AnHabitationEnforcedTheRecallGarm——aHostageThePoweroftheDogTheMotherHiveTheBeesandtheFliesWiththeNightMailTheFourAngelsADealinCottonTheNewKnighthoodThePuzzlerThePuzzlerLittleFoxesGallio\'sSongTheHouseSurgeonTheRabbi\'sSongACTIONSANDREACTIONS
ANHABITATIONENFORCED
Myfriend，ifcausedothwrestthee，Erefollyhathmuchoppressedthee，FarfromacquaintancekesttheeWherecountrymaydigestthee……
ThankGodthatsohathblessedthee，Andsitdown，Robin，andrestthee。
THOMASTUSSER。
Itcamewithoutwarning，attheveryhourhishandwasoutstretchedtocrumpletheHolzandGunsbergCombine。TheNewYorkdoctorscalleditoverwork，andhelayinadarkenedroom，oneanklecrossedabovetheother，tonguepressedintopalate，wonderingwhetherthenextbrain-surgeofpricklyfireswoulddrivehissoulfromallanchorages。Atlasttheygavejudgment。
Withcarehemightintwoyearsreturntothearena，butforthepresenthemustgoacrossthewateranddonoworkwhatever。Heacceptedtheterms。Itwascapitulation；buttheCombinethathadshiveredbeneathhisknifegavehimallthehonoursofwar:
Gunsberghimself，fullofcondolences，cametothesteamerandfilledtheChapins\'suiteofcabinswithoverwhelmingflower-works。
\"Smilax，\"saidGeorgeChapinwhenhesawthem。\"Fitzisright。
I\'mdead；onlyIdon\'tseewhyheleftoutthe\'InMemoriam\'ontheribbons!\"
\"Nonsense!\"hiswifeanswered，andpouredhimhistincture。
\"You\'llbebackbeforeyoucanthink。\"
Helookedathimselfinthemirror，surprisedthathisfacehadnotbeenbrandedbythehellsofthepastthreemonths。Thenoiseofthedecksworriedhim，andhelaydown，histongueonlyalittlepressedagainsthispalate。
Anhourlaterhesaid:\"Sophie，Ifeelsorryabouttakingyouawayfromeverythinglikethis。I——Isupposewe\'rethetwoloneliestpeopleonGod\'searthto-night。\"
SaidSophiehiswife，andkissedhim:\"Isn\'titsomethingtoyouthatwe\'regoingtogether？\"
TheydriftedaboutEuropeformonths——sometimesalone，sometimeswithchancemetgipsiesoftheirownland。FromtheNorthCapetotheBlueGrottoatCapritheywandered，becausethenextsteamerheadedthatway，orbecausesomeonehadsetthemontheroad。
ThedoctorshadwarnedSophiethatChapinwasnottotakeinteresteveninothermen\'sinterests；butafamiliarsensationatthebackoftheneckafteronehour\'skeentalkwithaNauheimedrailwaymagnatesavedheranytrouble。Henearlywept。
\"AndI\'moverthirty，\"hecried。\"WithallImeanttodo!\"
\"Let\'scallitahoneymoon，\"saidSophie。\"D\'youknow，inallthesixyearswe\'vebeenmarried，you\'venevertoldmewhatyoumeanttodowithyourlife？\"
\"Withmylife？What\'stheuse？It\'sfinishednow。\"SophielookedupquicklyfromtheBayofNaples。\"Asfarasmybusinessgoes，I
shallhavetoliveonmyrentslikethatarchitectatSanMoritz。\"
\"You\'llgetbetterifyoudon\'tworry；andevenifitrakestime，thereareworsethingsthan——Howmuchhaveyou？\"
\"Betweenfourandfivemillion。Butitisn\'tthemoney。Youknowitisn\'t。It\'stheprinciple。Howcouldyourespectme？Youneverdid，thefirstyearafterwemarried，tillIwenttoworkliketheothers。Ourtraditionandupbringingareagainstit。Wecan\'tacceptthoseideals。\"
\"Well，IsupposeImarriedyouforsomesortofideal，\"sheanswered，andtheyreturnedtotheirforty-thirdhotel。
InEnglandtheymissedthealientonguesofContinentalstreetsthatremindedthemoftheirownpolyglotcities。InEnglandallmenspokeonetongue，speciouslylikeAmericantotheear，butoncross-examinationunintelligible。，\"Ah，butyouhavenotseenEngland，\"saidaladywithiron-greyhair。TheyhadmetherinVienna，Bayreuth，andFlorence，andweregratefultofindheragainatClaridge\'s，forshecommandedsituations，andknewwhereprescriptionsaremostcarefullymadeup。\"YououghttotakeaninterestinthehomeofourancestorsasIdo。\"
