Intheroomfromwhichthischeerfulblazeproceeded，hebeheldagirlseatedonawillowchair，andbusilyoccupiedbythelightofthefire，whichwasampleandofwood。Withabill-hookinonehandandaleatherglove，muchtoolargeforher，ontheother，shewasmakingspars，suchasareusedbythatchers，withgreatrapidity。Sheworealeatherapronforthispurpose，whichwasalsomuchtoolargeforherfigure。Onherlefthandlayabundleofthestraight，smoothstickscalledspar-gads——therawmaterialofhermanufacture；onherright，aheapofchipsandends——therefuse——withwhichthefirewasmaintained；infront，apileofthefinishedarticles。Toproducethemshetookupeachgad，lookedcriticallyatitfromendtoend，cutittolength，splititintofour，andsharpenedeachofthequarterswithdexterousblows，whichbroughtittoatriangularpointpreciselyresemblingthatofabayonet。
Besideher，incaseshemightrequiremorelight，abrasscandlestickstoodonalittleroundtable，curiouslyformedofanoldcoffin-stool，withadealtopnailedon，thewhitesurfaceofthelattercontrastingoddlywiththeblackcarvedoakofthesubstructure。Thesocialpositionofthehouseholdinthepastwasalmostasdefinitivelyshownbythepresenceofthisarticleasthatofanesquireornoblemanbyhisoldhelmetsorshields。
Ithadbeencustomaryforeverywell-to-dovillager，whosetenurewasbycopyofcourt-roll，orinanywaymorepermanentthanthatofthemerecotter，tokeepapairofthesestoolsfortheuseofhisowndead；butforthelastgenerationortwoafeelingofcuibonohadledtothediscontinuanceofthecustom，andthestoolswerefrequentlymadeuseofinthemannerdescribed。
Theyoungwomanlaiddownthebill-hookforamomentandexaminedthepalmofherrighthand，which，unliketheother，wasungloved，andshowedlittlehardnessorroughnessaboutit。Thepalmwasredandblistering，asifthispresentoccupationwerenotfrequentenoughwithhertosubdueittowhatitworkedin。Aswithsomanyrighthandsborntomanuallabor，therewasnothinginitsfundamentalshapetobearoutthephysiologicalconventionalismthatgradationsofbirth，gentleormean，showthemselvesprimarilyintheformofthismember。Nothingbutacastofthedieofdestinyhaddecidedthatthegirlshouldhandlethetool；andthefingerswhichclaspedtheheavyashhaftmighthaveskilfullyguidedthepencilorsweptthestring，hadtheyonlybeensettodoitingoodtime。
Herfacehadtheusualfulnessofexpressionwhichisdevelopedbyalifeofsolitude。Wheretheeyesofamultitudebeatlikewavesuponacountenancetheyseemtowearawayitsindividuality；butinthestillwaterofprivacyeverytentacleoffeelingandsentimentshootsoutinvisibleluxuriance，tobeinterpretedasreadilyasachild’slookbyanintruder。Inyearsshewasnomorethannineteenortwenty，butthenecessityoftakingthoughtatatooearlyperiodoflifehadforcedtheprovisionalcurvesofherchildhood’sfacetoaprematurefinality。Thusshehadbutlittlepretensiontobeauty，saveinoneprominentparticular——herhair。Itsabundancemadeitalmostunmanageable；itscolorwas，roughlyspeaking，andasseenherebyfirelight，brown，butcarefulnotice，oranobservationbyday，wouldhaverevealedthatitstrueshadewasarareandbeautifulapproximationtochestnut。
OnthisonebrightgiftofTimetotheparticularvictimofhisnowbeforeusthenew-comer’seyeswerefixed；meanwhilethefingersofhisrighthandmechanicallyplayedoversomethingstickingupfromhiswaistcoat-pocket——thebowsofapairofscissors，whosepolishmadethemfeeblyresponsivetothelightwithin。Inherpresentbeholder’smindthesceneformedbythegirlishspar-makercomposeditselfintoapost-Raffaelitepictureofextremestquality，whereinthegirl’shairalone，asthefocusofobservation，wasdepictedwithintensityanddistinctness，andherface，shoulders，hands，andfigureingeneral，beingablurredmassofunimportantdetaillostinhazeandobscurity。
Hehesitatednolonger，buttappedatthedoorandentered。Theyoungwomanturnedatthecrunchofhisbootsonthesandedfloor，andexclaiming，“Oh，Mr。Percombe，howyoufrightenedme！”quitelosthercolorforamoment。
Hereplied，“Youshouldshutyourdoor——thenyou’dhearfolkopenit。”
“Ican’t。”shesaid；“thechimneysmokesso。Mr。Percombe，youlookasunnaturaloutofyourshopasacanaryinathorn-hedge。
Surelyyouhavenotcomeouthereonmyaccount——for——“
“Yes——tohaveyouransweraboutthis。”Hetouchedherheadwithhiscane，andshewinced。“Doyouagree？”hecontinued。“ItisnecessarythatIshouldknowatonce，astheladyissoongoingaway，andittakestimetomakeup。”
“Don’tpressme——itworriesme。Iwasinhopesyouhadthoughtnomoreofit。IcanNOTpartwithit——sothere！”
“Now，lookhere，Marty。”saidthebarber，sittingdownonthecoffin-stooltable。“Howmuchdoyougetformakingthesespars？”
