WhenpeoplewrotealetterCharlesalwaysaskedwhattheywanted。Wantwastohimtheonlycauseofaction。
Andthequestioninthiscasewascorrect，forhiswifereplied，“ShewantsHowardsEnd。“
“HowardsEnd？Now，Crane，justdon\'tforgettoputontheStepneywheel。“
“No，sir。“
“Now，mindyoudon\'tforget，forI——Come，littlewoman。“Whentheywereoutofthechauffeur\'ssightheputhisarmaroundherwaistandpressedheragainsthim。Allhisaffectionandhalfhisattention——itwaswhathegrantedherthroughouttheirhappymarriedlife。
“Butyouhaven\'tlistened，Charles——“
“What\'swrong？“
“Ikeepontellingyou——HowardsEnd。MissSchlegelsgotit。“
“Gotwhat？“askedCharles，unclaspingher。
“Whatthedickensareyoutalkingabout？“
“Now，Charles，youpromisednottosaythosenaughty——“
“Lookhere，I\'minnomoodforfoolery。It\'snomorningforiteither。“
“Itellyou——Ikeepontellingyou——MissSchlegel——she\'sgotit——yourmother\'sleftittoher——andyou\'veallgottomoveout！“
“HowardsEnd？“
“HowardsEnd！“shescreamed，mimickinghim，andasshedidsoEviecamedashingoutoftheshrubbery。
“Dolly，gobackatonce！Myfather\'smuchannoyedwithyou。Charles“——shehitherselfwildly——“comeinatoncetoFather。He\'shadaletterthat\'stooawful。“
Charlesbegantorun，butcheckedhimself，andsteppedheavilyacrossthegravelpath。Therethehousewas——theninewindows，theunprolificvine。Heexclaimed，“Schlegelsagain！“andasiftocompletechaos，Dollysaid，“Ohno，thematronofthenursinghomehaswritteninsteadofher。“
“Comein，allthreeofyou！“criedhisfather，nolongerinert。“Dolly，whyhaveyoudisobeyedme？“
“Oh，Mr。Wilcox——“
“Itoldyounottogoouttothegarage。I\'veheardyouallshoutinginthegarden。Iwon\'thaveit。Comein。“
Hestoodintheporch，transformed，lettersinhishand。
“Intothedining-room，everyoneofyou。Wecan\'tdiscussprivatemattersinthemiddleofalltheservants。
Here，Charles，here；readthese。Seewhatyoumake。“
Charlestooktwoletters，andreadthemashefollowedtheprocession。Thefirstwasacoveringnotefromthematron。
Mrs。Wilcoxhaddesiredher，whenthefuneralshouldbeover，toforwardtheenclosed。Theenclosed——itwasfromhismotherherself。
Shehadwritten:“Tomyhusband:IshouldlikeMissSchlegelMargaret
tohaveHowardsEnd。“
“Isupposewe\'regoingtohaveatalkaboutthis？“
heremarked，ominouslycalm。
“Certainly。IwascomingouttoyouwhenDolly——“
“Well，let\'ssitdown。“
“Come，Evie，don\'twastetime，sitdown。“
Insilencetheydrewuptothebreakfast-table。
Theeventsofyesterday——indeed，ofthismorning——suddenlyrecededintoapastsoremotethattheyseemedscarcelytohavelivedinit。Heavybreathingswereheard。Theywerecalmingthemselves。Charles，tosteadythemfurther，readtheenclosureoutloud:“Anoteinmymother\'shandwriting，inanenvelopeaddressedtomyfather，sealed。Inside:
\'IshouldlikeMissSchlegelMargarettohaveHowardsEnd。\'Nodate，nosignature。Forwardedthroughthematronofthatnursinghome。
Now，thequestionis——“
Dollyinterruptedhim。“ButIsaythatnoteisn\'tlegal。Housesoughttobedonebyalawyer，Charles，surely。“
Herhusbandworkedhisjawseverely。Littlelumpsappearedinfrontofeitherear——asymptomthatshehadnotyetlearnttorespect，andsheaskedwhethershemightseethenote。Charleslookedathisfatherforpermission，whosaidabstractedly，“Giveither。“
Sheseizedit，andatonceexclaimed:“Why，it\'sonlyinpencil！
Isaidso。Pencilnevercounts。“
“Weknowthatitisnotlegallybinding，Dolly，“
saidMr。Wilcox，speakingfromoutofhisfortress。“Weareawareofthat。Legally，Ishouldbejustifiedintearingitupandthrowingitintothefire。Ofcourse，mydear，weconsideryouasoneofthefamily，butitwillbebetterifyoudonotinterferewithwhatyoudonotunderstand。“
Charles，vexedbothwithhisfatherandhiswife，thenrepeated:“Thequestionis——“Hehadclearedaspaceofthebreakfast-tablefromplatesandknives，sothathecoulddrawpatternsonthetablecloth。
“ThequestioniswhetherMissSchlegel，duringthefortnightwewereallaway，whethersheunduly——“Hestopped。
“Idon\'tthinkthat，“saidhisfather，whosenaturewasnoblerthanhisson\'s“Don\'tthinkwhat？“
“Thatshewouldhave——thatitisacaseofundueinfluence。No，tomymindthequestionisthe——theinvalid\'sconditionatthetimeshewrote。“
“Mydearfather，consultanexpertifyoulike，butIdon\'tadmititismymother\'swriting。“
“Why，youjustsaiditwas！“criedDolly。
“NevermindifIdid，“heblazedout；“andholdyourtongue。“
Thepoorlittlewifecolouredatthis，and，drawingherhandkerchieffromherpocket，shedafewtears。Noonenoticedher。Eviewasscowlinglikeanangryboy。Thetwomenweregraduallyassumingthemannerofthecommittee-room。Theywerebothattheirbestwhenservingoncommittees。Theydidnotmakethemistakeofhandlinghumanaffairsinthebulk，butdisposedofthemitembyitem，sharply。Calligraphywastheitembeforethemnow，andonittheyturnedtheirwell-trainedbrains。Charles，afteralittledemur，acceptedthewritingasgenuine，andtheypassedontothenextpoint。
Itisthebest——perhapstheonly——wayofdodgingemotion。Theyweretheaveragehumanarticle，andhadtheyconsideredthenoteasawholeitwouldhavedriventhemmiserableormad。Considereditembyitem，theemotionalcontentwasminimized，andallwentforwardsmoothly。
Theclockticked，thecoalsblazedhigher，andcontendedwiththewhiteradiancethatpouredinthroughthewindows。Unnoticed，thesunoccupiedhissky，andtheshadowsofthetreestems，extraordinarilysolid，fellliketrenchesofpurpleacrossthefrostedlawn。Itwasagloriouswintermorning。Evie\'sfoxterrier，whohadpassedforwhite，wasonlyadirtygreydognow，sointensewasthepuritythatsurroundedhim。
Hewasdiscredited，buttheblackbirdsthathewaschasingglowedwithArabiandarkness，foralltheconventionalcolouringoflifehadbeenaltered。
Inside，theclockstrucktenwitharichandconfidentnote。Otherclocksconfirmedit，andthediscussionmovedtowardsitsclose。
Tofollowitisunnecessary。Itisratheramomentwhenthecommentatorshouldstepforward。OughttheWilcoxestohaveofferedtheirhometoMargaret？Ithinknot。Theappealwastooflimsy。Itwasnotlegal；ithadbeenwritteninillness，andunderthespellofasuddenfriendship；itwascontrarytothedeadwoman\'sintentionsinthepast，contrarytoherverynature，sofarasthatnaturewasunderstoodbythem。TothemHowardsEndwasahouse:
theycouldnotknowthattoherithadbeenaspirit，forwhichshesoughtaspiritualheir。And——pushingonestepfartherinthesemists——maytheynothavedecidedevenbetterthantheysupposed？Isitcrediblethatthepossessionsofthespiritcanbebequeathedatall？Hasthesouloffspring？Awych-elmtree，avine，awispofhaywithdewonit——canpassionforsuchthingsbetransmittedwherethereisnobondofblood？No；theWilcoxesarenottobeblamed。Theproblemistooterrific，andtheycouldnotevenperceiveaproblem。No；
