EvenMr。Hirst，whomshehaddislikedwhenshefirstmethim，reallywasn’tdisagreeable；and，poorman，healwayslookedsoill；
perhapshewasinlove；perhapshehadbeeninlovewithRachel——
shereallyshouldn’twonder；orperhapsitwasEvelyn——shewasofcourseveryattractivetomen。Leaningforward，shewentonwiththeconversation。Shesaidthatshethoughtthatthereasonwhypartiesweresodullwasmainlybecausegentlemenwillnotdress:
eveninLondon，shestated，itstruckherverymuchhowpeopledon’tthinkitnecessarytodressintheevening，andofcourseiftheydon’tdressinLondontheywon’tdressinthecountry。
ItwasreallyquiteatreatatChristmas-timewhenthereweretheHuntballs，andthegentlemenworeniceredcoats，butArthurdidn’tcarefordancing，soshesupposedthattheywouldn’tgoeventotheballintheirlittlecountrytown。Shedidn’tthinkthatpeoplewhowerefondofonesportoftencareforanother，althoughherfatherwasanexception。Butthenhewasanexceptionineveryway——suchagardener，andheknewallaboutbirdsandanimals，andofcoursehewassimplyadoredbyalltheoldwomeninthevillage，andatthesametimewhathereallylikedbestwasabook。
Youalwaysknewwheretofindhimifhewerewanted；hewouldbeinhisstudywithabook。Verylikelyitwouldbeanold，oldbook，somefustyoldthingthatnooneelsewoulddreamofreading。
Sheusedtotellhimthathewouldhavemadeafirst-rateoldbookwormifonlyhehadn’thadafamilyofsixtosupport，andsixchildren，sheadded，charminglyconfidentofuniversalsympathy，didn’tleaveonemuchtimeforbeingabookworm。
Stilltalkingaboutherfather，ofwhomshewasveryproud，sherose，forArthuruponlookingathiswatchfoundthatitwastimetheywentbackagaintothetenniscourt。Theothersdidnotmove。
“They’reveryhappy！“saidMrs。Thornbury，lookingbenignantlyafterthem。Rachelagreed；theyseemedtobesocertainofthemselves；
theyseemedtoknowexactlywhattheywanted。
“D’youthinkthey_are_happy？“EvelynmurmuredtoTerenceinanundertone，andshehopedthathewouldsaythathedidnotthinkthemhappy；but，instead，hesaidthattheymustgotoo——gohome，fortheywerealwaysbeinglateformeals，andMrs。Ambrose，whowasverysternandparticular，didn’tlikethat。EvelynlaidholdofRachel’sskirtandprotested。Whyshouldtheygo？
Itwasstillearly，andshehadsomanythingstosaytothem。
“No，“saidTerence，“wemustgo，becausewewalksoslowly。Westopandlookatthings，andwetalk。“
“Whatd’youtalkabout？“Evelynenquired，uponwhichhelaughedandsaidthattheytalkedabouteverything。
Mrs。Thornburywentwiththemtothegate，trailingveryslowlyandgracefullyacrossthegrassandthegravel，andtalkingallthetimeaboutflowersandbirds。Shetoldthemthatshehadtakenupthestudyofbotanysinceherdaughtermarried，anditwaswonderfulwhatanumberofflowerstherewerewhichshehadneverseen，althoughshehadlivedinthecountryallherlifeandshewasnowseventy-two。Itwasagoodthingtohavesomeoccupationwhichwasquiteindependentofotherpeople，shesaid，whenonegotold。
Buttheoddthingwasthatoneneverfeltold。Shealwaysfeltthatshewastwenty-five，notadaymoreoradayless，but，ofcourse，onecouldn’texpectotherpeopletoagreetothat。
“Itmustbeverywonderfultobetwenty-five，andnotmerelytoimaginethatyou’retwenty-five，“shesaid，lookingfromonetotheotherwithhersmooth，brightglance。“Itmustbeverywonderful，verywonderfulindeed。“Shestoodtalkingtothematthegateforalongtime；sheseemedreluctantthattheyshouldgo。
Theafternoonwasveryhot，sohotthatthebreakingofthewavesontheshoresoundedliketherepeatedsighofsomeexhaustedcreature，andevenontheterraceunderanawningthebrickswerehot，andtheairdancedperpetuallyovertheshortdrygrass。
Theredflowersinthestonebasinsweredroopingwiththeheat，andthewhiteblossomswhichhadbeensosmoothandthickonlyafewweeksagowerenowdry，andtheiredgeswerecurledandyellow。
