ThereoughttobepeopleatPardons。LadyConant\'squiteright。\"
\"Iwasthinkingmoreofthewoodsandtheroads。Icoulddoublethevalueoftheplaceinsixmonths。\"
\"Whatdotheywantforit？\"Sheshookherhead，andherloosenedhairfellglowinglyabouthercheeks。
\"Seventy-fivethousanddollars。They\'lltakesixty-eight。\"
\"Lessthanhalfwhatwepaidforouroldyachtwhenwemarried。
Andwedidn\'thaveagoodtimeinher。Youwere——\"
\"Well，IdiscoveredIwastoomuchofanAmericantobecontenttobearichman\'sson。Youaren\'tblamingmeforthat？\"
\"Oh，no。Onlyitwasaverybusinesslikehoneymoon。Howfarareyoualongwiththedeal，George？\"
\"Icanmailthedepositonthepurchasemoneyto-morrowmorning，andwecanhavethethingcompletedinafortnightorthreeweeks——ifyousayso。\"
\"FriarsPardon——FriarsPardon!\"Sophiechantedrapturously，herdarkgrayeyesbigwithdelight。\"Allthefarms？GaleAnstey，BurntHouse，Rocketts，theHomeFarm，andGriffons？Sureyou\'vegot\'emall？\"
\"Sure。\"Hesmiled。
\"Andthewoods？HighPardonsWood，LowerPardons，Suttons，Dutton\'sShaw，Reuben\'sGhyll，Maxey\'sGhyll，andboththeOakHangers？Sureyou\'vegot\'emall？\"
\"Everylaststick。Why，youknowthemaswellasIdo。\"Helaughed。\"Theysaythere\'sfivethousand——athousandpounds\'
worthoflumber——timbertheycallit——intheHangersalone。\"
\"Mrs。Cloke\'sovenmustbemendedfirstthing，andthekitchenroof。IthinkI\'llhaveallthiswhitewashed，\"Sophiebrokein，pointingtotheceiling。\"Thewholeplaceisascandal。LadyConantisquiteright。George，whendidyoubegintofallinlovewiththehouse？Inthegreenroomthatfirstday？Idid。\"
\"I\'mnotinlovewithit。Onemustdosomethingtomarktimetillone\'sfitforwork。\"
\"Orwhenwestoodundertheoaks，andthedooropened？Oh!OughtItogotopoorIggulden\'sfuneral？\"Shesighedwithutterhappiness。
\"Wouldn\'ttheycallitalibertynow？\"saidhe。
\"ButIlikedhim。\"
\"Butyoudidn\'townhimatthedateofhisdeath。\"
\"Thatwouldn\'tkeepmeaway。Only，theymadesuchafussaboutthewatching\"——shecaughtherbreath——\"itmightbeostentatiousfromthatpointofview，too。Oh，George\"——shereachedforhishand——\"we\'retwolittleorphansmovinginworldsnotrealized，andweshallmakesomebadbreaks。Butwe\'regoingtohavethetimeofourlives。\"
\"We\'llrunuptoLondonto-morrow，andseeifwecanhurrythoseEnglishlawsolicitors。Iwanttogettowork。\"
Theywent。TheysufferedmanythingseretheyreturnedacrossthefieldsinaflyoneSaturdaynight，nursingatwobytwo-and-a-halfboxofdeedsandmaps——lawfulownersofFriarsPardonandthefivedecayedfarmstherewith。
\"Idomostsincerely\'opeandtrustyou\'llbe\'appy，Madam，\"Mrs。
Clokegasped，whenshewastoldthenewsbythekitchenfire。
\"Goodness!Itisn\'tamarriage!\"Sophieexclaimed，alittleawed；
fortothemthejoke，whichtoanAmericanmeanswork，wasonlyjustbeginning。
\"Ifit\'stookinaproperspirit\"——Mrs。Cloke\'seyeturnedtowardheroven。
\"Sendandhavethatmendedto-morrow，\"Sophiewhispered。
\"Wecouldn\'t\'elpnoticing，\"saidClokeslowly，\"fromthetimesyouwalkedthere，thatyouan\'yourladywasdrawntoit，but——butIdon\'tknowasweeverpreciselythought——\"Hiswife\'sglancecheckedhim。
\"Thatwewerethatsortofpeople，\"saidGeorge。\"Wearen\'tsureofitourselvesyet。\"
\"Perhaps，\"saidCloke，rubbinghisknees，\"justforthesakeofsayingsomething，perhapsyou\'llparkit？\"
\"What\'sthat？\"saidGeorge。
