said ,frank1 stung with sudden enthusiasm4 ,but 444 but you're not mad6 ,you're a very sensible1 fellow4 ,you don't mean to tell me you really believe all that--all that about pain and so on8 ,we doctors know perfectly what all that is4 ,it's a reaction of ,nature 444 a warning to look out 444 it's often simply the effects of building up2 and we're beginning to think--ah6 that won't interest you6 ,listen to me6 ,i'm what they call a specialist--an investigator4 ,i can tell you1 without conceit1 that ,i probably know all that is to be known on a certain subject4 ,well1 ,i can tell you as an authority-- ,frank lifted his head a little4 ,he was keenly interested by the fire with which this other enthusiast spoke4 ,i daresay you can1 said ,frank4 ,and ,i daresay it's all perfectly true2 but what in the world has all that got to do with it--with the use made of it--the meaning of it8 ,now ,i-- ,hush6 hush6 said the doctor4 ,we mustn't get excited4 ,that's no good4 ,he stopped and stared mournfully out again4 ,i wish you could really tell me1 he said more slowly4 ,but that's just what you can't4 ,i know that4 ,it's a personal thing4 ,but my dear doctor-- said ,frank4 ,that's enough1 said the other4 ,i was an old fool to think it possible-- ,frank interrupted again in his turn4 7,he was conscious of that extraordinary mental clearness that comes sometimes to convalescents1 and he suddenly perceived there was something behind all this which had not yet made its appearance47 ,you've some reason for asking all this1 he said4 ,i wish you'd tell me exactly what's in your mind4 ,the old man turned and looked at him with a kind of doubtful fixedness4 ,why do you say that1 my boy8 ,people like you1 said ,frank smiling1 don't get excited over people like me1 unless there's something4444 ,i was at ,cambridge1 you know4 ,i know the dons there1 and-- ,well1 ,i'll tell you1 said the doctor1 drawing a long breath4 ,i hadn't meant to4 ,i know it's mere nonsense2 but-- ,he stopped an instant and called aloud3 ,thomas6 ,thomas6 ,thomas's lean head1 like a bird's1 popped out from a window in the kitchen court behind4 ,come here a minute4 ,thomas came and stood before them with a piece of wash-leather in one hand and a plated table-spoon in the other4 ,i want you to tell this young gentleman1 said the doctor deliberately1 what you told me on ,wednesday morning4 ,thomas looked doubtfully from one to the other4 ,it was my fancy1 sir1 he said4 ,never mind about that4 ,tell us both4 ,well1 sir1 ,i didn't like it4 ,seemed to me when ,i looked in-- 7,he looked in on us in the middle of the night1 explained the doctor4 ,yes1 go on1 ,thomas47 ,seemed to me there was something queer4 ,yes8 said the doctor encouragingly4 ,something queer1 repeated ,thomas musingly4444 ,and now if you'll excuse me1 sir1 ,i'll have to get back-- ,the doctor waved his hands despairingly as ,thomas scuttled back without another word4 ,it's no good1 he said1 no good4 ,and yet he told me quite intelligibly-- ,frank was laughing quietly to himself4 ,but you haven't told me one word-- ,don't laugh1 said the old man simply4 ,look here1 my boy1 it's no laughing matter4 ,i tell you ,i can't think of anything else4 ,it's bothering me4 ,but-- ,the doctor waved his hands4 ,well1 he said1 ,i can say it no better4 ,it was the whole thing4 ,the way you looked1 the way you spoke4 ,it was most unusual4 ,but it affected me--it affected me in the same way2 and ,i thought that perhaps you could explain4 7,v7 ,it was not until the ,monday afternoon that ,frank persuaded the doctor to let him go4 ,dr4 ,whitty said everything possible1 in his emphatic way1 as to the risk of traveling again too soon2 and there was one scene1 actually conducted in the menagerie--the only occasion on which the doctor mentioned ,frank's relations--during which he besought the young man to be sensible1 and to allow him to communicate with his family4 ,frank flatly refused1 without giving reasons4 ,the doctor seemed strangely shy of referring again to the conversation in the garden2 and1 for his part1 ,frank shut up like a box4 ,they seem both to have been extraordinarily puzzled at one another--as such people occasionally are4 ,they were as two persons1 both intelligent and interested1 entirely divided by the absence of any common language1 or even of symbols4 ,words that each used meant different things to the other4 7,it strikes me sometimes that the curse of ,babel was a deeper thing than appears on the surface47 ,the ,major and ,gertie1 all this while1 were in clover4 ,the doctor had no conception of what six hours' manual work could or could not do1 and1 in return for these hours1 he made over to the two a small disused gardener's cottage at the end of his grounds1 some bedding1 their meals1 and a shilling the day4 ,it was wonderful how solicitous the ,major was as to ,frank's not traveling again until it was certain he was capable of it2 but ,frank had acquired a somewhat short and decisive way with his friend1 and announced that ,monday night must see them all cleared out4 ,the leave-taking--so far as ,i have been able to gather--was rather surprisingly emotional4 ,the doctor took ,frank apart into the study where he had first seen him1 and had a short conversation1 during which one sovereign finally passed from the doctor to the patient4 ,i have often tried to represent to myself exactly what elements there were in ,frank that had such an effect upon this wise and positive old man4 ,he had been a very upsetting visitor in many ways4 ,he had distracted his benefactor from a very important mouse that had died of leprosy2 he had interfered sadly with working hours2 he had turned the house1 comparatively speaking1 upside down4 ,worse than all1 he had--,i will not say modified the doctor's theories--that would be far too strong a phrase2 but he had1 quite unconsciously1 run full tilt against them2 and finally1 worst of all1 he had done this right in the middle of the doctor's own private preserve4 ,there was absolutely every element necessary to explain ,frank's remarks during his delirium2 he was a religiously-minded boy1 poisoned by a toxin and treated by the anti-toxin4 ,what in the world could be expected but that he should rave in the most fantastic way1 and utter every mad conception and idea that his subjective self contained4 ,as for that absurd fancy of the doctor himself1 as well as of his servant that there was something queer in the room--the more he thought of it1 the less he valued it4 ,obviously it was the result of a peculiar combination of psychological conditions1 just as psychological conditions were themselves the result of an obscure combination of toxin--or anti-toxin--forces4 ,yet for all that1 argue as one may1 the fact remained that this dry and rather misanthropic scientist was affected in an astonishing manner by ,frank's personality4 7,it will appear later on in ,frank's history that the effect was more or less permanent47 ,still more remarkable to my mind was the very strong affection that ,frank conceived for the doctor4 7,there is no mystery coming3 the doctor will not ultimately turn out to be ,frank's father in disguise2 ,lord ,talgarth still retains that distinction47 ,but it is plainly revealed by ,frank's diary that he was drawn to this elderly man by very much the same kind of feelings as a son might have4 ,and yet it is hardly possible to conceive two characters with less in common4 ,the doctor was a dogmatic materialist--and remains so still--,frank was a ,catholic4 ,the doctor was scientific to his finger-tips--,frank romantic to the same extremities2 the doctor was old and a confirmed stay-at-home--,frank was young1 and an incorrigible gipsy4 ,yet so the matter was4 ,i have certain ideas of my own1 but there is no use in stating them1 beyond saying perhaps that each recognized in the other--sub-consciously only1 since each professed himself utterly unable to sympathize in the smallest degree with the views of the other--a certain fixity of devotion that was the driving-force in each life4 ,certainly1 on the surface1 there are not two theories less unlike than the one which finds the solution of all things in ,toxin1 and the other which finds it in ,god4 ,but perhaps there is a reconciliation somewhere4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,major and ,gertie were waiting in the stable-yard when the two other men emerged4 ,the ,major had a large bag of apples--given him by ,thomas at the doctor's orders--which he was proceeding to add to ,gertie's load at the very moment when the two others came out4 ,frank took them1 without a word1 and slung them over his own back4 ,the doctor stood blinking a moment in the strong sunshine4 ,well1 good-by1 my boy1 he said4 ,good luck6 ,remember that if ever you come this way again-- ,good-by1 sir1 said ,frank4 ,he held out his disengaged hand4 ,then an astonishing thing happened4 ,the doctor took the hand1 then dropped it2 threw his arms round the boy's neck1 kissed him on both cheeks1 and hurried back through the garden gate1 slamming it behind him4 ,and ,i imagine he ran upstairs at once to see how the mice were4 99 99 99 99 99 ,well1 that is the whole of the incident4 ,the two haven't met since1 that ,i am aware4 ,and ,i scarcely know why ,i have included it in this book4 ,but ,i was able to put it together from various witnesses1 documentary and personal1 and it seemed a pity to leave it out4 ,,chapter ,,iv 7,i7 ,an enormous physical weariness settled down on ,frank1 as he trudged silently with the ,major1 towards evening1 a week later4 ,he had worked all the previous day in a farm-yard--carting manure1 and the like2 and though he was perfectly well again1 some of the spring had ebbed from his muscles during his week's rest4 ,this day1 too1 the first of ,november1 had been exhausting4 ,they had walked since daybreak1 after a wretched night in a barn1 plodding almost in silence1 mile after mile1 against a wet south-west wind1 over a discouraging kind of high-road that dipped and rose and dipped again1 and never seemed to arrive anywhere4 ,it is true that ,frank was no longer intensely depressed2 quite another process had been at work upon him for the last two or three months1 as will be seen presently2 but his limbs seemed leaden1 and the actual stiffness in his shoulders and loins made walking a little difficult4 ,they were all tired together4 ,they did not say much to one another4 ,they had1 in fact1 said all that there was to be said months ago2 and they were reduced--as men always are reduced when a certain pitch is reached--to speak simply of the most elementary bodily things--food1 tobacco and sleep4 ,the ,major droned on now and then--recalling luxuries of past days--actual roofs over the head1 actual hot meat to put in the mouth1 actual cigars--and ,frank answered him4 ,gertie said nothing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,she made up for it1 soon after dark had fallen1 by quite suddenly collapsing into a hedge1 and announcing that she would die if she didn't rest4 ,the ,major made the usual remarks1 and she made no answer4 ,frank interposed suddenly4 ,shut up1 he said4 ,we can't stop here4 ,i'll go on a bit and see what can be done4 ,and1 as he went off into the darkness1 leaving his bundle1 he heard the scolding voice begin again1 but it was on a lower key and he knew it would presently subside into a grumble1 soothed by tobacco4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he had no idea as to the character of the road that lay before him4 ,they had passed through a few villages that afternoon1 whose names meant nothing to him1 and he scarcely knew why1 even1 they were going along this particular road4 ,they were moving southwards towards ,london--so much had been agreed--and they proposed to arrive there in another month or so4 ,but the country was unfamiliar to him1 and the people seemed grudging and uncouth4 ,they had twice been refused the use of an outhouse for the night1 that afternoon4 ,it seemed an extraordinarily deserted road4 ,there were no lights from houses1 so far as he could make out1 and the four miles that had been declared at their last stopping-place to separate them from the next village appeared already more like five or six4 ,certainly the three of them had between two and three shillings1 all told2 there was no actual need of a workhouse just yet1 but naturally it was wished to spend as little as possible4 ,then on a sudden he caught a glimpse of a light burning somewhere1 that appeared and vanished again as he moved1 and fifty yards more brought him to a wide sweep1 a pair of gate-posts with the gate fastened back1 and a lodge on the left-hand side4 ,so much he could make out dimly through the ,november darkness2 and as he stood there hesitating1 he thought he could see somewhere below him a few other lights burning through the masses of leafless trees through which the drive went downhill4 ,he knew very well by experience that lodge-keepers were1 taken altogether1 perhaps the most unsympathetic class in the community4 7,they live1 you see1 right on the high road1 and see human nature at its hottest and crossest as well as its most dishonest47 ,servants at back doors were1 as a rule1 infinitely more obliging2 and1 as obviously this was the entrance to some big country house1 the right thing to do would be to steal past the lodge on tiptoe and seek his fortune amongst the trees4 ,yet he hesitated2 the house might be half a mile away1 for all he knew2 and1 certainly there was a hospitable look about the fastened-back gate4 ,there came a gust of wind over the hills behind him1 laden with wet4444 ,he turned1 went up to the lodge door and knocked4 ,he could hear someone moving about inside1 and just as he was beginning to wonder whether his double tap had been audible1 the door opened and disclosed a woman in an apron4 ,can you very kindly direct me-- began ,frank politely4 ,the woman jerked her head sharply in the direction of the house4 ,straight down the hill1 she said4 ,them's the orders4 ,but-- ,it was no good2 the door was shut again in his face1 and he stood alone in the dark4 ,this was all very unusual4 ,lodge-keepers did not usually receive orders to send tramps1 without credentials1 on to the house which the lodge was supposed to guard4444 ,that open gate1 then1 must have been intentional4 ,plainly1 however1 he must take her at her word2 and as he tramped down the drive1 he began to form theories4 ,it must be a fanatic of some kind who lived here1 and he inclined to consider the owner as probably an eccentric old lady with a fad1 and a large number of lap-dogs4 ,as he came nearer1 through the trees1 he became still more astonished1 for as the branches thinned1 he became aware of lights burning at such enormous distances apart that the building seemed more like a village than a house4 ,straight before him shone a row of lighted squares1 high up1 as if hung in air1 receding in perspective1 till blocked out by a black mass which seemed a roof of some kind2 far on the left shone some kind of illuminated gateway1 and to his right another window or two glimmered almost beneath his feet4 ,another fifty yards down the winding drive disclosed a sight that made him seriously wonder whether the whole experience were real1 for now only a few steps further on1 and still lower than the level at which he was1 stood1 apparently1 a porter's lodge1 as of a great college4 ,there was a ,tudor archway1 with rooms above it and rooms on either side2 a lamp hung from the roof illuminated the dry stone pavement within1 and huge barred gates at the further end1 shut off all other view4 ,it looked like the entrance to some vast feudal castle1 and he thought again that if an eccentric old lady lived here1 she must be very eccentric indeed4 ,he began to wonder whether a seneschal in a belt hung with keys would presently make his appearance3 he considered whether or not he could wind a horn1 if there were no other way of summoning the retainers4 ,when at last he tapped at a small interior door1 also studded and barred with iron1 and the door opened1 the figure he did see was hardly less of a shock to him than a seneschal would have been4 ,for there stood1 as if straight out of a ,christmas number1 the figure of a monk1 tall1 lean1 with gray hair1 clean-shaven1 with a pair of merry eyes and a brisk manner4 ,he wore a broad leather band round his black frock1 and carried his spare hand thrust deep into it4 7,,ii7 ,the monk sighed humorously4 ,another of them1 he said4 ,well1 my man8 ,please1 father-- ,the monk closed his eyes as in resignation4 ,you needn't try that on1 he said4 ,besides1 ,i'm not a father4 ,i'm a brother4 ,can you remember that8 ,frank smiled back4 ,very well1 brother4 ,i'm a ,catholic myself4 ,ah6 yes1 sighed the monk briskly4 ,that's what they all say4 ,can you say the ',divine ,praises'8 ,do you know what they are8444 ,however1 that makes no difference1 as-- ,but ,i can1 brother4 ',blessed be ,god4 ,blessed be ,his-- ,but you're not ,irish8 ,i know ,i'm not4 ,but-- ,are you an educated man8 ,however1 that's not my affair4 ,what can ,i do for you1 sir8 ,the monk seemed to take a little more interest in him1 and ,frank took courage4 ,yes1 he said1 ,i'm an educated man4 ,my name's ,frank ,gregory4 ,i've got two friends out on the road up there--a man and a woman4 ,their name's ,trustcott--and the woman-- ,no good2 no good1 said the monk4 ,no women4 ,but1 brother1 she really can't go any further4 ,i'm very sorry1 but we simply must have shelter4 ,we've got two or three shillings1 if necessary-- ,oh1 you have1 have you8 said the monk keenly4 ,that's quite new4 ,and when did you touch food last8 ,yesterday morning8 7,don't say ',s'elp me6' ,it's not necessary47 ,we last touched food about twelve o'clock to-day4 ,we had beans and cold bacon1 said ,frank deliberately4 ,we're perfectly willing to pay for shelter and food1 if we're obliged4 ,but1 of course1 we don't want to4 ,the monk eyed him very keenly indeed a minute or two without speaking4 ,this seemed a new type4 ,come in and sit down a minute1 he said4 ,i'll fetch the guest-master4 ,it was a very plain little room in which ,frank sat1 and seemed designed1 on purpose1 to furnish no temptation to pilferers4 ,there was a table1 two chairs1 a painted plaster statue of a gray-bearded man in black standing on a small bracket with a crook in his hand2 a pious book1 much thumb-marked1 lay face downwards on the table beside the oil lamp4 ,there was another door through which the monk had disappeared1 and that was absolutely all4 ,there was no carpet and no curtains1 but a bright little coal fire burned on the hearth1 and two windows looked1 one up the drive down which ,frank had come1 and the other into some sort of courtyard on the opposite side4 ,about ten minutes passed away without anything at all happening4 ,frank heard more than one gust of rain-laden wind dash against the little barred window to the south1 and he wondered how his friends were getting on4 ,the ,major1 at any rate1 he knew1 would manage to keep himself tolerably dry4 ,then he began to think about this place1 and was surprised that he was not surprised at running into it like this in the dark4 ,he knew nothing at all about monasteries--he hardly knew that there were such things in ,england 7one must remember that he had only been a ,catholic for about five months71 and yet somehow1 now that he had come here1 it all seemed inevitable4 7,i cannot put it better than that3 it is what he himself says in his diary47 ,then1 as he meditated1 the door opened1 and there came in a thin1 eager-looking elderly man1 dressed like the brother who followed him1 except that over his frock he wore a broad strip of black stuff1 something like a long loose apron1 hanging from his throat to his feet1 and his head was enveloped in a black hood4 ,frank stood up and bowed with some difficulty4 ,he was beginning to feel stiff4 ,well1 said the priest sharply1 with his bright gray eyes1 puckered at the corners1 running over and taking in the whole of ,frank's figure from close-cut hair to earthy boots4 ,brother ,james tells me you wish to see me4 ,it was ,brother ,james who said so1 father1 said ,frank4 ,what is it you want8 ,i've got two friends on the road who want shelter--man and woman4 ,we'll pay1 if necessary1 but-- ,never mind about that1 interrupted the priest sharply4 ,who are you8 ,the name ,i go by is ,frank ,gregory4 ,the name you go by1 eh8444 ,where were you educated8 ,eton and ,cambridge4 ,how do you come to be on the roads8 ,that's a long story1 father4 ,did you do anything you shouldn't8 ,no4 ,but ,i've been in prison since4 ,and your name's ,frank ,gregory4444 ,f4,g41 eh8 ,frank turned as if to leave4 ,he understood that he was known4 ,well--good-night1 father-- ,the priest turned with upraised hand4 ,brother ,james1 just step outside4 ,then he continued as the door closed4 ,you needn't go1 ,mr4--er--,gregory4 ,your name shall not be mentioned to a living being without your leave4 ,you know about me8 ,of course ,i do4444 ,now be sensible1 my dear fellow2 go and fetch your friends4 ,we'll manage somehow4 7,he raised his voice and rapped on the table47 ,brother ,james 444 go up with ,mr4 ,gregory to the porter's lodge4 ,make arrangements to put the woman up somewhere1 either there or in a gardener's cottage4 ,then bring the man down here4444 ,his name8 ,trustcott1 said ,frank4 ,and when you come back1 ,i shall be waiting for you here4 7,,iii7 ,frank states in his diary that an extraordinary sense of familiarity descended on him as1 half an hour later1 the door of a cell closed behind ,dom ,hildebrand ,maple1 and he found himself in a room with a bright fire burning1 a suit of clothes waiting for him1 a can of hot water1 a sponging tin and a small iron bed4 ,i think ,i understand what he means4 ,somehow or other a well-ordered monastery represents the ,least ,common ,multiple of nearly all pleasant houses4 ,it has the largeness and amplitude of a castle1 and the plainness of decent poverty4 ,it has none of that theatricality which it is supposed to have1 none of the dreaminess or the sentimentality with which ,protestants endow it4 ,he had passed just now through1 first1 a network of small stairways1 archways1 vestibules and passages1 and then along two immense corridors with windows on one side and closed doors on the other4 ,everywhere there was the same quiet warmth and decency and plainness--stained deal1 uncarpeted boards1 a few oil pictures in the lower corridor1 an image or two at the turn and head of the stairs2 it was lighted clearly and unaffectedly by incandescent gas1 and the only figures he had seen were of two or three monks1 with hooded heads 7they had raised these hoods slightly in salutation as he passed71 each going about his business briskly and silently4 ,there was even a cheerful smell of cooking at the end of one of the corridors1 and he had caught a glimpse of two or three aproned lay brothers1 busy in the firelight and glow of a huge kitchen1 over great copper pans4 ,the sense of familiarity1 then1 is perfectly intelligible3 a visitor to a monastery steps1 indeed1 into a busy and well-ordered life1 but there is enough room and air and silence for him to preserve his individuality too4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as soon as he was washed and dressed1 he sat down in a chair before the fire2 but almost immediately there came a tap on his door1 and the somewhat inflamed face of the ,major looked in4 ,frankie8 he whispered1 and1 reassured1 came in and closed the door behind4 7,he looked very curiously small and unimportant1 thought ,frank4 ,perhaps it was the black suit that had been lent him47 ,by gad1 ,frankie 444 we're in clover1 he whispered1 still apparently under the impression that somehow he was in church4 ,there are some other chaps1 you know1 off the roads too1 but they're down by the lodge somewhere4 7,he broke off and then continued47 ,i've got such a queer ,johnnie in my room--ah6 you've got one1 too4 ,he went up to examine a small plaster statue of a saint above the prie-dieu4 ,it's all right1 isn't it8 said ,frank sleepily4 ,and there's another ,johnnie's name on the door4 ,the ,rev4 ,s4 ,augustine1 or something4 ,he tip-toed back to the fire1 lifted his tails1 and stood warming himself with a complacent but nervous smile4 7,frank regarded him with wonder47 ,what do all the ,johnnies do here8 asked the ,major presently4 ,have a rare old time1 ,i expect4 ,i bet they've got cellars under here all right4 ,just like those chaps in comic pictures1 ain't it8 7,frank decided it was no use to try to explain47 ,the ,major babbled on a minute or two longer1 requiring no answer1 and every now and then having his roving eye caught by some new marvel4 ,he fingered a sprig of yew that was twisted into a crucifix hung over the bed4 7,expect it's one of those old relics1 he said1 some lie or other47 ,he humorously dressed up the statue of the saint in a pocket-handkerchief1 and said3 ,let us pray1 in a loud whisper1 with one eye on the door4 ,and all the while there still lay on him apparently the impression that if he talked loud or made any perceptible sound he would be turned out again4 ,he was just beginning a few steps of a noiseless high-kicking dance when there was a tap at the door1 and he collapsed into an attitude of weak-kneed humility4 ,dom ,hildebrand came in4 ,if you're ready1 he said1 we might go down to supper4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank relates in his diary that of all else in the monastery1 apart from the church1 the refectory and its manners impressed him most4 7,how easy it is to picture it when one has once seen the ceremonies67 ,he sat at a center table1 with the ,major opposite 7looking smaller than ever71 before a cloth laid with knife1 spoon and forks4 ,all round the walls on a low das1 with their backs against them1 sat a row of perhaps forty monks1 of every age1 kind and condition4 ,the tables were bare wood1 laid simply with utensils and no cloths1 with a napkin in each place4 ,at the end opposite the door there sat at a table all alone a big1 portly1 kindly-faced man1 of a startlingly fatherly appearance1 clean-shaven1 gray-haired1 and with fine features4 ,this was the ,abbot4 ,above him hung a crucifix1 with the single word ,sitio beneath it on a small black label4 ,the meal began1 however1 with the ceremony of singing grace4 ,the rows of monks stood out1 with one in the middle1 facing the ,abbot1 each with his hood forward and his hands hidden in his scapular4 ,it was sung to a grave tone1 with sudden intonations1 by the united voices in unison--blessing1 response1 collect1 psalm and the rest4 7,frank could not resist one glance at the ,major1 whose face of consternation resembled that of a bird in the company of sedate cats47 ,then each went to his place1 and1 noiselessly1 the orderly meal began and continued to the reading first of the gospel1 and then of a history1 from a pulpit built high in the wall4 ,all were served by lay brothers1 girded with aprons2 almost every movement1 though entirely natural1 seemed ordered by routine and custom1 and was distinguished by a serious sort of courtesy that made the taking of food appear1 for once1 as a really beautiful1 august1 and almost sacramental ceremony4 ,the great hall1 too1 with its pointed roof1 its tiled floor1 its white-wood scrubbed tables1 and its tall emblazoned windows1 seemed exactly the proper background--a kind of secular sanctuary4 ,the food was plain and plentiful3 soup1 meat1 cheese and fruit2 and each of the two guests had a small decanter of red wine1 a tiny loaf of bread1 and a napkin4 ,the monks drank beer or water4 ,then once more followed grace1 with the same ceremonial4 ,when this was ended1 ,frank turned to see where ,father ,hildebrand was1 supposing that all would go to their rooms2 but as he turned he saw the ,abbot coming down alone4 ,he moved on1 this great man1 with that same large1 fatherly air1 but as he passed the two guests1 he inclined slightly towards them1 and ,frank1 with a glance to warn the ,major1 understanding that they were to follow1 came out of his place and passed down between the lines of the monks1 still in silence4 ,the ,abbot went on1 turned to the right1 and as he moved along the cloister1 loud sonorous chanting began behind4 ,so they went1 on and on1 up the long lighted corridor1 past door after door1 as in some church procession4 ,yet all was obviously natural and familiar4 ,they turned in at last beneath an archway to the left1 went through a vestibule1 past a great stone of a crowned ,woman with a ,child in her arms1 and as they entered the church1 the ,abbot dipped his finger into a stoop and presented it to ,frank4 ,frank touched the drop of water1 made the sign of the cross1 and presented again his damp finger to the ,major1 who looked at him with a startled eye4 ,the ,abbot indicated the front row of the seats in the nave1 and ,frank went into it1 to watch the procession behind go past1 flow up the steps1 and disappear into the double rows of great stalls that lined the choir4 ,there was still silence--and longer silence1 till ,frank understood4444 7,,iv7 ,his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom little by little1 and he began to be able to make out the magnificence of the place he was in4 ,behind him stretched the immense nave1 its roof and columns lost in darkness1 its sides faintly illuminated by the glimmer of single oil-lamps1 each in a small screened-off chapel4 ,but in front of him was the greater splendor4 ,from side to side across the entrance to the choir ran the rood-screen1 a vast erection of brown oak and black iron1 surmounted by a high loft1 from which glimmered down sheaves of silvered organ pipes1 and1 higher yet1 in deep shadow1 he could make out three gigantic figures1 of which the center one was nailed to a cross4 ,beyond this began the stalls--dark and majestic1 broken by carving--jutting heads of kings and priests leaning forward as if to breathe in the magnetism of that immense living silence generated by forty men at their prayers4 ,at the further end there shone out faintly the glory of the ,high ,altar1 almost luminous1 it seemed1 in the light of the single red spark that hung before it4 ,frank could discern presently the gilded figures that stood among the candlesticks behind1 the throne and crucifix1 the mysterious veiling curtains of the ,tabernacle4444 ,finally1 in the midst of the choir1 stood a tall erection which he could not understand4 99 99 99 99 99 ,an extraordinary peace seemed to descend and envelop him as he looked--a kind of crown and climax of various interior experiences that were falling on him now--for the last few weeks4 7,it is useless trying to put it into words4 ,i shall hope to do my best presently by quoting ,frank himself47 ,there was a sense of home-coming2 there was a sense of astonishing sanity2 there was a sense of an enormous objective peace1 meeting and ratifying that interior peace which was beginning to be his4 ,it appeared to him1 somehow1 as if for the first time he experienced without him that which up to now he had chiefly found within4 ,certainly there had been moments of this before--not merely emotional1 you understand--when heart and head lay still from their striving1 and the will reposed in ,another ,will4 ,but this was the climax3 it summed up all that he had learned in the last few months2 it soothed the last scars away1 it explained and answered--and1 above all1 correlated--his experiences4 ,no doubt it was the physical1 as well as the spiritual1 atmosphere of this place1 the quiet corridors1 the warmth and the plainness and the solidity1 even the august