,,foxglove ,,manor    ,a ,novel    ,by  
,robert ,w4 ,buchanan    ,in ,three     
,volumes1 ,vol4 ,i4    ,london          
,chatto ,and ,windos1 ,piccadilly       
#ahhd          ,,prefatory ,,note4      
,the following attempt at a tragedy in  
fiction 7a tragedy1 however1  without a 
tragic ending7 must not be construed    
into an attack on the  ,english         
priesthood generally4 ,i have simply    
pictured1 in the ,rev4  ,charles        
,santley1 a type of man which exists1   
and of which ,i have had  personal      
experience4 ,fortunately1 such men are  
uncommon2 still more  fortunately1 the  
clergymen of1 the ,english              
,establishment are for  the most part   
sane and healthy men1 too unimaginative 
for morbid  deviations4    ,,robert     
,,buchanan4          ,,foxglove ,,manor4
          ,,chapter ,i4 ,,st4           
,,cuthbert',s4    ,as the sweet1 clear  
voices of the surpliced choristers rose 
in the  closing verse of the hymn1 and  
the vicar1 in his white robe and  violet

 hood1 ascended the pulpit steps1 old   
,gabriel ,ware1 sexton and  doorkeeper  
of ,st4 ,cuthbert's1 limped across the  
pavement and slipped  into the porch1 as
 his custom was at sermon-time on       
,sunday afternoons4    ,he waited till  
the singing had ceased and the          
congregation had settled  in their pews2
 and while he listened to the vicar     
announcing his  text--8,for in ,him we  
live1 and move1 and have our being0--he 
fumbled  in the pockets beneath his     
black gown of office1 and then limped   
noiselessly out into the sunshine1      
where1 after a glance round him1 he     
pulled out a short clay pipe1 well      
seasoned1 filled it with twist1 and     
began his usual after-dinner smoke4     
,it was a hot1 shimmering ,july         
afternoon1 and it was much pleasanter to
  sit out of doors on a tombstone1      
listening to the vicars voice as it     
came though the dark lancets like a     
sound of running water4    ,half a mile 
or so away1 nestled in trees1 was the   

village of ,omberley1  with its glimpses
 of white walls and tiled or slated     
roofs4 ,then there  were soft1 hazy     
stretches of pasture1 with idyllic      
groupings of cattle  and sheep and      
trees4 ,the fields of wheat and barley1 
turnips and  potatoes1 lay out idle and 
warm1 growing and taking no care1 and   
apparently causing none4 ,the sight and 
smell of the land filled  ,gabriel with 
a stolid satisfaction at the order of   
nature and the  providential gift of    
tobacco4    ,there was but the faintest 
breeze stirring1 and it wafted all      
manner  of sweet odours and lulling     
whispers about the graveyard4           
,everywhere  there was evidence of a    
fervent throbbing vitality and          
joyousness4 ,the  soft green turf which 
spread all round the church to the      
limits of the  churchyard1 here         
billowing over a nameless grave1 here   
crusting with  moss the base of a       
tombstone or a marble cross or a        
pillared urn1  here edging round an     

oblong plot brilliant with flowers and  
hothouse  plants1--the very turf seemed 
stirred by glad impulses1 and quivering 
with a crush of hurrying insect life4   
,daisies and buttercups and  little blue
 and pink eyed flowers danced among the 
restless spears of  grass with a merry  
hardihood4 ,laburnums and sycamores     
stood drowsing  in the hot shining air1 
but they were not asleep1 and were not  
silent1  ,a persistent undertone came   
from among their shadowy boughs1 as if  
the sap were buzzing through every leaf 
and stalk4 ,up their trunks1  toiling   
through the rugged ravines of the rough 
bark1 travelling  along the branches1   
flitting from one cool leaf to another1 
myriads of  nameless winged and creeping
 things went to and fro1 and added their
  murmurs to the vast1 vague resonance  
of life4 ,a soft1 ceaseless  whispering 
was diffused from the tall green spires 
of a row of poplars  which ,went along  
the iron railing that separated the     
enclosure from  the high-road4 ,blue and

 yellow butterflies fluttered from one  
#8flowery  grave to another2 the big    
booming humble-bee went blundering among
 the  blossoms2 a grasshopper was3      
singing shrilly in the bushes near the  
railing2 a laborious caravan of ants was
 crossing the stony wilderness  of the  
gravel path2 a dragon-fly hawked to and 
fro beneath the  sycamores2 small birds 
dropped twittering on cross or urn for  
an  instant1 flashed away up into a     
tree1 and then darted off into the      
fields1 as though too full of excitement
 and gamesomeness to rest more  than a  
moment anywhere4 ,soft fleecy masses of 
luminous cloud slumbered  in the hot    
blue sky overhead1 and only in its      
remote deeps did there  seem to be      
unimpassioned quietude and a sabbath    
stillness--only there  and in the       
church4    ,notwithstanding the dazzling
 sunshine and the heat1 the church was  
cool and dim and fragrant4 ,the black   
and red tiles of the pavement1  the     
brown massive2 pillars and airy arches  

of sandstone1 the oaken  pews1 the      
spacious1 sanctuary with1 its wide1     
stone steps1 affected  one with a4      
refreshing sense of coolness and        
comfort4 ,the light  entered soft and   
subdued through richly stained glass1   
for the windows  looked1 not on familiar
 breadths1 of ,english landscape glowing
  and ripening in the ,july sun1 but    
seemed rather to open into the          
strangely coloured world of nineteen    
centuries ago4 ,the blessing of  the    
little children1 the raising of         
,lazarus1 the interview at the well     
with the woman of ,samaria1 the minstrel
 rout about the house of the  ruler     
whose little maid lay not dead but      
sleeping1 took the place  of the mundane
 scenes beheld through unhallowed       
windows4 ,even the  unpictured lancets  
were filled with leaded panes of crimson
 and blue  and gold4 ,then there was a  
faint1 pleasant odour of incense about  
the  building1 emphasizing the contrast 
between the mood of nature and the  mood

 of man4 ,st4 ,cuthberts was floridly   
ritualistic1 and the vicar  was one of  
those who felt that1 in an age of       
spiritual disquiet  and unbelief1 a man 
cannot cling with too many hands to the 
great  ,revelation which appeared to be 
daily growing more elusive1 and who     
believed that if the soul may be lost1  
it may also be1 in a measure1  saved    
through the senses4 ,feigned devotions  
and the absence of any  appeal to the   
physical nature of man had1 he was      
convinced1 drawn  innumerable souls into
 indifference on the one hand1 and into 
,catholicism on the other4 ,if there was
 a resurrection of the body as  well as 
of the soul1 surely the body ought not  
to be abandoned as a  thing accursed1   
from which no good can come4 ,the vicar 
encountered no  difficulty in realize   
ing his views of the dignity of flesh   
and blood  at ,st4 ,cuthbert's4    ,a   
thick1 softly toned carpet lay on the   
broad stone steps which led  up to the  
communion table4 ,behind the communion  

table1 and for some  distance to right  
and left1 the sanctuary walls were hung 
with richly  coloured tapestry4 ,the    
table itself--or the altar1 as it was   
usually  called--was draped with violet 
silk1 embroidered with amber crosses1   
and upon it stood a large crucifix of   
brass1 with vases of flowers1  and      
massive brazen candlesticks on either   
side4 ,in the centre a  large brass     
gasalier was suspended from a large     
ring1 containing  an enamelled cross1   
and beneath it hung an oil-lamp1 which  
was kept  perpetually burning4 ,amid all
 the coolness and fragrance and mystical
  flush of colour1 that little leaf of  
flame floating in its glass cup         
attracted the attention of the stranger 
most singularly4 ,it piqued the         
imagination1 and added an indescribable 
feeling of hallowed sorcery to  the     
general effect1 which was that of an    
influence too spiritual  not to excite  
reverence1 but too sensuous to be       
considered sacred4  ,stepping out of the

 churchyard1 with its throbbing warmth  
and glad  undertones of commotion1 into 
the cool1 soft-lighted1 artificially    
coloured atmosphere of the church1 one  
might have felt as if  dropped into the 
,middle ,ages1 but for the modern       
appearance of the  congregation4    ,st4
 ,cuthbert's was the fashionable place  
of worship at ,omberley1 and  its       
afternoon service was always well       
attended1 though at a glance  one       
perceived1 from the chromatic effect of 
the pews1 that the large  majority of   
the congregation were of the more       
emotional sex4 ,as the  vicar gave out  
his text1 his taste for the bright and  
beautiful must  have been gratified by  
the flowers and feathers and dainty     
dresses1  and still more by the rows of 
young and pretty faces which were raised
  towards the pulpit with such varied   
expression of interest1 affection1  and 
admiration4    ,the ,rev4 ,charles      
,santley had been ,vicar of ,st4        
,cuthbert's for little  less than a     

year4 ,he was unmarried1 just turned    
thirty1 a little over  the middle       
height1 and remarkably handsome4 ,it was
 not to be wondered  at that1 with such 
recommendations1 the new vicar had at   
the very  outset fascinated the maids   
and matrons of his congregation4 ,a     
bright  shapely face1 with soft dark    
eyes1 a complexion almost feminine in   
its  clear flush1 a broad scholarly     
forehead1 black hair slightly thinned   
with study on the brow and at the       
temples1 black moustache and short      
curling black beard1--such was the face 
of the vicar as he stood  uncovered     
before you4 ,his voice was musical and  
sympathetic2 the  pressure of his hand  
invited confidence and trust2 his soft  
dark eyes  not only looked into your    
heart1 but conveyed the warmth and      
eagerness  of his own2 you felt         
instinctively that here you might turn  
for help  which would never be found    
wanting1 and seek advice that would     
never  lead you astray1 appeal for      

sympathy with a certainty that you would
  be understood1 obey the prompting to  
transfer the burthen of spiritual       
distress with a sure knowledge that your
 self-esteem would never be  wounded4   
,of course there were ladies of a       
critical and censorious  disposition    
among his flock1 but even these were    
forced to acknowledge  the charm of his 
presence and the kindliness of his      
disposition4 ,among  the men he was less
 enthusiastically popular1 as was       
natural enough2  but he was still       
greatly liked for his frankness and     
cordiality1 and  his keen intellect and 
sterling common sense commanded their   
respect4    ,on one thing you might     
always reckon at ,st4 ,cuthbert's--a    
thoughtful1  eloquent sermon1 delivered 
in a voice full of exquisite            
modulations4  ,it happened often enough 
that the preacher forgot the capacities 
of  his hearers1 and became dreamy and  
mystical2 but1 though you failed to     
comprehend1 you were conscious that the 

fault lay less with him than  with your 
own smaller spiritual nature4 ,this1    
too1 happened only in  certain passages1
 and never throughout an entire         
discourse4 ,he began  on the grass1 as  
the lark does1 and gradually rose higher
 and higher  in the brightening heavens 
till your vision failed2 but1 if you    
waited  patiently1 he descended again to
 earth1 still singing4    ,on this      
,sunday afternoon1 preaching from the   
text in the ,acts1 he  held his hearers 
spell-bound at the outset4 ,referring to
 the memorable  discourse in which the  
text occurs1 he conjured up before them 
,athens--glittering1 garrulous1         
luxurious1 profligate--the ,athens ,st4 
,paul had seen4 ,the vivid picture was  
crowded with magnificent temples1       
countless altars1 innumerable shapes of 
mortal loveliness4 ,here  was the       
,agora1 with its altar of the ,twelve   
,gods1 and its painted  cloisters1 and  
its plane trees1 beneath whose shade    
were disputing  groups of philosophers1 

in the garb of their various sects4     
,gods  and goddesses1 in shining marble1
 in gold and ivory1 caught the eye      
wherever it fell4 ,there were altars to 
,fame and ,health and ,energy1 to       
,modesty and ,persuasion1 to ,pity and  
to ,oblivion4 ,on the ledges of the     
precipitous ,acropolis glittered the    
shrines of ,bacchus and sclapius1       
,venus1 ,earth1 and ,ceres4 ,over all   
towered the splendid statue of  ,pallas1
 cast from the brazen spoils of         
,marathon1 visible1 as it  flashed in   
the sun1 to the sailor doubling the     
distant promontory of  ,sunium4 ,every  
divinity that it had entered into the   
imagination of man  to1 conceive or the 
heart of man to yearn for1 every deified
 attribute  of human nature1 had here   
its shrine or its voluptuous image4 8,ye
 men  of ,athens1 all things which ,i   
behold bear witness to your carefulness 
in religion40 ,it was easier1 said the  
,roman satirist1 to find a god  than a  
man in ,athens4 ,and yet these men1 with

 all their civilization1  with all their
 art and poetry and philosophy1 had not 
found ,god1 and1  notwithstanding all   
the statues and altars they had erected1
 were  aware that they had not found    
,him2 for ,st4 ,paul1 as he traversed   
their resplendent city1 and beheld their
 devotions1 had found an altar  with    
this inscription1 8,to the ,unknown     
,god40 ,referring then to  those        
8certain philosophers of the ,epicureans
 and of the ,stoics10 who  encountered  
the apostle1 he briefly sketched the two
 great systems of  ,greek speculation1  
and their influence on the morality of  
the age3 the  pantheism of the ,stoics1 
who recognized in the universe a        
rational1  organizing soul which        
produced all things and absorbed all    
things1--who perceived in pleasure no   
good1 in pain no evil1--who  judged     
virtue to be virtue and vice vice1      
according as they conformed  to reason2 
the materialism of the ,epicureans1 who 
perceived in  creation a fortuitous     

concourse of atoms1 acknowledged no     
,godhead1  or1 at best1 an unknowable1  
irresponsible ,godhead1 throned in happy
  indifference far beyond human         
imptration1--taught that the soul       
perished as the body perished1 and was  
dissipated like a streak of  morning    
cloud into the infinite azure of the    
inane4 ,following ,paul as  the         
philosophers 8took him and brought him  
unto ,areopagus10 where from  immemorial
 time the judges1 seated on benches hewn
 out of the rock1  had sat under the    
witnessing heavens1 passing sentence on 
the greatest  criminals and deciding the
 most solemn questions of religion1 he  
glanced down once more at the city      
glittering with temples and  thronged   
with gods and goddesses1 and bringing   
into broad contrast  the radiant ,apollo
 and the voluptuous ,aphrodite1 with the
 scourged and  thorn-crowned figure on  
the cross1 he read the message of the   
apostle  to the pagan world4 ,on how    
many altars to-day might not the words  

8,to  the ,unknown ,god0 be fittingly   
inscribed6 8,in ,him we live1 and move1 
and have our being20 but how few of us  
have 8felt after0 and found  ,him6 ,in a
 strain of impassioned eloquence the    
preacher spoke of that  unseen          
sustaining presence1 which brooded over 
and encompassed us2 of  the yearning of 
the human heart for communion with the  
,creator2 of the  cry of anguish which  
rose from the depths of our being1 when 
our  eyes ached with straining into the 
night and saw nothing1 when our         
quivering hands were reached out into   
the infinite and clasped but  darkness2 
of the intense need we felt for a       
personal1 tangible1  sympathetic ,being1
 for an incarnation of the divinity2 of 
those  ecstatic ascensions of the soul1 
in which man 8felt after0 and  actually 
touched ,god2 and1 as he spoke1 his     
glowing words gradually  ceased to      
convey any definite meaning to the great
 majority of his  hearers3 but one face1
 flushed with joyous intelligence1 one  

young  beautiful face1 with large1      
liquid blue eyes of worship1 and with   
eager tremulous lips1 was all the while 
turned fixedly up to his4    ,seated in 
a little curtained nook near the organ1 
a slim1 fair girl  of two and twenty    
watched the preacher with almost        
breathless  earnestness4 ,she was a     
bright little fragile-looking blossom of
 a  being1 who seemed scarcely to have  
yet slipped out of her girlhood4  ,her  
face was of that delicate white1 tinged 
with a spot of pink1 which  so often    
indicates a consumptive constitution1   
but in her case  this delicacy of       
complexion was owing rather to the      
fineness of the  material of which      
nature had moulded her4 ,light fine     
hair1 in silky  confusion rather than   
curls1 clustered about her forehead and 
temples4  ,her little hands still       
clasped the music-book from which she   
had been  playing the accompaniment of  
the hymn--for ,edith ,dove was the      
organist  of ,st4 ,cuthbert's--as though

 from the outset she had been too       
absorbed  to remember that she was      
holding it4    ,occasionally the vicar  
turned towards the aisle in which she   
sat1 and  his glance rested on her for a
 moment1 and each time their eyes met   
,edith's heart beat more rapidly1 and a 
deeper tinge of rose-colour  brightened 
her cheeks4 ,but ,mr4 ,santley showed no
 sign of kindred  emotion2 he was wholly
 absorbed in the fervid thoughts which  
flowed  from his lips in such strains of
 exaltation4 ,as his eyes wandered  over
 the congregation1 however1 he suddenly 
saw another face which was  turned      
attentively towards him1 and which made 
him pause abruptly4 ,he  stopped in the 
midst of a sentence4 ,he felt the action
 of his heart  cease1 and he knew that  
the blood was driven from his cheeks4   
,he  looked dazedly down at his         
manuscript1 but was unable to find the  
place where his memory had failed him4  
,for a few seconds there was  dead      
silence in the church1 and the eyes of  

the congregation were  turned           
inquiringly towards the pulpit4 ,then1  
stammering and flushing1  he resumed    
almost at haphazard4 ,but the enthusiasm
 of the preacher had  deserted him2 his 
attention was distracted by a rush of   
recollections  and feelings which he    
could not banish2 the words he had      
written  seemed to him foreign and      
purposeless1 and it was only with a     
resolute  effort that he constrained    
himself to read the parallel he had     
drawn  between the pantheism and        
materialism of the days of ,st4 ,paul   
and  those of our own time4 ,to the     
close of his sermon he never once       
ventured to turn his eyes again in the  
direction of that face1 but  kept them  
fixed resolutely upon his manuscript4   
,not till he had  descended the pulpit  
steps and was crossing the chancel1 did 
he hazard  a glance across the church   
towards that disquieting apparition4    
,when the service was ended1 and the    
choristers1 headed by the  cross-bearer1

 had passed in procession down the nave 
to the vestry1  the vicar hastily       
disrobed and issued into the churchyard4
 ,as with a  strange fluttering         
hopefulness he had half anticipated1 he 
was being  waited for4 ,a lady was      
moving slowly about among the graves1   
pausing  now and again to read an       
inscription on a stone1 but keeping a   
constant observation on the church      
doors4 ,as he came out of the porch1    
she advanced to meet him1 with a smile  
upon the face which had so  terribly    
disconcerted him4 ,she was a most       
beautiful1 starry-looking  creature--a  
tall1 graceful1 supple figure1 with the 
exquisitely  moulded head of a ,greek   
statue2 a ripe rich complexion suffused 
with  a blush-rose tint2 large lovely   
black eyes full of fire and softness2   
long1 curved1 black eyelashes2 a        
profusion of silky black hair parted  in
 little waves on a broad1 bright        
forehead2 and a pair of sweet1 red      
lips4    ,she held out a little white   

hand to him1 and1 as he took it1 their  
first words were uttered simultaneously4
    8,ellen60    8,mr4 ,santley60    8,i
 never dreamed10 said the vicar1        
excitedly1 8,i never dared to hope1  to 
see you again60    8,oh1 the world is   
very small10 she replied gaily1 8and    
people keep  crossing each other at the 
most unexpected times and in the oddest 
of places4 ,but ,i am so glad to see    
you4 ,are you doing well8 ,you can      
scarcely imagine how curious it was when
 ,i recognized you to-day4 ,of  course  
,i had heard your name as our vicar1 but
 ,i had no idea it could  be you40      
8,i am sure you are not more glad than  
,i am10 rejoined the vicar4 8,are  you  
staying at ,omberley8 ,have you friends 
here80    ,she regarded him for a moment
 with a mixed expression of surprise and
  amusement4    8,do you not know that  
,i am one of your parishioners now80 she
 asked1  with a pleasant laugh4    ,he  
looked wonderingly into her dark1 joyous
 eyes1 and felt a sudden  sense of chill

 and darkness within him1 as a quick    
intelligence of who  and what she now   
was flashed into his mind4    8,are you 
at the ,manor80 he asked1 in a low1     
agitated voice4    8,yes10 she answered1
 without noticing his emotion4 8,we     
arrived only  yesterday1 and have hardly
 had time yet to feel that we are at    
home2  but ,i could not resist the      
inclination to see what sort of a       
church1  and what sort of a vicar10 she 
added1 with a glance of sly candour1    
8we had at ,st4 ,cuthbert's4 ,i am      
really so glad ,i came4 ,of course you  
will call and see us as soon and as     
often as you can1 will you not8  ,mr4   
,haldane will be delighted1 ,i know40   
8,you are very kind10 said the vicar1   
scarcely aware of what he was  saying4  
8,indeed1 ,i wish to be so10 she        
replied1 smiling4 8,of course you know  
,mr4 ,haldane80    8,no2 ,i have not yet
 had the pleasure of meeting him4       
,he--you had gone  abroad before ,i came
 to ,omberley40    8,then you have not  

been here long80    8,not quite a year  
yet40    8,and do you like the          
place--and the people80    8,both1 very 
much indeed60    8,you are not married  
yet1 ,i think ,mr4 ,haldane said80      
,the vicar looked at her with a sadness 
that was almost reproachful as  he      
answered1 8,no2 ,i have my sister living
 with me40    8,how pleasant6 ,you must 
bring ,miss ,santley with you when you  
come1  will you not80    ,as she spoke  
she moved slowly towards the gateway    
opening on to the  road1 where a little 
basket-carriage was awaiting her4 ,he   
accompanied  her1 and for a few seconds 
there was silence between them4 ,then   
they  shook hands again before she got  
into the carriage1 and she repeated  her
 assurance--    8,i am so glad to have  
met you1 ,mr4 ,santley60    ,she took   
the reins1 and1 lightly flicking the    
ponies with the whip1  flashed upon him 
a farewell smile from those dark1       
spiritual eyes and  laughing lips4      
,the vicar turned back into the         

churchyard1 and following a narrow  path
 that led across the sward through a    
wicket and a small beech  plantation1   
entered the ,vicarage with a pale1      
troubled face4          ,,chapter ,,ii4 
,,at ,,the ,,vicarage4    ,when he      
reached the house he found that his     
presence was needed at  the bedside of a
 labourer1 who had met with a serious   
accident a day  or two before1 and who  
was now sinking rapidly4 ,mr4 ,santley  
was a  man who never begrudged time or  
trouble in the interests of his         
parishioners2 and1 though he had yet    
another service to attend1 and  was     
already fatigued by the work of the day1
 he readily signified his  willingness  
to comply with the request of the dying 
man1 and at once  started for the       
village4    ,he felt at the moment that 
the duty placed before him would be a   
relief from the thronging recollections 
and the wild promptings which  had set  
his heart and brain in a turmoil4 ,as he
 went down the road1  however1 the face 

of the dying man who had sent to seek   
his priestly  aid1 and the face of the  
beautiful wife of the owner of ,foxglove
  ,manor1 seemed to be striving for     
mastery over him2 he was unable to      
concentrate his attention on any        
subject4 ,his will was in abeyance1  and
 he appeared to himself to be in a sort 
of waking nightmare1 in  which the most 
distorted thoughts of marriage and      
death1 of a lost  love and of a lost    
,god1 of the mockery of life1 the       
mockery of youth1  the mockery of       
religion1 presented themselves before   
him in a hideous  masquerade1 till the  
function he was about to fulfil appeared
 to him  at one moment a sacrilege and  
at another a degrading folly4    ,to    
understand in some degree the vicars    
mental condition1 it is  necessary to   
glance back on his past life4 ,in early 
manhood ,charles  ,santley had been     
seriously impressed with the sense of a 
special  vocation to a religious life4  
,he was the son of a wealthy merchant1  

whose entire fortune had perished in one
 of our great commercial  crises1 and   
whose death had followed close upon his 
ruin4 ,up to that  period ,charles had  
been undecided as to his choice of a    
pursuit2  but the necessity of making an
 immediate selection resulted in his    
devoting himself to the ,church4 ,barely
 sufficient had been saved from  the    
wreck of their property to support his  
widowed mother and his  sister4 ,for    
himself1 he was endowed with a splendid 
physique1 a keen  intellect1 and        
indomitable energy2 and he at once flung
 himself into  his new career4 ,he      
supported himself by teaching until he  
was admitted  to orders1 when he        
obtained a curacy1 and eventually1      
through the  interest of some old       
friends of his father1 he was presented 
with the  living of ,st4 ,cuthbert's4   
,in the course of these years of        
struggle1  however1 there was gradually 
developing within the man a spirit which
  threatened to render his success worse

 than useless to him4 ,ardent1          
emotional1 profoundly convinced of the  
eternal truths of revelation  and of the
 glorious mission of the ,church1 the   
young clergyman was  at the same time   
boldly speculative and keenly alive to  
the grandiose  developments of the      
modern schools of thought4 ,it was not  
till he  stood on the extreme verge of  
science and looked beyond that he fully 
realized his position4 ,he then         
perceived with horror that it was no    
longer impossible--that it was even no  
longer difficult--to regard  the great  
message of redemption as a dream of the 
world1 the glorious  faith of           
,christendom as a purely ethnic         
mythology1 morality as a  merely natural
 growth of a natural instinct of        
self-preservation4  ,indeed1 the        
difficulty consisted in believing       
otherwise4 ,the  ,fatherhood of a       
personal ,god was slipping away from his
 soul2 the  ,sonship of a ,saviour was  
melting into a fantastic unreality2 the 

conviction of a personal immortality was
 dissipating into mental mist  and      
darkness4 ,the mystery of evil was      
growing into a fiendish enigma2  virtue 
passed him1 and showed herself to be a  
hollow mask4    ,his whole nature rose  
in revolt against this horrible         
scientific  travesty of ,gods universe4 
,he shrank back alike from the new      
truths  and from the theories evolved   
from them4 ,his faith could not stand   
the  test of the wider knowledge4 ,if   
,god were indeed a myth1 immortality    
but a dream1 virtue an unprofitable     
delusion1 man simply a  beast gifted    
with speech1 better the old faith       
concerning all  these--accepted though  
it were in despite of reason and in     
outrage of  immortal truth--than the    
hideous simulacra of the new philosophy4
 ,he  cast himself back upon the bosom  
of the ,church2 he clung to her as  to  
the garment of ,god2 but he was         
powerless to exorcise the spirit  of    
scepticism4 ,it rose before him in      

sacred places1 it scoffed at  his most  
earnest and impassioned utterances2 he  
seemed to hear within  himself cynical  
laughter as he stood at the bedside of  
the dying2  when he knelt to pray it    
stood at his ear and suggested          
blasphemy2 it  converted the solemn     
light of the ,church into a motley      
atmosphere  of superstition2 it         
stimulated his strong animal nature to  
the very  bounds of self-restraint4     
,still1 if he was unable to exorcise it1
  he had yet the strength to contend    
with and to master it4 ,precisely       
because he was sceptical he was rigid in
 outward doctrine1 zealous for  forms1  
and indefatigable in the discharge of   
his clerical functions4  ,in his        
passionate endeavour to convince        
himself1 he convinced his  hearers and  
confirmed them in the faith in which he 
was himself unable  to trust4    ,to-day
 the old conflict between the sacerdotal
 and the sceptical was  complicated by  
new elements of spiritual discord4      

