Barnetprivatelythoughtthedesignasufficientlyimposingoneasitstood，evenextravagantlyornate；but，feelingthathehadnorighttocriticize，hesaidgently，’Downe，shouldyounotlivemoreinyourchildren’slivesatthepresenttime，andsoftenthesharpnessofregretforyourownpastbythinkingoftheirfuture？’
’Yes，yes；butwhatcanIdomore？’askedDowne，wrinklinghisforeheadhopelessly。
ItwaswithanxiousslownessthatBarnetproducedhisreply——thesecretobjectofhisvisitto-night。’Didyounotsayonedaythatyououghtbyrightstogetagovernessforthechildren？’
Downeadmittedthathehadsaidso，butthathecouldnotseehiswaytoit。’ThekindofwomanIshouldliketohave，’hesaid，’wouldberatherbeyondmymeans。No；IthinkIshallsendthemtoschoolinthetownwhentheyareoldenoughtogooutalone。’
’Now，Iknowofsomethingbetterthanthat。ThelateLieutenantSavile’sdaughter，Lucy，wantstodosomethingforherselfinthewayofteaching。Shewouldbeinexpensive，andwouldansweryourpurposeaswellasanybodyforsixortwelvemonths。Shewouldprobablycomedailyifyouweretoaskher，andsoyourhousekeepingarrangementswouldnotbemuchaffected。’
’Ithoughtshehadgoneaway，’saidthesolicitor，musing。’Wheredoesshelive？’
Barnettoldhim，andaddedthat，ifDowneshouldthinkofherassuitable，hewoulddowelltocallassoonaspossible，orshemightbeonthewing。’Ifyoudoseeher，’hesaid，’itwouldbeadvisablenottomentionmyname。Sheisratherstiffinherideasofme，anditmightprejudiceheragainstacourseifsheknewthatIrecommendedit。’
Downepromisedtogivethesubjecthisconsideration，andnothingmorewassaidaboutitjustthen。ButwhenBarnetrosetogo，whichwasnottillnearlybedtime，heremindedDowneofthesuggestionandwentupthestreettohisownsolitaryhomewithasenseofsatisfactionathispromisingdiplomacyinacharitablecause。
Thewallsofhisnewhousewerecarriedupnearlytotheirfullheight。Byacuriousthoughnotinfrequentreaction，Barnet’sfeelingsaboutthatunnecessarystructurehadundergoneachange；hetookconsiderableinterestinitsprogressasalong-neglectedthing，hiswifebeforeherdeparturehavinggrownquitewearyofitasahobby。Moreover，itwasanexcellentdistractionforamanintheunhappypositionofhavingtoliveinaprovincialtownwithnothingtodo。Hewasprobablythefirstofhislinewhohadeverpassedadaywithouttoil，andperhapssomethinglikeaninheritedinstinctdisqualifiessuchmenforalifeofpleasantinaction，suchasliesinthepowerofthosewhoseleisureisnotapersonalaccident，butavasthistoricalaccretionwhichhasbecomepartoftheirnatures。
ThusBarnetgotintoawayofspendingmanyofhisleisurehoursonthesiteofthenewbuilding，andhemighthavebeenseenonmostdaysatthistimetryingthetemperofthemortarbypunchingthejointswithhisstick，lookingatthegrainofafloor-board，andmeditatingwhereitgrew，orpicturingunderwhatcircumstancesthelastfirewouldbekindledintheatpresentsootlesschimneys。Onedaywhenthusoccupiedhesawthreechildrenpassbyinthecompanyofafairyoungwoman，whosesuddenappearancecausedhimtoflushperceptibly。
’Ah，sheisthere，’hethought。’That’sablessedthing。’
Castinganinterestedglanceovertherisingbuildingandthebusyworkmen，LucySavileandthelittleDownespassedby；andafterthattimeitbecamearegularthoughalmostunconsciouscustomofBarnettostandinthehalf-completedhouseandlookfromtheungarnishedwindowsatthegovernessasshetrippedtowardsthesea-shorewithheryoungcharges，whichshewasinthehabitofdoingonmostfineafternoons。Itwasononeoftheseoccasions，whenhehadbeenloiteringonthefirst-floorlanding，neartheholeleftforthestaircase，notyeterected，thatthereappearedabovetheedgeoftheflooralittlehat，followedbyalittlehead。
