Thechildreninhiscountrywerenottaughttothrowstonesatthosewhoaskedforcompassion。
Smith’sstrategyovercamehimcompletely。Thewood—lodgepresentedthehorribleaspectofadun—
geon。Whatwouldbedonetohimnext？……
NowonderthatAmyFosterappearedtohiseyeswiththeaureoleofanangeloflight。Thegirlhadnotbeenabletosleepforthinkingofthepoorman，andinthemorning，beforetheSmithswereup，sheslippedoutacrossthebackyard。Holdingthedoorofthewood—lodgeajar，shelookedinandextendedtohimhalfaloafofwhitebread——’suchbreadasthericheatinmycountry，’heusedtosay。
\"Atthishegotupslowlyfromamongstallsortsofrubbish，stiff，hungry，trembling，miserable，anddoubtful。’Canyoueatthis？’sheaskedinhersoftandtimidvoice。Hemusthavetakenherfora’graciouslady。’Hedevouredferociously，andtearswerefallingonthecrust。Suddenlyhedroppedthebread，seizedherwrist，andim—
printedakissonherhand。Shewasnotfright—
ened。Throughhisforlornconditionshehadobservedthathewasgood—looking。Sheshutthedoorandwalkedbackslowlytothekitchen。
Muchlateron，shetoldMrs。Smith，whoshud—
deredatthebareideaofbeingtouchedbythatcreature。
\"Throughthisactofimpulsivepityhewasbroughtbackagainwithinthepaleofhumanrela—
tionswithhisnewsurroundings。Heneverforgotit——never。
\"ThatverysamemorningoldMr。Swaffer（Smith’snearestneighbour）cameovertogivehisadvice，andendedbycarryinghimoff。Hestood，unsteadyonhislegs，meek，andcakedoverinhalf—
driedmud，whilethetwomentalkedaroundhiminanincomprehensibletongue。Mrs。Smithhadre—
fusedtocomedownstairstillthemadmanwasoffthepremises；AmyFoster，farfromwithinthedarkkitchen，watchedthroughtheopenbackdoor；andheobeyedthesignsthatweremadetohimtothebestofhisability。ButSmithwasfullofmistrust。
’Mind，sir！Itmaybeallhiscunning，’hecriedrepeatedlyinatoneofwarning。WhenMr。
Swafferstartedthemare，thedeplorablebeingsit—
tinghumblybyhisside，throughweakness，nearlyfelloutoverthebackofthehightwo—wheeledcart。
Swaffertookhimstraighthome。AnditisthenthatIcomeuponthescene。
\"IwascalledinbythesimpleprocessoftheoldmanbeckoningtomewithhisforefingeroverthegateofhishouseasIhappenedtobedrivingpast。
Igotdown，ofcourse。
\"’I’vegotsomethinghere，’hemumbled，lead—
ingthewaytoanouthouseatalittledistancefromhisotherfarm—buildings。
\"ItwastherethatIsawhimfirst，inalonglowroomtakenuponthespaceofthatsortofcoach—
house。Itwasbareandwhitewashed，withasmallsquareapertureglazedwithonecracked，dustypaneatitsfurtherend。Hewaslyingonhisbackuponastrawpallet；theyhadgivenhimacoupleofhorse—blankets，andheseemedtohavespenttheremainderofhisstrengthintheexertionofclean—
inghimself。Hewasalmostspeechless；hisquickbreathingundertheblanketspulleduptohischin，hisglittering，restlessblackeyesremindedmeofawildbirdcaughtinasnare。WhileIwasexamininghim，oldSwafferstoodsilentlybythedoor，passingthetipsofhisfingersalonghisshavenupperlip。
Igavesomedirections，promisedtosendabottleofmedicine，andnaturallymadesomeinquiries。
\"’SmithcaughthiminthestackyardatNewBarns，’saidtheoldchapinhisdeliberate，unmovedmanner，andasiftheotherhadbeenindeedasortofwildanimal。’That’showIcamebyhim。
Quiteacuriosity，isn’the？Nowtellme，doctor——
you’vebeenallovertheworld——don’tyouthinkthat’sabitofaHindoowe’vegotholdofhere。’
\"Iwasgreatlysurprised。Hislongblackhairscatteredoverthestrawbolstercontrastedwiththeolivepallorofhisface。ItoccurredtomehemightbeaBasque。Itdidn’tnecessarilyfollowthatheshouldunderstandSpanish；butItriedhimwiththefewwordsIknow，andalsowithsomeFrench。