,after seven years of  hopeless         
separation1 ,charles ,santley had once  
more stood face to face  with the       
embodied dream and inspiration of his   
early manhood1 and had  found her1 in   
the full lustre of her peerless         
womanhood1 another man's  wife4 ,during 
those years he had1 it was true1        
reconciled himself  to what then had    
been forced upon him as the inevitable1 
and he had  sternly set himself to      
master the problem of his existence1    
without  any secret hope that in the    
coming years his success might bring her
  within his reach2 but he had never    
forgotten her4 ,she was to him the      
starry poetry of his youth4 ,he looked  
back to the time when he had  first     
known and loved her1 as a sadder and a  
wiser world looks back to  the ,golden  
,age4 ,the memory of her was the ghost  
of an ancient worship1  flitting in a   
dim rosy twilight about the ,elysian    
fields of memory1  and1 it being        
twilight1 the fields were touched with a

 hallowed  feeling of loss and a divine 
sentiment of regret4 ,and now--oh1      
bitter  irony of time and fortune6--now 
that1 he had achieved success1 now  that
 all the old gulfs which had separated  
them were spanned with  golden bridges1 
now that he might have claimed her and  
she might have  been proud to           
acknowledge the claim1 she once more    
crossed his life--a  vision of beauty1 a
 star of inspiration--and once1 more he 
knew that  she was hopelessly1          
infinitely more hopelessly than ever1   
raised  beyond his seeking4    ,he was  
detained so long at the bedside of the  
dying man that1 by the  time he had     
again reached the ,vicarage1 the bells  
were ringing for  evening service and   
the western sky was ablaze with sunset4 
,in  the church the light streamed      
through the lancets and the painted     
casements1 filling the air with motley  
breadths of glowing colour1  and        
painting pillar and arch and the brown  
sandstone with glorious  blazonry4 ,even

 in the curtained nook near the organ   
the space was  flooded with enchanted   
lights1 and ,edith ,dove sat beside the 
tall  gilded instrument like a picture  
of ,st4 ,cecilia in an illuminated      
missal4 ,in the pulpit the vicar stood  
as if transfigured4 ,he spoke1  too1 as 
though he felt that this was the        
splendour of a new heaven  opening upon 
a new earth1 and the glad rustle of the 
trees in the cool  breeze outside was   
the murmur of paradise4    8,we shall   
not all sleep1 but we shall all be      
changed10 were the words  of his text1  
and throughout the fervid exposition of 
the apostle's  faith in the resurrection
 the sweet1 blue eyes and the eager lips
 of  the organist were turned towards   
the preacher4 ,he seemed this evening1  
however1 to be unconscious of her       
presence4 ,he addressed himself         
entirely to the listeners in the pews in
 front of him1 and never cast  even a   
solitary glance towards the aisle where 
she sat4    ,at the close of the service

 ,edith found ,miss ,santley waiting for
 her  at the entrance4 ,it had now been 
customary for several weeks past for    
,miss ,dove to go over to the ,vicarage 
on ,sunday evening and remain to  supper
 with ,mr4 ,santley and his sister4     
,they went slowly through the           
churchyard together1 and took the little
 path which led to the house4  ,they    
remained chatting at the wicket for a   
few moments1 expecting  the appearance  
of the vicar4 ,when ,mr4 ,santley issued
 from the church1  however1 he passed   
quickly down the gravelled walk to the  
high-road4  ,he had thrown a rapid look 
towards the plantation1 and had seen the
  young women1 but he gave no indication
 of having observed them4    8,why1     
,charles is not coming60 exclaimed ,miss
 ,santley1 with surprise1  as she saw   
her brother2 8he surely cannot be going 
down to ,omberley  again40    8,he is   
not going to ,omberley1 dear10 said     
,edith1 who had been watching  for the  
vicar1 and had been keen enough to      

notice the hasty glance he  had cast in 
their direction2 8he is going up the    
road40    8,then wherever can he be     
going to8 ,and he had not had tea yet1  
poor  fellow60    ,miss ,santley stepped
 a few paces back into the churchyard1  
and stood  on tiptoe to catch a glimpse 
of him over the hedge2 but the vicar had
  already passed out of sight4          
8,never mind1 dear10 she said to ,edith4
 8,shall we go in and have a  little    
chat by ourselves8 ,he may have some    
sick call or other1 and he  is sure to  
be back soon1 or he would have told me  
where he was  going4 ,come1 you needn't 
look so sad10 ,miss ,santley continued1 
as she  observed the expression of her  
companion's face4    8,i didn't think ,i
 was looking sad10 replied ,edith1      
blushing4    8,oh yes1 you were2        
dreadfully10 said ,miss ,santley1       
laughing in a  bantering manner4        
8,you don't think ,mr4 ,santley is--is  
not quite well80 asked ,edith1  timidly4
    8,oh no2 ,charles is quite well1 ,i 

am sure40    8,perhaps he is displeased 
with something10 said ,edith1 as if     
speaking  to herself rather than to     
,miss ,santley4    8,what a little      
fidget you are60 said her companion1    
taking the girl's  arm4 8,i know what   
you are thinking of4 ,i am sure he has  
no cause to be  displeased with you1 at 
any rate40    8,i hope not10 replied    
,miss ,dove1 brightening a little4      
8,only ,i felt  a misgiving4 ,you do    
feel misgivings about all sorts of      
things1 don't  you1 ,mary1 without      
knowing why--a sort of presentiment and 
an uneasy  feeling that something is    
going to happen80    8,young people in  
love1 ,i believe1 experience feelings of
 that kind10   said ,miss ,santley1 with
 mock gravity1 8,come in1 you dear      
little goose1  and don't vex your poor  
wee heart like that4 ,he will be back   
before we  have got half our talk over40
    ,the vicar strode rapidly along the 
road until he reached the summit  of a  
rising ground1 from which he could see  

two counties spread out  before him in  
fruitful undulations of field and meadow
 and woodland4  ,the sunset was burning 
down in front of him4 ,far away in the  
distant  landscape were soft mists of   
blue smoke rising from half-hidden      
villages1 and here and there flashed    
points of brightness where the  sun     
struck on the windows of a farmstead4   
,on either hand were great  expanses of 
yellowing corn swaying in the cool      
breeze and reddening  in the low crimson
 light4 ,he left the road1 and passed   
through a gate  into one of the fields4 
,following a footpath1 he went along the
 hedge  till he reached a stile4 ,here  
he was alone and concealed in a vast sea
  of rustling corn4 ,he sat down on the 
top of the stile1 and resting  his      
elbows on his knees and his chin in his 
hands1 gazed abstractedly  into the     
glowing west4    ,a single word which   
escaped him betrayed the workings of his
 mind3  8,married60    ,seven years ago1
 when ,charles ,santley began his       

struggle in life1 he  obtained through a
 clerical friend a position as teacher  
of classics  in a seminary for young    
ladies in a small sea-side town in a    
southern  county4 ,he found his new     
labour especially congenial4 ,a handsome
 young  professor1 whose attention was  
fixed on the ,church1 and who purposed  
to devote himself to her service1 was   
cordially-welcomed by the devout  ladies
 who conducted the establishment4 ,they 
were three sisters who  had been        
overlooked in the wide yearning crowd of
 unloved womanhood1  and who had turned 
for consolation to the mystical passions
 of  religion4 ,under their care a bevy 
of bright young creatures  were brought 
up as in the chaste seclusion of a      
convent4 ,their  impressionable natures 
were surrounded by a strange artificial 
atmosphere of spiritual emotion2 life   
shone in upon them1 as it were1  through
 the lancets of a-mediaeval             
ecclesiasticism1 and their young        
hearts1 breaking into blossom1 were     

coloured once and for ever with  those  
deep glowing tints4    ,it was here that
 the young man1 in the first dawn of the
 romance of  manhood1 met the beautiful 
girl who was now the wife of the owner  
of  ,foxglove ,manor4 ,she was then     
turned of seventeen1 and had become     
aware  of the first shy longings and    
sweet impulses of her nature4 ,she was  
his favourite pupil1 and sat at his     
right hand at the long table  when he   
gave his lessons4 ,he used her pen and  
pencil1 referred to her  books1 touched 
her hand with his in the ordinary work  
of the lesson4  ,her clothes touched his
 clothes beneath the table4 ,at times   
their  feet met accidentally4 ,she      
regularly put a flower in a glass of    
water  before his place4 ,all these     
trifles were the thrilling incidents of 
a delicious romance which the           
school-girl was making in her flurried  
little heart4 ,he1 too1 was not         
insensible to the trifles which         
affected his passionate pupil4 ,her     

great dark eyes sent electric  flashes  
through him4 ,her breath reached him    
sweeter than roses4 ,her  beautiful dark
 hair rubbed against his shoulder or his
 cheek1 and he  tried to prevent the hot
 blood from flushing into his face4     
,when their  hands touched he could have
 snatched hers and kissed it4    ,ellen 
,derwent was happily not a boarder at   
the establishment1 but  resided with her
 aunt4 ,her family were wealthy country 
people1 and  ,ellen1 who had been ailing
 for a little while1 had been ordered to
 the  sea-side for change of air4 ,early
 in the bright mornings1 and after  the 
day's schooling was over1 ,ellen        
wandered about the sea-shore or  took   
long walks along the cliffs4 ,santley   
met her first by accident1  and after   
that1 though the meetings might still be
 called accidental1  each knew that     
to-morrow and to-morrow and yet again   
to-morrow  the same instinctive         
feeling--call it a divine chance or     
love's  premonition--would bring them   

together4    ,ah6 happy1 radiant days by
 that glad sea and in the wild          
loveliness  of those romantic cliffs6   
,oh1 vision of flushed cheek and shining
 eyes1  and sweet red lips and throbbing
 bosom6 ,oh1 dim heavenly summer dawns1 
when the sea mists were just            
brightening1 and the little birds were  
singing1 and the sea-side town was still
 half asleep1 and only two  lovers were 
walking hand in hand along the green    
brow of the cliffs6  ,oh1 sweet autumn  
twilights which the shining eyes seemed 
to fill with  dark burning lustre6 ,oh1 
kisses1 sweeter than ever pressed by    
woman's  lips before or since6 ,oh1     
thrill of clasped hands and mad         
palpitations  of loving bosoms6    ,the 
swaying corn sounded like the sea as the
 breeze passed over it1  and the-murmur 
broke the vicars reverie4    8,married60
    ,married8 yes1 married6 ,the sweet  
secret could not be kept for ever1  and 
when ,miss ,lilburn1 ,ellen's aunt1     
discovered it1 she at once spoke  to    

,mr4 ,santley4 ,she did not oppose his  
suit--indeed1 she liked him  greatly1   
but love1 after all1 was no mere        
school-girl's dream4 ,was  he in a      
position to make ,ellen his wife8 ,in   
any case1 they must know  about it at   
home4 ,if ,mr4 ,derwent approved1 she   
would be most happy  that ,mr4 ,santley 
should visit her2 but1 in the meantime1 
it was only  prudent that ,ellen should 
discontinue these pleasant rambles4     
,he had never seen ,ellen since1 until  
her face made his heart stand  still in 
the midst of his sermon4    ,the vicar  
rose from the stile with clenched hands 
and set teeth4    8,bitter1 bitter60 he 
said1 raising his face to the sky and   
shaking his  head as though he saw above
 him an invisible face1 and spoke half  
in  exquisite pain1 half in stoical     
endurance4          ,,chapter ,,iii4    
8,,there ,,is ,a ,,change60    ,when    
,edith and ,miss ,santley reached the   
,vicarage1 they went into  the parlour1 
which1 besides having a western         

exposure1 commanded to  a considerable  
distance a view of the high-road along  
which the vicar  had passed4    8,i     
always think this is the pleasantest    
room in the house10 said ,miss          
,santley1 as she drew an armchair into  
the recess of the open window1  and     
,edith seated herself on the couch4     
8,charles prefers an eastern  frontage1 
for the sake of the early morning1 he   
says2 but ,i am always4  busy in the    
morning1 so ,i suppose ,i like the      
afternoon light best1  when ,i have a   
little time to sit and bask40    8,isn't
 it natural1 too10 suggested ,edith1    
8that men should prefer  sunrise and    
women sunset8 ,men are so active and    
sanguine1 and have  so many interests to
 engage their attention1 and            
women--well1 as a  rule--are such       
dreamers6 ,is it not almost             
constitutional80    8,and when did you  
ever see me dreaming1 may ,i ask80      
inquired ,miss  ,santley4    8,oh no2   
you are not one of the dreamers10       

replied ,edith1 quickly4 8,you  should  
have been called ,martha instead of     
,mary40    8,insinuating that ,i am a   
bit of a busybody1 eh80 said ,miss      
,santley1  with a sly twinkle of humour4
    8,you know ,i did not mean to       
insinuate that40    8,or that you had   
yourself chosen the better part1 eh80   
she continued  gaily4    ,edith coloured
 deeply1 and cast her eyes on the floor1
 while an  expression of pain passed    
across her face4    8,nay1 my dear1 do  
not look hurt4 ,you know that was only  
said in jest40    8,you cannot tell how 
such jests hurt me10 replied the girl1  
her lips  beginning to tremble4         
8,even between our two selves80 asked   
,miss ,santley1 taking ,edith's hand    
gently and stroking it with both of     
hers4 8,you know1 my dear little  girl1 
how ,i love you1 and how pleased ,i was 
when ,i discovered the way  in which    
that poor little heart of yours was     
beating4 ,you know that  there is no one
 in the world whom ,i would more        

gladly--ay1 or a  thousandth part so    
gladly--take for a sister4 ,don't you1  
,edith8 ,answer  me1 dear40    8,yes10  
replied the girl1 letting her head hang 
upon her bosom1 and  feeling her face on
 flame4    8,and have ,i not tried to   
help you8 ,i know ,charles is fond of   
you--,i am  sure of that4 ,i have eyes  
in my head1 my dear1 though they are not
 so  young and pretty as yours4 ,and ,i 
know1 too1 that a little while ago  he  
was anxious to know what ,i would say if
 he should propose to take  a wife4 ,i  
shall be only too pleased when he makes 
up his mind4 ,it will  relieve me of a  
great deal of care and anxiety4 ,and he 
could not in  the wide world choose a   
better or a dearer little girl40        
,miss ,santley was not ordinarily of a  
demonstrative disposition1 but as  she  
uttered those last words she drew ,edith
 towards her and kissed her  on the     
forehead4    ,the vicar's sister was    
some twelve years his senior4 ,a stout1 
homely1  motherly little woman1 with    

plain but pleasing features1 brown hair1
  a shrewd but kindly expression1 clear 
grey eyes1 and a firm mouth and  chin1  
she was as unlike the ,vicar in personal
 appearance as she was  unlike him in   
character and temperament4 ,this family 
unlikeness1  however1 had had no        
prejudicial effect on their mutual      
affection1  though in ,miss ,santley's  
case it was the source of much secret   
uneasiness on her brother's account4 ,as
 unimaginative as she was  practical1   
she was at a loss to understand her     
brother's emotional  mysticism and      
dreamy idealism2 but her knowledge of   
human nature made  her timorously aware 
of the dangers which beset the          
combination of a  splendid physique with
 a glowing temperament which was almost 
febrile  in its sensuous impulsiveness4 
,she was spared the torture of sharing  
that darker secret of unbelief2 but she 
was sufficiently conscious of  the      
strong fervid nature of the vicar1 to   
feel thankful that ,edith had  made a   

deep impression on him1 and that when he
 did marry it would be  a bright and    
congenial young creature who would be   
worthy of him and  attached to herself4 
8,so why should it hurt you1 if ,i do   
jest a little80 asked ,miss  ,santley1  
as she kissed ,edith4 8,love cannot     
always be transcendental1  otherwise two
 people will never come closely         
together4 ,the best gift a  couple of   
lovers can possess in common1 is a      
capacity for a little fun  and          
affectionate wit4 ,your solemn lovers   
are always misunderstanding  each other1
 and quarrelling and making it up       
again40    8,but we are not lovers yet1 
,mary10 said ,edith in a timid whisper4 
8,not yet1 perhaps2 but you will be     
soon1 if ,i am capable of forming  any  
opinion40    8,i don't know1 ,i don't   
know10 ,edith replied with a sigh2 and  
her soft  blue eyes filled with tears4  
,then raising her eyes imploringly to   
,miss  ,santley1 and nervously taking   
her hand1 she continued3 8,oh1 ,mary1 do

  not think me too forward and eager and
 unwomanly4 ,do not judge me too        
hardly4 ,i know a girl should not give  
her heart away till she is asked  for   
it4 ,but ,i cannot help it--,i love     
him--,i love him so6 ,i have done  all  
,i could to prevent myself from loving  
him1 but it is no use--oh6  it is no    
use40    ,she burst into a paroxysm of  
passionate sobbing1 and ,miss ,santley1 
without saying a word1 put her arms     
about her and softly caressed her  soft 
flaxen hair4    ,the outburst was       
gradually subdued1 and ,edith1 with a   
hot glowing  face hidden on her friend's
 shoulder1 was too ashamed to change her
  position4    8,do you feel better now1
 dear8 asked ,miss ,santley in a kindly 
voice4    8,oh1 ,mary1 are you not      
ashamed of me--disgusted80    ,miss     
,santley replied in a woman's way with  
another kiss1 and again  fondled the    
girl's head4    ,after a pause of a few 
moments1 she gently raised her face and 
regarded it affectionately4    8,you    

must come upstairs and wash away those  
tell-tales before he  returns4          
,and0--she added a little               
hesitatingly--8will you not trust me    
with the cause of all this trouble80    
8,i am afraid you will laugh at me1     
dear1 it must seem such a foolish  cause
 to you4 ,and ,i know you will say it   
was all simply my fancy40    8,what was 
it80    8,you know1 dear1 where ,i sit  
in church80 ,edith began1 nervously     
playing with the lace on ,miss          
,santley's dress4 8,well1 he always used
  to turn twice or thrice in my         
direction during the sermon4 ,i used  to
 think he did it because he knew ,i was 
there4 ,and he did it this  afternoon4  
,but in the evening he never looked once
 during the whole  time40    ,miss      
,santley began to smile in spite of     
herself4    8,then when he came out of  
the church he saw you and me waiting for
  him--,i saw him give one single sharp 
look--and then he went on as if  he had 
not perceived us4 ,he would not have    

gone away like that1 ,mary1  if ,i had  
not been with you40    8,and is that    
all80 inquired ,mary as ,edith paused4  
8,i think it is quite enough10 the      
latter replied sorrowfully4 8,it  means 
that he is tired of me2 he was          
displeased that ,i was with you2  he did
 not want to speak to me40    8,my dear 
girl1 all this is simply silly fancy2   
you will make your  whole life miserable
 if you imagine things in this way40    
8,i knew you would say that2 but you do 
not understand4 ,i hardly  understand   
myself2 but ,i know what ,i say is true4
 ,you remember old  ,harry ,wilson down 
in the village--he has a wooden leg1 you
 know1 but  when there is going to be a 
bad change of weather1 he says he can   
feel  it in the foot he has lost2 and he
 is always right4 ,i think ,i am like   
him1 dear2 ,i have lost something1 and  
it makes me feel when there is a        
change1 long before the storm breaks40  
8,all this is nothing but nonsense1 my  
little woman60 said ,miss ,santley      

reassuringly4 8,come with me upstairs1  
and let us make ourselves  presentable40
 ,when ,edith had bathed her face1 the  
two came downstairs  again1 but instead 
of returning to the parlour they went   
into the  library4 ,this was specially  
the vicar's room1 and1 more than any    
other1 it indicated the tastes and      
character of its occupant4 ,the  whole  
house1 indeed1 was tinged with the      
mediaeval colouring of  the church1 and 
in all parts of it you came upon        
indications of the  ecclesiastical      
spirit of the owner2 but here the vicar 
had given  fullest expression to his    
fancy1 and the room had as much the     
appearance of an oratory as of a        
library4 ,at one end a small alcove     
jutted out into the plantation1 and the 
windows were filled with  stained glass4
 ,on the walls hung several of          
,raphael's cartoons2 on the  mantelpiece
 stood1 under glass1 a marble group of  
,the ,dead ,christ2  the furniture1     
which was of carved oak1 suggested the  

stalls in  the chancel2 the brass       
gasalier and brackets were of           
ecclesiastical  design2 and1 lastly1 the
 library shelves were solemnly weighted 
with  long rows of theology1 sermons1   
and ,biblical literature in several     
languages4 ,in a separate bookcase1     
which was kept locked1 were  gathered   
together a number of scientific works   
and volumes of modern  speculative      
philosophy4 ,a third bookcase was       
devoted to history1  poetry1 travels1   
and miscellaneous works4 ,the great bulk
 of the  library1 however1 was clerical1
 and the vicar had within arm's reach  a
 fair epitome of all that the good men  
of all ages and many countries  had     
discovered regarding the mystery of the 
world and the relationship  of man4     
,in one corner of the room stood a tall 
richly carved triangular  cupboard of   
black oak1 and it too1 like the bookcase
 of science1 was  kept perpetually      
locked4    ,as ,edith entered the room  
her eyes fell upon it1 and turning to   

her  companion she asked--    8,oh1     
,mary1 have you discovered the skeleton 
yet80    8,no10 replied ,miss ,santley1 
with a laugh4 8,charles is forgetful    
enough  in some things1 but he has never
 yet left the key in that lock4 ,i once 
asked him what it was he concealed so   
carefully1 but he refused  to satisfy my
 curiosity2 so ,i resolved to trust to  
chance and his  carelessness4 ,i have   
waited so long1 however1 that my        
curiosity has at  last been tired out4  
,i don't suppose1 after all1 it is      
anything worth  knowing40    8,and why  
does he always keep this bookcase locked
 too8 ,the books all  look so fresh and 
new1 and they are much more attractive  
than those  dusty old fellows any one   
can look into4 ,i should like to read   
several  of those1 one hears so much    
about them4 ,there is ,darwin1 #8,the   
,descent  of ,man'--,i have read        
articles about that book in the         
magazines1 and ,i  know he believes     
,adam and ,eve were apes in ,paradise or

