byJosephConrad
WhatwasknownofCaptainHagberdinthelittleseaportofColebrookwasnotexactlyinhisfavour。
Hedidnotbelongtotheplace。Hehadcometosettlethereundercircumstancesnotatallmyste—
rious——heusedtobeverycommunicativeaboutthematthetime——butextremelymorbidandun—
reasonable。Hewaspossessedofsomelittlemoneyevidently，becauseheboughtaplotofground，andhadapairofuglyyellowbrickcottagesrunupverycheaply。HeoccupiedoneofthemhimselfandlettheothertoJosiahCarvil——blindCarvil，theretiredboat—builder——amanofevilreputeasadomestictyrant。
Thesecottageshadonewallincommon，sharedinalineofironrailingdividingtheirfrontgar—
dens；awoodenfenceseparatedtheirbackgardens。
MissBessieCarvilwasallowed，asitwereofright，tothrowoveritthetea—cloths，bluerags，oranapronthatwanteddrying。
"Itrotsthewood，Bessiemygirl，"thecaptainwouldremarkmildly，fromhissideofthefence，eachtimehesawherexercisingthatprivilege。
Shewasatallgirl；thefencewaslow，andshecouldspreadherelbowsonthetop。Herhandswouldberedwiththebitofwashingshehaddone，butherforearmswerewhiteandshapely，andshewouldlookatherfather’slandlordinsilence——inaninformedsilencewhichhadanairofknowledge，expectationanddesire。
"Itrotsthewood，"repeatedCaptainHagberd。
"Itistheonlyunthrifty，carelesshabitIknowinyou。Whydon’tyouhaveaclotheslineoutinyourbackyard？"
MissCarvilwouldsaynothingtothis——sheonlyshookherheadnegatively。Thetinybackyardonhersidehadafewstone—borderedlittlebedsofblackearth，inwhichthesimpleflowersshefoundtimetocultivateappearedsomehowextravagantlyovergrown，asifbelongingtoanexoticclime；andCaptainHagberd’supright，haleperson，cladinNo。1sail—clothfromheadtofoot，wouldbeemer—
gingknee—deepoutofrankgrassandthetallweeksonhissideofthefence。Heappeared，withthecol—
ouranduncouthstiffnessoftheextraordinaryma—
terialinwhichhechosetoclothehimself——"forthetimebeing，"wouldbehismumbledremarktoanyobservationonthesubject——likeamanroughenedoutofgranite，standinginawildernessnotbigenoughforadecentbilliard—room。Aheavyfigureofamanofstone，witharedhandsomeface，abluewanderingeye，andagreatwhitebeardflowingtohiswaistandnevertrimmedasfarasColebrookknew。
Sevenyearsbefore，hehadseriouslyanswered，"Nextmonth，Ithink，"tothechaffingattempttosecurehiscustommadebythatdistinguishedlocalwit，theColebrookbarber，whohappenedtobesit—
tinginsolentlyinthetap—roomoftheNewInnneartheharbour，wherethecaptainhadenteredtobuyanounceoftobacco。Afterpayingforhispur—
chasewiththreehalf—penceextractedfromthecor—
nerofahandkerchiefwhichhecarriedinthecuffofhissleeve，CaptainHagberdwentout。Assoonasthedoorwasshutthebarberlaughed。"Theoldoneandtheyoungonewillbestrollingarminarmtogetshavedinmyplacepresently。Thetailorshallbesettowork，andthebarber，andthecandlestickmaker；higholdtimesarecomingforColebrook，theyarecoming，tobesure。Itusedtobe’nextweek，’nowithascometo’nextmonth，’
andsoon——soonitwillbenextspring，forallI
know。"
Noticingastrangerlisteningtohimwithava—
cantgrin，heexplained，stretchingouthislegscyn—
ically，thatthisqueeroldHagberd，aretiredcoast—
ing—skipper，waswaitingforthereturnofasonofhis。Theboyhadbeendrivenawayfromhome，heshouldn’twonder；hadrunawaytoseaandhadneverbeenheardofsince。PuttorestinDavyJones’slockerthismanyaday，aslikelyasnot。
ThatoldmancameflyingtoColebrookthreeyearsagoallinblackbroadcloth（hadlosthiswifelatelythen），gettingoutofathird—classsmokerasifthedevilhadbeenathisheels；andtheonlythingthatbroughthimdownwasaletter——ahoaxprobably。Somejokerhadwrittentohimaboutaseafaringmanwithsomesuchnamewhowassup—