\"TurnitallintoafineparklikeVioletHill\"——hejerkedathumbtowestward——\"thatMr。Sangresbought。Itwasfourfarms，andMr。Sangresmadeafineparkofthem，withaherdoffallerdeer。\"
\"Thenitwouldn\'tbeFriarsPardon，\"saidSophie。\"Wouldit？\"
\"Idon\'tknowasI\'veeverheardPardonswaseveranythingbutwheatan\'wool。Onlysomegentlemensaythatparksarelesstroublethantenants。\"Helaughednervously。\"Butthegentry，o\'
course，theykeeponprettymuchastheywasusedto。\"
\"Isee，\"saidSophie。\"HowdidMr。Sangresmakehismoney？\"
\"Ineverrightlyheard。Itwaspepperan\'spices，oritmayha\'
beengloves。No。GloveswasSirReginaldLissatMarleyEnd。
SpiceswasMr。Sangres。He\'saBraziliangentleman——verysunburntlike。\"
\"Besureo\'onething。Youwon\'t\'aveanytrouble，\"saidMrs。
Cloke，justbeforetheywenttobed。
NowthenewsofthepurchasewastoldtoMr。andMrs。Clokealoneat8P。M。ofaSaturday。Noneleftthefarmtilltheysetoutforchurchnextmorning。Yetwhentheyreachedthechurchandwereabouttoslipasideintotheirusualseats，alittlebeyondthefont，wheretheycouldseethered-furredtailsofthebellropeswaggleandtwistatringingtime，theyweresweptforwardirresistibly，aClokeoneitherflankandyettheyhadnotwalkedwiththeClokes，upontheever-retiringbosomofablack-gownedverger，whousheredthemintoaroomofapewattheheadoftheleftaisle，underthepulpit。
\"This，\"hesighedreproachfully，\"isthePardons\'Pew，\"andshutthemin。
Theycouldseelittlemorethanthechoirboysinthechancel，buttotherootsofthehairoftheirneckstheyfeltthecongregationbehindmercilesslydevouringthembylook。
\"Whenthewickedmanturnethaway。\"Thestrong，alienvoiceofthepriestvibratedunderthehammer-beamroof，andalonelinessunfeltbeforeswampedtheirhearts，astheysearchedforplacesintheunfamiliarChurchofEnglandservice。TheLord\'sPrayer\"OurFather，whichart\"——setthesealonthatdesolation。Sophiefoundherselfthinkinghowinotherlandstheirpurchasewouldlongerethishavebeendiscussedfromeverypointofviewinadozenprints，forgettingthatGeorgeformonthshadnotbeenallowedtoglanceatthoseblackandbellowinghead-lines。Herewasnothingbutsilence——notevenhostility!Thegamewasuptothem；theotherplayershidtheircardsandwaited。Suspense，shefelt，wasintheair，andwhenhersightcleared，saw，indeed，amuraltabletofafootlessbirdbroodinguponthecarvenmotto，\"
Wayteawhyle——wayteawhyle。\"
AttheLitanyGeorgehadtroublewithanunstablehassock，anddrewtheslipofcarpetunderthepewseat。Sophiepushedherendbackalso，andshuthereyesagainstaburningthatfeltliketears。Whensheopenedthemshewaslookingathermother\'smaidenname，fairlycarvedonablueflagstoneonthepewfloor:
EllenLashmar。ob。1796。aetat27。
ShenudgedGeorgeandpointed。Sheltered，astheykneeled，theylookedformoreknowledge，buttherestoftheslabwasblank。
\"Everhearofher？\"hewhispered。
\"Neverknewanyofuscamefromhere。\"
\"Coincidence？\"
\"Perhaps。Butitmakesmefeelbetter，\"andshesmiledandwinkedawayatearonherlashes，andtookhishandwhiletheyprayedfor\"allwomenlabouringofchild\"——not\"intheperilsofchildbirth\"；andthesparrowswhohadfoundtheirwaythroughtheguardsbehindtheglasswindowschirpedabovethefadedgiltandalabasterfamilytreeoftheConants。
Thebaronet\'spewwasontherightoftheaisle。Afterserviceitsinhabitantsmovedforthwithouthaste，butsoastoblockeffectivelyaduskypersonwithalargefamilywhochampedintheirrear。
\"Spices，Ithink，\"saidSophie，deeplydelightedastheSangresclosedupaftertheConants。\"Let\'emgetaway，George。\"
