inaccessiblecountries，whereeventhearmofthelawseldomreaches。
Couldn’tyoutakeherawaythere，takeherrightaway，travelsofastthatnothingcouldcatchyou，andhide-hideforalittletime？“
Hamelstaredathiscompanion，foramoment，blankly。Herattitudewassounexpected，herquestioningsofierce。
“MydearMrs。Fentolin，“hebegan-
Shesuddenlyrelaxedhergripofhisarm。Somethingoftheoldhopelessnesswassettlingdownuponherface。Herhandsfellintoherlap。
“No，“sheinterrupted，“Iforgot！Imustn’ttalklikethat。She，too，ispartofthesacrifice。“
“Partofthesacrifice，“Hamelrepeated，frowning。“Isshe，indeed！
Idon’tknowwhatsacrificeyoumean，butEstheristhegirlwhomsoonerorlater，somehoworother，Iamgoingtomakemywife，andwhensheismywife，Ishallseetoitthatsheisn’tafraidofMilesFentolinorofanyothermanbreathing。“
Agleamofhopefulnessshonethroughthestonymiseryofthewoman’sface。
“DoesEsthercare？“sheaskedsoftly。
“HowcanItell？Icanonlyhopeso。Ifshedoesn’tyet，sheshallsomeday。Isuppose，“headded，withasigh，“itisrathertoosoonyettoexpectthatsheshould。Ifitisnecessary，IcanWait。“
Mrs。Fentolin’seyeswereoncemorefixedupontheTower。Thesunhadcaughtthetopofthetelephonewireandplayedaroundittillitseemedlikealong，thinshaftofsilver。
“Ifyougodownthere，“shesaid，“Estherwillnotbeallowedtoseeyouatall。Mr。Fentolinhasdecidedtotakeitasapersonalaffront。Youwillbeostracisedfromhere。“
“ShallI？“heanswered。“Well，itwon’tbeforlong，atanyrate。
AndastonotseeingEsther，youmustrememberthatIcomefromoutsidethislittledomain，andIseenothingmoreinMr。Fentolinthanabad-tempered，mischievous，tyrannicaloldinvalid，whoisfortunatelypreventedbyhisinfirmitiesfromdoingasmuchmischiefashemight。Iamnotafraidofyourbrother-in-law，orofthebullyhetakesaboutwithhim，andIamgoingtoseeyourdaughtersomehoworother，andIamgoingtomarryherbeforeverylong。“
Shethrustoutherhandsuddenlyandgraspedhis。Thefingerswereverythin，almostbony，andcoveredwithrings。Theirgripwasfeverishandhefeltthemtremble。
“Youareabraveman，Mr。Hamel，“shedeclaredspeakinginalow，quickundertone。“Perhapsyouareright。Theshadowisn’toveryourhead。Youhaven’tlivedintheterrorofit。Youmayfindaway。Godgrantit！“
Shewrunghisfingersandrosetoherfeet。Hervoicesuddenlychangedintoanotherkey。Hamelknewinstinctivelythatshewishedhimtounderstandthattheirconversationwasover。
“Chow-Chow，“shecried，“comealong，dear，wemusthaveourwalk。
Comealong，Koto；comealong，littledogs。“
Hamelstrolleddowntheterracestepsandwanderedforatimeinthegardensbehindthehouse。Here，intheshelterofthegreatbuilding，hefoundhimselfsuddenlyinanatmosphereofspringtime。
Therewerebedsofcrocusesandhyacinths，fragrantclumpsofviolets，bordersofsnowdrops，massesofprimrosesandearlyanemones。Heslowlyclimbedoneortwosteeppathsuntilhereachedasortofplateau，levelwiththetopofthehouse。Theflowersheregrewmoresparsely，thetrackofthesaltwindlaylikeawitheringbandacrosstheflower-beds。Thegardenbelowwaslikealittleoasisofcolourandperfume。Arrivedattheborderingredbrickwall，heturnedaroundandlookedalongthenarrowroadwhichledtothesea。TherewasnosignofMr。Fentolin’sreturn。Thentohislefthesawagateopenandheardtheclamourofdogs。
Estherappeared，walkingswiftlytowardsthelittlestretchofroadwhichledtothevillage。Hehurriedafterher。
“Unsociableperson！“heexclaimed，ashecaughtherup。“Didn’tyouknowthatIwaslongingforawalk？“
“HowshouldIreadyourthoughts？“sheanswered。“Besides，afewminutesagoIsawyouontheterrace，talkingtomother。Iamonlygoingasfarasthevillage。“
“MayIcome？“heasked。“Ihavebusinesstheremyself。“
Shelaughed。
“Thereareninecottages，threefarmhouses，andageneralshopinSt。David’s，“sheremarked。“Alsoaboutfifteenfishermen’scottagesdottedaboutthemarsh。Yourbusiness，Ipresume，iswiththegeneralshop？“
