Shedidmostofthetalking，hermotherlisteningwithahalf-absentair，asshepickedupfragmentsofred-hotwoodemberwiththetongs，andpiledthemuponthebrands。Butthenumberofspeechesthatpassedwasverysmallinproportiontothemeaningsexchanged。
　　Longexperiencetogetheroftenenabledthemtoseethecourseofthoughtineachother’smindswithoutawordbeingspoken。Behindthem，inthecentreoftheroom，thetablewasspreadforsupper，certainwhiffsofairladenwithfatvapours，whicheverandanonenteredfromthekitchen，denotingitspreparationthere。
　　’Thenewgownhewasgoingtosendyoustaysaboutonthewaylikehimself，’Sally’smotherwassaying。
　　’Yes，notfinished，Idaresay，’criedSallyindependently。’Lord，I
　　shouldn’tbeamazedifitdidn’tcomeatall！Youngmenmakesuchkindpromiseswhentheyarenearyou，andforget’emwhentheygoaway。Buthedoesn’tintenditasawedding-gown——hegivesittomemerelyasagowntowearwhenIlike——atravelling-dressiswhatitwouldbecalledbysome。Comeratheorcomelateitdon’tmuchmatter，asIhaveadressofmyowntofallbackupon。Butwhattimeisit？’
　　Shewenttothefamilyclockandopenedtheglass，forthehourwasnototherwisediscerniblebynight，andindeedatalltimeswasratherathingtobeinvestigatedthanbeheld，somuchmorewallthanwindowwasthereintheapartment。’Itisnearlyeight，’saidshe。
　　’Eighto’clock，andneitherdressnorman，’saidMrs。Hall。
　　’Mother，ifyouthinktotantalizemebytalkinglikethat，youaremuchmistaken！Lethimbeaslateashewill——orstayawayaltogether——Idon’tcare，’saidSally。Butatender，minutequaverinthenegationshowedthattherewassomethingforcedinthatstatement。
　　Mrs。Hallperceivedit，anddrilyobservedthatshewasnotsosureaboutSallynotcaring。’Butperhapsyoudon’tcaresomuchasI
　　do，afterall，’shesaid。’ForIseewhatyoudon’t，thatitisagoodandflourishingmatchforyou；averyhonourableofferinMr。
　　Darton。AndIthinkIseeakindhusbandinhim。SoprayGod’twillgosmooth，andwindupwell。’
　　Sallywouldnotlistentomisgivings。Ofcourseitwouldgosmoothly，sheasserted。’Howyouareupanddown，mother！’shewenton。’Atthismoment，whateverhindershim，wearenotsoanxioustoseehimasheistobehere，andhisthoughtrunsonbeforehim，andsettlesdownuponuslikethestarintheeast。Hark！’sheexclaimed，withabreathofrelief，hereyessparkling。’Iheardsomething。Yes——heretheyare！’
　　Thenextmomenthermother’sslowerearalsodistinguishedthefamiliarreverberationoccasionedbyfootstepsclamberinguptherootsofthesycamore。
　　’Yesitsoundslikethematlast，’shesaid。’Well，itisnotsoverylateafterall，consideringthedistance。’
　　Thefootfallceased，andtheyarose，expectingaknock。Theybegantothinkitmighthavebeen，afterall，someneighbouringvillagerunderBacchicinfluence，givingthecentreoftheroadawideberth，whentheirdoubtsweredispelledbythenew-comer’sentryintothepassage。Thedooroftheroomwasgentlyopened，andthereappeared，notthepairoftravellerswithwhomwehavealreadymadeacquaintance，butapale-facedmaninthegarbofextremepoverty——
　　almostinrags。
　　’O，it’satramp——graciousme！’saidSally，startingback。
　　Hischeeksandeye-orbitsweredeepconcaves——rather，itmightbe，fromnaturalweaknessofconstitutionthanirregularliving，thoughtherewereindicationsthathehadlednocarefullife。Hegazedatthetwowomenfixedlyforamoment:thenwithanabashed，humiliateddemeanour，droppedhisglancetothefloor，andsankintoachairwithoututteringaword。
　　Sallywasinadvanceofhermother，whohadremainedstandingbythefire。Shenowtriedtodiscernthevisitoracrossthecandles。
　　’Why——mother，’saidSallyfaintly，turningbacktoMrs。Hall。’ItisPhil，fromAustralia！’
　　Mrs。Hallstarted，andgrewpale，andafitofcoughingseizedthemanwiththeraggedclothes。’Tocomehomelikethis！’shesaid。
　　’O，Philip——areyouill？’
　　’No，no，mother，’repliedheimpatiently，assoonashecouldspeak。
　　’ButforGod’ssakehowdoyoucomehere——andjustnowtoo？’
　　’Well，Iamhere，’saidtheman。’HowitisIhardlyknow。I’vecomehome，mother，becauseIwasdriventoit。Thingswereagainstmeoutthere，andwentfrombadtoworse。’