Butwhentheycameoutmanyfolkwhoseeyeswereonestilllingeredbythelychgate。
\"IwanttoseeifanymoreLashmarsareburiedhere，\"saidSophie。
\"Notnow。Thisseemstobeshowday。Comehomequickly，\"hereplied。
Agroupoffamilies，theClokesalittleapart，openedtoletthemthrough。Themensalutedwithjerkynods，thewomenwithremnantsofacurtsey。OnlyIggulden\'sson，hismotheronhisarm，liftedhishatasSophiepassed。
\"Yourpeople，\"saidtheclearvoiceofLadyConantinherear。
\"Isupposeso，\"saidSophie，blushing，fortheywerewithintwoyardsofher；butitwasnotaquestion。
\"Thenthatchildlooksasifitwerecomingdownwithmumps。Yououghttotellthemothersheshouldn\'thavebroughtittochurch。\"
\"Ican\'tleave\'erbehind，mylady，\"thewomansaid。\"She\'dsetthe\'ouseafireinaminute，she\'sthatforwardwiththematches。
Ain\'tyou，Maudiedear？\"
\"HasDr。Dallasseenher？\"
\"Notyet，mylady。\"
\"Hemust。Youcan\'tgetaway，ofcourse。M-m!Myidioticmaidiscominginforherteethto-morrowattwelve。Sheshallpickherup——atGaleAnstey，isn\'tit？——ateleven。\"
\"Yes。Thankyouverymuch，mylady。\"
\"Ioughtn\'ttohavedoneit，\"saidLadyConantapologetically，\"buttherehasbeennooneatPardonsforsolongthatyou\'llforgivemypoaching。Now，can\'tyoulunchwithus？Thevicarusuallycomestoo。Idon\'tusethehorsesonaSunday\"——sheglancedattheBrazilian\'ssilver-platedchariot。\"It\'sonlyamileacrossthefields。\"
\"You——you\'reverykind，\"saidSophie，hatingherselfbecauseherliptrembled。
\"Mydear，\"thecompellingtonedroppedtoasoothinggurgle，\"d\'yousupposeIdon\'tknowhowitfeelstocometoastrangecounty——countryIshouldsay——awayfromone\'sownpeople？WhenI
firstlefttheShires——I\'mShropshire，youknow——Icriedforadayandanight。Butfrettingdoesn\'tmakelonelinessanybetter。
Oh，here\'sDora。Shedidsprainherlegthatday。\"
\"I\'maslameasatreestill，\"saidthetallmaidenfrankly。\"Yououghttogooutwiththeotter-hounds，Mrs。Chapin。Ibelievethey\'redrawingyourwaternextweek。\"
SirWalterhadalreadyledoffGeorge，andthevicarcameupontheothersideofSophie。Therewasnoescapingtheswiftprocessionortheleisurelylunch，wheretalkcameandwentinlow-voicededdiesthathadthevillagefortheircentre。SophieheardthevicarandSirWalteraddressherhusbandlightlyasChapin!ShealsorememberedmanywomenknowninapreviouslifewhohabituallyaddressedtheirhusbandsasMr。Such-an-one。
AfterlunchLadyConanttalkedtoherexplicitlyofmaternityasthatisachievedincottagesandfarm-housesremotefromaid，andofthedutytheretoofthemistressofPardons。
Agateinabeechhedge，reachedacrosstriplelawns，letthemoutbeforetea-timeintotheunkemptsouthsideoftheirland。
\"Iwantyourhand，please，\"saidSophieassoonastheyweresafeamongthebeechbolesandthelawlesshollies。\"D\'youremembertheoldmaidin\'ProvidenceandtheGuitar\'whoheardtheCommissaryswear，andhardlyreckonedherselfamaidenladyafterward？BecauseI\'marelativeofhers。LadyConantis——\"
\"DidyoufindoutanythingabouttheLashmars？\"heinterrupted。
\"Ididn\'task。I\'mgoingtowritetoAuntSydneyaboutitfirst。
Oh，LadyConantsaidsomethingatlunchabouttheirhavingboughtsomelandfromsomeLashmarsafewyearsago。Ifounditwasatthebeginningoflastcentury。\"
\"Whatdidyousay？\"
\"Isaid，\'Really，howinteresting!\'Likethat。I\'mnotgoingtopushmyselfforward。I\'vebeenhearingaboutMr。Sangres\'seffortsinthatdirection。Andyou？Icouldn\'tseeyoubehindtheflowers。Wasitverydeepwater，dear？\"
