Amale——evensuchamaleasTibby——wasenoughtostopthefoolery。Thebarrierofsex，thoughdecreasingamongthecivilized，isstillhigh，andhigheronthesideofwomen。Helencouldtellhersisterall，andhercousinmuchaboutPaul；shetoldherbrothernothing。Itwasnotprudishness，forshenowspokeof“theWilcoxideal“withlaughter，andevenwithagrowingbrutality。Norwasitprecaution，forTibbyseldomrepeatedanynewsthatdidnotconcernhimself。Itwasratherthefeelingthatshebetrayedasecretintothecampofmen，andthat，howevertrivialitwasonthissideofthebarrier，itwouldbecomeimportantonthat。Soshestopped，orratherbegantofoolonothersubjects，untilherlong-sufferingrelativesdroveherupstairs。Frä；uleinMosebachfollowedher，butlingeredtosayheavilyoverthebanisterstoMargaret，“Itisallright——shedoesnotlovetheyoungman——hehasnotbeenworthyofher。“
“Yes，Iknow；thanksverymuch。“
“IthoughtIdidrighttotellyou。“
“Eversomanythanks。“
“What\'sthat？“askedTibby。Noonetoldhim，andheproceededintothedining-room，toeatElvasplums。
ThateveningMargarettookdecisiveaction。
Thehousewasveryquiet，andthefog——weareinNovembernow——pressedagainstthewindowslikeanexcludedghost。FriedaandHelenandalltheirluggagehadgone。Tibby，whowasnotfeelingwell，laystretchedonasofabythefire。Margaretsatbyhim，thinking。
Herminddartedfromimpulsetoimpulse，andfinallymarshalledthemallinreview。Thepracticalperson，whoknowswhathewantsatonce，andgenerallyknowsnothingelse，willexcuseherofindecision。
Butthiswasthewayhermindworked。Andwhenshedidact，noonecouldaccuseherofindecisionthen。Shehitoutaslustilyasifshehadnotconsideredthematteratall。TheletterthatshewroteMrs。Wilcoxglowedwiththenativehueofresolution。Thepalecastofthoughtwaswithherabreathratherthanatarnish，abreaththatleavesthecoloursallthemorevividwhenithasbeenwipedaway。DearMrs。Wilcox，Ihavetowritesomethingdiscourteous。
Itwouldbebetterifwedidnotmeet。Bothmysisterandmyaunthavegivendispleasuretoyourfamily，and，inmysister\'scase，thegroundsfordispleasuremightrecur。AsfarasIknow，shenolongeroccupiesherthoughtswithyourson。Butitwouldnotbefair，eithertoherortoyou，iftheymet，anditisthereforerightthatouracquaintancewhichbegansopleasantly，shouldend。
Ifearthatyouwillnotagreewiththis；
indeed，Iknowthatyouwillnot，sinceyouhavebeengoodenoughtocallonus。Itisonlyaninstinctonmypart，andnodoubttheinstinctiswrong。Mysisterwould，undoubtedly，saythatitiswrong。
Iwritewithoutherknowledge，andIhopethatyouwillnotassociateherwithmydiscourtesy。Believeme，Yourstruly，M。J。SchlegelMargaretsentthisletterroundbypost。Nextmorningshereceivedthefollowingreplybyhand:DearMissSchlegel，Youshouldnothavewrittenmesuchaletter。
IcalledtotellyouthatPaulhasgoneabroad。RuthWilcoxMargaret\'scheeksburnt。Shecouldnotfinishherbreakfast。Shewasonfirewithshame。HelenhadtoldherthattheyouthwasleavingEngland，butotherthingshadseemedmoreimportant，andshehadforgotten。Allherabsurdanxietiesfelltotheground，andintheirplacearosethecertaintythatshehadbeenrudetoMrs。Wilcox。
RudenessaffectedMargaretlikeabittertasteinthemouth。Itpoisonedlife。Attimesitisnecessary，butwoetothosewhoemployitwithoutdueneed。Sheflungonahatandshawl，justlikeapoorwoman，andplungedintothefog，whichstillcontinued。Herlipswerecompressed，theletterremainedinherhand，andinthisstateshecrossedthestreet，enteredthemarblevestibuleoftheflats，eludedtheconcierges，andranupthestairstillshereachedthesecond-floor。
Shesentinhername，andtohersurprisewasshownstraightintoMrs。Wilcox\'sbedroom。
“Oh，Mrs。Wilcox，Ihavemadethebaddestblunder。
Iammore，moreashamedandsorrythanIcansay。“
Mrs。Wilcoxbowedgravely。Shewasoffended，anddidnotpretendtothecontrary。Shewassittingupinbed，writinglettersonaninvalidtablethatspannedherknees。Abreakfasttraywasonanothertablebesideher。Thelightofthefire，thelightfromthewindow，andthelightofacandle-lamp，whichthrewaquiveringhaloroundherhands，combinedtocreateastrangeatmosphereofdissolution。
“IknewhewasgoingtoIndiainNovember，butI
forgot。“
“Hesailedonthe17thforNigeria，inAfrica。“
“Iknew——Iknow。Ihavebeentooabsurdallthrough。Iamverymuchashamed。“
Mrs。Wilcoxdidnotanswer。
“IammoresorrythanIcansay，andIhopethatyouwillforgiveme。“
“Itdoesn\'tmatter，MissSchlegel。Itisgoodofyoutohavecomeroundsopromptly。“
“Itdoesmatter，“criedMargaret。“Ihavebeenrudetoyou；andmysisterisnotevenathome，sotherewasnoteventhatexcuse。
“Indeed？“
“ShehasjustgonetoGermany。“
“Shegoneaswell，“murmuredtheother。“Yes，certainly，itisquitesafe——safe，absolutely，now。“
“You\'vebeenworryingtoo！“exclaimedMargaret，gettingmoreandmoreexcited，andtakingachairwithoutinvitation。
“Howperfectlyextraordinary！Icanseethatyouhave。YoufeltasIdo；Helenmustn\'tmeethimagain。“
“Ididthinkitbest。“
“Nowwhy？“
“That\'samostdifficultquestion，“saidMrs。Wilcox，smiling，andalittlelosingherexpressionofannoyance。“Ithinkyouputitbestinyourletter——itwasaninstinct，whichmaybewrong。“
“Itwasn\'tthatyoursonstill——“
“Ohno；heoften——myPaulisveryyoung，yousee。“
“Thenwhatwasit？“
Sherepeated:“Aninstinctwhichmaybewrong。“
“Inotherwords，theybelongtotypesthatcanfallinlove，butcouldn\'tlivetogether。That\'sdreadfullyprobable。
I\'mafraidthatinninecasesoutoftenNaturepullsonewayandhumannatureanother。“
“Theseareindeed\'otherwords，\'“saidMrs。Wilcox。“
Ihadnothingsocoherentinmyhead。IwasmerelyalarmedwhenI
knewthatmyboycaredforyoursister。“
“Ah，Ihavealwaysbeenwantingtoaskyou。
Howdidyouknow？Helenwassosurprisedwhenourauntdroveup，andyousteppedforwardandarrangedthings。DidPaultellyou？“
“Thereisnothingtobegainedbydiscussingthat，“
saidMrs。Wilcoxafteramoment\'spause。
“Mrs。Wilcox，wereyouveryangrywithuslastJune？
Iwroteyoualetterandyoudidn\'tanswerit。“
“IwascertainlyagainsttakingMrs。Matheson\'sflat。Iknewitwasoppositeyourhouse。“
“Butit\'sallrightnow？“
“Ithinkso。“
“Youonlythink？Youaren\'tsure？I
dolovetheselittlemuddlestidiedup？“
“Ohyes，I\'msure，“saidMrs。Wilcox，movingwithuneasinessbeneaththeclothes。“Ialwayssounduncertainoverthings。