ThewhisperedsoundsIcaughtbybendingmyeartohislipspuzzledmeutterly。ThatafternoontheyoungladiesfromtheRectory（oneofthemreadGoethewithadictionary，andtheotherhadstrug—
gledwithDanteforyears），comingtoseeMissSwaffer，triedtheirGermanandItalianonhimfromthedoorway。Theyretreated，justtheleastbitscaredbythefloodofpassionatespeechwhich，turningonhispallet，heletoutatthem。Theyad—
mittedthatthesoundwaspleasant，soft，musical——
but，inconjunctionwithhislooksperhaps，itwasstartling——soexcitable，soutterlyunlikeanythingonehadeverheard。Thevillageboysclimbedupthebanktohaveapeepthroughthelittlesquareaperture。EverybodywaswonderingwhatMr。
Swafferwoulddowithhim。
\"Hesimplykepthim。
\"Swafferwouldbecalledeccentricwerehenotsomuchrespected。TheywilltellyouthatMr。
Swaffersitsupaslateasteno’clockatnighttoreadbooks，andtheywilltellyoualsothathecanwriteachequefortwohundredpoundswithoutthinkingtwiceaboutit。HehimselfwouldtellyouthattheSwaffershadownedlandbetweenthisandDarnfordforthesethreehundredyears。
Hemustbeeighty—fiveto—day，buthedoesnotlookabitolderthanwhenIfirstcamehere。Heisagreatbreederofsheep，anddealsextensivelyincat—
tle。Heattendsmarketdaysformilesaroundineverysortofweather，anddrivessittingbowedlowoverthereins，hislankgreyhaircurlingoverthecollarofhiswarmcoat，andwithagreenplaidrugroundhislegs。Thecalmnessofadvancedagegivesasolemnitytohismanner。Heisclean—
shaved；hislipsarethinandsensitive；somethingrigidandmonarchalinthesetofhisfeatureslendsacertainelevationtothecharacterofhisface。Hehasbeenknowntodrivemilesintheraintoseeanewkindofroseinsomebody’sgarden，oramon—
strouscabbagegrownbyacottager。Helovestoheartellofortobeshownsomethingthathecalls’outlandish。’Perhapsitwasjustthatoutlandish—
nessofthemanwhichinfluencedoldSwaffer。Per—
hapsitwasonlyaninexplicablecaprice。AllI
knowisthatattheendofthreeweeksIcaughtsightofSmith’slunaticdigginginSwaffer’skitch—
engarden。Theyhadfoundouthecoulduseaspade。Hedugbarefooted。
\"Hisblackhairflowedoverhisshoulders。I
supposeitwasSwafferwhohadgivenhimthestripedoldcottonshirt；butheworestillthena—
tionalbrownclothtrousers（inwhichhehadbeenwashedashore）fittingtothelegalmostliketights；wasbeltedwithabroadleathernbeltstud—
dedwithlittlebrassdiscs；andhadneveryetven—
turedintothevillage。Thelandhelookeduponseemedtohimkeptneatly，likethegroundsroundalandowner’shouse；thesizeofthecart—horsesstruckhimwithastonishment；theroadsresembledgardenwalks，andtheaspectofthepeople，espe—
ciallyonSundays，spokeofopulence。Hewon—
deredwhatmadethemsohardheartedandtheirchildrensobold。Hegothisfoodatthebackdoor，carrieditinbothhandscarefullytohisouthouse，and，sittingaloneonhispallet，wouldmakethesignofthecrossbeforehebegan。Besidethesamepal—
let，kneelingintheearlydarknessoftheshortdays，herecitedaloudtheLord’sPrayerbeforeheslept。
WheneverhesawoldSwafferhewouldbowwithvenerationfromthewaist，andstanderectwhiletheoldman，withhisfingersoverhisupperlip，sur—
veyedhimsilently。HebowedalsotoMissSwaffer，whokepthousefrugallyforherfather——abroad—
shouldered，big—bonedwomanofforty—five，withthepocketofherdressfullofkeys，andagrey，steadyeye。ShewasChurch——aspeoplesaid（whileherfatherwasoneofthetrusteesoftheBaptistChapel）——andworealittlesteelcrossatherwaist。Shedressedseverelyinblack，inmem—
oryofoneoftheinnumerableBradleysoftheneighbourhood，towhomshehadbeenengagedsometwenty—fiveyearsago——ayoungfarmerwhobrokehisneckouthuntingontheeveofthewed—
