"Granted;buthedidn'tmakeafortune。Hetookafortunethatothersmade。AtCambridgetheytaughtmethathisprofitsweretherewardofabstinence——theabstinencewhichenabledhimtosave。ThatquietedmyconscienceuntilIbegantowonderwhyonemanshouldmakeanotherpayhimforexercisingoneofthevirtues。Thencamethequestion:whatdidmyfatherabstainfrom？
　　Theworkmenabstainedfrommeat,drink,freshair,goodclothes,decentlodging,holidays,money,thesocietyoftheirfamilies,andprettynearlyeverythingthatmakeslifeworthliving,whichwasperhapsthereasonwhytheyusuallydiedtwentyyearsorsosoonerthanpeopleinourcircumstances。Yetnoonerewardedthemfortheirabstinence。Therewardcametomyfather,whoabstainedfromnoneofthesethings,butindulgedinthemalltohisheart'scontent。Besides,ifthemoneywastherewardofabstinence,itseemedlogicaltoinferthathemustabstaintentimesasmuchwhenhebadfiftythousandayearaswhenhehadonlyfivethousand。Herewasaproblemformyyoungmind。
　　Required,somethingfromwhichmyfatherabstainedandinwhichhisworkmenexceeded,andwhichheabstainedfrommoreandmoreashegrewricherandricher。Theonlythingthatansweredthisdescriptionwashardwork,andasInevermetasanemanwillingtopayanotherforidling,Ibegantoseethattheseprodigiouspaymentstomyfatherwereextortedbyforce。Todohimjustice,heneverboastedofabstinence。Heconsideredhimselfahard—workedman,andclaimedhisfortuneastherewardofhisrisks,hiscalculations,hisanxieties,andthejourneyshehadtomakeatallseasonsandatallhours。Thiscomfortedmesomewhatuntilitoccurredtomethatifhehadlivedacenturyearlier,investedhismoneyinahorseandapairofpistols,andtakentotheroad,hisobject——thatofwrestingfromothersthefruitsoftheirlaborwithoutrenderingthemanequivalent——wouldhavebeenexactlythesame,andhisriskfargreater,foritwouldhaveincludedriskofthegallows。Constanttravellingwiththeconstableathisheels,andcalculationsofthechancesofrobbingtheDovermail,wouldhavegivenhimhisfillofactivityandanxiety。Onthewhole,ifJesseTrefusis,M。P。,whodiedamillionaireinhispalaceatKensington,hadbeenahighwayman,I
　　couldnotmoreheartilyloathethesocialarrangementsthatrenderedsuchacareerashisnotonlypossible,buteminentlycreditabletohimselfintheeyesofhisfellows。Mostmenmakeittheirbusinesstoimitatehim,hopingtobecomerichandidleonthesameterms。ThereforeIturnmybackonthem。Icannotsitattheirfeastsknowinghowmuchtheycostinhumanmisery,andseeinghowlittletheyproduceofhumanhappiness。Whatisyouropinion,mytreasure？"
　　Henriettaseemedalittletroubled。Shesmiledfaintly,andsaidcaressingly,"Itwasnotyourfault,Sidney。_I_don'tblameyou。"
　　"Immortalpowers！"heexclaimed,sittingboltuprightandappealingtotheskies,"hereisawomanwhobelievesthattheonlyconcernallthiscausesmeiswhethershethinksanytheworseofmepersonallyonaccountofit！"
　　"No,no,Sidney。ItisnotIalone。Nobodythinkstheworseofyouforit。"
　　"Quiteso,"hereturned,inapolitefrenzy。"Nobodyseesanyharminit。Thatispreciselythemischiefofit。"
　　"Besides,"sheurged,"yourmotherbelongedtooneoftheoldestfamiliesinEngland。"