Itismywayofspeaking。“
“That\'sallright，andI\'msuretoo。“
Herethemaidcameintoremovethebreakfast-tray。
Theywereinterrupted，andwhentheyresumedconversationitwasonmorenormallines。
“Imustsaygood-byenow——youwillbegettingup。“
“No——pleasestopalittlelonger——Iamtakingadayinbed。NowandthenIdo。“
“Ithoughtofyouasoneoftheearlyrisers。“
“AtHowardsEnd——yes；thereisnothingtogetupforinLondon。“
“Nothingtogetupfor？“criedthescandalizedMargaret。
“Whentherearealltheautumnexhibitions，andYsayeplayingintheafternoon！
Nottomentionpeople。“
“Thetruthis，Iamalittletired。Firstcamethewedding，andthenPaulwentoff，and，insteadofrestingyesterday，Ipaidaroundofcalls。“
“Awedding？“
“Yes；Charles，myelderson，ismarried。“
“Indeed！“
“Wetooktheflatchieflyonthataccount，andalsothatPaulcouldgethisAfricanoutfit。Theflatbelongstoacousinofmyhusband\'s，andshemostkindlyofferedittous。SobeforethedaycamewewereabletomaketheacquaintanceofDolly\'speople，whichwehadnotyetdone。“
MargaretaskedwhoDolly\'speoplewere。
“Fussell。ThefatherisintheIndianarmy——retired；
thebrotherisinthearmy。Themotherisdead。“
Soperhapsthesewerethe“chinlesssunburntmen“
whomHelenhadespiedoneafternoonthroughthewindow。MargaretfeltmildlyinterestedinthefortunesoftheWilcoxfamily。ShehadacquiredthehabitonHelen\'saccount，anditstillclungtoher。
SheaskedformoreinformationaboutMissDollyFussellthatwas，andwasgivenitineven，unemotionaltones。Mrs。Wilcox\'svoice，thoughsweetandcompelling，hadlittlerangeofexpression。Itsuggestedthatpictures，concerts，andpeopleareallofsmallandequalvalue。
Onlyoncehaditquickened——whenspeakingofHowardsEnd。
“CharlesandAlbertFussellhaveknownoneanothersometime。Theybelongtothesameclub，andarebothdevotedtogolf。Dollyplaysgolftoo，thoughIbelievenotsowell，andtheyfirstmetinamixedfoursome。Wealllikeher，andareverymuchpleased。Theyweremarriedonthe11th，afewdaysbeforePaulsailed。
Charleswasveryanxioustohavehisbrotherasbestman，sohemadeagreatpointofhavingitonthe11th。TheFussellswouldhavepreferreditafterChristmas，buttheywereveryniceaboutit。ThereisDolly\'sphotograph——inthatdoubleframe。“
“AreyouquitecertainthatI\'mnotinterrupting，Mrs。Wilcox？“
“Yes，quite。“
“ThenIwillstay。I\'menjoyingthis。“
Dolly\'sphotographwasnowexamined。Itwassigned“FordearMims，“whichMrs。Wilcoxinterpretedas“thenamesheandCharleshadsettledthatsheshouldcallme。“Dollylookedsilly，andhadoneofthosetriangularfacesthatsooftenproveattractivetoarobustman。Shewasverypretty。FromherMargaretpassedtoCharles，whosefeaturesprevailedopposite。ShespeculatedontheforcesthathaddrawnthetwotogethertillGodpartedthem。Shefoundtimetohopethattheywouldbehappy。
“TheyhavegonetoNaplesfortheirhoneymoon。“
“Luckypeople！“
“IcanhardlyimagineCharlesinItaly。“
“Doesn\'thecarefortravelling？“
“Helikestravel，buthedoesseethroughforeignersso。WhatheenjoysmostisamotortourinEngland，andIthinkthatwouldhavecarriedthedayiftheweatherhadnotbeensoabominable。
Hisfathergavehimacarofhisownforaweddingpresent，whichforthepresentisbeingstoredatHowardsEnd。“
“Isupposeyouhaveagaragethere？“
“Yes。Myhusbandbuiltalittleoneonlylastmonth，tothewestofthehouse，notfarfromthewych-elm，inwhatusedtobethepaddockforthepony。“
Thelastwordshadanindescribableringaboutthem。
“Where\'stheponygone？“askedMargaretafterapause。
“Thepony？Oh，dead，eversolongago。““Thewych-elmIremember。Helenspokeofitasaverysplendidtree。“
“Itisthefinestwych-elminHertfordshire。
Didyoursistertellyouabouttheteeth？“
“No。“
“Oh，itmightinterestyou。Therearepigs\'
teethstuckintothetrunk，aboutfourfeetfromtheground。Thecountrypeopleputtheminlongago，andtheythinkthatiftheychewapieceofthebark，itwillcurethetoothache。Theteetharealmostgrownovernow，andnoonecomestothetree。“
“Ishould。Ilovefolkloreandallfesteringsuperstitions。“
“Doyouthinkthatthetreereallydidcuretoothache，ifonebelievedinit？“
“Ofcourseitdid。Itwouldcureanything——once。“
“CertainlyIremembercases——youseeIlivedatHowardsEndlong，longbeforeMr。Wilcoxknewit。Iwasbornthere。“
Theconversationagainshifted。Atthetimeitseemedlittlemorethanaimlesschatter。ShewasinterestedwhenherhostessexplainedthatHowardsEndwasherownproperty。ShewasboredwhentoominuteanaccountwasgivenoftheFussellfamily，oftheanxietiesofCharlesconcerningNaples，ofthemovementsofMr。WilcoxandEvie，whoweremotoringinYorkshire。Margaretcouldnotbearbeingbored。Shegrewinattentive，playedwiththephotographframe，droppedit，smashedDolly\'sglass，apologized，waspardoned，cutherfingerthereon，waspitied，andfinallysaidshemustbegoing——therewasallthehousekeepingtodo，andshehadtointerviewTibby\'sriding-master。
Thenthecuriousnotewasstruckagain。
“Good-bye，MissSchlegel，good-bye。Thankyouforcoming。Youhavecheeredmeup。“
“I\'msoglad！“
“I——Iwonderwhetheryoueverthinkaboutyourself。？“
“Ithinkofnothingelse，“saidMargaret，blushing，butlettingherhandremaininthatoftheinvalid。
“Iwonder。IwonderedatHeidelberg。“
“I\'msure！“
“Ialmostthink——“
“Yes？“askedMargaret，fortherewasalongpause——apausethatwassomehowakintotheflickerofthefire，thequiverofthereading-lampupontheirhands，thewhiteblurfromthewindow；apauseofshiftingandeternalshadows。
“Ialmostthinkyouforgetyou\'reagirl。“
Margaretwasstartledandalittleannoyed。
“I\'mtwenty-nine，“sheremarked。“Thatnotsowildlygirlish。“
Mrs。Wilcoxsmiled。
“Whatmakesyousaythat？DoyoumeanthatIhavebeengaucheandrude？“
Ashakeofthehead。“IonlymeantthatI
amfifty-one，andthattomebothofyou——Readitallinsomebookorother；
Icannotputthingsclearly。“
“Oh，I\'vegotit——inexperience。I\'mnobetterthanHelen，youmean，andyetIpresumetoadviseher。“
“Yes。Youhavegotit。Inexperienceistheword。“