posedtobehangingaboutsomegirlorother，eitherinColebrookorintheneighbourhood。"Funny，ain’tit？"TheoldchaphadbeenadvertisingintheLondonpapersforHarryHagberd，andoffer—
ingrewardsforanysortoflikelyinformation。
Andthebarberwouldgoontodescribewithsar—
donicgusto，howthatstrangerinmourninghadbeenseenexploringthecountry，incarts，onfoot，takingeverybodyintohisconfidence，visitingalltheinnsandalehousesformilesaround，stoppingpeopleontheroadwithhisquestions，lookingintotheveryditchesalmost；firstinthegreatestexcite—
ment，thenwithaploddingsortofperseverance，growingslowerandslower；andhecouldnoteventellyouplainlyhowhissonlooked。Thesailorwassupposedtobeoneoftwothathadleftatim—
bership，andtohavebeenseendanglingaftersomegirl；buttheoldmandescribedaboyoffourteenorso——"aclever—looking，high—spiritedboy。"Andwhenpeopleonlysmiledatthishewouldrubhisforeheadinaconfusedsortofwaybeforeheslunkoff，lookingoffended。Hefoundnobody，ofcourse；notatraceofanybody——neverheardofanythingworthbelief，atanyrate；buthehadnotbeenablesomehowtotearhimselfawayfromCole—
brook。
"Itwastheshockofthisdisappointment，per—
haps，comingsoonafterthelossofhiswife，thathaddrivenhimcrazyonthatpoint，"thebarbersuggested，withanairofgreatpsychologicalin—
sight。Afteratimetheoldmanabandonedtheac—
tivesearch。Hissonhadevidentlygoneaway；
buthesettledhimselftowait。HissonhadbeenonceatleastinColebrookinpreferencetohisna—
tiveplace。Theremusthavebeensomereasonforit，heseemedtothink，someverypowerfulinduce—
ment，thatwouldbringhimbacktoColebrookagain。
"Ha，ha，ha！Why，ofcourse，Colebrook。
Whereelse？That’stheonlyplaceintheUnitedKingdomforyourlong—lostsons。SohesolduphisoldhomeinColchester，anddownhecomeshere。
Well，it’sacraze，likeanyother。Wouldn’tcatchmegoingcrazyoveranyofmyyoungstersclear—
ingout。I’vegoteightofthemathome。"Thebarberwasshowingoffhisstrengthofmindinthemidstofalaughterthatshookthetap—room。
Strange，though，thatsortofthing，hewouldconfess，withthefranknessofasuperiorintelli—
gence，seemedtobecatching。Hisestablishment，forinstance，wasneartheharbour，andwheneverasailormancameinforahair—cutorashave——ifitwasastrangefacehecouldn’thelpthinkingdi—
rectly，"Supposehe’sthesonofoldHagberd！"
Helaughedathimselfforit。Itwasastrongcraze。Hecouldrememberthetimewhenthewholetownwasfullofit。Buthehadhishopesoftheoldchapyet。Hewouldcurehimbyacourseofjudiciouschaffing。Hewaswatchingtheprogressofthetreatment。Nextweek——nextmonth——nextyear！Whentheoldskipperhadputoffthedateofthatreturntillnextyear，hewouldbewellonhiswaytonotsayinganymoreaboutit。Inothermattershewasquiterational，sothis，too，wasboundtocome。Suchwasthebarber’sfirmopin—
ion。
Nobodyhadevercontradictedhim；hisownhairhadgonegreysincethattime，andCaptainHag—
berd’sbeardhadturnedquitewhite，andhadac—
quiredamajesticflowovertheNo。1canvassuit，whichhehadmadeforhimselfsecretlywithtarredtwine，andhadassumedsuddenly，comingoutinitonefinemorning，whereastheeveningbeforehehadbeenseengoinghomeinhismourningofbroadcloth。ItcausedasensationintheHighStreet——shopkeeperscomingtotheirdoors，peopleinthehousessnatchinguptheirhatstorunout——
astiratwhichheseemedstrangelysurprisedatfirst，andthenscared；buthisonlyanswertothewonderingquestionswasthatstartledandevasive，"Forthepresent。"