\"I\'vetriedforaweek，Mrs。Shonts，\"saidSophie，\"butInevergetanyfurtherthantippingGermanwaiters。\"
\"Thesemenarenotthetruetype，\"Mrs。Shoutswenton。\"Iknowwhereyoushouldgo。\"
Chapinprickeduphisears，anxioustorunanywherefromthestreetsonwhichquickmen，somethingofhiskidney，didthebusinessdeniedtohim。
\"Wehearandweobey，Mrs。Shonts，\"saidSophie，feelinghisunrestashedranktheloathedBritishtea。
Mrs。Shontssmiled，andtooktheminhand。Shewrotewidelyandtelegraphedfarontheirbehalftill，armedwithherletterofintroduction，shedrovethemintothatwildernesswhichisreachedfromanash-barrelofastationcalledCharingCross。
TheyweretogotoRockett\'s——thefarmofoneCloke，inthesoutherncounties——where，sheassuredthem，theywouldmeetthegenuineEnglandoffolkloreandsong。
Rockettstheyfoundaftersomehours，fourmilesfromastation，and，sofarastheycould，judgeinthebumpydarkness，twiceasmanyfromaroad。Trees，kine，andtheoutlinesofbarnsshowedshadowyaboutthemwhentheyalighted，andMr。andMrs。Cloke，attheopendoorofadeepstone-flooredkitchen，madethemshylywelcome。Theylayinanatticbeneathawavywhitewashedceiling，and，becauseitrained，awoodfirewasmadeinanironbasketonabrickhearth，andtheyfellasleeptothechirpingofmiceandthewhimperofflames。
Whentheywokeitwasafairday，fullofthenoises，ofbirds，thesmellofboxlavender，andfriedbacon，mixedwithanelementalsmelltheyhadnevermetbefore。
\"This，\"saidSophie，nearlypushingoutthethincasementinanattempttoseeroundthe，corner，\"is——whatdidthehack-cabmansaytotherailwayporteraboutmytrunk——\'quiteonthetop？\'\"
\"No；\'alittlebitofallright。\'IfeelfartherawayfromanywherethanI\'veeverfeltinmylife。Wemustfindoutwherethetelegraphofficeis。\"
\"Whocares？\"saidSophie，wanderingabout，hairbrushinhand，toadmiretheillustratedweeklypicturespastedondoorandcupboard。
Buttherewasnorestforthealiensoultillhehadmadesureofthetelegraphoffice。HeaskedtheClokes\'daughter，layingbreakfast，whileSophieplungedherfaceinthelavenderbushoutsidethelowwindow。
\"Gotothestilea-topo\'theBarnfield，\"saidMary，\"andlookacrossPardonstothenextspire。It\'sdirectlyunder。Youcan\'tmissit——notifyoukeeptothefootpath。Mysister\'sthetelegraphistthere。Butyou\'reinthethree-mileradius，sir。TheboydeliverstelegramsdirectlytothisdoorfromPardonsvillage。\"
\"Onehastotakeagooddealontrustinthiscountry，\"hemurmured。
Sophielookedatthecloseturf，scarredonlywithlastnight\'swheels，attworutswhichwoundroundarickyard，andatthecircleofstillorchardaboutthehalf-timberedhouse。
\"What\'sthematterwithit？\"shesaid。\"TelegramsdeliveredtotheValeofAvalon，ofcourse，\"andshebeckonedinanearnest-eyedhoundofengagingmannersandnoengagements，whoanswered，attimes，tothenameofRambler。Heledthem，afterbreakfast，totherisebehindthehousewherethestilestoodagainsttheskyline，and，\"Iwonderwhatweshallfindnow，\"saidSophie，franklyprancingwithjoyonthegrass。
Itwasaslopeofgap-hedgedfieldspossessedtotheircentresbyclumpsofbrambles。Gateswerenot，andtherabbit-mined，cattle-rubbedpostsleanedoutandin。Anarrowpathdoubledamongthebushes，scoresofwhitetailstwinkledbeforetheracinghound，andahawkrose，whistlingshrilly。
\"Noroads，nonothing!\"saidSophie，hershortskirthookedbybriers。\"IthoughtallEnglandwasagarden。There\'syourspire，George，acrossthevalley。Howcurious!\"