　　"Andwhatmorecanmandesirethanwealthwithdescentfromacountyfamily！CouldamanbehappierthanIoughttobe,sprungasIamfrommonopolistsofallthesourcesandinstrumentsofproduction——oflandontheoneside,andofmachineryontheother？Thisverygroundonwhichwearerestingwasthepropertyofmymother'sfather。Atleastthelawallowedhimtouseitassuch。Whenhewasaboy,therewasafairlyprosperousraceofpeasantssettledhere,tillingthesoil,payinghimrentforpermissiontodoso,andmakingenoughoutofittosatisfyhislargewantsandtheirownnarrowneedswithoutworkingthemselvestodeath。Butmygrandfatherwasashrewdman。Heperceivedthatcowsandsheepproducedmoremoneybytheirmeatandwoolthanpeasantsbytheirhusbandry。Soheclearedtheestate。Thatis,hedrovethepeasantsfromtheirhomes,asmyfatherdidafterwardsinhisScotchdeerforest。Or,ashistombstonehasit,hedevelopedtheresourcesofhiscountry。Idon'tknowwhatbecameofthepeasants;HEdidn'tknow,and,Ipresume,didn'tcare。Isupposetheoldoneswentintotheworkhouse,andtheyoungonescrowdedthetowns,andworkedformenlikemyfatherinfactories。Theirplacesweretakenbycattle,whichpaidfortheirfoodsowellthatmygrandfather,gettingmyfathertotakesharesintheenterprise,hiredlaborersontheManchestertermstocutthatcanalforhim。Whenitwasmade,hetooktolluponit;andhisheirsstilltaketoll,andthesonsofthenavvieswhodugitandoftheengineerwhodesigneditpaythetollwhentheyhaveoccasiontotravelbyit,ortopurchasegoodswhichhavebeenconveyedalongit。Iremembermygrandfatherwell。Hewasawell—bredman,andaperfectgentlemaninhismanners;but,onthewhole,Ithinkhewaswickederthanmyfather,who,afterall,wascaughtinthewheelsofavicioussystem,andhadeithertospoilothersorbespoiledbythem。Butmygrandfather——theoldrascal！——wasinnosuchdilemma。MasterashewasofhisbitofmerryEngland,nomancouldhaveenslavedhim,andhemightatleasthavelivedandletlive。Myfatherfollowedhisexampleinthematterofthedeerforest,butthatwastheclimaxofhiswickedness,whereasitwasonlythebeginningofmygrandfather's。Howbeit,whicheverbearsthepalm,theretheywere,thetypesafterwhichweallstrive。"
　　"Notall,Sidney。Notwetwo。Ihatetradespeopleandcountrysquires。Webelongtotheartisticandculturedclasses,andwecankeepalooffromshopkeepers。"
　　"Living,meanwhile,attherateofseveralthousandayearonrentandinterest。No,mydear,thisisthewayofthosepeoplewhoinsistthatwhentheyareinheaventheyshallbesparedtherecollectionofsuchaplaceashell,butarequitecontentthatitshallexistoutsidetheirconsciousness。Irespectmyfathermore——ImeanIdespisehimless——fordoinghisownsweatingandfilchingthanIdothesensitivesluggardsandcowardswholenthimtheirmoneytosweatandfilchwith,andaskednoquestionsprovidedtheinterestwaspaidpunctually。Andastoyourfriendstheartists,theyaretheworstofall。"
　　"Oh,Sidney,youaredeterminednottobepleased。Artistsdon'tkeepfactories。"
　　"No;butthefactoryisonlyapartofthemachineryofthesystem。Itsbasisisthetyrannyofbrainforce,which,amongcivilizedmen,isallowedtodowhatmuscularforcedoesamongschoolboysandsavages。Theschoolboypropositionis:'Iamstrongerthanyou,thereforeyoushallfagforme。'Itsgrownupformis:'Iamclevererthanyou,thereforeyoushallfagforme。'Thestateofthingsweproducebysubmittingtothis,badenoughevenatfirst,becomesintolerablewhenthemediocreorfoolishdescendantsofthecleverfellowsclaimtohaveinheritedtheirprivileges。Now,nomenaregreatersticklersforthearbitrarydominionofgeniusandtalentthanyourartists。Thegreatpainterisnotsatisfiedwithbeingsoughtafterandadmiredbecausehishandscandomorethanordinaryhands,whichtheytrulycan,buthewantstobefedasifhisstomachneededmorefoodthanordinarystomachs,whichitdoesnot。Aday'sworkisaday'swork,neithermorenorless,andthemanwhodoesitneedsaday'ssustenance,anight'srepose,anddueleisure,whetherhebepainterorploughman。Buttherascalofapainter,poet,novelist,orothervoluptuaryinlabor,isnotcontentwithhisadvantageinpopularesteemovertheploughman;healsowantsanadvantageinmoney,asifthereweremorehoursinadayspentinthestudioorlibrarythaninthefield;orasifheneededmorefoodtoenablehimtodohisworkthantheploughmantoenablehimtodohis。