Thenhewonderedatthevaguenessofhiswonder，attheremotenessofhisownsoulfromwhathehadhithertoimaginedhersanctuary，atthefrailholdwhichsomanyyearsoforderandobediencehadofhimwhenonceadefiniteandirrevocableactofhisthreatenedtoendforever，intimeandineternity，hisfreedom。Thevoiceofthedirectorurginguponhimtheproudclaimsofthechurchandthemysteryandpowerofthepriestlyofficerepeateditselfidlyinhismemory。Hissoulwasnottheretohearandgreetitandheknewnowthattheexhortationhehadlistenedtohadalreadyfallenintoanidleformaltale。Hewouldneverswingthethuriblebeforethetabernacleaspriest。Hisdestinywastobeelusiveofsocialorreligiousorders。Thewisdomofthepriest\'sappealdidnottouchhimtothequick。Hewasdestinedtolearnhisownwisdomapartfromothersortolearnthewisdomofothershimselfwanderingamongthesnaresoftheworld。
Thesnaresoftheworldwereitswaysofsin。Hewouldfall。Hehadnotyetfallenbuthewouldfallsilently，inaninstant。Nottofallwastoohard，toohard；andhefeltthesilentlapseofhissoul，asitwouldbeatsomeinstanttocome，falling，falling，butnotyetfallen，stillunfallen，butabouttofall。
HecrossedthebridgeoverthestreamoftheTolkaandturnedhiseyescoldlyforaninstanttowardsthefadedblueshrineoftheBlessedVirginwhichstoodfowl-wiseonapoleinthemiddleofaham-shapedencampmentofpoorcottages。Then，bendingtotheleft，hefollowedthelanewhichleduptohishouse。Thefaintdourstinkofrottedcabbagescametowardshimfromthekitchengardensontherisinggroundabovetheriver。Hesmiledtothinkthatitwasthisdisorder，themisruleandconfusionofhisfather\'shouseandthestagnationofvegetablelife，whichwastowinthedayinhissoul。Thenashortlaughbrokefromhislipsashethoughtofthatsolitaryfarmhandinthekitchengardensbehindtheirhousewhomtheyhadnicknamedthemanwiththehat。Asecondlaugh，takingrisefromthefirstafterapause，brokefromhiminvoluntarilyashethoughtofhowthemanwiththehatworked，consideringinturnthefourpointsoftheskyandthenregretfullyplunginghisspadeintheearth。
Hepushedopenthelatchlessdooroftheporchandpassedthroughthenakedhallwayintothekitchen。Agroupofhisbrothersandsisterswassittingroundthetable。Teawasnearlyoverandonlythelastofthesecondwateredtearemainedinthebottomsofthesmallglassjarsandjampotswhichdidserviceforteacups。Discardedcrustsandlumpsofsugaredbread，turnedbrownbytheteawhichhadbeenpouredoverthem，layscatteredonthetable。Littlewellsoftealayhereandthereontheboard，andaknifewithabrokenivoryhandlewasstuckthroughthepithofaravagedturnover。
Thesadquietgrey-blueglowofthedyingdaycamethroughthewindowandtheopendoor，coveringoverandallayingquietlyasuddeninstinctofremorseinStephen\'sheart。Allthathadbeendeniedthemhadbeenfreelygiventohim，theeldest；butthequietglowofeveningshowedhimintheirfacesnosignofrancour。