Heshookhishead，fallingintostepwithher。
“WhatIwant，“heexplained，“istofindawomantocomeinandlookaftermeattheTower。Yourservantwhovaletsmehasgivenmetwonames。
Somethingofthelightnessfadedfromherface。
“Soyouhavequitemadeupyourmindtoleaveus？“sheaskedslowly。
“Motherwasn’tabletopersuadeyoutostay？“
Heshookhishead。
“Shewasverykind，“hesaid，“buttherearereallygravereasonswhyIfeelthatImustnotacceptMr。Fentolin’shospitalityanylonger。Ihad，“hewenton，“averyinterestingtalkwithyourmother。“
Sheturnedquicklytowardshim。Theslightestpossibletingeofadditionalcolourwasinhercheeks。Shewaswalkingonthetopofagreenbank，withthewindblowingherskirtsaroundher。Theturnofherheadwasalittlediffident，almostshy。Hereyeswereaskinghimquestions。Atthatmomentsheseemedtohim，withherslimbody，hergentlypartedlipsandsoft，tremulouseyes，almostlikeachild。Hedrewalittlenearertoher。
“Itoldyourmother，“hecontinued，“allthatIhavetoldyou，andmore。Itoldher，dear，thatIcaredforyou，thatIwantedyoutobemywife。“
Shewascaughtinalittlegustofwind。Bothherhandswentuptoherhat；herfacewashidden。Shesteppeddownfromthebank。
“Youshouldn’thavedonethat，“shesaidquietly。
“Whynot？“hedemanded。“Itwasthetruth。“
Hestoopedforward，intentuponlookingintoherface。Themysticsoftnesswasstillinhereyes，buthergeneralexpressionwasinscrutable。Itseemedtohimthattherewasfearthere。
“Whatdidmothersay？“shewhispered。
“Nothingdiscouraging，“hereplied。“Idon’tthinkshemindedatall。Ihavedecided，ifyougivemepermission，togoandtalktoMr。Fentolinthisevening。“
Sheshookherheadveryemphatically。
“Don’t！“sheimplored。“Don’t！Don’tgivehimanotherwhiptolashuswith。Keepsilent。Letmejusthavethememoryforafewdaysalltomyself。“
Herwordscametohimlikenumbthings。Therewaslittleexpressioninthem，andyethefeltthatsomehowtheymeantsomuch。
“Estherdear，“hesaid，“Ishalldojustasyouaskme。Atthesametime，pleaselisten。IthinkthatyouareallabsurdlyfrightenedofMr。Fentolin。Livingherealonewithhim，youhaveallgrownunderhisdominancetoanunreasonableextent。Becauseofhishorribleinfirmity，youhaveletyourselvesbecomehisslaves。Therearelimitstothissortofthing，Esther。Icomehereasastranger，andIseenothingmoreinMr。Fentolinthanaveryselfish，irritable，domineering，andcapriciousoldman。
Humourhim，byallmeans。Iamwillingtodothesamemyself。
Butwhenitcomestothegreatthingsinlife，neitherhenoranylivingpersonisgoingtokeepfrommethewomanIlove。“
Shewalkedbyhissideinsilence。Herbreathwascomingalittlequicker，herfingerslaypassiveinhis。Thenforamomenthefeltthegripofthemalmostburnintohisflesh。Stillshesaidnothing。
“Iwantyourpermission，dear，“hewenton，“togotohim。I
supposehecallshimselfyourguardian。Ifhesaysno，youareofage。IjustwantyoutobelievethatIamstrongenoughtoputmyarms，aroundyouandtocarryyouawaytomyownworldandkeepyouthere，althoughanarmyofMr。Fentolin’screaturesfollowedus。“
Sheturned，andhesawthegreattransformation。Herfacewasbrilliant，hereyesshonewithwonderfulthings。
“Please，“shebegged，“willyousayordonothingatallforalittletime，untilItellyouwhen？Iwantjustafewdayspeace。
YouhavesaidsuchbeautifulthingstomethatIwantthemtoliethereinmythoughts，inmyheart，undisturbed，forjustalittltime。Yousee，weareatthevillagenow。Iamgoingtocallatthisthirdcottage。WhileIaminside，youcangoandmakewhatenquiriesyoulike。Comeandknockatthedoorformewhenyouareready。“
“Andwewillwalkbacktogether？“
“Wewillwalkbacktogether，“shepromisedhim。
“Iwilltakeyouhomeanotherway。IwilltakeyouoverwhattheycalltheCommon，andcomedownbehindtheHallintothegardens。
Shedismissedhimwithalittlesmile。Hestrolledalongthevillagestreetandplungedintothemysteriousrecessesoftheonetinyshop。