dingday。Shehadtheunmovedcountenanceofthedeaf，spokeveryseldom，andherlips，thinlikeherfather’s，astonishedonesometimesbyamyste—
riouslyironiccurl。
\"Thesewerethepeopletowhomheowedalle—
giance，andanoverwhelminglonelinessseemedtofallfromtheleadenskyofthatwinterwithoutsun—
shine。Allthefacesweresad。Hecouldtalktonoone，andhadnohopeofeverunderstandinganybody。Itwasasifthesehadbeenthefacesofpeoplefromtheotherworld——deadpeople——heusedtotellmeyearsafterwards。Uponmyword，Iwonderhedidnotgomad。Hedidn’tknowwherehewas。Somewhereveryfarfromhismoun—
tains——somewhereoverthewater。WasthisAmer—
ica，hewondered？
\"Ifithadn’tbeenforthesteelcrossatMissSwaffer’sbelthewouldnot，heconfessed，haveknownwhetherhewasinaChristiancountryatall。Heusedtocaststealthyglancesatit，andfeelcomforted。Therewasnothingherethesameasinhiscountry！Theearthandthewaterwerediffer—
ent；therewerenoimagesoftheRedeemerbytheroadside。Theverygrasswasdifferent，andthetrees。AllthetreesbutthethreeoldNorwaypinesonthebitoflawnbeforeSwaffer’shouse，andtheseremindedhimofhiscountry。Hehadbeendetectedonce，afterdusk，withhisforeheadagainstthetrunkofoneofthem，sobbing，andtalkingtohimself。Theyhadbeenlikebrotherstohimatthattime，heaffirmed。Everythingelsewasstrange。
Conceiveyouthekindofanexistenceovershad—
owed，oppressed，bytheeverydaymaterialappear—
ances，asifbythevisionsofanightmare。Atnight，whenhecouldnotsleep，hekeptonthinkingofthegirlwhogavehimthefirstpieceofbreadhehadeateninthisforeignland。Shehadbeenneitherfiercenorangry，norfrightened。Herfaceherememberedastheonlycomprehensiblefaceamongstallthesefacesthatwereasclosed，asmys—
terious，andasmuteasthefacesofthedeadwhoarepossessedofaknowledgebeyondthecompre—
hensionoftheliving。Iwonderwhetherthemem—
oryofhercompassionpreventedhimfromcuttinghisthroat。Butthere！IsupposeIamanoldsen—
timentalist，andforgettheinstinctiveloveoflifewhichittakesallthestrengthofanuncommonde—
spairtoovercome。
\"HedidtheworkwhichwasgivenhimwithanintelligencewhichsurprisedoldSwaffer。By—and—
byitwasdiscoveredthathecouldhelpattheploughing，couldmilkthecows，feedthebullocksinthecattle—yard，andwasofsomeusewiththesheep。Hebegantopickupwords，too，veryfast；
andsuddenly，onefinemorninginspring，heres—
cuedfromanuntimelydeathagrand—childofoldSwaffer。
\"Swaffer’syoungerdaughterismarriedtoWillcox，asolicitorandtheTownClerkofCole—
brook。Regularlytwiceayeartheycometostaywiththeoldmanforafewdays。Theironlychild，alittlegirlnotthreeyearsoldatthetime，ranoutofthehousealoneinherlittlewhitepinafore，and，toddlingacrossthegrassofaterracedgarden，pitchedherselfoveralowwallheadfirstintothehorsepondintheyardbelow。
\"Ourmanwasoutwiththewaggonerandtheploughinthefieldnearesttothehouse，andashewasleadingtheteamroundtobeginafreshfur—
row，hesaw，throughthegapofthegate，whatforanybodyelsewouldhavebeenamereflutterofsomethingwhite。Buthehadstraight—glancing，quick，far—reachingeyes，thatonlyseemedtoflinchandlosetheiramazingpowerbeforetheimmensityofthesea。Hewasbarefooted，andlookingasout—
landishastheheartofSwaffercoulddesire。Leav—
ingthehorsesontheturn，totheinexpressibledis—
ustofthewaggonerheboundedoff，goingovertheploughedgroundinlongleaps，andsuddenlyappearedbeforethemother，thrustthechildintoherarms，andstrodeaway。
\"Thepondwasnotverydeep；butstill，ifhehadnothadsuchgoodeyes，thechildwouldhaveperished——miserablysuffocatedinthefootorsoofstickymudatthebottom。OldSwafferwalkedoutslowlyintothefield，waitedtilltheploughcameovertohisside，hadagoodlookathim，andwith—