Barnetwithdrewthroughadoorway，andthechildcametothetopoftheladder，steppingontothefloorandcryingtohersistersandMissSaviletofollow。Anotherheadroseabovethefloor，andanother，andthenLucyherselfcameintoview。Thetroopranhitherandthitherthroughtheempty，shaving-strewnrooms，andBarnetcameforward。
Lucyutteredasmallexclamation:shewasverysorrythatshehadintruded；shehadnottheleastideathatMr。Barnetwasthere:thechildrenhadcomeup，andshehadfollowed。
Barnetrepliedthathewasonlytoogladtoseethemthere。’Andnow，letmeshowyoutherooms，’hesaid。
Shepassivelyassented，andhetookherround。Therewasnotmuchtoshowinsuchabareskeletonofahouse，buthemadethemostofit，andexplainedthedifferentornamentalfittingsthatweresoontobefixedhereandthere。Lucymadebutfewremarksinreply，thoughsheseemedpleasedwithhervisit，andstoleawaydowntheladder，followedbyhercompanions。
AfterthisthenewresidencebecameyetmoreofahobbyforBarnet。
Downe’schildrendidnotforgettheirfirstvisit，andwhenthewindowswereglazed，andthehandsomestaircasespreaditsbroadlowstepsintothehall，theycameagain，prancinginunweariedsuccessionthrougheveryroomfromground-floortoattics，whileLucystoodwaitingforthematthedoor。Barnet，whorarelymissedadayincomingtoinspectprogress，steppedoutfromthedrawing-
room。
’Icouldnotkeepthemout，’shesaid，withanapologeticblush。’I
triedtodosoverymuch:buttheyareratherwilful，andwearedirectedtowalkthiswayfortheseaair。’
’Doletthemmakethehousetheirregularplayground，andyouyours，’saidBarnet。’Thereisnobetterplaceforchildrentorompandtaketheirexerciseinthananemptyhouse，particularlyinmuddyordampweathersuchasweshallgetagooddealofnow；andthisplacewillnotbefurnishedforalonglongtime——perhapsnever。Iamnotatalldecidedaboutit。’
’O，butitmust！’repliedLucy，lookingroundatthehall。’Theroomsareexcellent，twiceashighasours；andtheviewsfromthewindowsaresolovely。’
’Idaresay，Idaresay，’hesaidabsently。
’Willallthefurniturebenew？’sheasked。
’Allthefurniturebenew——that’sathingIhavenotthoughtof。InfactIonlycomehereandlookon。Myfather’shousewouldhavebeenlargeenoughforme，butanotherpersonhadavoiceinthematter，anditwassettledthatweshouldbuild。However，theplacegrowsuponme；itsrecentassociationsarecheerful，andIamgettingtolikeitfast。’
AcertainuneasinessinLucy’smannershowedthattheconversationwastakingtoopersonalaturnforher。’Still，asmoderntastesdevelop，peoplerequiremoreroomtogratifythemin，’shesaid，withdrawingtocallthechildren；andserenelybiddinghimgoodafternoonshewentonherway。