itisnaturalandfittingthatafterduedebatetheyshouldtearthenoteupandthrowitontotheirdining-roomfire。Thepracticalmoralistmayacquitthemabsolutely。Hewhostrivestolookdeepermayacquitthem——almost。Foronehardfactremains。Theydidneglectapersonalappeal。Thewomanwhohaddieddidsaytothem，“Dothis，“
andtheyanswered，“Wewillnot。“
Theincidentmadeamostpainfulimpressiononthem。
Griefmountedintothebrainandworkedtheredisquietingly。Yesterdaytheyhadlamented:“Shewasadearmother，atruewife:inourabsencesheneglectedherhealthanddied。“Todaytheythought:“Shewasnotastrue，asdear，aswesupposed。“Thedesireforamoreinwardlighthadfoundexpressionatlast，theunseenhadimpactedontheseen，andallthattheycouldsaywas“Treachery。“Mrs。Wilcoxhadbeentreacheroustothefamily，tothelawsofproperty，toherownwrittenword。
HowdidsheexpectHowardsEndtobeconveyedtoMissSchlegel？Washerhusband，towhomitlegallybelonged，tomakeitovertoherasafreegift？WasthesaidMissSchlegeltohavealifeinterestinit，ortoownitabsolutely？Wastheretobenocompensationforthegarageandotherimprovementsthattheyhadmadeundertheassumptionthatallwouldbetheirssomeday？Treacherous！treacherousandabsurd！
Whenwethinkthedeadbothtreacherousandabsurd，wehavegonefartowardsreconcilingourselvestotheirdeparture。Thatnote，scribbledinpencil，sentthroughthematron，wasunbusinesslikeaswellascruel，anddecreasedatoncethevalueofthewomanwhohadwrittenit。
“Ah，well！“saidMr。Wilcox，risingfromthetable。
“Ishouldn\'thavethoughtitpossible。“
“Mothercouldn\'thavemeantit，“saidEvie，stillfrowning。
“No，mygirl，ofcoursenot。“
“Motherbelievedsoinancestorstoo——itisn\'tlikehertoleaveanythingtoanoutsider，who\'dneverappreciate。“
“Thewholethingisunlikeher，“heannounced。
“IfMissSchlegelhadbeenpoor，ifshehadwantedahouse，Icouldunderstanditalittle。Butshehasahouseofherown。Whyshouldshewantanother？Shewouldn\'thaveanyuseofHowardsEnd。“
“Thattimemayprove，“murmuredCharles。
“How？“askedhissister。
“Presumablysheknows——motherwillhavetoldher。
Shegottwiceorthreetimesintothenursinghome。Presumablysheisawaitingdevelopments。“
“Whatahorridwoman！“AndDolly，whohadrecovered，cried，“Why，shemaybecomingdowntoturnusoutnow！“
Charlesputherright。“Iwishshewould，“
hesaidominously。“Icouldthendealwithher。“
“SocouldI，“echoedhisfather，whowasfeelingratherinthecold。Charleshadbeenkindinundertakingthefuneralarrangementsandintellinghimtoeathisbreakfast，buttheboyashegrewupwasalittledictatorial，andassumedthepostofchairmantooreadily。“Icoulddealwithher，ifshecomes，butshewon\'tcome。
You\'reallabithardonMissSchlegel。“
“ThatPaulbusinesswasprettyscandalous，though。“
“IwantnomoreofthePaulbusiness，Charles，asIsaidatthetime，andbesides，itisquiteapartfromthisbusiness。
MargaretSchlegelhasbeenofficiousandtiresomeduringthisterribleweek，andwehaveallsufferedunderher，butuponmysoulshe\'shonest。
She\'snotincollusionwiththematron。I\'mabsolutelycertainofit。Norwasshewiththedoctor。I\'mequallycertainofthat。
Shedidnothideanythingfromus，foruptothatveryafternoonshewasasignorantasweare。She，likeourselves，wasadupe——“Hestoppedforamoment。“Yousee，Charles，inherterriblepainyourpoormotherputusallinfalsepositions。PaulwouldnothaveleftEngland，youwouldnothavegonetoItaly，norEvieandIintoYorkshire，ifonlywehadknown。Well，MissSchlegel\'spositionhasbeenequallyfalse。Takeallinall，shehasnotcomeoutofitbadly。“
Eviesaid:“Butthosechrysanthemums——“
“Orcomingdowntothefuneralatall——“echoedDolly。
“Whyshouldn\'tshecomedown？Shehadtherightto，andshestoodfarbackamongtheHiltonwomen。Theflowers——certainlyweshouldnothavesentsuchflowers，buttheymayhaveseemedtherightthingtoher，Evie，andforallyouknowtheymaybethecustominGermany。
“
“Oh，Iforgetsheisn\'treallyEnglish，“criedEvie。
“Thatwouldexplainalot。“
“She\'sacosmopolitan，“saidCharles，lookingathiswatch。“IadmitI\'mratherdownoncosmopolitans。Myfault，doubtless。Icannotstandthem，andaGermancosmopolitanisthelimit。Ithinkthat\'saboutall，isn\'tit？IwanttorundownandseeChalkeley。Abicyclewilldo。And，bytheway，Iwishyou\'dspeaktoCranesometime。I\'mcertainhe\'shadmynewcarout。“
“Hashedoneitanyharm？“
“No。“
“InthatcaseIshallletitpass。It\'snotworthwhilehavingarow。“
Charlesandhisfathersometimesdisagreed。
Buttheyalwayspartedwithanincreasedregardforoneanother，andeachdesirednodoughtiercomradewhenitwasnecessarytovoyageforalittlepasttheemotions。SothesailorsofUlyssesvoyagedpasttheSirens，havingfirststoppedoneanother\'searswithwool。Chapter12Charlesneednothavebeenanxious。MissSchlegelhadneverheardofhismother\'sstrangerequest。Shewastohearofitinafteryears，whenshehadbuiltupherlifedifferently，anditwastofitintopositionastheheadstoneofthecorner。Hermindwasbentonotherquestionsnow，andbyheralsoitwouldhavebeenrejectedasthefantasyofaninvalid。
ShewaspartingfromtheseWilcoxesforthesecondtime。Paulandhismother，rippleandgreatwave，hadflowedintoherlifeandebbedoutofitforever。Theripplehadleftnotracesbehind:thewavehadstrewnatherfeetfragmentstornfromtheunknown。
Acuriousseeker，shestoodforawhileatthevergeoftheseathattellssolittle，buttellsalittle，andwatchedtheoutgoingofthislasttremendoustide。Herfriendhadvanishedinagony，butnot，shebelieved，indegradation。Herwithdrawalhadhintedatotherthingsbesidesdiseaseandpain。Someleaveourlifewithtears，otherswithaninsanefrigidity；
Mrs。Wilcoxhadtakenthemiddlecourse，whichonlyrarernaturescanpursue。
Shehadkeptproportion。Shehadtoldalittleofhergrimsecrettoherfriends，butnottoomuch；shehadshutupherheart——almost，butnotentirely。Itisthus，ifthereisanyrule，thatweoughttodie——neitherasvictimnorasfanatic，butastheseafarerwhocangreetwithanequaleyethedeepthatheisentering，andtheshorethathemustleave。
Thelastword——whateveritwouldbe——hadcertainlynotbeensaidinHiltonchurchyard。Shehadnotdiedthere。
Afuneralisnotdeath，anymorethanbaptismisbirthormarriageunion。