Thatsensationhadbeenforgotten，longago；
andCaptainHagberdhimself，ifnotforgotten，hadcometobedisregarded——thepenaltyofdaili—
ness——asthesunitselfisdisregardedunlessitmakesitspowerfeltheavily。CaptainHagberd’smovementsshowednoinfirmity：hewalkedstifflyinhissuitofcanvas，aquaintandremarkablefig—
ure；onlyhiseyeswanderedmorefurtivelyperhapsthanofyore。Hismannerabroadhadlostitsex—
citablewatchfulness；ithadbecomepuzzledanddiffident，asthoughhehadsuspectedthattherewassomewhereabouthimsomethingslightlycom—
promising，someembarrassingoddity；andyethadremainedunabletodiscoverwhatonearththissomethingwrongcouldbe。
Hewasunwillingnowtotalkwiththetownsfolk。
Hehadearnedforhimselfthereputationofanawfulskinflint，ofamiserinthematterofliving。
Hemumbledregretfullyintheshops，boughtin—
feriorscrapsofmeatafterlonghesitations；anddiscouragedallallusionstohiscostume。Itwasasthebarberhadforetold。Forallonecouldtell，hehadrecoveredalreadyfromthediseaseofhope；
andonlyMissBessieCarvilknewthathesaidnoth—
ingabouthisson’sreturnbecausewithhimitwasnolonger"nextweek，""nextmonth，"oreven"nextyear。"Itwas"to—morrow。"
Intheirintimacyofbackyardandfrontgar—
denhetalkedwithherpaternally，reasonably，anddogmatically，withatouchofarbitrariness。Theymetonthegroundofunreservedconfidence，whichwasauthenticatedbyanaffectionatewinknowandthen。MissCarvilhadcometolookforwardrathertothesewinks。Atfirsttheyhaddiscomposedher：
thepoorfellowwasmad。Afterwardsshehadlearnedtolaughatthem：therewasnoharminhim。Nowshewasawareofanunacknowledged，pleasurable，incredulousemotion，expressedbyafaintblush。Hewinkednotintheleastvulgarly；
histhinredfacewithawell—modelledcurvednose，hadasortofdistinction——themoresothatwhenhetalkedtoherhelookedwithasteadierandmorein—
telligentglance。Ahandsome，hale，upright，ca—
pableman，withawhitebeard。Youdidnotthinkofhisage。Hisson，heaffirmed，hadresembledhimamazinglyfromhisearliestbabyhood。
Harrywouldbeone—and—thirtynextJuly，hedeclared。Properagetogetmarriedwithanice，sensiblegirlthatcouldappreciateagoodhome。
Hewasaveryhigh—spiritedboy。High—spiritedhusbandsweretheeasiesttomanage。Thesemean，softchaps，thatyouwouldthinkbutterwouldn’tmeltintheirmouths，weretheonestomakeawom—
anthoroughlymiserable。Andtherewasnothinglikeahome——afireside——agoodroof：noturningoutofyourwarmbedinallsortsofweather。"Eh，mydear？"
CaptainHagberdhadbeenoneofthosesailorsthatpursuetheircallingwithinsightofland。Oneofthemanychildrenofabankruptfarmer，hehadbeenapprenticedhurriedlytoacoastingskipper，andhadremainedonthecoastallhissealife。Itmusthavebeenahardoneatfirst：hehadnevertakentoit；hisaffectionturnedtotheland，withitsinnumerablehouses，withitsquietlivesgatheredrounditsfiresides。Manysailorsfeelandprofessarationaldislikeforthesea，buthiswasapro—
foundandemotionalanimosity——asiftheloveofthestablerelementhadbeenbredintohimthroughmanygenerations。
"Peopledidnotknowwhattheylettheirboysinforwhentheyletthemgotosea，"heexpoundedtoBessie。"Assoonmakeconvictsofthematonce。"
Hedidnotbelieveyouevergotusedtoit。Thewearinessofsuchalifegotworseasyougotolder。
Whatsortoftradewasitinwhichmorethanhalfyourtimeyoudidnotputyourfootinsideyourhouse？Directlyyougotouttoseayouhadnomeansofknowingwhatwentonathome。Onemighthavethoughthimwearyofdistantvoyages；
andthelongesthehadevermadehadlastedafort—