Barnet’slifeatthisperiodwassingularlylonely，andyethewashappierthanhecouldhaveexpected。Hiswife’sestrangementandabsence，whichpromisedtobepermanent，lefthimfreeasaboyinhismovements，andthesolitarywalksthathetookgavehimampleopportunityforchastenedreflectiononwhatmighthavebeenhislotifhehadonlyshownwisdomenoughtoclaimLucySavilewhentherewasnobarbetweentheirlives，andshewastobehadfortheasking。HewouldoccasionallycallatthehouseofhisfriendDowne；buttherewasscarcelyenoughincommonbetweentheirtwonaturestomakethemmorethanfriendsofthatexcellentsortwhosepersonalknowledgeofeachother’shistoryandcharacterisalwaysinexcessofintimacy，wherebytheyarenotsolikelytobeseveredbyaclashofsentimentasincaseswhereintimacyspringsupinexcessofknowledge。Lucywasnevervisibleatthesetimes，beingeitherengagedintheschool-room，orintakinganairingoutofdoors；but，knowingthatshewasnowcomfortable，andhadgivenupthe，tohim，depressingideaofgoingofftotheothersideoftheglobe，hewasquitecontent。
Thenewhousehadsofarprogressedthatthegardenerswerebeginningtograssdownthefront。Duringanafternoonwhichhewaspassinginmarkingthecurveforthecarriage-drive，hebeheldhercominginboldlytowardshimfromtheroad。HithertoBarnethadonlycaughtheronthepremisesbystealth；andthisadvanceseemedtoshowthatatlastherreservehadbrokendown。
Asmilegainedstrengthuponherfaceassheapproached，anditwasquiteradiantwhenshecameup，andsaid，withoutatraceofembarrassment，’IfindIoweyouahundredthanks——anditcomestomequiteasasurprise！ItwasthroughyourkindnessthatIwasengagedbyMr。Downe。Believeme，Mr。Barnet，Ididnotknowituntilyesterday，orIshouldhavethankedyoulongandlongago！’
’Ihadoffendedyou——justatrifle——atthetime，Ithink？’saidBarnet，smiling，’anditwasbestthatyoushouldnotknow。’
’Yes，yes，’shereturnedhastily。’Don’talludetothat；itispastandover，andwewillletitbe。Thehouseisfinishedalmost，isitnot？Howbeautifulitwilllookwhentheevergreensaregrown！
DoyoucallthestylePalladian，Mr。Barnet？’
’I——reallydon’tquiteknowwhatitis。Yes，itmustbePalladian，certainly。ButI’llaskJones，thearchitect；for，totellthetruth，Ihadnotthoughtmuchaboutthestyle:Ihadnothingtodowithchoosingit，Iamsorrytosay。’
Shewouldnotlethimharponthisgloomyrefrain，andtalkedonbrightmatterstillshesaid，producingasmallrollofpaperwhichhehadnoticedinherhandallthewhile，’Mr。DownewishedmetobringyouthisreviseddrawingofthelateMrs。Downe’stomb，whichthearchitecthasjustsenthim。Hewouldlikeyoutolookitover。’
Thechildrencameupwiththeirhoops，andshewentoffwiththemdowntheharbour-roadasusual。Barnethadbeengladtogetthosewordsofthanks；hehadbeenthinkingformanymonthsthathewouldlikehertoknowofhisshareinfindingherahomesuchasitwas；
andwhathecouldnotdoforhimself，Downehadnowkindlydoneforhim。Hereturnedtohisdesolatehousewithalightertread；thoughinreasonhehardlyknewwhyhistreadshouldbelight。
Onexaminingthedrawing，Barnetfoundthat，insteadofthevastaltar-tombandcanopyDownehaddeterminedonattheirlastmeeting，itwastobeamoremodestmemorialeventhanhadbeensuggestedbythearchitect；acopedtombofgoodsolidconstruction，withnouselesselaborationatall。BarnetwastrulygladtoseethatDownehadcometoreasonofhisownaccord；andhereturnedthedrawingwithanoteofapproval。
Hefollowedupthehouse-workasbefore，andashewalkedupanddowntherooms，occasionallygazingfromthewindowsoverthebulginggreenhillsandthequietharbourthatlaybetweenthem，hemurmuredwordsandfragmentsofwords，which，iflistenedto，wouldhaverevealedallthesecretsofhisexistence。Whateverhisreasoningoingthere，Lucydidnotcallagain:thewalktotheshoreseemedtobeabandoned:hemusthavethoughtitaswellforboththatitshouldbeso，forhedidnotgoanywhereoutofhisaccustomedwaystoendeavourtodiscoverher。