outsayingawordwentbacktothehouse。Butfromthattimetheylaidouthismealsonthekitch—
entable；andatfirst，MissSwaffer，allinblackandwithaninscrutableface，wouldcomeandstandinthedoorwayoftheliving—roomtoseehimmakeabigsignofthecrossbeforehefellto。Ibelievethatfromthatday，too，Swafferbegantopayhimreg—
ularwages。
\"Ican’tfollowstepbystephisdevelopment。
Hecuthishairshort，wasseeninthevillageandalongtheroadgoingtoandfrotohisworklikeanyotherman。Childrenceasedtoshoutafterhim。
Hebecameawareofsocialdifferences，butre—
mainedforalongtimesurprisedatthebarepov—
ertyofthechurchesamongsomuchwealth。Hecouldn’tunderstandeitherwhytheywerekeptshutuponweekdays。Therewasnothingtostealinthem。Wasittokeeppeoplefromprayingtoooften？Therectorytookmuchnoticeofhimaboutthattime，andIbelievetheyoungladiesattemptedtopreparethegroundforhisconversion。Theycouldnot，however，breakhimofhishabitofcross—
inghimself，buthewentsofarastotakeoffthestringwithacoupleofbrassmedalsthesizeofasixpence，atinymetalcross，andasquaresortofscapularywhichheworeroundhisneck。Hehungthemonthewallbythesideofhisbed，andhewasstilltobeheardeveryeveningrecitingtheLord’sPrayer，inincomprehensiblewordsandinaslow，ferventtone，ashehadheardhisoldfatherdoattheheadofallthekneelingfamily，bigandlittle，oneveryeveningofhislife。Andthoughheworecorduroysatwork，andaslop—madepepper—and—
saltsuitonSundays，strangerswouldturnroundtolookafterhimontheroad。Hisforeignnesshadapeculiarandindeliblestamp。Atlastpeoplebe—
cameusedtoseehim。Buttheyneverbecameusedtohim。Hisrapid，skimmingwalk；hisswarthycomplexion；hishatcockedontheleftear；hishab—
it，onwarmevenings，ofwearinghiscoatoveroneshoulder，likeahussar’sdolman；hismannerofleapingoverthestiles，notasafeatofagility，butintheordinarycourseofprogression——allthesepeculiaritieswere，asonemaysay，somanycausesofscornandoffencetotheinhabitantsofthevil—
lage。Theywouldn’tintheirdinnerhourlieflatontheirbacksonthegrasstostareatthesky。
Neitherdidtheygoaboutthefieldsscreamingdis—
maltunes。ManytimeshaveIheardhishigh—
pitchedvoicefrombehindtheridgeofsomeslop—
ingsheep—walk，avoicelightandsoaring，likealark’s，butwithamelancholyhumannote，overourfieldsthathearonlythesongofbirds。AndI
shouldbestartledmyself。Ah！Hewasdifferent：
innocentofheart，andfullofgoodwill，whichno—
bodywanted，thiscastaway，that，likeamantrans—
plantedintoanotherplanet，wasseparatedbyanimmensespacefromhispastandbyanimmenseignorancefromhisfuture。Hisquick，ferventut—
terancepositivelyshockedeverybody。’Anexcit—
abledevil，’theycalledhim。Oneevening，inthetap—roomoftheCoachandHorses（havingdrunksomewhisky），heupsetthemallbysingingalovesongofhiscountry。Theyhootedhimdown，andhewaspained；butPreble，thelamewheelwright，andVincent，thefatblacksmith，andtheothernota—
blestoo，wantedtodrinktheireveningbeerinpeace。Onanotheroccasionhetriedtoshowthemhowtodance。Thedustroseincloudsfromthesandedfloor；heleapedstraightupamongstthedealtables，struckhisheelstogether，squattedononeheelinfrontofoldPreble，shootingouttheotherleg，utteredwildandexultingcries，jumpeduptowhirlononefoot，snappinghisfingersabovehishead——andastrangecarterwhowashavingadrinkintherebegantoswear，andclearedoutwithhishalf—pintinhishandintothebar。Butwhensud—
denlyhespranguponatableandcontinuedtodanceamongtheglasses，thelandlordinterfered。
Hedidn’twantany’acrobattricksinthetap—
room。’Theylaidtheirhandsonhim。Havinghadaglassortwo，Mr。Swaffer’sforeignertriedtoexpostulate：wasejectedforcibly：gotablackeye。