night，ofwhichthemostparthadbeenspentatanchor，shelteringfromtheweather。Assoonashiswifehadinheritedahouseandenoughtoliveon（fromabachelorunclewhohadmadesomemoneyinthecoalbusiness）hethrewuphiscommandofanEast—coastcollierwithafeelingasthoughhehadescapedfromthegalleys。AfteralltheseyearshemighthavecountedonthefingersofhistwohandsallthedayshehadbeenoutofsightofEng—
land。Hehadneverknownwhatitwastobeoutofsoundings。"Ihaveneverbeenfurtherthaneightyfathomsfromtheland，"wasoneofhisboasts。
BessieCarvilheardallthesethings。Infrontoftheircottagegrewanunder—sizedash；andonsum—
merafternoonsshewouldbringoutachaironthegrass—plotandsitdownwithhersewing。CaptainHagberd，inhiscanvassuit，leanedonaspade。Hedugeverydayinhisfrontplot。Heturneditoverandoverseveraltimeseveryyear，butwasnotgo—
ingtoplantanything"justatpresent。"
ToBessieCarvilhewouldstatemoreexplicitly：
"NottillourHarrycomeshometo—morrow。"Andshehadheardthisformulaofhopesooftenthatitonlyawakenedthevaguestpityinherheartforthathopefuloldman。
Everythingwasputoffinthatway，andevery—
thingwasbeingpreparedlikewiseforto—morrow。
Therewasaboxfulofpacketsofvariousflower—
seedstochoosefrom，forthefrontgarden。"Hewilldoubtlessletyouhaveyoursayaboutthat，mydear，"CaptainHagberdintimatedtoheracrosstherailing。
MissBessie’sheadremainedbowedoverherwork。Shehadheardallthissomanytimes。Butnowandthenshewouldrise，laydownhersewing，andcomeslowlytothefence。Therewasacharminthesegentleravings。Hewasdeterminedthathissonshouldnotgoawayagainforthewantofahomeallreadyforhim。Hehadbeenfillingtheothercottagewithallsortsoffurniture。Sheim—
agineditallnew，freshwithvarnish，piledupasinawarehouse。Therewouldbetableswrappedupinsacking；rollsofcarpetsthickandverticallikefragmentsofcolumns，thegleamofwhitemar—
bletopsinthedimnessofthedrawnblinds。Cap—
tainHagberdalwaysdescribedhispurchasestoher，carefully，astoapersonhavingalegitimateinterestinthem。Theovergrownyardofhiscot—
tagecouldbelaidoverwithconcrete……afterto—morrow。
"Wemayjustaswelldoawaywiththefence。
Youcouldhaveyourdrying—lineout，quiteclearofyourflowers。"Hewinked，andshewouldblushfaintly。
Thismadnessthathadenteredherlifethroughthekindimpulsesofherhearthadreasonablede—
tails。Whatifsomedayhissonreturned？Butshecouldnotevenbequitesurethatheeverhadason；andifheexistedanywherehehadbeentoolongaway。WhenCaptainHagberdgotexcitedinhistalkshewouldsteadyhimbyapretenceofbelief，laughingalittletosalveherconscience。
Onlyonceshehadtriedpityinglytothrowsomedoubtonthathopedoomedtodisappointment，buttheeffectofherattempthadscaredherverymuch。
Allatonceoverthatman’sfacetherecameanex—
pressionofhorrorandincredulity，asthoughhehadseenacrackopenoutinthefirmament。
"You——you——youdon’tthinkhe’sdrowned！"
Foramomentheseemedtoherreadytogooutofhismind，forinhisordinarystateshethoughthimmoresanethanpeoplegavehimcreditfor。
Onthatoccasiontheviolenceoftheemotionwasfollowedbyamostpaternalandcomplacentre—
covery。
"Don’talarmyourself，mydear，"hesaidalit—
tlecunningly："theseacan’tkeephim。Hedoesnotbelongtoit。NoneofusHagberdseverdidbelongtoit。Lookatme；Ididn’tgetdrowned。
Moreover，heisn’tasailoratall；andifheisnotasailorhe’sboundtocomeback。There’snothingtopreventhimcomingback……"
Hiseyesbegantowander。
"To—morrow。"
Shenevertriedagain，forfearthemanshouldgooutofhismindonthespot。Hedependedonher。Sheseemedtheonlysensiblepersoninthetown；andhewouldcongratulatehimselffranklybeforeherfaceonhavingsecuredsuchalevel—