Georgemoppedabrowalreadybrownedbyoutdoorexposures。
\"Ohno——deadeasy，\"heanswered。\"I\'veboughtFriarsPardontopreventSirWalter\'sbirdsstraying。\"
Acockpheasantscutteredthroughthedryleavesandexplodedalmostundertheirfeet。Sophiejumped。
\"That\'soneof\'em，\"saidGeorgecalmly。
\"Well，yournervesarebetter，atanyrate，\"saidshe。\"Didyoutell\'emyou\'dboughtthethingtoplaywith？\"
\"No。Thatwaswheremynervebrokedown。Ionlymadeonebadbreak——Ithink。IsaidIcouldn\'tseewhyhiringlandtomentofarmwasn\'tasmuchabusinesspropositionasanythingelse。\"
\"Andwhatdidtheysay？\"
\"Theysmiled。Ishallknowwhatthatsmilemeanssomeday。Theydon\'twastetheirsmiles。D\'youseethattrackbyGaleAnstey？\"
Theylookeddownfromtheedgeofthehangeroveracup-likehollow。PeoplebytwosandthreesintheirSundaybestfiledslowlyalongthepathsthatconnectedfarmtofarm。
\"I\'veneverseensomanyonourlandbefore，\"saidSophie。\"Whyisit？\"
\"Toshowuswemustn\'tshutuptheirrightsofway。\"
\"Thosecow-trackswe\'vebeenusingcrosslots？\"saidSophieforcibly。
\"Yes。Anyoneof\'emwouldcostustwothousandpoundseachinlegalexpensestoclose。\"
\"Butwedon\'twantto，\"shesaid。
\"Thewholecommunitywouldfightifwedid。\"
\"Butit\'sourland。Wecandowhatwelike。\"
\"It\'snotourland。We\'veonlypaidforit。Webelongtoit，anditbelongstothepeople——ourpeopletheycall\'em。I\'vebeentolunchwiththeEnglishtoo。\"
Theypassedslowlyfromonebracken-dottedfieldtothenext——flushedwithprideofownership，plottingalterationsandrestorationsateachturn；haltingintheirtrackstoargue，spreadingaparttoembracetwoviewsatonce，orclosingintoconsiderone。Couplesmovedoutoftheirway，butsmilingcovertly。
\"Weshallmakesomebadbreaks，\"hesaidatlast。
\"Together，though。Youwon\'tletanyoneelsein，willyou？\"
\"Exceptthecontractors。Thissyndicatehandles，thispropositionbyitslittlelone。\"
\"Butyoumightfeelthewantofsomeone，\"sheinsisted。
\"Ishall——butitwillbeyou。It\'sbusiness，Sophie，butit\'sgoingtobegoodfun。\"
\"PleaseGod，\"sheansweredflushing，andcriedtoherselfastheywentbacktotea。\"It\'sworthit。Oh，it\'sworthit。\"
TherepairingandmovingintoFriarsPardonwasbusinessofthemostvariedandsearching，butalldoneEnglishfashion，withoutfriction。Timeandmoneyalonewereasked。TherestlayinthehandsofbeneficentadvisersfromLondon，orspirits，maleandfemale，calledupbyMr。andMrs。Clokefromthewastesofthefarms。InthecentrestoodGeorgeandSophie，alittleaghast，theirinterestsreachingoutoneveryside。
\"Iain\'tsayin\'anythingagainstLondoners，\"saidCloke，self-appointedclerkoftheouterworks，consultingengineer，headoftheimmigrationbureau，andsuperintendentofwoodsandforests；\"butyourownpeoplewon\'tgoabouttomakemorethanafairprofitoutofyou。\"
\"Howisonetoknow？\"saidGeorge。
\"Fiveyearsfromnow，orsoon，maybe，you\'llbelookin\'overyourfirstyear\'saccounts，and，knowin\'whatyou\'llknowthen，you\'llsay:\'Well，BillyBeartup\'——orOldClokeasitmightbe——\'didmeproperwhenIwasnew。\'Nomanlikestohavethatsortofthinglaidupagainsthim。\"
\"IthinkIsee，\"saidGeorge。\"Butfiveyearsisalongtimetolookahead。\"
\"IdoubtifthatoakBillyBeartupthrowedinReuben\'sGhyllwillbefitforherdrawin-roomfloorinlessthanseven，\"Clokedrawled。
