。ThiseveningIfellinwithanacquaintance，andwhenIsawhowhappyhewaswithhiswifeandfamilywelcominghimhome，thoughwithonlyone-tenthofmyincomeandchances，andthoughtwhatmighthavebeeninmycase，itfairlybrokedownmydiscretion，andoffI camehere。NowIamhereIfeelthatIamwrongtosomeextent。
ButthefeelingthatIshouldliketoseeyou，andtalkofthoseweusedtoknowincommon，wasverystrong。’
’Beforethatcanbethecasealittlemoretimemustpass，’saidMissSavilequietly；’atimelongenoughformetoregardwithsomecalmnesswhatatpresentIrememberfartooimpatiently——thoughitmaybeyoualmostforgetit。Indeedyoumusthaveforgottenitlongbeforeyouactedasyoudid。’Hervoicegrewstrongerandmorevivaciousassheadded:’ButIamdoingmybesttoforgetittoo，andIknowIshallsucceedfromtheprogressIhavemadealready！’
Shehadremainedstandingtillnow，whensheturnedandsatdown，facinghalfawayfromhim。
Barnetwatchedhermoodily。’Yes，itisonlywhatIdeserve，’hesaid。’Ambitionprickedmeon——no，itwasnotambition，itwaswrongheadedness！HadIbutreflected……’Hebrokeoutvehemently:’Butalwaysrememberthis，Lucy:ifyouhadwrittentomeonlyonelittlelineafterthatmisunderstanding，IdeclareI
shouldhavecomebacktoyou。Thatruinedme！’heslowlywalkedasfarasthelittleroomwouldallowhimtogo，andremainedwithhiseyesontheskirting。
’But，Mr。Barnet，howcouldIwritetoyou？Therewasnoopeningformydoingso。’
’Thenthereoughttohavebeen，’saidBarnet，turning。’Thatwasmyfault！’
’Well，Idon’tknowanythingaboutthat；butastherehadbeennothingsaidbymewhichrequiredanyexplanationbyletter，Ididnotsendone。Everythingwassoindefinite，andfeelingyourpositiontobesomuchwealthierthanmine，IfanciedImighthavemistakenyourmeaning。AndwhenIheardoftheotherlady——awomanofwhosefamilyevenyoumightbeproud——IthoughthowfoolishIhadbeen，andsaidnothing。’
’ThenIsupposeitwasdestiny——accident——Idon’tknowwhat，thatseparatedus，dearLucy。AnyhowyouwerethewomanIoughttohavemademywife——andIletyouslip，likethefoolishmanthatIwas！’
’O，Mr。Barnet，’shesaid，almostintears，’don’trevivethesubjecttome；Iamthewrongonetoconsoleyou——think，sir，——youshouldnotbehere——itwouldbesobadformeifitwereknown！’
’Itwould——itwould，indeed，’hesaidhastily。’Iamnotrightindoingthis，andIwon’tdoitagain。’
’Itisaverycommonfollyofhumannature，youknow，tothinkthecourseyoudidNOTadoptmusthavebeenthebest，’shecontinued，withgentlesolicitude，asshefollowedhimtothedooroftheroom。
’Andyoudon’tknowthatIshouldhaveacceptedyou，evenifyouhadaskedmetobeyourwife。’Atthishiseyemethers，andshedroppedhergaze。Sheknewthathervoicebeliedher。Therewasasilencetillshelookeduptoadd，inavoiceofsoothingplayfulness，’Myfamilywassomuchpoorerthanyours，evenbeforeI
lostmydearfather，that——perhapsyourcompanionswouldhavemadeitunpleasantforusonaccountofmydeficiencies。’
’Yourdispositionwouldsoonhavewonthemround，’saidBarnet。
Shearchlyexpostulated:’Now，nevermindmydisposition；trytomakeitupwithyourwife！Thosearemycommandstoyou。Andnowyouaretoleavemeatonce。’
’Iwill。Imustmakethebestofitall，Isuppose，’hereplied，morecheerfullythanhehadasyetspoken。’ButIshallneveragainmeetwithsuchadeargirlasyou！’Andhesuddenlyopenedthedoor，andleftheralone。Whenhisglanceagainfellonthelampsthatweresparselyrangedalongthedrearylevelroad，hiseyeswereinastatewhichshowedstraw-likemotesoflightradiatingfromeachflameintothesurroundingair。
OntheothersideofthewayBarnetobservedamanunderanumbrella，walkingparallelwithhimself。Presentlythismanleftthefootway，andgraduallyconvergedonBarnet’scourse。ThelatterthensawthatitwasCharlson，asurgeonofthetown，whoowedhimmoney。Charlsonwasamannotwithoutability；yethedidnotprosper。Sundrycircumstancesstoodinhiswayasamedicalpractitioner:hewasneedy；hewasnotacoddle；hegossipedwithmeninsteadofwithwomen；hehadmarriedastrangerinsteadofoneofthetownyoungladies；andhewasgiventoconversationalbuffoonery。Moreover，hislookwasquiteerroneous。Thoseonlyproperfeaturesinthefamilydoctor，thequieteye，andthethinstraightpassionlesslipswhichnevercurlinpubliceitherforlaughterorforscorn，werenothis；hehadafull-curvedmouth，andaboldblackeyethatmadetimidpeoplenervous。Hiscompanionswerewhatinoldtimeswouldhavebeencalledbooncompanions——anexpressionwhich，thoughofirreproachableroot，suggestsfraternizationcarriedtothepointofunscrupulousness。Allthiswasagainsthiminthelittletownofhisadoption。