Theywalkedtowarditthroughanallabandonedland。Heretheyfoundtheghostofapatchoflucernethathadrefusedtodie:
thereaharshfallowsurrenderedtoyard-highthistles；andhereabreadthoframpantkelkfeigningtobelawfulcrop。Intheungrazedpasturesswathsofdeadstuffcaughttheirfeet，andthegroundbeneathglistenedwithsweat。Atthebottomofthevalleyalittlebrookhadundermineditsfootbridge，andfrothedinthewreckage。Buttherestoodgreatwoodsontheslopesbeyond——old，tall，andbrilliant，likeunfadedtapestriesagainstthewallsofaruinedhouse。
\"AllthiswithinahundredmilesofLondon，\"hesaid。\"Looksasifithadhadnervousprostration，too。\"The，footpathturnedtheshoulderofaslope，throughathicketofrankrhododendrons，andcrossedwhathadoncebeenacarriagedrive，whichendedintheshadowoftwogiganticholm-oaks。
\"Ahouse!\"saidSophie，inawhisper。\"AColonialhouse!\"
Behindtheblue-greenofthetwintreesroseadark-bluishbrickGeorgianpile，withashell-shapedfan-lightoveritspillareddoor。Thehoundhadgoneoffonhisownfoolishquests。Exceptforsomestiritthebranchesandtheflightoffourstartledmagpies；therewasneitherlifenorsoundaboutthesquarehouse，butitlookedoutofitslongwindowsmostfriendlily。
\"Cha-armedtomeetyou，I\'msure，\"saidSophie，andcurtsiedtotheground。\"George，thisishistoryIcanunderstand。Webeganhere。\"Shecurtsiedagain。
TheJunesunshinetwinkledonallthelights。Itwasasthoughanoldlady，wiseinthreegenerations\'experience，butforthepresentsittingout，benttolistentoherflushedandeagergrandchild。
\"Imustlook!\"Sophietiptoedtoawindow，andshadedhereyeswithherhand。\"Oh，thisroom\'shalf-fullofcotton-bales——wool，Isuppose!ButIcanseeabitofthemantelpiece。George，docome!Isn\'tthatsomeone？\"
Shefellbackbehindherhusband。Thefrontdooropenedslowly，toshowthehound，hisnosewhitewithmilk，inchargeofanancientofdayscladinabluelinenephodcuriouslygatheredonbreastandshoulders。
\"Certainly，\"saidGeorge，halfaloud。\"FatherTimehimself。Thisiswherehelives，Sophie。\"
\"Wecame，\"saidSophieweakly。\"Canweseethehouse？I\'mafraidthat\'sourdog。\"
\"No，\'tisRambler，\"saidtheoldman。\"He\'sbeen，atmyswill-pailagain。StayingatRocketts，beye？Comein。Ah!yourunagate!\"
Thehoundbrokefromhim，andhetotteredafterhimdownthedrive。Theyenteredthehall——justsuchahighlighthallassuchahouseshouldown。Aslim-balusteredstaircase，wideandshallowandoncecreamy-white，climbedoutofitunderalongovalwindow。Oneithersidedelicatelymouldeddoorsgaveontowool-lumberedrooms，whosesea-greenmantelpieceswereadornedwithnymphs，scrolls，andCupidsinlowrelief。
\"What\'sthefirmthatmakesthesethings？\"criedSophie，enraptured。\"Oh，Iforgot!Thesemustbetheoriginals。Adams，isit？Ineverdreamedofanythinglikethatsteel-cutfender。Doeshemeanustogoeverywhere？\"
\"He\'scatchingthedog，\"saidGeorge，lookingout。\"Wedon\'tcount。\"
Theyexploredthefirstorgroundfloor，delightedaschildrenplayingburglars。
\"ThisislikeallEngland，\"shesaidatlast。\"Wonderful，butnoexplanation。You\'reexpectedtoknowitbeforehand。Now，let\'stryupstairs。\"
Thestairsnevercreakedbeneaththeirfeet。Fromthebroadlandingtheyenteredalong，green-panelledroomlightedbythreefull-lengthwindows，whichoverlookedtheforlornwreckofaterracedgarden，andwoodedslopesbeyond。
\"Thedrawing-room，ofcourse。\"Sophieswamupanddownit。\"Thatmantelpiece——OrpheusandEurydice——isthebestofthemall。Isn\'titmarvellous？Why，theroomseemsfurnishedwithnothinginit!