grace of the refectory--all these helped and had part in the sensation4 ,yet1 if it is possible for you to believe it1 these were no more than the vessels from which the heavenly fluid streamed2 vessels1 rather1 that contained a little of that abundance that surged up here as in a fountain4444 ,frank started a little at a voice in his ear4 ,when's it going to begin8 whispered the ,major in a hoarse1 apprehensive voice4 7,v7 ,a figure detached itself presently from the dark mass of the stalls and came down to where they were sitting4 ,frank perceived it was ,father ,hildebrand4 ,we're singing ,mattins of the ,dead1 presently1 he said in a low voice4 ,it's ,all ,souls' ,eve4 ,will you stay1 or shall ,i take you to your room8 ,the ,major stood up with alacrity4 ,i'll stay1 if ,i may1 said ,frank4 ,very well4 ,then ,i'll take ,mr4 ,trustcott upstairs4 99 99 99 99 99 ,half an hour later the ceremony began4 ,here1 ,i simply despair of description4 ,i know something of what ,frank witnessed and perceived1 for ,i have been present myself at this affair in a religious house2 but ,i do not pretend to be able to write it down4 ,first1 however1 there was the external1 visible1 audible service3 the catafalque1 a bier-like erection1 all black and yellow1 guarded by yellow flames on yellow candles--the grave movements1 the almost monstrous figures1 the rhythm of the ceremonies1 and the wail of1 the music of forty voices singing as one--all that is understood4444 ,but the inner side of these things--the reverse of which these things are but a coarse lining1 the substance of which this is a shadow--that is what passes words and transcends impressions4 ,it seemed to ,frank that one section1 at any rate1 of that enormous truth at which he had clutched almost blindly when he had first made his submission to the ,church--one chamber in that ,house of ,life--was now flung open before him1 and he saw in it men as trees walking4444 ,he was tired and excited1 of course2 he was intensely imaginative2 but there are some experiences that a rise of temperature cannot explain and that an imagination cannot originate4444 ,for it seemed to him that here he was aware of an immeasurable need to which those ministrations were addressed1 and this whole was countless in its units and clamant in its silence4 ,it was as a man might see the wall of his room roll away1 beyond which he had thought only the night to lie1 and discern a thronging mass of faces crying for help1 pressing upon him1 urging1 yet all without sound or word4 ,he attempts in his diary to use phrases for all this--he speaks of a pit in which is no water1 of shadows and forms that writhe and plead1 of a light of glass mingled with fire2 and yet of an inevitability1 of a ,justice which there is no questioning and a ,force that there is no resisting4 ,and1 on the other side1 there was this help given by men of flesh and blood like himself--using ceremonies and gestures and strange resonant words4444 ,the whole was as some enormous orchestra--there was the wail on this side1 the answer on that--the throb of beating hearts--there were climaxes1 catastrophes1 soft passages1 and yet the result was one vast and harmonious whole4 ,it was the catafalque that seemed to him the veiled door to that other world that so manifested itself--seen as he saw it in the light of the yellow candles--it was as the awful portal of death itself2 beneath that heavy mantle lay not so much a ,body of ,humanity still in death1 as a ,soul of ,humanity alive beyond death1 quick and yet motionless with pain4 ,and those figures that moved about it1 with censor and aspersorium1 were as angels for tenderness and dignity and undoubted power4 ,they were men like himself1 yet they were far more2 and they1 too1 one day1 like himself1 would pass beneath that pall and need the help of others that should follow them4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,something of this is but a hint of what ,frank experienced2 it came and went1 no doubt1 in gusts1 yet all through he seems to have felt that sense that here was a door into that great watching world beyond--that here1 in what is supposed by the world to be the narrow constraint of religion1 was a liberty and an outlook into realities such as the open road and nature can but seldom give4 ,but for my part1 ,i can no more follow him further than ,i can write down the passion of the lover and the ecstasy of the musician4 ,if these things could be said in words1 they would have been said long ago4 ,but at least it was along this path of perception that ,frank went--a path that but continued the way along which he had come with such sure swiftness ever since the moment he had taken his sorrows and changed them from bitter to sweet4 ,some sentences that he has written mean nothing to me at all4444 ,only this ,i see clearly1 both from my talks with ,father ,hildebrand and from the diary which ,frank amplified at his bidding--that ,frank had reached the end of a second stage in his journey1 and that a third was to begin4 ,it is significant also1 ,i think1 in view of what is to follow1 that the last initiation of this stage should have taken place on such an occasion as this4 ,,chapter ,v 7,i7 ,there are certain moods into which minds1 very much tired or very much concentrated1 occasionally fall1 in which the most trifling things take on them an appearance of great significance4 ,a man in great anxiety1 for example1 will regard as omens or warnings such things as the ringing of a bell or the flight of a bird4 ,i have heard this process deliberately defended by people who should know better4 ,i have heard it said that those moods of intense concentration are1 as a matter of fact states of soul in which the intuitive or mystical faculties work with great facility1 and that at such times connections and correlations are perceived which at other times pass unnoticed4 ,the events of the world then are1 by such people1 regarded as forming links in a chain of purpose--events even which are obviously to the practical man merely the effects of chance and accident4 ,it is utterly impossible1 says the practical man1 that the ringing of a bell1 or the grouping of tea-leaves1 or the particular moment at which a picture falls from a wall1 can be anything but fortuitous3 and it is the sign of a weak and superstitious mind to regard them as anything else4 ,there can be no purpose or sequence except in matters where we can perceive purpose or sequence4 ,of course the practical man must be right2 we imply that he is right1 since we call him practical1 and ,i have to deplore1 therefore1 the fact that ,frank on several occasions fell into a superstitious way of looking at things4 ,the proof is only too plain from his own diary--not that he interprets the little events which he records1 but that he takes such extreme pains to write them down--events1 too1 that are1 to all sensibly-minded people1 almost glaringly unimportant and insignificant4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have two such incidents to record between the the travelers' leaving the ,benedictine monastery and their arriving in ,london in ,december4 ,the ,major and ,gertie have probably long since forgotten the one which they themselves witnessed1 and1 indeed1 there is no particular reason why they should remember it4 ,of the other ,frank seems to have said nothing to his friends4 ,both of them1 however1 are perfectly insignificant--they concern1 respectively1 only a few invisible singers and a couple of quite ordinary human beings4 ,they are described with a wholly unnecessary wealth of detail in ,frank's diary1 though without comment1 and ,i write them down here for that reason1 and that reason only4 ,the first was as follows3 ,they were approaching a certain cathedral town1 not a hundred miles from ,london1 and as the evening was clear and dry1 though frosty1 and money was low1 they determined to pass the night in a convenient brick-yard about half a mile out of the town4 ,there was a handy shed where various implements were kept2 the ,major1 by the help of a little twisted wire1 easily unfastened the door4 ,they supped1 cooking a little porridge over a small fire which they were able to make without risk1 and lay down to sleep after a pipe or two4 ,tramps go to sleep early when they mean business1 and it could not have been more than about eleven o'clock at night when ,frank awoke with the sense that he had slept long and deeply4 ,he seems to have lain there1 content and quiet enough1 watching the last ember dying in the brazier where they had made their fire4444 ,there was presently a stir from the further corner of the shed1 a match was struck1 and ,frank1 from his improvised pillow1 beheld the ,major's face suddenly illuminated by the light with which he was kindling his pipe once more4 ,he watched the face with a sort of artistic interest for a few seconds--the drooping shadows1 the apparently cavernous eyes1 the deep-shaded bar of the mustache across the face4 ,in the wavering light cast from below it resembled the face of a vindictive beast4 ,then the ,major whispered1 between his puffs3 ,frankie8 ,yes4 ,oh6 you're awake too1 are you8 ,yes4 ,a minute later1 though they had spoken only in whispers1 ,gertie drew a long sighing breath from her corner of the shed and they could hear that she1 too1 sat up and cleared her throat4 ,well1 this is a pretty job1 said the ,major jovially to the company generally4 ,what's the matter with us8 ,frank said nothing4 ,he lay still1 with a sense of extraordinary content and comfort1 and heard ,gertie presently lie down again4 ,the ,major smoked steadily4 ,then the singing began4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was a perfectly still night1 frost-bound and motionless4 ,it was late enough for the sounds of the town to have died away 7cathedral towns go to bed early and rise late71 and1 indeed1 almost the only sounds they had heard1 even three or four hours before1 had been the occasional deliberate chime of bells1 like a meditative man suddenly uttering a word or two aloud4 ,now1 however1 everything was dead silent4 ,probably the hour had struck immediately before they awoke1 since ,frank remarks that it seemed a long time before four notes tolled out the quarter4 ,the singing came first as a sensation rather than as a sound1 so far away was it4 ,it was not at once that ,frank formulated the sense of pleasure that he experienced by telling himself that someone was singing4 ,at first it was a single voice that made itself heard--a tenor of extraordinary clarity4 ,the air was unknown to him1 but it had the character of antiquity2 there was a certain pleasant melancholy about it2 it contained little trills and grace-notes1 such as--before harmony developed in the modern sense--probably supplied the absence of chords4 ,there was no wind on which the sound could rise or fall1 and it grew from a thread out of the distance into clear singing not a quarter of a mile away4444 ,the ,major presently grunted over his pipe some expression of surprise2 but ,frank could say nothing4 ,he was almost holding his breath1 so great was his pleasure4 ,the air1 almost regretfully1 ran downhill like a brook approaching1 an inevitable full close2 and then1 as the last note was reached1 a chord of voices broke in with some kind of chorus4 ,the voices were of a quartette of men1 and rang together like struck notes1 not loud or harsh1 but1 on the contrary1 with a restrained softness that must1 ,i suppose1 have been the result of very careful training4 ,it was the same air that they were repeating1 but the grace-notes were absent1 and the four voices1 in chord after chord1 supplied their place by harmony4 ,it was impossible to tell what was the subject of the song or even whether it were sacred or secular1 for it was of that period--at least1 so ,i conjecture--when the two worlds were one1 and when men courted their love and adored their ,god after the same fashion4 ,only there ran through all that air of sweet and austere melancholy1 as if earthly music could do no more than hint at what the heart wished to express4 99 99 99 99 99 ,frank listened in a sort of ecstasy4 ,the music was nearer now1 coming from the direction from which the three travelers had themselves come this afternoon4 ,presently1 from the apparent diminuendo1 it was plain that the singers were past1 and were going on towards the town4 ,there was no sound of footsteps2 the ,major remarked on that1 when he could get ,frank to attend a few minutes later1 when all was over2 but there were field paths running in every direction1 as well as broad stretches of grass beside the road1 so the singers may very well have been walking on soft ground4 7,these points are dispassionately noted down in the diary47 ,the chorus was growing fainter now2 once more the last slopes of the melody were in sight--those downhill gradations of the air that told of the silence to come4 ,then once more1 for an instant1 there was silence1 till again1 perhaps nearly a quarter of a mile away1 the single tenor voice began da capo4 ,and the last that ,frank heard1 at the moment before the quarter struck and1 soft and mellow though it was1 jarred the air and left the ear unable to focus itself again on the tiny woven thread of sound1 was1 once more the untiring quartette taking up the melody1 far off in the silent darkness4 ,it seems to me a curious little incident--this passing of four singers in the night2 it might have seemed as if our travelers1 by a kind of chance1 were allowed to overhear the affairs of a world other than their own--and the more curious because ,frank seems to have been so much absorbed by it4 ,of course1 from a practical point of view1 it is almost painfully obvious what is the explanation4 ,it must have been a quartette from the cathedral choir1 returning from some festivity in the suburbs2 and it must have happened that they followed the same route1 though walking on the grass1 along which ,frank himself had come that evening4 7,,ii7 ,the second incident is even more ordinary1 and once again ,i must declare that nothing would have induced me to incorporate it into this story had it not appeared1 described very minutely in the sort of log-book into which ,frank's diary occasionally degenerates4 ,they were within a very few miles of the outskirts of ,london1 and ,december had succeeded ,november4 ,they had had a day or two of work upon some farm or other4 7,i have not been able to identify the place71 and had run into1 and1 indeed1 exchanged remarks with two or three groups of tramps also ,london bound4 ,they were given temporary lodgings in a loft over a stable1 by the farmer for whom they worked1 and this stable was situated in a court at the end of the village street1 with gates that stood open all day1 since the yard was overlooked by the windows of the farmer's living-house--and1 besides1 there was really nothing to steal4 ,they had finished their work in the fields 7,i think it had to do with the sheep and mangel-wurzels1 or something of the kind72 they had returned to their lodgings1 received their pay1 packed up their belongings1 and had already reached the further end of the village on their way to ,london1 when ,frank discovered that he had left a pair of socks behind4 ,this would never do3 socks cost money1 and their absence meant sore feet and weariness2 so he told the ,major and ,gertie to walk on slowly while he went back4 ,he would catch them up1 he said1 before they had gone half a mile4 ,he hid his bundle under a hedge--every pound of weight made a difference at the end of a day's work--and set off4 ,it was just at that moment between day and night--between four and five o'clock--as he came back into the yard4 ,he went straight through the open gates1 glancing about1 to explain matters to the farmer if necessary1 but1 not seeing him1 went up the rickety stairs1 groped his way across to the window1 took down his socks from the nail an which he had hung them last night1 and came down again4 ,as he came into the yard1 he thought he heard something stirring within the open door of the stable on his right1 and thinking it to be the farmer1 and that an explanation would be advisable1 looked in4 ,at first he saw nothing1 though he could hear a horse moving about in the loose-box in the corner4 ,then he saw a light shine beneath the crack of the second door1 beside the loose-box1 that led into the farm-yard proper2 and the next instant the door opened1 a man came in with a lantern obviously just lighted1 as the flame was not yet burned up1 and stopped with a half-frightened look on seeing ,frank4 ,but he said nothing4 ,frank himself was just on the point of giving an explanation when he1 too1 stopped dead and stared4 ,it seemed to him that he had been here before1 under exactly the same circumstances2 he tried to remember what happened next1 but he could not4444 ,for this was what he saw as the flame burned up more brightly4 ,the man who held the lantern and looked at him in silence with a half-deprecating air was a middle-aged man1 bearded and bare-headed4 ,he had thrown over his shoulders a piece of sacking1 that hung from him almost like a robe4 ,the light that he carried threw heavy wavering shadows about the stable1 and ,frank noticed the great head of a cart-horse in the loose-box peering through the bars1 as if to inquire what the company wanted4 ,then1 still without speaking1 ,frank let his eyes rove round1 and they stopped suddenly at the sight of yet one more living being in the stable4 ,next to the loose-box was a stall1 empty except for one occupant2 for there1 sitting on a box with her back to the manger and one arm flung along it to support her weight1 was the figure of a girl4 ,her head1 wrapped in an old shawl1 leaned back against her arm1 and a very white and weary face1 absolutely motionless1 looked at him4 ,she had great eyes1 with shadows beneath1 and her lips were half opened4 ,by her side lay a regular tramp's bundle4 ,frank looked at her steadily a moment1 then he looked back at the man1 who still had not moved or spoken4 ,the draught from the door behind blew in and shook the flame of his lantern1 and the horse sighed long and loud in the shadows behind4 ,once more ,frank glanced at the girl2 she had lowered her arm from the manger and now sat looking at him1 it seemed1 with a curious intentness and expectancy4 ,there was nothing to be said4 ,frank bowed a little1 almost apologetically1 and went out4 ,now that was absolutely all that happened4 ,frank says so expressly in his diary4 ,he did not speak to them1 nor they to him2 nor was any explanation given on either side4 ,he went out across the yard in silence1 seeing nothing of the farmer1 but hearing a piano begin to play beyond the brightly lighted windows1 of which he could catch a glimpse over the low wall separating the yard from the garden4 ,he walked quickly up the village street and caught up his companions1 as he had said1 less than half a mile further on4 ,he said nothing to them of his experience--indeed1 what was there to say8--but he must have written it down that same night when they reached their next lodging1 and written it down1 too1 with that minuteness of detail which surprised me so much when ,i first read it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for the explanation of the whole thing is as foolishly obvious as was that of the singing that the three had heard in the suburbs of ,peterborough4 ,obviously a couple of tramps had turned into this stable for shelter4 ,perhaps the girl was the man's daughter2 perhaps his wife2 perhaps neither4 ,plainly they had no right there--and that would explain the embarrassed silence of the two3 they knew they were trespassing1 and feared to be turned away4 ,perhaps already they had been turned away from the village inn4 ,but the girl was obviously tired out1 and the man had determined to risk it4 ,that1 then1 was the whole affair--commonplace1 and even a little sordid4 ,and yet ,frank thought that it was worth writing down6 ,,chapter ,,vi ,an extract1 taken by permission1 from a few pages of ,frank ,guiseley's diary4 ,these pages were written with the encouragement of ,dom ,hildebrand ,maple1 ,o4,s4,b41 and were sent to him later at his own request4 444 ,he told me a great many things that surprised me4 ,for instance1 he seemed to know all about certain ideas that ,i had had1 before ,i told him of them1 and said that ,i was not responsible1 and he picked out one or two other things that ,i had said1 and told me that these were much more serious4444 ,i went to confession to him on ,friday morning1 in the church4 ,he did not say a great deal then1 but he asked if ,i would care to talk to him afterwards4 ,i said ,i would1 and went to him in the parlor after dinner4 ,the first thing that happened was that he asked me to tell him as plainly as ,i could anything that had happened to me--in my soul1 ,i mean--since ,i had left ,cambridge4 ,so ,i tried to describe it4 ,i said that at first things went pretty well in my soul1 and that it was only bodily things that troubled me--getting fearfully tired and stiff1 being uncomfortable1 the food1 the sleeping1 and so on4 ,then1 as soon as this wore off ,i met the ,major and ,gertie4 ,i was rather afraid of saying all that ,i felt about these2 but he made me1 and ,i told him how extraordinarily ,i seemed to hate them sometimes1 how ,i felt almost sick now and then when the ,major talked to me and told me stories4444 ,the thing that seemed to torment me most during this time was the contrast between ,cambridge and ,merefield and the people there1 and the company of this pair2 and the only relief was that ,i knew ,i could1 as a matter of fact1 chuck them whenever ,i wanted and go home again4 ,but this relief was taken away from me as soon as ,i understood that ,i had to keep with them1 and do my best somehow to separate them4 ,of course1 ,i must get ,gertie back to her people some time1 and till that's done it's no good thinking about anything else4 ,after a while1 however--,i think it was just before ,i got into trouble with the police--,i began to see that ,i was a conceited ass for hating the ,major so much4 ,it was absurd for me1 ,i said1 to put on airs1 when the difference between him and me was just that he had been brought up in one way and ,i in another4 ,i hated the things he did and said1 not because they were wrong1 but because they were what ,i called 'bad form4' ,that was really the whole thing4 ,then ,i saw a lot more1 and it made me feel miserable4 ,i used to think that it was rather good of me to be kind to animals and children1 but ,i began to see that it was simply the way ,i was made3 it wasn't any effort to me4 ,i simply 'saw red' when ,i came across cruelty4 ,and ,i saw that that was no good4 ,then ,i began to see that ,i had done absolutely nothing of any good whatever--that nothing had really cost me anything2 and that the things ,i was proud of were simply self-will--my leaving ,cambridge1 and all the rest4 ,they were theatrical1 or romantic1 or egotistical2 there was no real sacrifice4 ,i should have minded much more not doing them4 ,i began to feel extraordinarily small4 ,then the whole series of things began that simply smashed me up4 ,first there was the prison business4 ,that came about in this way3 ,i had just begun to see that ,i was all wrong with the ,major--that by giving way to my feelings about him 7,i don't mean that ,i ever showed it1 but that was only because ,i thought it more dignified not to671 ,i was getting all wrong with regard to both him and myself1 and that ,i must do something that my whole soul hated if it was to be of any use4 ,then there came that minute in the barn1 when ,i heard the police were after us1 and that there was really no hope of escape4 ,the particular thing that settled me was ,gertie4 ,i knew1 somehow1 that ,i couldn't let the ,major go to prison while she was about4 ,and then ,i saw that this was just the very thing to do1 and that ,i couldn't be proud of it ever1 because the whole thing was so mean and second-rate4 ,well1 ,i did it1 and it did me a lot of good somehow4 ,i felt really rolled in the dirt1 and that little thing in the post-office afterwards rubbed it in4 ,i saw how chock-full ,i must be of conceit really to mind that1 as ,i did1 and to show off1 and talk like a gentleman4 ,then there came the priest who refused to help me4 ,that made me for a time perfectly furious1 because ,i had always said to myself that ,catholics1 and especially priests1 would always understand4 ,but before ,i got to ,york ,i saw what an ass ,i had made of myself4 ,of course1 the priest was perfectly right 7,i saw that before ,i got ten yards away1 though ,i wouldn't acknowledge it for another five miles74 ,i was a dirty tramp1 and ,i talked like a brazen fool4 7,i remember thinking my 'openness' to him rather fine and manly67 ,well1 that made me smaller still4 ,then a sort of despair came on me when the police got me turned out of my work in ,york4 ,i know it was only a little thing 7though ,i still think it unfair71 but it was like a pebble in your boot when you're already going lame from something else4 ,and then came ,jenny's letter4 7,i want to write about that rather carefully47 ,i said just now that ,i was getting to feel smaller and smaller4 ,that's perfectly true1 but there was still a little hard lump in the middle that would not break4 ,things might have gone crumbling away at me for ever1 and ,i might have got smaller still1 but they wouldn't have smashed me4 ,now there were two things that ,i held on to all this time--my religion and ,jenny4 ,i gave them turns1 so to speak1 though ,jenny was never absent4 ,when everything religious tasted flat and dull and empty1 ,i thought about ,jenny3 when things were better--when ,i had those two or three times ,i told ,father ,hildebrand about 74447--,i still thought of ,jenny1 and imagined how splendid it would be when we were both ,catholics together and married4 ,but ,i never dreamed that ,jenny would ever be angry or disappointed4 ,i wouldn't talk about her to anybody ever1 because ,i was so absolutely certain of her4 ,i knew1 ,i thought1 that the whole world might crumble away1 but that ,jenny would always understand1 down at the bottom1 and that she and ,i would remain4444 ,well1 then came her letter4 ,honestly1 ,i don't quite know what ,i was doing inside for the next week or so4 ,simply everything was altered4 ,i never had any sort of doubt that she meant what she said1 and it was as if there wasn't any sun or moon or sky4 ,it was like being ill4 ,things happened round me3 ,i ate and drank and walked1 but the only thing ,i wanted was to get away1 and get down somewhere into myself and hide4 ,religion1 of course1 seemed no good at all4 ,i don't understand quite what people mean by 'consolations' of religion4 ,religion doesn't seem to me a thing like ,art or ,music1 in which you can take refuge4 ,it either covers everything1 or it isn't religion4 ,religion never has seemed to me 7,i don't know if ,i'm wrong7 one thing1 like other things1 so that you can change about and back again4444 ,it's either the background and foreground all in one1 or it's a kind of game4 ,it's either true1 or it's a pretense4 ,well1 all this1 in a way1 taught me it was absolutely true4 ,things wouldn't have held together at all unless it was true4 ,but it was no sort of satisfaction4 ,it seemed to me for a while that it was horrible that it was true2 that it was frightful to think that ,god could be like that--since this ,jenny-business had really happened4 ,but ,i didn't feel all this exactly consciously at the time4 ,i seemed as if ,i was ill1 and could only lie still and watch and be in hell4 ,one thing1 however1 ,father ,hildebrand thought very important 7he asked me about it particularly7 was that ,i honestly did not feel any resentment whatever against either ,god or ,jenny4 ,it was frightful1 but it was true1 and ,i just had to lie still inside and look at it4 ,he tells me that this shows that the first part of the 'process1' as he called it1 was finished 7he called it the ',purgative ,way'74 ,and ,i must say that what happened next seems to fit in rather well4 ,the new 'process' began quite suddenly when ,i awoke in the shepherd's hut one morning at ,ripon4 ,the instant ,i awoke ,i knew it4 ,it was very early in the morning1 just before sunrise1 but there was a little wood behind me1 and the birds were beginning to chirp4 ,it's very hard to describe it in words1 but the first thing to say is that ,i was not exactly happy just then1 but absolutely content4 ,i think ,i should say that it was like this3 ,i saw suddenly that what had been wrong in me was that ,i had made myself the center of things1 and ,god a kind of circumference4 ,when ,he did or allowed things1 ,i said1 ',why does ,he8'--from my point of view4 ,that is to say1 ,i set up my ideas of justice and love and so forth1 and then compared ,his with mine1 not mine with ,his4 ,and ,i suddenly saw--or1 rather1 ,i knew already when ,i awoke--that this was simply stupid4 ,even now ,i cannot imagine why ,i didn't see it before3 ,i had heard people say it1 of course--in sermons and books--but ,i suppose it had meant nothing to me4 7,father ,hildebrand tells me that ,i had seen it intellectually1 but had never embraced it with my will47 ,because when one once really sees that1 there's no longer any puzzle about anything4 ,one can simply never say ',why8' again4 ,the thing's finished4 ,now this 'process' 7as ,father ,h4 calls it7 has gone on in a most extraordinary manner ever since4 ,that beginning near ,ripon was like opening a door into another country1 and ,i've been walking ever since and seeing new things4 ,all sorts of things that ,i had believed as a ,catholic--things1 ,i mean1 which ,i assented to simply because the ,church said so1 have1 so to speak1 come up and turned themselves inside out4 ,i couldn't write them down1 because you can't write these things down1 or even put them intelligibly to yourself4 ,you just see that they are so4 ,for instance1 one morning at mass--quite suddenly--,i saw how the substance of the bread was changed1 and how our ,lord is united with the soul at ,communion--of course it's a mystery 7that's what ,i mean by saying that it can't be written down7--but ,i saw it1 in a flash1 and ,i can see it still in a sort of way4 ,then another day when the ,major was talking about something or other 7,i think it was about the club he used to belong to in ,piccadilly71 ,i understood about our ,lady and how she is just everything from one point of view4 ,and so on4 ,i had that kind of thing at ,doctor ,whitty's a good deal1 particularly when ,i was getting better4 ,i could talk to him all the time1 too1 or count the knobs on the wardrobe1 or listen to the ,major and ,gertie in the garden--and yet go on all the time seeing things4 ,i knew it wasn't any good talking to ,doctor ,whitty himself much1 though ,i can't imagine why a man like that doesn't see it all for himself4444 ,it seems to me most extraordinary now that ,i ever could have had those other thoughts ,i told ,father ,h4 about--,i mean about sins1 and about wondering whether1 after all1 the ,church was actually true4 ,in a sort of way1 of course1 they come back to me still1 and ,i know perfectly well ,i must be on my guard2 but somehow it's different4 ,well1 all this is what ,father ,h4 calls the ',illuminative ,way1' and ,i think ,i understand what he means4 ,it came to a sort of point on ,all ,souls' ,eve at the monastery4 ,i saw the whole thing then for a moment or two1 and not only ,purgatory4 ,but ,i will write that down later4 ,and ,father ,h4 tells me that ,i must begin to look forward to a new 