Hetalksofthehigherqualityofhiswork,asifthehigherqualityofitwereofhisownmaking——asifitgavehimarighttoworklessforhisneighborthanhisneighborworksforhim——asiftheploughmancouldnotdobetterwithouthimthanhewithouttheploughman——asifthevalueofthemostcelebratedpictureshasnotbeenquestionedmorethanthatofanystraightfurrowinthearableworld——asifitdidnottakeanapprenticeshipofasmanyyearstotrainthehandandeyeofamasonorblacksmithasofanartist——asif,inshort,thefellowwereagod,ascantingbrainworshippershaveforyearspastbeenassuringhimheis。ArtistsarcthehighpriestsofthemodernMoloch。Nineoutoftenofthemarediseasedcreatures,justsaneenoughtotradeontheirownneuroses。Theonlyqualityo？theirswhichextortsmyrespectisacertainsublimeselfishnesswhichmakesthemwillingtostarveandtolettheirfamiliesstarvesoonerthandoanyworktheydon'tlike。"
　　"INDEEDyouarequitewrong,Sidney。TherewasagirlattheSladeschoolwhosupportedhermotherandtwosistersbyherdrawing。Besides,whatcanyoudo？Peopleweremadeso。"
　　"Yes;Iwasmadealandlordandcapitalistbythefollyofthepeople;buttheycanunmakemeiftheywill。MeanwhileIhaveabsolutelynomeansofescapefrommypositionexceptbygivingawaymyslavestofellowswhowillusethemnobetterthanI,andbecomingaslavemyself;which,ifyouplease,youshallnotcatchmedoinginahurry。No,mybeloved,Imustkeepmyfootontheirnecksforyoursakeaswellasformyown。Butyoudonotcareaboutallthisprosystuff。Iamconsumedwithremorseforhavingboredmydarling。YouwanttoknowwhyIamlivingherelikeahermitinavulgartwo—roomedhovelinsteadoftastingthedelightsofLondonsocietywithmybeautifulanddevotedyoungwife。"
　　"Butyoudon'tintendtostayhere,Sidney？"
　　"Yes,Ido;andIwilltellyouwhy。IamhelpingtoliberatethoseManchesterlaborerswhoweremyfather'sslaves。Tobringthatabout,theirfellowslavesallovertheworldmustuniteinavastinternationalassociationofmenpledgedtosharetheworld'sworkjustly;tosharetheproduceoftheworkjustly;toyieldnotafarthing——charityapart——toanyfull—grownandable—bodiedidlerormalingerer,andtotreatasvermininthecommonwealthpersonsattemptingtogetmorethantheirshareofwealthorgivelessthantheirshareofwork。Thisisaverydifficultthingtoaccomplish,becauseworking—men,likethepeoplecalledtheirbetters,donotalwaysunderstandtheirowninterests,andwilloftenactuallyhelptheiroppressorstoexterminatetheirsaviourstothetuneof'RuleBritannia,'orsomesuchlyingdoggerel。Wemusteducatethemoutofthat,and,meanwhile,pushforwardtheinternationalassociationoflaborersdiligently。Iamatpresentoccupiedinpropagatingitsprinciples。Capitalism,organizedforrepressivepurposesunderpretextofgoverningthenation,wouldverysoonstoptheassociationifitunderstoodouraim,butitthinksthatweareengagedingunpowderplotsandconspiraciestoassassinatecrownedheads;andso,whilstthepoliceareblunderinginsearchofevidenceofthese,ourrealworkgoesonunmolested。WhetherI
　　amreallyadvancingthecauseismorethanIcansay。Iuseheapsofpostagestamps,paytheexpensesofmanyindifferentlecturers,defraythecostofprintingreamsofpamphletsandhand—billswhichhailthelaborerflatteringlyasthesaltoftheearth,writeandeditalittlesocialistjournal,anddowhatliesinmypowergenerally。Ihadratherspendmyill—gottenwealthinthiswaythanuponanexpensivehouseandaretinueofservants。AndIprefermycorduroysandmytwo—roomedchaletheretoourprettylittlehouse,andyourprettylittleways,andmyprettylittleneglectoftheworkthatmyheartissetupon。Someday,perhaps,Iwilltakeaholiday;andthenweshallhaveanewhoneymoon。"