Allthreearetheclumsydevices，comingnowtoolate，nowtooearly，bywhichSocietywouldregisterthequickmotionsofman。InMargaret\'seyesMrs。Wilcoxhadescapedregistration。Shehadgoneoutoflifevividly，herownway，andnodustwassotrulydustasthecontentsofthatheavycoffin，loweredwithceremonialuntilitrestedonthedustoftheearth，noflowerssoutterlywastedasthechrysanthemumsthatthefrostmusthavewitheredbeforemorning。Margarethadoncesaidshe“lovedsuperstition。“Itwasnottrue。Fewwomenhadtriedmoreearnestlytopiercetheaccretionsinwhichbodyandsoulareenwrapped。ThedeathofMrs。Wilcoxhadhelpedherinherwork。Shesawalittlemoreclearlythanhithertowhatahumanbeingis，andtowhathemayaspire。
Truerrelationshipsgleamed。Perhapsthelastwordwouldbehope——hopeevenonthissideofthegrave。
Meanwhile，shecouldtakeaninterestinthesurvivors。
InspiteofherChristmasduties，inspiteofherbrother，theWilcoxescontinuedtoplayaconsiderablepartinherthoughts。Shehadseensomuchoftheminthefinalweek。Theywerenot“hersort，“theywereoftensuspiciousandstupid，anddeficientwheresheexcelled；butcollisionwiththemstimulatedher，andshefeltaninterestthatvergedintoliking，evenforCharles。Shedesiredtoprotectthem，andoftenfeltthattheycouldprotecther，excellingwhereshewasdeficient。
Oncepasttherocksofemotion，theyknewsowellwhattodo，whomtosendfor；theirhandswereonalltheropes，theyhadgritaswellasgrittiness，andshevaluedgritenormously。Theyledalifethatshecouldnotattainto——theouterlifeof“telegramsandanger，“whichhaddetonatedwhenHelenandPaulhadtouchedinJune，andhaddetonatedagaintheotherweek。ToMargaretthislifewastoremainarealforce。Shecouldnotdespiseit，asHelenandTibbyaffectedtodo。Itfosteredsuchvirtuesasneatness，decision，andobedience，virtuesofthesecondrank，nodoubt，buttheyhaveformedourcivilization。Theyformcharacter，too；Margaretcouldnotdoubtit:theykeepthesoulfrombecomingsloppy。HowdareSchlegelsdespiseWilcoxes，whenittakesallsortstomakeaworld？
“Don\'tbroodtoomuch，“shewrotetoHelen，“onthesuperiorityoftheunseentotheseen。It\'strue，buttobroodonitismediaeval。Ourbusinessisnottocontrastthetwo，buttoreconcilethem。“
Helenrepliedthatshehadnointentionofbroodingonsuchadullsubject。Whatdidhersistertakeherfor？Theweatherwasmagnificent。SheandtheMosebachshadgonetobogganingontheonlyhillthatPomeraniaboasted。Itwasfun，butovercrowded，fortherestofPomeraniahadgonetheretoo。Helenlovedthecountry，andherletterglowedwithphysicalexerciseandpoetry。Shespokeofthescenery，quiet，yetaugust；ofthesnow-cladfields，withtheirscamperingherdsofdeer；oftheriveranditsquaintentranceintotheBalticSea；oftheOderberge，onlythreehundredfeethigh，fromwhichoneslidalltooquicklybackintothePomeranianplains，andyettheseOderbergewererealmountains，withpine-forests，streams，andviewscomplete。
“Itisn\'tsizethatcountssomuchasthewaythingsarearranged。“InanotherparagraphshereferredtoMrs。Wilcoxsympathetically，butthenewshadnotbittenintoher。Shehadnotrealizedtheaccessoriesofdeath，whichareinasensemorememorablethandeathitself。
Theatmosphereofprecautionsandrecriminations，andinthemidstahumanbodygrowingmorevividbecauseitwasinpain；theendofthatbodyinHiltonchurchyard；thesurvivalofsomethingthatsuggestedhope，vividinitsturnagainstlife\'sworkadaycheerfulness；——allthesewerelosttoHelen，whoonlyfeltthatapleasantladycouldnowbepleasantnolonger。
ShereturnedtoWickhamPlacefullofherownaffairs——shehadhadanotherproposal——andMargaret，afteramoment\'shesitation，wascontentthatthisshouldbeso。
Theproposalhadnotbeenaseriousmatter。
ItwastheworkofFrä；uleinMosebach，whohadconceivedthelargeandpatrioticnotionofwinningbackhercousinstotheFatherlandbymatrimony。
EnglandhadplayedPaulWilcox，andlost；GermanyplayedHerrFö；rstmeistersomeone——Helencouldnotrememberhisname。
HerrFö；rstmeisterlivedinawood，andstandingonthesummitoftheOderberge，hehadpointedouthishousetoHelen，orrather，hadpointedoutthewedgeofpinesinwhichitlay。Shehadexclaimed，“Oh，howlovely！That\'stheplaceforme！“andintheeveningFriedaappearedinherbedroom。“Ihaveamessage，dearHelen，“etc。，andsoshehad，buthadbeenverynicewhenHelenlaughed；
quiteunderstood——aforesttoosolitaryanddamp——quiteagreed，butHerrFö；rstmeisterbelievedhehadassurancetothecontrary。Germanyhadlost，butwithgood-humour；holdingthemanhoodoftheworld，shefeltboundtowin。“AndtherewillevenbesomeoneforTibby，“concludedHelen。“Therenow，Tibby，thinkofthat；Friedaissavingupalittlegirlforyou，inpig-tailsandwhiteworstedstockings，butthefeetofthestockingsarepink，asifthelittlegirlhadtroddeninstrawberries。
I\'vetalkedtoomuch。Myheadaches。Nowyoutalk。“
Tibbyconsentedtotalk。Hetoowasfullofhisownaffairs，forhehadjustbeenuptotryforascholarshipatOxford。
Themenweredown，andthecandidateshadbeenhousedinvariouscolleges，andhaddinedinhall。Tibbywassensitivetobeauty，theexperiencewasnew，andhegaveadescriptionofhisvisitthatwasalmostglowing。
TheaugustandmellowUniversity，soakedwiththerichnessofthewesterncountiesthatithasservedforathousandyears，appealedatoncetotheboy\'staste:itwasthekindofthinghecouldunderstand，andheunderstooditallthebetterbecauseitwasempty。Oxfordis——Oxford:notamerereceptacleforyouth，likeCambridge。Perhapsitwantsitsinmatestoloveitratherthantoloveoneanother:suchatalleventswastobeitseffectonTibby。Hissisterssenthimtherethathemightmakefriends，fortheyknewthathiseducationhadbeencranky，andhadseveredhimfromotherboysandmen。Hemadenofriends。HisOxfordremainedOxfordempty，andhetookintolifewithhim，notthememoryofaradiance，butthememoryofacolourscheme。
ItpleasedMargarettohearherbrotherandsistertalking。Theydidnotgetonoverwellasarule。Forafewmomentsshelistenedtothem，feelingelderlyandbenign。Thensomethingoccurredtoher，andsheinterrupted:
“Helen，ItoldyouaboutpoorMrs。Wilcox；thatsadbusiness？“
“Yes。“
“Ihavehadacorrespondencewithherson。
Hewaswindinguptheestate，andwrotetoaskmewhetherhismotherhadwantedmetohaveanything。Ithoughtitgoodofhim，consideringIknewhersolittle。IsaidthatshehadoncespokenofgivingmeaChristmaspresent，butwebothforgotaboutitafterwards。“
“IhopeCharlestookthehint。“
“Yes——thatistosay，herhusbandwrotelateron，andthankedmeforbeingalittlekindtoher，andactuallygavemehersilvervinaigrette。Don\'tyouthinkthatisextraordinarilygenerous？
Ithasmademelikehimverymuch。Hehopesthatthiswillnotbetheendofouracquaintance，butthatyouandIwillgoandstopwithEviesometimeinthefuture。IlikeMr。Wilcox。Heistakinguphiswork——rubber——itisabigbusiness。Igatherheislaunchingoutrather。Charlesisinit，too。Charlesismarried——aprettylittlecreature，butshedoesn\'tseemwise。Theytookontheflat，butnowtheyhavegoneofftoahouseoftheirown。“