'process'--what he calls the ',way of ,union4' ,i don't understand much what he means by that2 ,i don't see that more could happen to me4 ,i am absolutely and entirely happy2 though ,i must say that there has seemed a sort of lull for the last day or two--ever since ,all ,souls' ,day1 in fact4 ,perhaps something is going to happen4 ,it's all right1 anyhow4 ,it seems very odd to me that all this kind of thing is perfectly well known to priests4 ,i thought ,i was the first person who had ever felt quite like this4 ,i must add one thing4 ,father ,h4 asked me whether ,i didn't feel ,i had a vocation to the ,religious ,life2 he told me that from everything he could see1 ,i had1 and that my coming to the monastery was simply providential4 ,well1 ,i don't agree1 and ,i have told him so4 ,i haven't the least idea what is going to happen next2 but ,i know1 absolutely for certain1 that ,i have got to go on with the ,major and ,gertie to ,east ,london4 ,gertie will have to be got away from the ,major somehow1 and until that is done ,i mustn't do anything else4 ,i have written all this down as plainly as ,i can1 because ,i promised ,father ,h4 ,i would4 ,,part ,,iii ,,chapter ,i ,mrs4 ,partington was standing at the door of her house towards sunset1 waiting for the children to come back from school4 ,her house is situated in perhaps the least agreeable street--,turner ,road--in perhaps the least agreeable district of ,east ,london--,hackney ,wick4 ,it is a disagreeable district because it isn't anything in particular4 ,it has neither the tragic gayety of ,whitechapel nor the comparative refinement of ,clapton4 ,it is a large1 triangular piece of land1 containing perhaps a square mile altogether1 or rather more1 approached from the south by the archway of the ,great ,eastern ,railway1 defined on one side by the line1 and along its other two sides1 partly by the river ,lea--a grimy1 depressed-looking stream--and partly by the ,hackney ,marshes--flat1 dreary wastes of grass-grown land1 useless as building ground and of value only for ,saturday afternoon recreations of rabbit coursing and football4 ,the dismalness of the place is beyond description at all times of the year4 ,in winter it is bleak and chilly2 in summer it is hot1 fly-infested1 and hideously and ironically reminiscent of real fields and real grass4 ,the population is calculated to change completely about every three years1 and ,i'm sure ,i am not surprised4 ,it possesses two important blocks of buildings besides the schools--a large jam factory and the church and clergy-house of the ,eton ,mission4 ,turner ,road is perhaps the most hopeless of all the dozen and a half of streets4 7,it is marked black1 by the way1 in ,mr4 ,booth's instructive map47 ,it is about a quarter of a mile long and perfectly straight4 ,it is intersected at one point by another street1 and is composed of tall dark houses1 with flat fronts1 perhaps six or seven stories in height4 ,it is generally fairly silent and empty1 and is inhabited by the most characteristic members of the ,hackney ,wick community--quiet1 white-faced men1 lean women1 draggled and sharp-tongued1 and countless over-intelligent children--all of the class that seldom remain long anywhere--all of the material out of which the real criminal is developed4 ,no booths or stalls ever stand here2 only1 on ,saturday nights1 there is echoed here1 as in a stone-lined pit1 the cries and the wheel-noises from the busy thoroughfare a hundred yards away round the corner4 ,the road1 as a whole1 bears an aspect of desperate and fierce dignity2 there is never here the glimpse of a garden or of flowers1 as in ,mortimer ,road1 a stone's throw away4 ,there is nothing whatever except the tall1 flat houses1 the pavements1 the lampposts1 the grimy thoroughfare and the silence4 ,the sensation of the visitor is that anything might happen here1 and that no one would be the wiser4 ,there is an air of horrible discretion about these houses4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,partington was--indeed is 7for ,i went to see her not two months ago7--of a perfectly defined type4 ,she must have been a handsome factory girl--dark1 slender1 and perfectly able to take care of herself1 with thin1 muscular arms1 generally visible up to the elbow1 hard hands1 a quantity of rather untidy hair--with the tongue of a venomous orator and any amount of very inferior sentiment1 patriotic and domestic4 ,she has become a lean1 middle-aged woman1 very upright and very strong1 without any sentiment at all1 but with a great deal of very practical human experience to take its place4 ,she has no illusions about either this world or the next2 she has borne nine children1 of which three survive2 and her husband is almost uninterruptedly out of work4 ,however1 they are prosperous 7for ,turner ,road71 and have managed1 so far1 to keep their home together4 ,the sunset was framed in a glow of smoky glory at the end of the street down which ,mrs4 ,partington was staring1 resembling a rather angry search-light turned on from the gates of heaven4 ,the street was still quiet2 but already from the direction of the ,board-school came thin and shrill cries as the swarm of children exploded in all directions4 ,mrs4 ,partington 7she would have said7 was waiting for her children--,jimmy1 ,maggie and ',erb--and there were lying within upon the bare table three thick slices of bread and black jam2 as a matter of fact1 she was looking out for her lodgers1 who should have arrived by midday4 ,then she became aware that they were coming1 even as she looked1 advancing down the empty street en chelon4 ,two of them she knew well enough--they had lodged with her before2 but the third was to be a stranger1 and she was already interested in him--the ,major had hinted at wonderful mysteries4444 ,so she shaded her eyes against the cold glare and watched them carefully1 with that same firm1 resolute face with which she always looked out upon the world2 and even as1 presently1 she exchanged that quick1 silent nod of recognition with the ,major and ,gertie1 still she watched the brown-faced1 shabby young man who came last1 carrying his bundle and walking a little lame4 ,you're after your time1 she said abruptly4 ,the ,major began his explanations1 but she cut them short and led the way into the house4 7,,ii7 ,i find it very difficult to record accurately the impression that ,frank made upon ,mrs4 ,partington2 but that the impression was deep and definite became perfectly clear to me from her conversation4 ,he hardly spoke at all1 she said1 and before he got work at the jam factory he went out for long1 lonely walks across the marshes4 ,he and the ,major slept together1 it seemed1 in one room1 and ,gertie1 temporarily with the children and ,mrs4 ,partington in another4 7,mr4 ,partington1 at this time1 happened to be away on one of his long absences47 ,at meals ,frank was always quiet and well-behaved1 yet not ostentatiously4 ,mrs4 ,partington found no fault with him in that way4 ,he would talk to the children a little before they went to school1 and would meet them sometimes on their way back from school2 and all three of them conceived for him an immense and indescribable adoration4 ,all this1 however1 would be too long to set down in detail4 ,it seems to have been a certain air of pathos which ,mrs4 ,partington herself cast around him1 which affected her the most1 and ,i imagine her feeling to have been largely motherly4 ,there was1 however1 another element very obviously visible1 which1 in anyone but ,mrs4 ,partington1 ,i should call reverence4444 ,she told me that she could not imagine why he was traveling with the ,major and ,gertie1 so she at least understood something of the gulf between them4 ,so the first week crept by1 bringing us up to the middle of ,december4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was on the ,friday night that ,frank came back with the announcement that he was to go to work at the jam factory on ,monday4 ,there was a great pressure1 of course1 owing to the approach of ,christmas1 and ,frank was to be given joint charge of a van4 ,the work would last1 it seemed1 at any rate1 for a week or two4 ,you'll have to mind your language1 said the ,major jocosely4 7,he was sitting in the room where the cooking was done and where1 by the way1 the entire party1 with the exception of the two men1 slept2 and1 at this moment1 had his feet on the low mantelshelf between the saucepan and ,jimmy's cap47 ,eh8 said ,frank4 ,no language allowed there1 said the ,major4 ,they're damn particular4 ,frank put his cap down and took his seat on the bed4 ,where's ,gertie8 he asked4 7,yes1 come on1 ,jimmie47 ,jimmie crept up beside him1 looking at him with big black1 reverential eyes4 ,then he leaned against him with a quick smile and closed his eyes ecstatically4 ,frank put an arm round the boy to support him4 ,oh6 ,gertie's gone to see a friend1 said the ,major4 ,did you want her8 ,frank said nothing1 and ,mrs4 ,partington looked from one to the other swiftly4 ,mrs4 ,partington had gathered a little food for thought during the last few days4 ,it had become perfectly evident to her that the girl was very much in love with this young man1 and that while this young man either was1 or affected to be1 ignorant of it1 the ,major was not4 ,gertie had odd silences when ,frank came into the room1 or yet more odd volubilities1 and ,mrs4 ,partington was not quite sure of the ,major's attitude4 ,this officer and her husband had had dealings together in the past of a nature which ,i could not quite determine 7indeed1 the figure of ,mr4 ,partington is still a complete mystery to me1 and rather a formidable mystery72 and ,i gather that ,mrs4 ,partington had learned from her husband that the ,major was not simply negligible4 ,she knew him for a blackguard1 but she seems to have been uncertain of what kind was this black-guardism--whether of the strong or the weak variety4 ,she was just a little uncomfortable1 therefore1 as to the significance of ,gertie2 and had already wondered more than once whether or no she should say a motherly word to the young man4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there came a sound of footsteps up the street as ,mrs4 ,partington ironed a collar of ,jimmie's on the dining-room table1 and laid down the iron as a tap fell on the door4 ,the ,major took out his pipe and began to fill it as she went out to see who was knocking4 ,oh6 good evening1 ,mrs4 ,partington1 sounded in a clear1 high-bred voice from the street door4 ,may ,i come in for a minute or two8 ,i heard you had lodgers1 and ,i thought perhaps-- ,well1 sir1 we're rather upside-down just now--and-- ,oh6 ,i won't disturb you more than a minute1 came the other voice again4 ,there were footsteps in the passage1 and the next instant1 past the unwilling hostess1 there came a young1 fresh-colored clergyman1 carrying a silk hat1 into the lamplight of the kitchen4 ,frank stood up instantly1 and the ,major went so far as to take down his feet4 ,then he1 too1 stood up4 ,good evening6 said the clergyman4 ,may ,i just come in for a minute or two8 ,i heard you had come1 and as it's in my district--,may ,i sit down1 ,mrs4 ,partington8 ,mrs4 ,partington with sternly knit lips1 swept a brown teapot1 a stocking1 a comb1 a cup and a crumby plate off the single unoccupied chair1 and set it a little forward near the fire4 ,clergymen were1 to her mind1 one of those mysterious dispensations of the world for which there was no adequate explanation at all--like policemen and men's gamblings and horse-races4 ,there they were1 and there was no more to be said4 ,they were mildly useful for entertaining the children and taking them to ,southend1 and in cases of absolute despair they could be relied upon for soup-tickets or even half-crowns2 but the big mysterious church1 with its gilded screen1 its curious dark glass1 and its white little side-chapel1 with the ,morris hangings1 the great clergy-house1 the ladies1 the parish magazine and all the rest of it--these were simply inexplicable4 ,above all inexplicable was the passion displayed for district-visiting--that strange impulse that drove four highly-cultivated young men in black frock-coats and high hats and ridiculous little collars during five afternoons in the week to knock at door after door all over the district and conduct well-mannered conversations with bored but polite mothers of families4 ,it was one of the phenomena that had to be accepted4 ,she supposed it stood for something beyond her perceptions4 ,i thought ,i must come in and make your acquaintance1 said the clergyman1 nursing his hat and smiling at the company4 7,he1 too1 occasionally shared ,mrs4 ,partington's wonder as to the object of all this2 but he1 too1 submitted to it as part of the system47 ,people come and go so quickly1 you know-- ,very pleased to see a clergyman1 said the ,major smoothly4 ,no objection to smoke1 sir1 ,i presume8 ,he indicated his pipe4 ,not at all1 said the clergyman4 ,in fact1 ,i smoke myself2 and if ,mrs4 ,partington will allow me-- ,he produced a small pink and gilded packet of ,cinderellas4 7,i think he thought it brought him vaguely nearer the people to smoke ,cinderellas47 ,oh6 no objection at all1 sir1 put in ,mrs4 ,partington1 still a little grimly4 7,she was still secretly resenting being called upon at half-past six4 ,you were usually considered immune from this kind of thing after five o'clock47 ,so ,i thought ,i must just look in and catch you one evening1 explained the clergyman once more1 and tell you that we're your friends here--the clergy1 you know--and about the church and all that4 ,he was an extremely conscientious young man--this ,mr4 ,parham-,carter--an old ,etonian1 of course1 and now in his first curacy4 ,it was all pretty bewildering to him1 too1 this great and splendid establishment1 the glorious church by ,bodley1 with the ,magnificat in ,gothic lettering below the roof1 the well-built and furnished clergy-house1 the ladies' house1 the zeal1 the self-devotion1 the parochial machinery1 the ,band of ,hope1 the men's and boys' clubs1 and1 above all1 the furious district-visiting4 ,of course1 it produced results1 it kept up the standards of decency and civilization and ideals2 it was a weight in the balances on the side of right and good living2 the clubs kept men from the public-house to some extent1 and made it possible for boys to grow up with some chance on their side4 ,yet he wondered1 in fits of despondency1 whether there were not something wrong somewhere4444 ,but he accepted it3 it was the approved method1 and he himself was a learner1 not a teacher4 ,very kind of you1 sir1 said the ,major1 replacing his feet on the mantelshelf4 ,and at what time are the services on ,sunday8 ,the clergyman jumped4 ,he was not accustomed to that sort of question4 ,i 444 he began4 ,i'm a strong ,churchman1 sir1 said the ,major4 ,and even if ,i were not1 one must set an example1 you know4 ,i may be narrow-minded1 but ,i'm particular about all that sort of thing4 ,i shall be with you on ,sunday4 ,he nodded reassuringly at ,mr4 ,parham-,carter4 ,well1 we have morning prayer at ten-thirty next ,sunday1 and the ,holy ,eucharist at eleven--and1 of course1 at eight4 ,no vestments1 ,i hope8 said the ,major sternly4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter faltered a little4 ,vestments were not in use1 but to his regret4 ,well1 we don't use vestments1 he said1 but-- ,the ,major resumed his pipe with a satisfied air4 ,that's all right1 he said4 ,now1 ,i'm not bigoted--my friend here's a ,roman ,catholic1 but-- ,the clergyman looked up sharply1 and for the first time became consciously conscious of the second man4 ,frank had sat back again on the bed1 with ,jimmie beside him1 and was watching the little scene quietly and silently1 and the clergyman met his eyes full4 ,some vague shock thrilled through him2 ,frank's clean-shaven brown face seemed somehow familiar--or was it something else8 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter considered the point for a little while in silence1 only half attending to the ,major1 who was now announcing his views on the ,establishment and the ,reformation settlement4 ,frank said nothing at all1 and there grew on the clergyman a desire to hear his voice4 ,he made an opportunity at last4 ,yes1 ,i see1 he said to the ,major2 and you--,i don't know your name8 ,gregory1 sir1 said ,frank4 ,and again a little shock thrilled ,mr4 ,parham-,carter4 ,the voice was the kind of thing he had expected from that face4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was about ten minutes later1 that the clergyman thought it was time to go4 ,he had the ,major's positive promise to attend at least the evening service on the following ,sunday--a promise he did not somehow very much appreciate--but he had made no progress with ,frank4 ,he shook hands all round very carefully1 told ,jimmie not to miss ,sunday-school1 and publicly commended ,maggie for a recitation she had accomplished at the ,band of ,hope on the previous evening2 and then went out1 accompanied by ,mrs4 ,partington1 still silent1 as far as the door4 ,but as he actually went out1 someone pushed by the woman and came out into the street4 ,may ,i speak to you a minute8 said the strange young man1 dropping the sir4 ,i'll walk with you as far as the clergy-house if you'll let me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when they were out of earshot of the house ,frank began4 ,you're ,parham-,carter1 aren't you8 he said4 ,of ,hales'4 ,the other nodded4 7,things were beginning to resolve themselves in his mind47 ,well1 will you give me your word not to tell a soul ,i'm here1 and ,i'll tell you who ,i am8 ,you've forgotten me1 ,i see4 ,but ,i'm afraid you may remember4 ,d'you see8 ,all right4 ,i'm ,guiseley1 of ,drew's4 ,we were in the same division once--up to ,rawlins4 ,do you remember8 ,good ,lord6 ,but-- ,yes1 ,i know4 ,but don't let's go into that4 ,i've not done anything ,i shouldn't4 ,that's not the reason ,i'm like this4 ,it's just turned out so4 ,and there's something else ,i want to talk to you about4 ,when can ,i come and see you privately8 ,i'm going to begin work to-morrow at the jam factory4 ,the other man clutched at his whirling faculties4 ,to-night--at ten4 ,will that do8 ,all right4 ,what am ,i to say--when ,i ring the bell1 ,i mean8 ,just ask for me4 ,they'll show you straight up to my room4 ,all right1 said ,frank1 and was gone4 7,,iii7 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter's room in the clergy-house was of the regular type--very comfortable and pleasing to the eye1 as it ought to be for a young man working under such circumstances2 not really luxurious2 pious and virile4 ,the walls were a rosy distemper1 very warm and sweet1 and upon them1 above the low oak book-cases1 hung school and college groups1 discreet sporting engravings1 a glorious cathedral interior1 and the ,sistine ,madonna over the mantelpiece4 ,an oar hung all along one ceiling1 painted on the blade with the arms of an ,oxford college4 ,there was a small prie-dieu1 surmounted by a crucifix of ,ober-,ammergau workmanship3 there was a mahogany writing-table with a revolving chair set before it2 there were a couple of deep padded arm-chairs1 a pipe-rack1 and a row of photographs--his mother in evening dress1 a couple of sisters1 with other well-bred-looking relations4 ,altogether1 with the curtains drawn and the fire blazing1 it was exactly the kind of room that such a wholesome young man ought to have in the ,east of ,london4 ,frank was standing on the hearth-rug as ,mr4 ,parham-,carter came in a minute or two after ten o'clock1 bearing a small tray with a covered jug1 two cups and a plate of cake4 ,good-evening again1 said the clergyman4 ,have some cocoa8 ,i generally bring mine up here4444 ,sit down4 ,make yourself comfortable4 ,frank said nothing4 ,he sat down4 ,he put his cap on the floor by his chair and leaned back4 ,the other1 with rather nervous movements1 set a steaming cup by his side1 and a small silver box of cigarettes1 matches and an ash-tray4 ,then he sat down himself1 took a long pull at his cocoa1 and waited with a certain apprehensiveness4 ,who else is here8 asked ,frank abruptly4 ,the other ran through the three names1 with a short biography of each4 ,frank nodded1 reassured at the end4 ,that's all right1 he said4 ,all before my time1 ,i expect4 ,they might come in1 you know4 ,oh1 no6 said the clergyman4 ,i told them not1 and-- ,well1 let's come to business1 said ,frank4 ,it's about a girl4 ,you saw that man to-day8 ,you saw his sort1 did you8 ,well1 he's a bad hat4 ,and he's got a girl going about with him who isn't his wife4 ,i want to get her home again to her people4 ,yes8 ,can you do anything8 7,don't say you can if you can't1 please44447 ,she comes from ,chiswick4 ,i'll give you her address before ,i go4 ,but ,i don't want it muddled1 you know4 ,the clergyman swallowed in his throat4 ,he had only been ordained eighteen months1 and the extreme abruptness and reality of the situation took him a little aback4 ,i can try1 he said4 ,and ,i can put the ladies on to her4 ,but1 of course1 ,i can't undertake-- ,of course4 ,but do you think there's a reasonable chance8 ,if not1 ,i'd better have another try myself4 ,have you tried1 then8 ,oh1 yes1 half a dozen times4 ,a fortnight ago was the last1 and ,i really thought-- ,but ,i don't understand4 ,are these people your friends1 or what8 ,i've been traveling with them off and on since ,june4 ,they belong to you1 so far as they belong to anyone4 ,i'm a ,catholic1 you know-- ,really8 ,but-- ,convert4 ,last ,june4 ,don't let's argue1 my dear chap4 ,there isn't time4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter drew a breath4 ,there is no other phrase so adequate for describing his condition of mind as the old one concerning head and heels4 ,there had rushed on him1 not out of the blue1 but1 what was even more surprising1 out of the very dingy sky of ,hackney ,wick 7and ,turner ,road1 at that671 this astonishing young man1 keen-eyed1 brown-faced1 muscular1 who had turned out to be a school-fellow of his own1 and a school-fellow whose reputation1 during the three hours since they had parted1 he had swiftly remembered point by point--,guiseley of ,drew's--the boy who had thrown off his coat in early school and displayed himself shirtless2 who had stolen four out of the six birches on a certain winter morning1 and had conversed affably with the ,head in school yard with the ends of the birches sticking out below the skirts of his overcoat2 who had been discovered on the fourth of ,june1 with an air of reverential innocence1 dressing the bronze statue of ,king ,henry ,,vi4 in a surplice in honor of the day4 ,and now here he was1 and from his dress and the situation of his lodging-house to be reckoned among the worst of the loafing class1 and yet talking1 with an air of complete confidence and equality of a disreputable young woman--his companion--who was to be rescued from a yet more disreputable companion and restored to her parents in ,chiswick4 ,and this was not all--for1 as ,mr4 ,parham-,carter informed me himself--there was being impressed upon him during this interview a very curious sensation1 which he was hardly able1 even after consideration1 to put into words--a sensation concerning the personality and presence of this young man which he could only describe as making him feel beastly queer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seems to have been about this point that he first perceived it clearly--distinguished it1 that is to say1 from the whole atmosphere of startling and suggesting mystery that surrounded him4 ,he looked at ,frank in silence a moment or two4444 ,there ,guiseley sat--leaning back in the red leather chair1 his cocoa still untouched4 ,he was in a villainous suit that once1 probably1 had been dark blue4 ,the jacket was buttoned up to his chin1 and a grimy muffler surrounded his neck4 ,his trousers were a great deal too short1 and disclosed above a yellow sock1 on the leg nearest to him1 about four inches of dark-looking skin4 ,his boots were heavy1 patched1 and entirely uncleaned1 and the upper toe-cap of one of them gaped from the leather over the instep4 ,his hands were deep in his pockets1 as if even in this warm room1 he felt the cold4 ,there was nothing remarkable there4 ,it was the kind of figure presented by unsatisfactory candidates for the men's club4 ,and yet there was about him this air1 arresting and rather disconcerting4444 ,it was a sort of electric serenity1 if ,i understand ,mr4 ,parham-,carter aright--a zone of perfectly still energy1 like warmth or biting cold1 as of a charged force3 it was like a real person standing motionless in the middle of a picture4 7,mr4 ,parham-,carter did not1 of course1 use such beautiful similes as these2 he employed the kind of language customary to men who have received a public school and university education1 half slang and half childishness2 but he waved his hands at me and distorted his features1 and conveyed1 on the whole1 the kind of impression ,i have just attempted to set down47 ,frank1 then1 seemed as much out of place in this perfectly correct and suitable little room as an ,indian prince in ,buckingham ,palace2 or1 if you prefer it1 an ,english nobleman 7with spats7 in ,delhi4 ,he was just entirely different from it all2 he had nothing whatever to do with it2 he was wholly out of place1 not exactly as regarded his manner 7for he was quite at his ease71 but with regard to his significance4 ,he was as a foreign symbol in a familiar language4 ,its effect upon ,mr4 ,parham-,carter was quite clear and strong4 ,he instanced to me the fact that he said nothing to ,frank about his soul3 he honestly confessed that he scarcely even wished to press him to come to ,evensong on ,sunday4 ,of course1 he did not like ,frank's being a ,roman ,catholic2 and his whole intellectual being informed him that it was because ,frank had never really known the ,church of ,england that he had left it4 7,mr4 ,parham-,carter had himself learned the real nature of the ,church of ,england at the ,pusey ,house at ,oxford47 ,but there are certain atmospheres in which the intellectual convictions are not very important1 and this was one of them4 ,so here the two young men sat and stared at one another1 or1 rather1 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter stared at ,frank1 and ,frank looked at nothing in particular4 ,you haven't drunk your cocoa1 said the clergyman suddenly4 ,frank turned abruptly1 took up the cup and drank the contents straight off at one draught4 ,and a cigarette8 ,frank took up a cigarette and put in his mouth4 ,by the way1 he said1 taking it out again1 when'll you send your ladies round8 ,the morning's best1 when the rest of us are out of the way4 ,all right4 ,well1 ,i don't think there's anything else8 ,my dear chap1 said the other1 ,i wish you'd tell me what it's all about--why you're in this sort of life1 you know4 ,i don't want to pry1 but-- ,frank smiled suddenly and vividly4 ,oh1 there's nothing to say4 ,that's not the point4 ,it's by my own choice practically4 ,i assure you ,i haven't disgraced anybody4 ,but your people-- ,oh6 they're all right4 ,there's nothing the matter with them4444 ,look here6 ,i really must be going4 ,he stood up1 and something seemed to snap in the atmosphere as he did so4 ,besides1 ,i've got to be at work early-- ,i say1 what did you do then8 ,do then8 ,what do you mean8 ,when you stood up--,did you say anything8444 ,frank looked at him bewildered4 ,i don't know what you're talking about4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter did not quite know what he had meant himself4 ,it was a sensation come and gone1 in an instant1 as ,frank had moved 444 a sensation which ,i suppose some people would call psychical--a sensation as if a shock had vibrated for one moment through every part of his own being1 and of the pleasant little warm room where he was sitting4 ,he looked at the other1 dazed for a second or two1 but there was nothing4 ,those two steady black eyes looked at him in a humorous kind of concern4444 ,he stood up himself4 ,it was nothing1 he said4 ,i think ,i must be getting sleepy4 ,he put out his hand4 ,good-night1 he said4 ,oh6 ,i'll come and see you as far as the gate4 ,frank looked at him a second4 ,i say1 he said2 ,i suppose you've never thought of becoming a ,catholic8 ,my dear chap-- ,no6 ,well1 all right4444 oh6 don't bother to come to the gate4 ,i'm coming4 ,it may be locked4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter stood looking after ,frank's figure even after it had passed along the dark shop fronts and was turning the corner towards ,turner ,road4 ,then it went under the lamplight1 and disappeared4 ,it was a drizzling1 cold night1 and he himself was bareheaded2 he felt the moisture run down his forehead1 but it didn't seem to be happening to him4 ,on his right rose up the big parish-hall where the entertainments were held1 and beyond it1 the east end of the great church1 dark now and tenantless2 and he felt the wet woodwork of the gate grasped in his fingers4 ,he did not quite know what was happening to him but everything seemed different4 ,a hundred thoughts had passed through his mind during the last half hour4 ,it had occurred to him that he ought to have asked ,guiseley to come to the clergy-house and lodge there for a bit while things were talked over2 that he ought1 tactfully1 to have offered to lend him money1 to provide him with a new suit1 to make suggestions as to proper employment instead of at the jam factory--all those proper1 philanthropic and prudent suggestions that a really sensible clergyman would have made4 ,and yet1 somehow1 not only had he not made them1 but it was obvious and evident when he regarded them that they could not possibly be made4 ,guiseley 7of ,drew's7 did not require them1 he was on another line altogether4444 ,and what was that line8 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter leaned on the gate a full five minutes considering all this4 ,but he arrived at no conclusion4 ,,chapter ,,ii 7,i7 ,the ,rector of ,merefield was returning from a short pastoral visitation towards the close of an afternoon at the beginning of ,november4 ,his method and aims were very characteristic of himself1 since he was one of that numerous class of persons who1 interiorly possessing their full share of proper pride1 wear exteriorly an appearance of extreme and almost timid humility4 ,the aims of his visiting were1 though he was quite unaware of the fact1 directed towards encouraging people to hold fast to their proper position in life 7for this1 after all1 is only another name for one's duty towards one's neighbor71 and his method was to engage in general conversation on local topics4 ,there emerged1 in this way1 information as to the patient's habits and actions2 it would thus transpire1 for example1 whether the patient had been to church or not1 whether there were any quarrels1 and1 if so1 who were the combatants and for what cause4 ,he had been fairly satisfied to-day2 he had met with good excuses for the absence of two children from day-school1 and of a young man from choir-practice2 he had read a little ,scripture to an old man1 and had been edified by his comments upon it4 ,it was not particularly supernatural1 but1 after all1 the natural has its place1 too1 in life1 and he had undoubtedly fulfilled to-day some of the duties for whose sake he occupied the position of ,rector of ,merefield1 in a completely inoffensive manner4 ,the things he hated most in the world were disturbances of any kind1 abruptness and the unexpected1 and he had a strong reputation in the village