\"Yes，that\'smywork，\"saidSophie。BillyBeartupofGriffons，awoodmanbytrainingandbirth，atenantfarmerbymisfortuneofmarriage，hadlaidhisbroadaxeatherfeetamonthbefore。
\"SorryifI\'vecommittedyoutoanothereternity。\"
\"Andweshan\'tevenknowwherewe\'vegonewrongwithyournewcarriagedrivebeforethattimeeither，\"saidCloke，everanxioustokeepthebalancetruewithanounceortwoinSophie\'sfavour。
ThepastfourmonthshadtaughtGeorgebetterthantoreply。Thecarriageroadwindingupthehillwashispresentkeeninterest。
Theysetofftolookatit，andtheimportedAmericanscraperwhichhadblightedthenonetoosunnysoulof\"Skim\"Winsh，thecarter。
ButyoungIgguldenwasinchargenow，andunderhisguidance，BullerandRoberts，thegreathorses，movedmountains。
\"Youlif\'herlikethat，an\'youtipherlikethat，\"heexplainedtothegang。\"MyunclehewasroadmasterinConnecticut。\"
\"Aretheyroadsyonder？\"saidSkim，sittingunderthelaurels。
\"Nobetterthanaccommodationroads。Dirt，theycall\'em。They\'dsuityou，Skim。\"
\"Why？\"saidtheincautiousSkim。
\"Causeyou\'dtakenohurtwhenyoufalloutofyourcartdrunkonaSaturday，\"wastheanswer。
\"Ididn\'tlasttimeneither，\"Skimroared。
Aftertheloudlaugh，oldWhybarneofGaleAnsteypipedfeebly，\"Well，dirtornodirt，there\'snodenyin\'Chapinknowsagoodjobwhenheseesit。\'Edon\'tbuildonedayanddee-stroythenext，likethatniggerSangres。\"
\"SHE\'stheonethatknowsherownmind，\"saidPinky，brothertoSkimWinsh，andaNapoleonamongcarterswhohadhelpedtobringthegrandpianoacrossthefieldsintheautumnrains。
\"Shehadoughtto，\"saidIggulden。\"Whoa，Buller!She\'saLashmar。Theyneverwasdouble-thinking。\"
\"Oh，youfoundthat？Hastheanswercomefromyouruncle？\"saidSkim，doubtfulwhethersoremotealandasAmericahadposts。
Theotherslookedathimscornfully。Skimwasalwaysadaybehindthefair。Igguldenrestedfromhislabours。\"She\'saLashmarrightenough。Istarteduptowritetomyuncle——atonce——themonthaftershesaidherfolkscamefromVeeringHoller。\"
\"Wherethereain\'tanyroads？\"Skiminterrupted，butnonelaughed。
\"MyunclehemarriedanAmericanwomanforhissecond，andshetookituplikealikethecoroner。She\'saLashmaroutoftheoldLashmarplace，\'foretheysoldtoConants。Sheain\'tnoTootHillLashmar，noranyo\'theCrayfordlot。Herfolkcomeoutofthegroundhere，neitherchalknorforest，butwildishers。TheysailedovertoAmerica——I\'vegotitallwritdownbymyuncle\'swoman——ineighteenhundredan\'nothing。Myunclesaysthey\'reallslowbegetterslike。\"
\"Wouldtheybegentryyondernow？\"Skimasked。
\"Nah——there\'snogentryinAmerica，nomatterhowlongyou\'rethere。It\'sagainsttheirlaw。There\'sonlyrichandpoorallowed。They\'vebeenlawyersandsuchlikeoveryonderforahundredyearsbutshe\'saLashmarforallthat。\"
\"Lord!What\'sahundredyears？\"saidWhybarne，whohadseenseventy-eightofthem。
\"An\'theywritetoo，fromyonder——myuncle\'swomanwrites——thatyoucanstilltell\'embyheadmark。Theirhair\'sfoxy-redstill——an\'theythrowoutwhentheywalk。He\'sin-toed-treadslikeagipsy；butyouwatch，an\'you\'llsee\'erthrow，out——likeacolt。\"
\"Yourtracewantstakingup。\"Pinky\'slargeearshadcaughtthesoundofvoices，andasthetwobrokethroughthelaurelsthemenwerehardatwork，theireyesonSophie\'sfeet。