Charlsonhadbeenindifficulties，andtoobligehimBarnethadputhisnametoabill；and，ashehadexpected，wascalledupontomeetitwhenitfelldue。Ithadbeenonlyamatteroffiftypounds，whichBarnetcouldwellaffordtolose，andheborenoill-willtothethriftlesssurgeononaccountofit。ButCharlsonhadalittletoomuchbrazenindifferentisminhiscompositiontobealtogetheradesirableacquaintance。
’Ihopetobeabletomakethatlittlebill-businessrightwithyouinthecourseofthreeweeks，Mr。Barnet，’saidCharlsonwithhail-
fellowfriendliness。
Barnetrepliedgood-naturedlythattherewasnohurry。
ThisparticularthreeweekshadmovedoninadvanceofCharlson’spresentwiththeprecisionofashadowforsomeconsiderabletime。
’I’vehadadream，’Charlsoncontinued。Barnetknewfromhistonethatthesurgeonwasgoingtobeginhischaracteristicnonsense，anddidnotencouragehim。’I’vehadadream，’repeatedCharlson，whorequirednoencouragement。’Idreamedthatagentleman，whohasbeenverykindtome，marriedahaughtyladyinhaste，beforehehadquiteforgottenanicelittlegirlheknewbefore，andthatonewetevening，likethepresent，asIwaswalkinguptheharbour-road，I
sawhimcomeoutofthatdearlittlegirl’spresentabode。’
Barnetglancedtowardsthespeaker。TheraysfromaneighbouringlampstruckthroughthedrizzleunderCharlson’sumbrella，soasjusttoilluminehisfaceagainsttheshadebehind，andshowthathiseyewasturnedupundertheoutercornerofitslid，whenceitleeredwithimpishjocosenessashethrusthistongueintohischeek。
’Come，’saidBarnetgravely，’we’llhavenomoreofthat。’
’No，no——ofcoursenot，’Charlsonhastilyanswered，seeingthathishumourhadcarriedhimtoofar，asithaddonemanytimesbefore。
Hewasprofuseinhisapologies，butBarnetdidnotreply。Ofonethinghewascertain——thatscandalwasaplantofquickroot，andthathewasboundtoobeyLucy’sinjunctionforLucy’sownsake。
Hedidso，totheletter；andthough，asthecrocusfollowedthesnowdropandthedaffodilthecrocusinLucy’sgarden，theharbour-
roadwasanotunpleasantplacetowalkin，Barnet’sfeetnevertroditsstones，muchlessapproachedherdoor。Heavoidedasaunterthatwayashewouldhaveavoidedadangerousdram，andtookhisairingsalongdistancenorthward，amongseverelysquareandbrownploughedfields，wherenoothertownsmancame。Sometimeshewentroundbythelowerlanesoftheborough，wheretherope-walksstretchedinwhichhisfamilyformerlyhadshare，andlookedattherope-makerswalkingbackwards，overhungbyapple-treesandbushes，andintrudedonbycowsandcalves，asiftradehadestablisheditselfthereatconsiderableinconveniencetoNature。
Onemorning，whenthesunwassowarmastoraiseasteamfromthesouth-easternslopesofthoseflankinghillsthatlookedsolovelyabovetheoldroofs，butmadeeverylow-chimneyedhouseinthetownassmokyasTophet，Barnetglancedfromthewindowsofthetown-
councilroomforlackofinterestinwhatwasproceedingwithin。
Severalmembersofthecorporationwerepresent，buttherewasnotmuchbusinessdoing，andinafewminutesDownecameleisurelyacrosstohim，sayingthatheseldomsawBarnetnow。
Barnetownedthathewasnotoftenpresent。
Downelookedatthecrimsoncurtainwhichhungdownbesidethepanes，reflectingitshothuesintotheirfaces，andthenoutofthewindow。Atthatmomenttherepassedalongthestreetatallcommandinglady，inwhomthesolicitorrecognizedBarnet’swife。
Barnethaddonethesamething，andturnedaway。
’Itwillbeallrightsomeday，’saidDowne，withcheeringsympathy。
’Youhaveheard，then，ofherlastoutbreak？’
Downedepressedhischeerfulnesstoitsveryreverseinamoment。
’No，Ihavenotheardofanythingserious，’hesaid，withaslongafaceasonenaturallyroundcouldbeturnedintoatshortnotice。
’Ionlyhearvaguereportsofsuchthings。’
’Youmaythinkitwillbeallright，’saidBarnetdrily。’ButI
haveadifferentopinion……No，Downe，wemustlookthethingintheface。Notpoppynormandragora——however，howareyourwifeandchildren？’
Downesaidthattheywereallwell，thanks；theywereoutthatmorningsomewhere；hewasjustlookingtoseeiftheywerewalkingthatway。Ah，theretheywere，justcomingdownthestreet；andDownepointedtothefiguresoftwochildrenwithanursemaid，andaladywalkingbehindthem。
’Youwillcomeoutandspeaktoher？’heasked。
’Notthismorning。ThefactisIdon’tcaretospeaktoanybodyjustnow。’
’Youaretoosensitive，Mr。Barnet。AtschoolIrememberyouusedtogetasredasaroseifanybodyutteredawordthathurtyourfeelings。’