Helen，afteradecentpause，continuedheraccountofStettin。Howquicklyasituationchanges！InJuneshehadbeeninacrisis；eveninNovembershecouldblushandbeunnatural；nowitwasJanuary，andthewholeaffairlayforgotten。Lookingbackonthepastsixmonths，Margaretrealizedthechaoticnatureofourdailylife，anditsdifferencefromtheorderlysequencethathasbeenfabricatedbyhistorians。Actuallifeisfulloffalsecluesandsign-poststhatleadnowhere。Withinfiniteeffortwenerveourselvesforacrisisthatnevercomes。Themostsuccessfulcareermustshowawasteofstrengththatmighthaveremovedmountains，andthemostunsuccessfulisnotthatofthemanwhoistakenunprepared，butofhimwhohaspreparedandisnevertaken。Onatragedyofthatkindournationalmoralityisdulysilent。Itassumesthatpreparationagainstdangerisinitselfagood，andthatmen，likenations，arethebetterforstaggeringthroughlifefullyarmed。Thetragedyofpreparednesshasscarcelybeenhandled，savebytheGreeks。Lifeisindeeddangerous，butnotinthewaymoralitywouldhaveusbelieve。Itisindeedunmanageable，buttheessenceofitisnotabattle。Itisunmanageablebecauseitisaromance，anditsessenceisromanticbeauty。
Margarethopedthatforthefutureshewouldbelesscautious，notmorecautious，thanshehadbeeninthepast。Chapter13Overtwoyearspassed，andtheSchlegelhouseholdcontinuedtoleaditslifeofculturedbutnotignobleease，stillswimminggracefullyonthegreytidesofLondon。Concertsandplayssweptpastthem，moneyhadbeenspentandrenewed，reputationswonandlost，andthecityherself，emblematicoftheirlives，roseandfellinacontinualflux，whilehershallowswashedmorewidelyagainstthehillsofSurreyandoverthefieldsofHertfordshire。Thisfamousbuildinghadarisen，thatwasdoomed。
TodayWhitehallhadbeentransformed:itwouldbetheturnofRegentStreettomorrow。Andmonthbymonththeroadssmeltmorestronglyofpetrol，andweremoredifficulttocross，andhumanbeingsheardeachotherspeakwithgreaterdifficulty，breathedlessoftheair，andsawlessofthesky。Naturewithdrew:theleaveswerefallingbymidsummer；thesunshonethroughdirtwithanadmiredobscurity。
TospeakagainstLondonisnolongerfashionable。
TheEarthasanartisticculthashaditsday，andtheliteratureofthenearfuturewillprobablyignorethecountryandseekinspirationfromthetown。Onecanunderstandthereaction。OfPanandtheelementalforces，thepublichasheardalittletoomuch——theyseemVictorian，whileLondonisGeorgian——andthosewhocarefortheearthwithsinceritymaywaitlongerethependulumswingsbacktoheragain。CertainlyLondonfascinates。Onevisualizesitasatractofquiveringgrey，intelligentwithoutpurpose，andexcitablewithoutlove；asaspiritthathasalteredbeforeitcanbechronicled；asaheartthatcertainlybeats，butwithnopulsationofhumanity。Itliesbeyondeverything:Nature，withallhercruelty，comesnearertousthandothesecrowdsofmen。
Afriendexplainshimself:theearthisexplicable——fromherwecame，andwemustreturntoher。ButwhocanexplainWestminsterBridgeRoadorLiverpoolStreetinthemorning——thecityinhaling——orthesamethoroughfaresintheevening——thecityexhalingherexhaustedair？Wereachindesperationbeyondthefog，beyondtheverystars，thevoidsoftheuniverseareransackedtojustifythemonster，andstampedwithahumanface。
Londonisreligion\'sopportunity——notthedecorousreligionoftheologians，butanthropomorphic，crude。Yes，thecontinuousflowwouldbetolerableifamanofourownsort——notanyonepompousortearful——werecaringforusupinthesky。
TheLondonerseldomunderstandshiscityuntilitsweepshim，too，awayfromhismoorings，andMargaret\'seyeswerenotopeneduntiltheleaseofWickhamPlaceexpired。Shehadalwaysknownthatitmustexpire，buttheknowledgeonlybecamevividaboutninemonthsbeforetheevent。Thenthehousewassuddenlyringedwithpathos。
Ithadseensomuchhappiness。Whyhadittobesweptaway？
Inthestreetsofthecityshenotedforthefirsttimethearchitectureofhurry，andheardthelanguageofhurryonthemouthsofitsinhabitants——clippedwords，formlesssentences，pottedexpressionsofapprovalordisgust。
Monthbymonththingsweresteppinglivelier，buttowhatgoal？Thepopulationstillrose，butwhatwasthequalityofthemenborn？
TheparticularmillionairewhoownedthefreeholdofWickhamPlace，anddesiredtoerectBabylonianflatsuponit——whatrighthadhetostirsolargeaportionofthequiveringjelly？Hewasnotafool——shehadheardhimexposeSocialism——buttrueinsightbeganjustwherehisintelligenceended，andonegatheredthatthiswasthecasewithmostmillionaires。
Whatrighthadsuchmen——ButMargaretcheckedherself。Thatwayliesmadness。Thankgoodnessshe，too，hadsomemoney，andcouldpurchaseanewhome。
Tibby，nowinhissecondyearatOxford，wasdownfortheEastervacation，andMargarettooktheopportunityofhavingaserioustalkwithhim。Didheatallknowwherehewantedtolive？
Tibbydidn\'tknowthathedidknow。Didheatallknowwhathewantedtodo？Hewasequallyuncertain，butwhenpressedremarkedthatheshouldprefertobequitefreeofanyprofession。Margaretwasnotshocked，butwentonsewingforafewminutesbeforeshereplied:
“IwasthinkingofMr。Vyse。Heneverstrikesmeasparticularlyhappy。“
“Ye-es，“saidTibby，andthenheldhismouthopeninacuriousquiver，asifhe，too，hadthoughtsofMr。Vyse，hadseenround，through，over，andbeyondMr。Vyse，hadweighedMr。Vyse，groupedhim，andfinallydismissedhimashavingnopossiblebearingonthesubjectunderdiscussion。ThatbleatofTibby\'sinfuriatedHelen。ButHelenwasnowdowninthedining-roompreparingaspeechaboutpoliticaleconomy。Attimeshervoicecouldbehearddeclaimingthroughthefloor。
“ButMr。Vyseisratherawretched，weedyman，don\'tyouthink？Thenthere\'sGuy。Thatwasapitifulbusiness。
Besides“——shiftingtothegeneral——“everyoneisthebetterforsomeregularwork。“
Groans。
“Ishallsticktoit，“shecontinued，smiling。
“Iamnotsayingittoeducateyou；itiswhatIreallythink。I
believethatinthelastcenturymenhavedevelopedthedesireforwork，andtheymustnotstarveit。It\'sanewdesire。Itgoeswithagreatdealthat\'sbad，butinitselfit\'sgood，andIhopethatforwomen，too，\'nottowork\'willsoonbecomeasshockingas\'nottobemarried\'
wasahundredyearsago。“
“Ihavenoexperienceofthisprofounddesiretowhichyouallude，“enunciatedTibby。
“Thenwe\'llleavethesubjecttillyoudo。
I\'mnotgoingtorattleyouround。Takeyourtime。Onlydothinkoverthelivesofthemenyoulikemost，andseehowthey\'vearrangedthem。“
“IlikeGuyandMr。Vysemost，“saidTibbyfaintly，andleantsofarbackinhischairthatheextendedinahorizontallinefromkneestothroat。