 something like  that40    8,oh1 my     
dear1 ,charles would never allow you to 
read those books on any  account4 ,they 
are all dreadfully wicked and           
blasphemous4 ,he only  reads them       
himself to refute them and to be able to
 show how false and  dangerous they     
are40    ,edith1 who had approached the 
window1 now suddenly started back1 and a
  bright flush rose to her face4        
8,here is ,mr4 ,santley1 ,mary6 ,how    
pale and wearied he looks60    ,a moment
 or two later the vicar entered the     
library4 ,at the sight of  ,miss ,dove  
he paused for an instant1 and then      
advancing1 held out his  hand to her4   
8,you here1 ,miss ,edith60 he said      
coldly4 8,how are you1 and how is your  
aunt80    ,he did not wait for an       
answer1 but went to his writing-table   
and sat  down4    ,the two women        
exchanged glances of surprise1 and      
,edith's face grew sad  and white4      
8,are you not well1 ,charles80 his      
sister asked1 going up to him and       

looking solicitously into his face4     
8,i am not very well this evening10     
replied the vicar2 8it is the  weather1 
,i think4 ,if ,miss ,edith will excuse  
me1 ,i think ,i will leave  you and lie 
down4 ,i feel tired40    ,he rose again 
abruptly1 and ,edith stood regarding him
 with large1  wistful eyes4 ,he moved   
towards the door1 and then suddenly     
stopped and  turned to her4    8,good   
evening10 he said once more1 holding out
 his hand and speaking  in a cold1      
distant manner4 8,present my compliments
 to your aunt40    8,i hope you will be 
well in the morning10 said ,edith1      
timidly4    8,thanks4 ,yes2 ,i expect ,i
 shall be all right again after a little
  rest40    ,he turned and left her1 and
 ,miss ,santley1 glancing at her        
significantly1 followed him to his room4
    8,he has over-exerted himself       
to-day10 said ,mary a little later1 as  
she  accompanied ,miss ,dove to the     
garden gate4 8,he had a sick call in the
  afternoon1 and was unable to take his 

usual rest4 ,you will excuse my  not    
accompanying you home1 will you not80   
8,oh certainly10 said ,edith4 8,i hope  
it is nothing serious4 ,would you  not  
like to see ,dr4 ,spruce8 ,i can call1  
you know40    8,he says he does not need
 the doctor2 he knows what is the matter
 with  him1 and only requires rest4     
,good night1 dear6 ,i am so sorry ,i    
cannot  go part of the way with you40   
8,do not think of that10 said ,edith1   
shaking hands4 8,it is not late1  and   
you must not leave him40    ,the sunset 
had lowered down to its last red embers1
 but it was still  quite light as ,edith
 turned away from the ,vicarage gate4   
,she proceeded  slowly down the road    
towards the village for a few moments1  
and then  paused and looked back4 ,no   
one was on the road4 ,retracing her     
steps1  she passed the ,vicarage at a   
quick pace1 and took the direction which
  the vicar had taken an hour before4   
,strangely enough1 she stopped at  the  
top of the rising ground where he had   

stopped2 went through the  same gate1   
into the same field1 and1 following the 
same path1 reached  the stile on which  
he had sat4 ,here she sat down1 with the
 great sea  of corn whispering and      
murmuring about her1 and the distant    
landscape  growing-gradually more and   
more indistinct in the bluish vapour of 
the  twilight4 ,alone and hidden from   
observation1 she sat on the step with   
her arms on the cross-bar of the stile  
and her head laid on them1  weeping     
bitterly4    8,i have lost something1   
and it makes1 me feel when there is a   
change60          ,,chapter ,,iv4       
,,george ,,haldane4    ,the low-lying   
landscape had vanished in the twilight1 
and the stars  were twinkling in the    
clear blue sky before ,edith rose1 dried
 her  eyes1 and began to return         
homeward4 ,the moon had risen1 but had  
yet  scarcely freed itself from the tops
 of the dark woods1 through which  it   
shone round and ruddy4 ,as she passed   
the ,vicarage1 she paused and  looked up

 at the windows4 ,she felt prompted to  
steal quietly up to  the door and       
inquire whether ,mr4 ,santley was any   
better1 but a fear  arising from many   
causes held her back4 ,besides1 the     
house was in  darkness1 and every one   
seemed to have retired to rest4         
,since ,edith had been in the habit of  
visiting the ,vicarage1 this was  the   
first occasion on which she had returned
 home alone4 ,unreasonable  as she      
acknowledged the suspicion to be1 she   
could not rid herself  of the belief    
that ,mr4 ,santleys indisposition had   
been1 assumed as an  excuse for avoiding
 her4 ,she strove to convince herself   
that she was  foolishly sensitive and   
jealous1 to hope that the change in the 
vicars  manner was but an illusion of   
her excited fancy1 to feel confident    
that when she saw him to-morrow she     
would recognize how childish she  had   
been4    ,miss ,dove was exceedingly    
fond of music1 and during the week she  
was  accustomed to spend hours alone in 

the church1 giving utterance to her     
thoughts1 and feelings in dreamy        
voluntaries1 which were the fugitive    
inspiration of the moment1 or filling   
the cool1 richly lighted aisles  with   
the impassioned strains of ,mozart1     
,haydn1 and ,mendelssohn4 ,the  sound of
 the organ could be heard at the        
,vicarage1 and ,mr4 ,santley had  been  
in the habit of going into the church1  
and conversing with her  while she      
played4 ,it was with the hope that one  
of his favourite  pieces would again    
bring him to her that1 during the       
afternoon of the  following day1 ,edith 
took her seat at the organ4 ,with       
nervous1 eager  fingers she swept the   
key-board1 and sent her troubled heart  
into  the yearning anguish and clamorous
 impetration of the ,agnus ,dei  of     
,haydn's ,no4 #b4 ,when she had finished
 she rested for a little1 and  glanced  
expectantly down the aisle2 but no      
footstep disturbed  the quiet of the    
place4 ,she then turned to another of   

the vicar's  favourites--a ,gloria of   
,mozart's4 ,the volumes of throbbing    
sound  vibrated through the stained     
windows1 and floated across the bright  
churchyard to the ,vicarage2 but ,ediths
 hope was not realized4 ,she  played    
till she felt wearied1 rather with the  
hopelessness of her task  than with the 
physical exertion2 but the schoolboy who
 blew the organ  for her was exhausted1 
and when she saw how red and hot he     
looked1  she closed the instrument and  
dismissed him4 ,every day that week she 
repeated her experiment1 but her music  
had apparently lost its  magical        
influence4 ,the vicar never came4 ,she  
called thrice to see ,miss  ,santley1   
but each time he was away from home4    
,once she saw him in the  village1 and  
her heart began to beat violently as he 
approached2 but  they were on different 
sides of the street1 and instead of     
crossing  over to her1 as he had always 
done hitherto1 he merely smiled1 raised 
his hat1 and passed on4 ,sunday came    

round at length1 and she looked  forward
 with a sad1 painful wonder to the      
customary visit in the  evening4    ,it 
was a bright1 breezy sabbath morning1   
and the great limes and  sycamores which
 buried ,foxglove ,manor in a wilderness
 of billowy  verdure1 rolled gladsomely 
in the sun1 and filled the world with a 
vast sealike susurrus4 ,on the stone    
terrace which ran along the  front of   
the mansion the master of the ,manor was
 lounging1 with a  cigar in his mouth1  
and a huge deer-hound basking at his    
feet2 while  in the shadow of the room  
his wife stood at an open ,french       
window1  conversing with him4    ,mr4   
,haldane was a tall1 broad-shouldered1  
powerful man of about  forty years of   
age4 ,his face1 especially in repose1   
was by no means  handsome4 ,his grave1  
large1 strongly marked features         
expressed  decision1 daring1 and        
indomitable force4 ,his forehead was    
broad1 and  deeply marked with the      
perpendicular lines of long mental      

labour4 ,the  poise of his head         
suggested a habit of boldly confronting 
an opponent4  ,his short hair and       
closely trimmed beard were touched with 
gray1 and  gave a certain keenness and  
frostiness to his appearance4 ,a grim1  
self-sufficing1 iron-natured man1 one   
would have said1 until one had  looked  
into his bright blue-gray eyes1 which   
lit up his strong1 rugged  face with an 
expression of frankness and dry humour4 
8,my dear ,nell10 he said at length1 in 
answer to the persistent  persuasion of 
his wife1 8do not be cross4 ,there are  
two things in the  world which ,i abhor 
beyond all others3 a damp church and a  
dry  sermon4 ,invite your vicar as often
 as you please4 ,i will do my best to   
entertain him2 but do not press me to   
sit out an interminable farrago  of     
irritating platitudes in a chilly1      
straight-backed pew40    8,i assure you1
 ,george1 you will be charmed with him1 
if you will only  let me prevail on you 
to come40    8,why cannot you           

,christians dispense with incense1 and  
allow smoking  instead--at least during 
the sermon80    ,mrs4 ,haldane made a   
little grimace of horror4    8,you would
 then have whole burnt offerings        
dedicated with a devout and  cheerful   
heart40    8,george1 you are shockingly 
profane6 ,i see it is no use urging you 
any further2 but ,i did think you would 
have put yourself to even some  little  
inconvenience for my sake40    8,for    
your sake1 ,nell60 replied ,mr4         
,haldane1 laughing4 8,why did you not   
say so sooner8 ,you know ,i would do    
anything on those terms4 ,have ,i not   
often told you the married philosopher  
has but one moral law--to do  his wife's
 will in all things40    8,then you will
 accompany me80    8,certainly ,i will40
    8,you are a dear1 good old bear10   
exclaimed ,mrs4 ,haldane1 slipping on   
to the terrace and caressing his head   
with both hands4 8,but you  know you are
 a bear1 and you will try for once to be
 nice and  good-natured1 will you not8  

,and you will not be cold and cynical   
with him because he is ideal and        
enthusiastic8 ,and if you do not        
acknowledge that he is a delightful     
preacher1 and that the dear little      
church is charming----0    8,you will   
not ask me to go again80    8,i was     
going to say that1 but it will be wiser 
to make no promises4  ,you know1 dear1  
you should go to church1 if it were only
 for the sake  of giving a good example2
 and it is my duty to try and persuade  
you  to go4 ,and oh1 ,george1 seriously 
,i do wish you could feel that it drew  
you nearer to ,god2 that where two or   
three are gathered together1 ,he  is in 
the midst of them4 ,now1 do not smile in
 that hard1 derisive  way4 ,i know ,i   
cannot argue with you1 but if ,i cannot 
reply to your  reasoning1 you cannot    
convince my heart4 ,i do believe1 in    
spite of all  logic1 that ,i have a     
heavenly ,father who loves and watches  
over me and  you too1 dear2 and ,i      
should be wretched----0    8,my dear    

little woman10 said ,mr4 ,haldane1      
taking both her hands in one  of his1   
8you have no cause to be wretched4 ,i   
have no wish to deprive  you of your    
belief in a heavenly ,father4 ,with     
women the illusions of  the heart last  
longer than with men2 and perhaps1 in   
these days of  change and innovation1 it
 is as well that women have still a     
creed to  find comfort in4 ,for my part1
 ,i confess ,i hardly understand what it
  is attracts you in your religion4 ,the
 civilized world1 so far as ,i can  see1
 has outgrown the golden age of worship1
 and latria is one of  the lost arts40  
,the presence of the master of ,foxglove
 ,manor created considerable  surprise  
and curiosity among the congregation at 
,st4 ,cuthbert's4  ,though he had lived 
in the neighbourhood for the last twelve
 years1  this was the first time he had 
been seen inside a church4 ,much more   
attention was paid during the service to
 the beautiful lady of the  ,manor1 and 
the grim1 powerful man who sat beside   

her1 than was in  keeping with the      
sacred character of the occasion4 ,mr4  
,haldane1 on his  part1 though he did   
his best by imitating the example of his
 wife to  conform to the ritual1 was    
keenly critical of the whole service4   
,the  dim religious light of the painted
 windows pleased his eye1 but failed  to
 exercise any influence on his feelings4
 ,the decorations of the  church seemed 
to him insincere and artificial4 ,he    
missed in the  atmosphere that sense of 
reverence which he had experienced in   
the old  cathedrals in ,spain and       
,italy4 ,the ceremonies appeared dry1   
joyless1  and uninteresting1 and as he  
watched the congregation bowing1        
kneeling1 praying1 singing1 pageants of 
the jubilant mythic worship of  the     
ancient world crowded upon his          
imagination4    8,what are you thinking 
of80 his wife once whispered1 as she    
caught a  sidelong glance at his        
abstracted face4    8,diana at          
,ephesus60 he replied1 with a curious   

twinkle in his keen  gray eyes4    ,once
 or twice during the sermon a saturnine 
smile passed across  his face1 and ,mrs4
 ,haldane pressed his foot by way of    
warning2 but  otherwise he listened     
gravely throughout1 with his large1     
strongly  marked features turned to the 
preacher4    8,well1 have you been      
interested1 dear80 asked ,mrs4 ,haldane1
 when the  service was over1 and they   
were waiting in the churchyard for the  
vicar4    8,yes10 he replied drily2     
8your vicar is interesting40    8,now1  
what do you mean by that80    8,he will 
repay study1 my dear40    ,mrs4 ,haldane
 looked sharply into her husband's face1
 but was  dissatisfied with her         
scrutiny4    8,you don't like him80     
8,i have no reason yet to like or       
dislike him4 ,in a general way1 ,i      
should prefer to say that ,i do like    
him40    8,but what do you mean by your 
remark that he will repay study80       
8,perhaps you will not understand me10  
he answered thoughtfully4 8,your  vicar 

has a soul1 ,nell40    8,so have we all1
 ,i suppose40    8,at least he believes 
he has one10 said ,mr4 ,haldane1 with a 
slight  shrug of his shoulders4         
8,well60    8,and he is trying to save  
it40    8,we all are1 ,i hope40    8,i  
beg your pardon1 ,nell2 the phenomenon  
in these days is a  psychological       
rarity1 and1 being rare1 is naturally   
interesting4 ,it  is one of the obscure 
problems of cerebration4 ,ah6 here comes
 your  vicar40    ,with a bright smile  
,mrs4 ,haldane advanced to meet him1 and
 cordially  shook hands with him4 8,you 
must allow me to introduce you to my    
husband4 ,george1 ,mr4 ,santley40       
8,my wife tells me10 said ,mr4 ,haldane1
 as they shook hands1 8that she  was an 
old pupil of yours40    8,yes10 said the
 vicar1 with an uneasy glance towards   
her1 8many years  ago40    8,it is a    
little curious10 continued ,mr4         
,haldane1 8how people lose  sight of    
each other for years1 and then are      
unexpectedly thrown  together into the  

same small social circle1 after they    
have quite  forgotten each others       
existence40    ,the vicar winced at the 
last words1 but replied with a faint    
smile1  8,the great world is1 after all1
 a very little world40    8,ah1 my dear 
sir1 ,i see ,i have started a familiar  
train of  thought--the littleness of the
 world10 said ,mr4 ,haldane1 with a dry 
light in his eyes4    8,and you fear ,i 
may improve the occasion80 asked the    
vicar a little  coldly4    8,pray do not
 misunderstand my husband10 interposed  
,mrs4 ,haldane4 8,he  was delighted with
 your sermon to-day2 and ,i do not      
wonder1 for you  have the power of      
appealing to the heart and raising the  
mind beyond  earthly things4 ,it was    
only a few moments ago that he told me  
he was  deeply interested40    8,i      
perceived that he was amused once or    
twice10 replied the vicar1  with a      
smile4    8,i confess that ,i may have  
smiled at one or two points in your     
discourse40    8,excuse my interrupting 

you10 said ,mrs4 ,haldane2 8will you not
 walk8  ,you can spare time to accompany
 us a little way80    ,mr4 ,santley     
bowed1 and ,mrs4 ,haldane signed to the 
coachman to drive on  slowly towards the
 village4    8,for example10 resumed    
,mr4 ,haldane1 8,i see you still stick  
to the old  chronology and the mythic   
,eden40    8,certainly ,i do40    8,and 
yet you should be aware that at least a 
thousand years before the  date you fix 
for the creation of ,adam1 tribes of    
savage hunters and  fishers peopled the 
old fir-woods of ,denmark1 and set their
 nets in  the ,german ,ocean40    8,it  
may eventually prove necessary to revise
 the chronology of the  ,bible10 replied
 the vicar2 8but there is at present too
 much conflict  of opinion among your   
archaeologists to decide on the absolute
 age of  these tribes4 ,after all1 the  
question is one of minor importance40   
8,granted4 ,but you cannot say the same 
of the efficacy of prayer40    ,mrs4    
,haldane laid her hand on her husband's 

arm1 and stopped abruptly4  8,ask ,mr4  
,santley to dinner1 ,george1 and then   
you can discuss as long  and as         
profoundly as you like2 but ,i will not 
allow you to argue now4  ,besides1 ,i   
want to talk to ,mr4 ,santley40    ,mr4 
,haldane laughed good-naturedly4 8,just 
as you please1 my dear4 ,if  ,mr4       
,santley will favour us with his        
company1 ,i shall be very glad4  ,your  
predecessor was a frequent visitor at   
our house4 ,a jovial1  rubicund fellow1 
whose troubles in this life were less of
 the world  and the devil than of the   
flesh6 ,a fat1 ponderous man and a      
,tory1 as  all fat men are2 a sort of   
,falstaff in pontificalibus2 a man with 
a  wit and a shrewd palate for old port4
 ,poor fellow6 he was snuffed out  like 
a candle4 ,one could have better spared 
a better man40    8,will you come       
to-morrow80 asked ,mrs4 ,haldane2 8and1 
if your sister  can accompany you1 will 
you bring her8 ,you will excuse our     
informality  and so short a notice40    

8,i shall be very happy to call         
tomorrow40    8,then1 if you can spare  
me a few moments ,i will have a better  
opportunity of speaking to you4 ,i must 
learn all about the parish1  and ,i have
 a whole catechism of questions to ask  
you4 ,you will come  to-morrow1 then80  
she concluded1 with one of those        
flashing looks from  her great dark     
eyes4    ,he watched them drive away    
with that look burning in his brain and 
the pressure of her hand tingling       
through every nerve4 ,he stood gazing   
after her with a passionate light in his
 eyes and an eager1 yearning  expression
 on his pale1 agitated face4 ,this was  
the woman he had  lost1 and now they    
were again thrown together in the same  
small social  circle1 after she had     
completely forgotten his existence6     
,those words  of her husband had cut him
 to the quick4 ,could she so soon1 so   
easily1  so completely have forgotten   
him8 ,it seemed incredible4 ,if she  had
 used any such expression to her        

husband1 was it not rather to  forestall
 any jealous suspicion on his part8     
,clearly she had not  divulged the      
secret of those schoolgirl days4 ,he    
knew not the  story of that sweet1      
imperishable romance2 those burning     
kisses and  unforgotten vows had been   
hidden from him2 and in that concealment
  the vicar found a strange1 subtle     
pleasure4 ,it was at least one tie      
between him and her2 one secret in      
common in which her husband had no      
share4          ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the     
,,lamb ,,and ,,the ,,shepherd4    ,the  
vicar was standing close beside the     
village school1 and as he  turned to go 
back home he saw the schoolmistress in  
the doorway of  her little cottage4 ,he 
started as though she had been looking  
into his  heart1 instead of watching the
 carriage as it bowled along towards    
the village4 ,without a moment's        
hesitation1 however1 he opened the      
schoolyard gate and went up to her4     
8,well1 ,miss ,greatheart1 how are you  

to-day80    ,dora1 a bright1            
merry-looking woman of about thirty1    
dropped a curtsy1  and invited the vicar
 into the house4    8,thank you1 no2 ,i 
must not stay4 ,i have just been        
speaking1 as you  have seen1 to my new  
parishioners4 ,i call them new1 though  
,i suppose  they are older in the parish
 than ,i am myself40    8,old as they   
are1 this is the first time ,i ever set 
eyes on ,mr4  ,haldane in our church1   
sir4 ,his pretty wife must have         
converted him40    8,then they have not 
been long married80    8,somewhere about
 two years1 ,i should think4 ,all last  
year they were  away in ,egypt and      
,palestine2 and perhaps now that he's   
seen the ,land1  he believes in the     
,book40    8,indeed60    8,seeing's     
believing1 you know1 sir2 and if all    
tales be true1 he used  not to believe  
in anything from the roof upward4 ,oh1  
you may well look  shocked1 sir1 but he 
was quite an atheist and an infidel2 but
 you see  he was so rich that the gentry

 round about didn't care to give him    
the go-by4 ,i suppose you haven't been  
to the ,manor yet1 sir8 ,the old  vicar1
 ,mr4 ,hart1 was always there4 ,people  
did say he paid more court  to the      
people at the ,manor than he should have
 done1 considering the  need for him in 
the parish2 and when ,mr4 ,hart got his 
second stroke1  there were those that   
said it was a judgment on him for high  
living1  and the company he kept4 ,but  
you know1 sir1 how folks' tongues will  
wag40    8,is the ,manor far from here8 
,of course ,i have heard of the place1  
but  ,i have never been near it40       
8,it's about four miles1 sir1 and a     
lonely place it is1 and dismal it  must 
be in winter1 with miles of wood about  
it4 ,in summer it is not  so bad1 but it
 is awfully wild and solitary4 ,i went  
over the grounds  once1 years ago4 ,i   
became acquainted with one of the       
housemaids1 you  see1 sir--quite a nice 
young person--and she invited me to tea4
 ,i  remember it was getting dusk when  

,i left1 and she took me through the    
woods4 ,dear me1 what a fright ,i got6  
,i happened to look up1 and there  was a
 man1 quite a giant1 standing among the 
trees4 ,i screamed1 and  would have run 
had not ,jane--that was the maid1       
sir--laughed1 and said  it was only a   
statue4 ,and so it was1 for we went     
right up to it4 ,all  the woods are full
 of statues--quite improper and rude1   
and rather  frightening to meet in the  
dusk4 ,but now he is converted1 ,mrs4   
,haldane  will have them all taken away1
 ,i should think4 ,i don't believe the  
place is haunted1 though there are some 
strange stories told about  it2 but ,i  
do know that the chapel--there is an old
 chapel close by  the house--is shut up1
 and no one goes near it but ,mr4       
,haldane and  his valet--a dark foreign 
person1 with such eyes6 ,queer tales are
 told  about lights being seen in it at 
all hours of the night1 and some of  the
 old folk believe that if any one could 
look in they would see that  the foreign

 valet had horns and a cloven foot1 and 
that his master was  worshipping him4 ,i
 think that's all nonsense myself2 but  
there's no  doubt ,mr4 ,haldane used to 
be dreadfully wicked1 and an atheist40  
8,if he was so very bad10 said the      
vicar1 smiling1 8surely it was  strange 
that ,mr4 ,hart used to associate with  
him so much40    8,well1 you see1 sir1  
he was always liberal1 and kept a good  
table1 and  ,mr4 ,hart was a cheerful   
liver4 ,then ,mr4 ,haldane was always   
ready with  his purse when there was a  
hard winter1 or the crops were bad1 or  
any  poor person was ill40    8,i see1  
,i see10 said the vicar4    8,but his   
charity could not do him any good1      
people said1 when he  didn't believe    
there was a ,god1 or that he had a      
soul40    8,so they didn't consider it  
worth while to be thankful80    8,i     
don't think they did1 sir40    8,and was
 ,mrs4 ,haldane staying at the ,manor   
the first year of their  marriage80     
8,yes2 he brought her back with him     

after the honeymoon40    8,and do they  
speak as kindly of her in the village as
 they do of her  husband80    8,oh1     
indeed1 sir1 they worship her4 ,even old
 ,mother ,grimsoll1 who said  she wanted
 to make a charity woman of her when you
 bought her that  scarlet cloak last    
winter1 has a good word for ,mrs4       
,haldane4 ,she isn't  the least bit     
conceited1 and she knows that poor      
people have their  proper pride2 and    
when she helps any one she makes them   
feel that they  are doing her a favour4 
,when ,mr4 ,hart was alive she used to  
go round  with him1 devising and        
dispensing charities4 ,it's only a pity 
she is  married to--to--8--and ,miss    
,greatheart beat impatiently on the     
ground  with her foot in the effort to  
recall the word--8to an agnostic4 ,mr4  
,hart said he wasn't an atheist1 but an 
agnostic1 though ,i dare say if  the    
truth were known one is worse than the  
other40    8,you are not very           
charitable1 ,miss ,greatheart2 come1    

now1 confess10   said the vicar1        
good-humouredly4    8,perhaps not1 sir2 
but ,i have no patience with atheists   
and  agnostics40    8,an atheist10      
continued the vicar1 8is a person who   
does not believe  in a ,god2 an agnostic
 is one who merely says he does not know
 whether  there is a ,god or not40      
8,doesn't know60 exclaimed ,dora1       
indignantly4 8,wherever was the man     
brought up80    ,that evening1 as ,miss 
,santley and ,edith went across from the
 church to  the ,vicarage together1 the 
vicar joined them1 and ,miss ,dove      
remained  to supper as usual4 ,the time 
passed pleasantly enough2 but ,edith    
was conscious of a certain restraint1 in
 the conversation1 a curious  chilliness
 in the atmosphere4 ,when at length she 
rose to go home1 the  vicar went to the 
window1 and looked out for a few        
seconds4    8,i think1 ,mary1 you might 
accompany us2 and when we have seen     
,miss  ,edith home1 we could take a turn
 round together4 ,it is a beautiful     

night40    ,mary nodded assent1 and     
,edith felt her heart sink within her4  
,she was  certain now that he was       
avoiding her4 ,as she followed ,miss    
,santley  upstairs to put on her things1
 a sudden thought flashed upon her4     
8,i shall be with you in a moment1      
,mary10 she said2 8,i have dropped my   
handkerchief1 ,i think40    ,she ran    
back to the parlour1 and met the vicar  
face to face as he  paced the room4     
,she stood still1 and looked at him     
silently for a moment4 ,she had  taken  
him by surprise1 and he too stood       
motionless4    8,well10 he said at last1
 with a faint smile4    8,do you hate   
me1 ,charles80 she asked in a low1      
steady voice4    8,hate you6 ,why should
 ,i hate you1 my dear ,edith8 ,what     
should put such  thoughts----0    8,i   
have only a few seconds to speak to     
you10 ,miss ,dove continued  hastily4   
8,answer me truly and directly4 ,you do 
not hate me80    8,i shall never hate   
you1 dear40    8#8,why do you avoid me80

