Thecouplethereforesatthemselvesdowninarm-chairsandwaited。
　　“Ah，there’sMr。Hewet，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“Mr。Hewet，“
　　shecontinued，“docomeandsitbyus。Iwastellingmyhusbandhowmuchyouremindedmeofadearoldfriendofmine——MaryUmpleby。
　　Shewasamostdelightfulwoman，Iassureyou。Shegrewroses。
　　Weusedtostaywithherintheolddays。“
　　“Noyoungmanlikestohaveitsaidthatheresemblesanelderlyspinster，“saidMr。Thornbury。
　　“Onthecontrary，“saidMr。Hewet，“Ialwaysthinkitacomplimenttoremindpeopleofsomeoneelse。ButMissUmpleby——whydidshegrowroses？“
　　“Ah，poorthing，“saidMrs。Thornbury，“that’salongstory。
　　Shehadgonethroughdreadfulsorrows。AtonetimeIthinkshewouldhavelosthersensesifithadn’tbeenforhergarden。
　　Thesoilwasverymuchagainsther——ablessingindisguise；
　　shehadtobeupatdawn——outinallweathers。Andthentherearecreaturesthateatroses。Butshetriumphed。Shealwaysdid。
　　Shewasabravesoul。“Shesigheddeeplybutatthesametimewithresignation。
　　“IdidnotrealisethatIwasmonopolisingthepaper，“saidMissAllan，cominguptothem。
　　“Weweresoanxioustoreadaboutthedebate，“saidMrs。Thornbury，acceptingitonbehalfofherhusband。
　　“Onedoesn’trealisehowinterestingadebatecanbeuntilonehassonsinthenavy。Myinterestsareequallybalanced，though；Ihavesonsinthearmytoo；andonesonwhomakesspeechesattheUnion——
　　mybaby！“
　　“Hirstwouldknowhim，Iexpect，“saidHewet。
　　“Mr。Hirsthassuchaninterestingface，“saidMrs。Thornbury。
　　“ButIfeeloneoughttobeveryclevertotalktohim。
　　Well，William？“sheenquired，forMr。Thornburygrunted。
　　“They’remakingamessofit，“saidMr。Thornbury。Hehadreachedthesecondcolumnofthereport，aspasmodiccolumn，fortheIrishmembershadbeenbrawlingthreeweeksagoatWestminsteroveraquestionofnavalefficiency。Afteradisturbedparagraphortwo，thecolumnofprintoncemoreransmoothly。
　　“Youhavereadit？“Mrs。ThornburyaskedMissAllan。
　　“No，IamashamedtosayIhaveonlyreadaboutthediscoveriesinCrete，“saidMissAllan。
　　“Oh，butIwouldgivesomuchtorealisetheancientworld！“
　　criedMrs。Thornbury。“Nowthatweoldpeoplearealone，——we’reonoursecondhoneymoon，——Iamreallygoingtoputmyselftoschoolagain。
　　Afterallweare_founded_onthepast，aren’twe，Mr。Hewet？
　　MysoldiersonsaysthatthereisstillagreatdealtobelearntfromHannibal。Oneoughttoknowsomuchmorethanonedoes。
　　SomehowwhenIreadthepaper，Ibeginwiththedebatesfirst，and，beforeI’vedone，thedooralwaysopens——we’reaverylargepartyathome——andsooneneverdoesthinkenoughabouttheancientsandallthey’vedoneforus。But_you_beginatthebeginning，MissAllan。“
　　“WhenIthinkoftheGreeksIthinkofthemasnakedblackmen，“
　　saidMissAllan，“whichisquiteincorrect，I’msure。“
　　“Andyou，Mr。Hirst？“saidMrs。Thornbury，perceivingthatthegauntyoungmanwasnear。“I’msureyoureadeverything。“
　　“Iconfinemyselftocricketandcrime，“saidHirst。“Theworstofcomingfromtheupperclasses，“hecontinued，“isthatone’sfriendsareneverkilledinrailwayaccidents。“
　　Mr。Thornburythrewdownthepaper，andemphaticallydroppedhiseyeglasses。Thesheetsfellinthemiddleofthegroup，andwereeyedbythemall。
　　“It’snotgonewell？“askedhiswifesolicitously。
　　Hewetpickeduponesheetandread，“AladywaswalkingyesterdayinthestreetsofWestminsterwhensheperceivedacatinthewindowofadesertedhouse。Thefamishedanimal——“
　　“Ishallbeoutofitanyway，“Mr。Thornburyinterruptedpeevishly。
　　“Catsareoftenforgotten，“MissAllanremarked。
　　“Remember，William，thePrimeMinisterhasreservedhisanswer，“
　　saidMrs。Thornbury。
　　“Attheageofeighty，Mr。JoshuaHarrisofEelesPark，Brondesbury，hashadason，“saidHirst。
　　“……Thefamishedanimal，whichhadbeennoticedbyworkmenforsomedays，wasrescued，but——byJove！itbittheman’shandtopieces！“