headedwifeforhisson。Therestofthetown，heconfidedtoheronce，inafitoftemper，wascertainlyqueer。Thewaytheylookedatyou——thewaytheytalkedtoyou！Hehadnevergotonwithanyoneintheplace。Didn’tlikethepeople。HewouldnothavelefthisowncountryifithadnotbeenclearthathissonhadtakenafancytoColebrook。
Shehumouredhiminsilence，listeningpatientlybythefence；crochetingwithdowncasteyes。
Blushescamewithdifficultyonherdead—whitecomplexion，underthenegligentlytwistedopu—
lenceofmahogany—colouredhair。Herfatherwasfranklycarroty。
Shehadafullfigure；atired，unrefreshedface。
WhenCaptainHagberdvauntedthenecessityandproprietyofahomeandthedelightsofone’sownfireside，shesmiledalittle，withherlipsonly。Herhomedelightshadbeenconfinedtothenursingofherfatherduringthetenbestyearsofherlife。
Abestialroaringcomingoutofanupstairswin—
dowwouldinterrupttheirtalk。Shewouldbeginatoncetorolluphercrochet—workorfoldhersew—
ing，withouttheslightestsignofhaste。Mean—
whilethehowlsandroarsofhernamewouldgoon，makingthefishermenstrollinguponthesea—wallontheothersideoftheroadturntheirheadsto—
wardsthecottages。Shewouldgoinslowlyatthefrontdoor，andamomentafterwardstherewouldfallaprofoundsilence。Presentlyshewouldre—
appear，leadingbythehandaman，grossandun—
wieldylikeahippopotamus，withabad—tempered，surlyface。
Hewasawidowedboat—builder，whomblindnesshadovertakenyearsbeforeinthefullflushofbusi—
ness。Hebehavedtohisdaughterasifshehadbeenresponsibleforitsincurablecharacter。Hehadbeenheardtobellowatthetopofhisvoice，asiftodefyHeaven，thathedidnotcare：hehadmadeenoughmoneytohavehamandeggsforhisbreakfasteverymorning。HethankedGodforit，inafiendishtoneasthoughhewerecursing。
CaptainHagberdhadbeensounfavourablyim—
pressedbyhistenant，thatoncehetoldMissBes—
sie，"Heisaveryextravagantfellow，mydear。"
Shewasknittingthatday，finishingapairofsocksforherfather，whoexpectedhertokeepupthesupplydutifully。Shehatedknitting，and，asshewasjustattheheelpart，shehadtokeephereyesonherneedles。
"Ofcourseitisn’tasifhehadasontoprovidefor，"CaptainHagberdwentonalittlevacantly。
"Girls，ofcourse，don’trequiresomuch——h’m——
h’m。Theydon’trunawayfromhome，mydear。"
"No，"saidMissBessie，quietly。
CaptainHagberd，amongstthemoundsofturned—upearth，chuckled。Withhismaritimerig，hisweather—beatenface，hisbeardofFatherNep—
tune，heresembledadeposedsea—godwhohadex—
changedthetridentforthespade。
"Andhemustlookuponyouasalreadypro—
videdfor，inamanner。That’sthebestofitwiththegirls。Thehusbands……"Hewinked。MissBessie，absorbedinherknitting，colouredfaintly。
"Bessie！myhat！"oldCarvilbellowedoutsud—
denly。Hehadbeensittingunderthetreemuteandmotionless，likeanidolofsomeremarkablymonstroussuperstition。Heneveropenedhismouthbuttohowlforher，ather，sometimesabouther；andthenhedidnotmoderatethetermsofhisabuse。Hersystemwasnevertoanswerhimatall；
andhekeptuphisshoutingtillhegotattendedto——tillsheshookhimbythearm，orthrustthemouthpieceofhispipebetweenhisteeth。Hewasoneofthefewblindpeoplewhosmoke。Whenhefeltthehatbeingputonhisheadhestoppedhisnoiseatonce。Thenherose，andtheypassedto—
getherthroughthegate。