for being a man of peace4 ,it sounds a hard thing to say of so conscientious a man1 but a properly preserved social order was perhaps to his mind the nearest approach to the establishment of the ,kingdom of ,heaven on earth4 ,each person held his proper position1 including himself1 and he no more expected others to be untrue to their station than he wished to be untrue to his own4 ,there were1 of course1 two main divisions--those of gentle birth and those not of gentle birth1 and these were as distinct as the sexes4 ,but there were endless gradations in each respectively1 and he himself regarded those with as much respect as those of the angelic hierarchy3 the ,dominations might1 or might not be as good as the ,powers1 but they were certainly different1 by ,divine decree4 ,it would be a species of human blasphemy1 therefore1 for himself not to stand up in ,lord ,talgarth's presence1 or for a laborer not to touch his hat to ,miss ,jenny4 ,this is sometimes called snobbishness1 but it is nothing of the kind4 ,it is merely a marked form of ,toryism4 ,it was a pleasant autumnal kind of afternoon1 and he took off his hat as he turned up past the park gates to feel the cool air1 as he was a little heated with his walk4 ,he felt exceedingly content with all things3 there were no troubles in the parish1 he enjoyed excellent health1 and he had just done his duty4 ,he disliked pastoral visiting very deeply indeed2 he was essentially a timid kind of man1 but he made his rules and kept them1 for he was essentially a conscientious man4 ,he was so conscientious that he was probably quite unaware that he disliked this particular duty4 ,just as he came opposite the gates--great iron-work affairs with ramping eagles and a ,gothic lodge smothered in ivy--the man ran out and began to wheel them back1 after a hasty salute to his pastor2 and the ,rector1 turning1 saw a sight that increased his complacency4 ,it was just ,jenny riding with ,lord ,talgarth1 as he knew she was doing that afternoon4 ,they made a handsome1 courtly kind of pair--a sort of father and daughter after some romantic artist or other4 ,lord ,talgarth's heavy figure looked well-proportioned on horseback1 and he sat his big black mare very tolerably indeed4 ,and ,jenny looked delicious on the white mare1 herself in dark green4 ,a groom followed twenty yards behind4 ,lord ,talgarth's big face nodded genially to the ,rector and he made a kind of salute2 he seemed in excellent dispositions2 ,jenny was a little flushed with exercise1 and smiled at her father with a quiet1 friendly dignity4 ,just taking her ladyship home1 said the old man4444 ,yes2 charming day1 isn't it8 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,rector followed them1 pleased at heart4 ,usually ,jenny rode home alone with the groom to take back her mare to the stables4 ,it was the first time1 so far as he could remember1 that ,lord ,talgarth had taken the trouble to escort her all the way home himself4 ,it really was very pleasant indeed1 and very creditable to ,jenny's tact1 that relations were so cordial4444 ,and they were dining there to-morrow1 too4 ,the social order of ,merefield seemed to be in an exceedingly sound condition4 7,,ii7 ,lord ,talgarth1 too1 seemed to the lodge-keeper1 as ten minutes later the gates rolled back again to welcome their lord1 in an unusually genial temper 7and1 indeed1 there was always about this old man as great a capacity for geniality on one side as for temper on the other2 it is usually so with explosive characters74 ,he even checked his horse and asked after the missus in so many words2 although two days before a violent message had come down to complain of laxity in the gate-opening1 owing to the missus' indisposition on an occasion when the official himself had been digging cabbages behind the ,gothic lodge and the hoot of the motor had not been heard4 ,the missus1 it seemed1 was up and about again 7indeed her husband caught a glimpse out of the tail of his eye of a pale face that glanced and withdrew again apprehensively above the muslin curtain beyond his lordship74 ,that's all right1 remarked ,lord ,talgarth heartily1 and rode on4 ,the lodge-keeper exchanged a solemn wink with the groom half a minute later1 and stood to watch the heavy figure ahead plunging about rather in the saddle as the big black mare set her feet upon the turf and viewed her stable afar off4 ,it was a fact that ,lord ,talgarth was pleased with himself and all the world to-day1 for he kept it up even with the footman who slipped1 and all but lost his balance1 as he brought tea into the library4 ,hold up6 remarked the nobleman4 ,the footman smiled gently and weakly1 after the manner of a dependent1 and related the incident with caustic gusto to his fellows in the pantry4 ,after tea ,lord ,talgarth lay back in his chair and appeared to meditate1 as was observed by the man who fetched out the tea-things and poked the fire2 and he was still meditating1 though now there was the aromatic smell of tobacco upon the air1 when his own man came to tell him that it was time to dress4 ,it was indeed a perfect room for arm-chair meditations2 there were tall book-shelves1 mahogany writing-tables1 each with its shaded electric lamp2 the carpet was as deep as a summer lawn2 and in the wide hearth logs consumed themselves in an almost deferential silence4 ,there was every conceivable thing that could be wanted laid in its proper place4 ,it was the kind of room in which it would seem that no scheme could miscarry and every wish must prevail2 the objective physical world grouped itself so obediently to the human will that it was almost impossible to imagine a state of things in which it did not so4 ,the great house was admirably ordered2 there was no sound that there should not be--no hitches1 no gaps or cracks anywhere2 it moved like a well-oiled machine2 the gong1 sounded in the great hall1 issued invitations rather than commands4 ,all was leisurely1 perfectly adapted and irreproachable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is always more difficult for people who live in such houses as these to behave well under adverse fortune than for those who live in houses where the ,irish stew can be smelled at eleven o'clock in the morning1 and where the doors do not shut properly1 and the kitchen range goes wrong4 ,possibly something of this fact helped to explain the owner's extreme violence of temper on the occasion of his son's revolt4 ,it was intolerable for a man all of whose other surroundings moved like clockwork1 obedient to his whims1 to be disobeyed flatly by one whose obedience should be his first duty--to find disorder and rebellion in the very mainspring of the whole machine4 ,possibly1 too1 the little scheme that was maturing in ,lord ,talgarth's mind between tea and dinner that evening helped to restore his geniality2 for1 as soon as the thought was conceived1 it became obvious that it could be carried through with success4 ,he observed3 ,aha6 it's time1 is it8 to his man in a hearty kind of way1 and hoisted himself out of his chair with unusual briskness4 7,,iii7 ,he spent a long evening again in the library alone4 ,archie was away2 and after dining alone with all the usual state1 the old man commanded that coffee should be brought after him4 ,the butler found him1 five minutes later1 kneeling before a tall case of drawers1 trying various keys off his bunch1 and when the man came to bring in whisky and clear away the coffee things he was in his deep chair1 a table on either side of him piled with papers1 and a drawer upon his knees4 ,you can put this lot back1 he remarked to the young footman1 indicating a little pile of four drawers on the hearth-rug4 ,he watched the man meditatively as he attempted to fit them into their places4 ,not that way1 you fool6 ,haven't you got eyes8444 ,the top one at the top6 ,but he said it without bitterness--almost contemplatively4 ,and1 as the butler glanced round a moment or two later to see that all was in order1 he saw his master once more beginning to read papers4 ,good-night1 said ,lord ,talgarth4 ,good-night1 my lord1 said the butler4 ,there was a good deal of discussion that night in the men's wing as to the meaning of all this1 and it was conducted with complete frankness4 ,mr4 ,merton1 the butler1 had retired to his own house in the stable-yard1 and ,mr4 ,clarkson1 the valet1 was in his lordship's dressing-room2 so the men talked freely4 ,it was agreed that only two explanations were possible for the unusual sweetness of temper3 either ,mr4 ,frank was to be reinstated1 or his father was beginning to break up4 ,frank was extremely popular with servants always2 and it was generally hoped that the former explanation was the true one4 ,possibly1 however1 both were required4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,clarkson too was greatly intrigu that night4 ,he yawned about the dressing-room till an unusually late hour1 for ,lord ,talgarth generally retired to rest between ten and half-past4 ,to-night1 however1 it was twenty minutes to twelve before the man stood up suddenly from the sofa at the sound of a vibration in the passage outside4 ,the old man came in briskly1 bearing a bundle of papers in one hand and a bed-candle in the other1 with the same twinkle of good temper in his eyes that he had carried all the evening4 ,give me the dispatch-box under the sofa1 he said2 the one in the leather case4 ,this was done and the papers were laid in it1 carefully1 on the top4 ,mr4 ,clarkson noticed that they had a legal appearance1 were long-shaped and inscribed in stiff lettering4 ,then the dispatch-box was reclosed and set on the writing-table which my lord used sometimes when he was unwell4 ,remind me to send for ,mr4 ,manners to-morrow1 he said4 7,this was the solicitor47 99 99 99 99 99 ,getting ready for bed that evening was almost of a sensational nature1 and ,mr4 ,clarkson had to keep all his wits about him to respond with sufficient agility to the sallies of his master4 ,usually it was all a very somber ceremony1 with a good deal of groaning and snarling in asides4 ,but to-night it was as cheerful as possible4 ,the mysteries of it all are too great for me to attempt to pierce them2 but it is really incredible what a number of processes are necessary before an oldish man1 who is something of a buck and something of an invalid1 and altogether self-centered1 is able to lay him down to rest4 ,there are strange doses to be prepared and drunk1 strange manipulations to be performed and very particular little ceremonies to be observed1 each in its proper place4 ,each to-night was accompanied by some genial comment3 the senna-pod distillation1 that had been soaking since seven p4m4 in hot water1 was drunk almost with the air of a toast2 the massaging of the ankles and toes 7an exercise invented entirely by ,lord ,talgarth himself7 might have been almost in preparation for a dance4 ,he stood up at last1 an erect1 stoutish figure1 in quilted dressing-gown and pyjamas1 before the fire1 as his man put on his slippers for him1 for the little procession into the next room4 ,i think ,i'm better to-night1 ,clarkson1 he said4 ,your lordship seems very well indeed1 my lord1 murmured that diplomat on the hearth-rug4 ,how old do you think ,i am1 ,clarkson8 ,clarkson knew perfectly well1 but it was better to make a deprecatory confused noise4 ,ah6 well1 we needn't reckon by years 444 ,i feel young enough1 observed the stately figure before the fire4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then the procession was formed3 the double doors were set back1 the electric light switched on2 ,lord ,talgarth passed through towards the great four-posted bed that stood out into the bedroom1 and was in bed1 with scarcely a groan1 almost before the swift ,mr4 ,clarkson could be at his side to help him in4 ,he lay there1 his ruddy face wonderfully handsome against the contrast of his gray hair and the white pillow1 while ,mr4 ,clarkson concluded the other and final ceremonies4 ,a small table had to be wheeled to a certain position beside the bed1 and the handle of the electric cord laid upon it in a particular place1 between the book and the tray on which stood some other very special draught to be drunk in case of thirst4 ,call me a quarter of an hour earlier than usual1 observed the face on the pillow4 ,i'll take a little stroll before breakfast4 ,yes1 my lord4 ,what did ,i tell you to remind me to do after breakfast8 ,send for ,mr4 ,manners1 my lord4 ,that's right4 ,good-night1 ,clarkson4 ,good-night1 my lord4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was the usual discreet glance round the room to see that all was in order2 then the door into the dressing-room closed imperceptibly behind ,mr4 ,clarkson's bent back4 ,,chapter ,,iii 7,i7 ,winter at ,merefield ,rectory is almost as delightful as summer1 although in an entirely different way4 ,the fact is that the ,rectory has managed the perfect ,english compromise4 ,in summer1 with the windows and doors wide open1 with the heavy radiant creepers1 with the lawns lying about the house1 with the warm air flowing over the smooth1 polished floors and lifting the thin mats1 with the endless whistle of bird song--then the place seems like a summer-house4 ,and in winter1 with the heavy carpets down1 and the thick curtains1 the very polished floors1 so cool in summer1 seem expressly designed to glimmer warmly with candle and fire-light2 and the books seem to lean forward protectively and reassert themselves1 and the low beamed ceilings to shelter and safeguard the interior comfort4 ,the center of gravity is changed almost imperceptibly4 ,in summer the place is a garden with a house in the middle2 in winter a house surrounded by shrubberies4 ,the study in one way and the morning-room in another are the respective pivots of the house4 ,the study is a little paneled room on the ground-floor1 looking out upon the last of the line of old yews and the beginning of the lawn2 the morning-room 7once known as the school-room7 is the only other paneled room in the house1 on the first floor1 looking out upon the front4 ,and round these two rooms the two sections of the house-life tranquilly revolve4 ,here in one the ,rector controls the affairs of the parish1 writes his sermons1 receives his men friends 7not very many71 and reads his books4 ,there in the other ,jenny orders the domestic life of the house1 interviews the cook1 and occupies herself with her own affairs4 ,they are two rival1 but perfectly friendly1 camps4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lately 7,i am speaking now of the beginning of ,november7 there had not been quite so much communication between the two camps as usual1 not so many informal negotiations4 ,jenny did not look in quite so often upon her father--for ten minutes after breakfast1 for instance1 or before lunch--and when he looked in on her he seemed to find her generally with rather a preoccupied air1 often sitting before the wide-arched fireplace1 with her hands behind her head1 looking at the red logs4 ,he was an easy man1 as has been seen1 and did not greatly trouble his head about it3 he knew enough of the world to recognize that an extremely beautiful girl like ,jenny1 living on the terms she did with the great house--and a house with men coming and going continually1 to say nothing of lawn-tennis parties and balls elsewhere--cannot altogether escape complications4 ,he was reasonable enough1 too1 to understand that a father is not always the best confidant1 and he had supreme confidence in ,jenny's common sense4 ,i suppose he had his dreams2 he would scarcely have been human if he had not1 and he was quite human4 ,the throwing over of ,frank had brought him mixed emotions1 but he had not been consulted either at the beginning or the end of the engagement1 and he acquiesced4 ,of ,dick's affair he knew nothing at all4 ,that1 then1 was the situation when the bomb exploded4 ,it exploded in this way4 ,he was sitting in his study one morning--to be accurate1 it was the first ,saturday in ,november1 two days after the events of the last chapter--preparing to begin the composition of his sermon for the next day4 ,they had dined up at the great house the night before quite quietly with ,lord ,talgarth and ,archie1 who had just come back4 ,he had selected his text with great care from the ,gospel for the day1 when the door suddenly opened and ,jenny came in4 ,this was very unusual on ,saturday morning2 it was an understood thing that he must be at his sermon2 but his faint sense of annoyance was completely dispelled by his daughter's face4 ,she was quite pale--not exactly as if she had received a shock1 but as if she had made up her mind to something2 there was no sign of tremor in her face2 on the contrary1 she looked extremely determined1 but her eyes searched his as she stopped4 ,i'm dreadfully sorry1 father1 but may ,i talk to you for a few minutes8 ,she did not wait for his answer1 but came straight in and sat down in his easy-chair4 ,he laid his pen down and turned a little at his writing-table to face her4 ,certainly1 dear4 ,what is it8 ,nothing wrong8 7,he noticed she had a note in her hand47 ,no1 nothing wrong4444 ,she hesitated4 ,but it's rather important4 ,well8 ,she glanced down at the note she carried4 ,then she looked up at him again4 ,father1 ,i suppose you've thought of my marrying some day--in spite of ,frank8 ,eh8 ,would you mind if ,i married a man older than myself--,i mean a good deal older8 ,he looked at her in silence4 ,two or three names passed before his mind1 but he couldn't remember-- ,father1 ,i'm in trouble4 ,i really am4 ,i didn't expect-- ,her voice faltered4 ,he saw that she really found it difficult to speak4 ,a little wave of tenderness rolled over his heart4 ,it was unlike her to be so much moved4 ,he got up and came round to her4 ,what is it1 dear8 ,tell me4 ,she remained perfectly motionless for an instant4 ,then she held out the note to him1 and simultaneously stood up4 ,as he took it1 she went swiftly past him and out of the door4 ,he heard the swish of her dress pass up the stairs1 and then the closing of a door4 ,but he hardly heeded it4 ,he was reading the note she had given him4 ,it was a short1 perfectly formal offer of marriage to her from ,lord ,talgarth4 7,,ii7 ,father1 dear1 said ,jenny1 ,i want you to let me have my say straight out1 will you8 ,he bowed his head4 ,they were sitting1 on the evening of the same day1 over the tea-things in his study4 ,he had not seen her alone for one moment since the morning4 ,she had refused to open her door to him when he went up after reading the note3 she had pleaded a headache at lunch1 and she had been invisible all the afternoon4 ,then1 as he came in about tea-time1 she had descended upon him1 rather pale1 but perfectly herself1 perfectly natural1 and even rather high-spirited4 ,she had informed him that tea would be laid in his study1 as she wanted a long talk4 ,she had poured out tea1 talking all the time1 refusing1 it seemed1 to meet his eyes4 ,when she had finished1 she had poured out his third cup1 and then pushed her own low chair back so far that he could not see her face4 ,then she had opened the engagement4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to say that the poor man had been taken aback would be a very poor way of describing his condition4 ,the thing simply had never entered his head4 ,he had dreamed1 in wild moments1 of ,archie2 he had certainly contemplated ,dick2 but ,lord ,talgarth himself1 gouty and aged sixty-five6444 ,and yet he had not been indignant4 ,indignation not only did not do with ,jenny1 but it was impossible4 ,to be quite frank1 the man was afraid of his daughter2 he was aware that she would do ultimately as she wished1 and not as he wished2 and his extreme discomfort at the thought of this old man marrying his daughter was1 since he was human1 partly counter-balanced by the thought of who the old man was4 ,lastly1 it must be remembered that ,jenny was really a very sensible girl1 and that her father was quite conscious of the fact4 ,jenny settled herself once more in her chair and began4 99 99 99 99 99 ,father1 dear1 ,i want to be quite sensible about this4 ,and ,i've been very foolish and silly about it all day4 ,i can't imagine why ,i behaved as ,i did4 ,there's nothing to go and mope about1 that ,lord ,talgarth has been kind enough to do me this honor4 ,because it is an honor1 you know1 however you look at it1 that anyone should ask one to be his wife4 ,well1 ,i want to say what ,i have to say first1 and then ,i want you to say exactly what you think4 ,i've thought it all out1 so ,i shan't be very long4 7,he put down his cup noiselessly1 as if in the presence of a sick person4 ,he was anxious not to lose a word1 or even an inflection74 ,first of all1 let's have all the things against it4 ,he's an old man4 ,we mustn't forget that for one minute4 ,and that's a very strong argument indeed4 ,some people would think it final1 but ,i think that's foolish4444 ,secondly1 it never entered my head for one instant4 7,jenny said this quite deliberately1 almost reverently47 ,of course ,i see now that he's hinted at it very often1 but ,i never understood it at the time4 ,i've always thought of him as a sort of--well--a sort of uncle4 ,and that's another strong argument against it4 ,if it was a right thing to do1 oughtn't it to have occurred to me too8 ,i'm not quite sure about that4 ,thirdly1 it's unsuitable for several reasons4 ,it'll make talk4 ,here have ,i been engaged to ,frank for ages and broken it off4 ,can't you imagine how people will interpret that now8 ,i suppose ,i oughtn't to mind what people say1 but ,i'm afraid ,i do4 ,then ,i'm the ,rector's daughter 444 and ,i've been running in and out continually--dining with them1 sitting with him alone4 ,can't you imagine what people--,lady ,richard1 for instance--will make of it8444 ,i shall be an adventuress1 and all the rest of it4 ,that's not worth much as an argument1 but it is a 444 a consideration4 ,one must look facts in the face and think of the future4 ,fourthly1 ,lord ,talgarth probably won't live very long4444 7,jenny paused1 and then1 with extraordinary impressiveness1 continued74444 ,and that1 of1 course1 is perhaps the strongest argument of all4 ,if ,i could be of any real use to him-- ,she stopped again4 ,the ,rector shifted a little in his chair4 ,it was impossible for him to conceal from himself any longer the fact that up to now he had really been expecting ,jenny to accept the offer4 ,but he was a little puzzled now at the admirable array of reasons she had advanced against that4 ,she had put into words just the sensible view of which he himself had only had a confused apprehension2 she had analyzed into all its component parts that general sense which one side of him had pushed before him all day--that the thing was really abominable4 ,and this side of him at this time was uppermost4 ,he drew a whistling breath4 ,well1 my dear1 he began1 and the relief was very apparent in his voice4 ,but ,jenny interrupted4 ,one minute1 please1 father6 ,in fairness to--to everyone ,i must put the other side4444 ,i suppose the main question is this1 after all4 ,am ,i fond of him8--fond enough1 that is1 to marry him--because1 of course1 ,i'm fond of him2 he's been so extraordinarily kind always4444 ,i suppose that's really the only thing to be considered4 ,if ,i were fond enough of him1 ,i suppose all the arguments against count for nothing4 ,isn't that so8444 ,yes2 ,i want you to say what you think4 ,he waited4 ,still he could make out nothing of her face1 though he glanced across the tea-things once or twice4 ,my dear1 ,i don't know what to say4 ,i-- ,father1 dear1 ,i just want that from you4 ,do you think that any consideration at all ought to stand in the way1 if ,i were--,i don't say for one single moment that ,i am--but if ,i were--well1 really fond of him8 ,i'm sorry to have to speak so very plainly1 but it's no good being silly4 ,he swallowed in his throat once or twice4 ,if you really were fond of him--,i think 444 ,i think that1 no consideration of the sort you have mentioned ought to 444 to stand in your way4 ,thank you1 father1 said ,jenny softly4 ,when did you first think of it8 ,jenny paused4 ,i think ,i knew he was going to ask me two days ago--the day you met us out riding1 you know4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there was a long silence4 ,they had already discussed1 when ,frank's affair had been before them1 all secondary details4 ,the ,rector's sister was to have taken ,jenny's place4 ,there was nothing of that sort to talk about now4 ,they were both just face to face with primary things1 and they both knew it4 ,the ,rector's mind worked like a mill--a mill whose machinery is running aimlessly4 ,the wheels went round and round1 but they effected nothing4 ,he was completely ignorant as to what ,jenny intended4 ,he perceived--as in a series of little vignettes--a number of hypothetical events1 on this side and that1 but they drew to no conclusion in his mind4 ,he was just waiting on his daughter's will4 99 99 99 99 99 ,jenny broke the silence with a slow remark in another kind of voice4 ,father1 dear1 there's something else ,i must tell you4 ,i didn't see any need to bother you with it before4 ,it's this4 ,mr4 ,dick ,guiseley proposed to me when he was here for the shooting4 ,she paused1 but her father said nothing4 ,i told him he must wait--that ,i didn't know for certain1 but that ,i was almost certain4 ,if he had pressed for an answer ,i should have said ',no4' ,oddly enough1 ,i was thinking only yesterday that it wasn't fair to keep him waiting any longer4 ,because 444 because it's ',no' 444 anyhow1 now4 ,the ,rector still could not speak4 ,it was just one bewilderment4 ,but apparently ,jenny did not want any comments4 ,that being so1 she went on serenely1 my conscience is clear1 anyhow4 ,and ,i mustn't let what ,i think ,mr4 ,dick might say or think affect me--any more than the other things4 ,must ,i8 444 ,jenny1 what are you going to do8 ,tell me6 ,father1 dear1 came the high astonished voice1 ,i don't know4 ,i don't know at all4 ,i must think4 ,did you think ,i'd made up my mind8 ,why6 ,how could ,i8 ,of course ,i should say ',no' if ,i had to answer now4 ,i-- began the ,rector and stopped4 ,he perceived that the situation could easily be complicated4 ,i must just think about it quietly1 went on the girl4 ,and ,i must write a note to say so4444 ,father 444 ,he glanced in her direction4 ,father1 about being fond of a man4444 ,need it be--well1 as ,i was fond of ,frank8 ,i don't think ,lord ,talgarth could have expected that1 could he8 ,but if you--well--get on with a man very well1 understand him--can stand up to him without annoying him 444 and 444 and care for him1 really1 ,i mean1 in such a way that you like being with him very much1 and look up to him very much in all kinds of ways--7,i'm very sorry to have to talk like this1 but whom am ,i to talk to1 father dear87 ,well1 if ,i found ,i did care for ,lord ,talgarth like that--like a sort of daughter1 or niece1 and more than that too1 would that-- ,i don't know1 said the ,rector1 abruptly standing up4 ,i don't know2 you mustn't ask me4 ,you must settle all that yourself4 ,she looked up at him1 startled1 it seemed1 by the change in his manner4 ,father1 dear-- she began1 with just the faintest touch of pathetic reproach in her voice4 ,but he did not appear moved by it4 ,you must settle1 he said4 ,you have all the data4 ,i haven't4 ,i-- ,he stepped towards the door4 ,tell me as soon as you have decided1 he said1 and went out4 7,,iii7 ,the little brown dog called ,lama1 who in an earlier chapter once trotted across a lawn1 and who had lately been promoted to sleeping upon ,jenny's bed1 awoke suddenly that night and growled a low breathy remonstrance4 ,he had been abruptly kicked from beneath the bedclothes4 ,get off1 you heavy little beast1 said a voice in the darkness4 ,lama settled himself again with a grunt1 half of comfort1 half of complaint4 ,get off6 came the voice again1 and again his ribs were heaved at by a foot4 ,he considered it a moment or two1 and even shifted nearer the wall1 still blind with sleep2 but the foot pursued him1 and he awoke finally to the conviction that it would be more comfortable by the fire2 there was a white sheepskin there1 he reflected4 ,as he finally reached the ground1 a scratching was heard in the corner1 and he was instantly alert1 and the next moment had fitted his nose1 like a kind of india-rubber pad1 deep into a small mouse-hole in the wainscoting1 and was breathing long noisy sighs down into the delicious and gamey-smelling darkness4 ,oh6 be quiet6 came a voice from the bed4 ,lama continued his investigations unmoved1 and having decided1 after one long final blow1 that there was to be no sport1 returned to the sheepskin with that brisk independent air that was so characteristic of him4 ,he was completely awake now1 and stood eyeing the bed a moment1 with the possibility in his mind that his mistress was asleep again1 and that by a very gentle leap--,but a match was struck abruptly1 and he lay down1 looking1 with that appearance of extreme wide-awakedness in his black eyes that animals always wear at night1 at his restless mistress4 ,he could not quite understand what was the matter4 ,first she lit a candle1 took a book from the small table by the bed and began to read resolutely4 ,this continued till ,lama's eyes began to blink at the candle flame1 and then he was suddenly aware that the light was out and the book closed1 and all fallen back again into the clear gray tones which men call darkness4 ,he put his head down on his paws1 but his eyebrows rose now and again as he glanced at the bed4 ,then the candle was lighted again after a certain space of time1 but this time there was no book opened4 ,instead1 his mistress took her arms out of bed1 and clasped them behind her head1 staring up at the ceiling4444 ,this was tiresome1 as the light was in his eyes1 and his body was just inert enough with sleep to make movement something of an effort4444 ,little by little1 however1 his eyebrows came down1 remained down1 and his eyes closed4444 ,he awoke again at a sound4 ,the candle was still burning1 but his mistress had rolled over on to her side and seemed to be talking gently to herself4 ,then she was over again on this side1 and a minute later was out of bed1 and walking to and fro noiselessly on the soft carpet4 ,he watched her with interest1 his eyes only following her4 ,he had never yet fully understood this mysterious change of aspect that took place every night--the white thin dress1 the altered appearance of the head1 and--most mysterious of all--the two white things that ought to be feet1 but were no longer hard and black4 ,he had licked one of them once tentatively1 and had found that the effect was that it had curled up suddenly2 there had been a sound as of pain overhead1 and a swift slap had descended upon him4 ,he was observing these things now--to and fro1 to and fro--and his eyes moved with them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after a certain space of time the movement stopped4 ,she was standing still near a carved desk--important because a mouse had once been described sitting beneath it2 and she stood so long that his eyes began to blink once more4 ,then there was a rustle of paper being torn1 and he was alert again in a moment4 ,perhaps paper would be thrown for him presently4444 ,she came across to the hearth-rug1 and he was up1 watching her hands1 while his own short tail flickered three or four times in invitation4 ,but it was no good3 the ball was crumpled up and thrown on to the red logs4 ,there was a