　　“Wildwithhunger，Isuppose，“commentedMissAllan。
　　“You’reallneglectingthechiefadvantageofbeingabroad，“
　　saidMr。HughlingElliot，whohadjoinedthegroup。“YoumightreadyournewsinFrench，whichisequivalenttoreadingnonewsatall。“
　　Mr。ElliothadaprofoundknowledgeofCoptic，whichheconcealedasfaraspossible，andquotedFrenchphrasessoexquisitelythatitwashardtobelievethathecouldalsospeaktheordinarytongue。
　　HehadanimmenserespectfortheFrench。
　　“Coming？“heaskedthetwoyoungmen。“Weoughttostartbeforeit’sreallyhot。“
　　“Ibegofyounottowalkintheheat，Hugh，“hiswifepleaded，givinghimanangularparcelenclosinghalfachickenandsomeraisins。
　　“Hewetwillbeourbarometer，“saidMr。Elliot。“HewillmeltbeforeIshall。“Indeed，ifsomuchasadrophadmeltedoffhisspareribs，theboneswouldhavelainbare。Theladieswereleftalonenow，surrounding_The__Times_whichlayuponthefloor。
　　MissAllanlookedatherfather’swatch。
　　“Tenminutestoeleven，“sheobserved。
　　“Work？“askedMrs。Thornbury。
　　“Work，“repliedMissAllan。
　　“Whatafinecreaturesheis！“murmuredMrs。Thornbury，asthesquarefigureinitsmanlycoatwithdrew。
　　“AndI’msureshehasahardlife，“sighedMrs。Elliot。
　　“Oh，it_is_ahardlife，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“Unmarriedwomen——
　　earningtheirlivings——it’sthehardestlifeofall。“
　　“Yetsheseemsprettycheerful，“saidMrs。Elliot。
　　“Itmustbeveryinteresting，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“Ienvyherherknowledge。“
　　“Butthatisn’twhatwomenwant，“saidMrs。Elliot。
　　“I’mafraidit’sallagreatmanycanhopetohave，“sighedMrs。Thornbury。“Ibelievethattherearemoreofusthanevernow。
　　SirHarleyLethbridgewastellingmeonlytheotherdayhowdifficultitistofindboysforthenavy——partlybecauseoftheirteeth，itistrue。AndIhaveheardyoungwomentalkquiteopenlyof——“
　　“Dreadful，dreadful！“exclaimedMrs。Elliot。“Thecrown，asonemaycallit，ofawoman’slife。I，whoknowwhatitistobechildless——“
　　shesighedandceased。
　　“Butwemustnotbehard，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“TheconditionsaresomuchchangedsinceIwasayoungwoman。“
　　“Surely_maternity_doesnotchange，“saidMrs。Elliot。
　　“Insomewayswecanlearnagreatdealfromtheyoung，“
　　saidMrs。Thornbury。“Ilearnsomuchfrommyowndaughters。“
　　“IbelievethatHughlingreallydoesn’tmind，“saidMrs。Elliot。
　　“Butthenhehashiswork。“
　　“Womenwithoutchildrencandosomuchforthechildrenofothers，“
　　observedMrs。Thornburygently。
　　“Isketchagreatdeal，“saidMrs。Elliot，“butthatisn’treallyanoccupation。It’ssodisconcertingtofindgirlsjustbeginningdoingbetterthanonedoesoneself！Andnature’sdifficult——
　　verydifficult！“
　　“Aretherenotinstitutions——clubs——thatyoucouldhelp？“
　　askedMrs。Thornbury。
　　“Theyaresoexhausting，“saidMrs。Elliot。“Ilookstrong，becauseofmycolour；butI’mnot；theyoungestofelevenneveris。“
　　“Ifthemotheriscarefulbefore，“saidMrs。Thornburyjudicially，“thereisnoreasonwhythesizeofthefamilyshouldmakeanydifference。Andthereisnotraininglikethetrainingthatbrothersandsistersgiveeachother。Iamsureofthat。
　　Ihaveseenitwithmyownchildren。MyeldestboyRalph，forinstance——“
　　ButMrs。Elliotwasinattentivetotheelderlady’sexperience，andhereyeswanderedaboutthehall。
　　“Mymotherhadtwomiscarriages，Iknow，“shesaidsuddenly。
　　“Thefirstbecauseshemetoneofthosegreatdancingbears——
　　theyshouldn’tbeallowed；theother——itwasahorridstory——ourcookhadachildandtherewasadinnerparty。SoIputmydyspepsiadowntothat。“
　　“Andamiscarriageissomuchworsethanaconfinement，“
　　Mrs。Thornburymurmuredabsentmindedly，adjustingherspectaclesandpickingup_The__Times_。Mrs。Elliotroseandflutteredaway。
