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