“Inexperience，“repeatedMargaret，inseriousyetbuoyanttones。“Ofcourse，Ihaveeverythingtolearn——absolutelyeverything——justasmuchasHelen。Life\'sverydifficultandfullofsurprises。Atallevents，I\'vegotasfarasthat。Tobehumbleandkind，togostraightahead，tolovepeopleratherthanpitythem，torememberthesubmerged——well，onecan\'tdoallthesethingsatonce，worseluck，becausethey\'resocontradictory。It\'sthenthatproportioncomesin——tolivebyproportion。Don\'tbeginwithproportion。Onlyprigsdothat。Letproportioncomeinasalastresource，whenthebetterthingshavefailed，andadeadlock——Graciousme，I\'vestartedpreaching！“
“Indeed，youputthedifficultiesoflifesplendidly，“
saidMrs。Wilcox，withdrawingherhandintothedeepershadows。“ItisjustwhatIshouldhavelikedtosayaboutthemmyself。“Chapter9Mrs。WilcoxcannotbeaccusedofgivingMargaretmuchinformationaboutlife。AndMargaret，ontheotherhand，hasmadeafairshowofmodesty，andhaspretendedtoaninexperiencethatshecertainlydidnotfeel。
Shehadkepthouseforovertenyears；shehadentertained，almostwithdistinction；shehadbroughtupacharmingsister，andwasbringingupabrother。Surely，ifexperienceisattainable，shehadattainedit。
Yetthelittleluncheon-partythatshegaveinMrs。
Wilcox\'shonourwasnotasuccess。Thenewfrienddidnotblendwiththe“oneortwodelightfulpeople“whohadbeenaskedtomeether，andtheatmospherewasoneofpolitebewilderment。Hertastesweresimple，herknowledgeofcultureslight，andshewasnotinterestedintheNewEnglishArtClub，norinthedividing-linebetweenJournalismandLiterature，whichwasstartedasaconversationalhare。Thedelightfulpeopledartedafteritwithcriesofjoy，Margaretleadingthem，andnottillthemealwashalfoverdidtheyrealizethattheprincipalguesthadtakennopartinthechase。Therewasnocommontopic。Mrs。Wilcox，whoselifehadbeenspentintheserviceofhusbandandsons，hadlittletosaytostrangerswhohadneversharedit，andwhoseagewashalfherown。Clevertalkalarmedher，andwitheredherdelicateimaginings；
itwasthesocial；counterpartofamotorcar，alljerks，andshewasawispofhay，aflower。Twiceshedeploredtheweather，twicecriticizedthetrainserviceontheGreatNorthernRailway。Theyvigorouslyassented，andrushedon，andwhensheinquiredwhethertherewasanynewsofHelen，herhostesswastoomuchoccupiedinplacingRothensteintoanswer。
Thequestionwasrepeated:“IhopethatyoursisterissafeinGermanybynow。“Margaretcheckedherselfandsaid，“Yes，thankyou；IheardonTuesday。“Butthedemonofvociferationwasinher，andthenextmomentshewasoffagain。
“OnlyonTuesday，fortheyliverightawayatStettin。
DidyoueverknowanyonelivingatStettin？“
“Never，“saidMrs。Wilcoxgravely，whileherneighbour，ayoungmanlowdownintheEducationOffice，begantodiscusswhatpeoplewholivedatStettinoughttolooklike。WastheresuchathingasStettininity？Margaretswepton。
“PeopleatStettindropthingsintoboatsoutofoverhangingwarehouses。Atleast，ourcousinsdo，butaren\'tparticularlyrich。Thetownisn\'tinteresting，exceptforaclockthatrollsitseyes，andtheviewoftheOder，whichtrulyissomethingspecial。
Oh，Mrs。Wilcox，youwouldlovetheOder！Theriver，orratherrivers——thereseemtobedozensofthem——areintenseblue，andtheplaintheyrunthroughanintensestgreen。“
“Indeed！Thatsoundslikeamostbeautifulview，MissSchlegel。“
“SoIsay，butHelen，whowillmuddlethings，saysno，it\'slikemusic。ThecourseoftheOderistobelikemusic。
It\'sobligedtoremindherofasymphonicpoem。Thepartbythelanding-stageisinBminor，ifIrememberrightly，butlowerdownthingsgetextremelymixed。Thereisaslodgythemeinseveralkeysatonce，meaningmud-banks，andanotherforthenavigablecanal，andtheexitintotheBalticisinCsharpmajor，pianissimo。“
“Whatdotheoverhangingwarehousesmakeofthat？“
askedtheman，laughing。
“Theymakeagreatdealofit，“repliedMargaret，unexpectedlyrushingoffonanewtrack。“Ithinkit\'saffectationtocomparetheOdertomusic，andsodoyou，buttheoverhangingwarehousesofStettintakebeautyseriously，whichwedon\'t，andtheaverageEnglishmandoesn\'t，anddespisesallwhodo。Nowdon\'tsay\'Germanshavenotaste，\'orIshallscream。Theyhaven\'t。But——but——suchatremendousbut！——theytakepoetryseriously。Theydotakepoetryseriously。
“Isanythinggainedbythat？“
“Yes，yes。TheGermanisalwaysonthelookoutforbeauty。Hemaymissitthroughstupidity，ormisinterpretit，butheisalwaysaskingbeautytoenterhislife，andIbelievethatintheenditwillcome。AtHeidelbergImetafatveterinarysurgeonwhosevoicebrokewithsobsasherepeatedsomemawkishpoetry。Soeasyformetolaugh——I，whoneverrepeatpoetry，goodorbad，andcannotrememberonefragmentofversetothrillmyselfwith。Mybloodboils——well，I\'mhalfGerman，soputitdowntopatriotism——whenIlistentothetastefulcontemptoftheaverageislanderforthingsTeutonic，whetherthey\'reBö；cklinormyveterinarysurgeon。\'Oh，Bö；cklin，\'theysay；\'hestrainsafterbeauty，hepeoplesNaturewithgodstooconsciously。\'OfcourseBö；cklinstrains，becausehewantssomething——beautyandalltheotherintangiblegiftsthatarefloatingabouttheworld。Sohislandscapesdon\'tcomeoff，andLeader\'sdo。“
“IamnotsurethatIagree。Doyou？“saidhe，turningtoMrs。Wilcox。
Shereplied:“IthinkMissSchlegelputseverythingsplendidly“；andachillfellontheconversation。
“Oh，Mrs。Wilcox，saysomethingnicerthanthat。
It\'ssuchasnubtobetoldyouputthingssplendidly。“
“Idonotmeanitasasnub。Yourlastspeechinterestedmesomuch。GenerallypeopledonotseemquitetolikeGermany。Ihavelongwantedtohearwhatissaidontheotherside。“
“Theotherside？Thenyoudodisagree。
Oh，good！Giveusyourside。“
“Ihavenoside。Butmyhusband“——hervoicesoftened，thechillincreased——“hasverylittlefaithintheContinent，andourchildrenhavealltakenafterhim。“
“Onwhatgrounds？DotheyfeelthattheContinentisinbadform？“
Mrs。Wilcoxhadnoidea；shepaidlittleattentiontogrounds。Shewasnotintellectual，norevenalert，anditwasoddthat，allthesame，sheshouldgivetheideaofgreatness。Margaret，zigzaggingwithherfriendsoverThoughtandArt，wasconsciousofapersonalitythattranscendedtheirownanddwarfedtheiractivities。TherewasnobitternessinMrs。Wilcox；therewasnotevencriticism；shewaslovable，andnoungraciousoruncharitablewordhadpassedherlips。Yetsheanddailylifewereoutoffocus:oneortheothermustshowblurred。
Andatlunchsheseemedmoreoutoffocusthanusual，andnearerthelinethatdivideslifefromalifethatmaybeofgreaterimportance。