　　’Thenwhydidn’tyouletusknow？——you’venotwritalineforthelasttwoorthreeyears。’
　　Thesonadmittedsadlythathehadnot。Hesaidthathehadhopedandthoughthemightfetchupagain，andbeabletosendgoodnews。
　　Thenhehadbeenobligedtoabandonthathope，andhadfinallycomehomefromsheernecessity——previouslytomakinganewstart。’Yes，thingsareverybadwithme，’herepeated，perceivingtheircommiseratingglancesathisclothes。
　　Theybroughthimnearerthefire，tookhishatfromhisthinhand，whichwassosmallandsmoothastoshowthathisattemptstofetchupagainhadnotbeeninamanualdirection。Hismotherresumedherinquiries，anddubiouslyaskedifhehadchosentocomethatparticularnightforanyspecialreason。
　　Fornoreason，hetoldher。Hisarrivalhadbeenquiteatrandom。
　　ThenPhilipHalllookedroundtheroom，andsawforthefirsttimethatthetablewaslaidsomewhatluxuriously，andforalargernumberthanthemselves；andthatanairoffestivitypervadedtheirdress。Heaskedquicklywhatwasgoingon。
　　’Sallyisgoingtobemarriedinadayortwo，’repliedthemother；
　　andsheexplainedhowMr。Darton，Sally’sintendedhusband，wascomingtherethatnightwiththegroomsman，Mr。Johns，andotherdetails。’Wethoughtitmustbetheirstepwhenweheardyou，’saidMrs。Hall。
　　Theneedywandererlookedagainonthefloor。’Isee——Isee，’hemurmured。’Why，indeed，shouldIhavecometo-night？SuchfolkasIarenotwantedhereatthesetimes，naturally。AndIhavenobusinesshere——spoilingotherpeople’shappiness。’
　　’Phil，’saidhismother，withatearinhereye，butwithathinnessoflipandseverityofmannerwhichwerepresumablynotmorethanpasteventsjustified；’sinceyouspeaklikethattome，I’llspeakhonestlytoyou。Forthesethreeyearsyouhavetakennothoughtforus。Youlefthomewithagoodsupplyofmoney，andstrengthandeducation，andyououghttohavemadegooduseofitall。Butyoucomebacklikeabeggar；andthatyoucomeinaveryawkwardtimeforuscannotbedenied。Yourreturnto-nightmaydousmuchharm。
　　Butmind——youarewelcometothishomeaslongasitismine。I
　　don’twishtoturnyouadrift。Wewillmakethebestofabadjob；
　　andIhopeyouarenotseriouslyill？’
　　’Ono。Ihaveonlythisinfernalcough。’
　　Shelookedathimanxiously。’Ithinkyouhadbettergotobedatonce，’shesaid。
　　’Well——Ishallbeoutofthewaythere，’saidthesonwearily。
　　’Havingruinedmyself，don’tletmeruinyoubybeingseeninthesetogs，forHeaven’ssake。WhodoyousaySallyisgoingtobemarriedto——aFarmerDarton？’
　　’Yes——agentleman-farmer——quiteawealthyman。Farbetterinstationthanshecouldhaveexpected。Itisagoodthing，altogether。’
　　’Welldone，littleSal！’saidherbrother，brighteningandlookingupatherwithasmile。’Ioughttohavewritten；butperhapsI
　　havethoughtofyouallthemore。Butletmegetoutofsight。I
　　wouldrathergoandjumpintotheriverthanbeseenhere。ButhaveyouanythingIcandrink？Iamconfoundedlythirstywithmylongtramp。’
　　’Yes，yes，wewillbringsomethingupstairstoyou，’saidSally，withgriefinherface。
　　’Ay，thatwilldonicely。But，Sallyandmother——’Hestopped，andtheywaited。’Mother，Ihavenottoldyouall，’heresumedslowly，stilllookingonthefloorbetweenhisknees。’Sadaswhatyouseeofmeis，there’sworsebehind。’
　　Hismothergazeduponhimingrievedsuspense，andSallywentandleantuponthebureau，listeningforeverysound，andsighing。
　　Suddenlysheturnedround，saying，’Letthemcome，Idon’tcare！
　　Philip，telltheworst，andtakeyourtime。’
　　’Well，then，’saidtheunhappyPhil，’Iamnottheonlyoneinthismess。WouldtoHeavenIwere！But——’
　　’O，Phil！’
　　’IhaveawifeasdestituteasI。’
　　’Awife？’saidhismother。
　　’Unhappily！’
　　’Awife！Yes，thatisthewaywithsons！’
　　’Andbesides——’saidhe。
　　’Besides！O，Philip，surely——’
　　’Ihavetwolittlechildren。’
　　’Wifeandchildren！’whisperedMrs。Hall，sinkingdownconfounded。
　　’Poorlittlethings！’saidSallyinvoluntarily。
　　Hismotherturnedagaintohim。’IsupposethesehelplessbeingsareleftinAustralia？’
　　’No。TheyareinEngland。’
　　’Well，Icanonlyhopeyou’velefttheminarespectableplace。’
　　’Ihavenotleftthematall。Theyarehere——withinafewyardsofus。Inshort，theyareinthestable。’
　　’Where？’