Insteadofbeingconductedbyfourmen,ashadhappenedwhentheywentoutofthevillage,thehorsesandcartswerenowaccompaniedbyabodyoffromtwentytothirty,allofwhom,asStockdaleperceivedtohisastonishment,hadblackenedfaces。Amongthemwalkedsixoreighthugefemalefigures,whom,fromtheirwidestrides,Stockdaleguessedtobemenindisguise。AssoonasthepartydiscernedLizzyandhercompanionfourorfivefellback,andwhenthecartshadpassed,cameclosetothepair。
  ’Thereisnowalkingupthiswayforthepresent,’saidoneofthegauntwomen,whoworecurlsafootlong,danglingdownthesidesofherface,inthefashionofthetime。Stockdalerecognizedthislady’svoiceasOwlett’s。
  ’Whynot?’saidStockdale。’Thisisthepublichighway。’
  ’Nowlookhere,youngster,’saidOwlett。’O,’tistheMethodistparson!——what,andMrs。Newberry!Well,you’dbetternotgoupthatway,Lizzy。They’veallrunoff,andfolkshavegottheirownagain。’
  Themillerthenhastenedonandjoinedhiscomrades。StockdaleandLizzyalsoturnedback。’Iwishallthishadn’tbeenforceduponus,’shesaidregretfully。’Butifthoseexcisemenhadgotoffwiththetubs,halfthepeopleintheparishwouldhavebeeninwantforthenextmonthortwo。’
  Stockdalewasnotpayingmuchattentiontoherwords,andhesaid,’Idon’tthinkIcangobacklikethis。ThosefourpoorexcisemenmaybemurderedforallIknow。’
  ’Murdered!’saidLizzyimpatiently。’Wedon’tdomurderhere。’
  ’Well,IshallgoasfarasWarm’ellCrosstosee,’saidStockdaledecisively;and,withoutwishinghersafehomeoranythingelse,theministerturnedback。Lizzystoodlookingathimtillhisformwasabsorbedintheshades;andthen,withsadness,shewentinthedirectionofNether-Moynton。
  Theroadwaslonely,andafternightfallatthistimeoftheyeartherewasoftennotapasserforhours。Stockdalepursuedhiswaywithouthearingasoundbeyondthatofhisownfootsteps;andinduetimehepassedbeneaththetreesoftheplantationwhichsurroundedtheWarm’ellCross-road。Beforehehadreachedthepointofintersectionheheardvoicesfromthethicket。
  ’Hoi-hoi-hoi!Help,help!’
  Thevoiceswerenotatallfeebleordespairing,buttheywereunmistakablyanxious。Stockdalehadnoweapon,andbeforeplungingintothepitchydarknessoftheplantationhepulledastakefromthehedge,touseincaseofneed。Whenhegotamongthetreesheshouted——’What’sthematter——whereareyou?’
  ’Here,’answeredthevoices;and,pushingthroughthebramblesinthatdirection,hecameneartheobjectsofhissearch。
  ’Whydon’tyoucomeforward?’saidStockdale。
  ’Webetiedtothetrees!’
  ’Whoareyou?’
  ’PoorWillLatimertheexciseman!’saidoneplaintively。’Justcomeandcutthesecords,there’sagoodman。Wewereafraidnobodywouldpassbyto-night。’
  Stockdalesoonloosenedthem,uponwhichtheystretchedtheirlimbsandstoodattheirease。
  ’Therascals!’saidLatimer,gettingnowintoarage,thoughhehadseemedquitemeekwhenStockdalefirstcameup。’’Tisthesamesetoffellows。IknowtheywereMoyntonchapstoaman。’
  ’Butwecan’tswearto’em,’saidanother。’Notoneof’emspoke。’
  ’Whatareyougoingtodo?’saidStockdale。
  ’I’dfaingobacktoMoynton,andhaveat’emagain!’saidLatimer。
  ’Sowouldwe!’saidhiscomrades。
  ’Fighttillwedie!’saidLatimer。
  ’Wewill,wewill!’saidhismen。
  ’But,’saidLatimer,morefrigidly,astheycameoutoftheplantation,’wedon’tKNOWthatthesechapswithblackfaceswereMoyntonmen?Andproofisahardthing。’
  ’Soitis,’saidtherest。
  ’Andthereforewewon’tdonothingatall,’saidLatimer,withcompletedispassionateness。’Formypart,I’dsoonerbethemthanwe。Theclitchesofmyarmsareburninglikefirefromthecordsthosetwostrappingwomentiedround’em。Myopinionis,nowIhavehadtimetothinko’t,thatyoumayserveyourGover’mentattoohighaprice。ForthesetwonightsanddaysIhavenothadanhour’srest;and,pleaseGod,here’sforhome-along。’
  Theotherofficersagreedheartilytothiscourse;and,thankingStockdaleforhistimelyassistance,theypartedfromhimattheCross,takingthemselvesthewesternroad,andStockdalegoingbacktoNether-Moynton。
  Duringthatwalktheministerwaslostinreverieofthemostpainfulkind。Assoonashegotintothehouse,andbeforeenteringhisownrooms,headvancedtothedoorofthelittlebackparlourinwhichLizzyusuallysatwithhermother。Hefoundhertherealone。
  Stockdalewentforward,and,likeamaninadream,lookeddownuponthetablethatstoodbetweenhimandtheyoungwoman,whohadherbonnetandcloakstillon。Ashedidnotspeak,shelookedupfromherchairathim,withmisgivinginhereye。
  ’Wherearetheygone?’hethensaidlistlessly。
  ’Who?——Idon’tknow。Ihaveseennothingofthemsince。Icamestraightinhere。’
  ’Ifyourmencanmanagetogetoffwiththosetubs,itwillbeagreatprofittoyou,Isuppose?’