“Hush——father’sup-stairsawake，andhedon’tknowthatIamdoinghiswork。”
“Well，nowtellme。”saidtheman，moresoftly。“Howmuchdoyouget？”
“Eighteenpenceathousand。”shesaid，reluctantly。
“Whoareyoumakingthemfor？”
“Mr。Melbury，thetimber-dealer，justbelowhere。”
“Andhowmanycanyoumakeinaday？”
“Inadayandhalfthenight，threebundles——that’sathousandandahalf。”
“Twoandthreepence。”Thebarberpaused。“Well，lookhere。”hecontinued，withtheremainsofacalculationinhistone，whichcalculationhadbeenthereductiontofiguresoftheprobablemonetarymagnetismnecessarytooverpowertheresistantforceofherpresentpurseandthewoman’sloveofcomeliness，“here’sasovereign——agoldsovereign，almostnew。”Hehelditoutbetweenhisfingerandthumb。“That’sasmuchasyou’dearninaweekandahalfatthatroughman’swork，andit’syoursforjustlettingmesnipoffwhatyou’vegottoomuchof。”
Thegirl’sbosommovedaverylittle。“Whycan’ttheladysendtosomeothergirlwhodon’tvalueherhair——nottome？”sheexclaimed。
“Why，simpleton，becauseyoursistheexactshadeofherown，and’tisashadeyoucan’tmatchbydyeing。ButyouarenotgoingtorefusemenowI’vecomeallthewayfromShertono’purpose？”
“IsayIwon’tsellit——toyouoranybody。”
“Nowlisten。”andhedrewupalittlecloserbesideher。“Theladyisveryrich，andwon’tbeparticulartoafewshillings；soIwilladvancetothisonmyownresponsibility——I’llmaketheonesovereigntwo，ratherthangobackempty-handed。”
“No，no，no！”shecried，beginningtobemuchagitated。“Youarea-temptingme，Mr。Percombe。YougoonliketheDeviltoDr。
Faustusinthepennybook。ButIdon’twantyourmoney，andwon’tagree。Whydidyoucome？Isaidwhenyougotmeintoyourshopandurgedmesomuch，thatIdidn’tmeantosellmyhair！”Thespeakerwashotandstern。
“Marty，nowhearken。Theladythatwantsitwantsitbadly。And，betweenyouandme，you’dbetterletherhaveit。’Twillbebadforyouifyoudon’t。”
“Badforme？Whoisshe，then？”
Thebarberheldhistongue，andthegirlrepeatedthequestion。
“Iamnotatlibertytotellyou。Andassheisgoingabroadsoonitmakesnodifferencewhosheisatall。”
“Shewantsittogoabroadwi’？”
Percombeassentedbyanod。Thegirlregardedhimreflectively。
“BarberPercombe。”shesaid，“Iknowwho’tis。’TissheattheHouse——Mrs。Charmond！”
“That’smysecret。However，ifyouagreetoletmehaveit，I’lltellyouinconfidence。”
“I’llcertainlynotletyouhaveitunlessyoutellmethetruth。
ItisMrs。Charmond。”
Thebarberdroppedhisvoice。“Well——itis。Yousatinfrontofherinchurchtheotherday，andshenoticedhowexactlyyourhairmatchedherown。Eversincethenshe’sbeenhankeringforit，andatlastdecidedtogetit。Asshewon’twearittillshegoesoffabroad，sheknowsnobodywillrecognizethechange。I’mcommissionedtogetitforher，andthenitistobemadeup。I
shouldn’thavevampedallthesemilesforanylessimportantemployer。Now，mind——’tisasmuchasmybusinesswithherisworthifitshouldbeknownthatI’veletouthername；buthonorbetweenustwo，Marty，andyou’llsaynothingthatwouldinjureme？”
“Idon’twishtotelluponher。”saidMarty，coolly。“Butmyhairismyown，andI’mgoingtokeepit。”
“Now，that’snotfair，afterwhatI’vetoldyou。”saidthenettledbarber。“Yousee，Marty，asyouareinthesameparish，andinoneofhercottages，andyourfatherisill，andwouldn’tliketoturnout，itwouldbeaswelltoobligeher。Isaythatasafriend。ButIwon’tpressyoutomakeupyourmindto-night。
You’llbecomingtomarketto-morrow，Idaresay，andyoucancallthen。Ifyouthinkitoveryou’llbeinclinedtobringwhatI
want，Iknow。”
“I’venothingmoretosay。”sheanswered。
Hercompanionsawfromhermannerthatitwasuselesstourgeherfurtherbyspeech。“Asyouareatrustyyoungwoman。”hesaid，“I’llputthesesovereignsuphereforornament，thatyoumayseehowhandsometheyare。Bringthehairto-morrow，orreturnthesovereigns。”Hestuckthemedgewiseintotheframeofasmallmantlelooking-glass。“Ihopeyou’llbringit，foryoursakeandmine。Ishouldhavethoughtshecouldhavesuitedherselfelsewhere；butasit’sherfancyitmustbeindulgedifpossible。
Ifyoucutitoffyourself，mindhowyoudoitsoastokeepallthelocksoneway。”Heshowedherhowthiswastobedone。
“ButIsha’nt。”shereplied，withlaconicindifference。“Ivaluemylookstoomuchtospoil’em。Shewantsmyhairtogetanotherloverwith；thoughifstoriesaretrueshe’sbroketheheartofmanyanoblegentlemanalready。”
“Lord，it’swonderfulhowyouguessthings，Marty。”saidthebarber。“I’vehaditfromthemthatknowthattherecertainlyissomeforeigngentlemaninhereye。However，mindwhatIask。”
“She’snotgoingtogethimthroughme。”
Percombehadretiredasfarasthedoor；hecameback，plantedhiscaneonthecoffin-stool，andlookedherintheface。“MartySouth。”hesaid，withdeliberateemphasis，“YOU’VEGOTALOVER
YOURSELF，andthat’swhyyouwon’tletitgo！”
