TheheartofBarnetwassufficientlyimpressionabletobeinfluencedbyDowne’spartingprophecythathemightnotbesounwelcomehomeasheimagined:thedrearynightmight，atleastonthisoneoccasion，makeDowne’sforecasttrue。Henceitwasinasuspensethathecouldhardlyhavebelievedpossiblethathehaltedathisdoor。Onenteringhiswifewasnowheretobeseen，andheinquiredforher。Theservantinformedhimthathermistresshadthedressmakerwithher，andwouldbeengagedforsometime。
’Dressmakeratthistimeofday！’
’Shedinedearly，sir，andhopesyouwillexcuseherjoiningyouthisevening。’
’ButsheknewIwascomingto-night？’
’Oyes，sir。’
’GoupandtellherIamcome。’
Theservantdidso；butthemistressofthehousemerelytransmittedherformerwords。
Barnetsaidnothingmore，andpresentlysatdowntohislonelymeal，whichwaseatenabstractedly，thedomesticscenehehadlatelywitnessedstillimpressinghimbyitscontrastwiththesituationhere。Hismindfellbackintopastyearsuponacertainpleasingandgentlebeingwhosefacewouldloomoutoftheirshadesatsuchtimesasthese。Barnetturnedinhischair，andlookedwithunfocusedeyesinadirectionsouthwardfromwherehesat，asifhesawnottheroombutalongwaybeyond。’Iwonderifshelivestherestill！’hesaid。
Herosewithasuddenrebelliousness，putonhishatandcoat，andwentoutofthehouse，pursuinghiswayalongtheglisteningpavementwhileeighto’clockwasstrikingfromSt。Mary’stower，andtheapprenticesandshopmenwereslamminguptheshuttersfromendtoendofthetown。Intwominutesonlythoseshopswhichcouldboastofnoattendantsavethemasterorthemistressremainedwithopeneyes。Thesewereeversomewhatlessprompttoexcludecustomersthantheothers:fortheirowners’earstheclosinghourhadscarcelythecheerfulnessthatitpossessedforthehiredservantsoftherest。Yetthenightbeingdrearythedelaywasnotforlong，andtheirwindows，too，blinkedtogetheronebyone。
DuringthistimeBarnethadproceededwithdecidedstepinadirectionatrightanglestothebroadmainthoroughfareofthetown，byalongstreetleadingduesouthward。Here，thoughhisfamilyhadnomoretodowiththeflaxmanufacture，hisownnameoccasionallygreetedhimongatesandwarehouses，beingusedallusivelybysmallrisingtradesmenasarecommendation，insuchwordsas’Smith，fromBarnet&Co。’——’Robinson，latemanageratBarnet’s。’Thesightledhimtoreflectuponhisfather’sbusylife，andhequestionedifithadnotbeenfarhappierthanhisown。
Thehousesalongtheroadbecamefewer，andpresentlyopengroundappearedbetweenthemoneitherside，thetrackontherighthandrisingtoahigherleveltillitmergedinaknoll。Onthesummitarowofbuilders’scaffold-polesprobedtheindistinctskylikespears，andattheirbasescouldbediscernedthelowercoursesofabuildinglatelybegun。Barnetslackenedhispaceandstoodforafewmomentswithoutleavingthecentreoftheroad，apparentlynotmuchinterestedinthesight，tillsuddenlyhiseyewascaughtbyapostintheforepartofthegroundbearingawhiteboardatthetop。Hewenttotherails，vaultedover，andwalkedinfarenoughtodiscernpaintedupontheboard’ChateauRingdale。’
Adismalironyseemedtolieinthewords，anditseffectwastoirritatehim。Downe，then，hadspokentruly。Hestuckhisumbrellaintothesod，andseizedthepostwithbothhands，asifintendingtoloosenandthrowitdown。Then，likeonebewilderedbyanoppositionwhichwouldexistnonethelessthoughitsmanifestationswereremoved，heallowedhisarmstosinktohisside。
’Letitbe，’hesaidtohimself。’Ihavedeclaredthereshallbepeace——ifpossible。’
Takinguphisumbrellahequietlylefttheenclosure，andwentonhisway，stillkeepinghisbacktothetown。Hehadadvancedwithmoredecisionsincepassingthenewbuilding，andsoonahoarsemurmurroseuponthegloom；itwasthesoundofthesea。Theroadledtotheharbour，atadistanceofamilefromthetown，fromwhichthetradeofthedistrictwasfed。Afterseeingtheobnoxiousname-boardBarnethadforgottentoopenhisumbrella，andtheraintappedsmartlyonhishat，andoccasionallystrokedhisfaceashewenton。
Thoughthelampswerestillcontinuedattheroadside，theystoodatwiderintervalsthanbefore，andthepavementhadgivenplacetocommonroad。Everytimehecametoalampanincreasingshinemadeitselfvisibleuponhisshoulders，tillatlasttheyquiteglistenedwithwet。Themurmurfromtheshoregrewstronger，butitwasstillsomedistanceoffwhenhepausedbeforeoneofthesmallestofthedetachedhousesbythewayside，standinginitsowngarden，thelatterbeingdividedfromtheroadbyarowofwoodenpalings。
Scrutinizingthespottoensurethathewasnotmistaken，heopenedthegateandgentlyknockedatthecottagedoor。