Heweighedheavilyonherarm。Duringtheirslow，toilfulwalkssheappearedtobedraggingwithherforapenancetheburdenofthatinfirmbulk。Usuallytheycrossedtheroadatonce（thecottagesstoodinthefieldsneartheharbour，twohundredyardsawayfromtheendofthestreet），andforalong，longtimetheywouldremaininview，ascendingimperceptiblytheflightofwoodenstepsthatledtothetopofthesea—wall。Itranonfromeasttowest，shuttingouttheChannellikeaneglectedrailwayembankment，onwhichnotrainhadeverrolledwithinmemoryofman。Groupsofsturdyfishermenwouldemergeuponthesky，walkalongforabit，andsinkwithouthaste。Theirbrownnets，likethecobwebsofgiganticspiders，layontheshabbygrassoftheslope；and，lookingupfromtheendofthestreet，thepeopleofthetownwouldrecognisethetwoCarvilsbythecreep—
ingslownessoftheirgait。CaptainHagberd，pot—
teringaimlesslyabouthiscottages，wouldraisehisheadtoseehowtheygotonintheirpromenade。
HeadvertisedstillintheSundaypapersforHarryHagberd。Thesesheetswerereadinfor—
eignpartstotheendoftheworld，heinformedBes—
sie。AtthesametimeheseemedtothinkthathissonwasinEngland——soneartoColebrookthathewouldofcourseturnup"to—morrow。"Bessie，withoutcommittingherselftothatopinioninsomanywords，arguedthatinthatcasetheexpenseofadvertisingwasunnecessary；CaptainHagberdhadbetterspendthatweeklyhalf—crownonhim—
self。Shedeclaredshedidnotknowwhathelivedon。Herargumentationwouldpuzzlehimandcasthimdownforatime。"Theyalldoit，"hepointedout。Therewasawholecolumndevotedtoappealsaftermissingrelatives。Hewouldbringthenews—
papertoshowher。Heandhiswifehadadvertisedforyears；onlyshewasanimpatientwoman。ThenewsfromColebrookhadarrivedtheverydayafterherfuneral；ifshehadnotbeensoimpatientshemighthavebeenherenow，withnomorethanonedaymoretowait。"Youarenotanimpatientwoman，mydear。"
"I’venopatiencewithyousometimes，"shewouldsay。
Ifhestilladvertisedforhissonhedidnotofferrewardsforinformationanymore；for，withthemuddledlucidityofamentalderangementhehadreasonedhimselfintoaconvictionasclearasday—
lightthathehadalreadyattainedallthatcouldbeexpectedinthatway。Whatmorecouldhewant？
Colebrookwastheplace，andtherewasnoneedtoaskformore。MissCarvilpraisedhimforhisgoodsense，andhewassoothedbythepartshetookinhishope，whichhadbecomehisdelusion；inthatideawhichblindedhismindtotruthandprobabil—
ity，justastheotheroldmanintheothercottagehadbeenmadeblind，byanotherdisease，tothelightandbeautyoftheworld。
Butanythinghecouldinterpretasadoubt——
anycoldnessofassent，orevenasimpleinattentiontothedevelopmentofhisprojectsofahomewithhisreturnedsonandhisson’swife——wouldirritatehimintoflingsandjerksandwickedsideglances。
Hewoulddashhisspadeintothegroundandwalktoandfrobeforeit。MissBessiecalledithistan—
trums。Sheshookherfingerathim。Then，whenshecameoutagain，afterhehadpartedwithherinanger，hewouldwatchoutofthecornerofhiseyesfortheleastsignofencouragementtoap—
proachtheironrailingsandresumehisfatherlyandpatronisingrelations。
Foralltheirintimacy，whichhadlastedsomeyearsnow，theyhadnevertalkedwithoutafenceorarailingbetweenthem。Hedescribedtoherallthesplendoursaccumulatedforthesetting—upoftheirhousekeeping，buthadneverinvitedhertoaninspection。NohumaneyewastobeholdthemtillHarryhadhisfirstlook。Infact，nobodyhadeverbeeninsidehiscottage；hedidhisownhousework，andheguardedhisson’sprivilegesojealouslythatthesmallobjectsofdomesticuseheboughtsome—
timesinthetownweresmuggledrapidlyacrossthefrontgardenunderhiscanvascoat。Then，comingout，hewouldremarkapologetically，"Itwasonlyasmallkettle，mydear。"
And，ifnottootiredwithherdrudgery，orwor—
riedbeyondendurancebyherfather，shewouldlaughathimwithablush，andsay："That’sallright，CaptainHagberd；Iamnotimpatient。"