\"Ibelievehefeltthehostilityofhishumansur—
roundings。Buthewastough——toughinspirit，too，aswellasinbody。Onlythememoryoftheseafrightenedhim，withthatvagueterrorthatisleftbyabaddream。Hishomewasfaraway；andhedidnotwantnowtogotoAmerica。Ihadoftenexplainedtohimthatthereisnoplaceonearthwheretruegoldcanbefoundlyingreadyandtobegotforthetroubleofthepickingup。Howthen，heasked，couldheeverreturnhomewithemptyhandswhentherehadbeensoldacow，twoponies，andabitoflandtopayforhisgoing？Hiseyeswouldfillwithtears，and，avertingthemfromtheimmenseshimmerofthesea，hewouldthrowhim—
selffacedownonthegrass。Butsometimes，cock—
inghishatwithalittleconqueringair，hewoulddefymywisdom。Hehadfoundhisbitoftruegold。ThatwasAmyFoster’sheart；whichwas’agoldenheart，andsofttopeople’smisery，’hewouldsayintheaccentsofoverwhelmingconvic—
tion。
\"HewascalledYanko。HehadexplainedthatthismeantlittleJohn；butashewouldalsorepeatveryoftenthathewasamountaineer（somewordsoundinginthedialectofhiscountrylikeGoorall）
hegotitforhissurname。Andthisistheonlytraceofhimthatthesucceedingagesmayfindinthemarriageregisteroftheparish。Thereitstands——YankoGoorall——intherector’shandwrit—
ing。Thecrookedcrossmadebythecastaway，acrosswhosetracingnodoubtseemedtohimthemostsolemnpartofthewholeceremony，isallthatremainsnowtoperpetuatethememoryofhisname。
\"Hiscourtshiphadlastedsometime——eversincehegothisprecariousfootinginthecommunity。ItbeganbyhisbuyingforAmyFosteragreensatinribboninDarnford。Thiswaswhatyoudidinhiscountry。YouboughtaribbonataJew’sstallonafair—day。Idon’tsupposethegirlknewwhattodowithit，butheseemedtothinkthathishonoura—
bleintentionscouldnotbemistaken。
\"ItwasonlywhenhedeclaredhispurposetogetmarriedthatIfullyunderstoodhow，forahun—
dredfutileandinappreciablereasons，how——shallIsayodious？——hewastoallthecountryside。
Everyoldwomaninthevillagewasupinarms。
Smith，cominguponhimnearthefarm，promisedtobreakhisheadforhimifhefoundhimaboutagain。Buthetwistedhislittleblackmoustachewithsuchabellicoseairandrolledsuchbig，blackfierceeyesatSmiththatthispromisecametonoth—
ing。Smith，however，toldthegirlthatshemustbemadtotakeupwithamanwhowassurelywronginhishead。Allthesame，whensheheardhiminthegloamingwhistlefrombeyondtheorchardacoupleofbarsofaweirdandmournfultune，shewoulddropwhatevershehadinherhand——shewouldleaveMrs。Smithinthemiddleofasentence——andshewouldrunouttohiscall。Mrs。Smithcalledherashamelesshussy。Sheanswerednoth—
ing。Shesaidnothingatalltoanybody，andwentonherwayasifshehadbeendeaf。SheandIaloneallintheland，Ifancy，couldseehisveryrealbeauty。Hewasverygood—looking，andmostgracefulinhisbearing，withthatsomethingwildasofawoodlandcreatureinhisaspect。Hermoth—
ermoanedoverherdismallywheneverthegirlcametoseeheronherdayout。Thefatherwassurly，butpretendednottoknow；andMrs。Finnoncetoldherplainlythat’thisman，mydear，willdoyousomeharmsomedayyet。’Andsoitwenton。
Theycouldbeseenontheroads，shetrampingstol—
idlyinherfinery——greydress，blackfeather，stoutboots，prominentwhitecottonglovesthatcaughtyoureyeahundredyardsaway；andhe，hiscoatslungpicturesquelyoveroneshoulder，pacingbyherside，gallantofbearingandcastingtenderglancesuponthegirlwiththegoldenheart。I
wonderwhetherhesawhowplainshewas。Perhapsamongtypessodifferentfromwhathehadeverseen，hehadnotthepowertojudge；orperhapshewasseducedbythedivinequalityofherpity。