“Anddon\'tthinkI\'mnotseriousbecauseIdon\'tusethetraditionalarguments——makingmoney，asphereawaitingyou，andsoon——allofwhichare，forvariousreasons，cant。“Shesewedon。
“I\'monlyyoursister。Ihaven\'tanyauthorityoveryou，andIdon\'twanttohaveany。JusttoputbeforeyouwhatIthinkthetruth。
Yousee“——sheshookoffthepince-neztowhichshehadrecentlytaken——“inafewyearsweshallbethesameagepractically，andIshallwantyoutohelpme。Menaresomuchnicerthanwomen。“
“Labouringundersuchadelusion，whydoyounotmarry？“
“IsometimesjollywellthinkIwouldifIgotthechance。“
“Hasnobodyarstyou？“
“Onlyninnies。“
“DopeopleaskHelen？“
“Plentifully。“
“Tellmeaboutthem。“
“No。“
“Tellmeaboutyourninnies，then。“
“Theyweremenwhohadnothingbettertodo，“saidhissister，feelingthatshewasentitledtoscorethispoint。“Sotakewarning:youmustwork，orelseyoumustpretendtowork，whichiswhatIdo。Work，work，workifyou\'dsaveyoursoulandyourbody。
Itishonestlyanecessity，dearboy。LookattheWilcoxes，lookatMr。Pembroke。Withalltheirdefectsoftemperandunderstanding，suchmengivememorepleasurethanmanywhoarebetterequippedandI
thinkitisbecausetheyhaveworkedregularlyandhonestly。
“SparemetheWilcoxes，“hemoaned。
“Ishallnot。Theyaretherightsort。“
“Oh，goodnessme，Meg！“heprotested，suddenlysittingup，alertandangry。Tibby，forallhisdefects，hadagenuinepersonality。
“Well，they\'reasneartherightsortasyoucanimagine。“
“No，no——oh，no！“
“Iwasthinkingoftheyoungerson，whomIonceclassedasaninny，butwhocamebacksoillfromNigeria。He\'sgoneoutthereagain，EvieWilcoxtellsme——outtohisduty。“
“Duty“alwayselicitedagroan。
“Hedoesn\'twantthemoney，itisworkhewants，thoughitisbeastlywork——dullcountry，dishonestnatives，aneternalfidgetoverfreshwaterandfood。Anationwhocanproducemenofthatsortmaywellbeproud。NowonderEnglandhasbecomeanEmpire。“
“Empire！“
“Ican\'tbotheroverresults，“saidMargaret，alittlesadly。“Theyaretoodifficultforme。Icanonlylookatthemen。AnEmpireboresme，sofar，butIcanappreciatetheheroismthatbuildsitup。Londonboresme，butwhatthousandsofsplendidpeoplearelabouringtomakeLondon——“
“Whatitis，“hesneered。
“Whatitis，worseluck。Iwantactivitywithoutcivilization。Howparadoxical！YetIexpectthatiswhatweshallfindinheaven。“
“AndI，“saidTibby，“wantcivilizationwithoutactivity，which，Iexpect，iswhatweshallfindintheotherplace。“
“Youneedn\'tgoasfarastheotherplace，Tibbi-kins，ifyouwantthat。YoucanfinditatOxford。“
“Stupid——“
“IfI\'mstupid，getmebacktothehouse-hunting。
I\'llevenliveinOxfordifyoulike——NorthOxford。I\'llliveanywhereexceptBournemouth，Torquay，andCheltenham。Ohyes，orIlfracombeandSwanageandTunbridgeWellsandSurbitonandBedford。Thereonnoaccount。“
“London，then。“
“Iagree，butHelenratherwantstogetawayfromLondon。However，there\'snoreasonweshouldn\'thaveahouseinthecountryandalsoaflatintown，providedweallsticktogetherandcontribute。
Thoughofcourse——Oh，howonedoesmaunderon，andtothink，tothinkofthepeoplewhoarereallypoor。Howdotheylive？Nottomoveabouttheworldwouldkillme。“
Asshespoke，thedoorwasflungopen，andHelenburstininastateofextremeexcitement。
“Oh，mydears，whatdoyouthink？You\'llneverguess。Awoman\'sbeenhereaskingmeforherhusband。Herwhat？“
Helenwasfondofsupplyingherownsurprise。“Yes，forherhusband，anditreallyisso。“
“NotanythingtodowithBracknell？“criedMargaret，whohadlatelytakenonanunemployedofthatnametocleantheknivesandboots。
“IofferedBracknell，andhewasrejected。
SowasTibby。Cheerup，Tibby！It\'snooneweknow。Isaid，\'Hunt，mygoodwoman；haveagoodlookround，huntunderthetables，pokeupthechimney，shakeouttheantimacassars。Husband？husband？\'Oh，andshesomagnificentlydressedandtinklinglikeachandelier。“
“Now，Helen，whatdidhappenreally？“
“WhatIsay。Iwas，asitwere，oratingmyspeech。Annieopensthedoorlikeafool，andshowsafemalestraightinonme，withmymouthopen。Thenwebegan——verycivilly。
\'Iwantmyhusband，whatIhavereasontobelieveishere。\'No——howunjustoneis。Shesaid\'whom，\'not\'what。\'Shegotitperfectly。
SoIsaid，\'Name，please？\'andshesaid，\'Lan，Miss，\'andtherewewere。
“Lan？“
“LanorLen。Wewerenotniceaboutourvowels。
Lanoline。“
“Butwhatanextraordinary——“
“Isaid，\'MygoodMrs。Lanoline，wehavesomegravemisunderstandinghere。BeautifulasIam，mymodestyisevenmoreremarkablethanmybeauty，andnever，neverhasMr。Lanolinerestedhiseyesonmine。\'“
“Ihopeyouwerepleased，“saidTibby。
“Ofcourse，“Helensqueaked。“Aperfectlydelightfulexperience。Oh，Mrs。Lanoline\'sadear——sheaskedforahusbandasifhewasanumbrella。ShemislaidhimSaturdayafternoon——andforalongtimesufferednoinconvenience。Butallnight，andallthismorningherapprehensionsgrew。Breakfastdidn\'tseemthesame——no，nomoredidlunch，andsoshestrolledupto2，WickhamPlaceasbeingthemostlikelyplaceforthemissingarticle。“
“Buthowonearth——“
“Don\'tbeginhowonearthing。\'IknowwhatIknow，\'shekeptrepeating，notuncivilly，butwithextremegloom。
InvainIaskedherwhatshedidknow。Someknewwhatothersknew，andothersdidn\'t，andiftheydidn\'t，thenothersagainhadbetterbecareful。Ohdear，shewasincompetent！Shehadafacelikeasilkworm，andthedining-roomreeksoforris-root。Wechattedpleasantlyalittleabouthusbands，andIwonderedwhereherswastoo，andadvisedhertogotothepolice。Shethankedme。WeagreedthatMr。
Lanoline\'sanotty，nottyman，andhasn\'tnobusinesstogoonthelardy-da。
ButIthinkshesuspectedmeuptothelast。BagsIwritingtoAuntJuleyaboutthis。Now，Meg，remember——bagsI。“
“Bagitbyallmeans，“murmuredMargaret，puttingdownherwork。“I\'mnotsurethatthisissofunny，Helen。
Itmeanssomehorriblevolcanosmokingsomewhere，doesn\'tit？“
“Idon\'tthinkso——shedoesn\'treallymind。
Theadmirablecreatureisn\'tcapableoftragedy。“
“Herhusbandmaybe，though，“saidMargaret，movingtothewindow。
“Oh，no，notlikely。NoonecapableoftragedycouldhavemarriedMrs。Lanoline。“
“Wasshepretty？“
“Herfiguremayhavebeengoodonce。“
Theflats，theironlyoutlook，hunglikeanornatecurtainbetweenMargaretandthewelterofLondon。Herthoughtsturnedsadlytohouse-hunting。WickhamPlacehadbeensosafe。Shefeared，fantastically，thatherownlittleflockmightbemovingintoturmoilandsqualor，intonearercontactwithsuchepisodesasthese。
“TibbyandIhaveagainbeenwonderingwherewe\'lllivenextSeptember，“shesaidatlast。
“Tibbyhadbetterfirstwonderwhathe\'lldo，“retortedHelen；andthattopicwasresumed，butwithacrimony。Thenteacame，andafterteaHelenwentonpreparingherspeech，andMargaretpreparedone，too，fortheyweregoingouttoadiscussionsocietyonthemorrow。