How\'sthat，George？\"
\"It\'stheproportions。I\'venoticedit。\"
\"IsawaHeppelwhitecouchonce\"——Sophielaidherfingertoherflushedcheekandconsidered。\"With，twoofthem——oneoneachside——youwouldn\'tneedanythingelse。Except——theremustbeoneperfectmirroroverthatmantelpiece。\"
\"Lookatthatview。It\'saframedConstable，\"herhusbandcried。
\"No；it\'saMorland——aparodyofaMorland。Butaboutthatcouch，George。Don\'tyouthinkEmpiremightbebetterthanHeppelwhite？
Dullgoldagainstthatpalegreen？It\'sapitytheydon\'tmakespinetsnowadays。\"
\"Ibelieveyoucangetthem。Lookatthatoakwoodbehindthepines。\"
\"\'Whileyousatandplayedtoccatasstately，attheclavichord，\"\'
Sophiehummed，and，headonone；side，noddedtowheretheperfectmirrorshouldhang:
Thentheyfoundbedroomswithdressing-roomsandpowdering-closets，andstepsleadingupanddown——boxesofrooms，round，square，andoctagonal，withenrichedceilingsandchaseddoor-locks。
\"Nowaboutservants。Oh!\"Shehaddartedupthelaststairstothechequereddarknessofthetopfloor，whereloosetileslayamongbrokenlaths，andthewallswerescrawledwithnames，sentiments，andhoprecords。\"They\'vebeenkeepingpigeonshere，\"
shecried。
\"Andyoucoulddriveabuggythroughtheroofanywhere，\"saidGeorge。
\"That\'swhatIsay，\"theoldmancriedbelowthemonthestairs。
\"Notadryplaceformypigeonsatall。\"
\"Butwhywasitallowedtogetlikethis？\"saidSophie。
\"Tiswithhousenasteeth，\"hereplied。\"Let\'emgotoofar，andthere\'snothingtobedone。Timewastheywasmindedtosellher，butnonewouldbuy。Shewastoofarawayalongfromanyplace。
Timewasthey\'dha\'livedheretheyselves，buttheytookanddied。\"
\"Here？\"Sophiemovedbeneaththelightofaholeintheroof。
\"Nah——nonedieshereexcep\'fallingoffricksandsuch。InLondontheydied。\"Hepluckedalockofwoolfromhisbluesmock。\"Theywasnostaple——neithertheElphicksnortheMoones。Shartandbrittleallof\'em。Deadtheybeseventeenyear，forI\'vebeenherecaretakin\'twenty-five。\"
\"Whodoesallthewoolbelongtodownstairs？\"Georgeasked。
\"Totheestate。I\'llshowyouthebackpartsifyelike。You\'refromAmerica，ain\'tye？I\'vehadasonthereoncemyself。\"Theyfollowedhimdownthemainstairway。Hepausedattheturnandsweptonehandtowardthewall。\"Plentyroom，hereforyourcoffintocomedown。Sevenfootandthreemenateachendwouldn\'tbrishthepaint。IfIdieinmybedthey\'ll\'avetoup-endmelikeamilk-can。\'Tisallluck，dyesee？\"
Heledthemonandon，throughamazeofbackkitchens，dairies，larders，andsculleries，thatmeltedalongcoveredwaysintoafarm-house，visiblyolderthanthemainbuilding，whichagainrambledoutamongbarns，byres，pig-pens，stallsandstablestothedeadfieldsbehind。
\"Somehow，\"saidSophie，sittingexhaustedonanancientwell-curb——\"somehowonewouldn\'tinsulttheselovelyoldthingsbyfillingthemwithhay。\"
Georgelookedatlongstonewallsupholdingreachesofsilvery-oakweather-boarding；buttressesofmixedflintandbricks；outsidestairs，stoneuponarchedstone；curvesofthatchwheregrasssprouted；roundelsofhouse-leekedtiles，andahugepavedyardpopulatedbytwocowsandtherepentantRambler。Hehadnotthoughtofhimselforofthetelegraphofficefortwoandahalfhours。
\"Butwhy，\"saidSophie，astheywentbackthroughthecraterofstrickenfields，——\"whyisoneexpectedtoknoweverythinginEngland？Whydotheynevertell？\"
\"YoumeanabouttheElphicksandtheMoones？\"heanswered。
\"Yes——andthelawyersandtheestate。Whoarethey？Iwonderwhetherthosepaintedfloorsinthegreenroomwererealoak。