    8,have ,i avoided you80    8,you    
know you have4 ,why80    8,i have not   
avoided you1 ,edith40    8,do you still 
love me80    8,you know ,i do40    8,as 
much as ever you did80    8,as much as  
ever40    8,can ,i see you              
to-morrow--alone80    8,you know ,i am  
going to the ,manor40    8,i know10 said
 ,edith1 with a slight tone of          
bitterness4 8,you will  return in the   
evening1 ,i suppose8 ,i shall wait for  
you on the road  till nine o'clock40    
8,i may be detained1 you know1 ,edith40 
8,then ,i shall be practising in the    
church on ,tuesday afternoon as  usual40
    8,very well10 he assented4    8,am  
,i still to trust you1 ,charles80 she   
asked1 raising her soft blue  eyes      
earnestly to his face4    8,yes40       
8,yes80 ,she dwelt upon the word1 still 
looking fondly up to him4 ,he           
understood her1 and bent over and kissed
 her4    8,you will try to return home  
tomorrow before nine8 ,i have been      
miserable all this week1 and ,i have so 

much to say to you40    8,i will try to 
see you10 said the vicar4    8,i must   
run now2 ,mary will wonder what has kept
 me40    ,the great woods about         
,foxglove ,manor were certainly lovely1 
and in the  winter1 with the snow on    
their black branches1 and snow on the   
fallen  leaves and the open spaces      
between the clumps of forestry1 the     
place  might have seemed dreary and     
dismal2 but on this ,july afternoon the 
vicar experienced an indescribable sense
 of buoyancy and enlargement  among     
these vast tossing masses of foliage4   
,their incessant murmur  filled the air 
with an inarticulate music1 which       
recalled to his  memory the singing     
pines of ,theocritus and the voices of  
the firs of  the ,hebrew prophets4 ,a   
spirit of romance for ever haunts the   
woodland1  as though the olden          
traditions of dryad and sylvan maiden   
had not yet  been wholly superseded by  
the more accurate report of science4 ,in
 the  skirts of the great clusters of   

timber1 cattle were grazing in groups   
of white and red2 in the open spaces of 
pasture land between wood and  wood1    
deer were visible among the patches of  
bracken4 ,in the depths of  the forest  
ways he came upon the colossal statues  
copied from the  old masters2 and at    
length1 at a turn of the shadowy road1  
he found  himself in view of the        
mansion--an ancient1 square mass of     
brown  sandstone1 stained with weather  
and incrustations of moss and lichens1  
and covered all along the southern      
exposure with a dense growth of  ivy4   
,the grounds immediately in front were  
laid out in formal plots  for flowers   
and breadths of turf traversed by       
gravelled pathways4 ,a  little withdrawn
 from the house stood the ruined chapel 
of which the  schoolmistress had spoken4
 ,the ivy had invaded it1 and scaled    
every  wall to the very eaves1 while    
patches of stonecrop and houseleek1     
which had established themselves on the 
slated roof1 gave it a  singular aspect 

of complete abandonment4    ,as ,mr4    
,santley entered one of the walks which 
led to the terraced  entrance1 ,mrs4    
,haldane1 who had observed his approach1
 appeared on the  stone steps1 and      
descended to meet him4    8,how good of 
you to come so early60 she exclaimed4   
8,george will be  delighted4 ,he is in  
his laboratory1 experimenting as usual4 
,we shall  join him1 after you have had 
some refreshment40    8,no refreshment  
for me1 thank you40    8,are you quite  
sure8 ,you must require something after 
so long a walk40    8,nothing really1 ,i
 assure you40    8,well1 ,i shall not   
press you1 as we shall have dinner soon4
 ,shall  we go to ,mr4 ,haldane8 ,have  
you visited the ,manor before--not in   
our  absence8 ,how do you like it80     
8,i envy you your magnificent woods4    
8,yes2 are they not charming8 ,and you  
will like the house1 too1 when  you have
 seen it40    8,do you not find it dull1
 however80 asked the vicar1 looking into
 her  face with an expression of keen   

scrutiny4 8,you are still young--in the 
blossom of your youth--and society must 
still have its attractions for  you40   
8,one enjoys society all the more after 
a little seclusion40    8,no doubt40    
8,and we have just returned1 you must   
recollect1 from a whole year of         
wandering and sight-seeing1 so that it  
is a positive relief to awaken  morning 
after morning and find the same peaceful
 landscape1 the same  quiet woods about 
one40    8,that is very natural2 but the
 heart does not long remain content with
  the unchanging face of nature1 however
 beautiful it may be4 ,even the  best   
and strongest require sympathy1 and when
 once we become conscious  of that      
want----0    8,have you begun to feel   
it80 she asked suddenly1 as he paused4  
8,i suppose it is the inevitable        
experience of a clergyman in a country  
parish10 he replied1 with a smile4      
8,yes1 ,i suppose it is4 ,so few can    
take an interest in your tastes1  and   
aspirations1 and intellectual pleasures1

 and pursuits4 ,is not that  so80       
8,it may seem vanity to think so40      
8,oh no2 ,i think not4 ,the people you  
meet every day are mostly  concerned in 
their turnips or the wheat or their     
cattle1 and their  talk is the merest   
village gossip4 ,it must indeed be very 
depressing  to listen day after day to  
nothing but that4 ,one has1 of course1 a
  refuge in books40    8,but books are  
not life4 ,the daydreams of the library 
are a poor  substitute for the real     
action of a mans own heart and brain40  
8,then one has also the great fields of 
natural science to explore4  ,i think   
you will find the work of my husband    
interesting1 and if you  could turn your
 mind in the same direction1 you would  
find in him  inexhaustible sympathy40   
,as she spoke1 they reached the         
low-arched portal of the chapel4 ,the   
thick oaken door1 studded with big iron 
nails1 was open1 and before  them stood 
a man who bowed profoundly to ,mrs4     
,haldane1 and then darted  a swift1     

penetrating glance at the vicar4        
8,mr4 ,haldane is within1 ,baptisto80   
she asked4    8,yes1 senora40    ,he    
stood aside to allow them to pass1 and  
as ,mr4 ,santley entered he  regarded   
the man with an eye which photographed  
every feature of his  dark ,spanish     
face4 ,it was a face which1 once seen1  
stamped itself in  haunting lineaments  
on the memory4 ,a dusky olive           
complexion2 a fierce1  handsome mouth   
and chin2 a broad1 intelligent forehead2
 short1 crisp  black hair sprinkled with
 grey2 a thin1 black moustache1 twisted 
and  pointed at the ends2 and a pair of 
big1 black1 unfathomable eyes1  filled  
with liquid fire4 ,it was the man's eyes
 that arrested the  attention first1    
gave character not only to the face but 
to the man  himself1 and indeed served  
to identify him4 ,in the village1 8the  
foreign gentleman with the eyes0 was the
 popular and sufficient  description of 
,baptisto4          ,,chapter ,,vi4     
,,the ,,unknown ,,god4    ,as the vicar 

entered the chapel1 he stopped short1   
struck with  astonishment at the        
singular appearance of the interior4    
,the sunlight streaming through the     
leaded diamond panes of the  casements1 
instead of falling on the familiar pews1
 flagged nave1  and solemn walls1 shone 
with a startling effect on the          
heterogeneous  contents of a museum and 
laboratory4 ,along one side of the      
building  were ranged several glass     
cases containing collections of fossils1
  arctic and tropical shells1 antique   
implements of flint1 stone1 and  bronze1
 and geological specimens4 ,the walls   
were decorated with savage              
curiosities--shields of skin1 carved    
clubs and paddles1 spears and  arrows   
tipped with flint or fishbone1 mats of  
grass1 strings of  wampum1 and dresses  
of skins and feathers4 ,on a couple of  
small  shelves grinned two rows of      
hideous crania1 gathered as ethnic types
  from all quarters of the barbarian    
world1 and beside them lay a  plaster   

cast of a famous paleolithic skull4 ,on 
the various stands  and tables in       
different parts of the room were retorts
 and crucibles1  curious tubes1 glasses 
and flasks1 electric jars and batteries1
  balances1 microscopes1 prisms1 strange
 instruments of brass and glass1  and a 
bewildering litter of odds and ends1 for
 which only a student  of science could 
find a name or a use4 ,at the further   
end of the room1  under the coloured    
east window1 stood an escritoire covered
 with a  confused mass of paper1 and    
beside it stood a small table piled with
  books4    ,as ,mrs4 ,haldane and the  
vicar entered1 the master of ,foxglove  
,manor1  who had been writing1 rose1    
laid down his pipe1 buttoned his old    
velvet shooting-jacket1 and hastened    
forward to welcome his visitor4         
,baptisto gravely set a couple of       
chairs1 and1 at a sign from his  master1
 bowed profoundly1 and retired to the   
further end of the  apartment4    8,do  
you smoke1 ,mr4 ,santley80 ,mr4 ,haldane

 asked1 glancing at a box of  new clay  
pipes4    8,no1 thank you2 but ,i do not
 dislike the smell of tobacco4 ,i find1 
however1 that smoking disagrees with    
me--irritates instead of  soothing1 as  
professors of the weed tell me it should
 do40    8,touches the solar plexus1 eh8
 ,then beware of it6 ,the value of  the 
solar system is often determined by the 
condition of the solar  plexus40        
8,that does seem to be frequently the   
case10 replied ,mr4 ,santley1  smiling4 
8,invariably1 my dear sir1 as the       
ancients were well aware when they      
formulated that comprehensive1 but      
little comprehended1 proverb of  the    
sound mind in the sound body4 ,it is    
curious how frequently modern  science  
finds herself demonstrating the truth of
 the guesses of the  old philosophers60 
8,i perceive you are devoted to         
science10 said ,mr4 ,santley1 waving his
  hand towards the evidences of his     
host's taste4    8,oh yes1 he is        
perpetually experimenting in some       

direction or other10   said ,mrs4       
,haldane1 with a laugh4 8,i believe he  
and ,baptisto would  pass the night     
here1 boiling germs or mounting all     
manner of invisible  little monsters for
 the microscope1 if ,i allowed them4    
,you must know1  ,mr4 ,santley1 that    
,mr4 ,haldane is writing a magnum       
opus--#8,the  ,history of ,morals1' ,i  
believe1 is to be the title--and what   
with his  experiments and his chapters1 
he can scarcely find time to dine40     
8,you have been happy in your subject10 
said the vicar1 turning to the  master  
of the ,manor4 8,the history of morals  
must be an enthralling  book4 ,i can    
scarcely imagine any subject affording  
larger scope  for literary genius than  
this of the development of that divine  
law  written on the heart of ,adam4 ,why
 do you smile1 may ,i ask80    8,pardon 
me2 ,i was not conscious that ,i did    
smile1 except mentally4 ,you  will      
excuse me1 however1 if ,i frankly say   
that ,i was smiling at your  conception 

of the genesis of morality4 ,what you   
term the divine law  written on the     
heart of ,adam represents to me a very  
advanced stage in  the development of   
the moral sense4 ,we must begin far     
beyond ,adam1  my dear sir1 if we would 
arrive at a philosophic appreciation of 
the subject4 ,we must explore as far as 
possible into that misty and  enigmatic 
period which precedes historical record2
 approach as nearly  as may be to the   
time when in the savage1 possibly       
semi-simian1 brain  of the earliest of  
our predecessors experience had begun to
 reiterate  her proofs that what was    
good was to his personal advantage1 and 
that  what was bad entailed loss and    
suffering4 ,it has hitherto been the    
habit to believe that the ,decalogue was
 revealed from ,sinai in thunder  and   
lightning and clouds of darkness4 ,as a 
dramatic image or allegory  only should 
that be accepted4 ,clouds of darkness do
 indeed surround  the genesis of the    
moral in man1 and the law has been      

revealed by the  deadly lightnings of   
disease and war and famine and misery1  
through  unknown and innumerable        
generations4 ,no divine law was written 
on the  heart of the first man1 or      
society would not be where it is to-day4
  ,no2 unhappily1 one might say1        
morality has been like everything else  
human--like everything else1 human or   
not1--like the coloured flower  to the  
plant1 the gay plumage to the bird1 a   
dearly bought conquest1 a  painfully    
laboured evolution40    ,once or twice  
during ,mr4 ,haldane's remarks1 the     
vicar had raised his  hand in           
disclaimer1 but waited till he had      
finished before speaking4    8,i was    
about to protest10 he now said1 8against
 several of your  expressions1 but ,i   
fear controversy is of little good when 
the  disputants argue from different    
premises4 ,i perceive that you have     
accepted a theory of life which         
completely shuts out ,god from ,his     
creation40    8,pardon me2 like the old 

,greek1 ,i can still raise an altar to  
the  unknown ,god40    8,to a cold1     
remote1 indifferent abstraction1 then10 
replied ,mr4  ,santley1 impulsively2 8to
 a ,god unknowing as unknown--a vague1  
unrealizable1 impersonal ,power40       
8,impersonal1 ,i grant you1 and         
therefore more logical1 even according  
to human reason1 than the huge1         
passionate anthropomorphism of ,jew and 
,christian4 ,consciousness and          
personality imply the notion of limits  
and  conditions2 and which is the       
grander idea--a limited1 conditioned    
,power1 however great1 or1 an absolute  
transcendent ,godhead1 free from  all   
the limits which govern our finite      
being8 ,god cannot be conscious  as we  
understand consciousness1 nor personal  
as we understand  personality-,if ,he   
were1 then indeed we might well believe 
that we were  made after ,his image and 
likeness40    8,and can you find comfort
 in such a creed8 ,can you turn for     
strength1  or grace1 or consolation to  

such a power as you describe80    8,why 
should ,i80 asked ,mr4 ,haldane1        
smiling4 8,if ,i need any of these      
things1 my need is the result of some   
law violated or unobserved4 ,the  world 
is ruled by law1 and every breach of law
 entails an inescapable  penalty4 ,if ,i
 suffer ,i must endure40    8,that is   
cold comfort for all the sum of misery  
in the world40    8,it is the only true 
comfort4 ,the rest is delusion4 ,preach 
that every  violated law avenges itself1
 not in some half mythical hell at the  
close of a life that seems              
illimitable--for men never do realize   
that  they will one day die--but avenges
 itself here and now2 preach that no    
crucified ,redeemer can interfere       
between the violator of the law and  its
 penalty2 preach that if men sin they   
will infallibly suffer1 and  you will   
really do something to regenerate       
mankind4 ,christianity1 with  its       
doctrines of atonement and vicarious    
suffering and redemption1 has  done as  

much to fill the world with vice1 crime1
 and disease as the  most degraded1     
creed of pagan or savage4 ,the groaning 
and travail of  creation are clamant    
proofs that vicarious suffering and     
redemption  are the veriest dreams40    
8,either purposely or inadvertently you 
mix up the physical and the  moral law10
 interposed the vicar4    8,the physical
 and the moral are but one law1 articles
 of the one  universal code of nature40 
8,true10 said the vicar4 8,i forgot that
 you denied man his immortal  soul1 as  
you deny him his divine sonship4 ,and so
 you are content to  believe that man is
 born to live1 labour1 suffer1 and      
perish40    8,concede that ,god is      
content that such should be man's       
destiny10   replied ,mr4 ,haldane1 8what
 then80    8,what then80 echoed the     
vicar1 rising from his chair with       
flashing  eyes and agitated face2 8why1 
then life is a fiendish mockery60       
,mr4 ,haldane's face wore a grim smile  
as he heard the bitter emphasis  of the 

vicar's reply4    8,ah1 my worthy       
friend10 he said1 8you illustrate how   
necessary it is  that when one has his  
hand full of truth he should only open  
it one  finger at a time4 ,if you revolt
 thus angrily against the new gospel1   
what can be expected from the ignorant  
and the vicious8 ,the meaning  and      
purpose of life does not depend on      
whether the individual man  shall perish
 or shall be immortal4 ,if perish he    
must1 he may at least  perish           
heroically4 ,annihilation or immortality
 does not affect the  validity of       
religion1 whose paramount aim is not to 
prepare for  another world1 but to make 
the best of this--to realize its ideal  
greatness and nobility4 ,if life should 
suddenly appear a mockery1  contrast the
 present with that remote past of the   
naked savage of the  stone age1 or the  
brutal condition of his more remote     
sylvan ancestor1  learning to walk erect
 and to articulate2 and then summon up a
  vision of the possible future1 when   

superstition shall have ceased to       
embitter man's life1 when a knowledge of
 natural law shall have made  men       
virtuous1 when disease shall have       
vanished from the world1 and  the       
nations shall1 in a golden age of peace 
and perfected arts1 have  learnt the    
method of a patriarchal longevity4      
,millions of individuals  have wept and 
toiled and perished to secure for us the
 present2 we  and millions shall weep   
and toil and perish to secure the future
 for  them40    8,and that you take to  
be the significance of life1 the        
progress of the  race80    8,and is not 
that at least as noble a significance as
 a heaven peopled  with the penitent    
thief1 the drunkard1 the gallow's-bird1 
the  harlot1 the thousand bestial types 
of humanity redeemed by vicarious       
agony--the thousand brutes of           
civilization who1 in this age1 are  not 
fit for life even on this earth1 to say 
nothing of an enlarged  immortality80   
8,but with ever-rising grades of        

immortality before them1 even those     
bestial types might ascend to a perfect 
manhood1 and shall they  perish80       
8,have they not been ascending ever     
since the ,miocene80 asked ,mr4         
,haldane1 with a scornful laugh4        
8,however1 it is little use discussing  
the matter4 ,as you have said1 we cannot
 agree upon first principles4  ,let me  
show you1 instead1 some of my           
curiosities4 ,did you ever see the      
,mentone skull8 ,here is a plaster cast 
of it40    8,and do you accept this dark
 and comfortless creed of your husband80
   asked ,mr4 ,santley1 turning to ,mrs4
 ,haldane as he took the cast in his    
hand4    8,oh no10 she replied1 raising 
her soft dark eyes to him earnestly2    
8the progress of humanity does not      
satisfy me as an explanation of  the    
enigma of life in man or woman4 ,i      
cannot abandon my old faith and  trust  
in the ,god-,man for an unknown power   
who does not care for my  suffering and 
cannot hear my prayers4 ,what to me can 

such a god be8  ,and what can life be   
but a mockery if my soul1 with its      
yearnings  and aspirations and ideals1  
ceases to exist after death--has no     
other world but this1 in which ,i know  
its infinite wants can never be         
satisfied80    ,the vicar's face        
brightened1 and his heart beat with a   
strange1  impulsive ardour as he        
listened to her4 ,why had this woman1   
whose  enthusiasm and sympathy might    
have enabled him to realize his own high
  ideal of the spiritual1 been denied   
him8 ,what evil destiny had bound  her  
for ever to a man whose paralyzing creed
 must make a perpetual  division between
 them--a man who could look into her    
sweet face and  yet think of her as     
merely a beautiful animal2 who could    
fold her in  his arms1 and yet          
tranquilly accept the teaching that at  
death that  pure1 radiant soul of hers  
would be for ever extinguished8 ,these  
thoughts and feelings went through the  
vicars consciousness swiftly as         

sunshine and shadow over a landscape4   
,his eyes dropped on the plaster cast in
 his hand4    8,this is very old80 he   
asked musingly4    8,one of the oldest  
skulls in the world10 replied ,mr4      
,haldane4 8,it was  discovered by ,dr4  
,rivire in a cave at ,mentone1 in a     
cliff overlooking  the sea4 ,the man    
belonged to the ancient stone age1 and  
was  contemporary with the mammoth and  
woolly rhinoceros of the                
,post-pliocene4 ,the cave was a place of
 burial1 and on the head of the         
skeleton was a thickly plaited network  
of sea-shells1 with a fringe  of deers' 
teeth around the edge2 the limbs were   
adorned with bracelets  and anklets of  
shells also2 and in front of the face   
was placed a  little oxide of iron1 used
 as war-paint1 no doubt40    8,even in  
the ,post-pliocene1 then10 said the     
vicar1 8it would appear  that man       
believed in a hereafter40    8,ah1 yes2 
it is an antique superstition1 and even 
yet we have not  outgrown it-,human     

progress is slow40    8,and this face   
was raised to the blue sky ages ago1    
looking for ,god60    ,mr4 ,haldane     
shrugged his shoulders1 and smiled      
grimly4    8,how is it possible that    
you1 who-must share the weaknesses and  
sorrows of the human heart1 can so      
stoically accept the horrible  prospect 
of annihilation80 asked the vicar1 half 
angrily4    8,i accept truths4 ,do you  
imagine ,i prefer annihilation8 ,i could
  wish that life were ordered otherwise1
 but wishing' cannot change  an eternal 
system4 ,immortality cannot be achieved 
by defying'  annihilation40    8,have   
you realized death80 exclaimed the      
vicar1 passionately4 8,can  you1 dare   
you1 look forward to a time when1 say1  
your wife shall lie  cold and           
lifeless1--and hold to the doctrine that
 you have lost her  for ever1 that never
 again shall your spirit mingle with    
hers1 that  you and she are for all     
eternity divorced80    8,you appeal to  
the passions1 and not to the reason10   

replied ,mr4  ,haldane1 coldly4 8,what  
holds good for the beast which perishes1
 holds  good for all of us1 and will    
hold good for those who come after us1  
and who will be greater and nobler than 
we40    8,be it so10 replied the vicar1 
in an undertone4 ,as he spoke he bit his
  lip1 and his cheek coloured4 ,the     
thought was not meant for utterance1    
but it slipped into words before he was 
aware4 ,for the full  significance of   
that thought was a singular             
exemplification of the  conflicting     
spiritual and animal natures of the man4
 ,that divorce of  death which had been 
pronounced inevitable opened before him1
 in a  dreamy vista of the future1 a new
 world of ecstatic beatitude1 where  his
 soul and the radiant spirit of the     
woman who stood beside him  should be   
mingled together in indissoluble        
communion4          ,,chapter ,,vii4    
,,celestial ,,affinities4    ,shortly   
afterwards ,mrs4 ,haldane suggested that
 they should take a  turn about the     

grounds1 instead of wasting the sunshine
 indoors4  ,as they left the chapel the 
vicar paused and looked back at the     
ivy-draped building1 with its           
half-hidden lancets4    8,you have      
turned a sacred edifice to a strange    
use10 he said4 8,here1  within the walls
 where past generations have dwelt and  
worshipped1  you have set up your       
apparatus for the destruction of man's  
holiest  heritage4 ,pardon me if ,i     
speak warmly1 but to me this appears to 
be  sacrilege40    8,the ,church has    
always been intolerant of science and   
research10   replied ,mr4 ,haldane1     
good-humouredly1 8and it is the fortune 
of  conflict if sometimes we are able to
 make reprisals4 ,but1 seriously1 ,i    
see no desecration here40    8,no       
desecration in converting ,gods house   
into a laboratory to analyze  soul and  
spirit into function and force60    8,no
 desecration10 should say1 8in          
converting the shrine of a narrow1      
selfish superstition into a schoolroom  

where one may learn a truer  and a      
grander theology1 and a less            
presumptuous and illusive theory of     
life4 ,it is1 however1 impossible for us
 to be at one on these matters2  let us 
at least agree to differ amicably4 ,your
 predecessor and ,i found  much of      
common interest4 ,he was of the old     
school1 but life had taught  him a      
kindly tolerance of opinion4 ,to you1 as
 ,i gleaned from your  sermon yesterday1
 the new philosophy and modern criticism
 are  familiar4 ,you must surely concede
 that the old theological ground must   
be immeasurably widened1 if you are     
still resolved to occupy it4  ,why      
should you fear truth1 if ,god has      
indeed revealed ,himself to the         
,church80    8,the ,church does not fear
 truth10 replied the vicar2 8but she    
does  fear the wild speculations and    
guesses at truth which unsettle the     
faith of the world4 ,for myself ,i have 
looked into some of these  fantastic    
theories of science1 and ,i repudiate   

