“Alittlesilvergoesalongwayinthiscountry，“shechuckled。
ShesentSusanbacktofetchanothercup。
“Theyhavesuchexcellentbiscuitshere，“shesaid，contemplatingaplateful。“Notsweetbiscuits，whichIdon’tlike——drybiscuits……Haveyoubeensketching？“
“Oh，I’vedonetwoorthreelittledaubs，“saidMrs。Elliot，speakingratherlouderthanusual。“Butit’ssodifficultafterOxfordshire，wheretherearesomanytrees。Thelight’ssostronghere。
Somepeopleadmireit，Iknow，butIfinditveryfatiguing。“
“Ireallydon’tneedcooking，Susan，“saidMrs。Paley，whenherniecereturned。“Imusttroubleyoutomoveme。“Everythinghadtobemoved。Finallytheoldladywasplacedsothatthelightwaveredoverher，asthoughshewereafishinanet。Susanpouredouttea，andwasjustremarkingthattheywerehavinghotweatherinWiltshiretoo，whenMr。Venningaskedwhetherhemightjointhem。
“It’ssonicetofindayoungmanwhodoesn’tdespisetea，“
saidMrs。Paley，regaininghergoodhumour。“Oneofmynephewstheotherdayaskedforaglassofsherry——atfiveo’clock！I
toldhimhecouldgetitatthepublichouseroundthecorner，butnotinmydrawingroom。“
“I’drathergowithoutlunchthantea，“saidMr。Venning。
“That’snotstrictlytrue。Iwantboth。“
Mr。Venningwasadarkyoungman，aboutthirty-twoyearsofage，veryslapdashandconfidentinhismanner，althoughatthismomentobviouslyalittleexcited。HisfriendMr。Perrottwasabarrister，andasMr。PerrottrefusedtogoanywherewithoutMr。Venningitwasnecessary，whenMr。PerrottcametoSantaMarinaaboutaCompany，forMr。Venningtocometoo。Hewasabarristeralso，butheloathedaprofessionwhichkepthimindoorsoverbooks，anddirectlyhiswidowedmotherdiedhewasgoing，soheconfidedtoSusan，totakeupflyingseriously，andbecomepartnerinalargebusinessformakingaeroplanes。Thetalkrambledon。Itdealt，ofcourse，withthebeautiesandsingularitiesoftheplace，thestreets，thepeople，andthequantitiesofunownedyellowdogs。
“Don’tyouthinkitdreadfullycruelthewaytheytreatdogsinthiscountry？“askedMrs。Paley。
“I’dhave’emallshot，“saidMr。Venning。
“Oh，butthedarlingpuppies，“saidSusan。
“Jollylittlechaps，“saidMr。Venning。“Lookhere，you’vegotnothingtoeat。“AgreatwedgeofcakewashandedSusanonthepointofatremblingknife。Herhandtrembledtooasshetookit。
“Ihavesuchadeardogathome，“saidMrs。Elliot。
“Myparrotcan’tstanddogs，“saidMrs。Paley，withtheairofonemakingaconfidence。“Ialwayssuspectthathe(orshe)
wasteasedbyadogwhenIwasabroad。“
“Youdidn’tgetfarthismorning，MissWarrington，“saidMr。Venning。
“Itwashot，“sheanswered。Theirconversationbecameprivate，owingtoMrs。Paley’sdeafnessandthelongsadhistorywhichMrs。Elliothadembarkeduponofawire-hairedterrier，whitewithjustoneblackspot，belongingtoanuncleofhers，whichhadcommittedsuicide。“Animalsdocommitsuicide，“
shesighed，asifsheassertedapainfulfact。
“Couldn’tweexplorethetownthisevening？“Mr。Venningsuggested。
“Myaunt——“Susanbegan。
“Youdeserveaholiday，“hesaid。“You’realwaysdoingthingsforotherpeople。“
“Butthat’smylife，“shesaid，undercoverofrefillingtheteapot。
“That’snoone’slife，“hereturned，“noyoungperson’s。You’llcome？“
“Ishouldliketocome，“shemurmured。
AtthismomentMrs。Elliotlookedupandexclaimed，“Oh，Hugh！
He’sbringingsomeone，“sheadded。
“Hewouldlikesometea，“saidMrs。Paley。“Susan，runandgetsomecups——therearethetwoyoungmen。“
“We’rethirstingfortea，“saidMr。Elliot。“YouknowMr。Ambrose，Hilda？Wemetonthehill。“
“Hedraggedmein，“saidRidley，“orIshouldhavebeenashamed。
I’mdustyanddirtyanddisagreeable。“Hepointedtohisbootswhichwerewhitewithdust，whileadejectedflowerdroopinginhisbuttonhole，likeanexhaustedanimaloveragate，addedtotheeffectoflengthanduntidiness。Hewasintroducedtotheothers。