"Well，mydear，youhaven’tlongtowaitnow，"
hewouldanswerwithasuddenbashfulness，andlookinguneasily，asthoughhehadsuspectedthattherewassomethingwrongsomewhere。
EveryMondayshepaidhimhisrentovertherailings。Heclutchedtheshillingsgreedily。Hegrudgedeverypennyhehadtospendonhismain—
tenance，andwhenhelefthertomakehispurchaseshisbearingchangedassoonashegotintothestreet。Awayfromthesanctionofherpity，hefelthimselfexposedwithoutdefence。Hebrushedthewallswithhisshoulder。Hemistrustedthequeer—
nessofthepeople；yet，bythen，eventhetownchildrenhadleftoffcallingafterhim，andthetradesmenservedhimwithoutaword。Theslight—
estallusiontohisclothinghadthepowertopuzzleandfrightenespecially，asifitweresomethingutterlyunwarrantedandincomprehensible。
Intheautumn，thedrivingraindrummedonhissailclothsuitsaturatedalmosttothestiffnessofsheet—iron，withitssurfaceflowingwithwater。
Whentheweatherwastoobad，heretreatedunderthetinyporch，and，standingcloseagainstthedoor，lookedathisspadeleftplantedinthemiddleoftheyard。Thegroundwassomuchdugupallover，thatastheseasonadvanceditturnedtoaquagmire。Whenitfrozehard，hewasdisconso—
late。WhatwouldHarrysay？AndashecouldnothavesomuchofBessie’scompanyatthattimeoftheyear，theroarsofoldCarvil，thatcamemuf—
fledthroughtheclosedwindows，callingherin—
doors，exasperatedhimgreatly。
"Whydon’tthatextravagantfellowgetyouaservant？"heaskedimpatientlyonemildafter—
noon。Shehadthrownsomethingoverherheadtorunoutforawhile。
"Idon’tknow，"saidthepaleBessie，wearily，staringawaywithherheavy—lidded，grey，andun—
expectantglance。Therewerealwayssmudgyshadowsunderhereyes，andshedidnotseemabletoseeanychangeoranyendtoherlife。
"Youwaittillyougetmarried，mydear，"saidheronlyfriend，drawingclosertothefence。
"Harrywillgetyouone。"
Hishopefulcrazeseemedtomockherownwantofhopewithsobitteranaptnessthatinherner—
vousirritationshecouldhavescreamedathimout—
right。Butsheonlysaidinself—mockery，andspeakingtohimasthoughhehadbeensane，"Why，CaptainHagberd，yoursonmaynotevenwanttolookatme。"
Heflunghisheadbackandlaughedhisthroatyaffectedcackleofanger。
"What！Thatboy？Notwanttolookattheonlysensiblegirlformilesaround？WhatdoyouthinkIamherefor，mydear——mydear——mydear？……What？Youwait。Youjustwait。You’llseeto—morrow。I’llsoon——"
"Bessie！Bessie！Bessie！"howledoldCarvilin—
side。"Bessie！——mypipe！"Thatfatblindmanhadgivenhimselfuptoaverylustoflaziness。Hewouldnotlifthishandtoreachforthethingsshetookcaretoleaveathisveryelbow。Hewouldnotmovealimb；hewouldnotrisefromhischair，hewouldnotputonefootbeforeanother，inthatpar—
lour（whereheknewhiswayaswellasifhehadhissight），withoutcallinghertohissideandhangingallhisatrociousweightonhershoulder。Hewouldnoteatonesinglemouthfuloffoodwithouthercloseattendance。Hehadmadehimselfhelplessbeyondhisaffliction，toenslaveherbetter。Shestoodstillforamoment，settingherteethinthedusk，thenturnedandwalkedslowlyindoors。
CaptainHagberdwentbacktohisspade。TheshoutinginCarvil’scottagestopped，andafterawhilethewindowoftheparlourdownstairswaslitup。Amancomingfromtheendofthestreetwithafirmleisurelysteppassedon，butseemedtohavecaughtsightofCaptainHagberd，becauseheturnedbackapaceortwo。Acoldwhitelightlin—
geredinthewesternsky。Themanleanedoverthegateinaninterestedmanner。
"YoumustbeCaptainHagberd，"hesaid，witheasyassurance。
Theoldmanspunround，pullingouthisspade，startledbythestrangevoice。