　　ForamomentHenriettaseemedabouttocry。Suddenlysheexclaimedwithenthusiasm:"Iwillstaywithyou,Sidney。Iwillshareyourwork,whateveritmaybe。Iwilldressasadairymaid,andhavealittlepailtocarrymilkin。Theworldisnothingtomeexceptwhenyouarewithme;andIshouldlovetolivehereandsketchfromnature。"
　　Heblenched,andpartiallyrose,unabletoconcealhisdismay。
　　She,resolvednottobecastoff,seizedhimandclungtohim。
　　ThiswasthemovementthatexcitedthederisionofWickens'sboyintheadjacentgravelpit。Trefusiswasgladoftheinterruption;and,whenhegavetheboytwopenceandbadehimbegone,halfhopedthathewouldinsistonremaining。Butthoughanobdurateboyonmostoccasions,heprovedcomplaisantonthis,andwithdrewtothehighroad,wherehemadeoveroneofhispenniestoaphantomgambler,andtossedwithhimuntilrecalledfromhisdualstatebytheappearanceofFairholme'sparty。
　　Inthemeantime,Henriettaurgentlyreturnedtoherproposition。
　　"Weshouldbesohappy,"shesaid。"Iwouldhousekeepforyou,andyoucouldworkasmuchasyoupleased。Ourlifewouldbealongidyll。"
　　"Mylove,"hesaid,shakinghisheadasshelookedbeseechinglyathim,"IhavetoomuchManchestercottoninmyconstitutionforlongidylls。Andthetruthis,thatthefirstconditionofworkwithmeisyourabsence。Whenyouarewithme,Icandonothingbutmakelovetoyou。Youbewitchme。WhenIescapefromyouforamoment,itisonlytogroanremorsefullyoverthehoursyouhavetemptedmetowasteandtheenergyyouhavefutilized。"
　　"Ifyouwon'tlivewithmeyouhadnorighttomarryme。"
　　"True。Butthatisneitheryourfaultnormine。Wehavefoundthatweloveeachothertoomuch——thatourintercoursehindersourusefulness——andsowemustpart。Notforever,mydear;onlyuntilyouhavecaresandbusinessofyourowntofillupyourlifeandpreventyoufromwastingmine。"
　　"Ibelieveyouaremad,"shesaidpetulantly。"Theworldismadnowadays,andisgallopingtothedeuceasfastasgreedcangoadit。Imerelystandoutoftherush,notlikingitsdestination。
　　Herecomesabarge,thecommanderofwhichisdevotedtomebecausehebelievesthatIamorganizingarevolutionfortheabolitionoflockduesandtolls。WewillgoaboardandfloatdowntoLyvern,whenceyoucanreturntoLondon。Youhadbettertelegraphfromthejunctiontothecollege;theremustbeahueandcryoutafterusbythistime。Youshallhavemyaddress,andwecanwritetooneanotherorseeoneanotherwheneverweplease。Oryoucandivorcemefordesertingyou。"
　　"Youwouldlikemeto,Iknow,"saidHenrietta,sobbing。
　　"Ishoulddieofdespair,mydarling,"hesaidcomplacently。
　　"Shipaho—o—o—y！Stopcrying,Hetty,forGod'ssake。Youlaceratemyverysoul。"
　　"Ah—o—o—o—o—o—o—oy,master！"roaredthebargee。
　　"Goodarternoon,sir,"saidamanwho,withashortwhipinhishand,trudgedbesidethewhitehorsethattowedthebarge。"Comeup！"headdedmalevolentlytothehorse。
　　"Iwanttogetonboard,andgouptoLyvernwithyou,"saidTrefusis。"Heseemsawellfedbrute,that。"
　　"Betterfednorme,"saidtheman。"Youcan'tgettheworkoutofahunderfed'orsethatyoucanoutofahunderfedmanorwoman。
　　I'vebininpartsofEnglandwherewomenpulledthebarges。Theycomecheapernor'orses,becauseitdidn'tcostnothingtogetnewoneswhentheoldonesweworeout。"
　　"Thenwhynotemploythem？"saidTrefusis,withironicalgravity。
　　"TheprincipleofbuyinglaborforceinthecheapestmarketandsellingitsproductinthedearesthasdonemuchtomakeEnglishmen——whattheyare。"
　　"Therailwaycomp'nieskeeps'orspittlesforthelikeof'IM,"