\"Yankowasingreattroublemeantime。Inhiscountryyougetanoldmanforanambassadorinmarriageaffairs。Hedidnotknowhowtopro—
ceed。However，onedayinthemidstofsheepinafield（hewasnowSwaffer’sunder—shepherdwithFoster）hetookoffhishattothefatherandde—
claredhimselfhumbly。’Idaresayshe’sfoolenoughtomarryyou，’wasallFostersaid。’Andthen，’heusedtorelate，’heputshishatonhishead，looksblackatmeasifhewantedtocutmythroat，whistlesthedog，andoffhegoes，leavingmetodothework。’TheFosters，ofcourse，didn’tliketolosethewagesthegirlearned：Amyusedtogiveallhermoneytohermother。ButtherewasinFosteraverygenuineaversiontothatmatch。Hecon—
tendedthatthefellowwasverygoodwithsheep，butwasnotfitforanygirltomarry。Foronething，heusedtogoalongthehedgesmutteringtohimselflikeadam’fool；andthen，theseforeign—
ersbehaveveryqueerlytowomensometimes。Andperhapshewouldwanttocarryheroffsomewhere——orrunoffhimself。Itwasnotsafe。Hepreachedittohisdaughterthatthefellowmightill—useherinsomeway。Shemadenoanswer。Itwas，theysaidinthevillage，asifthemanhaddonesomethingtoher。Peoplediscussedthematter。Itwasquiteanexcitement，andthetwowenton’walkingout’togetherinthefaceofopposition。
Thensomethingunexpectedhappened。
\"Idon’tknowwhetheroldSwaffereverunder—
stoodhowmuchhewasregardedinthelightofafatherbyhisforeignretainer。Anywaytherela—
tionwascuriouslyfeudal。SowhenYankoaskedformallyforaninterview——’andtheMisstoo’（hecalledthesevere，deafMissSwaffersimplyMiss）
——itwastoobtaintheirpermissiontomarry。
Swafferheardhimunmoved，dismissedhimbyanod，andthenshoutedtheintelligenceintoMissSwaffer’sbestear。Sheshowednosurprise，andonlyremarkedgrimly，inaveiledblankvoice，’Hecertainlywon’tgetanyothergirltomarryhim。’
\"ItisMissSwafferwhohasallthecreditofthemunificence：butinaveryfewdaysitcameoutthatMr。SwafferhadpresentedYankowithacot—
tage（thecottageyou’veseenthismorning）andsomethinglikeanacreofground——hadmadeitovertohiminabsoluteproperty。Willcoxexpe—
ditedthedeed，andIrememberhimtellingmehehadagreatpleasureinmakingitready。Itre—
cited：’Inconsiderationofsavingthelifeofmybelovedgrandchild，BerthaWillcox。’
\"Ofcourse，afterthatnopoweronearthcouldpreventthemfromgettingmarried。
\"Herinfatuationendured。Peoplesawhergo—
ingouttomeethimintheevening。Shestaredwithunblinking，fascinatedeyesuptheroadwherehewasexpectedtoappear，walkingfreely，withaswingfromthehip，andhummingoneofthelove—
tunesofhiscountry。Whentheboywasborn，hegotelevatedatthe’CoachandHorses，’essayedagainasongandadance，andwasagainejected。
PeopleexpressedtheircommiserationforawomanmarriedtothatJack—in—the—box。Hedidn’tcare。
Therewasamannow（hetoldmeboastfully）towhomhecouldsingandtalkinthelanguageofhiscountry，andshowhowtodanceby—and—by。
\"ButIdon’tknow。Tomeheappearedtohavegrownlessspringyofstep，heavierinbody，lesskeenofeye。Imagination，nodoubt；butitseemstomenowasifthenetoffatehadbeendrawncloserroundhimalready。
\"OnedayImethimonthefootpathovertheTalfourdHill。Hetoldmethat’womenwerefun—
ny。’Ihadheardalreadyofdomesticdifferences。
PeopleweresayingthatAmyFosterwasbegin—
ningtofindoutwhatsortofmanshehadmarried。
Helookedupontheseawithindifferent，unseeingeyes。Hiswifehadsnatchedthechildoutofhisarmsonedayashesatonthedoorstepcrooningtoitasongsuchasthemotherssingtobabiesinhismountains。Sheseemedtothinkhewasdoingitsomeharm。Womenarefunny。Andshehadob—
jectedtohimprayingaloudintheevening。Why？
Heexpectedtheboytorepeattheprayeraloudafterhimby—and—by，asheusedtodoafterhisoldfatherwhenhewasachild——inhisowncountry。