“Youwilladmit，though，thattheContinent——itseemssillytospeakof\'theContinent，\'butreallyitisallmorelikeitselfthananypartofitislikeEngland。Englandisunique。
Dohaveanotherjellyfirst。IwasgoingtosaythattheContinent，forgoodorforevil，isinterestedinideas。ItsLiteratureandArthavewhatonemightcallthekinkoftheunseenaboutthem，andthispersistseventhroughdecadenceandaffectation。ThereismorelibertyofactioninEngland，butforlibertyofthoughtgotobureaucraticPrussia。
Peoplewilltherediscusswithhumilityvitalquestionsthatweherethinkourselvestoogoodtotouchwithtongs。“
“IdonotwanttogotoPrussian“saidMrs。Wilcox——“noteventoseethatinterestingviewthatyouweredescribing。AndfordiscussingwithhumilityIamtooold。WeneverdiscussanythingatHowardsEnd。“
“Thenyououghtto！“saidMargaret。“Discussionkeepsahousealive。Itcannotstandbybricksandmortaralone。“
“Itcannotstandwithoutthem，“saidMrs。Wilcox，unexpectedlycatchingontothethought，androusing，forthefirstandlasttime，afainthopeinthebreastsofthedelightfulpeople。
“Itcannotstandwithoutthem，andIsometimesthink——ButIcannotexpectyourgenerationtoagree，forevenmydaughterdisagreeswithmehere。“
“Nevermindusorher。Dosay！“
“Isometimesthinkthatitiswisertoleaveactionanddiscussiontomen。“
Therewasalittlesilence。
“Oneadmitsthattheargumentsagainstthesuffrageareextraordinarilystrong，“saidagirlopposite，leaningforwardandcrumblingherbread。
“Arethey？Ineverfollowanyarguments。
Iamonlytoothankfulnottohaveavotemyself。“
“Wedidn\'tmeanthevote，though，didwe？“suppliedMargaret。“Aren\'twedifferingonsomethingmuchwider，Mrs。Wilcox？
Whetherwomenaretoremainwhattheyhavebeensincethedawnofhistory；
orwhether，sincemenhavemovedforwardsofar，theytoomaymoveforwardalittlenow。Isaytheymay。Iwouldevenadmitabiologicalchange。“
“Idon\'tknow，Idon\'tknow。“
“Imustbegettingbacktomyoverhangingwarehouse，“
saidtheman。“They\'veturneddisgracefullystrict。
Mrs。Wilcoxalsorose。
“Oh，butcomeupstairsforalittle。MissQuestedplays。DoyoulikeMacDowell？Doyoumindhimonlyhavingtwonoises？Ifyoumustreallygo，I\'llseeyouout。
Won\'tyouevenhavecoffee？“
Theyleftthedining-room，closingthedoorbehindthem，andasMrs。Wilcoxbuttonedupherjacket，shesaid:“WhataninterestinglifeyouallleadinLondon！“
“No，wedon\'t，“saidMargaret，withasuddenrevulsion。
“Weleadthelivesofgibberingmonkeys。Mrs。Wilcox——really——Wehavesomethingquietandstableatthebottom。Wereallyhave。
Allmyfriendshave。Don\'tpretendyouenjoyedlunch，foryouloathedit，butforgivemebycomingagain，alone，orbyaskingmetoyou。“
“Iamusedtoyoungpeople，“saidMrs。Wilcox，andwitheachwordshespoketheoutlinesofknownthingsgrewdim。“I
hearagreatdealofchatterathome，forwe，likeyou，entertainagreatdeal。Withusitismoresportandpolitics，but——Ienjoyedmylunchverymuch，MissSchlegel，dear，andamnotpretending，andonlywishI
couldhavejoinedinmore。Foronething，I\'mnotparticularlywelljusttoday。Foranother，youyoungerpeoplemovesoquicklythatitdazesme。Charlesisthesame，Dollythesame。Butweareallinthesameboat，oldandyoung。Ineverforgetthat。“
Theyweresilentforamoment。Then，withanewbornemotion，theyshookhands。TheconversationceasedsuddenlywhenMargaretre-enteredthedining-room:herfriendshadbeentalkingoverhernewfriend，andhaddismissedherasuninteresting。Chapter10Severaldayspassed。
WasMrs。Wilcoxoneoftheunsatisfactorypeople——therearemanyofthem——whodangleintimacyandthenwithdrawit？Theyevokeourinterestsandaffections，andkeepthelifeofthespiritdawdlingroundthem。Thentheywithdraw。Whenphysicalpassionisinvolved，thereisadefinitenameforsuchbehaviour——flirting——andifcarriedfarenoughitispunishablebylaw。Butnolaw——notpublicopinioneven——punishesthosewhocoquettewithfriendship，thoughthedullachethattheyinflict，thesenseofmisdirectedeffortandexhaustion，maybeasintolerable。
Wassheoneofthese？
Margaretfearedsoatfirst，for，withaLondoner\'simpatience，shewantedeverythingtobesettledupimmediately。Shemistrustedtheperiodsofquietthatareessentialtotruegrowth。
DesiringtobookMrs。Wilcoxasafriend，shepressedontheceremony，pencil，asitwere，inhand，pressingthemorebecausetherestofthefamilywereaway，andtheopportunityseemedfavourable。Buttheelderwomanwouldnotbehurried。SherefusedtofitinwiththeWickhamPlaceset，ortoreopendiscussionofHelenandPaul，whomMargaretwouldhaveutilizedasashort-cut。Shetookhertime，orperhapslettimetakeher，andwhenthecrisisdidcomeallwasready。
Thecrisisopenedwithamessage:wouldMissSchlegelcomeshopping？Christmaswasnearing，andMrs。Wilcoxfeltbehind-handwiththepresents。Shehadtakensomemoredaysinbed，andmustmakeupforlosttime。Margaretaccepted，andateleveno\'clockonecheerlessmorningtheystartedoutinabrougham。
“Firstofall，“beganMargaret，“wemustmakealistandtickoffthepeople\'snames。Myauntalwaysdoes，andthisfogmaythickenupanymoment。Haveyouanyideas？“
“IthoughtwewouldgotoHarrod\'sortheHaymarketStores，“saidMrs。Wilcoxratherhopelessly。“Everythingissuretobethere。Iamnotagoodshopper。Thedinissoconfusing，andyourauntisquiteright——oneoughttomakealist。Takemynotebook，then，andwriteyourownnameatthetopofthepage。“
“Oh，hooray！“saidMargaret，writingit。“Howverykindofyoutostartwithme！“Butshedidnotwanttoreceiveanythingexpensive。Theiracquaintancewassingularratherthanintimate，andshedivinedthattheWilcoxclanwouldresentanyexpenditureonoutsiders；
themorecompactfamiliesdo。ShedidnotwanttobethoughtasecondHelen，whowouldsnatchpresentssinceshecouldnotsnatchyoungmen，nortobeexposed，likeasecondAuntJuley，totheinsultsofCharles。
Acertainausterityofdemeanourwasbest，andsheadded:“Idon\'treallywantaYuletidegift，though。Infact，I\'drathernot。“
“Why？“
“BecauseI\'veoddideasaboutChristmas。BecauseIhaveallthatmoneycanbuy。Iwantmorepeople，butnomorethings。“
“Ishouldliketogiveyousomethingworthyouracquaintance，MissSchlegel，inmemoryofyourkindnesstomeduringmylonelyfortnight。IthassohappenedthatIhavebeenleftalone，andyouhavestoppedmefrombrooding。Iamtooapttobrood。“