　　saidtheman,withacunninglaugh,indicatingthehorsebysmackinghimonthebellywiththebuttofthewhip。"Ifeveryoutrybein'alaborerinearnest,governor,tryitonfourlegs。
　　You'llfinditfarpreferabletotryingontwo。"
　　"Thismanisoneofmyconverts,"saidTrefusisaparttoHenrietta。"HetoldmetheotherdaythatsinceIsethimthinkingheneverseesagentlemanwithoutfeelinginclinedtoheaveabrickathim。Ifindthatsocialismisoftenmisunderstoodbyitsleastintelligentsupportersandopponentstomeansimplyunrestrainedindulgenceofournaturalpropensitytoheavebricksatrespectablepersons。NowIamgoingtocarryyoualongthisplank。Ifyoukeepquiet,wemayreachthebarge。
　　Ifnot,weshallreachthebottomofthecanal。"
　　Hecarriedhersafelyover,andexchangedsomefriendlywordswiththebargee。ThenhetookHenriettaforward,andstoodwatchingthewaterastheywerebornealongnoiselesslybetweenthehillypasturesofthecountry。
　　"Thiswouldbeafairyjourney,"hesaid,"ifonecouldforgetthewomandownbelow,cookingherhusband'sdinnerinastiflingholeaboutasbigasyourwardrobe,and——"
　　"Oh,don'ttalkanymoreofthesethings,"shesaidcrossly;"I
　　cannothelpthem。Ihavemyowntroublestothinkof。HERhusbandliveswithher。"
　　"Shewillchangeplaceswithyou,mydear,ifyoumakehertheoffer。"
　　Shehadnoanswerready。Afterapausehebegantospeakpoeticallyofthesceneryandtoofferherloverlikespeechesandcompliments。Butshefeltthatheintendedtogetridofher,andheknewthatitwasuselesstotrytohidethatdesignfromher。
　　Sheturnedawayandsatdownonapileofbricks,onlywrithingangrilywhenhepressedherforaword。Astheynearedtheendofhervoyage,andherintenseprotestagainstdesertionremained,asshethought,onlyhalfexpressed,hersenseofinjurygrewalmostunbearable。
　　Theylandedonawharf,andwentthroughanunswept,deeply—ruttedlaneuptothemainstreetofLyvern。HerehebecameSmilashagain,walkingdeferentiallyalittlebeforeher,asifshehadhiredhimtopointouttheway。Shethensawthatherlastopportunityofappealingtohimhadgoneby,andshenearlyburstintotearsatthethought。Itoccurredtoherthatshemightprevailuponhimbymakingasceneinpublic。Butthestreetwasabusyone,andshewasalittleafraidofhim。
　　Neitherconsiderationwouldhavecheckedherinoneofherungovernablemoods,butnowshewasinanabjectone。Hermoodsseemedtocomeonlywhentheywereharmfultoher。Shesufferedherselftobeputintotherailwayomnibus,whichwasonthepointofstartingfromtheinnyardwhentheyarrivedthere,andthoughhetouchedhishat,askedwhethershehadanymessagetogivehim,andinatenderwhisperwishedherasafejourney,shewouldnotlookatorspeaktohim。Sotheyparted,andhereturnedalonetothechalet,wherehewasreceivedbythetwopolicemenwhosubsequentlybroughthimtothecollege。
　　CHAPTERVI
　　Theyearworeon,andthelongwintereveningssetin。ThestudiousyoungladiesatAltonCollege,elbowsondeskandhandsoverears,shudderedchillilyinfurtippetswhilsttheyloadedtheirmemorieswiththestatementsofwritersonmoralscience,or,likemenwhoswimuponcorks,reasonedoutmathematicalproblemsuponpostulates。Whenceitsometimeshappenedthatthemorereasonableastudentwasinmathematics,themoreunreasonableshewasintheaffairsofreallife,concerningwhichfewtrustworthypostulateshaveyetbeenascertained。
　　Agatha,notstudious,andapttoshiverinwinter,begantobreakRuleNo。17withincreasingfrequency。RuleNo。17forbadethestudentstoenterthekitchen,orinanywaytodisturbtheservantsinthedischargeoftheirduties。Agathabrokeitbecauseshewasfondofmakingtoffee,ofeatingit,ofagoodfire,ofdoinganyforbiddenthing,andoftheadmirationwithwhichtheservantslistenedtoherventriloquialandmusicalfeats。Gertrudeaccompaniedherbecauseshetoolikedtoffee,andbecausesheplumedherselfonhercondescensiontoherinferiors。