them as at once  blasphemous and        
hopeless4 ,it is easy to destroy the old
 trust in the  beneficence of           
,providence1 in the redemption and      
destiny of man2 but  when you have      
accomplished that1 you can go no        
further4 ,tyndall proves  to you that   
all life in the world is the outcome of 
antecedent life2  ,haeckel contends that
 science must in the long run accept    
spontaneous  generation4 ,your leading  
men are at loggerheads2 and it signifies
  little which is right1 for in either  
case the causa causans is only  removed 
one link further back in the chain of   
causation4 ,some of  you hold that there
 is only matter and force in the        
universe1 but on  others it is beginning
 to dawn that possibly matter and force 
are in  the ultimate one and the same4  
,and again1 it signifies little which is
  right1 for both1 being conditioned1   
must have had a beginning4 ,a ,god1  a  
creative ,power1 is needed in the long  
run--#8a power behind humanity1  and    

behind all other things1' as ,herbert   
,spencer describes it2 a ,god  of whom  
science can predicate nothing1 of whom  
science declares it to  be beyond her   
province to speak1 but of whom every    
heart is at some  time vividly conscious
 and has been from the                  
beginning--demonstrably  from the       
,paleolithic period until now40    8,oh1
 ,mr4 ,santley1 ,i am so pleased you    
have said that4 ,i have often  wished   
that ,i were able to answer my husband1 
but ,i have no power of  argument10 said
 ,mrs4 ,haldane1 looking gratefully at  
the vicar4 8,you  must not think he is  
not a good1 a real practical ,christian1
 in spite  of his opinions40    ,mr4    
,haldane laughed quietly as his wife    
slipped her hand into his4    8,as to   
the ,god of the ,paleolithic man1 ,mr4  
,santley forgets that it was  at best a 
personification of some of the great    
natural powers--wind2  rain1 thunder1   
sunshine1 and moonlight2 and as to      
,christianity1 my  dear1 there is much  

in the teaching of ,christ1 and even of 
the ,church1  which ,i reverence and    
hold sacred4 ,morality1 and the         
consequent  civilization of the world1  
owes more to ,christianity than to any  
other creed4 ,it has done much evil1 but
 ,i think it has done more good4        
,purified from its mythic delusions1 it 
has still a splendid future  before it40
    8,and  propos of practical          
,christianity1 ,mr4 ,santley10 continued
  ,mrs4 ,haldane1 8,i want to talk to   
you about the parish4 ,i am eager to    
begin with my poor people again2 and1   
by-the-bye1 the children have1 ,i       
understand1 had no school treat yet this
 year4 ,now1 sit down here and  tell me 
all about your sick1 in the first       
place40    ,mr4 ,haldane stood listening
 to the woes and illnesses of the       
village  for a few minutes1 and then    
left them together in deep discussions  
over flannels and medicines and         
nourishing food4 ,dinner passed         
pleasantly enough4 ,the vicar had       

satisfied his conscience by  protesting 
against the desecration of the chapel   
and the disastrous  results of          
scientific research4 ,clearly it was    
useless1 and worse than  useless1 to    
contend with this large-natured1        
clear-headed unbeliever4  ,it was       
infinitely more agreeable to feel the   
soft dark light of ,mrs4  ,haldane's    
eyes dwelling on his face1 and to listen
 to the music of her  voice as she told 
him of their travels abroad4 ,in his    
imagination the  scenes she described   
rose before him1 and he and she were the
 central  figures in the clear1 new     
landscape4 ,he thought of their walks on
 the  cliffs and on the sea-shore1 in   
the golden days that had gone by4 ,how  
easily it might have been6    ,the sun  
had gone down when he parted from his   
host and hostess at the  great gate at  
the end of the avenue4 ,he had declined 
their offer to  drive him over to       
,omberley4 ,he preferred walking in the 
cool of the  evening1 and the distance  

was1 he professed1 not at all too great4
 ,as  he shook hands with her1 that     
wild1 etherial fancy of a world to come1
  in which her husband would have no    
claim to her1 brightened his eyes  and  
flushed his cheek4 ,there was a strange 
nervous pressure in the  touch of his   
hand1 and an expression of surprise     
started into her  face4 ,he noticed it  
at once1 and was warned4 ,mr4 ,haldane's
 farewell  was bluffly cordial1 and he  
warmly pressed the vicar to call on them
  at any time that best suited his      
convenience4    ,they were pretty sure  
to be always at home1 and they were not 
likely  to have too much company4    ,as
 he walked along the high-road1 bordered
 on one side with the green  murmuring  
masses of foliage1 and on the other with
 waving breadths of  corn1 his mind was 
absorbed in that new dream of           
transcendent love4  ,there was nothing  
earthly or gross in this dawning glow of
 spiritual  passion2 indeed1 it raised  
him in delicious exaltation beyond the  

coarseness of the physical1 till1 as it 
suddenly occurred to him that  somewhere
 on his way ,edith was waiting for him1 
his heart rose in  revulsion at the     
recollection of her4 ,at the same time  
there was a  large element of the       
sensuous beauty of transient humanity in
 that  celestial forecast4 ,the pure1   
radiant spirit of the woman he loved    
still wore the sweet lineaments of her  
earthly loveliness4 ,death had  not     
destroyed that magical face2 those dark1
 luminous1 loving eyes2  that sweet     
shape of womanhood4 ,the spiritual body 
was cast in the  mould of the physical1 
and the chief difference lay in a       
shining  mistiness of colour1 which     
floated in a sort of elusive drapery    
about  the glorified woman1 and replaced
 the worldly silks and satins of the    
living wife4 ,this spiritual being was  
no intangible abstraction1 of  which    
only the intellect could take           
cognizance4 ,as in its temporal         
condition1 it could still kiss and      

thrill with a touch4 ,clearly1  however 
unconscious he might be of the fact1 the
 vicar's conception of  the divine was  
intensely human1 and his spiritual      
idealizations were  the immediate growth
 and delicate blossom of the senses4    
,a great stillness was growing over the 
land as he pursued his way4 ,the        
woodlands had been left behind him1 and 
their incessant murmur was now          
inaudible4 ,sleep and quietude had      
fallen on the level fields2 not an  ear 
of wheat stirred1 no leaf rustled4 ,the 
birds had all gone to nest1  except a   
solitary string of belated crows1 flying
 low down in black  dots1 against the   
distant silvery green horizon4 ,the moon
 was  rising through a low-lying haze1  
which had begun to spread over the      
landscape4 ,the vicar looked at his     
watch4 ,it was after nine o'clock4  ,he 
began to hope that ,edith had grown     
tired of waiting for him1 and  had      
returned home4 ,he had a sickening      
feeling of repugnance and vague  dread  

of meeting her4    ,little more than a  
month after ,mr4 ,santley had settled in
 ,omberley1  ,miss ,dove had come to    
live with her aunt4    ,her father and  
mother had died within a year of each   
other1 and the  girl gladly accepted the
 offer of ,mrs4 ,russell to consider her
 house  as a home until she had had time
 to look about her4 ,edith had been     
left sufficiently well provided for1 and
 her aunt1 the widow of a  banker1 was  
in a position of independence1 so that  
the disinterested  offer was accepted   
without any sense of dependence or      
humiliation4  ,the bright1 innocent face
 of the girl instantly caught the eye of
  the vicar4 ,he saw her frequently at  
her aunt's house1 and gradually  learned
 to esteem1 not only her excellent      
qualities1 but to find a use  for her   
accomplishments4 ,she was especially    
fond of music1 and when  the vicar      
suggested that she might add to the     
beauty of the service  at ,st4          
,cuthbert's by interesting herself in   

the choir and presiding  at the organ1  
she eagerly acquiesced4 ,the church was 
one of ,edith's  favourite haunts2 and  
when the vicar1 who was himself a lover 
of  music1 heard the soul-stirring      
vibrations of some masterpiece of the   
great composers1 his steps were drawn by
 an easily explicable fatality  to the  
side of the pretty performer4 ,still1 it
 was a fatality4 ,slowly1  and          
imperceptibly at first1 the sense of    
pleasure at meeting grew up  between the
 two2 then swiftly and imperceptibly    
they found that there  was something in 
the presence of each other that         
satisfied a  vague1 indefinable craving2
 and lastly1 with a sudden access of    
self-consciousness1 they looked into    
each other's eyes1 and each  became     
gladly and tremulously aware of the     
other's love4 ,edith was  still young1  
almost too young yet to assume the      
station of the wife of  the spiritual   
head of the parish2 and ,mr4 ,santley   
was not sure as to  the manner in which 

his sister would receive the intimation 
that there  was1 even in the remote     
future1 to be a new mistress brought to 
the  ,vicarage4 ,the girl was1 however1 
still too happy in the knowledge that   
she was beloved to look forward to      
marriage4 ,with a strange1 feminine     
inconsistency1 she regarded their union 
with a certain dread and                
shamefacedness4 ,it seemed such a       
dreadful exposure that all the  village 
should know that they loved each other4 
8,oh no1 no2 it must  not be for a long1
 long time yet60 she once exclaimed     
nervously4 8,is  it not sufficient      
happiness to know that ,i am yours and  
you are mine8  ,i cannot bear to think  
that every one must know our secret40   
,to have  those long1 pleasant chats    
under cover of the music2 to be invited 
to the ,vicarage1 and to sit and talk   
with him there2 to receive those        
haphazard glances1 as it were1 while he 
was preaching2 to be escorted  home by  
him in the evening when it was dark1 and

 no one could see that  her hand was on 
his arm2 to receive those almost stolen 
kisses2 to  feel his arm about her waist
 what more could maiden desire to dream 
over for weeks and months--for years1 if
 need were8    ,edith was endowed with  
the intense feminine faith and fervid   
ideality  of the worshipper4 ,to sit at 
her lover's feet and to look up         
adoringly  to him1 was at once her      
favourite mental and physical attitude4 
,on her  side1 she exercised a curious  
spiritual influence over him4 ,there was
  such an aerial brightness and         
lightness about her1 such sweet fragile 
loveliness in her form and figure1 such 
tender abandonment of self in  her      
disposition1 that he felt he had not    
only a woman to love1 but a  beautiful  
childlike soul to keep unspotted from   
the world1 to  guide through the dark   
ways of life to the arms of the great   
loving  ,fatherhood of ,god4 ,the       
presence of ,edith helped him to banish 
the dark  doubts and evil promptings of 

the spirit of unbelief4 ,when she spoke 
to him of her spiritual experiences1 he 
felt joyous ascensions of  the heart    
which raised him nearer to heaven4 ,she 
created in him the  unspeakable holy    
longings and vague wants that give the  
lives of the  mystic saints of ,roman   
,catholicism so singular a blending of  
divine  illumination and voluptuous     
colour4 ,unconsciously the vicar was    
realizing in his own nature             
,swedenborg's doctrine of celestial     
affinities4 ,this love restored to him  
the innocence and ardour of the  days of
 ,eden2 he had found at once his ,eve   
and his ,paradise1 and he  felt that1 as
 of old1 ,god still walked in the garden
 in the cool of  the day4 ,some such    
glamour surrounds the first developments
 of every  sincere attachment4 ,it is   
the first rosy tingling flush of dawn1  
dim  and sweet and dreamy1 and1 like the
 dawn1 it glows and brightens into  the 
fierce clear heat of broad day1 burning 
the dew from the petal and  withering   

the blossom4    ,as ,mr4 ,santley's     
thoughts turned to ,edith1 the          
recollection of these  things came      
vividly upon him4 ,only a week ago1 and 
she was the one  woman in the world he  
believed he could have chosen for his   
wife4 ,in  an instant1 at the sight of a
 face1 all had been changed4 ,his love  
had  become a burthen1 a shame1 a dread 
to him4 ,edith had grown hateful to     
him4 ,at the same time1 he could not    
deaden the sting of remorse as  he      
reflected on his broken vows4 ,the      
passionate protestations he had  uttered
 sounded again in his ears in accents of
 bitter mockery2 the  pledges he had    
given seemed now to him hideous         
blasphemies4    ,at a bend of the road  
he suddenly came in sight of a figure   
moving  before him in the dusk4 ,he knew
 at a glance it was she1 and he         
prepared himself for the meeting4       
,although he earnestly wished to        
disembarrass himself of her1 he found   
himself unable to do so at once  and    

brutally4 ,he would try to estrange her1
 and free himself little by  little4    
,as they approached each other he saw   
that ,edith's face was grave and  sad4  
,she was trying to learn from his look  
in what manner she ought to  speak to   
him4    ,his assurances on the previous 
evening had not tranquillized her1 and  
she had still a terrible misgiving that 
a chasm was widening between  them4     
,the vicar was the first to speak4      
8,i am a little later than ,i expected10
 he said1 as he held out his  hand to   
her4    8,it does not signify now4 ,i   
was only afraid that you might be so    
late ,i should have to go home without  
seeing you40    ,he made no reply1 and  
they walked on side by side in silence  
for a few  seconds4 ,at last she stopped
 abruptly and looked at him4            
8,charles10 she said1 8you know what you
 said to me last night80    8,yes40     
8,was it true80    8,why should you ask 
such a question8 ,why should you doubt  
its truth80    8,i try not to doubt it1 

but ,i cannot help it4 ,oh1 tell me     
again that  you do not hate and contemn 
me6 ,tell me you still love me40    8,my
 dear ,edith10 replied the vicar1 laying
 his hand on her arm1 8you  are not     
well4 ,you have been overtaxing your    
strength and exciting  yourself40       
,edith did not answer1 but the tears    
rose to her eyes and began to run  down 
her cheeks4 ,she did not sob or make any
 sound of weeping1 but her  hand was    
pressed against her throat4    8,come1  
don't cry like that2 you know ,i cannot 
bear to see you cry40    ,he stopped as 
he spoke1 and took her hand in his4     
,they stood still a  little while1 and  
she at length was able to speak4    8,do
 you remember10 she asked in a low1     
broken voice1 8that ,i once told  you   
you were my conscience80    ,he regarded
 her uneasily before he replied4        
8,yes2 you once said that1 ,i know4 ,but
 why return to that now80    8,and have 
you not been80    ,he was silent4       
8,your word10 she continued1 8has been  

my law2 what you have said ,i  have     
believed4 ,have ,i done wrong80    8,why
 are you letting these things trouble   
you now80 he asked  impatiently4        
8,because ,i know that when a woman     
gives herself wholly to the man she     
loves1 it is common for her to lose him1
 and ,i have begun to feel that  ,i am  
losing you40    8,i do not think ,i have
 given you any reason to feel that40    
,she did not speak again immediately1   
but stood with her innocent blue  eyes  
raised beseechingly to his face4        
,suddenly she took hold of his  hands1  
and said--    8,you told me that in the 
eyes of ,god we were man and wife1 that 
no marriage ceremony could ever join us 
together more truly1 that  marriage     
really consisted in the union of heart  
and soul1 not in  the words of any      
priest--did you not8 ,was that true8 ,am
 ,i still your  little wife80    ,he    
hesitated4 ,the blood had vanished from 
his cheek1 leaving it  haggard and pale2
 she felt his hands trembling in hers4  

,then1 with  a sudden impulse1 he took  
her face between his hands and drew her 
towards him1 as he answered--    8,you  
are1 darling4 ,i will not do you any    
wrong40          ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,a   
,,sick-,,call4    ,mr4 ,santley's reply 
was as sincere at the moment it was     
spoken as  it was impulsive4 ,the saner 
and better part of him rose in sudden   
sympathy towards this young1 confiding  
girl who had laid her whole  being in   
his hands1 to be his treasure or his    
plaything4 ,he resolved  to be faithful 
to the solemn pledge he had given her1  
and to cast  from him for ever all      
thought of ,mrs4 ,haldane1 and all      
memory of that  passionate episode of   
the past4 ,he drew ,edith's hand under  
his arm and  held it there4 ,that warm  
little bit of responsive flesh and blood
 had  still1 he felt1 a power to thrill 
through his nature4 ,he bent down  and  
kissed it4 ,for some time their         
conversation was embarrassed1 but       
gradually all sense of doubt and        

estrangement vanished1 and he was       
telling her about his visit to the      
,manor4 ,a pressure was laid upon  him  
to make her such amends as he was able  
for his coldness during the  past week1 
and he determined to break the spell    
which ,mrs4 ,haldane's  beauty threw    
over him by revealing their old         
friendship to ,edith4 ,it  was not wise1
 but under the stress of remorse and a  
reviving passion  men seldom act wisely4
 ,except in the case of a jealous       
disposition1 a  woman is always pleased 
to hear of her lover's old vaguely      
cherished  love affairs1 when there is  
no possibility of their ever coming to  
life again4 ,she knows instinctively1   
even when she is not told so  adoringly1
 that she supersedes all her            
predecessors and combines  all their    
virtues and charms4 ,he loved this one  
for her beauty and  sweetness1 that one 
for her clear bright intelligence2 each 
in a  different way2 but her he loves in
 both the old ways1 and in a new way    

also which she alone could inspire4     
8,mrs4 ,haldane was an old pupil of     
mine--indeed1 a favourite  pupil--many  
years ago2 so1 naturally1 ,i am much    
interested in her10   said the vicar in 
a tentative manner4    ,the words were a
 revelation to ,edith2 they explained to
 her all her  uneasiness and all his    
change of manner4    8,and you find that
 you still love her a little80 ,edith   
ventured to say  in a sad1 faltering    
tone4    8,i never said ,i loved her1 my
 dear10 replied the vicar1 with a forced
  laugh4    8,but you did1 did you not8 
,she was your favourite pupil40    ,how 
uncomfortably keen-sighted this young   
person seemed to be1 in  spite of her   
soft1 endearing ways6    8,would you be 
a little jealous if ,i said ,i did80 he 
asked1 regarding  her with a            
scrutinizing look4    8,jealous6 ,oh no4
 ,why should ,i8 ,is she not married8   
,and am ,i not really  and truly your   
little wife80    ,he pressed her hand   
gently for answer4    8,and when you saw

 her again last ,sunday1 and saw how    
beautiful she  was10 ,edith continued1  
8you felt sorry that you had lost       
her--just a  little regretful1 did you  
not80    ,the vicar hesitated1 and then 
did the most foolish thing a man can do 
in such circumstances--confessed the    
truth4    8,you will not be vexed1      
darling1 if ,i say that ,i did feel     
regret80    8,you loved her very much80 
8,she was my first love40 replied the   
vicar4 8,but you must remember it  was  
years ago4 ,long before ,i knew you2    
when ,i was quite a young man40    8,and
 was she very fond of you80 ,edith went 
on quietly4    8,i used to think she    
was40    8,but she was not true to you80
    8,i do not blame her4 ,i do not     
think it was her fault4 ,her people were
  wealthy1 and ,i was poor1 a poor      
teacher40    8,and it was this made you 
so cold and hard to me all last week80  
,mr4 ,santley did not answer at once4   
,it would be brutal to say yes1 and he  
dared not hazard a denial4    8,oh1     

,charles1 she never loved you as ,i     
have40    8,never1 never10 replied the  
vicar hurriedly2 and a flush rose to his
  face4    8,when you meet her1 when you
 see her again10 said ,edith1 grasping  
his  arm with earnest emphasis1 8will   
you remember that8 ,promise me40    8,i 
will never forget it10 said the vicar in
 a low voice4    ,he did not see ,mrs4  
,haldane again1 however1 during the     
week4 ,on the  following ,sunday his    
eyes wandered only for a moment towards 
the ,manor  pew1 and he perceived that  
she was alone4 ,when he met her after   
the  service his manner was constrained1
 but she appeared not to notice it4     
,she spoke again of the parish work1 and
 told him that in a day or two  she     
would drive over and accompany him on   
some of his calls4 ,he looked  forward  
with uneasiness and self-distrust to her
 cooperation in his  daily work4 ,there 
was an irresistible something1 a magical
 atmosphere1  an invisible radiation of 
the enticing about this woman4 ,her     

large  glowing black eyes seemed to     
fasten upon his soul and draw it beyond 
his control4 ,her starry smile          
intoxicated and maddened him4 ,beside   
her1 ,edith was but a weak1 delicate    
child1 with a child's clinging          
attachment1 a child's credulity and     
trust1 a child's little gusts of        
passion4 ,his lost love was a           
woman--such a woman as men in old  times
 would have perished for as a queen1    
would have worshipped as a              
goddess--such a woman1 he fancied1 as   
that ,naomi whose beauty has been  the  
mysterious tradition of five thousand   
years4    ,early one afternoon1 about   
the middle of the week1 the vicar was   
just about to set out on his customary  
round of visitation1 when  ,mrs4        
,haldane's pony-carriage drove up to the
 gate4 ,he assisted her to  alight1 and 
returned with her to the house4    ,miss
 ,santley1 who had been as sensitive to 
the change in her brother  as ,edith    
herself1 regarded ,mrs4 ,haldane with   

little favour4 ,she was  ready to       
acknowledge that it was very good and   
kind of the mistress of  ,foxglove      
,manor to interest herself in the wants 
and suffering of the  parish1 but she   
entertained grave misgivings as to the  
prudence of  her brother and this old   
pupil of his being thrown too frequently
  together4 ,she was just a little      
formal and reserved with her visitor1   
who announced her intention of going    
with the vicar to this sick-call  he had
 spoken of4    8,you will have to walk1 
however10 said ,mr4 ,santley1 8as the   
cottage is  some little distance across 
the fields40    8,i came prepared for   
walking10 she replied1 with a laugh4    
8,james can  put up at the village till 
our return40    8,will you do us the    
favour of taking tea with us80 asked    
,miss ,santley1  8,you will1 require it1
 if my brother takes you his usual      
round40    8,thank you1 ,i shall be very
 glad4 ,if ,james calls for me at--what 
time  shall ,i say8--six1 will that be  

soon enough80 ,the coachman received    
his instructions1 and ,mr4 ,santley and 
,mrs4 ,haldane set out on their  first  
combined mission4 ,they traversed half a
 dozen fields1 and came  in sight of a  
small cluster of cottages lying low in a
 green hollow4  ,a narrow lane ran past 
them to ,omberley in one direction and  
to the  high-road in another4 ,half a   
dozen poplars grew in a line along the  
lane1 and the cottages were surrounded  
by small gardens1 filled with  fruit    
trees4    8,what a picturesque little   
spot60 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,haldane4 8,i    
think  nothing looks so pretty as an    
,english cottage with its white walls   
and  tiled roof peering out from a      
cluster of apple2 and pear trees40      
8,pretty enough1 but damp60 replied the 
vicar4 8,in wet weather they are  in a  
perfect quagmire4 ,ah1 listen60    ,they
 were now very near the houses1 and the 
sound to which ,mr4 ,santley  called her
 attention was the voice of a man crying
 out in great pain4    8,what can it    

be80 asked ,mrs4 ,haldane1 with a look  
of alarm4    8,it is the poor fellow we 
are going to see4 ,he was knocked down  
and  run over by a cart about two years 
ago4 ,his spine has been injured1  and  
the doctors can do nothing for him4 ,he 
is quite helpless1 and has  been        
bedridden all that time40    8,poor     
creature6 what a dreadful thing it must 
be to suffer like that60    8,sometimes 
for weeks together he feels no pain4    
,then he is suddenly  seized by the most
 fearful torture1 and you can hear his  
cries for a  great distance40    ,as    
they approached the cottage the man's   
voice grew louder1 and they  could      
distinguish his words3 8,oh1 what shall 
,i do8 ,oh1 who'll tell me  what to do80
    ,mrs4 ,haldane shuddered4 ,in that  
green1 peaceful1 picturesque spot that  
persistent reiteration of the man's     
agony was horrible4    8,will you come  
in80 asked the vicar doubtfully4    ,his
 companion signed her assent1 and ,mr4  
,santley knocked gently at the  door4   