Don\'tyoulikeusexploringthingstogether——betterthanPompeii？\"
Georgeturnedoncemoretolookattheview。\"Eighthundredacresgowiththehouse——theoldmantoldme。Fivefarmsaltogether。
Rockettsisoneof\'em。\"
\"IlikeMrs。Cloke。Butwhatistheoldhousecalled？\"
Georgelaughed。\"That\'soneofthethingsyou\'reexpectedtoknow。Henevertoldme。\"
TheClokesweremorecommunicative。ThateveningandthereafterforaweektheygavetheChapinstheofficialhistory，asonegivesittolodgers，ofFriarsPardonthehouseanditsfivefarms。ButSophieaskedsomanyquestions，andGeorgewassohumanlyinterested，that，asconfidenceinthestrangersgrew，theylaunched，withobservedandacquireddetail，intothelivesanddeathsanddoingsoftheElphicksandtheMoonesandtheircollaterals，theHaylingsandtheTorrells。ItwasataletoldseriallybyClokeinthebarn，orhiswifeinthedairy，thelastchaptersreservedforthekitcheno\'nightsbythebigfire，whenthetwohadbeenhalfthedayexploringaboutthehouse，whereoldIggulden，ofthebluesmock，cackledandchuckledtoseethem。Themotivesthatswayedthecharacterswerebeyondtheircomprehension；thefatesthatshiftedthemweregodstheyhadnevermet；thesidelightsMrs。Clokethrewonactandincidentweremoreamazingthananythingintherecord。ThereforetheChapinslisteneddelightedly，andblessedMrs。Shonts。
\"Butwhy——why——why——didSo-and-sodoso-and-so？\"Sophiewoulddemandfromherseatbythepothook；andMrs。Clokewouldanswer，smoothingherknees，\"Forthesakeoftheplace。\"
\"Igiveitup，\"saidGeorgeonenightintheirownroom。\"Peopledon\'tseemtomatterinthiscountrycomparedtotheplacestheylivein。Thewayshetellsit，FriarsPardonwasasortofMoloch。\"
\"Pooroldthing!\"Theyhadbeenwalkingroundthefarmsasusualbeforetea。\"Nowondertheylovedit。Thinkofthesacrificestheymadeforit。JaneElphickmarriedtheyoungerTorrelltokeepitinthefamily。Theoctagonalroomwiththemouldedceilingnexttothebigbedroomwashers。Nowwhatdidhetellyouwhilehewasfeedingthepigs？\"saidSophie。
\"AbouttheTorrellcousinsandtheunclewhodiedinJava。TheylivedatBurntHouse——behindHighPardons，wherethatbrookisallblockedup。\"
\"No；BurntHouseisunderHighPardonsWood，beforeyoucometoGaleAnstey，\"Sophiecorrected。
\"Well，oldmanClokesaid——\"
Sophiethrewopenthedoorandcalleddownintothekitchen，wheretheClokeswerecoveringthefire\"Mrs。Cloke，isn\'tBurntHouseunderHighPardons？\"
\"Yes，mydear，ofcourse，\"thesoftvoice。answeredabsently。A
cough。\"Ibegyourpardon，Madam。Whatwasityousaid？\"
\"Nevermind。Ipreferittheotherway，\"Sophielaughed，andGeorgere-toldthemissingchapterasshesatonthebed。
\"Hereto-dayan\'goneto-morrow，\"saidClokewarningly。\"They\'vepaidtheirfirstmonth，butwe\'veonlythatMrs。Shonts\'sletterforguarantee。\"
\"Noneshesentnevercheatedusyet。ItslippedoutbeforeI
thought。She\'samosthumaneyounglady。They\'llbegoingawayinalittle。An\'you\'vetalkedalottoo，Alfred。\"
\"Yes，buttheElphicksarealldead。Noonecanbringmyloosetalkinghometome。Butwhydotheystayonandstayonso？\"
InduetimeGeorgeandSophieaskedeachotherthatquestion，andputitaside。Theyarguedthattheclimate——apearlyblend，unlikethehotandcoldferocitiesoftheirnativeland——suitedthem，asthethickstillnessofthenightscertainlysuitedGeorge。Hewassavedeventhesightofametalledroad，which，aspresumablyleadingtobusiness，wakesdesireinaman；andthetelegraphofficeatthevillageofFriarsPardon，wheretheysoldpicturepost-cardsandpegtops，wastwowalkingmilesacrossthefieldsandwoods。