“Ifthatisso，“saidMargaret，“ifIhavehappenedtobeofusetoyou，whichIdidn\'tknow，youcannotpaymebackwithanythingtangible。“
“Isupposenot，butonewouldliketo。PerhapsIshallthinkofsomethingaswegoabout。“
Hernameremainedattheheadofthelist，butnothingwaswrittenoppositeit。Theydrovefromshoptoshop。Theairwaswhite，andwhentheyalightedittastedlikecoldpennies。
Attimestheypassedthroughaclotofgrey。Mrs。Wilcox\'svitalitywaslowthatmorning，anditwasMargaretwhodecidedonahorseforthislittlegirl，agolliwogforthat，fortherector\'swifeacopperwarming-tray。
“Wealwaysgivetheservantsmoney。““Yes，doyou，yes，mucheasier，“repliedMargaret，butfeltthegrotesqueimpactoftheunseenupontheseen，andsawissuingfromaforgottenmangeratBethlehemthistorrentofcoinsandtoys。Vulgarityreigned。Public-houses，besidestheirusualexhortationagainsttemperancereform，invitedmento“JoinourChristmasgooseclub“——onebottleofgin，etc。，ortwo，accordingtosubscription。
AposterofawomanintightsheraldedtheChristmaspantomime，andlittlereddevils，whohadcomeinagainthatyear，wereprevalentupontheChristmas-cards。
Margaretwasnomorbididealist。Shedidnotwishthisspateofbusinessandself-advertisementchecked。Itwasonlytheoccasionofitthatstruckherwithamazementannually。Howmanyofthesevacillatingshoppersandtiredshop-assistantsrealizedthatitwasadivineeventthatdrewthemtogether？Sherealizedit，thoughstandingoutsideinthematter。ShewasnotaChristianintheacceptedsense；shedidnotbelievethatGodhadeverworkedamongusasayoungartisan。
Thesepeople，ormostofthem，believedit，andifpressed，wouldaffirmitinwords。ButthevisiblesignsoftheirbeliefwereRegentStreetorDruryLane，alittlemuddisplaced，alittlemoneyspent，alittlefoodcooked，eaten，andforgotten。Inadequate。Butinpublicwhoshallexpresstheunseenadequately？Itisprivatelifethatholdsoutthemirrortoinfinity；personalintercourse，andthatalone，thateverhintsatapersonalitybeyondourdailyvision。
“No，IdolikeChristmasonthewhole，“sheannounced。
“Initsclumsyway，itdoesapproachPeaceandGoodwill。Butoh，itisclumsiereveryyear。“
“Isit？IamonlyusedtocountryChristmases。“
“WeareusuallyinLondon，andplaythegamewithvigour——carolsattheAbbey，clumsymiddaymeal，clumsydinnerforthemaids，followedbyChristmas-treeanddancingofpoorchildren，withsongsfromHelen。Thedrawing-roomdoesverywellforthat。Weputthetreeinthepowder-closet，anddrawacurtainwhenthecandlesarelighted，andwiththelooking-glassbehinditlooksquitepretty。
Iwishwemighthaveapowder-closetinournexthouse。Ofcourse，thetreehastobeverysmall，andthepresentsdon\'thangonit。
No；thepresentsresideinasortofrockylandscapemadeofcrumpledbrownpaper。“
“Youspokeofyour\'nexthouse，\'MissSchlegel。
ThenareyouleavingWickhamPlace？“
“Yes，intwoorthreeyears，whentheleaseexpires。
Wemust。“
“Haveyoubeentherelong？“
“Allourlives。“
“Youwillbeverysorrytoleaveit。“
“Isupposeso。Wescarcelyrealizeityet。
Myfather——“Shebrokeoff，fortheyhadreachedthestationerydepartmentoftheHaymarketStores，andMrs。Wilcoxwantedtoordersomeprivategreetingcards。
“Ifpossible，somethingdistinctive，“shesighed。
Atthecountershefoundafriend，bentonthesameerrand，andconversedwithherinsipidly，wastingmuchtime。“Myhusbandandourdaughteraremotoring。“
“Berthatoo？Oh，fancy，whatacoincidence！“
Margaret，thoughnotpractical，couldshineinsuchcompanyasthis。
Whiletheytalked，shewentthroughavolumeofspecimencards，andsubmittedoneforMrs。Wilcox\'sinspection。Mrs。Wilcoxwasdelighted——sooriginal，wordssosweet；shewouldorderahundredlikethat，andcouldneverbesufficientlygrateful。Then，justastheassistantwasbookingtheorder，shesaid:“Doyouknow，I\'llwait。Onsecondthoughts，I\'llwait。There\'splentyoftimestill，isn\'tthere，andIshallbeabletogetEvie\'sopinion。“
Theyreturnedtothecarriagebydeviouspaths；
whentheywerein，shesaid，“Butcouldn\'tyougetitrenewed？“
“Ibegyourpardon？“askedMargaret。
“Thelease，Imean。“
“Oh，thelease！Haveyoubeenthinkingofthatallthetime？Howverykindofyou！“
“Surelysomethingcouldbedone。“
“No；valueshaverisentooenormously。TheymeantopulldownWickhamPlace，andbuildflatslikeyours。“
“Buthowhorrible！“
“Landlordsarehorrible。“
Thenshesaidvehemently:“Itismonstrous，MissSchlegel；itisn\'tright。Ihadnoideathatthiswashangingoveryou。Idopityyoufromthebottomofmyheart。Tobepartedfromyourhouse，yourfather\'shouse——itoughtn\'ttobeallowed。
Itisworsethandying。Iwouldratherdiethan——Oh，poorgirls！
Canwhattheycallcivilizationberight，ifpeoplemayn\'tdieintheroomwheretheywereborn？Mydear，Iamsosorry——“
Margaretdidnotknowwhattosay。Mrs。Wilcoxhadbeenovertiredbytheshopping，andwasinclinedtohysteria。
“HowardsEndwasnearlypulleddownonce。
Itwouldhavekilledme。“
“HowardsEndmustbeaverydifferenthousetoours。
Wearefondofours，butthereisnothingdistinctiveaboutit。Asyousaw，itisanordinaryLondonhouse。Weshalleasilyfindanother。“
“Soyouthink。“
“Againmylackofexperience，Isuppose！“saidMargaret，easingawayfromthesubject。“Ican\'tsayanythingwhenyoutakeupthatline，Mrs。Wilcox。IwishIcouldseemyselfasyouseeme——foreshortenedintoabackfisch。Quitetheingé；nue。Verycharming——wonderfullywellreadformyage，butincapable——“
Mrs。Wilcoxwouldnotbedeterred。“ComedownwithmetoHowardsEndnow，“shesaid，morevehementlythanever。
“Iwantyoutoseeit。Youhaveneverseenit。Iwanttohearwhatyousayaboutit，foryoudoputthingssowonderfully。“
Margaretglancedatthepitilessairandthenatthetiredfaceofhercompanion。“LateronIshouldloveit，“shecontinued，“butit\'shardlytheweatherforsuchanexpedition，andweoughttostartwhenwe\'refresh。Isn\'tthehouseshutup，too？“
Shereceivednoanswer。Mrs。Wilcoxappearedtobeannoyed。
“MightIcomesomeotherday？“
Mrs。Wilcoxbentforwardandtappedtheglass。
“BacktoWickhamPlace，please！“washerordertothecoachman。Margarethadbeensnubbed。
“Athousandthanks，MissSchlegel，forallyourhelp。“
“Notatall。“
“Itissuchacomforttogetthepresentsoffmymind——theChristmas-cardsespecially。Idoadmireyourchoice。“
Itwasherturntoreceivenoanswer。InherturnMargaretbecameannoyed。