Butherthoughtswerepoisoned。Mrs。Lanolinehadrisenoutoftheabyss，likeafaintsmell，agoblinfootball，tellingofalifewhereloveandhatredhadbothdecayed。Chapter14Themystery，likesomanymysteries，wasexplained。Nextday，justastheyweredressedtogoouttodinner，aMr。Bastcalled。HewasaclerkintheemploymentofthePorphyrionFireInsuranceCompany。
Thusmuchfromhiscard。Hehadcome“abouttheladyyesterday。“
ThusmuchfromAnnie，whohadshownhimintothedining-room。
“Cheers，children！“criedHelen。“It\'sMrs。
Lanoline。“
Tibbywasinterested。Thethreehurrieddownstairs，tofind，notthegaydogtheyexpected，butayoungman，colourless，toneless，whohadalreadythemournfuleyesaboveadroopingmoustachethataresocommoninLondon，andthathauntsomestreetsofthecitylikeaccusingpresences。Oneguessedhimasthethirdgeneration，grandsontotheshepherdorploughboywhomcivilizationhadsuckedintothetown；asoneofthethousandswhohavelostthelifeofthebodyandfailedtoreachthelifeofthespirit。Hintsofrobustnesssurvivedinhim，morethanahintofprimitivegoodlooks，andMargaret，notingthespinethatmighthavebeenstraight，andthechestthatmighthavebroadened，wonderedwhetheritpaidtogiveupthegloryoftheanimalforatailcoatandacoupleofideas。Culturehadworkedinherowncase，butduringthelastfewweeksshehaddoubtedwhetherithumanizedthemajority，sowideandsowideningisthegulfthatstretchesbetweenthenaturalandthephilosophicman，somanythegoodchapswhoarewreckedintryingtocrossit。Sheknewthistypeverywell——thevagueaspirations，thementaldishonesty，thefamiliaritywiththeoutsidesofbooks。Sheknewtheverytonesinwhichhewouldaddressher。Shewasonlyunpreparedforanexampleofherownvisiting-card。
“Youwouldn\'tremembergivingmethis，MissSchlegel？“
saidhe，uneasilyfamiliar。
“No；Ican\'tsayIdo。“
“Well，thatwashowithappened，yousee。“
“Wheredidwemeet，Mr。Bast？FortheminuteIdon\'tremember。“
“ItwasaconcertattheQueen\'sHall。Ithinkyouwillrecollect，“headdedpretentiously，“whenItellyouthatitincludedaperformanceoftheFifthSymphonyofBeethoven。“
“WeheartheFifthpracticallyeverytimeit\'sdone，soI\'mnotsure——doyouremember，Helen？“
“Wasitthetimethesandycatwalkedroundthebalustrade？“
Hethoughtnot。
“ThenIdon\'tremember。That\'stheonlyBeethovenIeverrememberspecially。“
“Andyou，ifImaysayso，tookawaymyumbrella，inadvertentlyofcourse。“
“Likelyenough，“Helenlaughed，“forIstealumbrellasevenoftenerthanIhearBeethoven。Didyougetitback？“
“Yes，thankyou，MissSchlegel。“
“Themistakearoseoutofmycard，didit？“interposedMargaret。
“Yes，themistakearose——itwasamistake。“
“Theladywhocalledhereyesterdaythoughtthatyouwerecallingtoo，andthatshecouldfindyou？“shecontinued，pushinghimforward，for，thoughhehadpromisedanexplanation，heseemedunabletogiveone。
“That\'sso，callingtoo——amistake。“
“Thenwhy——？“beganHelen，butMargaretlaidahandonherarm。
“Isaidtomywife，“hecontinuedmorerapidly——“I
saidtoMrs。Bast，\'Ihavetopayacallonsomefriends，\'andMrs。Bastsaidtome，\'Dogo。\'WhileIwasgone，however，shewantedmeonimportantbusiness，andthoughtIhadcomehere，owingtothecard，andsocameafterme，andIbegtotendermyapologies，andhersaswell，foranyinconveniencewemayhaveinadvertentlycausedyou。“
“Noinconvenience，“saidHelen；“butIstilldon\'tunderstand。“
AnairofevasioncharacterizedMr。Bast。
Heexplainedagain，butwasobviouslylying，andHelendidn\'tseewhyheshouldgetoff。Shehadthecrueltyofyouth。Neglectinghersister\'spressure，shesaid，“Istilldon\'tunderstand。Whendidyousayyoupaidthiscall？“
“Call？Whatcall？“saidhe，staringasifherquestionhadbeenafoolishone，afavouritedeviceofthoseinmid-stream。
“Thisafternooncall。“
“Intheafternoon，ofcourse！“hereplied，andlookedatTibbytoseehowthereparteewent。ButTibby，himselfarepartee，wasunsympathetic，andsaid，“SaturdayafternoonorSundayafternoon？“
“S-Saturday。“
“Really！“saidHelen；“andyouwerestillcallingonSunday，whenyourwifecamehere。Alongvisit。“
“Idon\'tcallthatfair，“saidMr。Bast，goingscarletandhandsome。Therewasfightinhiseyes。“Iknowwhatyoumean，anditisn\'tso。“
“Oh，don\'tletusmind，“saidMargaret，distressedagainbyodoursfromtheabyss。
“Itwassomethingelse，“heasserted，hiselaboratemannerbreakingdown。“Iwassomewhereelsetowhatyouthink，sothere！“
“Itwasgoodofyoutocomeandexplain，“shesaid。
“Therestisnaturallynoconcernofours。“
“Yes，butIwant——Iwanted——haveyoueverreadTheOrdealofRichardFeverel？“
Margaretnodded。
“It\'sabeautifulbook。IwantedtogetbacktotheEarth，don\'tyousee，likeRicharddoesintheend。OrhaveyoueverreadStevenson\'sPrinceOtto？“
HelenandTibbygroanedgently。
“That\'sanotherbeautifulbook。YougetbacktotheEarthinthat。Iwanted——“Hemouthedaffectedly。Thenthroughthemistsofhisculturecameahardfact，hardasapebble。
“IwalkedalltheSaturdaynight，“saidLeonard。“Iwalked。“Athrillofapprovalranthroughthesisters。Butcultureclosedinagain。
HeaskedwhethertheyhadeverreadE。V。Lucas\'sOpenRoad。
SaidHelen，“Nodoubtit\'sanotherbeautifulbook，butI\'dratherhearaboutyourroad。“
“Oh，Iwalked。“
“Howfar？“
“Idon\'tknow，norforhowlong。Itgottoodarktoseemywatch。“
“Wereyouwalkingalone，mayIask？“
“Yes，“hesaid，straighteninghimself；“butwe\'dbeentalkingitoverattheoffice。There\'sbeenalotoftalkattheofficelatelyaboutthesethings。ThefellowstheresaidonesteersbythePoleStar，andIlookeditupinthecelestialatlas，butonceoutofdoorseverythinggetssomixed——“
“Don\'ttalktomeaboutthePoleStar，“interruptedHelen，whowasbecominginterested。“Iknowitslittleways。
Itgoesroundandround，andyougoroundafterit。“
“Well，Ilostitentirely。Firstofallthestreetlamps，thenthetrees，andtowardsmorningitgotcloudy。“
Tibby，whopreferredhiscomedyundiluted，slippedfromtheroom。Heknewthatthisfellowwouldneverattaintopoetry，anddidnotwanttohearhimtrying。MargaretandHelenremained。
Theirbrotherinfluencedthemmorethantheyknew:inhisabsencetheywerestirredtoenthusiasmmoreeasily。
“Wheredidyoustartfrom？“criedMargaret。
“Dotellusmore。“
“ItooktheUndergroundtoWimbledon。AsI
cameoutoftheofficeIsaidtomyself，\'Imusthaveawalkonceinaway。IfIdon\'ttakethiswalknow，Ishallnevertakeit。\'IhadabitofdinneratWimbledon，andthen——“
“Butnotgoodcountrythere，isit？“
“Itwasgas-lampsforhours。Still，Ihadallthenight，andbeingoutwasthegreatthing。Ididgetintowoods，too，presently。“
“Yes，goon，“saidHelen。
“You\'venoideahowdifficultunevengroundiswhenit\'sdark。“
“Didyouactuallygoofftheroads？“