whup from the fire and a flame shot up4 ,he looked at this carefully with his head on one side1 and again lay down to watch it4 ,his mistress was standing quite still1 watching it with him4 ,then1 as the flame died down1 she turned abruptly1 went straight back to the bed1 got into it1 drew the clothes over her and blew the candle out4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after a few moments steady staring at the fire1 he perceived that a part of the ball of paper had rolled out on to the stone hearth unburned4 ,he looked at it for some while1 wondering whether it was worth getting up for4 ,certainly the warmth was delicious and the sheepskin exquisitely soft4 ,there was no sound from the bed4 ,a complete and absolute silence had succeeded to all the restlessness4 ,finally he concluded that it was impossible to lie there any longer and watch such a crisp little roll of paper still untorn4 ,he got up1 stepped delicately on to the wide hearth1 and pulled the paper towards him with a little scratching sound4 ,there was a sigh from the bed1 and he paused4 ,then he lifted it1 stepped back to his warm place1 lay down1 and placing his paws firmly upon the paper1 began to tear scraps out of it with his white teeth4 ,oh1 be quiet6 came the weary voice from the bed4 ,he paused1 considered2 then he tore two more pieces4 ,but it did not taste as it should2 it was a little sticky1 and too stiff4 ,he stood up once more1 turned round four times and lay down with a small grunt4 ,in the morning the maid who swept up the ashes swept up these fragments too4 ,she noticed a wet scrap of a picture postcard1 with the word ,selby printed in the corner4 ,then she threw that piece1 too1 into the dustpan4 ,,chapter ,,iv 7,i7 ,mrs4 ,partington and ,gertie had many of those mysterious conversations that such women have1 full of he's and she's and nods and becks and allusions and broken sentences1 wholly unintelligible to the outsider1 yet packed with interest to the talkers4 ,the ,major1 ,mr4 ,partington 7still absent71 and ,frank were discussed continually and exhaustively2 and1 so far as the subjects themselves ranged1 there was hardly an unimportant detail that did not come under notice1 and hardly an important fact that did4 ,gertie officially passed1 of course1 as ,mrs4 ,trustcott always4 ,a couple of mornings after ,frank had begun his work at the jam factory1 ,mrs4 ,partington1 who had stepped round the corner to talk with a friend for an hour or so1 returned to find ,gertie raging4 ,she raged in her own way2 she was as white as a sheet2 she uttered ironical and unintelligible sentences1 in which ,frank's name appeared repeatedly1 and it emerged presently that one of the ,mission-ladies had been round minding other folks' business1 and that ,gertie would thank that lady to keep her airs and her advice to herself4 ,now ,mrs4 ,partington knew that ,gertie was not the ,major's wife1 and ,gertie knew that she knew it2 and ,mrs4 ,partington knew that ,gertie knew that she knew it4 ,yet1 officially1 all was perfectly correct2 ,gertie wore a wedding-ring1 and there never was the hint that she had not a right to it4 ,it was impossible1 therefore1 for ,mrs4 ,partington to observe out loud that she understood perfectly what the ,mission-lady had been talking about4 ,she said very little2 she pressed her thin lips together and let ,gertie alone4 ,the conversations that morning were of the nature of disconnected monologues from ,gertie with long silences between4 ,it was an afternoon of silent storm4 ,the ,major was away in the ,west ,end somewhere on mysterious affairs2 the children were at school1 and the two women went about1 each knowing what was in the mind of the other1 yet each resolved to keep up appearances4 ,at half-past five o'clock ,frank abruptly came in for a cup of tea1 and ,mrs4 ,partington gave it him in silence4 7,gertie could be heard moving about restlessly overhead47 ,she made one or two ordinary remarks1 watching ,frank when he was not looking4 ,but ,frank said very little4 ,he sat up to the table2 he drank two cups of tea out of the chipped enamel mug1 and then he set to work on his kippered herring4 ,at this point ,mrs4 ,partington left the room1 as if casually1 and a minute later ,gertie came downstairs4 99 99 99 99 99 ,she came in with an indescribable air of virtue1 rather white in the face1 with her small chin carefully thrust out and her eyelids drooping4 ,it was a pose she was accustomed to admire in high-minded and aristocratic barmaids4 ,frank nodded at her and uttered a syllable or two of greeting4 ,she said nothing2 she went round to the window1 carrying a white cotton blouse she had been washing upstairs1 and hung it on the clothes-line that ran inside the window4 ,then1 still affecting to be busy with it1 she fired her first shot1 with her back to him4 ,i'll thank you to let my business alone4444 7,frank put another piece of herring into his mouth47 444 ,and not to send round any more of your nasty cats1 added ,gertie after a pause4 ,there was silence from ,frank4 ,well8 snapped ,gertie4 ,how dare you talk like that6 said ,frank1 perfectly quietly4 ,he spoke so low that ,gertie mistook his attitude1 and1 leaning her hands on the table1 she poured out the torrent that had been gathering within her ever since the ,mission-lady had left her at eleven o'clock that morning4 ,the lady had not been tactful2 she was quite new to the work1 and quite fresh from a women's college1 and she had said a great deal more than she ought1 with an earnest smile upon her face that she had thought conciliatory and persuasive4 ,gertie dealt with her faithfully now2 she sketched her character as she believed it to be2 she traced her motives and her attitude to life with an extraordinary wealth of detail2 she threw in descriptive passages of her personal appearance1 and she stated1 with extreme frankness1 her opinion of such persons as she had thought friendly1 but now discovered to be hypocritical parsons in disguise4 ,unhappily ,i have not the skill to transcribe her speech in full1 and there are other reasons1 too1 why her actual words are best unreported3 they were extremely picturesque4 ,frank ate on quietly till he had finished his herring2 then he drank his last cup of tea1 and turned a little in his chair towards the fire4 ,he glanced at the clock1 perceiving that he had still ten minutes1 just as ,gertie ended and stood back shaking and pale-eyed4 ,is that all8 he asked4 ,it seemed it was not all1 and ,gertie began again1 this time on a slightly higher note1 and with a little color in her face4 ,frank waited1 quite simply and without ostentation4 ,she finished4 ,after a moment's pause ,frank answered4 ,i don't know what you want1 he said4 ,i talked to you myself1 and you wouldn't listen4 ,so ,i thought perhaps another woman would do it better-- ,i did listen-- ,i beg your pardon1 said ,frank instantly4 ,i was wrong4 ,you did listen1 and very patiently4 ,i meant that you wouldn't do what ,i said4 ,and so ,i thought-- ,gertie burst out again1 against cats and sneaking hypocrites1 but there was not quite the same venom in her manner4 ,very good1 said ,frank4 ,then ,i won't make the mistake again4 ,i am very sorry--not in the least for having interfered1 you understand1 but for not having tried again myself4 7,he took up his cap47 ,you'll soon give in1 ,gertie1 you know4 ,don't you think so yourself8 ,gertie looked at him in silence4 ,you understand1 naturally1 why ,i can't talk to you while the ,major's here4 ,but the next time ,i have a chance-- ,the unlatched door was pushed open and the ,major came in4 7,,ii7 ,there was an uncomfortable little pause for a moment4 ,it is extremely doubtful1 even now1 exactly how much the ,major heard2 but he must have heard something1 and to a man of his mind the situation that he found must have looked extremely suspicious4 ,gertie1 flushed now1 with emotion very plainly visible in her bright eyes1 was standing looking at ,frank1 who1 it appeared1 was a little disconcerted4 ,it would have been almost miraculous if the ,major had not been convinced that he had interrupted a little private love-making4 ,it is rather hard to analyze the ,major's attitude towards ,gertie2 but what is certain is that the idea of anyone else making love to her was simply intolerable4 ,certainly he did not treat her with any great chivalry2 he made her carry the heavier bundles on the tramp2 he behaved to her with considerable disrespect2 he discussed her freely with his friends on convivial occasions4 ,but she was his property--his and no one else's4 ,he had had his suspicions before2 he had come in quietly just now on purpose1 and he had found himself confronted by this very peculiar little scene4 ,he looked at them both in silence4 ,then his lips sneered like a dog's4 ,pardon me1 he said1 with extreme politeness4 ,i appear to be interrupting a private conversation4 ,no one said anything4 ,frank leaned his elbow on the mantelpiece4 ,it was private1 then8 continued the ,major with all the poisonous courtesy at his command4 ,yes2 it was private1 said ,frank shortly4 ,the ,major put his bowler hat carefully upon the table4 ,gertie1 my dear1 he said4 ,will you be good enough to leave us for an instant8 ,i regret having to trouble you4 ,gertie breathed rather rapidly for a moment or two4 ,she was not altogether displeased4 ,she understood perfectly1 and it seemed to her rather pleasant that two men should get into this kind of situation over her4 ,she was aware that trouble would come to herself later1 probably in the form of personal chastisement1 but to the particular kind of feminine temperament that she possessed even a beating was not wholly painful1 and the cheap kind of drama in which she found herself was wholly attractive4 ,after an instant's pause1 she cast towards ,frank what she believed to be a proud glance and marched out4 ,if you've got much to say1 said ,frank rapidly1 as the door closed1 you'd better keep it for this evening4 ,i've got to go in 444 in two minutes4 ,two minutes will be ample1 said the ,major softly4 ,frank waited4 ,when ,i find a friend1 went on the other1 engaged in an apparently exciting kind of conversation1 which he informs me is private1 with one who is in the position of my wife--particularly when ,i catch a sentence or two obviously not intended for my ears--,i do not ask what was the subject of the conversation1 but ,i-- ,my dear man1 said ,frank1 do put it more simply4 ,the ,major was caught1 so to speak1 full in the wind4 ,his face twitched with anger4 ,then he flung an oath at ,frank4 ,if ,i catch you at it again1 he said1 there'll be trouble4 ,god damn you6 ,that is as it may be1 said ,frank4 ,the ,major had had just one drink too much1 and he was in the kind of expansive mood that changes very rapidly4 ,can you tell me you were not trying to take her from me8 he cried1 almost with pathos in his voice4 ,this was1 of course1 exactly what ,frank had been trying to do4 ,you can't deny it6444 ,then ,i tell you this1 ,mr4 ,frankie--the ,major sprang up--one word more from you to her on that subject 444 and 444 and you'll know it4 ,d'you understand me8 ,he thrust his face forward almost into ,frank's4 ,it was an unpleasant face at most times1 but it was really dangerous now4 ,his lips lay back1 and the peculiar hot smell of spirit breathed into ,frank's nostrils4 ,frank turned and looked into his eyes4 ,i understand you perfectly1 he said4 ,there's no need to say any more4 ,and now1 if you'll forgive me1 ,i must get back to my work4 ,he took up his cap and went out4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,major1 as has been said1 had had one glass too much1 and he had1 accordingly1 put into words what1 even in his most suspicious moments1 he had intended to keep to himself4 ,it might be said1 too1 that he had put into words what he did not really think4 ,but the ,major was1 like everyone else1 for good or evil1 a complex character1 and found it perfectly possible both to believe and disbelieve the same idea simultaneously4 ,it depended in what stratum the center of gravity happened to be temporarily suspended4 ,one large part of the ,major knew perfectly well1 therefore1 that any jealousy of ,frank was simply ridiculous--the thing was simply alien2 and another part1 not so large1 but ten times more concentrated1 judged ,frank by the standards by which the ,major 7qua blackguard7 conducted his life4 ,for people who lived usually in that stratum1 making love to ,gertie1 under such circumstances1 would have been an eminently natural thing to do1 and1 just now1 the ,major chose to place ,frank amongst them4 ,the ,major himself was completely unaware of these psychological distinctions1 and1 as he sat1 sunk in his chair1 brooding1 before stepping out to attend to ,gertie1 he was entirely convinced that his suspicions were justified4 ,it seemed to him now that numberless little details out of the past fitted1 with the smoothness of an adjusted puzzle1 into the framework of his thought4 ,there was1 first1 the very remarkable fact that ,frank1 in spite of opportunities to better himself1 had remained in their company4 ,at ,barham1 at ,doctor ,whitty's1 at the monastery1 obvious chances had offered themselves and he had not taken them4 ,then there were the small acts of courtesy1 the bearing of ,gertie's bundles two or three times4 ,finally1 there was a certain change in ,gertie's manner--a certain silent peevishness towards himself1 a curious air that fell on her now and then as she spoke to ,frank or looked at him4 ,and so forth4 ,it was an extraordinarily convincing case1 clinched now by the little scene that he had just interrupted4 ,and the very irregularity of his own relations with ,gertie helped to poison the situation with an astonishingly strong venom4 ,of course1 there were other considerations1 or1 rather1 there was one--that ,frank1 obviously1 was not the kind of man to be attracted by the kind of woman that ,gertie was--a consideration made up1 however1 of infinitely slighter indications4 ,but this counted for nothing4 ,it seemed unsubstantial and shadowy4 ,there were solid1 definable arguments on the one side2 there was a vague general impression on the other4444 ,so the ,major sat and stared at the fire1 with the candle-light falling on his sunken cheeks and the bristle on his chin--a poor fallen kind of figure1 yet still holding the shadow of a shadow of an ideal that might yet make him dangerous4 ,presently he got up with a sudden movement and went in search of ,gertie4 7,,iii7 ,there are no free libraries in ,hackney ,wick2 the munificences of ,mr4 ,carnegie have not yet penetrated to that district 7and1 indeed1 the thought of a library of any kind in ,hackney ,wick is a little incongruous74 ,but there is one in ,homerton1 and during the dinner-hour on the following day ,frank went up the steps of it1 pushed open the swing-doors1 and found his way to some kind of a writing-room1 where he obtained a sheet of paper1 an envelope and a penny stamp1 and sat down to write a letter4 ,the picture that ,i have in my mind of ,frank at this present time may possibly be a little incorrect in one or two details1 but ,i am quite clear about its main outlines1 and it is extremely vivid on the whole4 ,i see him going in1 quietly and unostentatiously--quite at his ease1 yet a very unusual figure in such surroundings4 ,i hear an old gentleman sniff and move his chair a little as this person in an exceedingly shabby blue suit with the collar turned up1 with a muffler round his neck and large1 bulging boots on his feet1 comes and sits beside him4 ,i perceive an earnest young lady1 probably a typist in search of extra culture1 look at him long and vacantly from over her copy of ,emerson1 and can almost see her mind gradually collecting conclusions about him4 ,the attendant1 too1 as he asks for his paper1 eyes him shrewdly and suspiciously1 and waits till the three halfpence are actually handed across under the brass wire partition before giving him the penny stamp4 ,these circumstances may be incorrect1 but ,i am absolutely clear as to ,frank's own attitude of mind4 ,honestly1 he no longer minds in the very least how people behave to him2 he has got through all that kind of thing long ago2 he is not at all to be commiserated2 it appears to him only of importance to get the paper and to be able to write and post his letter without interruption4 ,for ,frank has got on to that plane--7,i know no other word to use1 though ,i dislike this one7--when these other things simply do not matter4 ,we all touch that plane sometimes1 generally under circumstances of a strong mental excitement1 whether of pleasure or pain1 or even annoyance4 ,a man with violent toothache1 or who has just become engaged to be married1 really does not care what people think of him4 ,but ,frank1 for the present at least1 has got here altogether1 though for quite different reasons4 ,the letter he wrote on this occasion is1 at present1 in my possession4 ,it runs as follows4 ,it is very short and business-like3 ,,dear ,,jack1 ,i want to tell you where ,i am--or1 rather1 where ,i can be got at in case of need4 ,i am down in ,east ,london for the present1 and one of the curates here knows where ,i'm living4 7,he was at ,eton with me47 ,his address is3 ,the ,rev4 ,e4 ,parham-,carter1 ,the ,eton ,mission1 ,hackney ,wick1 ,london1 ,n4,e4 ,the reason ,i'm writing is this3 ,you remember ,major ,trustcott and ,gertie1 don't you8 ,well1 ,i haven't succeeded in getting ,gertie back to her people yet1 and the worst of it is that the ,major knows that there's something up1 and1 of course1 puts the worst possible construction upon it4 ,parham-,carter knows all about it1 too--,i've just left a note on him1 with instructions4 ,now ,i don't quite know what'll happen1 but in case anything does happen which prevents my going on at ,gertie1 ,i want you to come and do what you can4 ,parham-,carter will write to you if necessary4 ,that's one thing2 and the next is this3 ,i'd rather like to have some news about my people1 and for them to know 7if they want to know--,i leave that to you7 that ,i'm getting on all right4 ,i haven't heard a word about them since ,august4 ,i know nothing particular can have happened1 because ,i always look at the papers--but ,i should like to know what's going on generally4 ,i think that's about all4 ,i am getting on excellently myself1 and hope you are4 ,i am afraid there's no chance of my coming to you for ,christmas4 ,i suppose you'll be home again by now4 ,ever yours1 ,f4,g4 ,p4,s4--,of course you'll keep all this private--as well as where ,i'm living4 ,now this letter seems to me rather interesting from a psychological point of view4 ,it is extremely business-like1 but perfectly unpractical4 ,frank states what he wants1 but he wants an absurd impossibility4 ,i like ,jack ,kirkby very much1 but ,i cannot picture him as likely to be successful in helping to restore a strayed girl to her people4 ,i suppose ,frank's only excuse is that he did not know whom else to write to4 ,it is rather interesting1 too1 to notice his desire to know what is going on at his home2 it seems as if he must have had1 some faint inkling that something important was about to happen1 and this is interesting in view of what now followed immediately4 ,he directed his letter1 stamped it1 and posted it in the library post-box in the vestibule4 ,then1 cap in hand1 he pushed open the swing-doors and ran straight into ,mr4 ,parham-,carter4 ,hullo6 said that clergyman--and went a little white4 ,hullo6 said ,frank2 and then3 ,what's the matter8 ,where are you going8 ,i'm going back to the jam factory4 ,may ,i walk with you8 ,certainly1 if you don't mind my eating as ,i go along4 ,the clergyman turned with him and went beside him in silence1 as ,frank1 drawing out of his side-pocket a large hunch of bread and cheese1 wrapped up in the advertisement sheet of the ,daily ,mail1 began to fill his mouth4 ,i want to know if you've had any news from home4 ,frank turned to him slightly4 ,no1 he said sharply1 after a pause4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter licked his lips4 ,well--no1 it isn't bad news2 but ,i wondered whether-- ,what is it8 ,your governor's married again4 ,it happened yesterday4 ,i thought perhaps you didn't know4 ,there was dead silence for an instant4 ,no1 ,i didn't know1 said ,frank4 ,who's he married8 ,somebody ,i never heard of4 ,i wondered whether you knew her4 ,what's her name8 ,wait a second1 said the other1 plunging under his greatcoat to get at his waistcoat pocket4 ,i've got the paragraph here4 ,i cut it out of the ,morning ,post4 ,i only saw it half an hour ago4 ,i was coming round to you this evening4 ,he produced a slip of printed paper4 ,frank stood still a moment1 leaning against some area-railings--they were in the distinguished quarter of ,victoria ,park ,road--and read the paragraph through4 ,the clergyman watched him curiously4 ,it seemed to him a very remarkable situation that he should be standing here in ,victoria ,park ,road1 giving information to a son as to his father's marriage4 ,he wondered1 but only secondarily1 what effect it would have upon ,frank4 ,frank gave him the paper back without a tremor4 ,thanks very much1 he said4 ,no2 ,i didn't know4 ,they continued to walk4 ,d'you know her at all8 ,yes1 ,i know her4 ,she's the ,rector's daughter1 you know4 ,what6 ,at ,merefield8 ,then you must know her quite well4 ,oh6 yes1 said ,frank1 ,i know her quite well4 ,again there was silence4 ,then the other burst out3 ,look here--,i wish you'd let me do something4 ,it seems to me perfectly ghastly-- ,my dear man1 said ,frank4 ,indeed you can't do anything4444 ,you got my note1 didn't you8 ,the clergyman nodded4 ,it's just in case ,i'm ill1 or anything1 you know4 ,jack's a great friend of mine4 ,and it's just as well that some friend of mine should be able to find out where ,i am4 ,i've just written to him myself1 as ,i said in my note4 ,but you mustn't give him my address unless in case of real need4 ,all right4 ,but are you sure-- ,i'm perfectly sure4444 ,oh6 by the way1 that lady you sent round did no good4 ,i expect she told you8 ,yes2 she said she'd never come across such a difficult case4 ,well1 ,i shall have to try again myself4444 ,i must turn off here4 ,good luck6 7,,iv7 ,gertie was sitting alone in the kitchen about nine o'clock that night--alone1 that is to say1 except for the sleeping ',erb1 who1 in a cot at the foot of his mother's bed1 was almost invisible under a pile of clothes1 and completely negligible as a witness4 ,mrs4 ,partington1 with the other two children1 was paying a prolonged visit in ,mortimer ,road1 and the ,major1 ignorant of this fact1 was talking big in the bar of the ,queen's ,arms opposite the ,men's ,club of the ,eton ,mission4 ,gertie was enjoying herself just now1 on the whole4 ,it is true that she had received some chastisement yesterday from the ,major2 but she had the kind of nature that preferred almost any sensation to none4 ,and1 indeed1 the situation was full of emotion4 ,it was extraordinarily pleasant to her to occupy such a position between two men--and1 above all1 two gentlemen4 ,her attitude towards the ,major was of the most simple and primitive kind2 he was her man1 who bullied her1 despised her1 dragged her about the country1 and she never for one instant forgot that he had once been an officer in the army4 ,even his blows 7which1 to tell the truth1 were not very frequent1 and were always administered in a judicial kind of way7 bore with them a certain stamp of brilliance2 she possessed a very pathetic capacity for snobbishness4 ,frank1 on the other side1 was no less exciting4 ,she regarded him as a good young man1 almost romantic1 indeed1 in his goodness--a kind of ,sir ,galahad2 and he1 whatever his motive 7and she was sometimes terribly puzzled about his motives71 at any rate1 stood in a sort of rivalry to the ,major2 and it was she who was the cause of contention4 ,she loved to feel herself pulled this way and that by two such figures1 to be quarreled over by such very strong and opposite types4 ,it was a vague sensation to her1 but very vivid and attractive2 and although just now she believed herself to be thoroughly miserable1 ,i have no doubt whatever that she was enjoying it all immensely4 ,she was very feminine indeed1 and the little scene of last night had brought matters to an almost exquisite point4 ,she was crying a little now1 gently1 to herself4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the door opened4 ,frank came in1 put down his cap1 and took his seat on the bench by the fire4 ,all out8 he asked4 ,gertie nodded1 and made a little broken sound4 ,very good1 said ,frank4 ,then ,i'm going to talk to you4 ,gertie wiped away a few more tears1 and settled herself down for a little morbid pleasure4 ,it was delightful to her to be found crying over the fire4 ,frank1 at any rate1 would appreciate that4 ,now1 said ,frank1 you've got the choice once more1 and ,i'm going to put it plainly4 ,if you don't do what ,i want this time1 ,i shall have to see whether somebody else can't persuade you4 ,she glanced up1 a little startled4 ,look here1 said ,frank4 ,i'm not going to take any more trouble myself over this affair4 ,you were a good deal upset yesterday when the lady came round1 and you'll be more upset yet before the thing's over4 ,i shan't talk to you myself any more3 you don't seem to care a hang what ,i say2 in fact1 ,i'm thinking of moving my lodgings after ,christmas4 ,so now you've got your choice4 ,he paused4 ,on the one side you've got the ,major2 well1 you know him2 you know the way he treats you4 ,but that's not the reason why ,i want you to leave him4 ,i want you to leave him because ,i think that down at the bottom you've got the makings of a good woman-- ,i haven't1 cried ,gertie passionately4 ,well1 ,i think you have4 ,you're very patient1 and you're very industrious1 and because you care for this man you'll do simply anything in the world for him4 ,well1 that's splendid4 ,that shows you've got grit4 ,but have you ever thought what it'll all be like in five years from now8 ,i shall be dead1 wailed ,gertie4 ,i wish ,i was dead now4 ,frank paused4 ,and when you're dead--8 he said slowly4 ,there was an instant's silence4 ,then ,frank took up his discourse again4 7,so far he had done exactly what he had wanted4 ,he had dropped two tiny ideas on her heart once more--hope and fear47 ,now ,i've something to tell you4 ,do you remember the last time ,i talked to you8 ,well1 ,i've been thinking what was the best thing to do1 and a few days ago ,i saw my chance and took it4 ,you've got a little prayer-book down at the bottom of your bundle1 haven't you8 ,well1 ,i got at that 7you never let anyone see it1 you know71 and ,i looked through it4 ,i looked through all your things4 ,did you know your address was written in it8 ,i wasn't sure it was your address1 you know1 until-- ,gertie sat up1 white with passion4 ,you looked at my things8 ,frank looked her straight in the face4 ,don't talk to me like that1 he said4 ,wait till ,i've done4444 ,well1 ,i wrote to the address1 and ,i got an answer2 then ,i wrote again1 and ,i got another answer and a letter for you4 ,it came this morning1 to the post-office where ,i got it4 ,gertie looked at him1 still white1 with her lips parted4 ,give me the letter1 she whispered4 ,as soon as ,i've done talking1 said ,frank serenely4 ,you've got to listen to me first4 ,i knew what you'd say3 you'd say that your people wouldn't have you back4 ,and ,i knew perfectly well from the little things you'd said about them that they would4 ,but ,i wrote to make sure4444 ,gertie1 d'you know that they're breaking their hearts for you8444 that there's nothing1 in the whole world they want so much as that you should come back8444 ,give me the letter6 ,you've got a good heart yourself1 ,gertie2 ,i know that well enough4 ,think hard1 before ,i give you the letter4 ,which is best--the ,major and this sort of life--and 444 and--well1 you know about the soul and ,god1 don't you8444 or to go home1 and-- ,her face shook all over for one instant4 ,give me the letter1 she wailed suddenly4 ,then ,frank gave it her4 7,v7 ,but ,i can't possibly go home like this1 whispered ,gertie agitatedly in the passage1 after the ,major's return half an hour later4 ,good ,lord6 whispered ,frank1 what an extraordinary girl you are1 to think-- ,i don't care4 ,i can't1 and ,i won't4 ,frank cast an eye at the door1 beyond which dozed the ,major in the chair before the fire4 ,well1 what d'you want8 ,i want another dress1 and 444 and lots of things4 ,frank stared at her resignedly4 ,how much will it all come to8 ,i don't know4 ,two pounds--two pounds ten4 ,let's see3 to-day's the twentieth4 ,we must get you back before ,christmas4 ,if ,i let you have it to-morrow1 will it do8--to-morrow night8 ,she nodded4 ,a sound came from beyond the door1 and she fled4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am not sure about the details of the manner in which ,frank got the two pounds ten1 but ,i know he got it1 and without taking charity from a soul4 ,i know that he managed somehow to draw his week's money two days before pay-day1 and for the rest1 ,i suspect the pawnshop4 ,what is quite certain is that when his friends were able to take stock of his belongings a little later1 the list of them was as follows3 ,one jacket1 one shirt1 one muffler1 a pair of trousers1 a pair of socks1 a pair of boots1 one cap1 one tooth-brush1 and a rosary4 ,there was absolutely nothing else4 ,even his razor was gone4 ,things1 therefore1 were pretty bad with him on the morning of the twenty-second of ,december4 ,i imagine that he still possessed a few pence1 but out of this few pence he had to pay for his own and ,gertie's journey to ,chiswick1 as well as keep himself alive for another week4 ,at least1 so he must have thought4 ,it must have been somewhere in ,kensington ,high ,street that he first had a hint of a possibility of food to be obtained free1 for1 although ,i find it impossible to follow all his movements during these days1 it is quite certain that he partook of the hospitality of the ,carmelite ,fathers on this morning4 ,he mentions it1 with pleasure1 in his diary4 ,it is a very curious and medieval sight--this feeding of the poor in the little deep passage that runs along the outside of the cloister of the monastery in ,church ,street4 ,the passage is approached by a door at the back of the house1 opening upon the lane behind1 and at a certain hour on each morning of the year is thronged from end to end with the most astonishing and deplorable collection of human beings to be seen in ,london4 ,they are of all ages and sizes1 from seventeen to seventy1 and the one thing common to them all is extreme shabbiness and poverty4 ,a door opens at a given moment2 the crowd surges a little towards a black-bearded man in a brown frock1 with an apron over it1 and five minutes later a deep silence1 broken only by the sound of supping and swallowing1 falls upon the crowd4 ,there they stand1 with the roar of ,london sounding overhead1 the hooting of cars1 the noise of innumerable feet1 and the rain--at least1 on this morning--falling dismally down the long well-like space4 ,and here stand between two and three hundred men1 pinched1 feeble1 and yet wolfish1 gulping down hot soup and bread1 looking something like a herd of ragged prisoners pent in between the high walls4 ,here1 then1 ,frank stood in the midst of them1 gulping his soup4 ,his van and horses1 strictly against orders1 remained in ,church ,street1 under the care of a passer-by1 whom ,frank seems to have asked1 quite openly1 to do it for him for ,god's sake4 ,it is a dreary little