“MyhusbandandEviewillbebackthedayaftertomorrow。ThatiswhyIdraggedyououtshoppingtoday。Istayedintownchieflytoshop，butgotthroughnothing，andnowhewritesthattheymustcuttheirtourshort，theweatherissobad，andthepolice-trapshavebeensobad——nearlyasbadasinSurrey。Oursissuchacarefulchauffeur，andmyhusbandfeelsitparticularlyhardthattheyshouldbetreatedlikeroadhogs。“
“Why？“
“Well，naturallyhe——heisn\'taroad-hog。“
“Hewasexceedingthespeed-limit，Iconclude。
Hemustexpecttosufferwiththeloweranimals。“
Mrs。Wilcoxwassilenced。Ingrowingdiscomforttheydrovehomewards。ThecityseemedSatanic，thenarrowerstreetsoppressinglikethegalleriesofamine。Noharmwasdonebythefogtotrade，foritlayhigh，andthelightedwindowsoftheshopswerethrongedwithcustomers。Itwasratheradarkeningofthespiritwhichfellbackuponitself，tofindamoregrievousdarknesswithin。
Margaretnearlyspokeadozentimes，butsomethingthrottledher。
Shefeltpettyandawkward，andhermeditationsonChristmasgrewmorecynical。Peace？Itmaybringothergifts，butisthereasingleLondonertowhomChristmasispeaceful？Thecravingforexcitementandforelaborationhasruinedthatblessing。Goodwill？Hadsheseenanyexampleofitinthehordesofpurchasers？Orinherself。
Shehadfailedtorespondtothisinvitationmerelybecauseitwasalittlequeerandimaginative——she，whosebirthrightitwastonourishimagination！
Bettertohaveaccepted，tohavetiredthemselvesalittlebythejourney，thancoldlytoreply，“MightIcomesomeotherday？“Hercynicismlefther。Therewouldbenootherday。Thisshadowywomanwouldneveraskheragain。
TheypartedattheMansions。Mrs。Wilcoxwentinafterduecivilities，andMargaretwatchedthetall，lonelyfiguresweepupthehalltothelift。Astheglassdoorsclosedonitshehadthesenseofanimprisonment。Thebeautifulheaddisappearedfirst，stillburiedinthemuff，thelongtrailingskirtfollowed。Awomanofundefinableraritywasgoingupheaven-ward，likeaspecimeninabottle。
Andintowhataheaven——avaultasofhell，sootyblack，fromwhichsootsdescended！
Atlunchherbrother，seeingherinclinedforsilence，insistedontalking。Tibbywasnotill-natured，butfrombabyhoodsomethingdrovehimtodotheunwelcomeandtheunexpected。Nowhegaveheralongaccountoftheday-schoolthathesometimespatronized。
Theaccountwasinteresting，andshehadoftenpressedhimforitbefore，butshecouldnotattendnow，forhermindwasfocussedontheinvisible。
ShediscernedthatMrs。Wilcox，thoughalovingwifeandmother，hadonlyonepassioninlife——herhouse——andthatthemomentwassolemnwhensheinvitedafriendtosharethispassionwithher。Toanswer“anotherday“wastoanswerasafool。“Anotherday“willdoforbrickandmortar，butnotfortheHolyofHoliesintowhichHowardsEndhadbeentransfigured。Herowncuriositywasslight。Shehadheardmorethanenoughaboutitinthesummer。Theninewindows，thevine，andthewych-elmhadnopleasantconnectionsforher，andshewouldhavepreferredtospendtheafternoonataconcert。Butimaginationtriumphed。
Whileherbrotherheldforthshedeterminedtogo，atwhatevercost，andtocompelMrs。Wilcoxtogo，too。Whenlunchwasovershesteppedovertotheflats。
Mrs。Wilcoxhadjustgoneawayforthenight。
Margaretsaidthatitwasofnoconsequence，hurrieddownstairs，andtookahansomtoKing\'sCross。Shewasconvincedthattheescapadewasimportant，thoughitwouldhavepuzzledhertosaywhy。Therewasaquestionofimprisonmentandescape，andthoughshedidnotknowthetimeofthetrain，shestrainedhereyesfortheSt。
Pancras\'clock。
ThentheclockofKing\'sCrossswungintosight，asecondmooninthatinfernalsky，andhercabdrewupatthestation。
TherewasatrainforHiltoninfiveminutes。Shetookaticket，askinginheragitationforasingle。Asshedidso，agraveandhappyvoicesalutedherandthankedher。
“IwillcomeifIstillmay，“saidMargaret，laughingnervously。
“Youarecomingtosleep，dear，too。Itisinthemorningthatmyhouseismostbeautiful。Youarecomingtostop。Icannotshowyoumymeadowproperlyexceptatsunrise。
Thesefogs“——shepointedatthestationroof——“neverspreadfar。
IdaresaytheyaresittinginthesuninHertfordshire，andyouwillneverrepentjoiningthem。
“Ishallneverrepentjoiningyou。“
“Itisthesame。“
Theybeganthewalkupthelongplatform。
Faratitsendstoodthetrain，breastingthedarknesswithout。Theyneverreachedit。Beforeimaginationcouldtriumph，therewerecriesof“Mother！Mother！“andaheavy-browedgirldartedoutofthecloak-roomandseizedMrs。Wilcoxbythearm。
“Evie！“shegasped。“Evie，mypet——“
Thegirlcalled，“Father！Isay！lookwho\'shere。“
“Evie，dearestgirl，whyaren\'tyouinYorkshire？“
“No——motorsmash——changedplans——Father\'scoming。“
“Why，Ruth！“criedMr。Wilcox，joiningthem。
“Whatinthenameofallthat\'swonderfulareyoudoinghere，Ruth？“
Mrs。Wilcoxhadrecoveredherself。
“Oh，Henrydear！——here\'salovelysurprise——butletmeintroduce——butIthinkyouknowMissSchlegel。“
“Oh，yes，“hereplied，notgreatlyinterested。
“Buthow\'syourself，Ruth？“
“Fitasafiddle，“sheansweredgaily。
“Soareweandsowasourcar，whichranA-1asfarasRipon，butthereawretchedhorseandcartwhichafoolofadriver——“
“MissSchlegel，ourlittleoutingmustbeforanotherday。“
“Iwassayingthatthisfoolofadriver，asthepolicemanhimselfadmits——“
“Anotherday，Mrs。Wilcox。Ofcourse。“
“——Butaswe\'veinsuredagainstthirdpartyrisks，itwon\'tsomuchmatter——“
“——Cartandcarbeingpracticallyatrightangles——“
Thevoicesofthehappyfamilyrosehigh。
Margaretwasleftalone。Noonewantedher。Mrs。WilcoxwalkedoutofKing\'sCrossbetweenherhusbandandherdaughter，listeningtobothofthem。Chapter11Thefuneralwasover。Thecarriagesrolledawaythroughthesoftmud，andonlythepoorremained。Theyapproachedtothenewly-dugshaftandlookedtheirlastatthecoffin，nowalmosthiddenbeneaththespadefulsofclay。Itwastheirmoment。Mostofthemwerewomenfromthedeadwoman\'sdistrict，towhomblackgarmentshadbeenservedoutbyMr。Wilcox\'sorders。Purecuriosityhadbroughtothers。