,in a few seconds some one was heard    
coming down the staircase1  and a little
 gray-haired1 gray-faced woman1 dressed 
in black1 came to  the door and curtsied
 to her visitors4    8,mansfield is very
 bad again to-day80 said the vicar4     
8,ay1 this be one of his bad days1 sir4 
,he have been that bad since  ,sunday1  
,i haven't known what to do with him40  
,the voice of the sick man suddenly     
ceased1 and he appeared to be           
listening4    8,who's there80 he        
shrieked out1 after a pause4 8,jennie2  
blast you6  who's there80    8,he be    
raving mad1 ma'am60 said ,mrs4          
,mansfield1 apologetically4 8,he  don't 
know what he is saying40    8,jennie1   
you damned little varmint----0          
8,hush1 ,john1 it be the parson60 his   
wife called up the staircase4    8,to   
hell with the parson6 ,oh1 what shall ,i
 do8 ,oh1 who'll tell me what  to do80  
8,i'll go up to him1 sir1 and tell him  
you're here4 ,he be very bad  to-day1   
poor soul6 ,will it please you to walk  

in1 ma'am80    ,the little woman went   
upstairs1 and her entrance to the       
sick-room was  greeted with a volley of 
foul curses screamed out in furious     
rage4  ,gradually1 however1 the access  
of passion was exhausted1 and the man   
was again heard repeating his hopeless  
appeal for relief4    8,how do they     
live80 asked ,mrs4 ,haldane1 glancing   
about the small but  scrupulously clean 
room in which she stood4 8,have they any
 grown-up  children80    8,no1 only     
their two selves4 ,she is the           
bread-winner4 ,she does knitting  and   
sewing1 and the neighbours1 who are very
 kind to her1 assist her  with her      
garden and do her many little           
kindnesses40    8,poor woman6 ,and she  
has endured this horrible infliction for
 two  years60    8,if you please1 sir1  
you can come up now10 said ,mrs4        
,mansfield from  the top of the stairs4 
,the vicar went up1 and ,mrs4 ,haldane  
followed him4 ,they entered a  pretty   
large whitewashed bedroom1 with raftered

 roof and a four-post  bedstead in the  
centre of the room4 ,though meagrely    
furnished1  everything was spotlessly   
clean and tidy4 ,on the bed lay a great 
gaunt  man1 panting and moaning1 with   
his large filmy blue eyes turned up  to 
the roof4 ,he was far above the common  
stature1 and his huge wasted  frame1    
only half hidden by the bedclothes1 was 
piteous to look at4 ,his  large         
venerable head1 covered with thin1 long 
white hair1 filled  one with surprise   
and regretful admiration4 ,his face was 
thin and  colourless1 and a fringe of   
white beard gave it a still more deathly
  appearance4 ,one could scarcely       
believe that the wreck before him was  a
 common labourer4 ,it seemed rather such
 a spectacle as ,beatrice ,cenci  might 
have looked on had her father died      
cursing on his bed4    8,here's parson  
come to see thee1 and a lady wi' him10  
said ,mrs4  ,mansfield1 raising her     
husband's head4    ,he looked at them   
with his glazed blue eyes1 made         

prominent with pain1  and his moaning   
grew louder1 till they could again      
distinguish the  constant cry for       
release from pain3 8,oh1 what shall ,i  
do8 ,oh1 who'll  tell me what to do80   
8,try to think of ,god1 and pray to ,him
 for help10 said the vicar1  bending    
over the suffering man4    8,oh1 ,i have
 prayed and prayed and prayed10 he      
replied querulously2  8but it does no   
good40    8,he were praying all day     
yesterday and singing hymns10 said ,mrs4
  ,mans-held4 8,i don't know what's     
gotten hold of him to-day1 but he have  
been dreadful4 ,and he were ever such a 
pious1 ,god-fearing man4 ,it fair       
breaks my heart to hear him swearing    
like that4 ,but ,god will not count  it 
against him1 for he's been clean beside 
himself40    8,well1 let me hear you    
pray now1 ,mansfield10 said the vicar4  
8,turn  your heart and your mind to     
,god1 and ,he will comfort you40    8,o 
,god10 said the sick man1 with the      
obedient simplicity of a child1  8,i    

turn my heart and my mind to ,thee2 do  
,thou comfort me and take me  to        
,thyself4 ,o ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,son 
of ,god and ,saviour of mankind1  do    
,thou remember me in ,thy paradise4     
,look down upon me1 ,o ,lord1 a         
miserable offender1 and spare ,thou them
 which confess their faults and  are    
truly penitent40    ,with a strange     
light on his white1 wasted face1 with   
his gaunt hands  folded on the          
counterpane before him1 the old man sat 
up in bed and  prayed in the same loud  
voice of pain and semi-delirium4 ,a     
wild1  inconceivable1 interminable      
prayer2 for long after they had left    
the house1 old ,mansfield could be heard
 some hundreds of yards away1  screaming
 to ,god for mercy and consolation4     
8,we had better leave him praying10 said
 the vicar softly2 8and when he  begins 
cursing and swearing again1 ,mrs4       
,mansfield1 just kneel down and  pray in
 a loud voice beside him4 ,it will      
suggest a new current to his  thoughts40

    8,god won't count his cursing       
against him1 sir1 will he80 asked the   
little woman4 8,he were ever a sober    
,christian man till this misery  came on
 him40    8,no1 no10 said the vicar2    
8,god judges the heart1 not the tongue  
of  delirium40    8,how old is your     
husband80 inquired ,mrs4 ,haldane4      
8,he be eighty-one come ,martinmas1     
ma'am40    8,poor old man6 ,and you do  
sewing and knitting1 do you not80       
8,yes1 ma'am1 what he lets me do4 ,he be
 main fractious whiles40    8,and have  
you plenty to go on with at present80   
8,i have what'll keep me busy for a     
fortnight yet40    8,i will see you     
again before then4 ,i hope your husband 
will soon be  better40    8,there be no 
hope of that1 ma'am4 ,the only          
betterness for him #8ll be  when ,god   
takes him40    8,i know you will be able
 to find a use for this10 said ,mrs4    
,haldane in  a whisper1 as they went1   
out of the house4 8,goodbye for the     
present40    8,oh1 ma'am6 ,god bless    

you60 said ,mrs4 ,mansfield1 the tears  
springing  into her eyes as she looked  
at the gold coin in her hand4           
,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a ,,summer ,,shower4   
,after that first round of visitation   
,mrs4 ,haldane and the vicar met  very  
frequently4    ,she found that she could
 be of use to a great number of poor    
people1  and the occupation afforded her
 by her self-imposed duties was novel   
and interesting4 ,it is pleasant to take
 the place of ,providence1 and  mete out
 help and gladness to afflicted         
humanity4 ,she was actuated by  no petty
 spirit of vanity or ostentation2 and   
though she soon learned  that the poorer
 and more necessitous people are1 the   
more thankless  they are as a rule1     
these disagreeable experiences did not  
disillusion  her4 ,very often she would 
leave her carriage at the village inn   
and  accompany ,mr4 ,santley on foot    
across the fields and down the deep     
green lanes to the different houses at  
which he was to call4 ,their            

conversations on these occasions were   
very interesting to her2  and more than 
once as she drove back home in the      
evening she fell  a-thinking of that    
distant schoolgirl past which ,jiad so  
nearly faded  away from her memory1 and 
began to wonder whether1 if her family  
had  not so promptly extinguished that  
little romance of hers1 she would  now  
have been the wife of the vicar of      
,omberley4 ,no word had yet  passed     
between them of that old time1 and      
occasionally she felt just  the least   
curiosity to know how he regarded it4   
,she knew he had not  forgotten it1 and 
she smiled to herself as she called to  
mind the way  in which he had addressed 
her as 8,ellen0 that first ,sunday4 ,she
  had ever since been only ,mrs4        
,haldane to him4 ,there was a singular  
fascination about him which she was     
unable to explain to herself4  ,she     
remembered his words1 his looks his     
gestures with a curious  distinctness4  
,she was conscious that1 notwithstanding

 his reticence1  he still entertained a 
warm attachment to her4 ,she could see  
it in his  eyes1 could hear it in the   
tones of his voice1 could feel it in the
  pressure of his hand4 ,there is no    
incentive to affection so powerful  and 
subtle as the knowledge that one is     
beloved4 ,without any analysis  of her  
feelings or any misgiving whatever1     
,mrs4 ,haldane knew that the  vicar's   
friendship was very dear to her1 that   
his sympathy and counsel  were rapidly  
growing indispensable4 ,many things     
troubled her in  connection with her    
husband--his indifference to any form of
  religion1 his stern acceptance of the 
conclusions of science1 however         
destructive they might be of all that   
the world had clung to as  essential to 
goodness and happiness1 his utter       
disbelief of the truths  of revelation1 
his rejection of the only ,god in whom  
she could place  trust and confidence4  
,diffidently at first1 and with pain and
 doubt1  she spoke to ,mr4 ,santley of  

these troubles1 and of the waverings of 
her own convictions4 ,her husband was so
 good1 so upright and noble a  man1 that
 she could not despair of his some day  
returning to the faith  and the ,church 
of his boyhood4 ,could the vicar not aid
 her in winning  him back to ,god8      
,then1 too1 at times her husband's words
 appealed to  her reason so irresistibly
 that she began to question whether     
after  all she had not spent her life in
 the worship of a delusion4 ,that did   
not happen often1 but it terrified her  
that it should be possible  for her at  
any time or in any circumstance to call 
in question the  fatherhood of ,god or  
the divinity of ,christ4    ,it was only
 natural that these matters-should draw 
the vicar and  his fair parishioner very
 close to each other2 and that intimate 
relationship of soul with soul by subtle
 degrees widened and widened  till each 
became deeply interested in everything  
that could in any  way affect the other4
 ,in spite of his strongest resolve to  

be true to  ,edith1 ,mr4 ,santley felt  
himself irresistibly drawn to her       
beautiful  rival4 ,he struggled with the
 enchantment till further resistance    
seemed useless1 and then he sought      
refuge in self-deception4 ,his  nature1 
he fancied1 was wide enough to include  
the love of both4  ,to ,edith he could  
give the affection of a husband1 to     
,ellen the  anticipative passion of a   
disfranchised spirit4 ,one was a        
temporal1  the other an eternal         
sentiment4    ,one afternoon1 as they   
were returning from a visit1 being on   
the  edge of the moss about a couple of 
miles from the village1 they were       
overtaken by a storm4 ,there was a clump
 of trees hard by1 and they  entered it 
for shelter4 ,mrs4 ,haldane had her     
waterproof with her2 but  the rain drove
 in such drenching showers1 that the    
vicar insisted on  her standing under   
his umbrella and sheltering her person  
with her  own4 ,side by side1 with the  
large trunk of a beech-tree behind them 

and its tossing branches overhead1 they 
stood there for nearly half an  hour4   
,he held his umbrella over her so that  
his arm almost touched her  further     
shoulder4 ,they were very close         
together1 and while she watched  the    
flying volleys of rain he was gazing on 
the beautiful complexion  of her face   
and neck1 on the rich dark masses of her
 hair1 her sweet  arched eyebrows and   
long curving eyelashes4 ,for years he   
had not been  able to regard her so     
closely4 ,she did not notice his        
scrutiny at  first1 but1 when she did1  
little sunny flushes of colour made her 
loveliness still more electrical4 ,they 
were talking of the storm at  first1 but
 now there was an interval of silence4  
,she felt his eyes  upon her face--they 
seemed to touch her1 and the contract   
made her  cheeks glow4 ,at last she     
turned and looked straight at him4      
8,i was thinking of long ago10 he said  
in answer to her look2 8do you  remember
 how once we were caught by a           

thunderstorm at ,seacombe1 and we  stood
 together under a tree just as we are   
now80    8,what an excellent memory you 
have60 she said with a smile1 while her 
colour again rose4    8,i never forget  
anything10 rejoined ,mr4 ,santley with  
emphasis4 8,but  surely you too         
recollect that80    8,oh yes2 ,i have   
not forgotten it10 she said lightly4    
8,we were very  foolish people in those 
days40    8,we were very happy people1  
were we not8    8,yes1 ,i think we were2
 it was a childish happiness40          
8,manhood1 then1 has brought me no      
greater4 ,ah1 ,ellen1 you seem to have  
easily let the past slip away from you4 
,with me it is as vivid to-day  as if it
 were only yesterday that you and ,i    
walked on the cliffs  together4 ,do you 
remember we went to the gipsy's camp in 
the  sand-hills1 and had our fortunes   
told80    ,mrs4 ,haldane blushed and    
laughed4    8,we were foolish enough to 
do anything1 ,i think1 at that time40   
8,that pretty gipsy girl with the dark  

almond eyes and red-and-amber  headdress
 was sadly out in her reading of our    
destinies40    ,mrs4 ,haldane made no   
reply4 ,these reminiscences1 and        
especially the  tone in which the vicar 
dwelt on them1 disquieted her4    8,i   
think the worst of the shower is over   
now10 she said1 stepping from  under his
 umbrella4 ,as she spoke1 however1 a    
fresh gust of wind and  rain            
contradicted her1 and she stepped       
further into the shelter of the  tree4  
,mr4 ,santley clearly understood the    
significance of her words and  action4  
8,it is raining far too heavily to go   
yet10 he said gently4 8,let me  hold my 
umbrella over you40    ,she consented a 
little uneasily1 but he laid his hand   
upon her arm and  said--    8,i have    
displeased you by referring to the past1
 have ,i not8 ,come1  be frank with me4 
,surely we are good enough friends by   
this to speak  candidly to each other40 
,she raised her great dark eyes to his  
face and replied gravely1    8,i do not 

like you to speak of the past in that   
way4 ,i do not think  it is right4 ,i   
hope we are good enough friends to speak
 candidly4 ,i  have trusted you as a    
friend1 as a very dear and true friend4 
,i wish  to keep you always my friend2  
but when you spoke just now of  our     
childish liking for each other1 ,i do   
not think you spoke as  a--friend40     
,the vicar was silent1 and his eyes were
 cast on the ground4    8,have ,i done  
you an injustice80 she asked in a low   
tone1 after a  little pause4 8,then1    
pray1 do forgive me40    ,the vicar     
regarded her with a look of sadness1 and
 took the little  gloved hand she held  
out to him4    8,you do me injustice in 
thinking that ,i have forgotten your    
position40    ,mrs4 ,haldane coloured   
deeply4    8,no10 continued the vicar1  
8,i have not forgotten that4 ,i cannot  
forget it4 ,and if ,i still love you    
with the old love of those vanished     
years1 if ,i love you with a love which 
will colour my whole life1 do  not      

imagine that it is with any hope of a   
response in this world4 ,i  do your     
husband no injustice2 ,i do you no      
dishonour4 ,i loved you long  before he 
knew you2 ,i shall love you still in    
that after life in which  he has        
deliberately abandoned all claim to you 
in the very existence  of which he      
places no belief4 ,between this and then
 let me be your  friend--your brother2  
let me be as one in whom you will ever  
find  sympathy and devotedness2 one who 
can share and understand all your       
doubts and distress1 all your           
temptations and trials4 ,i do not ask   
you  to love me2 ,i only ask you to let 
me love you40 ,this gust of passion  was
 so sudden1 so unexpected1 so           
overwhelming1 that almost before she    
was aware1 he had spoken and she had    
listened4 ,and now as she thought  of   
what he said a strangely mixed sensation
 of doubt and pleasure  awoke within    
her4 ,all that he wished to be he was   
indeed already  in her eyes--her        

adviser1 sympathiser1 friend4 ,only this
 secret  unexpectant love which lived on
 the past and the future agitated her4  
,and yet surely it was a pure spiritual 
love which asked for no return  on this 
side of the grave4 ,these thoughts      
occurred to her before she  took the    
sober common-sense view of what he had  
said4    8,you are taking too visionary1
 too feverish a view of life when you   
speak in that way10 she said gently4    
8,we cannot live on dreams4 ,our        
duties1 our work1 our disappointments   
and cares are too real for us to  be    
satisfied with any love less real4 ,you 
will some day meet some one  worthy of  
your affection1 capable of sympathising 
with you and aiding  you in your        
life-work--some one who will be a       
fitting helpmeet to you4  ,for my part1 
,i think that whenever we have missed   
what we are apt to  consider a great    
happiness it is a sure sign that ,god   
intends some  better thing for us40     
,the vicar shook his head silently4     

8,oh1 you must have more faith60 she    
continued brightly4 8,and it ought  to  
be very easy for you to have faith in   
this matter4 ,you have all the          
advantages on your side4 ,and1 if ,i may
 be frank with you1 ,i will say  that ,i
 think you would be happier if you were 
married4 ,you need some  responsive     
heart1 and nowhere could one more need  
close companionship  than in such a     
place as ,omberley40    ,the rain had   
ceased1 and as she spoke the last words 
she glanced up at  the clouds breaking  
away from the sunny blue of the sky4    
8,i think we may safely start now4 ,how 
bright and sweet everything  looks after
 the rain2 and what a fragrance the     
fields have60    ,mr4 ,santley did not  
attempt to renew the conversation4      
,clearly she was  not in the mood1 and  
he believed that what he had said had   
fallen  as seed in a generous soil1 and 
would germinate in the warmth of her    
fervid temperament4 ,it was enough that 
she knew he still loved her4    ,such a 

knowledge is ever dangerous to an       
imaginative woman4 ,for  several days   
after that incident ,mrs4 ,haldane never
 thought of  the vicar1 never heard his 
name mentioned without at the same time 
unconsciously recalling--or rather      
without having flashed upon her a       
mental picture not only of that little  
wood near the moss1 but of the  romantic
 shore at ,seacombe4 ,she felt a strange
 tender interest in the  man who had    
loved her so long1 and still loved her  
so hopelessly1 so  unselfishly4         
,hitherto in their relationship she had 
only thought of  herself1 of her own    
needs and her own happiness4 ,she had   
looked up to  him4 ,but that avowal had 
changed their position towards one      
another  in a singular way4 ,he to whom 
every one felt entitled to appeal to    
for advice1 assistance1 consolation1 was
 evidently himself in need of  human    
affection4 ,she had hitherto regarded   
the priest rather than the  man1 but now
 the man chiefly engaged her attention1 

and attracted her  sympathy while he    
excited and perplexed her imagination4  
,what could  she do to be of service to 
him8 ,she set her woman's wit to work in
 a  woman's way1 and speedily arrived at
 one means of serving him4    8,george10
 she said to her husband one morning at 
breakfast1 8,i have  been thinking of   
asking an old schoolfellow of mine1     
,hettie ,taylor1 to  come and spend a   
few weeks with us4 ,she lives in        
,london1 and she will  be delighted with
 the change to the country1 ,i know4    
,what do you say80    8,beginning to    
feel lonely already80 he asked1 glancing
 up at her4    8,oh no1 not at all4     
,only ,i have been thinking of her1 and 
should like  to have her with me again  
for a little while4 ,i am sure you will 
like her4 ,she is very pretty--such     
beautiful brown hair and eyes--and      
decidedly intellectual40    8,ask her by
 all means1 then40    8,thanks4 ,i will 
write to her to-day4 ,no1 not to-day--,i
 shall be busy  seeing after the        

children's picnic4 ,will you not come1  
dear8 ,you know  you love children40    
8,to a picnic1 my dear girl60 cried ,mr4
 ,haldane aghast4    8,yes1 in ,barton  
,wood4 ,the children are all going in a 
couple of  waggons4 ,and there will be  
some of the old people there if the     
weather  is fine4 ,do come40    8,a     
picnic1 my dear ,nell1 is pure          
atavism--it is one of those lapses  into
 savagery which betray the aboriginal   
arboreal blood10 said  ,mr4 ,haldane1   
laughing4 8,no1 no2 ,i have too much    
respect for the  civilization of the    
century and for my personal comfort to  
willingly  retrograde to the ,drift     
,period40          ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the  
,,kiss4    ,the artist in search of a   
pretty rural subject could not do better
  than paint a village holiday--a       
holiday from which the men and women    
are all but excluded1 and the village   
school-children and the old  people are 
gathered together for a voyage through  
the leafy lanes to  the picturesque     

playground of a neighbouring wood4 ,such
 an enjoyable  spectacle as that        
presented on the day of the ,omberley   
school-treat  deserved to be            
immortalized by art1 if only for the    
sake of filling a  city parlour with a  
sense of eternal summer4 ,it was a      
glorious ,august  morning that laughed  
out over ,omberley on the day of the    
great picnic4  ,the young people were   
astir early1 for it had been impossible 
to sleep  from the excitement they felt 
after the first glimmer of dawn4 ,about 
ten o'clock the streets were gay with   
troops of children1 clean1              
rosy-cheeked1 and dressed in their      
,sunday clothes1 who went singing  to   
the rendezvous at the schoolhouse4      
,there they were received by ,miss      
,dora ,greatheart1 who inspected them   
all1 and expressed her approbation  at  
finding them so neat and prim4 ,in twos 
and threes the old people1  the men in  
tall hats and swallow-tailed coats for  
the most part1 and  the women in their  

best black gowns and church bonnets1    
came slowly  along the road1 gossiping  
and laughing and breathing hard with the
  weakness of old age4 ,then came the   
musicians--old ,gabriel ,ware1 the      
sexton1 with his fiddle1 and two younger
 men1 one of whom played the  concertina
 and the other the cornopean1 each with 
a huge nosegay in  his breast and       
wearing the jauntiest air conceivable4  
,there was  a happy buzz of excitement  
about the schoolhouse as the people     
assembled2 a joyous babble of the clear 
treble voices of little lads  and       
lasses1 and the piping notes of         
garrulous patriarchs and ancient  dames2
 a strange picture1 as pathetic as it   
was pretty1 of bright  young faces and  
dancing little figures mingling among   
gray wrinkled  visages and frail        
stooping shapes4    8,well1 ,dora1 we   
are to have a fine day10 said ,edith1 as
 she entered  the garden and shook hands
 with the schoolmistress4    8,splendid2
 only we shall be a little late in      

starting4 ,we should have  been off at  
ten1 and the waggons have not come yet4 
,why1 here is old  ,daddy coming60      
,she had stepped out to the road to look
 for the waggons1 and now she  went to  
welcome the new arrival whom she called 
,daddy4 ,he was a very  old1 very wiry  
little man1 with a funny little face    
full of wrinkles1  a pair of little grey
 eyes1 and a perfectly bald head4 ,this 
was the  oldest inhabitant of ,omberley2
 and though he was in his ninety-second 
year1 he was as brisk and hearty as many
 who were twenty years his  juniors4    
8,well1 ,daddy1 you have actually come60
 said ,dora1 shaking hands with  him4   
8,i am very glad4 ,and how do you feel  
to-day8 ,pretty strong and  hearty8'    
8,strong as ,samson1 mistress1 and      
hearty as--hearty as anything10         
replied the old man1 with a chuckle4    
8,please1 miss10 said a young woman who 
accompanied him1 8mother sends  her     
duty1 and will you kindly take care of  
him and see as he doesn't  go           

a-thinking40    ,daddy's only symptom of
 senility was an aptitude to fall into a
 state  of unconsciousness1 and in these
 cases1 which sometimes lasted for      
hours together1 he would sit down       
wherever he was1 and consequently  ran  
considerable risks when he went         
out-of-doors alone4 ,though the old     
fellow was quite unable to give any     
account of himself during these  lapses 
into oblivion1 he always stoutly        
declared that he had been only          
thinking4    8,and please1 miss1 you'll 
find his bacca-box and his pipe in his  
tail  pocket1 and his hankercher1 and   
the matches is in his vest pocket4 ,he  
do forget where he puts his things40    
,daddy laughed scornfully4    8,i never 
forgets nothing1 ,i don't10 he said     
boastingly4 8,i can mind  o' the great  
beech as was blown down on the green in 
the whirlywind  of #8#ib2 ay1 ,i        
mind----0    ,a loud cheer from the     
school children interrupted the flow of 
,daddy's  reminiscences4 ,the greeting  

was intended for the vicar and the      
patroness of the festival1 ,mrs4        
,haldane1 who now drove up to the       
school-house4 ,she was already          
acquainted with ,dora1 but she had not  
yet met either ,edith or the oldest     
inhabitant4 ,mr4 ,santley introduced    
both as the waggons came in sight1 and  
at once the cheering was  renewed1 and  
the children streamed out into the road4
 ,what a fine  sight those waggons were 
v--the long1 curved1 wheeled ships of   
the  inland farmer1 painted yellow and  
red1 and drawn by big horses1 with  huge
 collars and bright iron chains6 ,the   
semicircular canvas awning  had been    
removed1 but the wooden arches which    
supported it were  wreathed with leaves 
and flowers1 and festoons hung overhead 
between  arch and arch4 ,the horses1    
too1 were gaily decked out1 each having 
a  nosegay between its ears1 and its    
mane and tail tied up with ribbons4     
,the bottom of the waggons were covered 
with trusses of straw1 to make          

comfortable seats for the old folk4 ,the
 more daring of the lads were  already  
clambering up the wheels1 and securing  
seats on the flakes  which went along   
the sides of the rustic ship like a sort
 of  outrigger4    ,before allowing     
,daddy to be helped on board1 ,miss     
,greatheart beckoned  to her a little   
pale-faced girl who was obliged to use  
crutches4    8,nannie dear1 ,i want you 
to look after ,daddy as much as you can4
 ,when  you are tired of him you must   
come and tell me4 ,don't let him go away
  by himself1 and wake him up if he     
sleeps too long40    ,this was said in a
 whisper to the child1 who smiled and   
nodded4    8,now1 ,daddy1 here's little 
,nannie ,swales10 said ,dora2 8,i want  
you to  take care of her4 ,you're the   
only person ,i can trust to look after  
her  properly4 ,and she likes to talk to
 you and see you smoke40    ,the little 
old man smiled and chuckled             
complacently4    8,put her aside of me1 
mistress1 and ,i'll see as no ill comes 