  ’Asharewillbemine,asharemycousinOwlett’s,asharetoeachofthetwofarmers,andasharedividedamongstthemenwhohelpedus。’
  ’Andyoustillthink,’hewentonslowly,’thatyouwillnotgivethisbusinessup?’
  Lizzyrose,andputherhanduponhisshoulder。’Don’taskthat,’
  shewhispered。’Youdon’tknowwhatyouareasking。Imusttellyou,thoughImeantnottodoit。WhatImakebythattradeisallIhavetokeepmymotherandmyselfwith。’
  Hewasastonished。’Ididnotdreamofsuchathing,’hesaid。’I
  wouldratherhavesweptthestreets,hadIbeenyou。Whatismoneycomparedwithaclearconscience?’
  ’Myconscienceisclear。Iknowmymother,butthekingIhaveneverseen。Hisduesarenothingtome。ButitisagreatdealtomethatmymotherandIshouldlive。’
  ’Marryme,andpromisetogiveitup。Iwillkeepyourmother。’
  ’Itisgoodofyou,’shesaid,tremblingalittle。’Letmethinkofitbymyself。Iwouldrathernotanswernow。’
  Shereservedheranswertillthenextday,andcameintohisroomwithasolemnface。’Icannotdowhatyouwished!’shesaidpassionately。’Itistoomuchtoask。Mywholelifeha’beenpassedinthisway。’Herwordsandmannershowedthatbeforeenteringshehadbeenstrugglingwithherselfinprivate,andthatthecontentionhadbeenstrong。
  Stockdaleturnedpale,buthespokequietly。’Then,Lizzy,wemustpart。Icannotgoagainstmyprinciplesinthismatter,andI
  cannotmakemyprofessionamockery。YouknowhowIloveyou,andwhatIwoulddoforyou;butthisonethingIcannotdo。’
  ’Butwhyshouldyoubelongtothatprofession?’sheburstout。’I
  havegotthislargehouse;whycan’tyoumarryme,andliveherewithus,andnotbeaMethodistpreacheranymore?Iassureyou,Richard,itisnoharm,andIwishyoucouldonlyseeitasIdo!
  Weonlycarryitoninwinter:insummeritisneverdoneatall。
  Itstirsupone’sdulllifeatthistimeo’theyear,andgivesexcitement,whichIhavegotsousedtonowthatIshouldhardlyknowhowtodo’ithoutit。Atnights,whenthewindblows,insteadofbeingdullandstupid,andnotnoticingwhetheritdoblowornot,yourmindisafield,evenifyouarenotafieldyourself;andyouarewonderinghowthechapsaregettingon;andyouwalkupanddowntheroom,andlookouto’window,andthenyougooutyourself,andknowyourwayaboutaswellbynightasbyday,andhavehairbreadthescapesfromoldLatimerandhisfellows,whoaretoostupidevertoreallyfrightenus,andonlymakeusabitnimble。’
  ’Hefrightenedyoualittlelastnight,anyhow:andIwouldadviseyoutodropitbeforeitisworse。’
  Sheshookherhead。’No,ImustgoonasIhavebegun。Iwasborntoit。Itisinmyblood,andIcan’tbecured。O,Richard,youcannotthinkwhatahardthingyouhaveasked,andhowsharpyoutrymewhenyouputmebetweenthisandmylovefor’ee!’
  Stockdalewasleaningwithhiselbowonthemantelpiece,hishandsoverhiseyes。’Weoughtnevertohavemet,Lizzy,’hesaid。’Itwasanilldayforus!Ilittlethoughttherewasanythingsohopelessandimpossibleinourengagementasthis。Well,itistoolatenowtoregretconsequencesinthisway。Ihavehadthehappinessofseeingyouandknowingyouatleast。’
  ’YoudissentfromChurch,andIdissentfromState,’shesaid。’AndIdon’tseewhywearenotwellmatched。’
  Hesmiledsadly,whileLizzyremainedlookingdown,hereyesbeginningtooverflow。
  Thatwasanunhappyeveningforbothofthem,andthedaysthatfollowedwereunhappydays。Bothsheandhewentmechanicallyabouttheiremployments,andhisdepressionwasmarkedinthevillagebymorethanoneofhisdenominationwithwhomhecameincontact。ButLizzy,whopassedherdaysindoors,wasunsuspectedofbeingthecause:foritwasgenerallyunderstoodthataquietengagementtomarryexistedbetweenherandhercousinOwlett,andhadexistedforsometime。