Mr。HewetandMr。Hirstbroughtchairs，andteabeganagain，Susanpouringcascadesofwaterfrompottopot，alwayscheerfully，andwiththecompetenceoflonguse。
“Mywife’sbrother，“RidleyexplainedtoHilda，whomhefailedtoremember，“hasahousehere，whichhehaslentus。
IwassittingonarockthinkingofnothingatallwhenElliotstarteduplikeafairyinapantomime。“
“Ourchickengotintothesalt，“HewetsaiddolefullytoSusan。
“Norisittruethatbananasincludemoistureaswellassustenance。
Hirstwasalreadydrinking。
“We’vebeencursingyou，“saidRidleyinanswertoMrs。Elliot’skindenquiriesabouthiswife。“Youtouristseatupalltheeggs，Helentellsme。That’saneye-soretoo“——henoddedhisheadatthehotel。“Disgustingluxury，Icallit。Welivewithpigsinthedrawing-room。“
“Thefoodisnotatallwhatitoughttobe，consideringtheprice，“
saidMrs。Paleyseriously。“Butunlessonegoestoahotelwhereisonetogoto？“
“Stayathome，“saidRidley。“IoftenwishIhad！Everyoneoughttostayathome。But，ofcourse，theywon’t。“
Mrs。PaleyconceivedacertaingrudgeagainstRidley，whoseemedtobecriticisingherhabitsafteranacquaintanceoffiveminutes。
“Ibelieveinforeigntravelmyself，“shestated，“ifoneknowsone’snativeland，whichIthinkIcanhonestlysayIdo。IshouldnotallowanyonetotraveluntiltheyhadvisitedKentandDorsetshire——
Kentforthehops，andDorsetshireforitsoldstonecottages。
Thereisnothingtocomparewiththemhere。“
“Yes——Ialwaysthinkthatsomepeopleliketheflatandotherpeoplelikethedowns，“saidMrs。Elliotrathervaguely。
Hirst，whohadbeeneatinganddrinkingwithoutinterruption，nowlitacigarette，andobserved，“Oh，butwe’reallagreedbythistimethatnature’samistake。She’seitherveryugly，appallinglyuncomfortable，orabsolutelyterrifying。Idon’tknowwhichalarmsmemost——acoworatree。Ioncemetacowinafieldbynight。
Thecreaturelookedatme。Iassureyouitturnedmyhairgrey。
It’sadisgracethattheanimalsshouldbeallowedtogoatlarge。“
“Andwhatdidthecowthinkof_him_？“VenningmumbledtoSusan，whoimmediatelydecidedinherownmindthatMr。Hirstwasadreadfulyoungman，andthatalthoughhehadsuchanairofbeingcleverheprobablywasn’tascleverasArthur，inthewaysthatreallymatter。
“Wasn’titWildewhodiscoveredthefactthatnaturemakesnoallowanceforhip-bones？“enquiredHughlingElliot。HeknewbythistimeexactlywhatscholarshipsanddistinctionHirstenjoyed，andhadformedaveryhighopinionofhiscapacities。
ButHirstmerelydrewhislipstogetherverytightlyandmadenoreply。
Ridleyconjecturedthatitwasnowpermissibleforhimtotakehisleave。PolitenessrequiredhimtothankMrs。Elliotforhistea，andtoadd，withawaveofhishand，“Youmustcomeupandseeus。“
ThewaveincludedbothHirstandHewet，andHewetanswered，“Ishouldlikeitimmensely。“
Thepartybrokeup，andSusan，whohadneverfeltsohappyinherlife，wasjustabouttostartforherwalkinthetownwithArthur，whenMrs。Paleybeckonedherback。ShecouldnotunderstandfromthebookhowDoubleDemonpatienceisplayed；andsuggestedthatiftheysatdownandworkeditouttogetheritwouldfillupthetimenicelybeforedinner。
AmongthepromiseswhichMrs。Ambrosehadmadehernieceshouldshestaywasaroomcutofffromtherestofthehouse，large，private——
aroominwhichshecouldplay，read，think，defytheworld，afortressaswellasasanctuary。Rooms，sheknew，becamemorelikeworldsthanroomsattheageoftwenty-four。Herjudgmentwascorrect，andwhensheshutthedoorRachelenteredanenchantedplace，wherethepoetssangandthingsfellintotheirrightproportions。