Onlythestiffandhostileplantsofthesouth，whosefleshyleavesseemedtobegrownuponspines，stillremainedstandinguprightanddefiedthesuntobeatthemdown。Itwastoohottotalk，anditwasnoteasytofindanybookthatwouldwithstandthepowerofthesun。Manybookshadbeentriedandthenletfall，andnowTerencewasreadingMiltonaloud，becausehesaidthewordsofMiltonhadsubstanceandshape，sothatitwasnotnecessarytounderstandwhathewassaying；onecouldmerelylistentohiswords；onecouldalmosthandlethem。
Thereisagentlenymphnotfarfromhence，heread，ThatwithmoistcurbswaysthesmoothSevernstream。
Sabrinaishername，avirginpure；
WhilomshewasthedaughterofLocrine，ThathadthesceptrefromhisfatherBrute。
Thewords，inspiteofwhatTerencehadsaid，seemedtobeladenwithmeaning，andperhapsitwasforthisreasonthatitwaspainfultolistentothem；theysoundedstrange；theymeantdifferentthingsfromwhattheyusuallymeant。Rachelatanyratecouldnotkeepherattentionfixeduponthem，butwentoffuponcurioustrainsofthoughtsuggestedbywordssuchas“curb“and“Locrine“and“Brute，“
whichbroughtunpleasantsightsbeforehereyes，independentlyoftheirmeaning。Owingtotheheatandthedancingairthegardentoolookedstrange——thetreeswereeithertoonearortoofar，andherheadalmostcertainlyached。Shewasnotquitecertain，andthereforeshedidnotknow，whethertotellTerencenow，ortolethimgoonreading。Shedecidedthatshewouldwaituntilhecametotheendofastanza，andifbythattimeshehadturnedherheadthiswayandthat，anditachedineverypositionundoubtedly，shewouldsayverycalmlythatherheadached。
Sabrinafair，ListenwherethouartsittingUndertheglassy，cool，translucentwave，IntwistedbraidsofliliesknittingTheloosetrainofthyamberdroppinghair，Listenfordearhonour’ssake，Goddessofthesilverlake，Listenandsave！
Butherheadached；itachedwhicheverwaysheturnedit。
Shesatupandsaidasshehaddetermined，“MyheadachessothatIshallgoindoors。“Hewashalf-waythroughthenextverse，buthedroppedthebookinstantly。
“Yourheadaches？“herepeated。
Forafewmomentstheysatlookingatoneanotherinsilence，holdingeachother’shands。Duringthistimehissenseofdismayandcatastrophewerealmostphysicallypainful；allroundhimheseemedtoheartheshiverofbrokenglasswhich，asitfelltoearth，lefthimsittingintheopenair。Butattheendoftwominutes，noticingthatshewasnotsharinghisdismay，butwasonlyrathermorelanguidandheavy-eyedthanusual，herecovered，fetchedHelen，andaskedhertotellhimwhattheyhadbetterdo，forRachelhadaheadache。
Mrs。Ambrosewasnotdiscomposed，butadvisedthatsheshouldgotobed，andaddedthatshemustexpectherheadtoacheifshesatuptoallhoursandwentoutintheheat，butafewhoursinbedwouldcureitcompletely。Terencewasunreasonablyreassuredbyherwords，ashehadbeenunreasonablydepressedthemomentbefore。Helen’ssenseseemedtohavemuchincommonwiththeruthlessgoodsenseofnature，whichavengedrashnessbyaheadache，and，likenature’sgoodsense，mightbedependedupon。
Rachelwenttobed；shelayinthedark，itseemedtoher，foraverylongtime，butatlength，wakingfromatransparentkindofsleep，shesawthewindowswhiteinfrontofher，andrecollectedthatsometimebeforeshehadgonetobedwithaheadache，andthatHelenhadsaiditwouldbegonewhenshewoke。
Shesupposed，therefore，thatshewasnowquitewellagain。
Atthesametimethewallofherroomwaspainfullywhite，andcurvedslightly，insteadofbeingstraightandflat。Turninghereyestothewindow，shewasnotreassuredbywhatshesawthere。
Themovementoftheblindasitfilledwithairandblewslowlyout，drawingthecordwithalittletrailingsoundalongthefloor，seemedtoherterrifying，asifitwerethemovementofananimalintheroom。
Sheshuthereyes，andthepulseinherheadbeatsostronglythateachthumpseemedtotreaduponanerve，piercingherforeheadwithalittlestabofpain。Itmightnotbethesameheadache，butshecertainlyhadaheadache。Sheturnedfromsidetoside，inthehopethatthecoolnessofthesheetswouldcureher，andthatwhenshenextopenedhereyestolooktheroomwouldbeasusual。