“Ohyes。Ialwaysmeanttogoofftheroads，buttheworstofitisthatit\'smoredifficulttofindone\'sway。“
“Mr。Bast，you\'reabornadventurer，“laughedMargaret。
“Noprofessionalathletewouldhaveattemptedwhatyou\'vedone。It\'sawonderyourwalkdidn\'tendinabrokenneck。Whateverdidyourwifesay？“
“Professionalathletesnevermovewithoutlanternsandcompasses，“saidHelen。“Besides，theycan\'twalk。Ittiresthem。Goon。“
“IfeltlikeR。L。S。YouprobablyrememberhowinVirginibus——“
“Yes，butthewood。This\'erewood。
Howdidyougetoutofit？“
“Imanagedonewood，andfoundaroadtheothersidewhichwentagoodbituphill。IratherfancyitwasthoseNorthDowns，fortheroadwentoffintograss，andIgotintoanotherwood。
Thatwasawful，withgorsebushes。IdidwishI\'dnevercome，butsuddenlyitgotlight——justwhileIseemedgoingunderonetree。
ThenIfoundaroaddowntoastation，andtookthefirsttrainIcouldbacktoLondon。“
“Butwasthedawnwonderful？“askedHelen。
Withunforgettablesincerityhereplied，“No。“Thewordflewagainlikeapebblefromthesling。Downtoppledallthathadseemedignobleorliteraryinhistalk，downtoppledtiresomeR。L。
S。andthe“loveoftheearth“andhissilktop-hat。InthepresenceofthesewomenLeonardhadarrived，andhespokewithaflow，anexultation，thathehadseldomknown。
“Thedawnwasonlygrey，itwasnothingtomention——“
“Justagreyeveningturnedupsidedown。I
know。“
“——andIwastootiredtoliftupmyheadtolookatit，andsocoldtoo。I\'mgladIdidit，andyetatthetimeitboredmemorethanIcansay。Andbesides——youcanbelievemeornotasyouchoose——Iwasveryhungry。ThatdinneratWimbledon——I
meantittolastmeallnightlikeotherdinners。Ineverthoughtthatwalkingwouldmakesuchadifference。Why，whenyou\'rewalkingyouwant，asitwere，abreakfastandluncheonandteaduringthenightaswell，andI\'dnothingbutapacketofWoodbines。Lord，Ididfeelbad！Lookingback，itwasn\'twhatyoumaycallenjoyment。Itwasmoreacaseofstickingtoit。Ididstick。I——Iwasdetermined。
Oh，hangitall！what\'sthegood——Imean，thegoodoflivinginaroomforever？Thereonegoesondayafterday，sameoldgame，sameupanddowntotown，untilyouforgetthereisanyothergame。Yououghttoseeonceinawaywhat\'sgoingonoutside，ifit\'sonlynothingparticularafterall。“
“Ishouldjustthinkyouought，“saidHelen，sittingontheedgeofthetable。
Thesoundofalady\'svoicerecalledhimfromsincerity，andhesaid:“CuriousitshouldallcomeaboutfromreadingsomethingofRichardJefferies。“
“Excuseme，Mr。Bast，butyou\'rewrongthere。
Itdidn\'t。Itcamefromsomethingfargreater。“
Butshecouldnotstophim。BorrowwasimminentafterJefferies——Borrow，Thoreau，andsorrow。R。L。S。broughtuptherear，andtheoutburstendedinaswampofbooks。Nodisrespecttothesegreatnames。Thefaultisours，nottheirs。Theymeanustousethemforsign-posts，andarenottoblameif，inourweakness，wemistakethesign-postforthedestination。AndLeonardhadreachedthedestination。HehadvisitedthecountyofSurreywhendarknesscovereditsamenities，anditscosyvillashadre-enteredancientnight。
Everytwelvehoursthismiraclehappens，buthehadtroubledtogoandseeforhimself。WithinhiscrampedlittleminddweltsomethingthatwasgreaterthanJefferies\'books——thespiritthatledJefferiestowritethem；andhisdawn，thoughrevealingnothingbutmonotones，waspartoftheeternalsunrisethatshowsGeorgeBorrowStonehenge。
“Thenyoudon\'tthinkIwasfoolish？“heasked，becomingagainthenaï；veandsweet-temperedboyforwhomNaturehadintendedhim。
“Heavens，no！“repliedMargaret。
“Heavenhelpusifwedo！“repliedHelen。
“I\'mverygladyousaythat。Now，mywifewouldneverunderstand——notifIexplainedfordays。“
“No，itwasn\'tfoolish！“criedHelen，hereyesaflame。
“You\'vepushedbacktheboundaries；Ithinkitsplendidofyou。“
“You\'venotbeencontenttodreamaswehave——“
“Thoughwehavewalked，too——“
“Imustshowyouapictureupstairs——“
Herethedoor-bellrang。Thehansomhadcometotakethemtotheireveningparty。
“Oh，bother，nottosaydash——Ihadforgottenwewerediningout；butdo，do，comeroundagainandhaveatalk。“
“Yes，youmust——do，“echoedMargaret。
Leonard，withextremesentiment，replied:“No，I
shallnot。It\'sbetterlikethis。“
“Whybetter？“askedMargaret。
“No，itisbetternottoriskasecondinterview。
Ishallalwayslookbackonthistalkwithyouasoneofthefinestthingsinmylife。Really。Imeanthis。Wecanneverrepeat。
Ithasdonemerealgood，andtherewehadbetterleaveit。“
“That\'sratherasadviewoflife，surely。“
“Thingssooftengetspoiled。“
“Iknow，“flashedHelen，“butpeopledon\'t。“
Hecouldnotunderstandthis。Hecontinuedinaveinwhichmingledtrueimaginationandfalse。Whathesaidwasn\'twrong，butitwasn\'tright，andafalsenotejarred。Onelittletwist，theyfelt，andtheinstrumentmightbeintune。Onelittlestrain，anditmightbesilentforever。Hethankedtheladiesverymuch，buthewouldnotcallagain。Therewasamoment\'sawkwardness，andthenHelensaid:“Go，then；perhapsyouknowbest；butneverforgetyou\'rebetterthanJefferies。“Andhewent。Theirhansomcaughthimupatthecorner，passedwithawavingofhands，andvanishedwithitsaccomplishedloadintotheevening。
Londonwasbeginningtoilluminateherselfagainstthenight。Electriclightssizzledandjaggedinthemainthoroughfares，gas-lampsinthesidestreetsglimmeredacanarygoldorgreen。Theskywasacrimsonbattlefieldofspring，butLondonwasnotafraid。
Hersmokemitigatedthesplendour，andthecloudsdownOxfordStreetwereadelicatelypaintedceiling，whichadornedwhileitdidnotdistract。
Shehasneverknowntheclear-cutarmiesofthepurerair。Leonardhurriedthroughhertintedwonders，verymuchpartofthepicture。
Hiswasagreylife，andtobrightenithehadruledoffafewcornersforromance。TheMissSchlegels——or，tospeakmoreaccurately，hisinterviewwiththem——weretofillsuchacorner，norwasitbyanymeansthefirsttimethathehadtalkedintimatelytostrangers。Thehabitwasanalogoustoadebauch，anoutlet，thoughtheworstofoutlets，forinstinctsthatwouldnotbedenied。Terrifyinghim，itwouldbeatdownhissuspicionsandprudenceuntilhewasconfidingsecretstopeoplewhomhehadscarcelyseen。Itbroughthimmanyfearsandsomepleasantmemories。PerhapsthekeenesthappinesshehadeverknownwasduringarailwayjourneytoCambridge，whereadecent-manneredundergraduatehadspokentohim。Theyhadgotintoconversation，andgraduallyLeonardflungreticenceaside，toldsomeofhisdomestictroubles，andhintedattherest。Theundergraduate，supposingtheycouldstartafriendship，askedhimto“coffeeafterhall，“whichheaccepted，butafterwardsgrewshy，andtookcarenottostirfromthecommercialhotelwherehelodged。