to her40    ,what could have been more  
charmingly idyllic than those two great 
waggons1 crowded with little            
shining-eyed tots1 merry lads and       
lasses1  withered old men and women1 all
 happy and contented8 ,the blue sky     
laughed down on them2 the green leaves  
and flowers embowered them2  and as a   
start was2 made1 one of the musicians   
struck up 8,for we'll  a-hunting go0 on 
the concertina1 and a score of clear1   
fresh voices  joined in the jovial song4
    ,through the village1 which turned  
out to wave hands to them as they       
passed singing and cheering1 away       
through gold-green stretches of         
ripening harvest1 past empty fields     
where the hay had all been cut and      
carted1 between level expanses of root  
crops lying green in the hot  sun1 till 
at last the dark embankment of ,barton  
,wood rises above the  distant sky4 ,how
 cool and refreshing it is1 after the   
glare of the  midday sun1 to get into   
the green shadowland of these grand old 

beeches and sycamores6    ,the road     
winds leisurely as if to seek out the   
coolest recesses of the  wood1 and      
beneath the great bunches of heavy      
foliage1 what quiet1  dim distances one 
sees between the trunks1 strewn thick   
with withered  leaves1 through which the
 moss and grass and a thousand moist    
plants  thrust their emerald way1 and   
blue and pink and yellow flowers are    
clustered in cushions of velvet colour6 
,a few yards away from the  road the air
 seems brown and transparent4 ,that must
 be the reason why  the leaves of the   
mountain ash are so darkly green1 and   
the berries so  brilliantly crimson4 ,if
 you pluck a bunch and take it out of   
the wood1  you will find it has become  
disenchanted2 the colour is no longer   
the  same4    ,the road is not a        
highway1 but leads to an old quarry of  
brown  sandstone4 ,there has been no    
work done here for a few years1 but     
many generations of stonemasons have    
plied hammer and chisel in this         

picturesque workshop4 ,it is a tradition
 that the stone of ,foxglove  ,manor1   
old as it is1 was got here4 ,the old    
church was built from these  brown walls
 of stone2 so was the ,vicarage1 and so 
were the windowsills  and facings of all
 the houses in ,omberley4 ,it is an     
unusually large  quarry1 for a great    
deal of stone has been taken away during
 these  two hundred odd years4 ,a great 
deal of half-shaped stone lies about in 
large square and oblong blocks1 both on 
the floor of the quarry1 and  among the 
trees at its entrance4 ,the trees must  
have sprung up since  many of these     
blocks were cut1 otherwise it is not    
easy to see why  they should have been  
put where you now find them4 ,on two    
sides the  walls of rock are high and   
precipitous1 but on the others the grass
  and ferns and beeches are carried into
 the quarry as on the swell of a  green 
wave4 ,a stone shed and hut1 roofed with
 red tiles1 stand at the  foot of one of
 these slopes1 and here the commissariat

 department has  established itself4 ,a 
romantic1 green1 cosy1 convenient spot  
for a  picnic and a dance6    ,the      
waggons were driven right into the      
quarry1 and the horses were  hobbled and
 allowed to graze beneath the trees4    
,the hour before  dinner was spent in   
wandering through the woods gathering   
flowers  and berries1 in rolling about  
on the soft grass1 or in smoking and    
chatting among the blocks of sandstone4 
,when the cornopean sounded  the signal 
for the feast1 the youngsters came      
trooping in1 dancing  and eager to      
begin1 for the excitement had prevented 
most of them from  taking breakfast4    
,and what a luxurious feast it was ,the 
vicar1 ,mrs4 ,haldane1 ,edith1 and      
,miss ,greatheart1 went about the       
various groups seeing that every one    
was well supplied with what they liked  
best4 ,after the cold meats1  pies1 and 
pastry1 came a liberal distribution of  
fruit and milk to  the children1 and a  
glass of wine to the old people2 and at 

this  point ,daddy was made the object  
of so much nudging and whispering and   
signalling1 that at last he got upon his
 feet and made a wonderful  little      
speech on behalf of the company1 keeping
 his wine-glass in his  hand all the    
time1 and every now and then holding it 
up between his  eye and the light with  
the shrewd air of a connoisseur4 ,then  
there  were three cheers for ,mrs4      
,haldane1 and three cheers for the      
vicar1  three for ,dora and for ,edith1 
and happily some young rascal1 whose    
milk had been too strong for him1       
proposed in a frightened scream  three  
cheers for4 ,daddy1 which were very     
heartily given by all the  school       
children1 though the seniors looked much
 shocked and surprised  at so daring a  
demonstration4    ,in about an hour the 
racing and games were to begin1 and     
meanwhile  ,mrs4 ,haldane1 the vicar1   
and the two young ladies were to have   
lunch  together4 ,it is not necessary to
 enter into any detail of the various   

sports which took place1 or to linger   
over the dancing and merrymaking  that  
followed4 ,when the fun was at its      
height1 and ,daddy was capering  gaily  
to the jigging of the small orchestra1  
,edith1 who felt only half  interested1 
slipped quietly away into the wood4 ,she
 was not surprised  or aggrieved that   
,mr4 ,santley paid so much attention to 
the lady of  the ,manor1 but she felt   
hurt that he seemed so completely to    
forget  and overlook herself4 ,she      
wished now to be a little alone in      
,arden1  for ,edith loved the woods1 and
 in every glade she could imagine in her
  fanciful moments that ,jaques1 or     
,rosalind1 or ,touchstone had just gone 
by1 so closely had she associated the   
dramatic idyl with every piece  of      
,english forest-land4    ,she followed  
at haphazard a foot-track that went     
through the trees  until she reached a  
brook1 which she found she could cross  
by means  of three slippery-looking     
stepping-stones1 against which the water

  bickered and gurgled as it raced      
along4 ,all the steep banks were        
knee-deep in beautiful ferns close by   
the waters edge1 and higher up  the     
slope grew luxurious tufts of wild      
flowers4 ,the sound of-the water  was   
very pleasant to hear1 and when she had 
nimbly jumped across it1  instead of    
following the path1 she went up the side
 of the stream to  where a mountain ash 
leaned its dense clusters of            
blood-bright berries  right across4 ,at 
the foot of the tree was a large        
boulder1 and1 after  a glance round her1
 she sat down and drew off her shoes and
  stockings4 ,the weather was warm1 and 
the clear1 sun-flecked water was        
irresistibly inviting4 ,there she sat   
for some time1 dreamily paddling  with  
her little white feet1 like a pretty    
dryad whose tree grew in too  dry a     
soil4    ,she had finished playing with 
the cool stream1 and was letting her    
feet dry in the patches of sunlight that
 pierced through the branches  above    

her1 when she heard a sound of voices4  
,she hastily tried to draw  on her      
stockings1 but her skin was still too   
moist2 and so1 gathering  her feet under
 her skirt1 she concealed herself as    
much as possible  from the observation  
of the intruders4 ,as they approached   
she  recognized the voices with a start1
 and crouched down behind the  boulder  
more closely than before4    8,we can go
 no further this way10 said ,mrs4       
,haldane4    8,oh yes1 we can4 ,i will  
assist you over the stones10 the vicar  
rejoined4    8,they look very           
treacherous and slippery1 and the water 
makes one  nervous1 running so fast40   
8,look1 it is quite safe60 said the     
vicar2 and ,edith1 peeping from the     
side of the boulder1 saw him step       
quickly across the brook4 8,it is a     
pity you should miss the old ,roman     
camp1 when you are so near it40    8,if 
you will come back and assist me from   
this side1 ,i will try them10   said    
,mrs4 ,haldane44    ,the vicar returned 

across the brook1 and ,edith saw the    
lady gather her  dress and prepare to   
step on to the first stone4    8,now1   
you must be ready to reach me your hand 
in case ,i need it40    8,oh1 you will  
find it quite easy when you try4 ,don't 
stop1 but go  right across without      
hesitation40    ,mrs4 ,haldane jumped   
fairly enough on to the first boulder1  
but1  instead of allowing the forward   
impetus to carry her on1 she tried to   
stop and steady herself on the narrow   
footing among the rushing water4  ,she  
lost at once her balance and her        
courage1 and turning to him with        
outstretched arms1 she cried out1       
8,quick6 quick6 ,i shall fall60    ,she 
threw herself back to the side as she   
spoke1 and he caught her in  his arms4  
,her arms were about his neck1 her face 
close to his2 he  felt her breath upon  
his cheek4 ,it was only for an instant1 
and as  she tried to recover herself1   
their eyes met with a flash of          
self-consciousness4 ,in the passionate  

excitement of that supreme  moment he   
strained her to his breast1 and pressed 
his lips to her in a  long1 violent     
kiss4    ,edith sprang to her feet as   
though she had been stung2 but instantly
  she recollected herself1 and sank down
 into her hiding-place4    ,mrs4        
,haldane tore herself from the arms that
 encircled her1 and  fronted the vicar  
with a flushed1 angry face4    8,are you
 mad1 ,mr4 ,santley80 she asked         
indignantly4 8,allow me to pass  at     
once40    ,he stood aside trembling1    
white1 and speechless2 and she swept by 
him  and hurried back through the wood4 
,the vicar looked after her1 but stood  
as if rooted to the spot2 while  ,edith1
 heedless of the hard stones and her    
naked feet1 ran down wildly  to the     
stepping-stones4    ,he turned as she   
approached1 and there1 with the water   
whirling  between them1 she confronted  
him like his outraged conscience4       
,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,edith4    ,is this    
your fidelity8 is this your love80 she  

asked bitterly4    ,the deadly pallor of
 the vicars face had given place to a   
flush of  guilt and shame4 ,he crossed  
the brook and stood beside her4         
8,edith1 ,i have done wrong4 ,can you   
forgive me80 he asked1 attempting  to   
take her hand4    8,do not touch me1    
,mr4 ,santley60 she exclaimed1 stepping 
back from him4  8,do not speak to me40  
8,will you not forgive me1 ,edith80     
8,ask ,god to forgive you4 ,it matters  
little now whether ,i forgive or  not4  
,please go away and leave me40    8,i   
cannot leave you in this manner4 ,say   
you forgive4 ,i confess ,i  have done   
wrong1 but it was in the heat of        
passion1 it was not  premeditated40     
8,the heat of passion6 ,was it only in  
the heat of passion that you----  ,oh1  
go at once1 ,mr4 ,santley6 ,go before ,i
 say what had better be left  unspoken60
 ,the vicar paused and looked at her    
anxiously2 but ,edith1  throwing her    
shoes and stockings on the ground1 sat  
down on a stone1  and resting her pale1 

unhappy face on her hands1 gazed with a 
hard1  fixed expression at the water4   
8,dearest ,edith1 try to believe that   
what ,i did was only an act of          
momentary madness2 blame me if you will1
 for ,i cannot too severely  blame      
myself1 but do not look so relentless   
and unforgiving40    ,she never stirred 
or gave any indication that she had     
heard him1 but  sat staring at the      
water4    8,you will be sorry for your  
unkindness afterwards10 he continued4   
,she paid no heed to him1 and he saw it 
was hopeless to try to effect a         
reconciliation at the present moment4   
8,since you command me to go1 ,i will   
go40    ,still she appeared not to have 
heard him4 ,he went back across the     
brook1 and1 glancing back once or twice1
 disappeared in the wood4 ,a  minute or 
two later he stole back again1 and saw  
that she was still  sitting by the brook
 in the same stony attitude4 ,a vague   
sense of  uneasiness took possession of 
him4 ,he knew that even the meekest1    

frailest1 and gentlest of women are     
capable of the most tragic  extremities 
when under the sway of passion4 ,yet    
what could he do8  ,she would not speak 
to him1 and was deaf to all he could say
 in  extenuation of his conduct4        
,trusting to the effect of a little     
quiet reflection1 and to the love which 
he knew she felt for him1  he resolved  
at length to leave her to herself4      
,after all he had1 it  seemed to him1   
more to fear from ,mrs4 ,haldane than   
from ,edith4 ,to what  frightful        
consequences he had exposed himself by  
that act of folly6  ,would she tell her 
husband8 ,would the story leak out and  
become the  scandal of the country side8
 ,with a sickening dread of what the    
future  had in store for him1 he        
retraced his steps to the quarry4       
,mrs4 ,haldane's first impulse was to   
order her carriage and at once  drive   
home1 but her hurried walk through the  
wood gradually became  slower as she    
reflected on the strange interpretation 

that would be  put upon so sudden a     
departure4 ,she had brought the vicar1  
and if she  now hastened away without   
him1 evil tongues would soon be busied  
with  both her name and his4 ,for the   
sake of the office he held1 and for her 
own sake as well1 she resolved to be    
silent on what had happened4 ,she  felt 
sure that the vicar would be            
sufficiently punished by the stings  of 
his own conscience1 and if any future   
chastisement were required  he should   
find it in her distance and frigid      
treatment of him4  ,consequently1 when  
,mrs4 ,haldane reached the quarry she   
assumed a  cheerful1 friendly air1      
stopped to say a few kind words to the  
old  people1 and interested herself in  
the amusements of the children4 ,it  was
 now drawing near tea-time1 and the sun 
was westering4    ,mr4 ,santley felt    
relieved when he found that ,mrs4       
,haldane had not  abruptly left1 as he  
dreaded she would do1 but he made no    
attempt to  speak to her or attract her 

attention4 ,at tea-time she took a cup  
in  her hand and joined a group of      
little girls1 instead of taking her     
place at the table set aside for her4   
,the vicar's eye glanced restlessly     
about for ,edith1 but she had not       
obeyed the summons of the cornopean1 and
 in the bustle and excitement1  her     
absence was not noticed4 ,it was only   
when the horses had been put  into the  
shafts1 and the children1 after being   
counted1 were taking  their places in   
the waggons1 that ,miss ,greatheart     
missed her4    8,have you seen ,miss    
,dove1 ,mr4 ,santley80 she asked1 after 
she had  searched in vain through the   
little crowd for ,edith4 8,i don't think
  she was at tea40    8,she went in the 
direction of the old camp10 replied     
thevicar1  hurriedly2 8she cannot have  
heard the signal4 ,do not say anything4 
,i  think ,i shall be easily able to    
find her4 ,if ,mrs4 ,haldane asks for   
me1  will you say ,i have gone to look  
for her8 ,you can start as soon as you  

are ready2 we shall easily overtake     
you40    ,so saying1 ,mr4 ,santley      
plunged into the wood1 and hurried to   
the  brook4 ,edith was still sitting    
where he had left her1 but she had in   
the meanwhile put on her shoes and      
stockings4 ,instead of the  fixed1      
determined expression1 her face now wore
 a look of intense  wretchedness1 and   
evidently she had been crying4 ,she     
looked up at the  sound of his          
footsteps4    8,edith1 we are going     
home10 he said1 as he reached the edge  
of the  stream4    8,you can go10 was   
the answer4    8,but not without you40  
8,yes1 without me4 ,i am not going home4
 ,i am never going home any more4  ,i   
have no home4 ,oh6 mother1 mother60     
,the last words were uttered in a low1  
sobbing voice4    8,come1 come1 you must
 not speak like that4 ,you must go home4
 ,what  would your poor aunt say if you 
did anything so foolish80    8,oh1 what 
would she say if she knew how ,i have   
disgraced her and  myself8 ,no1 ,i      

cannot go home any more40    8,but you  
cannot stay here all night10 said the   
vicar1 with a chill1  sinking tremor at 
the heart4    ,she gave no answer4      
8,edith1 my dear girl1 for ,god's sake  
do not say you are thinking of  doing   
anything rash60    8,what else can ,i   
do8 ,what else am ,i fit for but        
disgrace and a  miserable end8 ,oh1 ,mr4
 ,santley1 you swore to me that before  
,god ,i was  your true wife4 ,i believed
 you then4 ,i did not think you were    
only  acting in a moment of passion4    
,but now ,i see that it was a dreadful  
sin4 ,i was not your wife2 and oh6 what 
have you made me instead80    ,he was   
very pale1 and he trembled from head to 
foot as he listened to  her words4      
8,do not speak so loud10 he said in a   
hoarse whisper4    8,what6 do you feel  
ashamed8 ,are you afraid of any one     
knowing8 ,but ,god  knows it now1 and my
 poor1 poor mother knows it--,god help  
me6--and all  the world will know it    
some day40    8,edith1 you will not ruin

 me80    8,have you not ruined me8 ,have
 you not cast me off for a woman who    
does not even care for you--for another 
man's wife8 ,oh no1 do not be  afraid4  
,i will take my shame with me in        
silence4 ,no one shall be able  to say a
 word against you now1 but all the world
 will know at the  last40    8,edith1   
listen to me4 ,i will tell you          
everything2 ,i will hide nothing  from  
you2 but do not condemn me unheard4 ,all
 that ,i said to you was  true1 and is  
still true4 ,till she came1 ,i did      
really and most truly  love you with all
 my heart and soul4 ,you were my very   
wife1 in ,god's  eyes1 if love and truth
 be1 as they are1 what makes the        
validity  of marriage4 ,i did not       
deceive you2 ,i did not speak in a      
moment of  passion4 ,before ,heaven ,i  
took you for my wife1 and before ,heaven
 ,i  believed myself your husband40     
8,and then she came60 interposed ,edith1
 bitterly4    8,and then she came4 ,i   
have told you all she was to me once1   

all  ,i hoped she would one day be4 ,but
 ,i have not told you how ,i have       
struggled to be true to you in every    
word and thought4 ,it has been a  hard  
and a bitter struggle--all the more hard
 and bitter that ,i have  failed4 ,i    
confess1 ,edith1 that ,i have not been  
true4 ,but are we all  sinless8 are we  
perfect80    8,we can at least be       
honourable4 ,your love of her is a      
crime40    8,her beauty maddens me4 ,she
 is my evil angel4 ,to see her is to    
love  her and long for her4 ,and instead
 of helping me to conquer temptation1   
instead of trying to save me from       
myself1 you cast me from you1 you       
upbraid my weakness1 you taunt me with  
your unhappiness4 ,when she is  not     
near1 my better nature turns to you4    
,you help me to believe in  ,god1 in    
goodness2 she drives me to unbelief and 
atheism4 ,did you fancy  ,i was a saint8
 ,have not ,i my passions and           
temptations as well as other  men8 ,even
 the just man falls seven times a day2  

if you indeed loved me  as a true wife1 
you would find it in your heart to      
forgive even unto  seventy times seven40
    8,you know how ,i have loved60      
8,have loved6 ,ay1 and how easily you   
have ceased to love60    8,no1 no2 ,i   
have never ceased to love you4 ,it is   
because ,i must still  love and love you
 that ,i am so wretched40    8,then how 
can you be so unforgiving80    8,oh1 ,i 
am not unforgiving4 ,i can forgive you  
anything1 so long as ,i  know that ,i am
 dear to you4 ,seven and seventy-seven  
times40    8,and you forgive me now80   
8,i do4 ,but you will never any         
more----0    8,you must help me not to2 
you must pray for me1 and assist me to  
be  ever faithful to you40    8,i will1 
,i will40    ,he drew her to him1 and   
kissed her on the lips4    8,and you    
will come home now80    8,yes1 with     
you40    8,the waggons have started1 and
 we must walk quickly to overtake them40
    8,oh1 ,i don't care now how far we  
have to walk40    8,mrs4 ,haldane1      

however1 may have waited for us40       
,edith stopped short4    8,i couldn't go
 near her40    8,consider a moment1     
darling4 ,she knows nothing about you1  
and she does  not know that you know    
anything about her4 ,it might look      
strange if  she drove home without me1  
after bringing me here4 ,i feared at    
first  that she would have left         
instantly1 but she did not4 ,she may not
  wish to give people any reason for    
talking about any sudden coolness       
between us4 ,do you understand me80     
8,yes4 ,i will go40    ,the vicar had   
correctly divined the course ,mrs4      
,haldane had pursued4  ,when she learned
 that ,mr4 ,santley had gone in search  
of ,edith1 she  drove very leisurely    
along1 so that they might overtake her4 
,she had  just got clear of the wood    
when1 on looking round1 she observed    
them  coming through the trees4 ,she    
drew up till they reached her2 and when 
they had got in1 she started a brisk    
conversation with ,edith on all  manner 

of topics4 ,she was in her liveliest    
mood1 and to ,edith it  seemed almost   
incredible that the scene she had       
witnessed at the brook  was a very      
serious fact1 and not an hallucination4 
,edith noticed1  however1 that the vicar
 seldom spoke1 and that1 though ,mrs4   
,haldane  listened and answered when he 
made any remark1 the conversation was   
between ,mrs4 ,haldane and herself4     
,at parting ,mrs4 ,haldane gave him her 
finger-tips1 and was apparently  paying 
more attention to ,edith when she said  
good-bye to him4          ,,chapter     
,,xii4 ,,conscience4    ,mrs4 ,haldane  
came no more to the ,vicarage that week1
 and on ,sunday  she did not remain1 as 
she had hitherto done1 for the communion
 at the  close of the morning service4  
,she was evidently deeply offended1 and 
was doing all she could to avoid meeting
 the vicar4 ,with him that week  had    
been one of terrible conflict4 ,tortured
 with remorse and shame1 he  was still  
mad with passion4 ,that kiss was still  

burning on his lips4  ,he still could   
feel that voluptuous form in his arms4  
,it seemed1  indeed1 as though ,mrs4    
,haldane were his evil genius1 driving  
him on  to destruction4 ,he was unable  
to pray2 and when he sat down to prepare
  his sermon1 her face rose between him 
and the paper1 and1 starting  up1 he    
rushed from the house and walked rapidly
 away into the country4  ,this was in   
the forenoon1 and he walked on and on at
 a quick pace for  several hours4 ,he   
passed little hamlets and farmsteads    
which he did  not notice1 for his mind  
was absorbed in a wretchedness so       
intense  that he scarcely was conscious 
of what he was doing4 ,in the afternoon 
he came to a wood1 and1 worn out with   
fatigue and agitation1 he  entered it   
and flung himself beneath the shadow of 
a tree4    ,there he lay1 a prey to     
conscience1 till the sun went down4 ,he 
had had  no food since morning1 and he  
was now weak and nervous4 ,he returned  
from the wood to the high-road and      

retraced his steps homeward4 ,as he     
passed by the wayside cottages1 he was  
tempted once or twice to stop  and ask  
for bread and milk1 but after a mental  
contest he each time  conquered the     
pangs of hunger and thirst1 and went on 
again4 ,the  fathers of the desert had  
subdued the lusts of the flesh by hunger
 and  stripes and physical suffering1   
and if mortification could exorcise  the
 evil spirit within him1 he would have  
no mercy on himself4 ,he was  a great   
distance from home1 and1 notwithstanding
 his resolution to  suffer and endure1  
he was several times forced to sit down 
and rest on  heaps of broken stones by  
the wayside2 and on one of these        
occasions  a spray of bramble-berries   
hanging over the hedge caught his eye1  
and looked so rich and sweet that he    
plucked one and raised it to his  mouth4
 ,the next moment1 however1 he had flung
 it away from him4 ,on  another occasion
 he was startled to his feet by the     
sound of wheels1  and as he walked on he

 was overtaken by a neighbouring farmer 
in his  gig1 who drew up as he was      
passing1 and touched his hat4           
8,making for home1 ,mr4 ,santley80 he   
asked1 as he shook up the cushion  on   
the vacant seat beside him4 8,i can put 
you down at your own door1  sir40       
8,thank you1 ,mr4 ,henderson2 ,i prefer 
walking1 and ,i have some business  to  
attend to40    8,all right1 sir4 ,it's a
 fine evening for a walk4 ,good-bye40   
8,good-bye40    ,the vicar watched the  
gig diminish on the distant road till at
  length the hedgerows concealed it1    
with a certain sense of stoical         
satisfaction4 ,he felt he was not all   
weakness2 there was yet left  some power
 of self-denial1 some fortitude to      
endure self-inflicted  chastisement4    
,it was nearly dark when he arrived     
again in ,omberley4 ,the windows were   
ruddy with fire and gaslight2 there were
 no children playing in the  streets2   
several of the small shopkeepers who    
kept open late1 were now  at last       

putting up their shutters4 ,there was a 
genial glow from the  red-curtained     
window of the village inn1 and a sound  
of singing and  merriment4    8,why     
should ,i not go in and join them80 he  
thought to himself4 8,what  an effect it
 would have1 if ,i stepped into the     
sanded taproom and  called for a pipe   
and a quart of beer6 ,the vicar smoking 
a long clay1  with his frothing pewter  
on the deal table beside him6 ,why not8 
,has  not the vicar his gross appetites 
as well as you8 ,why should you be      
scandalized1 friends1 if he should      
indulge in the same merry way as        
yourselves8 ,is he not a mere man like  
you1 with the same animal needs  and    
cravings8 ,fools1 who shrink with horror
 from the humanity of a man  because he 
wears a black coat and talks to you of  
duty and sacrifice  and godliness6 ,how 
little you know the poor wretch to whom 
you look  for counsel and comfort and   
mediation with ,heaven60    ,he was     
turning away1 when the taproom door was 

flung open1 and half  a dozen tipsy men1
 cursing and quarrelling1 staggered out 
into the  street4    ,among them was a  
handsome1 swarthy girl of two and       
twenty1 gaily  dressed in colours1 with 
a coloured handkerchief bound over her  
black  hair1 and a guitar in her hand4  
,they were evidently quarrelling about  
the girl1 who was doing her best to make
 peace among them4    8,you does me no  
good by your fighting and kicking up a  
row1 masters4  ,decent folks won't let a
 wench into the house when there's      
always a  fight got up about her4 ,you  
spoils my market1 and gets me an ill    
name1  masters40    8,any way1 ,jack    
,haywood shan't lay a finger on thee1   
,sal60 cried a  burly young fellow1 deep
 in his cups1 as he clenched his horny  
fist  and shook it at ,jack4    8,what  
is't to you what ,jack does80 returned  
the girl1 saucily4  8,neither ,jack nor 
thee shall lay a finger on me against my
 will4 ,i  reckon ,i can take care o'   
myself1 masters40    8,ay1 ay1 thou     

canst that60 assented several voices4   
,the vicar1 who had stood to witness    
this scene1 now stepped in among  the   
group4 ,the men recognized him1 and1    
touching their forelocks1  slunk away in
 sheepish silence4 ,he uttered not a    
word1 but his pale  face sobered them   
like a dash of cold water4 ,only the    
girl was left1  and she stood1 red and  
frightened1 while her hands were        
nervously  busied with the guitar4      
8,you are back again1 ,sal1 and at your 
old ways10 said the vicar1 in a  low    
voice4 8,i see1 all good advice and all 
encouragement are wasted on  you40      
8,i can't help it1 sir10 said the girl1 
sullenly4 8,i was born bad2 ,i'm  of a  
bad lot4 ,it's no use trying any more4  
,it's in the blood and the  bone1 and   
it'll come out1 in spite of everything40
    8,have you made much to-day80 asked 
the vicar4    8,a shilling40    8,where 
are you going to stop tonight80    8,at 
old ,mary ,henson's1 in ,bara ,street40 
8,then1 go home at once1 ,sal10 said the

 vicar1 giving her a half-crown4  8,will
 you promise me80    8,yes40    8,and   
you will speak to no man tonight8 ,you  
promise80    8,yes10 said the girl1     
taking the money1 with a strange look of
 inquiry  at the vicar4    8,and try to 
say your prayers before you go to       
sleep40    ,the girl dropped a curtsy1  
and went slowly down the street4 ,with a
  bitter laugh1 the vicar pursued his   
way homeward4    8,in the blood and the 
bone6 ,in the blood and the bone60 he2  
repeated  to himself4 8,you are right1  
girl2 we are born bad--born bad4 ,the   
bestial madness of ages and aeons1 the  
lust and lasciviousness of  countless   
generations1 are still in our blood1 and
 our instincts  are still the instincts 
of the beast and the savage4 ,hypocrite 
and  blasphemer that ,i am6 ,whited     
sepulchre1 reeking with corruption6     
,living lie and mask of holiness6 ,o    
,god1 what a wretch am ,i1 who dare1  to
 speak of purity and repentance to this 
woman60    ,when he reached the         