"Yes，Iam，"heanswerednervously。
Theother，smilingstraightathim，utteredveryslowly："You’vebeenadvertisingforyourson，I
believe？"
"MysonHarry，"mumbledCaptainHagberd，offhisguardforonce。"He’scominghometo—
morrow。"
"Thedevilheis！"Thestrangermarvelledgreatly，andthenwenton，withonlyaslightchangeoftone："You’vegrownabeardlikeFatherChristmashimself。"
CaptainHagberddrewalittlenearer，andleanedforwardoverhisspade。"Goyourway，"
hesaid，resentfullyandtimidlyatthesametime，becausehewasalwaysafraidofbeinglaughedat。
Everymentalstate，evenmadness，hasitsequi—
libriumbaseduponself—esteem。Itsdisturbancecausesunhappiness；andCaptainHagberdlivedamongstaschemeofsettlednotionswhichitpainedhimtofeeldisturbedbypeople’sgrins。Yes，peo—
ple’sgrinswereawful。Theyhintedatsomethingwrong：butwhat？Hecouldnottell；andthatstrangerwasobviouslygrinning——hadcomeonpurposetogrin。Itwasbadenoughonthestreets，buthehadneverbeforebeenoutragedlikethis。
Thestranger，unawarehownearhewasofhav—
inghisheadlaidopenwithaspade，saidseriously：
"IamnottrespassingwhereIstand，amI？I
fancythere’ssomethingwrongaboutyournews。
Supposeyouletmecomein。"
"YOUcomein！"murmuredoldHagberd，withinexpressiblehorror。
"Icouldgiveyousomerealinformationaboutyourson——theverylatesttip，ifyoucaretohear。"
"No，"shoutedHagberd。Hebegantopacewildlytoandfro，heshoulderedhisspade，heges—
ticulatedwithhisotherarm。"Here’safellow——
agrinningfellow，whosaysthere’ssomethingwrong。I’vegotmoreinformationthanyou’reawareof。I’vealltheinformationIwant。I’vehaditforyears——foryears——foryears——enoughtolastmetillto—morrow。Letyoucomein，indeed！
WhatwouldHarrysay？"
BessieCarvil’sfigureappearedinblacksilhou—
etteontheparlourwindow；then，withthesoundofanopeningdoor，flittedoutbeforetheothercot—
tage，allblack，butwithsomethingwhiteoverherhead。Thesetwovoicesbeginningtotalksud—
denlyoutside（shehadheardthemindoors）hadgivenhersuchanemotionthatshecouldnotutterasound。
CaptainHagberdseemedtobetryingtofindhiswayoutofacage。Hisfeetsquelchedinthepud—
dlesleftbyhisindustry。Hestumbledintheholesoftheruinedgrass—plot。Heranblindlyagainstthefence。
"Here，steadyabit！"saidthemanatthegate，gravelystretchinghisarmoverandcatchinghimbythesleeve。"Somebody’sbeentryingtogetatyou。Hallo！what’sthisrigyou’vegoton？Stormcanvas，byGeorge！"Hehadabiglaugh。
"Well，youAREacharacter！"
CaptainHagberdjerkedhimselffree，andbegantobackawayshrinkingly。"Forthepresent，"hemuttered，inacrestfallentone。
"What’sthematterwithhim？"ThestrangeraddressedBessiewiththeutmostfamiliarity，inadeliberate，explanatorytone。"Ididn’twanttostartletheoldman。"Heloweredhisvoiceasthoughhehadknownherforyears。"Idroppedintoabarber’sonmyway，togetatwopennyshave，andtheytoldmetherehewassomethingofacharacter。Theoldmanhasbeenacharacterallhislife。"
CaptainHagberd，dauntedbytheallusiontohisclothing，hadretreatedinside，takinghisspadewithhim；andthetwoatthegate，startledbytheunexpectedslammingofthedoor，heardtheboltsbeingshot，thesnappingofthelock，andtheechoofanaffectedgurglinglaughwithin。
"Ididn’twanttoupsethim，"themansaid，afterashortsilence。"What’sthemeaningofallthis？Heisn’tquitecrazy。"
"Hehasbeenworryingalongtimeabouthislostson，"saidBessie，inalow，apologetictone。
"Well，Iamhisson。"
"Harry！"shecried——andwasprofoundlysi—
lent。
"Knowmyname？Friendswiththeoldman，eh？"
"He’sourlandlord，"Bessiefalteredout，catch—
ingholdoftheironrailing。