HedidnotwantRomancetocollidewiththePorphyrion，stilllesswithJacky，andpeoplewithfuller，happierlivesareslowtounderstandthis。
TotheSchlegels，astotheundergraduate，hewasaninterestingcreature，ofwhomtheywantedtoseemore。ButtheytohimweredenizensofRomance，whomustkeeptothecornerhehadassignedthem，picturesthatmustnotwalkoutoftheirframes。
HisbehaviouroverMargaret\'svisiting-cardhadbeentypical。Hishadscarcelybeenatragicmarriage。Wherethereisnomoneyandnoinclinationtoviolencetragedycannotbegenerated。
Hecouldnotleavehiswife，andhedidnotwanttohither。Petulanceandsqualorwereenough。Here“thatcard“hadcomein。Leonard，thoughfurtive，wasuntidy，andleftitlyingabout。Jackyfoundit，andthenbegan，“What\'sthatcard，eh？““Yes，don\'tyouwishyouknewwhatthatcardwas？““Len，who\'sMissSchlegel？“etc。
Monthspassed，andthecard，nowasajoke，nowasagrievance，washandedabout，gettingdirtieranddirtier。ItfollowedthemwhentheymovedfromCorneliaRoadtoTulseHill。Itwassubmittedtothirdparties。
Afewinchesofpasteboard，itbecamethebattlefieldonwhichthesoulsofLeonardandhiswifecontended。Whydidhenotsay，“Aladytookmyumbrella，anothergavemethisthatImightcallformyumbrella“？
BecauseJackywouldhavedisbelievedhim？Partly，butchieflybecausehewassentimental。Noaffectiongatheredroundthecard，butitsymbolizedthelifeofculture，thatJackyshouldneverspoil。Atnighthewouldsaytohimself，“Well，atallevents，shedoesn\'tknowaboutthatcard。Yah！doneherthere！“
PoorJacky！shewasnotabadsort，andhadagreatdealtobear。Shedrewherownconclusion——shewasonlycapableofdrawingoneconclusion——andinthefulnessoftimesheacteduponit。
AlltheFridayLeonardhadrefusedtospeaktoher，andhadspenttheeveningobservingthestars。OntheSaturdayhewentup，asusual，totown，buthecamenotbackSaturdaynightnorSundaymorning，norSundayafternoon。
Theinconveniencegrewintolerable，andthoughshewasnowofaretiringhabit，andshyofwomen，shewentuptoWickhamPlace。Leonardreturnedinherabsence。Thecard，thefatalcard，wasgonefromthepagesofRuskin，andheguessedwhathadhappened。
“Well？“hehadexclaimed，greetingherwithpealsoflaughter。“Iknowwhereyou\'vebeen，butyoudon\'tknowwhereI\'vebeen。“
Jackysighed，said，“Len，Idothinkyoumightexplain，“
andresumeddomesticity。
Explanationsweredifficultatthisstage，andLeonardwastoosilly——oritistemptingtowrite，toosoundachaptoattemptthem。Hisreticencewasnotentirelytheshoddyarticlethatabusinesslifepromotes，thereticencethatpretendsthatnothingissomething，andhidesbehindtheDailyTelegraph。Theadventurer，also，isreticent，anditisanadventureforaclerktowalkforafewhoursindarkness。Youmaylaughathim，youwhohavesleptnightsontheveldt，withyourriflebesideyouandalltheatmosphereofadventurepast。
Andyoualsomaylaughwhothinkadventuressilly。ButdonotbesurprisedifLeonardisshywheneverhemeetsyou，andiftheSchlegelsratherthanJackyhearaboutthedawn。
ThattheSchlegelshadnotthoughthimfoolishbecameapermanentjoy。Hewasathisbestwhenhethoughtofthem。
Itbuoyedhimashejourneyedhomebeneathfadingheavens。Somehowthebarriersofwealthhadfallen，andtherehadbeen——hecouldnotphraseit——ageneralassertionofthewonderoftheworld。“Myconviction，“
saysthemystic，“gainsinfinitelythemomentanothersoulwillbelieveinit，“andtheyhadagreedthattherewassomethingbeyondlife\'sdailygrey。Hetookoffhistop-hatandsmootheditthoughtfully。
Hehadhithertosupposedtheunknowntobebooks，literature，cleverconversation，culture。Oneraisedoneselfbystudy，andgotupsideswiththeworld。
Butinthatquickinterchangeanewlightdawned。Wasthatsomething“
walkinginthedarkamongthesurburbanhills？
HediscoveredthathewasgoingbareheadeddownRegentStreet。Londoncamebackwitharush。Fewwereaboutatthishour，butallwhomhepassedlookedathimwithahostilitythatwasthemoreimpressivebecauseitwasunconscious。Heputhishaton。Itwastoobig；hisheaddisappearedlikeapuddingintoabasin，theearsbendingoutwardsatthetouchofthecurlybrim。Heworeitalittlebackwards，anditseffectwasgreatlytoelongatethefaceandtobringoutthedistancebetweentheeyesandthemoustache。
Thusequipped，heescapedcriticism。Noonefeltuneasyashetituppedalongthepavements，theheartofamantickingfastinhischest。Chapter15Thesisterswentouttodinnerfulloftheiradventure，andwhentheywerebothfullofthesamesubject，therewerefewdinner-partiesthatcouldstandupagainstthem。Thisparticularone，whichwasallladies，hadmorekickinitthanmost，butsuccumbedafterastruggle。Helenatonepartofthetable，Margaretattheother，wouldtalkofMr。Bastandofnooneelse，andsomewhereabouttheentreetheirmonologuescollided，fellruining，andbecamecommonproperty。Norwasthisall。
Thedinner-partywasreallyaninformaldiscussionclub；therewasapaperafterit，readamidcoffee-cupsandlaughterinthedrawing-room，butdealingmoreorlessthoughtfullywithsometopicofgeneralinterest。Afterthepapercameadebate，andinthisdebateMr。Bastalsofigured，appearingnowasabrightspotincivilization，nowasadarkspot，accordingtothetemperamentofthespeaker。Thesubjectofthepaperhadbeen，“HowoughtItodisposeofmymoney？“thereaderprofessingtobeamillionaireonthepointofdeath，inclinedtobequeathherfortuneforthefoundationoflocalartgalleries，butopentoconvictionfromothersources。
Thevariouspartshadbeenassignedbeforehand，andsomeofthespeecheswereamusing。Thehostessassumedtheungratefulroleof“themillionaire\'seldestson，“andimploredherexpiringparentnottodislocateSocietybyallowingsuchvastsumstopassoutofthefamily。Moneywasthefruitofself-denial，andthesecondgenerationhadarighttoprofitbytheself-denialofthefirst。Whatrighthad“Mr。Bast“toprofit？
TheNationalGallerywasgoodenoughforthelikesofhim。Afterpropertyhadhaditssay——asayingthatisnecessarilyungracious——thevariousphilanthropistssteppedforward。Somethingmustbedonefor“Mr。Bast“:hisconditionsmustbeimprovedwithoutimpairinghisindependence；
hemusthaveafreelibrary，orfreetennis-courts；hisrentmustbepaidinsuchawaythathedidnotknowitwasbeingpaid；itmustbemadeworthhiswhiletojointheTerritorials；hemustbeforciblypartedfromhisuninspiringwife，themoneygoingtoherascompensation；hemustbeassignedaTwinStar，somememberoftheleisuredclasseswhowouldwatchoverhimceaselesslygroansfromHelen；hemustbegivenfoodbutnoclothes，clothesbutnofood，athird-returntickettoVenice，withouteitherfoodorclotheswhenhearrivedthere。Inshort，hemightbegivenanythingandeverythingsolongasitwasnotthemoneyitself。
AndhereMargaretinterrupted。