Whenhehadpatientlywaitedminutesenoughtoleadanymaninordinarycasestoknockagain，thedoorwasheardtoopen，thoughitwasimpossibletoseebywhosehand，therebeingnolightinthepassage。Barnetsaidatrandom，’DoesMissSavilelivehere？’
Ayouthfulvoiceassuredhimthatshedidlivethere，andbyasuddenafterthoughtaskedhimtocomein。Itwouldsoongetalight，itsaid:butthenightbeingwet，motherhadnotthoughtitworthwhiletotrimthepassagelamp。
’Don’ttroubleyourselftogetalightforme，’saidBarnethastily；
’itisnotnecessaryatall。WhichisMissSavile’ssitting-room？’
Theyoungperson，whosewhitepinaforecouldjustbediscerned，signifiedadoorinthesideofthepassage，andBarnetwentforwardatthesamemoment，sothatnolightshouldfalluponhisface。Onenteringtheroomheclosedthedoorbehindhim，pausingtillheheardtheretreatingfootstepsofthechild。
Hefoundhimselfinanapartmentwhichwassimplyandneatly，thoughnotpoorlyfurnished；everything，fromtheminiaturechiffonniertotheshininglittledaguerreotypewhichformedthecentralornamentofthemantelpiece，beinginscrupulousorder。Thepicturewasenclosedbyaframeofembroideredcard-board——evidentlytheworkoffemininehands——anditwastheportraitofathinfaced，elderlylieutenantinthenavy。Frombehindthelamponthetableafemaleformnowroseintoview，thatofayounggirl，andaresemblancebetweenherandtheportraitwasearlydiscoverable。Shehadbeensoabsorbedinsomeoccupationontheothersideofthelampastohavebarelyfoundtimetorealizehervisitor’spresence。
Theybothremainedstandingforafewsecondswithoutspeaking。ThefacethatconfrontedBarnethadabeautifuloutline；theRaffaelesqueovalofitscontourwasremarkableforanEnglishcountenance，andthatcountenancehousedinaremotecountry-roadtoanunheard-ofharbour。Butherfeaturesdidnotdojusticetothissplendidbeginning:NaturehadrecollectedthatshewasnotinItaly；andtheyounglady’slineaments，thoughnotsoinconsistentastomakeherplain，wouldhavebeenacceptedratheraspleasingthanascorrect。Thepreoccupiedexpressionwhich，likeimagesontheretina，remainedwithherforamomentafterthestatethatcausedithadceased，nowchangedintoareserved，half-proud，andslightlyindignantlook，inwhichtheblooddiffuseditselfquicklyacrosshercheek，andadditionalbrightnessbroketheshadeofherratherheavyeyes。
’IknowIhavenobusinesshere，’hesaid，answeringthelook。’ButIhadagreatwishtoseeyou，andinquirehowyouwere。Youcangiveyourhandtome，seeinghowoftenIhavehelditinpastdays？’
’Iwouldratherforgetthanrememberallthat，Mr。Barnet，’sheanswered，asshecoldlycompliedwiththerequest。’WhenIthinkofthecircumstancesofourlastmeeting，Icanhardlyconsideritkindofyoutoalludetosuchathingasourpast——or，indeed，tocomehereatall。’
’Therewasnoharminitsurely？Idon’ttroubleyouoften，Lucy。’
’Ihavenothadthehonourofavisitfromyouforaverylongtime，certainly，andIdidnotexpectitnow，’shesaid，withthesamestiffnessinherair。’IhopeMrs。Barnetisverywell？’
’Yes，yes！’heimpatientlyreturned。’AtleastIsupposeso——thoughIonlyspeakfrominference！’
’Butsheisyourwife，sir，’saidtheyounggirltremulously。
Theunwontedtonesofaman’svoiceinthatfemininechamberhadstartledacanarythatwasroostinginitscagebythewindow；thebirdawokehastily，andflutteredagainstthebars。Shewentandstilleditbylayingherfaceagainstthecageandmurmuringacoaxingsound。Itmightpartlyhavebeendonetostillherself。
’Ididn’tcometotalkofMrs。Barnet，’hepursued；’Icametotalkofyou，ofyourselfalone；toinquirehowyouaregettingonsinceyourgreatloss。’Andheturnedtowardstheportraitofherfather。
’Iamgettingonfairlywell，thankyou。’
Theforceofherutterancewasscarcelyborneoutbyherlook；butBarnetcourteouslyreproachedhimselffornothavingguessedathingsonatural；andtodissipateallembarrassment，added，ashebentoverthetable，’WhatwereyoudoingwhenIcame？——paintingflowers，andbycandlelight？’
’Ono，’shesaid，’notpaintingthem——onlysketchingtheoutlines。
Idothatatnighttosavetime——Ihavetogetthreedozendonebytheendofthemonth。’
Barnetlookedasifheregretteditdeeply。’Youwillwearyourpooreyesout，’hesaid，withmoresentimentthanhehadhithertoshown。’Yououghtnottodoit。TherewasatimewhenIshouldhavesaidyoumustnot。Well——IalmostwishIhadneverseenlightwithmyowneyeswhenIthinkofthat！’
’Isthisatimeorplaceforrecallingsuchmatters？’sheasked，withdignity。’Youusedtohaveagentlemanlyrespectforme，andforyourself。Don’tspeakanymoreasyouhavespoken，anddon’tcomeagain。Icannotthinkthatthisvisitisserious，orwascloselyconsideredbyyou。’
’Considered:well，Icametoseeyouasanoldandgoodfriend——nottomincematters，tovisitawomanIloved。Don’tbeangry！I
couldnothelpdoingit，somanythingsbroughtyouintomymind