Forallthattouchedhispastamonghisfellows，ortheirremembranceofhim，hemighthavebeeninanotherplanet；andSophie，whoselifehadbeenverylargelyspentamonghusbandlesswivesofloftyideals，hadnowishtoleavethispresentofGod。
Theunhurriedmeals，theforeknowledgeofdeliciouslyemptyhourstofollow，thebreadthsofsoftskyunderwhichtheywalkedtogetherandreckonedtimeonlybytheirhungerorthirst；thegoodgrassbeneaththeirfeetthatcheatedthemiles；theirdiscoveries，alwaystogether，amidthefarms——Griffons，Rocketts，BurntHouse，GaleAnstey，andtheHomeFarm，whereIgguldenofthebluesmock-frockwouldwaylaythem，andtheywouldransacktheoldhouseoncemore；thelongwetafternoonswhen，theytuckeduptheirfeetonthebedroom\'sdeepwindow-silloveragainsttheapple-trees，andtalkedtogetherasnevertillthenhadtheyfoundtimetotalk——thesethingscontentedhersoul，andherbodythrove。
\"Haveyourealized，\"sheaskedonemorning，\"thatwe\'vebeenhereabsolutelyaloneforthelastthirty-fourdays？\"
\"Haveyoucountedthem？\"heasked。
\"Didyoulikethem？\"shereplied。
\"Imusthave。Ididn\'tthinkaboutthem。Yes，Ihave。SixmonthsagoIshouldhavefrettedmyselfsick。RememberatCairo？I\'veonlyhadtwoorthreebadtimes。AmIgettingbetter，orisitseniledecay？\"
\"Climate，allclimate。\"Sophieswunghernew-boughtEnglishboots，asshesatonthestileoverlookingFriarsPardon，behindtheClokes\'sbarn。
\"Onemusttakeholdofthingsthough，\"hesaid，\"ifit\'sonlytokeepone\'shandin。\"Hiseyesdidnotflickernowastheyswepttheemptyfields。\"Mustn\'tone？\"
\"LayoutaMorristownlinksoverGaleAnstey。Idaresayyoucouldhireit。\"
\"No，I\'mnotasEnglishasthat——norasMorristown。Clokesaysallthefarmsherecouldbemadetopay。\"
\"Well，I\'mAnastasiainthe\'TreasureofFranchard。\'I\'mcontenttobealiveandpurr。There\'snohurry。\"
\"No。\"Hesmiled。\"Allthesame，I\'mgoingtoseeaftermymail。\"
\"Youpromisedyouwouldn\'thaveany。\"
\"There\'ssomebusinesscomingthroughthat\'samusingme。Honest。
Itdoesn\'tgetonmynervesatall。\"
\"Wantasecretary？\"
\"No，thanks，oldthing!Isn\'tthatquiteEnglish？\"
\"TooEnglish!Goaway。\"Butnonethelessinbroaddaylightshereturnedthekiss。\"I\'mofftoPardons。Ihaven\'tbeentothehousefornearlyaweek。\"
\"How\'veyoudecidedtofurnishJaneElphick\'sbedroom？\"helaughed，forithadcometobeapermanentCastleinSpainbetweenthem。
\"BlackChinesefurnitureandyellowsilkbrocade，\"sheanswered，andrandownhill。Shescatteredafewcowsatagapwithaflourishofaground-ashthatIgguldenhadcutforheraweekago，andsingingasshepassedundertheholmoaks，soughtthefarm-houseatthebackofFriarsPardon。Theoldmanwasnottobefound，andsheknockedathishalf-openeddoor，forsheneededhimtofillheridleforenoon。Ablue-eyedsheep-dog，anewfriend，andRambler\'soldenemy，crawledoutandbesoughthertoenter。
Igguldensatinhischairbythefire，athistle-spudbetweenhisknees，hisheaddrooped。Thoughshehadneverseendeathbefore，herheart，thatmissedabeat，toldherthathewasdead。Shedidnotspeakorcry，butstoodoutsidethedoor，andthedoglickedherhand。Whenhethrewuphisnose，sheheardherselfsaying:
\"Don\'thowl!Pleasedon\'tbegintohowl，Scottie，orIshallrunaway!\"