Theythrilledwiththeexcitementofadeath，andofarapiddeath，andstoodingroupsormovedbetweenthegraves，likedropsofink。Thesonofoneofthem，awood-cutter，wasperchedhighabovetheirheads，pollardingoneofthechurchyardelms。FromwherehesathecouldseethevillageofHilton，strungupontheNorthRoad，withitsaccretingsuburbs；thesunsetbeyond，scarletandorange，winkingathimbeneathbrowsofgrey；thechurch；theplantations；andbehindhimanunspoiltcountryoffieldsandfarms。Buthe，too，wasrollingtheeventluxuriouslyinhismouth。Hetriedtotellhismotherdownbelowallthathehadfeltwhenhesawthecoffinapproaching:howhecouldnotleavehiswork，andyetdidnotliketogoonwithit；howhehadalmostslippedoutofthetree，hewassoupset；therookshadcawed，andnowonder——itwasasifrooksknewtoo。Hismotherclaimedthepropheticpowerherself——shehadseenastrangelookaboutMrs。Wilcoxforsometime。
Londonhaddonethemischief，saidothers。Shehadbeenakindlady；
hergrandmotherhadbeenkind，too——aplainerperson，butverykind。
Ah，theoldsortwasdyingout！Mr。Wilcox，hewasakindgentleman。
Theyadvancedtothetopicagainandagain，dully，butwithexaltation。
ThefuneralofarichpersonwastothemwhatthefuneralofAlcestisorOpheliaistotheeducated。ItwasArt；thoughremotefromlife，itenhancedlife\'svalues，andtheywitnesseditavidly。
Thegrave-diggers，whohadkeptupanundercurrentofdisapproval——theydislikedCharles；itwasnotamomenttospeakofsuchthings，buttheydidnotlikeCharlesWilcox——thegrave-diggersfinishedtheirworkandpiledupthewreathsandcrossesaboveit。ThesunsetoverHilton:thegreybrowsoftheeveningflushedalittle，andwerecleftwithonescarletfrown。Chatteringsadlytoeachother，themournerspassedthroughthelych-gateandtraversedthechestnutavenuesthatleddowntothevillage。Theyoungwood-cutterstayedalittlelonger，poisedabovethesilenceandswayingrhythmically。Atlasttheboughfellbeneathhissaw。Withagrunt，hedescended，histhoughtsdwellingnolongerondeath，butonlove，forhewasmating。Hestoppedashepassedthenewgrave；asheafoftawnychrysanthemumshadcaughthiseye。“Theydidn\'toughttohavecolouredflowersatburyings，“
hereflected。Trudgingonafewsteps，hestoppedagain，lookedfurtivelyatthedusk，turnedback，wrenchedachrysanthemumfromthesheaf，andhiditinhispocket。
Afterhimcamesilenceabsolute。Thecottagethatabuttedonthechurchyardwasempty，andnootherhousestoodnear。
Hourafterhourthesceneoftheintermentremainedwithoutaneyetowitnessit。Cloudsdriftedoveritfromthewest；orthechurchmayhavebeenaship，high-prowed，steeringwithallitscompanytowardsinfinity。
Towardsmorningtheairgrewcolder，theskyclearer，thesurfaceoftheearthhardandsparklingabovetheprostratedead。Thewood-cutter，returningafteranightofjoy，reflected:“Theylilies，theychrysants；
it\'sapityIdidn\'ttakethemall。“
UpatHowardsEndtheywereattemptingbreakfast。
CharlesandEviesatinthedining-room，withMrs。Charles。Theirfather，whocouldnotbeartoseeaface，breakfastedupstairs。Hesufferedacutely。Paincameoverhiminspasms，asifitwasphysical，andevenwhilehewasabouttoeat，hiseyeswouldfillwithtears，andhewouldlaydownthemorseluntasted。
Herememberedhiswife\'sevengoodnessduringthirtyyears。Notanythingindetail——notcourtshiporearlyraptures——butjusttheunvaryingvirtue，thatseemedtohimawoman\'snoblestquality。
Somanywomenarecapricious，breakingintooddflawsofpassionorfrivolity。
Notsohiswife。Yearafteryear，summerandwinter，asbrideandmother，shehadbeenthesame，hehadalwaystrustedher。Hertenderness！
Herinnocence！ThewonderfulinnocencethatwashersbythegiftofGod。Ruthknewnomoreofworldlywickednessandwisdomthandidtheflowersinhergarden，orthegrassinherfield。Herideaofbusiness——“Henry，whydopeoplewhohaveenoughmoneytrytogetmoremoney？“
Herideaofpolitics——“Iamsurethatifthemothersofvariousnationscouldmeet，therewouldbenomorewars。“Herideaofreligion——ah，thishadbeenacloud，butacloudthatpassed。ShecameofQuakerstock，andheandhisfamily，formerlyDissenters，werenowmembersoftheChurchofEngland。Therector\'ssermonshadatfirstrepelledher，andshehadexpressedadesirefor“amoreinwardlight，“adding，“notsomuchformyselfasforbaby“Charles。Inwardlightmusthavebeengranted，forheheardnocomplaintsinlateryears。Theybroughtuptheirthreechildrenwithoutdispute。Theyhadneverdisputed。
Shelayundertheearthnow。Shehadgone，andasiftomakehergoingthemorebitter，hadgonewithatouchofmysterythatwasallunlikeher。“Whydidn\'tyoutellmeyouknewofit？“
hehadmoaned，andherfaintvoicehadanswered:“Ididn\'twantto，Henry——I
mighthavebeenwrong——andeveryonehatesillnesses。“Hehadbeentoldofthehorrorbyastrangedoctor，whomshehadconsultedduringhisabsencefromtown。Wasthisaltogetherjust？Withoutfullyexplaining，shehaddied。Itwasafaultonherpart，and——tearsrushedintohiseyes——whatalittlefault！Itwastheonlytimeshehaddeceivedhiminthosethirtyyears。
Herosetohisfeetandlookedoutofthewindow，forEviehadcomeinwiththeletters，andhecouldmeetnoone\'seye。
Ahyes——shehadbeenagoodwoman——shehadbeensteady。Hechosetheworddeliberately。Tohimsteadinessincludedallpraise。
Hehimself，gazingatthewintrygarden，isinappearanceasteadyman。Hisfacewasnotassquareashisson\'s，and，indeed，thechin，thoughfirmenoughinoutline，retreatedalittle，andthelips，ambiguous，werecurtainedbyamoustache。Buttherewasnoexternalhintofweakness。Theeyes，ifcapableofkindnessandgoodfellowship，ifruddyforthemomentwithtears，weretheeyesofonewhocouldnotbedriven。Theforehead，too，waslikeCharles\'s。Highandstraight，brownandpolished，mergingabruptlyintotemplesandskull，ithastheeffectofabastionthatprotectedhisheadfromtheworld。
Attimesithadtheeffectofablankwall。Hehaddweltbehindit，intactandhappy，forfiftyyears。
“Thepost\'scome，Father，“saidEvieawkwardly。
“Thanks。Putitdown。“
“Hasthebreakfastbeenallright？“
“Yes，thanks。“
Thegirlglancedathimandatitwithconstraint。
Shedidnotknowwhattodo。
“CharlessaysdoyouwanttheTimes？“
“No，I\'llreaditlater。“
“Ringifyouwantanything，Father，won\'tyou？“
“I\'veallIwant。“
Havingsortedthelettersfromthecirculars，shewentbacktothedining-room。
“Father\'seatennothing，“sheannounced，sittingdownwithwrinkledbrowsbehindthetea-urn——