AndIdiscoveredhelongedfortheirboytogrowupsothathecouldhaveamantotalkwithinthatlanguagethattoourearssoundedsodisturbing，sopassionate，andsobizarre。Whyhiswifeshoulddisliketheideahecouldn’ttell。Butthatwouldpass，hesaid。Andtiltinghisheadknow—
ingly，hetappedhisbreastbonetoindicatethatshehadagoodheart：nothard，notfierce，opentocom—
passion，charitabletothepoor！
\"Iwalkedawaythoughtfully；Iwonderedwhetherhisdifference，hisstrangeness，werenotpenetratingwithrepulsionthatdullnaturetheyhadbegunbyirresistiblyattracting。Iwon—
dered……\"
TheDoctorcametothewindowandlookedoutatthefrigidsplendourofthesea，immenseinthehaze，asifenclosingalltheearthwithalltheheartslostamongthepassionsofloveandfear。
\"Physiologically，now，\"hesaid，turningawayabruptly，\"itwaspossible。Itwaspossible。\"
Heremainedsilent。Thenwenton——
\"Atallevents，thenexttimeIsawhimhewasill——lungtrouble。Hewastough，butIdaresayhewasnotacclimatisedaswellasIhadsupposed。Itwasabadwinter；and，ofcourse，thesemountain—
eersdogetfitsofhomesickness；andastateofde—
pressionwouldmakehimvulnerable。Hewaslyinghalfdressedonacouchdownstairs。
\"Atablecoveredwithadarkoilclothtookupallthemiddleofthelittleroom。Therewasawickercradleonthefloor，akettlespoutingsteamonthehob，andsomechild’slinenlaydryingonthefender。Theroomwaswarm，butthedooropensrightintothegarden，asyounoticedperhaps。
\"Hewasveryfeverish，andkeptonmutteringtohimself。Shesatonachairandlookedathimfixedlyacrossthetablewithherbrown，blurredeyes。’Whydon’tyouhavehimupstairs？’I
asked。Withastartandaconfusedstammershesaid，’Oh！ah！Icouldn’tsitwithhimupstairs，Sir。’
\"Igavehercertaindirections；andgoingout—
side，Isaidagainthatheoughttobeinbedup—
stairs。Shewrungherhands。’Icouldn’t。I
couldn’t。Hekeepsonsayingsomething——Idon’tknowwhat。’Withthememoryofallthetalkagainstthemanthathadbeendinnedintoherears，Ilookedathernarrowly。Ilookedintohershort—
sightedeyes，atherdumbeyesthatonceinherlifehadseenanenticingshape，butseemed，staringatme，toseenothingatallnow。ButIsawshewasuneasy。
\"’What’sthematterwithhim？’sheaskedinasortofvacanttrepidation。’Hedoesn’tlookveryill。Ineverdidseeanybodylooklikethisbe—
fore……’
\"’Doyouthink，’Iaskedindignantly，’heisshamming？’
\"’Ican’thelpit，sir，’shesaidstolidly。Andsuddenlysheclappedherhandsandlookedrightandleft。’Andthere’sthebaby。Iamsofright—
ened。Hewantedmejustnowtogivehimthebaby。Ican’tunderstandwhathesaystoit。’
\"’Can’tyouaskaneighbourtocomeinto—
night？’Iasked。
\"’Please，sir，nobodyseemstocaretocome，’shemuttered，dullyresignedallatonce。
\"Iimpresseduponherthenecessityofthegreatestcare，andthenhadtogo。Therewasagooddealofsicknessthatwinter。’Oh，Ihopehewon’ttalk！’sheexclaimedsoftlyjustasIwasgo—
ingaway。
\"Idon’tknowhowitisIdidnotsee——butI
didn’t。Andyet，turninginmytrap，Isawherlingeringbeforethedoor，verystill，andasifmed—
itatingaflightupthemiryroad。
\"Towardsthenighthisfeverincreased。
\"Hetossed，moaned，andnowandthenmutteredacomplaint。Andshesatwiththetablebetweenherandthecouch，watchingeverymovementandeverysound，withtheterror，theunreasonableter—
ror，ofthatmanshecouldnotunderstandcreepingoverher。Shehaddrawnthewickercradleclosetoherfeet。Therewasnothinginhernowbutthematernalinstinctandthatunaccountablefear。
\"Suddenlycomingtohimself，parched，hede—
mandedadrinkofwater。Shedidnotmove。Shehadnotunderstood，thoughhemayhavethoughthewasspeakinginEnglish。Hewaited，lookingather，burningwithfever，amazedathersilenceandimmobility，andthenheshoutedimpatiently，’Water！Givemewater！’