Sheheldhergroundwhiletheshadowsintherickyardmovedtowardnoon；satafterawhileonthestepsbythedoor，herarmsroundthedog\'sneck，waitingtillsomeoneshouldcome。ShewatchedthesmokelesschimneysofFriarsPardonslashitsroofswithshadow，andthesmokeofIggulden\'slastlightedfiregraduallythinandcease。AgainstherwillshefelltowonderinghowmanyMoones，Elphicks，andTorrellshadbeenswungroundtheturnofthebroadMallstairs。Thensherememberedtheoldman\'stalkofbeing\"up-endedlikeamilk-can，\"andburiedherfaceonScottie\'sneck。Atlastahorse\'sfeetclinkeduponflags，rustledintheoldgreystrawoftherickyard，andshefoundherselffacingthevicar——afigureshehadseenatchurchdeclaimingimpossibilitiesSophiewasaUnitarianinanunnaturalvoice。
\"He\'sdead，\"shesaid，withoutpreface。
\"OldIggulden？Iwascomingforatalkwithhim。\"Thevicarpassedinuncovered。\"Ah!\"sheheardhimsay。\"Heart-failure!Howlonghaveyoubeenhere？\"
\"Sinceaquartertoeleven。\"Shelookedatherwatchearnestlyandsawthatherhanddidnotshake。
\"I\'llsitwithhimnowtillthedoctorcomes。D\'youthinkyoucouldtellhim，and——yes，Mrs。Bettsinthecottagewiththewistarianexttheblacksmith\'s？I\'mafraidthishasbeenratherashocktoyou。\"
Sophienodded，andfledtowardthevillage。Herbodyfailedherforamoment；shedroppedbeneathahedge，andlookedbackatthegreathouse。Insomefashionitssilenceandstoliditysteadiedherforhererrand。
Mrs。Betts，small，black-eyed，anddark，wasalmostasunconcernedasFriarsPardon。
\"Yiss，yiss，ofcourse。Dearme!Well，Igguldenhehadhadhisdayinmyfather\'stime。Muriel，getmemylittlebluebag，please。Yiss，ma\'am。Theycomedownlikeellum-branchesinstillweather。Nowarnin\'atall。Muriel，mybicycle\'sbe\'indthefowlhouse。I\'lltellDr。Dallas，ma\'am。\"
Shetrundledoffonherwheellikeabrownbee，whileSophie——heavenaboveandearthbeneathchanged——walkedstifflyhome，tofalloverGeorgeathisletters，inamuddleoflaughterandtears。
\"It\'sallquitenaturalforthem，\"shegasped。\"Theycomedownlikeellum-branchesinstillweather。Yiss，ma\'am。\'No，therewasn\'tanythingintheleasthorrible，only——only——Oh，George，thatpoorshinystickofhisbetweenhispoor，thinknees!I
couldn\'thaveborneitifScottiehadhowled。Ididn\'tknowthevicarwasso——sosensitive。Hesaidhewasafraiditwasra——ratherashock。Mrs。Bettstoldmetogohome，andIwantedtocollapseonherfloor。ButIdidn\'tdisgracemyself。I——I
couldn\'thavelefthim——couldI？\"
\"You\'resureyou\'vetookno\'arm？\"criedMrs。Cloke，whohadheardthenewsbyfarm-telegraphy，whichisolderbutswifterthanMarconi\'s。
\"No。I\'mperfectlywell，\"Sophieprotested。
\"Youlaydowntilltea-time。\"Mrs。Clokepattedhershoulder。
\"THEY\'llbeverypleased，thoughshe\'as\'adnoproperunderstandin\'fortwentyyears。\"
\"They\"camebeforetwilight——ablack-beardedmaninmoleskins，andalittlepalsiedoldwoman，whochirrupedlikeawren。
\"I\'mhisson，\"saidthemantoSophie，amongthelavenderbushes。
\"We\'adadifference——twentyyearback，anddidn\'tspeaksince。
ButI\'mhissonallthe\'same，andwethankyouforthewatching。\"
\"I\'monlygladIhappenedtobethere，\"sheanswered，andfromthebottomofherheartshemeantit。
\"Weheardhespokealoto\'you——onetimean\'anothersinceyoucame。Wethankyoukindly，\"themanadded。
\"AreyouthesonthatwasinAmerica？\"sheasked。
\"Yes，ma\'am。Onmyuncle\'sfarm，inConnecticut。Hewaswhattheycallrood-masterthere。\"
\"WhereaboutsinConnecticut？\"askedGeorgeoverhershoulder。
\"VeeringHollerwasthename。Iwastheresixyearwithmyuncle。\"
\"Howsmalltheworldis!\"Sophiecried。\"Why，allmymother\'speoplecomefromVeeringHollow。Theremustbesometherestill——theLashmars。Didyoueverhearofthem？\"
\"Irememberhearingthatname，seemstome，\"heanswered，buthisfacewasblankasthebackofaspade。