Afteraconsiderablenumberofvainexperiments，sheresolvedtoputthematterbeyondadoubt。Shegotoutofbedandstoodupright，holdingontothebrassballattheendofthebedstead。
Ice-coldatfirst，itsoonbecameashotasthepalmofherhand，andasthepainsinherheadandbodyandtheinstabilityofthefloorprovedthatitwouldbefarmoreintolerabletostandandwalkthantolieinbed，shegotintobedagain；butthoughthechangewasrefreshingatfirst，thediscomfortofbedwassoonasgreatasthediscomfortofstandingup。Sheacceptedtheideathatshewouldhavetostayinbedalldaylong，andasshelaidherheadonthepillow，relinquishedthehappinessoftheday。
WhenHelencameinanhourortwolater，suddenlystoppedhercheerfulwords，lookedstartledforasecondandthenunnaturallycalm，thefactthatshewasillwasputbeyondadoubt。Itwasconfirmedwhenthewholehouseholdknewofit，whenthesongthatsomeonewassinginginthegardenstoppedsuddenly，andwhenMaria，asshebroughtwater，slippedpastthebedwithavertedeyes。
Therewasallthemorningtogetthrough，andthenalltheafternoon，andatintervalsshemadeanefforttocrossoverintotheordinaryworld，butshefoundthatherheatanddiscomforthadputagulfbetweenherworldandtheordinaryworldwhichshecouldnotbridge。
Atonepointthedooropened，andHelencameinwithalittledarkmanwhohad——itwasthechiefthingshenoticedabouthim——
veryhairyhands。Shewasdrowsyandintolerablyhot，andasheseemedshyandobsequiousshescarcelytroubledtoanswerhim，althoughsheunderstoodthathewasadoctor。AtanotherpointthedooropenedandTerencecameinverygently，smilingtoosteadily，assherealised，forittobenatural。Hesatdownandtalkedtoher，strokingherhandsuntilitbecameirksometohertolieanymoreinthesamepositionandsheturnedround，andwhenshelookedupagainHelenwasbesideherandTerencehadgone。Itdidnotmatter；
shewouldseehimto-morrowwhenthingswouldbeordinaryagain。
Herchiefoccupationduringthedaywastotrytorememberhowthelineswent:
Undertheglassy，cool，translucentwave，IntwistedbraidsofliliesknittingTheloosetrainofthyamberdroppinghair；
andtheeffortworriedherbecausetheadjectivespersistedingettingintothewrongplaces。
Theseconddaydidnotdifferverymuchfromthefirstday，exceptthatherbedhadbecomeveryimportant，andtheworldoutside，whenshetriedtothinkofit，appeareddistinctlyfurtheroff。
Theglassy，cool，translucentwavewasalmostvisiblebeforeher，curlingupattheendofthebed，andasitwasrefreshinglycoolshetriedtokeephermindfixeduponit。Helenwashere，andHelenwastherealldaylong；sometimesshesaidthatitwaslunchtime，andsometimesthatitwasteatime；butbythenextdayalllandmarkswereobliterated，andtheouterworldwassofarawaythatthedifferentsounds，suchasthesoundsofpeoplemovingoverhead，couldonlybeascribedtotheircausebyagreateffortofmemory。
Therecollectionofwhatshehadfelt，orofwhatshehadbeendoingandthinkingthreedaysbefore，hadfadedentirely。
Ontheotherhand，everyobjectintheroom，andthebeditself，andherownbodywithitsvariouslimbsandtheirdifferentsensationsweremoreandmoreimportanteachday。Shewascompletelycutoff，andunabletocommunicatewiththerestoftheworld，isolatedalonewithherbody。
Hoursandhourswouldpassthus，withoutgettinganyfurtherthroughthemorning，oragainafewminuteswouldleadfrombroaddaylighttothedepthsofthenight。Oneeveningwhentheroomappearedverydim，eitherbecauseitwaseveningorbecausetheblindsweredrawn，Helensaidtoher，“Someoneisgoingtosithereto-night。Youwon’tmind？“
Openinghereyes，RachelsawnotonlyHelenbutanurseinspectacles，whosefacevaguelyrecalledsomethingthatshehadonceseen。
Shehadseenherinthechapel。“NurseMcInnis，“saidHelen，andthenursesmiledsteadilyastheyalldid，andsaidthatshedidnotfindmanypeoplewhowerefrightenedofher。Afterwaitingforamomenttheybothdisappeared，andhavingturnedonherpillowRachelwoketofindherselfinthemidstofoneofthoseinterminablenightswhichdonotendattwelve，butgoonintothedoublefigures