\"Shejumpedtoherfeet，snatchedupthechild，andstoodstill。Hespoketoher，andhispassion—
ateremonstrancesonlyincreasedherfearofthatstrangeman。Ibelievehespoketoherforalongtime，entreating，wondering，pleading，ordering，I
suppose。Shesayssheboreitaslongasshecould。
Andthenagustofragecameoverhim。
\"Hesatupandcalledoutterriblyoneword——
someword。Thenhegotupasthoughhehadn’tbeenillatall，shesays。Andasinfevereddismay，indignation，andwonderhetriedtogettoherroundthetable，shesimplyopenedthedoorandranoutwiththechildinherarms。Sheheardhimcalltwiceafterherdowntheroadinaterriblevoice——
andfled……Ah！butyoushouldhaveseenstir—
ringbehindthedull，blurredglanceoftheseeyesthespectreofthefearwhichhadhuntedheronthatnightthreemilesandahalftothedoorofFos—
ter’scottage！Ididthenextday。
\"AnditwasIwhofoundhimlyingfacedownandhisbodyinapuddle，justoutsidethelittlewicket—gate。
\"Ihadbeencalledoutthatnighttoanurgentcaseinthevillage，andonmywayhomeatday—
breakpassedbythecottage。Thedoorstoodopen。
Mymanhelpedmetocarryhimin。Welaidhimonthecouch。Thelampsmoked，thefirewasout，thechillofthestormynightoozedfromthecheer—
lessyellowpaperonthewall。’Amy！’Icalledaloud，andmyvoiceseemedtoloseitselfintheemptinessofthistinyhouseasifIhadcriedinadesert。Heopenedhiseyes。’Gone！’hesaiddis—
tinctly。’Ihadonlyaskedforwater——onlyforalittlewater……’
\"Hewasmuddy。Icoveredhimupandstoodwaitinginsilence，catchingapainfullygaspedwordnowandthen。Theywerenolongerinhisownlanguage。Thefeverhadlefthim，takingwithittheheatoflife。Andwithhispantingbreastandlustrouseyesheremindedmeagainofawildcreatureunderthenet；ofabirdcaughtinasnare。Shehadlefthim。Shehadlefthim——sick——helpless——thirsty。Thespearofthehunterhadenteredhisverysoul。’Why？’hecriedinthepen—
etratingandindignantvoiceofamancallingtoaresponsibleMaker。Agustofwindandaswishofrainanswered。
\"AndasIturnedawaytoshutthedoorhepro—
nouncedtheword’Merciful！’andexpired。
\"EventuallyIcertifiedheart—failureastheim—
mediatecauseofdeath。Hisheartmusthavein—
deedfailedhim，orelsehemighthavestoodthisnightofstormandexposure，too。Iclosedhiseyesanddroveaway。NotveryfarfromthecottageI
metFosterwalkingsturdilybetweenthedrippinghedgeswithhiscollieathisheels。
\"’Doyouknowwhereyourdaughteris？’I
asked。
\"’Don’tI！’hecried。’Iamgoingtotalktohimabit。Frighteningapoorwomanlikethis。’
\"’Hewon’tfrightenheranymore，’Isaid。
’Heisdead。’
\"Hestruckwithhisstickatthemud。
\"’Andthere’sthechild。’
\"Then，afterthinkingdeeplyforawhile——
\"’Idon’tknowthatitisn’tforthebest。’
\"That’swhathesaid。Andshesaysnothingatallnow。Notawordofhim。Never。Ishisim—
ageasutterlygonefromhermindashislitheandstridingfigure，hiscarollingvoicearegonefromourfields？Heisnolongerbeforehereyestoex—
citeherimaginationintoapassionofloveorfear；
andhismemoryseemstohavevanishedfromherdullbrainasashadowpassesawayuponawhitescreen。ShelivesinthecottageandworksforMissSwaffer。SheisAmyFosterforeverybody，andthechildis’AmyFoster’sboy。’ShecallshimJohnny——whichmeansLittleJohn。
\"Itisimpossibletosaywhetherthisnamere—
callsanythingtoher。Doessheeverthinkofthepast？Ihaveseenherhangingovertheboy’scotinaverypassionofmaternaltenderness。Thelit—
tlefellowwaslyingonhisback，alittlefrightenedatme，butverystill，withhisbigblackeyes，withhisflutteredairofabirdinasnare。AndlookingathimIseemedtoseeagaintheotherone——thefather，castoutmysteriouslybytheseatoperishinthesupremedisasteroflonelinessanddespair。\"