　　Whenshehadheardwhatoneofthemillionvoicesspeakinginthepaperhadtosay，andnoticedthatacousinofhershadmarriedaclergymanatMinehead——ignoringthedrunkenwomen，thegoldenanimalsofCrete，themovementsofbattalions，thedinners，thereforms，thefires，theindignant，thelearnedandbenevolent，Mrs。Thornburywentupstairstowritealetterforthemail。
　　Thepaperlaydirectlybeneaththeclock，thetwotogetherseemingtorepresentstabilityinachangingworld。Mr。Perrottpassedthrough；
　　Mr。Venningpoisedforasecondontheedgeofatable。Mrs。Paleywaswheeledpast。Susanfollowed。Mr。Venningstrolledafterher。
　　Portuguesemilitaryfamilies，theirclothessuggestinglaterisinginuntidybedrooms，trailedacross，attendedbyconfidentialnursescarryingnoisychildren。Asmiddaydrewon，andthesunbeatstraightupontheroof，aneddyofgreatfliesdronedinacircle；iceddrinkswereservedunderthepalms；thelongblindswerepulleddownwithashriek，turningallthelightyellow。Theclocknowhadasilenthalltotickin，andanaudienceoffourorfivesomnolentmerchants。
　　Bydegreeswhitefigureswithshadyhatscameinatthedoor，admittingawedgeofthehotsummerday，andshuttingitoutagain。
　　Afterrestinginthedimnessforaminute，theywentupstairs。
　　Simultaneously，theclockwheezedone，andthegongsounded，beginningsoftly，workingitselfintoafrenzy，andceasing。
　　Therewasapause。Thenallthosewhohadgoneupstairscamedown；
　　cripplescame，plantingbothfeetonthesamesteplesttheyshouldslip；primlittlegirlscame，holdingthenurse’sfinger；
　　fatoldmencamestillbuttoningwaistcoats。Thegonghadbeensoundedinthegarden，andbydegreesrecumbentfiguresroseandstrolledintoeat，sincethetimehadcomeforthemtofeedagain。
　　Therewerepoolsandbarsofshadeinthegardenevenatmidday，wheretwoorthreevisitorscouldlieworkingortalkingattheirease。
　　Owingtotheheatoftheday，luncheonwasgenerallyasilentmeal，whenpeopleobservedtheirneighborsandtookstockofanynewfacestheremightbe，hazardingguessesastowhotheywereandwhattheydid。
　　Mrs。Paley，althoughwelloverseventyandcrippledinthelegs，enjoyedherfoodandthepeculiaritiesofherfellow-beings。ShewasseatedatasmalltablewithSusan。
　　“Ishouldn’tliketosaywhat_she_is！“shechuckled，surveyingatallwomandressedconspicuouslyinwhite，withpaintinthehollowsofhercheeks，whowasalwayslate，andalwaysattendedbyashabbyfemalefollower，atwhichremarkSusanblushed，andwonderedwhyherauntsaidsuchthings。
　　Lunchwentonmethodically，untileachofthesevencourseswasleftinfragmentsandthefruitwasmerelyatoy，tobepeeledandslicedasachilddestroysadaisy，petalbypetal。Thefoodservedasanextinguisheruponanyfaintflameofthehumanspiritthatmightsurvivethemiddayheat，butSusansatinherroomafterwards，turningoverandoverthedelightfulfactthatMr。Venninghadcometoherinthegarden，andhadsattherequitehalfanhourwhileshereadaloudtoheraunt。Menandwomensoughtdifferentcornerswheretheycouldlieunobserved，andfromtwotofouritmightbesaidwithoutexaggerationthatthehotelwasinhabitedbybodieswithoutsouls。Disastrouswouldhavebeentheresultifafireoradeathhadsuddenlydemandedsomethingheroicofhumannature，buttragediescomeinthehungryhours。Towardsfouro’clockthehumanspiritagainbegantolickthebody，asaflamelicksablackpromontoryofcoal。Mrs。Paleyfeltitunseemlytoopenhertoothlessjawsowidely，thoughtherewasnoonenear，andMrs。Elliotsurveyedherfoundflushedfaceanxiouslyinthelooking-glass。
　　Halfanhourlater，havingremovedthetracesofsleep，theymeteachotherinthehall，andMrs。Paleyobservedthatshewasgoingtohavehertea。
　　“Youlikeyourteatoo，don’tyou？“shesaid，andinvitedMrs。Elliot，whosehusbandwasstillout，tojoinherataspecialtablewhichshehadplacedforherunderatree。