　　Janewentbecausehertwofriendswent,andthespiritofadventure,theforceofexample,andtheloveoftoffeeoftenbroughtmorevolunteerstotheseexpeditionsthanAgathathoughtitsafetoenlist。OneeveningMissWilson,goingdownstairsalonetoherprivatewinecellar,wasarrestednearthekitchenbysoundsofrevelry,and,stoppingtolisten,overheardthecastanetdance（whichremindedheroftheemphasiswithwhichAgathahadsnappedherfingersatMrs。Miller）,thebeeonthewindowpane,"RobinAdair"（encoredbytheservants）,andanimitationofherselfintheactofappealingtoJaneCarpenter'sbetternaturetoinducehertostudyfortheCambridgeLocal。Shewaiteduntilthecoldandherfearofbeingdiscoveredspyingforcedhertocreepupstairs,ashamedofhavingenjoyedasillyentertainment,andofconnivingatabreachoftherulesratherthanfaceafreshquarrelwithAgatha。
　　TherewasoneparticularinwhichmattersbetweenAgathaandthecollegedisciplinedidnotgoonexactlyasbefore。Althoughshehadformerlysuppliedadisproportionatelylargenumberoftheconfessionsinthefaultbook,theentrywhichhadnearlyledtoherexpulsionwasthelastsheevermadeinit。Notthatherconductwasbetter——itwasratherthereverse。MissWilsonnevermentionedthematter,thefaultbookbeingsacredfromallallusiononherpart。ButshesawthatthoughAgathawouldnotconfessherownsins,shestillassistedotherstounburdentheirconsciences。ThewitticismswithwhichJaneunsuspectinglyenlivenedthepagesoftheRecordingAngelwereconclusiveonthispoint。
　　Smilashhadnowadoptedaprofession。Inthelastdaysofautumnhehadwhitewashedthechalet,paintedthedoors,windows,andveranda,repairedtheroofandinterior,andimprovedtheplacesomuchthatthelandlordhadwarnedhimthattherentwouldberaisedattheexpirationofhistwelvemonth'stenancy,remarkingthatatenantcouldnotreasonablyexpecttohaveapretty,rain—tightdwelling—houseforthesamemoneyasahardlyhabitableruin。Smilashhadimmediatelypromisedtodilapidateittoitsformerstateattheendoftheyear。Hehadputupaboardatthegatewithaninscriptioncopiedfromsomeprintedcardswhichhepresentedtopersonswhohappenedtoconversewithhim。
　　_______________________________________________________
　　JEFFERSONSMILASH
　　PAINTER,DECORATOR,GLAZIER,PLUMBER&GARDENER。Pianofortestuned。DomesticengineeringinallitsBranches。Familieswaiteduponattableorotherwise。
　　CHAMOUNIXVILLA,LYVERN。（N。B。AdviceGratis。NoReasonableofferrefused。）_______________________________________________________
　　Thebusinessthusannounced,comprehensiveasitwas,didnotflourish。Whenaskedbythecuriousfortestimonytohiscompetenceandrespectability,herecklesslyreferredthemtoFairholme,toJosephs,andinparticulartoMissWilson,who,hesaid,hadknownhimfromhisearliestchildhood。Fairholme,gladofanopportunitytoshowthathewasnomealymouthedparson,declared,whenappliedto,thatSmilashwasthegreatestrogueinthecountry。Josephs,partlyfrombenevolence,andpartlyfromavaguefearthatSmilashmightatanymomenttakeanactionagainsthimfordefamationofcharacter,saidhehadnodoubtthathewasaverycheapworkman,andthatitwouldbeacharitytogivehimsomelittlejobtoencouragehim。MissWilsonconfirmedFairholme'saccount;andthechurchorganist,whohadtunedallthepianofortesintheneighborhoodonceayearfornearlyaquarterofacentury,denouncedthenewcomerasJackofalltradesandmasterofnone。HereupontheradicalsofLyvern,asmallanddisreputableparty,begantoassertthattherewasnoharmintheman,andthattheparsonsandMissWilson,wholivedinafinehouseanddidnothingbuttakeinthedaughtersofrichswellsasboarders,mightemploytheirleisurebetterthanintakingthebreadoutofapoorworkman'smouth。