ShehadbeenlessfortunateinherinquiriesthanIggulden，forherAuntSydneyofMeridenabadgedandcertificatedDaughteroftheRevolutiontobootansweredherinquirieswithatwo-pageddiscourseonpatriotism，theleafletsofaVillageImprovementSociety，ofwhichshewaspresident，andademandforanoverduesubscriptiontoaFactoryGirls\'ReadingCircle。SophieburneditallintheOrpheusandEurydicegrate，andkeptherowncounsel。
\"WhatIwanttoknow，\"saidGeorge，whenSpringwascoming，andthegardensneededthought。\"iswhowilleverpaymeformylabour？I\'veputinatleasthalfamilliondollars\'worthalready。\"
\"Sureyou\'renottakingtoomuchoutofyourself？\"hiswifeasked。
\"Oh，no；Ihaven\'tbeenconsciousofmyselfallwinter。\"HelookedathisbrownEnglishgaitersandsmiled。\"It\'sallbehindmenow。IbelieveIcouldsitdownandthinkofallthat——thosemonthsbeforewesailed。\"
\"Don\'t——ah，don\'t!\"shecried。
\"ButImustgobackoneday。Youdon\'twanttokeepmeoutofbusinessalways——ordoyou？\"Heendedwithanervouslaugh。
Sophiesighedasshedrewherownground-ashofoldIggulden\'scuttingfromthehallrack。
\"Aren\'tyouoverdoingittoo？Youlookalittletired，\"hesaid。
\"Youmakemetired。I\'mgoingtoRockettstoseeMrs。ClokeaboutMary。\"Thiswasthesisterofthetelegraphist，promotedtobesewing-maidatPardons。\"Coming？\"
\"I\'mdueatBurntHousetoseeaboutthenewwell。Bytheway，there\'sasorethroatatGaleAnstey——\"
\"That\'smyprovince。Don\'tinterfere。TheWhybarnechildrenalwayshavesorethroats。Theydoitforjujubes。\"
\"KeepawayfromGaleAnsteytillImakesure，honey。Clokeoughttohavetoldme。\"
\"Thesepeopledon\'ttell。Haven\'tyoulearntthatyet？ButI\'llobey，melord。Seeyoulater!\"
Shesetoffafoot，forwithinthethreemainroadsthatboundedtheblunttriangleoftheestateevenbynightonecouldscarcelyhearthecartsonthem，wheelswerenotusedexceptforfarmwork。Thefootpathsservedallotherpurposes。Andthoughatfirsttheyhadplannedimprovements，theyhadsoonfalleninwiththecustomsoftheirhiddenkingdom，andmovedaboutthesoft-footedwaysbywoodland，hedgerow，andshawasfreelyastherabbits。Indeed，forthemostpartSophiewalkedbareheadedbeneathherhelmetofchestnuthair；butshehadbeenplaguedoflatebyvaguetoothaches，whichsheexplainedtoMrs。Cloke，whoaskedsomequestions。HowitcameaboutSophieneverknew，butafterawhilebeholdMrs。Cloke\'sarmwasaboutherwaist，andherheadwasonthatdeepbosombehindtheshutkitchendoor。
\"Mydear!Mydear!\"theelderwomanalmostsobbed。\"An\'d\'youmeantotellmeyouneversuspicioned？Why——why——wherewasyouevertaughtanythingatall？Ofcourseitis。It\'swhatwe\'vebeenonlywaitin\'for，allofus。TimeandagainI\'vesaidtoLady——\"shecheckedherself。\"An\'nowweshallbeasweshouldbe。\"
\"But——but——but——\"Sophiewhimpered。
\"An\'toseeyoubuildin\'yournestsobusy——pianosandbooks——an\'
neverthinkin\'ofanursery!\"
\"NomoreIdid。\"Sophiesatboltupright，andbegantolaugh。
\"Timeenoughyet。\"Thefingerstappedthoughtfullyonthebroadknee。\"But——theymustbestrange-mindedfolkoveryonderwithyou!Haveyouthoughttosendforyourmother？Shedead？Mydear，mydear!Nevermind!She\'llbehappywheresheknows。\'TisGod\'swork。An\'wewasonlywaitin\'forit，foryou\'veneverfailedinyourdutyyet。Itain\'tyourway。WhatdidyousayaboutmyMary\'sdoings？\"Mrs。Cloke\'sfacehardenedasshepressedherchinonSophie\'sforehead。\"Ifanyofyourgirlsthinkstobe\'avearbitrarynow，I\'ll——Buttheywon\'t，mydear。I\'llseetheydotheirdutytoo。Besureyou\'ll\'avenotrouble。\"