Charlesdidnotanswer，butafteramomentheranquicklyupstairs，openedthedoor，andsaid:“Lookhere，Father，youmusteat，youknow“；andhavingpausedforareplythatdidnotcome，stoledownagain。“He\'sgoingtoreadhislettersfirst，Ithink，“hesaidevasively；“Idaresayhewillgoonwithhisbreakfastafterwards。“ThenhetookuptheTimes，andforsometimetherewasnosoundexcepttheclinkofcupagainstsaucerandofknifeonplate。
PoorMrs。Charlessatbetweenhersilentcompanions，terrifiedatthecourseofevents，andalittlebored。Shewasarubbishylittlecreature，andsheknewit。AtelegramhaddraggedherfromNaplestothedeath-bedofawomanwhomshehadscarcelyknown。
Awordfromherhusbandhadplungedherintomourning。Shedesiredtomourninwardlyaswell，butshewishedthatMrs。Wilcox，sincefatedtodie，couldhavediedbeforethemarriage，forthenlesswouldhavebeenexpectedofher。Crumblinghertoast，andtoonervoustoaskforthebutter，sheremainedalmostmotionless，thankfulonlyforthis，thatherfather-in-lawwashavinghisbreakfastupstairs。
AtlastCharlesspoke。“Theyhadnobusinesstobepollardingthoseelmsyesterday，“hesaidtohissister。
“Noindeed。“
“Imustmakeanoteofthat，“hecontinued。
“Iamsurprisedthattherectorallowedit。“
“Perhapsitmaynotbetherector\'saffair。“
“Whoseelsecoulditbe？“
“Thelordofthemanor。“
“Impossible。“
“Butter，Dolly？“
“Thankyou，Eviedear。Charles——“
“Yes，dear？“
“Ididn\'tknowonecouldpollardelms。Ithoughtoneonlypollardedwillows。“
“Ohno，onecanpollardelms。“
“Thenwhyoughtn\'ttheelmsinthechurchyardtobepollarded？“
Charlesfrownedalittle，andturnedagaintohissister。“Anotherpoint。ImustspeaktoChalkeley。“
“Yes，rather；youmustcomplaintoChalkeley。
“It\'snogoodhimsayingheisnotresponsibleforthosemen。Heisresponsible。“
“Yes，rather。“
Brotherandsisterwerenotcallous。Theyspokethus，partlybecausetheydesiredtokeepChalkeleyuptothemark——ahealthydesireinitsway——partlybecausetheyavoidedthepersonalnoteinlife。AllWilcoxesdid。Itdidnotseemtothemofsupremeimportance。OritmaybeasHelensupposed:theyrealizeditsimportance，butwereafraidofit。Panicandemptiness，couldoneglancebehind。
Theywerenotcallous，andtheyleftthebreakfast-tablewithachinghearts。
Theirmotherneverhadcomeintobreakfast。Itwasintheotherrooms，andespeciallyinthegarden，thattheyfeltherlossmost。
AsCharleswentouttothegarage，hewasremindedateverystepofthewomanwhohadlovedhimandwhomhecouldneverreplace。Whatbattleshehadfoughtagainsthergentleconservatism！Howshehaddislikedimprovements，yethowloyallyshehadacceptedthemwhenmade！Heandhisfather——whattroubletheyhadhadtogetthisverygarage！
Withwhatdifficultyhadtheypersuadedhertoyieldthemtothepaddockforit——thepaddockthatshelovedmoredearlythanthegardenitself！
Thevine——shehadgotherwayaboutthevine。Itstillencumberedthesouthwallwithitsunproductivebranches。AndsowithEvie，asshestoodtalkingtothecook。Thoughshecouldtakeuphermother\'sworkinsidethehouse，justasthemancouldtakeitupwithout，shefeltthatsomethinguniquehadfallenoutofherlife。Theirgrief，thoughlesspoignantthantheirfather\'s，grewfromdeeperroots，forawifemaybereplaced；amothernever。
Charleswouldgobacktotheoffice。TherewaslittletodoatHowardsEnd。Thecontentsofhismother\'swillhadbeenlongknowntothem。Therewerenolegacies，noannuities，noneoftheposthumousbustlewithwhichsomeofthedeadprolongtheiractivities。Trustingherhusband，shehadlefthimeverythingwithoutreserve。Shewasquiteapoorwoman——thehousehadbeenallherdowry，andthehousewouldcometoCharlesintime。Herwater-coloursMr。
WilcoxintendedtoreserveforPaul，whileEviewouldtakethejewelleryandlace。Howeasilysheslippedoutoflife！Charlesthoughtthehabitlaudable，thoughhedidnotintendtoadoptithimself，whereasMargaretwouldhaveseeninitanalmostculpableindifferencetoearthlyfame。Cynicism——notthesuperficialcynicismthatsnarlsandsneers，butthecynicismthatcangowithcourtesyandtenderness——thatwasthenoteofMrs。Wilcox\'swill。Shewantednottovexpeople。Thataccomplished，theearthmightfreezeoverherforever。
No，therewasnothingforCharlestowaitfor。
Hecouldnotgoonwithhishoneymoon，sohewouldgouptoLondonandwork——hefelttoomiserablehangingabout。HeandDollywouldhavethefurnishedflatwhilehisfatherrestedquietlyinthecountrywithEvie。Hecouldalsokeepaneyeonhisownlittlehouse，whichwasbeingpaintedanddecoratedforhiminoneoftheSurreysuburbs，andinwhichhehopedtoinstallhimselfsoonafterChristmas。Yes，hewouldgoupafterlunchinhisnewmotor，andthetownservants，whohadcomedownforthefuneral，wouldgoupbytrain。
Hefoundhisfather\'schauffeurinthegarage，said，“Morning“withoutlookingattheman\'sface，and，bendingoverthecar，continued:“Hullo！mynewcar\'sbeendriven！“
“Hasit，sir？“
“Yes，“saidCharles，gettingratherred；“andwhoever\'sdrivenithasn\'tcleaneditproperly，forthere\'smudontheaxle。
Takeitoff。“
Themanwentfortheclothswithoutaword。
Hewasachauffeurasuglyassin——notthatthisdidhimdisservicewithCharles，whothoughtcharminamanratherrot，andhadsoongotridofthelittleItalianbeastwithwhomtheyhadstarted。
“Charles——“Hisbridewastrippingafterhimoverthehoar-frost，adaintyblackcolumn，herlittlefaceandelaboratemourninghatformingthecapitalthereof。
“Oneminute，I\'mbusy。Well，Crane，who\'sbeendrivingit，doyousuppose？“
“Don\'tknow，I\'msure，sir。Noone\'sdrivenitsinceI\'vebeenback，but，ofcourse，there\'sthefortnightI\'vebeenawaywiththeothercarinYorkshire。“
Themudcameoffeasily。
“Charles，yourfather\'sdown。Something\'shappened。Hewantsyouinthehouseatonce。Oh，Charles！“
“Wait，dear，waitaminute。Whohadthekeytothegaragewhileyouwereaway，Crane？“
“Thegardener，sir。“
“DoyoumeantotellmethatoldPennycandriveamotor？“
“No，sir；noone\'shadthemotorout，sir。“
“Thenhowdoyouaccountforthemudontheaxle？“
“Ican\'t，ofcourse，sayforthetimeI\'vebeeninYorkshire。Nomoremudnow，sir。“
Charleswasvexed。Themanwastreatinghimasafool，andifhishearthadnotbeensoheavyhewouldhavereportedhimtohisfather。Butitwasnotamorningforcomplaints。
Orderingthemotortoberoundafterlunch，hejoinedhiswife，whohadallthewhilebeenpouringoutsomeincoherentstoryaboutaletterandaMissSchlegel。
“Now，Dolly，Icanattendtoyou。MissSchlegel？
Whatdoesshewant？“