Butasnoneofthisfactionneededtheservicesofadomesticengineer,hewasnonethericherfortheirsupport,andtheonlypatronheobtainedwasahousemaidwhowasleavinghersituationatacountryhouseinthevicinity,andwantedherboxrepaired,thelidhavingfallenoff。Smilashdemandedhalf—a—crownforthejob,butonherdemurring,immediatelyapologizedandcamedowntoashilling。Forthissumherepaintedthebox,tracedherinitialsonit,andaffixednewhinges,aBramahlock,andbrasshandles,atacosttohimselfoftenshillingsandseveralhours'labor。
　　Thehousemaidfoundfaultwiththecolorofthepaint,madehimtakeoffthehandles,which,shesaid,remindedherofacoffin,complainedthatalockwithsuchasmallkeycouldn'tbestrongenoughforalargebox,butadmittedthatitwasallherownfaultfornotemployingaproperman。Itgotaboutthathehadmadeapoorjobofthebox;andashe,whentaxedwiththis,emphaticallyconfirmedit,hegotnoothercommission;andhissignboardservedthenceforthonlyfortheamusementofpedestriantouristsandofshepherdboyswithatasteforstonethrowing。
　　OnenightagreatstormblewoverLyvern,andthoseyoungladiesatAltonCollegewhowereafraidoflightning,saidtheirprayerswithsomeearnestness。Athalf—pasttwelvetherain,wind,andthundermadesuchadinthatAgathaandGertrudewrappedthemselvesinshawls,stoledownstairstothewindowonthelandingoutsideMissWilson'sstudy,andstoodwatchingtheflashesgivevividglimpsesofthelandscape,anddiscussinginwhisperswhetheritwasdangeroustostandnearawindow,andwhetherbrassstair—rodscouldattractlightning。Agatha,asseriousandfriendlywithasinglecompanionasshewasmischievousandsatiricalbeforealargeraudience,enjoyedthescenequietly。Thelightningdidnotterrifyher,forsheknewlittleofthevalueoflife,andfanciedmuchconcerningtheheroismofbeingindifferenttoit。Thetremorswhichthemorestartlingflashescausedher,onlymadehermoreconsciousofherowncourageanditscontrastwiththeuneasinessofGertrude,whoatlast,shrinkingfromaforkedzigzagofblueflame,said:
　　"Letusgobacktobed,Agatha。Ifeelsurethatwearenotsafehere。"
　　"Quiteassafeasinbed,wherewecannotseeanything。Howthehouseshakes！Ibelievetherainwillbatterinthewindowsbefore——"
　　"Hush,"whisperedGertrude,catchingherarminterror。"Whatwasthat？"
　　"What？"
　　"IamsureIheardthebell——thegatebell。Oh,doletusgobacktobed。"
　　"Nonsense！Whowouldbeoutonsuchanightasthis？Perhapsthewindrangit。"
　　Theywaitedforafewmoments;Gertrudetrembling,andAgathafeeling,asshelistenedinthedarkness,asensationfamiliartopersonswhoareafraidofghosts。Presentlyaveiledclangormingledwiththewind。Afewsharpandurgentsnatchesofitcameunmistakablyfromthebellatthegateofthecollegegrounds。Itwasaloudbell,usedtosummonaservantfromthecollegetoopenthegates;forthoughtherewasaporter'slodge,itwasuninhabited。
　　"Whoonearthcanitbe？"saidAgatha。"Can'ttheyfindthewicket,theidiots？"
　　"Oh,Ihopenot！Docomeupstairs,Agatha。"
　　"No,Iwon't。Goyou,ifyoulike。"ButGertrudewasafraidtogoalone。"IthinkIhadbetterwakenMissWilson,andtellher,"
　　continuedAgatha。"Itseemsawfultoshutanybodyoutonsuchanightasthis。"
　　"Butwedon'tknowwhoitis。"
　　"Well,Isupposeyouarenotafraidofthem,inanycase,"saidAgatha,knowingthecontrary,butrecognizingtheconvenienceofshamingGertrudeintosilence。