Alittlebeforeduskawomaningrey，stridinglikeafoot-soldier，andbearingonherarmalongpole，crashedthroughtheorchardcallingforfood。George，uponwhomtheunannouncedEnglishworkedmysteriously，fledtotheparlour；butMrs。Clokecameforwardbeaming。Sophiecouldnotescape。
\"We\'veonlyjustheardofit；\"saidthestranger，turningonher。
\"I\'vebeenoutwiththeotter-houndsallday。Itwasasplendidlysportin\'thing\"
\"Didyou——er——kill？\"saidSophie。Sheknewfrombooksshecouldnotgofarwronghere。
\"Yes，adrybitch——seventeenpounds，\"wastheanswer。\"A
splendidlysportin\'thingofyoutodo。PooroldIggulden——\"
\"Oh——that!\"saidSophie，enlightened。
\"IftherehadbeenanypeopleatPardonsitwouldneverhavehappened。He\'dhavebeenlookedafter。ButwhatcanyouexpectfromaparcelofLondonsolicitors？\"
Mrs。Clokemurmuredsomething。
\"No。I\'msoakedfromthekneesdown。IfIhangaboutIshallgetchilled。Acupoftea，Mrs。Cloke，andIcaneatoneofyoursandwichesasIgo。\"Shewipedherweather-wornfacewithagreenandyellowsilkhandkerchief。
\"Yes，mylady!\"Mrs。Clokeranandreturnedswiftly。
\"OurlandmarcheswithPardonsforamileonthesouth，\"sheexplained，wavingthefullcup，\"butonehasquiteenoughtodowithone\'sownpeoplewithoutpoachin\'。Still，ifI\'dknown，I\'dhavesentDora，ofcourse。Haveyouseenherthisafternoon，Mrs。
Cloke？No？Iwonderwhetherthatgirldidsprainherankle。Thankyou。\"ItwasaformidablehunkofbreadandbaconthatMrs。Clokepresented。\"AsIwassayin\'，Pardonsisascandal!Lettin\'peopledielikedogs。Thereoughttobepeopletherewhodotheirduty。
You\'vedoneyours，thoughtherewasn\'tthefaintestcalluponyou。Goodnight。TellDora，ifshecomes，I\'vegoneon。\"
Shestrodeaway，munchinghercrust，andSophiereeledbreathlessintotheparlour，toshaketheshakingGeorge。
\"Whydidyoukeepcatchingmyeyebehindtheblind？Whydidn\'tyoucomeoutanddoyourduty？\"
\"BecauseIshouldhaveburst。Didyouseethemudonitscheek？\"
hesaid。
\"Once。Idaren\'tlookagain。Whoisshe？\"
\"God——alocaldeitythen。Anyway，she\'sanotherofthethingsyou\'reexpectedtoknowbyinstinct。\"
Mrs。Cloke，shockedattheirlevity，toldthemthatitwasLadyConant，wifeofSirWalterConant，Baronet，alargelandholderintheneighbourhood；andifnotGod；atleastHisvisibleProvidence。Georgemadehertalkofthatfamilyforanhour。
\"Laughter，\"saidSophieafterwardintheirownroom，\"isthemarkofthesavage。Whycouldn\'tyoucontrolyouremotions？It\'sallrealtoher。\"
\"It\'sallrealtome。That\'smytrouble，\"heansweredinanalteredtone。\"Anyway，it\'srealenoughtomarktimewith。Don\'tyouthinkso？\"
\"Whatd\'youmean？\"sheaskedquickly，thoughsheknewhisvoice。
\"ThatI\'mbetter。I\'mwellenoughtokick。\"
\"Whatat？\"
\"This!\"Hewavedhishandroundtheoneroom。\"ImusthavesomethingtoplaywithtillI\'mfitforworkagain。\"
\"Ah!\"Shesatonthebedandleanedforward，herhandsclasped。
\"Iwonderifit\'sgoodforyou。\"
\"We\'vebeenbetterherethananywhere，\"hewentonslowly。\"Onecouldalwayssellitagain。\"
Shenoddedgravely，buthereyessparkled。
\"Theonlythingthatworriesmeiswhathappenedthismorning。I
wanttoknowhowyoufeelaboutit。Ifit\'sonyournervesintheleastwecanhavetheoldfarmatthebackofthehousepulleddown，orperhapsithasspoiledthenotionforyou？\"
\"Pullitdown？\"shecried。\"You\'venobusinessfaculty。Why，that\'swherewecouldlivewhilewe\'reputtingthebighouseinorder。It\'salmostunderthesameroof。No!Whathappenedthismorningseemedtobemoreofa——ofaleadingthananythingelse。