Somedaysafterthevisionofthehotelbynightshewassittingalone，sunkinanarm-chair，readingabrightly-coveredredvolumeletteredontheback_Works__of__Henrik__Ibsen_。Musicwasopenonthepiano，andbooksofmusicroseintwojaggedpillarsonthefloor；
butforthemomentmusicwasdeserted。
Farfromlookingboredorabsent-minded，hereyeswereconcentratedalmoststernlyuponthepage，andfromherbreathing，whichwasslowbutrepressed，itcouldbeseenthatherwholebodywasconstrainedbytheworkingofhermind。Atlastsheshutthebooksharply，layback，anddrewadeepbreath，expressiveofthewonderwhichalwaysmarksthetransitionfromtheimaginaryworldtotherealworld。
“WhatIwanttoknow，“shesaidaloud，“isthis:Whatisthetruth？
What’sthetruthofitall？“Shewasspeakingpartlyasherself，andpartlyastheheroineoftheplayshehadjustread。
Thelandscapeoutside，becauseshehadseennothingbutprintforthespaceoftwohours，nowappearedamazinglysolidandclear，butalthoughthereweremenonthehillwashingthetrunksofolivetreeswithawhiteliquid，forthemomentsheherselfwasthemostvividthinginit——anheroicstatueinthemiddleoftheforeground，dominatingtheview。Ibsen’splaysalwaysleftherinthatcondition。
Sheactedthemfordaysatatime，greatlytoHelen’samusement；
andthenitwouldbeMeredith’sturnandshebecameDianaoftheCrossways。ButHelenwasawarethatitwasnotallacting，andthatsomesortofchangewastakingplaceinthehumanbeing。
WhenRachelbecametiredoftherigidityofherposeonthebackofthechair，sheturnedround，slidcomfortablydownintoit，andgazedoutoverthefurniturethroughthewindowoppositewhichopenedonthegarden。(HermindwanderedawayfromNora，butshewentonthinkingofthingsthatthebooksuggestedtoher，ofwomenandlife。)
Duringthethreemonthsshehadbeenhereshehadmadeupconsiderably，asHelenmeantsheshould，fortimespentininterminablewalksroundshelteredgardens，andthehouseholdgossipofheraunts。
ButMrs。Ambrosewouldhavebeenthefirsttodisclaimanyinfluence，orindeedanybeliefthattoinfluencewaswithinherpower。
Shesawherlessshy，andlessserious，whichwasalltothegood，andtheviolentleapsandtheinterminablemazeswhichhadledtothatresultwereusuallynotevenguessedatbyher。Talkwasthemedicineshetrustedto，talkabouteverything，talkthatwasfree，unguarded，andascandidasahabitoftalkingwithmenmadenaturalinherowncase。Nordidsheencouragethosehabitsofunselfishnessandamiabilityfoundeduponinsinceritywhichareputatsohighavalueinmixedhouseholdsofmenandwomen。
ShedesiredthatRachelshouldthink，andforthisreasonofferedbooksanddiscouragedtooentireadependenceuponBachandBeethovenandWagner。ButwhenMrs。AmbrosewouldhavesuggestedDefoe，Maupassant，orsomespaciouschronicleoffamilylife，Rachelchosemodernbooks，booksinshinyyellowcovers，bookswithagreatdealofgildingontheback，whichweretokensinheraunt’seyesofharshwranglinganddisputesaboutfactswhichhadnosuchimportanceasthemodernsclaimedforthem。Butshedidnotinterfere。
Rachelreadwhatshechose，readingwiththecuriousliteralnessofonetowhomwrittensentencesareunfamiliar，andhandlingwordsasthoughtheyweremadeofwood，separatelyofgreatimportance，andpossessedofshapesliketablesorchairs。Inthiswayshecametoconclusions，whichhadtoberemodelledaccordingtotheadventuresoftheday，andwereindeedrecastasliberallyasanyonecoulddesire，leavingalwaysasmallgrainofbeliefbehindthem。
IbsenwassucceededbyanovelsuchasMrs。Ambrosedetested，whosepurposewastodistributetheguiltofawoman’sdownfallupontherightshoulders；apurposewhichwasachieved，ifthereader’sdiscomfortwereanyproofofit。Shethrewthebookdown，lookedoutofthewindow，turnedawayfromthewindow，andrelapsedintoanarm-chair。