　　Theylistenedagain。Thestormwasnowveryboisterous,andtheycouldnothearthebell。Suddenlytherewasaloudknockingatthehousedoor。Gertrudescreamed,andhercrywasechoedfromtheroomsabove,whereseveralgirlshadheardtheknockingalso,andhadbeendrivenbyitintothestateofmindwhichaccompaniestheclimaxofanightmare。Thenacandleflickeredonthestairs,andMissWilson'svoice,reassuringlyfirm,washeard。
　　"Whoisthat？"
　　"ItisI,MissWilson,andGertrude。Wehavebeenwatchingthestorm,andthereissomeoneknockingatthe——"Atremendousbatterywiththeknocker,followedbyasound,confusedbythegale,asofamanshouting,interruptedher。
　　"Theyhadbetternotopenthedoor,"saidMissWilson,insomealarm。"Youareveryimprudent,Agatha,tostandhere。Youwillcatchyourdeathof——Dearme！Whatcanbethematter？Shehurrieddown,followedbyAgatha,Gertrude,andsomeofthebraverstudents,tothehall,wheretheyfoundafewshiveringservantswatchingthehousekeeper,whowasatthekeyholeofthehousedoor,querulouslyaskingwhowasthere。Shewasevidentlynotheardbythosewithout,fortheknockingrecommencedwhilstshewasspeaking,andsherecoiledasifshehadreceivedablowonthemouth。MissWilsonthenrattledthechaintoattractattention,anddemandedagainwhowasthere。
　　"Letusin,"wasreturnedinahollowshoutthroughthekeyhole。
　　"Thereisadyingwomanandthreechildrenhere。Openthedoor。"
　　MissWilsonlostherpresenceofmind。Togaintime,shereplied,"I——Ican'thearyou。Whatdoyousay？"
　　"Damnation！"saidthevoice,speakingthistimetosomeoneoutside。"Theycan'thear。"Andtheknockingrecommencedwithincreasedurgency。Agatha,excited,caughtMissWilson'sdressinggown,andrepeatedtoherwhatthevoicehadsaid。MissWilsonhadhearddistinctlyenough,andshefelt,withoutknowingclearlywhy,thatthedoormustbeopened,butshewasalmostover—masteredbyavaguedreadofwhatwastofollow。Shebegantoundothechain,andAgathahelpedwiththebolts。Twooftheservantsexclaimedthattheywereallabouttobemurderedintheirbeds,andranaway。Afewofthestudentsseemedinclinedtofollowtheirexample。Atlastthedoor,loosed,wasblownwideopen,flingingMissWilsonandAgathaback,andadmittingawhirlwindthattoreroundthehall,snatchedatthewomen'sdraperies,andblewoutthelights。Agatha,byahashoflightning,sawforaninstanttwomenstrainingatthedoorlikesailorsatacapstan。Thensheknewbythecessationofthewhirlwindthattheyhadshutit。Matcheswerestruck,thecandlesrelighted,andthenewcomersclearlyperceived。
　　Smilash,bareheaded,withoutacoat,hiscorduroyvestandtrousersheavywithrain;arough—looking,middle—agedman,poorlydressedlikeashepherd,wetasSmilash,withtheexpression,piteous,patient,anddesperate,ofoneharddrivenbyill—fortune,andattheendofhisresources;twolittlechildren,aboyandagirl,almostnaked,coweringunderanoldsackthathadservedthemasanumbrella;and,lyingonthesetteewherethetwomenhadlaidit,aheapofwretchedwearingapparel,sacking,androttenmatting,withSmilash'scoatandsou'wester,thewholecoveringabundlewhichpresentlyprovedtobeanexhaustedwomanwithatinyinfantatherbreast。Smilash'sexpression,ashelookedather,wasferocious。
　　"Sorryfurtotroubleyou,lady,"saidtheman,afterglancinganxiouslyatSmilash,asifhehadexpectedhimtoactasspokesman;"butmyroofandthesideofmyhousehasgoneinthestorm,andmymissushasbeenhavinganotherlittleone,andIamsorrytoill—convenienceyou,Miss;but——but——"
　　"Inconvenience！"exclaimedSmilash。"Itisthelady'sprivilegetorelieveyou——herhighestprivilege！"
　　Thelittleboyherebegantocryfrommeremisery,andthewomanrousedherselftosay,"Forshame,Tom！beforethelady,"andthencollapsed,tooweaktocareforwhatmighthappennextintheworld。SmilashlookedimpatientlyatMissWilson,whohesitated,andsaidtohim:
　　"Whatdoyouexpectmetodo？"