scene in which to picture him1 and yet1 to myself1 it is rather pleasant1 too4 ,i like to think of him1 now for the second time within a few weeks1 and all within the first six months of his ,catholic life1 depending upon his ,church for the needs of the body as well as for the needs of the soul4 ,there was nothing whatever to distinguish him from the rest2 he1 too1 had now something of that lean look that is such a characteristic of that crowd1 and his dress1 too1 was entirely suitable to his company4 ,he spoke with none of his hosts2 he took the basin in silence and gave it back in silence2 then he wiped his mouth on his sleeve1 and went out comforted4 ,,chapter ,v 7,i7 ,dick ,guiseley sat over breakfast in his rooms off ,oxford ,street1 entirely engrossed in a local ,yorkshire paper two days old4 ,his rooms were very characteristic of himself4 ,they were five in number--a dining-room1 two bedrooms1 and two sitting-rooms divided by curtains1 as well as a little entrance-hall that opened on to the landing1 close beside the lift that served all the flats4 ,they were furnished in a peculiarly restrained style--so restrained1 in fact1 that it was almost impossible to remember what was in them4 ,one was just conscious of a sense of extreme comfort and convenience4 ,there was nothing in particular that arrested the attention or caught the eye1 except here and there a space or a patch of wall about which ,dick had not yet made up his mind4 ,he had been in them two years1 indeed1 but he had not nearly finished furnishing4 ,from time to time a new piece of furniture appeared1 or a new picture--always exceedingly good of its kind1 and even conspicuous4 ,yet1 somehow or other1 so excellent was his taste1 as soon as the thing was in place its conspicuousness 7so to speak7 vanished amidst the protective coloring1 and it looked as if it had been there for ever4 ,the colors were chosen with the same superfine skill3 singly they were brilliant1 or at least remarkable 7the ceilings1 for instance1 were of a rich buttercup yellow72 collectively they were subdued and unnoticeable4 ,and ,i suppose this is exactly what rooms ought to be4 ,the breakfast-table at which he sat was a good instance of his taste4 ,the silver-plate on it was really remarkable4 ,there was a delightful ,caroline tankard in the middle1 placed there for the sheer pleasure of looking at it2 there was a large silver cow with a lid in its back2 there were four rat-tail spoons2 the china was an extremely cheap ,venetian crockery of brilliant designs and thick make4 ,the coffee-pot and milk-pot were early ,georgian1 with very peculiar marks2 but these vessels were at present hidden under the folded newspaper4 ,there were four chrysanthemums in four several vases of an exceptional kind of glass4 ,it sounds startling1 ,i know1 but the effect was not startling1 though ,i cannot imagine why not4 ,here again one was just conscious of freshness and suitability and comfort4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but ,dick was taking no pleasure in it all this morning4 ,he was feeling almost physically sick1 and the little spirit-heated silver dish of kidneys on his ,queen ,anne sideboard was undisturbed4 ,he had cut off the top of an egg which was now rapidly cooling1 and a milky surface resembling thin ice was forming on the contents of his coffee-cup4 ,and meanwhile he read4 ,the column he was reading described the wedding of his uncle with ,miss ,jenny ,launton1 and journalese surpassed itself4 ,there was a great deal about the fine old ,english appearance of the bridegroom1 who1 it appeared1 had been married in a black frock-coat and gray trousers1 with white spats1 and who had worn a chrysanthemum in his button-hole 7,dick cast an almost venomous glance upon the lovely blossom just beside the paper71 and the beautiful youthful dignity of the bride1 so popular among the humble denizens of the country-side4 ,the bride's father1 it seemed1 had officiated at the wedding in the sturdy old church1 and had been greatly affected--assisted by the ,rev4 ,matthieson4 ,the wedding1 it seemed1 had been unusually quiet1 and had been celebrated by special license3 few of the family had been present1 owing1 said the discreet reporter1 to the express wish of the bridegroom4 7,dick reflected sardonically upon his own convenient attack of influenza from which he was now completely recovered47 ,then there was a great deal more about the ancient home of the ,guiseleys1 and the aristocratic appearance of ,viscount ,merefield1 the young and popular heir to the earldom1 who1 it appeared1 had assisted at the wedding in another black frock-coat4 ,general ,mainwaring had acted as best man4 ,finally1 there was a short description of the presents of the bridegroom to the bride1 which included a set of amethysts1 etc4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,dick read it all through to the luxuriant end1 down to the peals of the bells and the rejoicings in the evening4 ,he ate several pieces of dry toast while he read1 crumbling them quickly with his left hand1 and when he had finished1 drank his coffee straight off at one draught4 ,then he got up1 still with the paper1 sat down in the easy-chair nearest to the fire and read the whole thing through once more4 ,then he pushed the paper off his knee and leaned back4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it would need a complete psychological treatise to analyze properly all the emotions he had recently gone through--emotions which had been1 so to say1 developed and fixed by the newspaper column he had just read4 ,he was a man who was accustomed to pride himself secretly upon the speed with which he faced each new turn of fortune1 and the correctness of the attitude he assumed4 ,perhaps it would be fair to say that the ,artistic ,stoic was the ideal towards which he strove4 ,but1 somehow1 those emotions would not sort themselves4 ,there they all were--fury1 indignation1 contempt1 wounded pride1 resignation1 pity--there were no more to be added or subtracted2 each had its place and its object1 yet they would not coalesce4 ,now fury against his uncle1 now pity for himself1 now a poisonous kind of contempt of ,jenny4 ,or1 again1 a primitive kind of longing for ,jenny1 a disregard of his uncle1 an abasement of himself4 ,the emotions whirled and twisted1 and he sat quite still1 with his eyes closed1 watching them4 ,but there was one more emotion which had made its appearance entirely unexpectedly as soon as he had heard the news1 that now1 greatly to his surprise1 was beginning to take a considerable place amongst the rest--and this was an extraordinarily warm sense of affection towards ,frank--of all people4 ,it was composed partly of compassion1 and partly of an inexplicable sort of respect for which he could perceive no reason4 ,it was curious1 he thought later1 why this one figure should have pushed its way to the front just now1 when his uncle and ,jenny and1 secondarily1 that ,rector 7so visibly affected by the ceremony7 should have occupied all the field4 ,frank had never meant very much to ,dick2 he had stood for the undignified and the boyish in the midst of those other stately elements of which ,merefield1 and1 indeed1 all truly admirable life1 was composed4 ,yet now this figure stood out before him with startling distinctness4 ,first there was the fact that both ,frank and himself had suffered cruelly at the hands of the same woman1 though ,frank incomparably the more cruelly of the two4 ,dick had the honesty to confess that ,jenny had at least never actually broken faith with himself2 but he had also the perspicuity to see that it came to very nearly the same thing4 ,he knew with the kind of certitude that neither needs nor appeals to evidence that ,jenny would certainly have accepted him if it had not been that ,lord ,talgarth had already dawned on her horizon1 and that she put him off for a while simply to see whether this elderly sun would rise yet higher in the heavens4 ,it was the same consideration1 no doubt1 that had caused her to throw ,frank over a month or two earlier4 ,a ,lord ,talgarth in the bush was worth two cadets in the hand4 ,that was where her sensibleness had come in1 and certainly it had served her well4 ,it was this community of injury1 then1 that primarily drew ,dick's attention to ,frank2 and1 when once it lead been so drawn1 it lingered on other points in his personality4 ,artistic ,stoicism is a very satisfying ideal so long as things go tolerably well4 ,it affords an excellent protection against such misfortunes as those of not being appreciated or of losing money or just missing a big position--against all such ills as affect bodily or mental conveniences4 ,but when the heart is touched1 ,artistic ,stoicism peels off like rusted armour4 ,dick had seriously began to consider1 during the last few days1 whether the exact opposite of ,artistic ,stoicism 7let us call it ,natural ,impulsiveness7 is not almost as good an equipment4 ,he began to see something admirable in ,frank's attitude to life1 and the more he regarded it the more admirable it seemed4 ,frank1 therefore1 had begun to wear to him the appearance of something really moving and pathetic4 ,he had had a communication or two from ,jack ,kirkby that had given him a glimpse of what ,frank was going through1 and his own extremely artificial self was beginning to be affected by it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he looked round his room now1 once or twice1 wondering whether it was all worth while4 ,he had put his whole soul into these rooms--there was that ,jacobean press with the grotesque heads--ah6 how long he had agonized over that in the shop in the ,king's ,road1 ,chelsea1 wondering whether or not it would do just what he wanted1 in that space between the two doors4 ,there was that small statue of a ,tudor lady in a square head-dress that he had bought in ,oxford3 he had occupied at least a week in deciding exactly from what point she was to smile on him2 there was the new curtain dividing the two rooms3 he had had half a dozen patterns1 gradually eliminated down to two1 lying over his sofa-back for ten days before he could make up his mind4 7,how lovely it looked1 by the way1 just now1 with that patch of mellow ,london sunlight lying across the folds67 ,but was it all worth it8444 ,he argued the point with himself1 almost passively1 stroking his brown beard meditatively2 but the fact that he could argue it at all showed that the foundations of his philosophy were shaken4 ,well1 then 444 ,frank 444 ,what about him8 ,where was he8 7,,ii7 ,about eleven o'clock a key turned in his outer door and a very smart-looking page-boy came through1 after tapping1 with a telegram on a salver4 ,dick was writing to ,hamilton's1 in ,berners ,street1 about a question of gray mats for the spare bedroom1 and he took the telegram and tore open the envelope with a preoccupied air4 ,then he uttered a small exclamation4 ,any answer1 sir8 ,no4 ,yes4444 ,wait a second4 ,he took a telegraph-form with almost indecent haste1 addressed it to ,john ,kirkby1 ,barham1 ,yorks1 and wrote below3 ,certainly2 will expect you dinner and sleep4--,,richard ,,guiseley4 ,then1 when the boy had gone1 he read again the telegram he had received3 ,have received letter from ,frank2 can probably discover address if ,i come to town4 ,can you put me up to-night8--,,jack ,,kirkby1 ,barham4 ,he pondered it a minute or so4 ,then he finished his note to ,hamilton's1 but it was with a distracted manner4 ,then for several minutes he walked up and down his rooms with his hands in his jacket-pockets1 thinking very deeply4 ,he was reflecting how remarkable it was that he should hear of ,frank again just at this time1 and was wondering what the next move of ,providence would be4 ,the rest of ,dick's day was very characteristic of him2 and considering my other personages in this story and their occupations1 ,i take a dramatic sort of pleasure in writing it down4 ,he went out to lunch with a distinguished lady of his acquaintance--whose name ,i forbear to give2 she was not less than seventy years old1 and the two sat talking scandal about all their friends till nearly four o'clock4 ,the ,talgarth affair1 even1 was discussed in all its possible lights1 and ,dick was quite open about his own part in the matter4 ,he knew this old lady very well1 and she knew him very well4 ,she was as shrewd as possible and extremely experienced1 and had helped ,dick enormously in various intricacies and troubles of the past2 and he1 on the other hand1 as a well-informed bachelor1 was of almost equal service to her4 ,she was just the least bit in the world losing touch with things 7at seventy you cannot do everything71 and ,dick helped to keep her in touch4 ,he lunched with her at least once a week when they were both in town4 ,at four he went to the ,bath ,club1 ordered tea and toast and cigarettes1 and sat out1 with his hat over his eyes1 on the balcony1 watching the swimmers4 ,there was a boy of sixteen who dived with surprising skill1 and ,dick took the greatest possible pleasure in observing him4 ,there was also a stout man of his acquaintance whose ambition it had been for months to cross the bath by means of the swinging rings1 and this person1 too1 afforded him hardly less pleasure1 as he always had to let go at the fourth ring1 if not the third1 whence he plunged into the water with a sound that1 curiously enough1 was more resonant than sibilant4 ,at six1 after looking through all the illustrated papers1 he went out to get his coat1 and was presently in the thick of a heated argument with a member of the committee on the subject of the new carpet in the front hall4 ,it was not fit1 said ,dick 7searching for hyperboles71 for even the drawing-room of the ,cecil4 ,this argument made him a little later than he had intended1 and1 as he came up in the lift1 the attendant informed him1 in the passionless manner proper to such people1 that the ,mr4 ,kirkby who had been mentioned had arrived and was waiting for him in his rooms4 7,,iii7 ,shortly before midnight ,dick attempted to sum up the situation4 ,they had talked about ,frank practically without ceasing1 since ,dick's man had set coffee on the table at nine o'clock1 and both had learned new facts4 ,well1 then1 wire to go down to this man1 ,parham-,carter1 said ,dick1 the first thing after breakfast to-morrow4 ,do you know anything about the ,eton ,mission8 ,no4 ,one used to have a collection for it each half1 you know1 in the houses4 ,how do we go8 ,oh6 railway from ,broad ,street4 ,i've looked it up4 ,victoria ,park's the station4 ,dick drew two or three draughts of smoke from his cigar-butt1 and laid it down in a small silver tray at his elbow4 7,the tray was a gift from the old lady he had lunched with to-day47 ,all you've told me is extraordinarily interesting1 he said4 ,it really was to get away this girl that he's stopped so long8 ,i expect that's what he tells himself--that's the handle1 so to speak4 ,but it's chiefly a sort of obstinacy4 ,he said he would go on the roads1 and so he's gone4 ,i rather like that1 you know1 said ,dick4 ,jack snorted a little4 ,oh1 it's better than saying a thing and not doing it4 ,but why say it8 ,oh6 one must do something1 said ,dick4 ,at least1 some people seem to think so4 ,and ,i rather envy them1 you know4 ,i'm afraid ,i don't4 ,don't what8 ,don't do anything4 ,unless you can call this sort of thing doing something4 ,he waved his hand vaguely round his perfectly arranged room4 ,jack said nothing4 ,he was inclined to be a little strenuous himself in some ways1 and he had always been conscious of a faint annoyance with ,dick's extreme leisureliness4 ,i see you agree1 went on ,dick4 ,well1 we must see what can be done4 ,he stood up smiling and began to expand and contract his fingers luxuriously before the fire behind his back4 ,if we can only get ,frank away1 murmured ,jack4 ,that's enough for the present4 ,and what do you propose to do with him then8 ,oh1 ,lord6 ,anything4 ,go round the world if he likes4 ,come and stay at my place4 ,and suppose he thinks that's a bit too near to 444 to ,lady ,talgarth44 ,this switched ,jack back again to a line he had already run on for an hour this evening4 ,yes1 that's the ghastly part of it all4 ,he's sure not to have heard4 ,and who the devil's to tell him8 ,and how will he take it8 ,do you know1 said ,dick1 ,i'm really not frightened about that8 ,all you've told me about him makes me think he'll behave very well4 ,funny thing1 isn't it1 that you know him so much better than ,i do8 ,i never dreamed there was so much in him1 somehow4 ,oh1 there's a lot in ,frank4 ,but one doesn't always know what it is4 ,do you think his religion's made much difference8 ,i think it's done this for him1 said ,jack slowly4 7,i've been thinking a lot about that74 ,i think it's fixed things1 so to speak 4444 ,he hesitated4 ,he was not an expert in psychological analysis4 ,dick took him up quickly4 ,he nodded three or four times4 ,exactly1 he said4 ,that's it1 no doubt4 ,it's given him a center--a hub for the wheel4 ,eh8 ,it's 444 it's joined everything on to one point in him4 ,he'll be more obstinate and mad than ever before4 ,he's got a center now4444 ,i suppose that's what religion's for1 he added meditatively4 ,this was ,greek to ,jack4 ,he looked at ,dick uncomprehendingly4 ,dick turned round and began to stare into the fire1 still contracting and expanding his fingers4 ,it's a funny thing--this religion1 he said at last4 ,i never could understand it4 ,and what about ,archie8 asked ,jack with sudden abruptness4 7,he had no continuity of mind47 ,dick brought his meditations to a close with equal abruptness1 or perhaps he would not have been so caustic as regards his first cousin4 ,oh1 ,archie's an ass6 he said4 ,we can leave him out4 ,jack changed the subject again4 ,he was feeling the situation very acutely indeed1 and the result was that all its elements came tumbling out anyhow4 ,i've been beastly uncomfortable1 he said4 ,yes8 said ,dick4 ,any particular way8 ,jack shifted one leg over the other4 ,he had not approached one element in the situation at all1 as yet1 with ,dick1 but it had been simmering in him for weeks1 and had been brought to a point by ,frank's letter received this morning4 ,and now the curious intimacy into which he had been brought with ,dick began to warm it out of him4 ,you'll think me an ass1 too1 ,i expect1 he said4 ,and ,i rather think it's true4 ,but ,i can't help it4 ,dick smiled at him encouragingly4 7,certainly1 thought ,jack1 this man was nicer than he had thought him47 ,well1 it's this-- he said suddenly4 ,but it's frightfully hard to put into words4 ,you know what ,i told you about ,frank's coming to me at ,barham8 ,yes4 ,well1 there was something he said then that made me uncomfortable4 ,and it's made me more and more uncomfortable ever since 444 7,he paused again47 ,well1 it's this4 ,he said that he felt there was something going on that he couldn't understand--some sort of ,plan1 he said--in which he had to take part--a sort of scheme to be worked out1 you know4 ,i suppose he meant ,god1 he explained feebly4 ,dick looked at him questioningly4 ,oh6 ,i can't put it into words1 said ,jack desperately4 ,nor did he1 exactly4 ,but that was the kind of idea4 ,a sort of ,fate4 ,he said he was quite certain of it4444 ,and there were lots of little things that fitted in4 ,he changed his clothes in the old vestry1 you know--in the old church4 ,it seemed like a sort of sacrifice1 you know4 ,and then ,i had a beastly dream that night4 ,and then there was something my mother said4444 ,and now there's his letter3 the one ,i showed you at dinner--about something that might happen to him4444 ,oh6 ,i'm a first-class ass1 aren't ,i8 ,there was a considerable silence4 ,he glanced up in an ashamed sort of way1 at the other1 and saw him standing quite upright and still1 again with his back to the fire1 looking out across the room4 ,from outside came the hum of the thoroughfare--the rolling of wheels1 the jingle of bells1 the cries of human beings4 ,he waited in a kind of shame for ,dick's next words4 ,he had not put all these feelings into coherent form before1 even to himself1 and they sounded now even more fantastic than he had thought them4 ,he waited1 then1 for the verdict of this quiet man1 whom up to now he had deemed something of a fool1 who cared about nothing but billiards and what was called ,art4 7,jack loathed ,art47 ,then the verdict came in a surprising form4 ,but he understood it perfectly4 ,well1 what about bed8 said ,dick quietly4 7,,iv7 ,it was on the morning of the twenty-fourth that ,mr4 ,parham-,carter was summoned by the neat maid-servant of the clergy-house to see two gentlemen4 ,she presented two cards on a plated salver1 inscribed with the names of ,richard ,guiseley and ,john ,b4 ,kirkby4 ,he got up very quickly1 and went downstairs two at a time4 ,a minute later he brought them both upstairs and shut the door4 ,sit down1 he said4 ,i'm most awfully glad you've come4 ,i 444 ,i've been fearfully upset by all this1 and ,i haven't known what to do4 ,now where is he8 demanded ,jack ,kirkby4 ,the clergyman made a deprecatory face4 ,i've absolutely promised not to tell1 he said4 ,and you know-- ,but that's ridiculous4 ,we've come on purpose to fetch him away4 ,it simply mustn't go on4 ,that's why ,i didn't write4 ,i sent ,frank's letter on to ,mr4 ,guiseley here 7he's a cousin of ,frank's1 by the way71 and he asked me to come up to town4 ,i got to town last night1 and we've come down here at once this morning4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter glanced at the neat melancholy-faced1 bearded man who sat opposite4 ,but you know ,i promised1 he said4 ,yes1 burst in ,jack2 but one doesn't keep promises one makes to madmen4 ,and-- ,but he's not mad in the least4 ,he's-- ,well8 ,i was going to say that it seems to me that he's more sane than anyone else1 said the young man dismally4 ,i know it sounds ridiculous1 but-- ,dick ,guiseley nodded with such emphasis that he stopped4 ,i know what you mean1 said ,dick in his gentle drawl4 ,and ,i quite understand4 ,but it's all sickening rot1 burst in ,jack4 ,he must be mad4 ,you don't know ,frank as ,i do--neither of you4 ,and now there's this last business--his father's marriage1 ,i mean2 and-- ,he broke off and looked across at ,dick4 ,go on1 said ,dick2 don't mind me4 ,well1 we don't know whether he's heard of it or not2 but he must hear sooner or later1 and then-- ,but he has heard of it1 interrupted the clergyman4 ,i showed him the paragraph myself4 ,he's heard of it6 ,and he knows all about it6 ,certainly4 ,and ,i understood from him that he knew the girl3 the ,rector's daughter1 isn't it8 ,knows the girl6 ,why1 he was engaged to her himself4 ,what8 ,yes2 didn't he tell you8 ,he didn't give me the faintest hint-- ,how did he behave8 ,what did he say8 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter stared a moment in silence4 ,what did he say8 snapped out ,jack impatiently4 ,say8 ,he said nothing4 ,he just told me he knew the girl1 when ,i asked him4 ,good ,god6 remarked ,jack4 ,and there was silence4 ,dick broke it4 ,well1 it seems to me we're rather in a hole4 ,but it's preposterous1 burst out ,jack again4 ,here's poor old ,frank1 simply breaking his heart1 and here are we perfectly ready to do anything we can--why1 the chap must be in hell6 ,look here1 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter1 said ,dick softly4 ,what about your going round to his house and seeing if he's in1 and what he's likely to be doing to-day4 ,he'll be at the factory till this evening4 ,the factory8 ,yes2 he's working at a jam factory just now4 ,a sound of fury and disdain broke from ,jack4 ,well1 continued ,dick1 7,may ,i take a cigarette1 by the way871 why shouldn't you go round and make inquiries1 and find out how the land lies8 ,then ,kirkby and ,i might perhaps hang about a bit and run up against him--if you'd just give us a hint1 you know4 ,the other looked at him a moment4 ,well1 perhaps ,i might1 he said doubtfully4 ,but what-- ,good ,lord6 ,but you'll be keeping your promise1 won't you8 ,after all1 it's quite natural we should come down after his letter--and quite on the cards that we should run up against him4444 ,please to go at once1 and let us wait here4 ,in a quarter of an hour ,mr4 ,parham-,carter came back quickly into the room and shut the door4 ,yes2 he's at the factory1 he said4 ,or at any rate he's not at home4 ,and they don't expect him back till late4 ,well8 ,there's something up4 ,the girl's gone1 too4 7,no2 she's not at the factory47 ,and ,i think there's going to be trouble4 ,,chapter ,,vi 7,i7 ,the electric train slowed down and stopped at the ,hammersmith terminus1 and there was the usual rush for the doors4 ,come on1 ,gertie1 said a young man1 here we are4 ,the girl remained perfectly still with her face hidden4 ,the crowd was enormous this ,christmas ,eve1 and for the most part laden with parcels2 the platforms surged with folk1 and each bookstall1 blazing with lights 7for it was after seven o'clock71 was a center of a kind of whirlpool4 ,there was sensational news in the evening papers1 and everyone was anxious to get at the full details of which the main facts were tantalizingly displayed on the posters4 ,everyone wanted to know exactly who were the people concerned and how it had all happened4 ,it was a delightful tragedy for the ,christmas festivities4 ,come on1 said the young man again4 ,they're nearly all out4 ,i can't1 moaned the girl4 ,frank took her by the arm resolutely4 ,come6 he said4 ,then she came1 and the two passed out together into the mob waiting to come in4 ,we shall have to walk1 said ,frank4 ,i'm sorry2 but ,i've got to get home somehow4 ,she bowed her head and said nothing4 ,gertie presented a very unusual appearance this evening4 ,certainly she had laid out the two-pound-ten to advantage4 ,she was in a perfectly decent dark dress with a red stripe in it2 she had a large hat and some species of boa round her neck2 she even carried a cheap umbrella with a sham silver band and a small hand-bag with one pocket-handkerchief inside it4 ,and to her own mind1 no doubt1 she was a perfect picture of the ideal penitent--very respectable and even prosperous looking1 and yet with a dignified reserve4 ,she was not at all flaunting1 she must have thought2 neither was she1 externally1 anything of a disgrace4 ,it would be evident presently to her mother that she had returned out of simple goodness of heart and not at all because her recent escapade had been a failure4 ,she would still be able to talk of the ,major with something of an air1 and to make out that he treated her always like a lady4 7,when ,i went to interview her a few months ago ,i found her very dignified1 very self-conscious1 excessively refined and faintly reminiscent of fallen splendor2 and her mother told me privately that she was beginning to be restless again and talked of going on to the music-hall stage47 ,but there is one thing that ,i find it very hard to forgive1 and that is1 that as the two went together under the flaming white lights towards ,chiswick ,high ,street1 she turned to ,frank a little nervously and asked him if he would mind walking just behind her4 7,please remember1 however1 in extenuation1 that ,gertie's new pose was that of the ,superior ,young ,lady47 ,i don't quite like to be seen-- murmured this respectable person4 ,oh1 certainly6 said ,frank1 without an instant's hesitation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they had met1 half an hour before1 by appointment1 at the entrance to the underground station at ,victoria4 ,frank's van-journeyings would1 he calculated1 bring him there about half-past six1 and1 strictly against the orders of his superiors1 but very ingeniously1 with the connivance of his fellow-driver of the van1 he had arranged for his place to be taken on the van for the rest of the evening by a man known to his fellow-driver--but just now out of work--for the sum of one shilling1 to be paid within a week4 ,he was quite determined not to leave ,gertie alone again1 when once the journey to ,chiswick had actually begun1 until he had seen her landed in her own home4 ,the place of meeting1 too1 had suited ,gertie very well4 ,she had left ,turner ,road abruptly1 without a word to anyone1 the instant that the ,major's military-looking back had been seen by her to pass within the swing-doors of the ,queen's ,arms for his usual morning refreshment4 ,then she had occupied herself chiefly by collecting her various things at their respective shops1 purchased by ,frank's two-pound-ten1 and putting them on4 ,she had had a clear threepence to spare beyond the few shillings she had determined to put by out of the total1 and had expended it by a visit to the cinematograph show in ,victoria ,street4 ,there had been a very touching series of pictures of the ,old ,home in the ,country1 and the milking of the cows1 with a general atmosphere of roses and church-bells1 and ,gertie had dissolved into tears more than once1 and had cried noiselessly into her new pocket-handkerchief drawn from her new hand-bag4 ,but she had met ,frank quite punctually1 for1 indeed1 she had burned her boats now entirely and there was nothing else left for her to do4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the entrance to ,chiswick ,high ,street another brilliant thought struck her4 ,she paused for ,frank to come up4 ,frankie1 she said1 you won't say anything about the two-pound-ten1 will you8 ,i shouldn't like them to think-- ,of course not1 said ,frank gravely1 and after a moment1 noticing that she glanced at him again uneasily1 understood1 and fell obediently to the rear once more4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about a quarter of a mile further on her steps began to go slower4 ,frank watched her very carefully4 ,he was not absolutely sure of her even now4 ,then she crossed over the street between two trams1 and ,frank dodged after her4 ,then she turned as if to walk back to ,hammersmith4 ,in an instant ,frank was at her side4 ,you're going the wrong way1 he said4 ,she stopped irresolutely1 and had to make way for two or three hurrying people1 to pass4 ,oh1 ,frankie6 ,i can't6 she wailed softly4 ,come6 said ,frank1 and took her by the arm once more4 ,five minutes later they stood together half-way down a certain long lane that turns out of ,chiswick ,high ,street to the left1 and there1 for the first time1 she seems to have been genuinely frightened4 ,the street was quite empty2 the entire walking population was parading up and down the brightly-lit thoroughfare a hundred yards behind them1 or feverishly engaged in various kinds of provision shops4 ,the lamps were sparse in this lane1 and all was comparatively quiet4 ,oh1 ,frankie6 she moaned again4 ,i can't6 ,i can't6444 ,i daren't6 ,she leaned back against the sill of a window4 ,yet1 even then1 ,i believe she was rather enjoying herself4 ,it was all so extremely like the sort of plays over which she had been accustomed to shed tears4 ,the ,prodigal's ,return6 ,and on ,christmas ,eve6 ,it only required a little snow to be falling and a crying infant at her breast4444 ,i wonder what ,frank made of it4 ,he must have known ,gertie thoroughly well by now1 and certainly there is not one sensible man in a thousand whose gorge would not have risen at the situation4 ,yet ,i doubt whether ,frank paid it much attention4 ,where's the house8 he said4 ,he glanced up at the number of the door by which he stood4 ,it must be a dozen doors further on1 he said4 ,it's the last house in the row1 murmured ,gertie1 in a weak voice4 ,is father looking out8 ,go and see4 ,my dear