WhenSophiewalkedbackacrossthefieldsheavenandearthchangedaboutherasonthedayofoldIggulden\'sdeath。Foraninstantshethoughtofthewideturnofthestaircase，andthenewivory-whitepaintthatnocoffincornercouldscar，butpresently，theshadowpassedinapurewonderandbewildermentthatmadeherreel。Sheleanedagainstoneoftheirnewgatesandlookedovertheirlandsforsomeotherstay。
\"Well，\"shesaidresignedly，halfaloud，\"wemusttrytomakehimfeelthatheisn\'tathirdinourparty，\"andturnedthecornerthatlookedoverFriarsPardon，giddy，sick，andfaint。
Ofasuddenthehousetheyhadboughtforawhimstoodupasshehadneverseenitbefore，low-fronted，broad-winged，ample，preparedbycourseofgenerationsforallsuchthings。Asithadsteadiedherwhenitlaydesolate，sonowthatithadmeaningfromtheirfewmonthsoflifewithin，itsoothedandpromisedgood。Shewentaloneandquicklyintothehall，andkissedeitherdoor-post，whispering:\"Begoodtome。Youknow!You\'veneverfailedinyourdutyyet。\"
WhenthematterwasexplainedtoGeorge，hewouldhavesailedatoncetotheirownland，butthisSophieforbade。
\"Idon\'twantscience，\"shesaid。\"Ijustwanttobeloved，andthereisn\'ttimeforthatathome。Besides，\"sheadded，lookingoutofthewindow，\"itwouldbedesertion。\"
GeorgewasforcedtosoothehimselfwithlinkingFriarsPardontothetelegraphsystemofGreatBritainbytelephone——three-quartersofamileofpoles，putinbyWhybarneandafewfriends。Oneofthesewasaforeignerfromthenextparish。Saidhewhenthelinewasbeingrun:\"There\'sanoldellumrightinourroad。Shallusthrowher？\"
\"TootHillparishfolk，neithergracenorgoodluck，Godhelp\'em。\"OldWhybarneshoutedthelocalproverbfromthreepolesdowntheline。\"Weain\'tgoin\'tolayanyaxe-irontocoffin-woodherenottillweknowwhereweareyetawhile。Swinground\'er，swinground!\"
Tothisday，then，thatsuddenkinkinthestraightlineacrosstheupperpastureremainsamysterytoSophieandGeorge。NorcantheytellwhySkimWinsh，whocametohiscottageunderDuttonShawmostmusicallydrunkat10。45P。MofeverySaturdaynight，ashisfatherhaddonebeforehim，sangnomoreatthebottomofthegardensteps，whereSophiealwaysfearedhewouldbreakhisneck。Thepathwasundoubtedlyanancientrightofway，andat10。45P。M。onSaturdaysSkimremembereditwashisdutytoposteritytokeepitopen——tillMrs。Clokespoketohimonce。ShespokelikewisetoherdaughterMary，sewingmaidatPardons，andtoMary\'sbestnewfriend，thefive-foot-sevenimportedLondonhouse-maid，whotaughtMarytotrimhats，andfoundthecountrydullish。
Buttherewasnonoise——atnotimewasthereanynoise——andwhenSophiewalkedabroadshemetnooneinherpathunlessshehadsignifiedawishthatway。Thentheyappearedtoprotestthatallwaswellwiththemandtheirchildren，theirchickens，theirroofs，theirwater-supply，andtheirsonsinthepoliceortherailwayservice。
\"Butdon\'tyoufinditdull，dear？\"saidGeorge，loyallydoinghisbestnottoworryasthemonthswentby。
\"I\'vebeensobusyputtingmyhouseinorderIhaven\'thadtimetothink，\"saidshe。\"Doyou？\"
\"No——no。IfIcouldonlybesureofyou。\"
Sheturnedonthegreendrawing-room\'scouchitwasEmpire，notHeppelwhiteafterall，andlaidasidealistoflinenandblankets。
\"Ithaschangedeverything，hasn\'tit？\"shewhispered。
\"Oh，Lord，yes。ButIstillthinkifwewentbacktoBaltimore\"
\"Andmissedourfirstrealsummertogether。Nothankyou，melord。\"
\"Butwe\'reabsolutelyalone。\"
\"Isn\'tthatwhatI\'mdoingmybesttoremedy？Don\'tyouworry。I
likeit——likeittothemarrowofmylittlebones。Youdon\'trealizewhatherhousemeanstoawoman。Wethoughtwewerelivinginitlastyear，butwehadn\'tbegunto。Don\'tyourejoiceinyourstudy，George？\"