,vicarage1 his sister was anxiously     
awaiting him1  and supper was ready4    
8,where have you been so long80 she     
asked1 a little impatiently4 8,i  think 
you might leave word when you expect to 
be detained beyond your  usual time4 ,it
 is eleven o'clock40    8,i could not   
say how long ,i should be10 replied the 
vicar1 with a  weary look1 which touched
 his sister and changed her ill-temper  
to  solicitude4    8,you are quite tired
 out1 poor fellow10 she said1 laying her
 hand on  his shoulder4 8,well1 come to 
supper4 ,it is ready40    8,i cannot    
take anything at present10 replied ,mr4 
,santley4 8,i will1 go  and do a little 
of my sermon40    8,shall ,i leave      
something out for you1 then80    8,yes1 
please4 ,good night40    ,he went into  
the study1 lit the gas1 and1 locking the
 door1 flung  himself into an armchair4 
8,in the blood6 in the blood60 he       
bitterly communed with himself4 8,and1  
with all our wild dreams and            
aspirations1 we are but what science    

says  we are1 the conqueror of the      
lascivious ape1 the offspring of some   
common ancestral bestiality1 which      
transmitted to the simian its  animalism
 free and unfettered except by appetite1
 and to man the germs  of a moral law   
which must be for ever at variance with 
his sensual  instincts4 ,god6 we are    
worse than apes--we the immortals1 with 
our  ideals of spirit and purity60      
,he rose1 and going across the room to  
the tall1 carved oak cupboard1  whose   
contents were a secret to all but       
himself1 he unlocked it and  opened the 
folding doors4 ,the light fell on a     
large1 beautiful statue  of the         
,madonna1 with the ,infant ,christ in   
her arms4 ,the figure was in  plaster1  
exquisitely coloured1 and of a rare     
loveliness4 ,he looked at  it           
abstractedly for a long while4          
8,mother of ,god60 he exclaimed at      
length1 with passionate fervour4        
8,spotless virgin1 woman above all women
 glorified1 the solitary boast  of our  

tainted nature--oh1 dream and desire of 
men striving for their  lost innocence1 
how vainly have ,i worshipped and prayed
 to thee6 ,how  ardently have ,i        
believed in thy immaculate motherhood6  
,how yearningly  ,i have cried to thee  
for thy aid and intercession6 ,and no   
answer has  been granted to my          
supplications4 ,my feverish exaltation  
has passed  from me1 leaving me weak and
 at the mercy of my senses4 ,art thou1  
too1 but a poetic myth of a later       
superstition--an idealization more      
beautiful1 more divine than the frail   
goddesses of ,greece and ,rome8  ,the   
art and poetry of the world have turned 
to thee for inspiration1  the ascetic   
has filled the cold cell with the       
shining vision of thee1  altars have    
been raised to thee over half the globe1
 the prayers of  nations ascend to thee1
 and art thou but a beautiful conception
 of the  heart1 powerless to aid or to  
hear thy suppliants80    ,he paused1 as 
if1 indeed1 he expected some sign or    

word in answer to  his wild appeal4     
,then1 closing the doors again and      
locking them1 he  went towards his-desk4
 ,on it lay the manuscript of the sermon
 he had  preached on the ,unknown ,god4 
8,the ,unknown ,god60 he exclaimed4     
8,what if her husband is right6 ,what   
if1 indeed1 there be no ,god1 no ,god   
for us1 no ,god of whom we shall  ever  
be conscious6 ,all science points that  
way4 ,when the man is dead1  his soul is
 dead too4 ,we deny it2 but what is our 
denial worth8 ,it is  our interest to   
deny it4 ,all phenomena contradict our  
denial4 ,no man  has ever risen from the
 grave to give us assurance of our      
immortality4  ,ah1 truly1 #8if there be 
no resurrection of the dead1 then is    
,christ  not risen2 and if ,christ be   
not risen1 then is our preaching vain1  
and  your faith is also vain6'0    ,he  
paced the room excitedly4    8,why act  
the knave and the hypocrite longer8 ,why
 delude the world  with a false hope of 
a future that can never be8 ,why preach 

prayer  and sacrifice1 and suffering and
 patience1 when this life is all8 ,if   
,christ is not risen1 our preaching is  
vain1 and your faith is also  vain40    
,he again paced the room2 and then1     
going to a drawer where the keys of  the
 church were kept1 he took them1 and    
stole noiselessly out of the  house4    
,all was very still outside4 ,the stars 
were shining1 and it was  duskily clear4
 ,he traversed the churchyard1 and      
reaching the porch  he unlocked the door
 and entered4 ,it was quite dark1 except
 that the  tall1 narrow windows looked  
grey against the blackness of the rest  
of  the building1 and a little bead of  
flame burned in the sanctuary lamp4  ,he
 closed the door after him1 and went up 
the echoing nave to the  chancel4       
,thence he groped his way to the pulpit1
 and ascending he  looked down into the 
darkness before him4    ,he stood there 
in silence1 straining his eyes into the 
gloom1 and  gradually there came out of 
the darkness faint1 spectral rows of    

faces1 turned up to his with a horrified
 and bewildered aspect4 ,he  uttered no 
word1 but in his brain he was preaching 
from the text of  ,paul1 and proving    
that ,christ1 indeed1 had never risen1  
and that their  faith was vain4 ,this   
world was all1 and there was nothing    
beyond it4  ,vice and virtue were but   
social and physical distinctions1       
implying  that the consequences of the  
one were destructive of happiness1 of   
the  other were conducive to happiness4 
,sin was a fiction1 and the sense  of   
sinfulness a morbid development of the  
imagination4 ,every man was a  law unto 
himself1 and that law must be obeyed4 ,a
 mans actions were the  outcome of his  
constitution4 ,he was not morally       
responsible for them4  ,indeed1 moral   
responsibility was a philosophical      
error4 ,in dumb show  was that long1    
phrenzied sermon preached to a phantom  
congregation4 ,at  the close the vicar1 
omitting the usual form of benediction1 
descended  from the pulpit1 staggered   

across the chancel1 and fell in a swoon 
at  the foot of the steps which led to  
the altar4          ,,chapter ,,xiii4   
,,in ,,the ,,laboratory4    ,the grey   
dawn was glimmering through the chancel 
when ,mr4 ,santley  regained            
consciousness4 ,he looked wonderingly   
about him1 and at first  was unable to  
understand how he came to be in his     
present position4  ,that physical       
collapse had been a merciful relief from
 a state of  mental tension which had   
become intolerable4 ,he felt faint but  
calm1  and the horrible excitement of   
the last few hours presented itself  to 
his memory as a sort of ghastly         
nightmare from which he had been        
providentially awakened4    ,he rose and
 went out into the churchyard4 ,the air 
was moist and cool4  ,a strange white   
mist lay in fantastic pools and streaks 
on the bare  hayfields4 ,the corn was   
full of an indistinct white gauzy       
vapour4 ,so  were the trees4 ,there was 
not much of it in the open air4 ,it had 

a  spectral look1 and1 like spirits1 it 
seemed to require some material  thing  
to interpenetrate and rest upon4 ,the   
grass was heavy with dew1  and the      
gravelled walk as dark coloured as      
though there had been rain4  ,from the  
corn came the sound of innumerable      
chirpings and twitterings4  ,the fields 
seemed to be swarming with sweet1 sharp 
musical notes4 ,in  the trees1 too1     
though there was no stir of wings1 there
 was a very  tumult of bird-song--not   
the full1 joyous outpouring1 but a      
ceaseless  orchestral tuning up and     
rehearsing as it were4 ,the familiar    
graveyard  in this unusual misty light1 
and alive with this strange music1      
seemed  a place in which ne had never   
been before4 ,the effect was as novel as
  the first appearance of a well-known  
landscape buried in snow4    ,the       
newness of what was so familiar excited 
an indefinable interest in  him4 ,he    
felt somehow as though he had passed    
through the valley of the  shadow1 and  

this was the day after death--that death
 by which we  shall not all die1 but by 
which we and all things shall be        
changed4  ,he lingered in that mental   
state in which thought expands beyond   
the  bounds of consciousness1 and it was
 not till a low1 faint flush of  red    
began to colour the east that he        
returned to the ,vicarage1 and1         
throwing himself on his bed1 fell into  
the deep1 dreamless sleep of            
exhaustion4    ,it was fortunate for    
,mr4 ,santley that he had inherited a   
magnificent  constitution1 or the       
consequences of this wild conflict might
 have  been disastrous4 ,he woke late1  
but the brief period of rest and        
unconsciousness had repaired the        
reckless waste of nervous force4 ,only  
a profound sadness remained as a        
testimony of the terrible nature of  the
 emotion he had endured4 ,the rest of   
the week passed in a sort of  weary1    
listless stupor and the same heavy      
sadness4 ,when ,sunday came  round1 he  

shuddered as he ascended the pulpit at  
the recollection  of that phantasmal    
audience to which he had last preached2 
but his  intellect was clear and sane1  
and he kept faithfully to the written   
discourse spread out before him4 ,he was
 not surprised that ,mrs4  ,haldane left
 before he had any opportunity of       
speaking to her4    ,he had half        
expected as much4 ,she regarded him with
 a cold1 haughty  contempt--a contempt  
too passionless to permit her even to   
avenge the  insult he had offered her by
 exposing him to his parishioners4 ,she 
knew he loved her--and indeed was not   
this folly proof of the frantic         
character of his love8--and she knew    
that total loss of her would be  the    
greatest chastisement even              
vindictiveness could wish to inflict    
upon him4 ,it would have been possible  
for him1 he thought1 to bear  in silence
 any punishment from her except this icy
 contempt and utter  indifference4 ,if  
she had hated him1 if she had pursued   

him with bitter  hostility1 if she had  
disgraced him1 he could have endured it2
 it  would have been no more than he    
merited4 ,but that she should simply    
ignore him1 that she should not consider
 it worth her while even to be  angry1  
was an intolerable humiliation4    ,in  
spite of all1 he still loved her6 ,it   
was useless to seek to delude  himself  
into any belief to the contrary4 ,he    
loved her1 in defiance of  honour1      
goodness2 in spite of misery and shame2 
in spite of divine or  human law2 in    
spite of man or ,god4 ,he loved her with
 a mad1 despairing  passion1 which he   
might conceal from all eyes for a little
 while1 but  which he could never quell2
 which he felt would some day break out 
in a frantic paroxysm that would involve
 both him and her in a common  ruin4    
,home1 position1 reputation1 this life  
and the next--he could  sacrifice all   
for her4 ,he could not exist without    
her4 ,to see her and  be never seen by  
her was a living hell4 ,if he were1     

indeed1 to be for  ever doomed to this  
misery1 better that he should perish at 
once1 and  have done for ever with the  
torture of being4    ,this alternative  
presented itself to the vicar not merely
 as one of  those exaggerated           
expressions of feeling common to many   
men in  moments of unendurable pain or  
depression1 but as a sober reality4 ,an 
existence in which ,mrs4 ,haldane took  
no part and shared no interest  was     
literally to him an existence more      
hateful than self-destruction  itself4  
,on the ,monday he proceeded to the     
neighbouring market town1  and bought a 
revolver and a packet of cartridges4 ,he
 loaded the weapon  on the road1 and    
threw the remaining cartridges away4    
,that evening he  spent in looking over 
his papers1 a large number of which he  
burned4  ,he then sat down1 and wrote   
for some time2 but when he had finished1
  he threw what he had written into the 
fire4 ,what need was there to put  any  
explanation on record8 ,he then took    

from the bookcase the great  poem of    
,lucretius1 and read till a late hour4  
,next morning he arose early1 and seemed
 in better spirits than he had  been for
 some time4 ,he told his sister that he 
was going to walk over  to ,foxglove    
,manor1 and was not certain as to when  
he would return4 ,he  left the house1   
humming a tune1 and set out at a brisk  
pace through  the village4 ,the weather 
was bright and inspiriting4 ,the country
 never  before seemed so full of health 
and gladness and joyous life4 ,the  lark
 was singing far up in the shining blue 
sky2 butterflies went  fluttering across
 the road2 whirring flights of birds    
along the  hedgerows preceded him all   
the way4 ,he looked at everything and   
noticed everything--the bright flowers  
growing among the wayside  weeds2 the   
snail which had crept on to the         
footpath1 and whose shell  he carefully 
avoided4 ,he observed too much to think2
 but one thought1  underlying this      
discursive activity of mind1 kept him   

company all the  while--8,i have        
struggled and prayed2 ,i have tried to  
believe and to  trust2 ,i can do no     
more4 ,if there be a ,god who is        
concerned in man1  let him now give     
evidence of ,his providence40    ,when  
he reached the ,manor1 he was ushered   
into the reception-room1  where he was  
not kept long waiting4 ,mrs4 ,haldane   
entered the  apartment1 and received him
 with a chilling courtesy4 ,she noticed 
that1 though he had advanced eagerly at 
her entrance1 he had not  offered her   
his hand2 and now that she had bowed to 
him with a certain  constrained grace1  
he stood regarding her hesitatingly4    
8,i have come10 he said at last1 in a   
low1 nervous voice1 8to throw  myself on
 your mercy1 to beg your forgiveness1 to
 ask you once more to  restore me your  
confidence and friendship40    8,i      
freely forgive you1 ,mr4 ,santley10 she 
replied at once4 8,it is  better that   
what has taken place should be forgiven 
and forgotten  as speedily as possible4 

,but my confidence and friendship6 ,how 
can ,i  trust you any more8 ,and ,i did 
trust and esteem you so much4 ,i        
regarded  you---- ,but ,i will not even 
reproach you with having destroyed my   
idealization of you40    8,reproach me  
and censure me as you will10 he cried   
earnestly2 8but do  not cast me away    
from you1 do not be heartlessly         
indifferent to me4 ,it  lies in your    
hands to make my life happy or          
miserable4 ,it depends on  you whether  
,i can live at all40    8,that cannot   
be10 replied ,mrs4 ,haldane1 shaking her
 head gravely4    8,it is and must be10 
said the vicar4 8,all my future1 both   
here and  hereafter1 hangs on your      
decision now4 ,i have fought with       
myself1 and  prayed to ,god to be       
delivered from my bondage2 but it is in 
vain4 ,no  answer has been vouchsafed to
 my supplications2 no grace1 no strength
  has been granted in my need4 ,had ,i  
prayed to the deaf impersonal power     
which your husband believes in1 ,i could

 not have been more hopelessly  unheard 
or unheeded4 ,the conflict is over4 ,i  
am the gladiator fallen  in the arena1  
and it rests with you to give the signal
 of reprieve or  destruction40    8,i do
 not understand you1 ,mr4 ,santley10 she
 said1 feeling alarmed and  excited4    
8,what do you ask8 ,what would you have 
me do80    8,oh1 what would ,i have you 
do60 he exclaimed passionately2 then1   
checking himself abruptly1 he continued 
eagerly1 8,i would have you  be as you  
were before ,i offended you4 ,i would   
have you forgive my  offence40    8,i   
have promised to forgive and forget it10
 said ,mrs4 ,haldane4    8,no2 do not   
forget it1 but pardon it1 and try to    
look upon it as more  venial than you   
now do4 ,oh1 ,ellen1 had ,i not loved   
you beyond all that  a man values in    
this world1 would it be possible to have
 so far fallen  in your esteem80    ,she
 frowned1 and was about to interrupt    
him2 but he went on  hurriedly--8,do not
 be angry4 ,i will not speak to you of  

love again4  ,i will only answer your   
question4 ,i would1 as ,i have said1    
that you  should forgive my offence1 and
 be the same to me as though it had     
never happened4 ,not only my use in     
life1 my happiness1 my honour  depend on
 this1 but life itself4 ,i cannot exist 
without some share  in your thoughts1 in
 your interests1 in your regard4 ,life  
would be  intolerable if you were to be 
wholly taken away from me4 ,do ,i ask   
too  much8 ,answer me quickly1 for ,i am
 prepared for either alternative4 ,you  
and ,god--if1 indeed1 there be above us 
a ,god who sees and cares--must  now    
decide my course40    8,you frighten and
 bewilder me with your passion4 ,i do   
not know what  to answer you4 ,indeed1  
,i hardly know whether ,i understand    
you4 ,i have  forgiven you4 ,i bear you 
no ill will4 ,i hope1 indeed1 that you  
may  be happy1 and that you may soon    
find some one who will be worthier of   
your love than ,i could have been4 ,i am
 both sorry and ashamed of what  has    

happened1 and ,i will try to forget it1 
both for your sake and my  own4 ,have ,i
 not said enough80    8,and the future80
 he asked1 with an anxious look4        
8#8,the future will be a continuation of
 the past1 seeing that all is  forgiven 
and forgotten40    8,and you will still 
allow me to speak to you1 to see you8   
,you will not  treat me with silence and
 indifference80    8,i will be as ,i    
used to be10 said ,ellen1 with a look of
 doubt and  hesitation4 8,and you will  
trust me80    8,are you to be trusted1  
,mr4 ,santley80 she asked in a low      
voice4 8,you  know how fully ,i trusted 
you before40    8,and you must trust me 
again if all is to be the same as it    
was4 ,is  not that our agreement80      
8,i will try to1 but the result will    
entirely depend upon yourself40    8,i  
cannot say how thankful and grateful ,i 
am to you10 he said1  extending his     
hand4    ,she took it1 and he raised    
hers to his lips1 though she coloured   
and  tried to withdraw it4    8,nay1 it 

is but a token of my gratitude and      
submission4 ,i am thankful  to live1 and
 you do not know how certainly you have 
enabled me to  live40    8,my husband is
 in the laboratory10 said ,mrs4         
,haldane1 who felt uneasy1  and wished  
to bring this interview to a close4     
8,shall we join him8    8,certainly1 if 
you wish it40    ,they found ,mr4       
,haldane busily engaged in writing1     
while the  sinister-looking attendant1  
with the dark1 startling eyes1 was      
noiselessly occupied in filling a number
 of flasks with some  mysterious        
decoction intended for immediate        
experiment4    8,ever busy60 exclaimed  
the vicar4    8,busier than ever just   
now10 replied ,mr4 ,haldane4 8,i am     
preparing a  paper which ,i intend to   
read on ,tuesday next before the        
scientific  congress at ,paris40        
8,are you going to ,paris80 asked ,mr4  
,santley1 with surprise1 and  addressing
 the question rather to ,mrs4 ,haldane  
than her husband4    8,mr4 ,haldane is  

going1 but ,i remain here40    ,a look  
of relief passed over the vicar's face4 
8,and what is the subject of your paper1
 if curiosity be pardonable80   he      
asked4    8,oh1 it is a chapter from the
 great opus on morals4 ,i call it #8,the
  ,problem of ,suicide4' ,a singularly  
fascinating subject to one who has  paid
 any attention to it1 ,i assure you4    
,does it happen to have fallen  in your 
line of study80    8,i cannot say it    
has40    8,you would find some curious  
generalizations here1 in that case10    
said ,mr4 ,haldane1 pointing to the     
sheets of paper on his desk4  8,for     
instance1 ,i suppose you would be hardly
 prepared to grant that  suicide1 which 
seems a barbarous and unenlightened act1
 is really an  effect of civilization1  
or that an act which appears more than  
any  other an evidence of individual    
spontaneity1 is in fact the inevitable  
issue of universal and absolute social  
law40    8,i am certainly not prepared  
to concede that40    8,no2 few persons  

unacquainted with the subject would be4 
,still1 the  facts remain4 ,the suicide 
who imagines he is rebelling against all
  law and asserting his individual      
independence1 is but illustrating the   
coercion of the physical and psychical  
dispensation4 ,why1 you shall  not even 
choose your own weapon of destruction1  
or select the spot in  which you shall  
die4 ,law will fix those apparently     
trivial details  for you4 ,if your      
suicide is an ,englishman1 for example1 
he will prefer  hanging to cutting and  
stabbing1 cutting and stabbing to       
drowning1  drowning to poison1 and      
poison to firearms4 ,with ,english women
 the  order of preference is modified4  
,a third of the women1 and hardly a     
seventh of the men1 seek death by       
drowning2 while a seventh of the  women 
poison themselves1 but only a fifteenth 
of the men4 ,the ratios  hold good from 
year to year--relatively at least--for  
suicide is  largely on the increase4    
,you should look into the matter for    

yourself4  ,it is a most attractive     
social problem40    8,perhaps ,mr4      
,santley would like to look at your     
paper80 suggested ,mrs4  ,haldane4      
8,you shall be very welcome to see it   
when ,i return10 said the  philosopher4 
8,thank you very much4 ,i have no doubt 
it will be extremely  interesting4 ,and 
when do you leave80    8,the day after  
to-morrow4 ,i shall spend a day or two  
in ,london1 and  possibly a week or a   
fortnight in ,paris4 ,indeed1 ,i have   
some notion of  paying a flying visit to
 ,berlin40    ,that afternoon1 as the   
vicar returned home1 he paused by a pool
 in one  of the fields that skirted the 
high-road1 and flung his revolver into  
it4    8,can it be possible10 he asked  
himself1 8that man has no volition1 no  
independence of action2 that his choice 
of life or death even is not  a choice1 
but a predetermined issue of mechanical 
forces80 ,he watched  the ripples die   
away on the water1 and then resumed his 
way4    8,are we mere automata1         

accomplishing not our own wills1 but the
 secret  purpose of a subtle agency1 of 
whose control we are unconscious80      
,gradually the problem which perplexed  
him gave place to another wave  of      
thought4 ,his step became firmer and    
more elastic1 and his face  brightened4 
,the thought which effected this change 
in his demeanour was ,mr4  ,haldane's   
departure4 ,what might not happen in    
those few days of  absence8 ,was not    
,mr4 ,haldane also accomplishing an     
unknown1  destiny8 ,might not this      
journey be providential8 ,or say1 rather
 an  unanticipated road to the great    
end8 ,suppose ,mr4 ,haldane should never
  return6    ,the possibilities involved
 in that reflection6    ,then he thought
 of ,mrs4 ,haldane4 ,for a week1 perhaps
 for a fortnight1  she would be alone at
 the ,manor4 ,for a fortnight8 ,who     
could  foretell--perhaps for ever6      
,,end ,,of ,,vol4 ,i4