girl1 said ,frank1 do not be silly4 ,do remember your mother's letter4 ,then she suddenly turned on him1 and if ever she was genuine she was in that moment4 ,frankie1 she whispered1 why not take me away yourself8 ,oh6 take me away6 take me away6 ,he looked into her eyes for an instant1 and in that instant he caught again that glimpse as of ,jenny herself4 ,take me away--,i'll live with you just as you like6 ,she took him by his poor old jacket-lapel4 ,you can easily make enough1 and ,i don't ask-- ,then he detached her fingers and took her gently by the arm4 ,come with me1 he said4 ,no2 not another word4 ,together in silence they went the few steps that separated them from the house4 ,there was a little garden in front1 its borders set alternately with sea-shells and flints4 ,at the gate she hesitated once more1 but he unlatched the gate and pushed her gently through4 ,oh6 my gloves6 whispered ,gertie1 in a sharp tone of consternation4 ,i left them in the shop next the ,a4,b4,c4 in ,wilton ,road4 ,frank nodded4 ,then1 still urging her1 he brought her up to the door and tapped upon it4 ,there were footsteps inside4 ,god bless you1 ,gertie4 ,be a good girl4 ,i'll wait in the road for ten minutes1 so that you can call me if you want to4 ,then he was gone as the door opened4 7,,ii7 ,the next public appearance of ,frank that ,i have been able to trace1 was in ,westminster ,cathedral4 ,now it costs an extra penny at least1 ,i think1 to break one's journey from ,hammersmith to ,broad ,street1 and ,i imagine that ,frank would not have done this after what he had said to ,gertie about the difficulty connected with taking an omnibus1 except for some definite reason1 so it is only possible to conclude that he broke his journey at ,victoria in an attempt to get at those gloves4 ,it seems almost incredible that ,gertie should have spoken of her gloves at such a moment1 but it really happened4 ,she told me so herself4 ,and1 personally1 on thinking over it1 it seems to me tolerably in line 7though perhaps the line is rather unusually prolonged7 with all that ,i have been able to gather about her whole character4 ,the fact is that gloves1 just then1 were to her really important4 ,she was about to appear on the stage of family life1 and she had formed a perfectly consistent conception of her part4 ,gloves were an integral part of her costume--they were the final proof of a sort of opulence and refinement2 therefore1 though she could not get them just then1 it was perfectly natural and proper of her to mention them4 ,it must not be thought that ,gertie was insincere3 she was not2 she was dramatic4 ,and it is a fact that within five minutes of her arrival she was down on her knees by her mother1 with her face hidden in her mother's lap1 crying her heart out4 ,by the time she remembered ,frank and ran out into the street1 he had been gone more than twenty minutes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one of the priests attached to ,westminster ,cathedral happened to have a pause about half-past nine o'clock in his hearing of confessions4 ,he had been in his box without a break from six o'clock1 and he was extremely tired and stiff about the knees4 ,he had said the whole of his office during intervals1 and he thought he would take a little walk up and down the south aisle to stretch his legs4 ,so he unlatched the little door of his confessional1 leaving the light burning in case someone else turned up2 he slipped off his stole and came outside4 ,the whole aisle1 it seemed1 was empty1 though there was still a sprinkling of folks in the north aisle1 right across the great space of the nave2 and he went down the whole length1 down to the west end to have a general look up the ,cathedral4 ,he stood looking for three or four minutes4 ,overhead hung the huge span of brickwork1 lost in darkness1 incredibly vast and mysterious1 with here and there emerging into faint light a slice of a dome or the slope of some architrave-like dogmas from impenetrable mystery4 ,before him lay the immense nave1 thronged now with close-packed chairs in readiness for the midnight ,mass1 and they seemed to him as he looked with tired eyes1 almost like the bent shoulders of an enormous crowd bowed in dead silence of adoration4 ,but there was nothing yet to adore1 except up there to the left1 where a very pale glimmer shone on polished marble among the shadows before the chapel of the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,there was one other exception2 for overhead1 against the half-lighted apse1 where a belated sacristan still moved about1 himself a shadow1 busy with the last preparations of the ,high ,altar--there burgeoned out the ominous silhouette of the vast hanging cross1 but so dark that the tortured ,christ upon it was invisible4444 ,yet surely that was right on this night1 for who1 of all those who were to adore presently the ,child of joy1 gave a thought to the ,man of ,sorrows8 ,his ,time was yet three months away4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,as the priest stood there1 looking and imagining1 with that strange clarity of mind and intuition that a few hours in the confessional gives to even the dullest brain1 he noticed the figure of a man detach itself from one of the lighted confessionals on the left and come down towards him1 walking quickly and lightly4 ,to his surprise1 this young man1 instead of going out at the northwest door1 wheeled and came towards him4 ,he noticed him particularly1 and remembered his dress afterwards3 it was a very shabby dark blue suit1 splashed with mud from the ,christmas streets1 very bulgy about the knees2 the coat was buttoned up tightly round a muffler that had probably once been white1 and his big boots made a considerable noise as he came4 ,the priest had a sudden impulse as the young man crossed him4 ,a merry ,christmas1 he said4 ,the young man stopped a moment and smiled all over his face1 and the priest noticed the extraordinary serenity and pleasantness of the face--and that1 though it was the face of a ,poor ,man1 with sunken cheeks and lines at the corners of the mouth4 ,thank you1 ,father1 he said4 ,the same to you4 ,then he went on1 his boots as noisy as ever1 and turned up the south aisle4 ,and presently the sound of his boots ceased4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the priest still stood a moment or two1 looking and thinking1 and it struck him with something of pleasure that the young man1 though obviously of the most completely submerged tenth1 had not even hesitated or paused1 still less said one word1 with the hope of a little something for ,christmas' sake4 ,surely he had spoken1 too1 with the voice of an educated man4 ,he became suddenly interested--he scarcely knew why1 and the impression made just by that single glimpse of a personality deepened every moment4444 ,what in the world was that young man doing here8444 ,what was his business up in that empty south aisle8 ,who was he8 ,what was it all about8 ,he thought presently that he would go up and see2 it was on his way back to the clergy-house1 too4 ,but when he reached the corner of the aisle and could see up it1 there seemed to be no one there4 ,he began to walk up1 wondering more than ever1 and then on a sudden he saw a figure kneeling on the lower step of the chapel on the right1 railed off and curtained now1 where the ,crib was ready to be disclosed two hours later4 ,it all seemed very odd4 ,he could not understand why anyone should wish to pray before an impenetrable curtain4 ,as he came nearer he saw it was his friend all right4 ,those boots were unmistakable4 ,the young man was kneeling on the step1 quite upright and motionless1 his cap held in his hands1 facing towards the curtain behind which1 no doubt1 there stood the rock-roofed stable1 with the ,three ,personages--an old man1 a maid and a new-born ,child4 ,but their time1 too1 was not yet4 ,it was two hours away4 ,priests do not usually stare in the face of people who are saying their prayers--they are quite accustomed to that phenomenon2 but this priest 7he tells me7 simply could not resist it4 ,and as he passed on his noiseless shoes1 noticing that the light from his own confessional shone full upon the man1 he turned and looked straight at his face4 ,now ,i do not understand what it was that he saw2 he does not understand it himself2 but it seems that there was something that impressed him more than anything else that he had ever seen before or since in the whole world4 ,the young man's eyes were open and his lips were closed4 ,not one muscle of his face moved4 ,so much for the physical facts4 ,but it was a case where the physical facts are supremely unimportant4444 ,at any rate1 the priest could only recall them with an effort4 ,the point was that there was something supra-physical there--7personally ,i should call it supernatural7--that stabbed the watcher's heart clean through with one over whelming pang4444 7,i think that's enough47 99 99 99 99 99 ,when the priest reached the ,lady chapel he sat down1 still trembling a little1 and threw all his attention into his ears1 determined to hear the first movement that the kneeling figure made behind him4 ,so he sat minute after minute4 ,the ,cathedral was full of echoes--murmurous rebounds of the noises of the streets1 drawn out and mellowed into long1 soft1 rolling tones1 against which1 as against a foil1 there stood out detached1 now and then1 the sudden footsteps of someone leaving or entering a confessional1 the short scream of a slipping chair--once the sudden noise of a confessional-door being opened and the click of the handle which turned out the electric light4 ,and it was full of shadows1 too2 a monstrous outline crossed and recrossed the apse behind the ,high ,altar1 as the sacristan moved about2 once a hand1 as of a giant1 remained poised for an instant somewhere on the wall beside the throne4 ,it seemed to the priest1 tired and clear-brained as he was1 as if he sat in some place of expectation--some great cavern where mysteries moved and passed in preparation for a climax4 ,all was hushed and confused1 yet alive2 and the dark waves would break presently in the glory of the midnight ,mass4 ,he scarcely knew what held him there1 nor what it was for which he waited4 ,he thought of the lighted common-room at the end of the long corridor beyond the sacristy4 ,he wondered who was there2 perhaps one or two were playing billiards and smoking2 they had had a hard day of it and would scarcely get to bed before three4 ,and yet1 here he sat1 tired and over-strained1 yet waiting--waiting for a disreputable-looking young man in a dirty suit and muffler and big boots1 to give over praying before a curtain in an empty aisle4 ,a figure presently came softly round the corner behind him4 ,it was the priest whom he had heard leaving his confessional just now4 ,haven't you done yet8 whispered the new-comer1 pausing behind his chair4 ,coming in a minute or two1 he said4 ,the figure passed on2 presently a door banged like muffled thunder somewhere beyond the sacristy1 and simultaneously he heard a pair of boots going down the aisle behind4 ,he got up instantly1 and with long1 silent steps made his way down the aisle also4 ,the figure wheeled the corner and disappeared2 he himself ran on tip-toe and was in time to see him turning away from the holy-water basin by the door4 ,but he came so quickly after him that the door was still vibrating as he put his hand upon it4 ,he came out more cautiously through the little entrance1 and stood on the steps in time to see the young man moving off1 not five yards away1 in the direction of ,victoria ,street4 ,but here something stopped him4 ,coming straight up the pavement outside the ,art and ,book ,company depot was a newsboy at the trot1 yelling something as he came1 with a poster flapping from one arm and a bundle of papers under the other4 ,the priest could not catch what he said1 but he saw the young man suddenly stop and then turn off sharply towards the boy1 and he saw him1 after fumbling in his pocket1 produce a halfpenny and a paper pass into his hands4 ,there then he stood1 motionless on the pavement1 the sheet spread before him flapping a little in the gusty night wind4 ,paper1 sir6 yelled the boy1 pausing in the road4 ',orrible-- ,the priest nodded2 but he was not thinking much about the paper1 and produced his halfpenny4 ,the paper was put into his hand1 but he paid no attention to it4 ,he was still watching the motionless figure on the pavement4 ,about three minutes passed4 ,then the young man suddenly and dexterously folded the paper1 folded it again and slipped it into his pocket4 ,then he set off walking and a moment later had vanished round the corner into ,victoria ,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the priest thought no more of the paper as he went back through the ,cathedral1 wondering again over what he had seen4444 ,but the common-room was empty when he got to it1 and presently he spread the paper before him on the table and leaned over it to see what the excitement was about4 ,there was no doubt as to what the news was--there were headlines occupying nearly a third of a column2 but it appeared to him unimportant as general news3 he had never heard of the people before4 ,it seemed that a wealthy peer who lived in the ,north of ,england1 who had only recently been married for the second time1 had been killed in a motor smash together with his eldest son4 ,the chauffeur had escaped with a fractured thigh4 ,the peer's name was ,lord ,talgarth4 ,,chapter ,,vii 7,i7 ,on the morning of the twenty-fourth a curious little incident happened--,i dug the facts out of the police news--in a small public-house on the outskirts of ,south ,london4 ,obviously it is no more than the sheerest coincidence4 ,four men were drinking a friendly glass of beer together on their way back to work from breakfast4 ,their ecclesiastical zeal seems to have been peculiarly strong1 for they distinctly stated that they were celebrating ,christmas on that date1 and ,i deduce from that statement that beer-drinking was comparatively infrequent with them4 ,however1 as they were about to part1 there entered to them a fifth1 travel-stained and tired1 who sat down and demanded some stronger form of stimulant4 ,the new-comer was known to these four1 for his name was given1 and his domicile was mentioned as ,hackney ,wick4 ,he was a small man1 very active and very silent and rather pale2 and he seems to have had something of a mysterious reputation even among his friends and to be considered a dangerous man to cross4 ,he made no mystery1 however1 as to where he had come from1 nor whither he was going4 ,he had come from ,kent1 he said1 and humorously added that he had been hop-picking1 and was going to join his wife and the family circle for the festival of ,christmas4 ,he remarked that his wife had written to him to say she had lodgers4 ,the four men naturally stayed a little to hear all this news and to celebrate ,christmas once more1 but they presently were forced to tear themselves away4 ,it was as the first man was leaving 7his foreman appears to have been of a tyrannical disposition7 that the little incident happened4 ,why1 he said1 ,bill 7three out of the five companions seemed to have been usually called ,bill71 ,bill1 your boots are in a mess4 ,the ,bill in question made caustic remarks4 ,he observed that it would be remarkable if they were not in such weather4 ,but the other persisted that this was not mud1 and a general inspection was made4 ,this resulted in the opinion of the majority being formed that ,bill had trodden in some blood4 ,bill himself was one of the majority1 though he attempted in vain to think of any explanation4 ,two men1 however1 declared that in their opinion it was only red earth4 7,a certain obscurity appears in the evidence at this point1 owing to the common use of a certain expletive in the mouth of the ,british working-man47 ,there was a hot discussion on the subject1 and the ,bill whose boots were under argument seems to have been the only man to keep his head4 ,he argued very sensibly that if the stains were those of blood1 then he must have stepped in some--perhaps in the gutter of a slaughter-house2 and if it was not blood1 then it must be something else he had trodden in4 ,it was urged upon him that it was best washed off1 and he seems finally to have taken the advice1 though without enthusiasm4 ,then the four men departed4 ,the landlady's evidence was to the same effect4 ,she states that the new-comer1 with whose name she had been previously unacquainted1 though she knew his face1 had remained very tranquilly for an hour or so and had breakfasted off bacon and eggs4 ,he seemed to have plenty of money1 she said4 ,he had finally set off1 limping a little1 in a northward direction4 ,now this incident is a very small one4 ,i only mention it because1 in reading the evidence later1 ,i found myself reminded of a parallel incident1 recorded in a famous historical trial1 in which something resembling blood was seen on the hand of the judge4 ,his name was ,ayloff1 and his date the sixteenth century4 7,,ii7 ,mrs4 ,partington had a surprise--not wholly agreeable--on that ,christmas ,eve4 ,for at half-past three1 just as the ,london evening was beginning to close in1 her husband walked into the kitchen4 ,she had seen nothing of him for six weeks1 and had managed to get on fairly well without him4 ,i am not even now certain whether or no she knows what her husband's occupation is during these absences of his--,i think it quite possible that1 honestly1 she does not--and ,i have no idea myself4 ,it seemed1 however1 this time1 that he had prospered4 ,he was in quite a good temper1 he was tolerably well dressed1 and within ten minutes of his arrival he had produced a handful of shillings4 ,five of these he handed over to her at once for ,christmas necessaries1 and ten more he entrusted to ,maggie with explicit directions as to their expenditure4 ,while he took off his boots1 his wife gave him the news--first1 as to the arrival of the ,major's little party1 and next as to its unhappy dispersion on that very day4 ,he will 'ave it as the young man's gone off with the young woman1 she observed4 ,mr4 ,partington made a commentatory sound4 ,an' 'e's 'arf mad1 she added4 ',e means mischief if 'e can manage it4 ,mr4 ,partington observed1 in his own particular kind of vocabulary1 that the ,major's intentions were absurd1 since the young man would scarcely be such a peculiarly qualified kind of fool as to return4 ,and ,mrs4 ,partington agreed with him4 7,in fact1 this had been her one comfort all day4 ,for it seemed to her1 with her frank and natural ideas1 that1 on the whole1 ,frank and ,gertie had done the proper thing4 ,she was pleased1 too1 to think that she had been right in her surmises as to ,gertie's attitude to ,frank4 ,for1 of course1 she never doubted for one single instant that the two had eloped together in the ordinary way1 though probably without any intentions of matrimony47 ,mr4 ,partington presently inquired as to where the ,major was1 and was informed that he was1 of course1 at the ,queen's ,arms4 ,he had been there1 in fact1 continuously--except for sudden excursions home1 to demand whether anything had been heard of the fugitives--since about half-past eleven that morning4 ,it was a situation that needed comfort4 ,mrs4 ,partington added a few comments on the whole situation1 and presently put on her bonnet and went out to supplement her ,christmas preparations with the extra five shillings1 leaving her husband to doze in the ,windsor chair1 with his pipe depending from his mouth4 ,he had walked up from ,kent that morning1 he said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,she returned in time to get tea ready1 bringing with her various relishes1 and found that the situation had developed slightly since her departure4 ,the ,major had made another of his infuriated returns1 and had expanded at length to his old friend ,mr4 ,partington1 recounting the extraordinary kindness he had always shown to ,frank and the confidence he had reposed in him4 ,he had picked him up1 it seemed1 when the young man had been practically starving1 and had been father and comrade to him ever since4 ,and to be repaid in this way6 ,he had succeeded also by his eloquence1 ,mrs4 ,partington perceived1 in winning her husband's sympathies1 and was now gone off again1 ostensibly to scour the neighborhood once more1 but1 more probably1 to attempt to drown his grieved and wounded feelings4 ,mrs4 ,partington set her thin lips and said nothing4 ,she noticed also1 as she spread the table1 a number of bottles set upon the floor1 two of them with yellow labels--the result of ,maggie's errand--and prepared herself to face a somewhat riotous evening4 ,but ,christmas1 she reflected for her consolation1 comes but once a year4 ,it was about nine o'clock that the two men and the one woman sat down to supper upstairs4 ,the children had been put to bed in the kitchen as usual1 after ,jimmie had informed his mother that the clergyman had been round no less than three times since four o'clock to inquire after the vanished lodger4 ,he was a little tearful at being put to bed at such an unusually early hour1 as ,mr4 ,parham-,carter1 it appeared1 had promised him no less than sixpence if he would come round to the clergy-house within five minutes after the lodger's return1 and it was obviously impossible to traverse the streets in a single flannel shirt4 ,his mother dismissed it all as nonsense4 ,she told him that ,frankie was not coming back at all--that he wasn't a good young man1 and had run away without paying mother her rent4 ,this made the situation worse than ever1 as ,jimmie protested violently against this shattering of his ideal1 and his mother had to assume a good deal of sternness to cover up her own tenderness of feeling4 ,but she1 too--though she considered the flight of the two perfectly usual--was conscious of a very slight sense of disappointment herself that it should have been this particular young man who had done it4 ,then she went upstairs again to supper4 7,,iii7 ,the famous archway that gives entrance to the district of ,hackney ,wick seems1 especially on a rainy night1 directly designed by the ,great ,eastern ,railway as a vantage ground for observant loafers with a desire to know every soul that enters or leaves ,hackney ,wick4 ,it is1 of course1 possible to1 enter ,hackney ,wick by other ways--it may be approached by the marshes1 and there is1 ,i think1 another way round about half a mile to the east1 under the railway4 ,but those ways have nothing whatever to do with people coming from ,london proper4 ,you arrive at ,victoria ,park ,station2 you turn immediately to the right and follow the pavement down1 with the park on your left1 until you come to the archway where the road unites with that coming from ,homerton4 ,one is absolutely safe1 therefore1 assuming that one has not to deal with watchful criminals1 in standing under the arch with the certitude that sooner or later1 if you wait long enough1 the man whom you expect to enter ,hackney ,wick will pass within ten yards of you4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter1 of course1 knew this perfectly well1 and had1 finally1 communicated the fact to the other two quite early in the afternoon4 ,an elaborate system of watches1 therefore1 had been arranged1 by which one of the three had been on guard continuously since three o'clock4 ,it was ,jack who had had the privilege 7if he had but known it7 of observing ,mr4 ,partington himself returning home to his family for ,christmas1 and it was ,dick1 who came on guard about five1 who had seen the ,major--or1 rather1 what was to him merely a shabby and excited man--leave and then return to the ,queen's ,arms during his hour's watch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the amazing and shocking news1 however1 of the accident to ,lord ,talgarth and ,archie1 the precautions had been doubled4 ,it was the clergyman who had first bought an evening paper soon after five o'clock1 and within five minutes the other two knew it also4 ,it is of no good to try to describe the effect it had on their minds1 beyond saying that it made all three of them absolutely resolute that ,frank should by no possible means escape them4 ,the full dramatic situation of it all they scarcely appreciated1 though it soaked more and more into them gradually as they waited--two of them in the ,men's ,club just round the corner1 and the third1 shivering and stamping1 under the arch4 7,an unemployed man1 known to the clergyman1 had been set as an additional sentry on the steps of the ,men's ,club1 whose duty it would be1 the moment the signal was given from the arch that ,frank was coming1 to call the other two instantly from inside4 ,further1 the clergyman--as has been related--had been round three times since four o'clock to ,turner ,road1 and had taken ,jimmie into his pay47 ,the situation was really rather startling1 even to the imperturbable ,dick4 ,this pleasant young man1 to whom he had begun to feel very strangely tender during the last month or two1 now tramping ,london streets 7or driving a van71 in his miserable old clothes described to him by the clergyman1 or working at the jam factory1 was actually no one else at this moment but the new ,lord ,talgarth--with all that that implied4 ,merefield was his1 the big house in ,berkeley ,square was his2 the moor in ,scotland4444 ,it was an entire reversal of the whole thing3 it was as a change of trumps in whist3 everything had altered its value4444 ,well1 he had plenty of time1 both before he came off guard at seven and after he had joined the clergyman in the ,men's ,club1 to sort out the facts and their consequences4 99 99 99 99 99 ,about half-past ten the three held a consultation under the archway1 while trains rumbled overhead4 ,they attracted very little attention here3 the archway is dark and wide2 they were muffled to the eyes2 and there usually is a fringe of people standing under shelter here on rainy evenings4 ,they leaned back against the wall and talked4 ,they had taken further steps since they had last met4 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter had been round to the jam factory1 and had returned with the news that the van had come back under the charge of only one of the drivers1 and that the other one1 who was called ,gregory 7whom ,mr4 ,parham-,carter was inquiring after71 would certainly be dismissed in consequence4 ,he had taken the address of the driver1 who was now off duty--somewhere in ,homerton--with the intention of going to see him next morning if ,frank had not appeared4 ,there were two points they were discussing now4 ,first1 should the police be informed8 ,secondly1 was it probable that ,frank would have heard the news1 and1 if so1 was it conceivable that he had gone straight off somewhere in consequence--to his lawyers1 or even to ,merefield itself8 ,dick remembered the name of the firm quite well--at least1 he thought so4 ,should he send a wire to inquire8 ,but then1 in that case1 ,jack shrewdly pointed out1 everything was as it should be4 ,and this reflection caused the three considerable comfort4 ,for all that1 there were one or two ifs4 ,was it likely that ,frank should have heard the news8 ,he was notoriously hard up1 and the name ,talgarth had not appeared1 so far1 on any of the posters4 ,yet he might easily have been given a paper1 or picked one up 444 and then4444 ,so the discussion went on1 and there was not much to be got out of it4 ,the final decision come to was this3 ,that guard should be kept1 as before1 until twelve o'clock midnight2 that at that hour the three should leave the archway and1 in company1 visit two places--,turner ,road and the police-station--and that the occupants of both these places should be informed of the facts4 ,and that then all three should go to bed4 7,,iv7 ,at ten minutes past eleven ,dick moved away from the fire in the ,men's ,club1 where he had just been warming himself after his vigil1 and began to walk up and down4 ,he had no idea why he was so uncomfortable1 and he determined to set to work to reassure himself4 7,the clergyman1 he noticed1 was beginning to doze a little by the fire1 for the club had just been officially closed and the rooms were empty47 ,of course1 it was not pleasant to have to tell a young man that his father and brother were dead 7,dick himself was conscious of a considerable shock71 but surely the situation was1 on the whole1 enormously improved4 ,this morning ,frank was a pauper2 to-night he was practically a millionaire1 as well as a peer of the realm4 ,this morning his friends had nothing by which they might appeal to him1 except common sense and affection1 and ,frank had very little of the one1 and1 it would seem1 a very curious idea of the other4 ,of course1 all that affair about ,jenny was a bad business 7,dick could hardly even now trust himself to think of her too much1 and not to discuss her at all71 but ,frank would get over it4 ,then1 still walking up and down1 and honestly reassured by sheer reason1 he began to think of what part ,jenny would play in the future4444 ,it was a very odd situation1 a very odd situation indeed4 7,the deliberate and self-restrained ,dick used an even stronger expression47 ,here was a young woman who had jilted the son and married the father1 obviously from ambitious motives1 and now found herself almost immediately in the position of a very much unestablished kind of dowager1 with the jilted son reigning in her husband's stead4 ,and what on earth would happen next8 ,diamonds had been trumps2 now it looked as if hearts were to succeed them2 and what a very remarkable pattern was that of these hearts4 ,but to come back to ,frank-- ,and at that moment he heard a noise at the door1 and1 as the clergyman started up from his doze1 ,dick saw the towzled and becapped head of the unemployed man and his hand beckoning violently1 and heard his hoarse voice adjuring them to make haste4 ,the gentleman under the arch1 he said1 was signaling4 ,the scene was complete when the two arrived1 with the unemployed man encouraging them from behind1 half a minute later under the archway4 ,jack had faced ,frank fairly and squarely on the further pavement1 and was holding him in talk4 ,my dear chap1 he was saying1 we've been waiting for you all day4 ,thank the ,lord you've come6 ,frank looked a piteous sight1 thought ,dick1 who now for the first time saw the costume that ,mr4 ,parham-,carter had described with such minuteness4 ,he was standing almost under the lamp1 and there were heavy drooping shadows on his face2 he looked five years older than when ,dick had last seen him--only at ,easter4 ,but his voice was confident and self-respecting enough4 ,my dear ,jack1 he was saying1 you really mustn't interrupt4 ,i've only just-- ,then he broke off as he recognized the others4 ,so you've given me away after all1 he said with a certain sternness to the clergyman4 ,indeed ,i haven't1 cried that artless young man4 ,they came quite unexpectedly this morning4 ,and you've told them that they could catch me here1 said ,frank ,well1 it makes no difference4 ,i'm going on--,hullo6 ,dick6 ,look here6 said ,dick4 ,it's really serious4 ,you've heard about-- ,his voice broke4 ,i've heard about it1 said ,frank4 ,but that doesn't make any difference for to-night4 ,but my dear man1 cried ,jack1 seizing him by the lapel of his coat1 it's simply ridiculous4 ,we've come down here on purpose--you're killing yourself-- ,one moment1 said ,frank4 ,tell me exactly what you want4 ,dick pushed to the front4 ,let him alone1 you fellows4444 ,this is what we want1 ,frank4 ,we want you to come straight to the clergy-house for to-night4 ,to-morrow you and ,i'll go and see the lawyers first thing in the morning1 and go up to ,merefield by the afternoon train4 ,i'm sorry1 but you've really got to go through with it4 ,you're the head of the family now4 ,they'll be all waiting for you there1 and they can't do anything without you4 ,this mustn't get into the papers4 ,fortunately1 not a soul knows of it yet1 though they would have if you'd been half an hour later4 ,now1 come along4 ,one moment1 said ,frank4 ,i agree with nearly all that you've said4 ,i quite agree with you that--he paused a moment--that the head of the family should be at ,merefield to-morrow night4 ,but for to-night you three must just go round to the clergy-house and wait4 ,i've got to finish my job clean out--and-- ,what job8 cried two voices simultaneously4 ,frank leaned against the wall and put his hands in his pockets4 ,i really don't propose to go into all that now4 ,it'd take an hour4 ,but two of you know most of the story4 ,in a dozen words it's this--,i've got the girl away1 and now ,i'm going to tell the man1 and tell him a few other things at the same time4 ,that's the whole thing4 ,now clear off1 please4 7,i'm awfully obliged1 you know1 and all that71 but you really must let me finish it before ,i do anything else4 ,there was a silence4 ,it seemed tolerably reasonable1 put like that--at least1 it seemed consistent with what appeared to the three to be the amazing unreason of all ,frank's proceedings4 ,they hesitated1 and were lost4 ,will you swear not to clear out of ,hackney ,wick before we've seen you again8 demanded ,jack hoarsely4 ,frank bowed his head4 ,yes1 he said4 ,the clergyman and ,dick were consulting in low voices4 ,jack looked at them with a wild sort of appeal in his face4 ,he was completely bewildered1 and hoped for help4 ,but none came4 ,will you swear-- he began again4 ,frank put his hand suddenly on his friend's shoulder4 ,look here1 old man4 ,i'm really rather done up4 ,i think you might let me go without any more-- ,all right1 we agree1 said ,dick suddenly4 ,and-- ,very good1 said ,frank4 ,then there's really no more-- ,he turned as if to go4 ,frank1 ,frank-- cried ,jack4 ,frank turned and glanced at him1 and then went on4 ,good-night1 he cried4 ,and so they let him go4 ,they watched him1 in silence1 cross the road by the ,queen's ,arms and pass up the left-hand pavement4 ,as he drew near each lamp his shadow lay behind him1 shortened1 vanished and reappeared before him4 ,after the third lamp they lost him1 and they knew he would a moment later pass into ,turner ,road4 ,so they let him go4 7,v7 ,mr4 ,parham-,carter's room looked very warm and home-like after the comfortlessness of the damp lamp-lit streets4 ,it was as has already been related3 the ,madonna1 the prints1 the low book-cases1 the drawn curtains1 the rosy walls1 the dancing firelight and the electric lamp4 ,it was even reassuring at first--safe and protected1 and the three sat down content4 ,a tray with some cold meat and cheese rested on the table by the fire1 and cocoa in a brown jug stood warming in the fender4 ,they had had irregular kinds of refreshments in the ,men's ,club at odd intervals1 and were exceedingly hungry4444 ,they began to talk presently1 and it was astonishing how the sight and touch of ,frank had cheered them4 ,more than one of the three has confessed to me since that a large part of the anxiety was caused by his simple absence and by imaginative little pictures of street accidents4 ,it would have been so extremely ironical if he had happened to have been run over on the day on which he became ,lord ,talgarth4 ,they laid their little plans1 too1 for the next day4 ,dick had thought it all out4 ,he1 ,jack and ,frank were to call at the lawyers' office in ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields1 and leave a message1 as the office would be closed of course1 immediately after the wanderer had been dressed properly in ready-made clothes4 ,then they would catch the early afternoon train and get to ,merefield that night4 ,the funeral could not possibly take place for several days3 there would have to be an inquest4 ,then they read over the account of the smash in the ,star newspaper--special edition4 ,it seemed to have been nobody's fault4 ,the brake had refused to act going down a steep hill2 they had run into a wall2 the chauffeur had been thrown clean over it2 the two passengers had been pinned under the car4 ,lord ,talgarth was dead at once2 ,archie had died five minutes after being taken out4 ,so they all talked at once in low voices1 but in the obvious excitement of relief4 ,it was an extraordinary pleasure to them--now that they looked at it in the sanity conferred by food and warmth--to reflect that ,frank was within a quarter of a mile of them--certainly in dreary surroundings2 but it was for the last time4 ,to-morrow would see him restored to ordinary life1 his delusions and vagaries plucked from him by irresistible circumstance1 and the future in his hands4 99 99 99 99 99 ,midnight still found them talking--alert and cheerful2 but a little silence fell as they heard the chiming of bells4 ,christmas ,day1 by ,george6 said the clergyman4 ,merry ,christmas6 ,they shook hands1 smiling shamefacedly1 as is the custom of ,englishmen4 ,and to think of old ,frank-- mused ,jack half aloud4 ,i told you1 ,guiseley1 about his coming to me in the autumn8 7,he had been thinking a great deal about that visit lately1 and about what ,frank had told him of himself--the idea he had of ,something going on behind the scenes in which he had passively to take his part2 his remark on how pleasant it must be to be a squire4 ,well1 the play had come to an end1 it seemed2 now there followed the life of a squire indeed4 ,it was curious to think that ,frank was1 actually at this moment1 ,lord ,talgarth67 ,dick nodded his head1 smiling to himself in his beard4 ,somehow or another the turn things had taken had submerged in him for the present the consciousness of the tragedy up at ,merefield1 and his own private griefs1 and the memory of ,jenny4 ,jack told it all again briefly4 ,he piled it on about the ,major and his extreme repulsiveness1 and the draggled appearance of ,gertie1 and ,frank's incredible obstinacy4 ,and to think that he's brought it off1 and got the girl home to her people4444 ,well1 thank the ,lord that's over6 ,we shan't have any more of that sort of thing4 ,dick got up presently and began to walk about1 eyeing the pictures and the books4 ,want to turn in8 asked the cleric4 ,well1 ,i think1 as we've an early start-- ,the clergyman jumped up4 ,you've a beastly little room1 ,i'm afraid4 ,we're rather full up4 ,and you1 ,mr4 ,kirkby6 ,i'll wait till you come back1 he said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the two went out1 after good-nights1 and ,jack was left staring at the fire4 ,he felt very wide-awake1 and listened contentedly to the dying noises of the streets4 ,somewhere in that hive outside was ,frank--old ,frank4 ,that was very good to think of4444 ,during these last months ,frank's personality had been very persistently before him4 ,it was not that he pretended to understand him in the very least2 but he understood enough now to feel that there was something very admirable in it all4 ,it was mad and quixotic and absurd1 but it had a certain light of nobility4 ,of course1 it would never do if people in general behaved like that2 society simply could not go on if everyone went about espousing the cause of unhappy and badly-behaved individuals1 and put on old clothes and played the ,ass4 ,but1 for all that1 it was not unpleasant to reflect that his own friend had chosen to do these things in despite of convention4 ,there was a touch of fineness in it4 ,and it was all over now1 thank ,god4444 ,what times they would have up in the north6 ,he heard a gate clash somewhere outside4 ,the sound just detached itself from the murmur of the night4 ,then a late train ran grinding over the embanked railway behind the house1 and drew up with the screaming of brakes at ,victoria ,park ,station1 and distracted him again4 ,are you ready1 ,mr4 ,kirkby8 said the clergyman1 coming in4 ,jack stood up1 stretching himself4 ,in the middle of the stretch he stopped4 ,what's that noise8 he asked4 ,they stood listening4 ,then again came the sharp1 prolonged tingle of an electric bell1 followed by a battering at a door downstairs4 ,jack1 looking in the other's face1 saw him go ever so slightly pale beneath his eyes4 ,there's somebody at the door1 said ,mr4 ,parham-,carter4 ,i'll just go down and see4 ,and1 as ,jack stood there1 motionless and breathless1 he could hear no sound but the thick hammering of his own heart at the base of his throat4 ,,chapter ,,viii 7,i7 ,at half-past eleven o'clock ,mrs4 ,partington came upstairs to the room where the two men were still drinking1 to make one more suggestion that it was time to go to bed4 ,it was a dreary little room1 this front bedroom on the first floor1 where ,frank and the ,major had slept last night in one large double bed4 ,the bed was pushed now close against the wall1 the clothes still tumbled and unmade1 with various articles lying upon it1 as on a table4 ,a chair without a back stood between it and the window4 ,the table where the two men still sat was pulled close to the fire that had been lighted partly in honor of ,mr4 ,partington and partly in honor of ,christmas1 and was covered with a dbris of plates and glasses and tobacco and bottles4 ,there was a jam-jar filled with holly obtained from the butcher's shop1 in the middle of the table4 ,there was very little furniture in the room2 there was a yellow-painted chest of drawers opposite the door1 and this1 too1 held a little regiment of bottles2 there was a large oleograph of ,queen ,victoria hanging above the bed1 and a text--for some inscrutable reason--was permitted to hang above the fireplace1 proclaiming that ,the ,lord is merciful and long-suffering1 in ,gothic letters1 peeping modestly out of a wealth of painted apple-blossoms1 with a water-wheel in the middle distance and a stile4 ,on the further side of the fireplace was a washhand-stand1 with a tin pail below it1 and the ,major's bowler hat reposing in the basin4 ,there was a piece of carpet underneath the table1 and a woolly sort of mat1 trodden through in two or three places1 beside the bed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,partington coughed as she came in1 so tremendous was the reek of tobacco smoke1 burning paraffin and spirits4 ,bless the men6 she said1 and choked once more4 ,she was feeling comparatively light-hearted2 it was a considerable relief to her that ,frank actually had not come back1 though she never had for one instant expected him to do so4 ,but she didn't want any more disturbances or quarrels1 and1 as she looked at the ,major1 who turned in his chair as she came in1 she felt even more relieved4 ,his appearance was not reassuring4 ,he had been drinking pretty steadily all day to drown his grief1 and had ended up by a very business-like supper with his landlord4 ,there were four empty beer bottles and one empty whisky bottle distributed on the table or floor1 and another half-empty whisky bottle stood between the two men on the table4 ,and as she looked at the ,major 7she was completely experienced in alcoholic symptoms71 she understood exactly what stage he had reached4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,now the ,major was by no means a drunkard--let that be understood4 ,he drank whenever he could1 but a tramp cannot drink to very grave excess4 ,he is perpetually walking and he is perpetually poor4 ,but this was a special occasion2 it was ,christmas2 he was home in ,london2 his landlord had returned1 and he had lost ,gertie4 ,he had reached1 then1 the dangerous stage1 when the alcohol1 after having excited and warmed and confused the brain1 recoils from it to some extent1 leaving it clear and resolute and entirely reckless1 and entirely conscious of any idea that happens to be dominant 7at least1 that is the effect on some temperaments74 ,the maudlin stage had passed long ago1 at the beginning of supper1 when the ,major had leaned his head on his plate and wept over the ingratitude of man and the peculiar poignancy of old ,frankie's individual exhibition of it4 ,a noisy stage had succeeded to this1 and now there was deadly quiet4 ,he was rather white in the face2 his eyes were set1 but very bright1 and he was smoking hard and fast4 ,now then1 said ,mrs4 ,partington cheerfully1 time for bed4 ,her husband winked at her gravely1 which was his nearest approach to hilarity4 ,he was a quiet man at all times4 ,the ,major said nothing4 ,there6 there's ',erb awake again1 said the mother1 as a wail rose up the staircase4 ,i'll be up again presently4 ,and she vanished once more4 99 99 99 99 99 ,two of the children were awake after all4 ,jimmie lay1 black-eyed and alert1 beside his brother1 and looked at his mother reflectively as she came in4 ,he was still thinking about the sixpence that might conceivably have been his4 ',erb's lamentation stopped as she came in1 and she went to the table first to turn down the smoking lamp4 ,she was quite a kindly mother1 a great deal more tender than she seemed1 and ',erb knew it well enough4 ,but he respected her sufficiently to stop crying when she came in4 ,now then1 she said with motherly sternness4 ,i can't 'ave-- ,then she stopped abruptly4 ,she had heard steps on the pavement outside as she came into the room1 and now she heard the handle of the street door turned and someone come into the passage4 ,she stood wondering1 and in that pause she missed her chance1 for the steps came straight past the door and began to go upstairs4 ,it might1 of course1 conceivably be one of the lodgers on the top-floor1 and yet she knew it was not4 ,she whisked to the door a moment later1 but it was too late1 and she was only just in time to see the figure she knew turn the corner of the four stairs that led to the first-floor landing4 ,is that ,frankie8 asked ,jimmie1 suddenly sitting up in bed4 ,oh6 mother1 let me-- ,you be quiet6 snapped the woman1 and stood listening2 with parted lips4 7,,ii7 ,from that point ,mrs4 ,partington seems to have been able to follow very closely what must have taken place upstairs4 ,it was a very quiet night1 here in ,turner ,road3 the roysterers were in the better-lighted streets1 and the sober folk were at home4 ,and there was not a footstep on the pavements outside to confuse the little drama of sound that came down to her through the ill-fitting boards overhead4 ,she could not explain afterwards why she did not interfere4 ,i imagine that she hoped against hope that she was misinterpreting what she heard1 and also that a kind of terror seized her which she found it really impossible to shake off4 ,first1 there was the opening and closing of the door2 two or three footsteps1 and then dead silence4 ,then she heard talking begin1 first one voice1 then a crescendo1 as if two or three clamored together2 then one voice again4 7,it was impossible1 so far1 to distinguish which was which47 ,this went on for a minute or two2 occasionally there was a crescendo1 and once or twice some voice rose almost into a shout4 ,then1 without warning1 there was a shuffling of feet1 and a crash1 as of an overturned chair2 and1 instant upon the noise1 ',erb set up a prolonged wail4 ,you be quiet6 snapped the woman in a sharp whisper4 ,the noises went on3 now the stamp of a foot2 now the scraping of something overhead and a voice or two in sharp deep exclamation1 and then complete silence once more4 ',erb was sobbing now1 as noiselessly as he could1 terrified at his mother's face1 and ,jimmie was up1 standing on the floor in his flannel shirt1 listening like his mother4 ,maggie still slept deeply on the further side of the bed4 ,the woman went on tip-toe a step nearer the door1 opened it1 and peeped out irresolutely4 ,but the uncarpeted stairs stretched up into the darkness1 unlit except for the glimmer that came from the room at whose door she was standing4444 ,there was a voice now1 rising and falling steadily1 and she heard it broken in upon now and again by something that resembled a chuckle4 ,somehow or another this sickened her more than all else2 it was like her husband's voice4 ,she recoiled into the room1 and1 as she did so1 there came the sound of blows and the stamping of feet1 and she knew1 in a way that she could not explain1 that there was no fight going on4 ,it was some kind of punishment1 not a conflict4444 ,she would have given the world to move1 to run to the street door and scream for help2 but her knees shook under her and her heart seemed to be hammering itself to bits4 ,jimmie had hold of her now1 clinging round her1 shaking with terror and murmuring something she could not understand4 ,her whole attention was upstairs4 ,she was wondering how long it would go on4 ,it must be past midnight now1 she thought3 the streets seethed still as death4 ,but overhead there was still movement and the sound of blows1 and then abruptly the end came4 ,there was one more crescendo of noise--two voices raised in dispute1 one almost shrill1 in anger or expostulation2 then one more sudden and heavy noise as of a blow or a fall1 and dead silence4 7,,iii7 ,the next thing that ,mrs4 ,partington remembered afterwards was that she found herself standing on the landing upstairs1 listening1 yet afraid to move4 ,all was very nearly silent within3 there was just low talking1 and the sound of something being moved4 ,it was her husband's voice that she heard4 ,beyond her the stairs ran up to the next story1 and she became aware presently that someone else was watching1 too4 ,an untidy head of a woman leaned over the banisters1 and candle-light from somewhere beyond lit up her face4 ,she was grinning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then the sharp whisper came down the stairs demanding what was up4 ,mrs4 ,partington jerked her thumb towards the closed door and nodded reassuringly4 ,she was aware that she must be natural at all costs4 ,the woman still hung over the banisters a minute longer and then was gone4 ,jimmie was with her too1 now1 still just in his shirt1 perfectly quiet1 with a face as white as paper4 ,his big black eyes dwelt on his mother's face4 ,then suddenly she could bear the suspense no more4 ,she stole up to the door1 still on tip-toe1 still listening1 and laid her fingers on the handle4 ,there were more gentle movements within now1 the noise of water and a basin 7she heard the china clink distinctly71 but no more words4 ,she turned the handle resolutely and looked in4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,major was leaning in the corner by the window1 with his hands in his pockets1 staring with a dull1 white1 defiant kind of face at the bed4 ,the lamp on the mantelpiece lighted him up clearly4 ,on his knees by the bedside was her husband1 with his back to her1 supporting a basin on the bed and some thing dark that hung over it4 ,then she saw ,frank4 ,it was he who was lying on the bed almost upon his face2 one boot dangled down on this side1 and it was his head that her husband was supporting4 ,she stared at it a moment in terror4444 ,then her eyes wandered to the floor1 where1 among the pieces of broken glass1 a pool of dark liquid spread slowly over the boards4 ,twigs and detached leaves of holly lay in the midst of it4 ,and at that sight her instinct reasserted herself4 ,she stepped forward and took her husband by the shoulder4 ,he turned a face that twitched a little towards her4 ,she pushed him aside1 took the basin from him1 and the young man's head4444 ,clear out of this1 she whispered sharply4 ,quick1 mind6 ,you and the ,major6444 ,jimmie6 ,the boy was by her in an instant1 shaking all over1 but perfectly self-controlled4 ,jimmie1 put your things on and be off to the clergy-house4 ,ring 'em up1 and ask for ,mr4 ,carter4 ,bring him round with you4 ,frank's head slipped a little in her hands1 and she half rose to steady it4 ,when she had finished and looked round again for her husband1 the room was empty4 ,from below up the stairs came a sudden draught1 and the flame leaped in the lamp-chimney4 ,and then1 once more unrestrained1 rose up the wailing of ',erb4 7,,iv7 ,a little after dawn on that ,christmas morning ,mr4 ,parham-,carter sat solitary in the kitchen4 ,the children had been packed off to a neighbor's house before1 and he himself had been to and fro all night and was tired out--to the priest's house at ,homerton1 to the doctor's1 and to the parish nurse4 ,all the proper things had been done4 ,frank had been anointed by the priest1 bandaged by the doctor1 and settled in by the nurse into the middle of the big double bed4 ,he had not yet recovered consciousness4 ,they were upstairs now--,jack1 ,dick and the nurse2 the priest and the doctor had promised to look in before nine--there was nothing more that they could do for the present1 they said--and ,mrs4 ,partington was out at this moment to fetch something from the dispensary4 ,he had heard her story during one of the intervals in the course of the night1 and it seemed to him that he had a tolerably accurate theory of the whole affair--if1 that is to say1 her interpretation of the noises she had heard was at all correct4 ,the ,major must have made an unexpected attack1 probably by a kick that had temporarily disabled ,frank1 and must then1 with ,mr4 ,partington's judicial though amused approval1 have proceeded to inflict chastisement upon ,frank as he lay on the floor4 ,this must have gone on for a considerable time2 ,frank seemed to have been heavily kicked all over his body4 ,and the thing must have ended with a sudden uncontrolled attack on the part of the ,major1 not only with his boots1 but with at least one of the heavy bottles4 ,the young man's head was cut deeply1 as if by glass1 and it was probably three or four kicks on the head1 before ,mr4 ,partington could interfere1 that had concluded the punishment4 ,the doctor's evidence entirely corroborated this interpretation of events4 ,it was1 of course1 impossible to know whether ,frank had had the time or the will to make any resistance4 ,the police had been communicated with1 but there was no news yet of the two men involved4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was one of those bleak1 uncomfortable dawns that have no beauty either of warmth or serenity--at least it seemed so here in ,turner ,road4 ,above the torn and dingy strip of lace that shrouded the lower part of the window towered the black fronts of the high houses against the steely western sky4 ,it was extraordinarily quiet4 ,now and then a footstep echoed and died suddenly as some passer-by crossed the end of the street2 but there was no murmur of voices yet1 or groups at the doors1 as1 no doubt1 there would be when the news became known4 ,the room1 too1 was cheerless2 the fire was long ago gone out2 the children's bed was still tumbled and disordered1 and the paraffin lamp had smoked itself out half an hour ago4 ,overhead the clergyman could hear now and again a very gentle footstep1 and that was all4 ,he was worn out with excitement and a kind of terror2 and events took for him the same kind of clear1 hard outline as did the physical objects themselves in this cold light of dawn4 ,he had passed through a dozen moods3 furious anger at the senseless crime1 at the hopeless1 miserable waste of a life1 an overwhelming compassion and a wholly unreasonable self-reproach for not having foreseen danger more clearly the night before4 ,there were other thoughts that had come to him too--doubts as to whether the internal significance of all these things were in the least analogous to the external happenings2 whether1 perhaps1 after all1 the whole affair were not on the inner side a complete and perfect event--in fact1 a startling success of a nature which he could not understand4 ,certainly1 exteriorly1 a more lamentable failure and waste could not be conceived2 there had been sacrificed such an array of advantages--birth1 money1 education1 gifts1 position--and for such an exceedingly small and doubtful good1 that no additional data1 it would appear1 could possibly explain the situation4 ,yet was it possible that such data did exist somewhere1 and that another golden and perfect deed had been done--that there was no waste1 no failure1 after all8 ,but at present these thoughts only came to him in glimpses2 he was exhausted now of emotion and speculation4 ,he regarded the pitiless facts with a sunken1 unenergetic attention1 and wondered when he would be called again upstairs4 ,there came a footstep outside2 it hesitated1 then the street door was pushed open and the step came in1 up to the room door1 and a small face1 pinched with cold1 its eyes all burning1 looked at him4 ,come in1 ,jimmie1 he whispered4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and so the two sat1 huddled one against the other1 and the man felt again and again a shudder1 though not of cold1 shake the little body at his side4 7,v7 ,ten minutes later a step came down the stairs1 a little hurriedly1 though on tip-toe2 and ,mrs4 ,partington1 her own thin face lined with sleeplessness and emotion1 and her lips set1 nodded at him emphatically4 ,he understood1 and went quickly past her1 followed closely by the child1 and up the narrow stairs4444 ,he heard the street-door close behind him as the woman left the house4 ,it seemed to him as he came into the room as if he had stepped clean out of one world into another4 ,and the sense of it was so sudden and abrupt that he stood for an instant on the threshold amazed at the transition4 ,first1 it was the absolute stillness and motionlessness of the room that impressed him1 so far as any one element predominated4 ,there were persons in the room1 but they were as statues4 ,on the farther side of the bed1 decent now and arranged and standing out across the room1 kneeled the two men1 ,jack ,kirkby and ,dick ,guiseley1 but they neither lifted their eyes nor showed the faintest consciousness of his presence as he entered4 ,their faces were in shadow3 behind them was the cold patch of the window1 and a candle within half an inch of extinction stood also behind them on a table in the corner1 with one or two covered vessels and instruments4 ,the nurse kneeled on this side1 one arm beneath the pillow and the other on the counterpane4 ,and then there was ,frank4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he lay perfectly still upon his back1 his hands clasped before him 7and even these were bandaged74 ,his head lay high on three or four pillows1 and he wore what looked like a sort of cap1 wholly hiding his hair and ears4 ,his profile alone showed clear-cut and distinct against the gloom in the corner behind4 ,his face was entirely tranquil1 as pale as ivory2 his lips were closed4 ,his eyes alone were alive4 ,presently those turned a little1 and the man standing at the door1 understanding the look1 came forward and kneeled too by the bed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then1 little by little1 he began1 in that living stillness1 to understand rather better what it was that he was witnessing4444 ,it was not that there was anything physical in the room1 beyond the things of which his senses told him2 there was but the dingy furniture1 the white bed1 august now with a strange dignity as of a white altar1 and the four persons beside himself--five now1 for ,jimmie was beside him4 ,but that the physical was not the plane in which these five persons were now chiefly conscious was the most evident thing of all4444 ,there was about them1 not a ,presence1 not an air1 not a sweetness or a sound1 and yet it is by such negatives only that the thing can be expressed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and so they kneeled and waited4 99 99 99 99 99 ,why1 ,jack-- ,it shook the waiting air like the sound of a bell1 yet it was only whispered4 ,the man nearest him on the other side shook with a single spasmodic movement and laid his fingers gently on the bandaged hands4 ,and then for a long while there was no further movement or sound4 ,rosary6 said ,frank suddenly1 still in a whisper4444 ,beads4444 ,jack moved swiftly on his knees1 took from the table a string of beads from where they had been laid the night before1 and put them into the still fingers4 ,then he laid his own hands over them again4 99 99 99 99 99 ,again there was a long pause4 ,outside in the street a footstep came up from the direction of ,mortimer ,road1 waxed loud and clear on the pavement1 and died again down towards the street leading to the marshes4 ,and1 but for this1 there was no further sound for a while4 ,then a cock crew1 thin and shrill1 somewhere far away2 a dray rumbled past the end of the street and was silent4 ,but the silence in the room was of a different quality2 or1 rather1 the world seemed silent because this room was so1 and not the other way4 ,it was here that the center lay1 where a battered man was dying1 and from this center radiated out the ,great ,peace4 ,it was no waste then1 after all6--this life of strange unreason ending in this very climax of uselessness1 exactly when ordinary usefulness was about to begin4 ,could that be waste that ended so8 ,priest1 whispered the voice from the bed4 ,then ,dick leaned forward4 ,he has been1 he said distinctly and slowly4 ,he was here at two o'clock4 ,he did--what he came for4 ,and he's coming again directly4 ,the eyes closed in sign of assent and opened again4 ,he seemed to be looking1 as in a kind of meditation1 at nothing in particular4 ,it was as a man who waits at his ease for some pleasant little event that will unroll by and by4 ,he was in no ecstasy1 and1 it seemed1 in no pain and in no fierce expectation2 he was simply at his ease and waiting4 ,he was content1 whatever those others might be4 ,for a moment it crossed the young clergyman's mind that he ought to pray aloud1 but the thing was dismissed instantly4 ,it seemed to him impertinent nonsense4 ,that was not what was required4 ,it was his business to watch1 not to act4 ,so1 little by little1 he ceased to think actively1 he ceased to consider this and that4 ,at first he had wondered how long it would be before the doctor and the priest arrived4 7,the woman had gone to fetch them47 ,he had wished that they would make haste4444 ,he had wondered what the others felt1 and how he would describe it all to his ,vicar4 ,now1 little by little1 all this ceased1 and the peace grew within and without1 till the balance of pressure was equalized and his attention floated at the perfect poise4 ,again there was no symbol or analogy that presented itself4 ,it was not even by negation that he thought4 ,there was just one positive element that included all3 time seemed to mean nothing1 the ticks of the clock with the painted face were scarcely consecutive2 it was all one1 and distance was nothing1 nor nearness--not even the nearness of the dying face against the pillows4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was so1 then1 that something of that state to which ,frank had passed communicated itself to at least one of those who saw him die4 ,a little past the half hour ,frank spoke again4 ,my love to ,whitty1 he said4444 ,diary4444 ,tell him4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,the end came a few minutes before nine o'clock1 and it seems to have come as naturally as life itself4 ,there was no drama1 no dying speech1 not one word4 ,those who were there saw him move ever so slightly in bed1 and his head lifted a little4 ,then his head sank once more and the ,failure was complete4 ,,the ,,end