\"Ipreferbeingherewithyou。\"Hesatdownonthefloorbythecouchandtookherhand。
\"Seven，\"shesaid，astheFrenchclockstruck。\"Yearbeforelastyou\'djustbecomingbackfrombusiness。\"
Hewincedattherecollection，thenlaughed。\"Business!I\'vebeenatworktensolidhoursto-day。\"
\"Wheredidyoulunch？WiththeConants？\"
\"No；atDuttonShaw，sittingonalog，withmyfeetinaswamp。
Butwe\'vefoundoutwheretheoldspringis，andwe\'regoingtopipeitdowntoGaleAnsteynextyear。\"
\"I\'llcomeandseeto-morrow。Oh，pleaseopenthedoor，dear。I
wanttolookdownthepassage。Isn\'tthatcornerbythestair-headlovelywherethesunstrikesin？\"Shelookedthroughhalf-closedeyesatthevistaofivory-whiteandpalegreenallsteepedinliquidgold。
\"There\'sastepoutofJaneElphick\'sbedroom，\"shewenton——\"andhisfirststepintheworldoughttobeup。Ishouldn\'twonderifthosepeoplehadn\'tputitthereonpurpose。George，willitmakeanyoddstoyouifhe\'sagirl？\"
Heanswered，ashehadmanytimesbefore，thathisinterestwashiswife，notthechild。
\"Thenyou\'retheonlypersonwhothinksso。\"Shelaughed。\"Don\'tbesilly，dear。It\'sexpected。Iknow。It\'smyduty。Ishan\'tbeabletolookourpeopleinthefaceifIfail。\"
\"Whatconcernisitoftheirs，confound\'em!\"
\"You\'llsee。Luckilythetraditionofthehouseisboys，Mrs。
Clokesays，soI\'mprovidedfor。Shallyoueverbegintounderstandthesepeople？Ishan\'t。\"
\"Andweboughtitforfun——forfun!\"hegroaned。\"Andhereweareheldupforgoodnessknowsbowlong!\"
\"Why？Wereyouthinkingofsellingit？\"Hedidnotanswer。\"DoyourememberthesecondMrs。Chapin？\"shedemanded。
Thiswasabold，brazenlittleblack-browedwoman——awidowforchoice——whoonSophie\'sdeathwasguilefullytomarryGeorgeforhiswealthandruinhiminayear。Georgebeingbusy，Sophiehadinventedhersometwoyearsafterhermarriage，andconceivedshewasaloneamongwivesinsodoing。
\"Youaren\'tgoingtobringherupagain？\"heaskedanxiously。
\"IonlywanttosaythatIshouldhateanyonewhoboughtPardonstentimesworsethanIusedtohatethesecondMrs。Chapin。Thinkwhatwe\'veputintoitofourtwoselves。\"
\"Atleastacoupleofmilliondollars。IknowIcouldhavemade——\"Hebrokeoff。
\"Thebeasts!\"shewenton。\"They\'dbesuretobuildared-bricklodgeatthegates，andcutthelawnupforbeddingout。Youmustleaveinstructionsinyourwillthathe\'snevertodothat，George，won\'tyou？\"
Helaughedandtookherhandagainbutsaidnothingtillitwastimetodress。Thenhemuttered\"Whatthedeviluseisaman\'scountrytohimwhenhecan\'tdobusinessinit？\"
FriarsPardonstoodfaithfultoitstradition。Attheappointedtimewasborn，notthatthirdintheirpartytowhomSophiemeanttobesokind，butagodling；inbeauty，itwasmanifest，excellingEros，asinwisdomConfucius；anenhancerofdelights，arenewerofcompanionshipsandaninterpreterofDestiny。ThislastGeorgedidnotrealisetillhemetLadyConantstridingthroughDuttonShawafewdaysaftertheevent。
\"Mydearfellow，\"shecried，andslappedhimheartilyontheback，\"Ican\'ttellyouhowgladweallare。Oh，she\'llbeallright。There\'sneverbeenanytroubleoverthebirthofanheiratPardons。Nowwherethedooceisit？\"Shefeltlargelyinherleather-boundskirtanddrewoutasmallsilvermug。\"Isentanotetoyourwifeaboutit，butmysillyassofagroomforgottotakethis。Youcansavemeatramp。Givehermylove。\"ShemarchedoffamidherguardofgraveAiredales。