gatewereacoupleofcarriages，andBarnetthencouldperceivethatthemarriagebetweenDowneandLucywasatthatmomentbeingsolemnizedwithin。Afeelingofsudden，proudself-confidence，anindocilewishtowalkunmovedinspiteofgrimenvironments，plainlypossessedhim，andwhenhereachedthewicket-gateheturnedinwithoutapparenteffort。Pacingupthepavedfootwayheenteredthechurchandstoodforawhileinthenavepassage。Agroupofpeoplewasstandingroundthevestrydoor；Barnetadvancedthroughtheseandsteppedintothevestry。
Theretheywere，busilysigningtheirnames。SeeingDowneabouttolookround，Barnetavertedhissomewhatdisturbedfaceforasecondortwo；whenheturnedagainfronttofronthewascalmandquitesmiling；itwasacreditabletriumphoverhimself，anddeservedtoberememberedinhisnativetown。HegreetedDowneheartily，offeringhiscongratulations。
ItseemedasifBarnetexpectedahalf-guiltylookuponLucy’sface；
butno，savethenaturalflushandflurryengenderedbytheservicejustperformed，therewasnothingwhateverinherbearingwhichshowedadisturbedmind:hergray-browneyescarriedinthemnowasatothertimesthewell-knownexpressionofcommon-sensedrectitudewhichneverwentsofarastotouchonhardness。Sheshookhandswithhim，andDownesaidwarmly，’Iwishyoucouldhavecomesooner:
Icalledonpurposetoaskyou。You’lldrivebackwithusnow？’
’No，no，’saidBarnet；’Iamnotatallprepared；butIthoughtI
wouldlookinuponyouforamoment，eventhoughIhadnottimetogohomeanddress。I’llstandbackandseeyoupassout，andobservetheeffectofthespectacleuponmyselfasoneofthepublic。’
ThenLucyandherhusbandlaughed，andBarnetlaughedandretired；
andthequietlittlepartywentglidingdownthenaveandtowardstheporch，Lucy’snewsilkdresssweepingwithasmartrustleroundthebase-mouldingsoftheancientfont，andDowne’slittledaughtersfollowinginastateofround-eyedinterestintheirposition，andthatofLucy，theirteacherandfriend。
SoDownewascomfortedafterhisEmily’sdeath，whichhadtakenplacetwelvemonths，twoweeks，andthreedaysbeforethattime。
Whenthetwoflyshaddrivenoffandthespectatorshadvanished，Barnetfollowedtothedoor，andwentoutintothesun。Hetooknomoretroubletopreserveaspruceexterior；hisstepwasunequal，hesitating，almostconvulsive；andtheslightchangesofcolourwhichwentoninhisfaceseemedrefractedfromsomeinwardflame。
Inthechurchyardhebecamepaleasasummercloud，andfindingitnoteasytoproceedhesatdownononeofthetombstonesandsupportedhisheadwithhishand。
Hardbywasasextonfillingupagravewhichhehadnotfoundtimetofinishonthepreviousevening。ObservingBarnet，hewentuptohim，andrecognizinghim，said，’ShallIhelpyouhome，sir？’
’Ono，thankyou，’saidBarnet，rousinghimselfandstandingup。
Thesextonreturnedtohisgrave，followedbyBarnet，who，afterwatchinghimawhile，steppedintothegrave，nownearlyfilled，andhelpedtotreadintheearth。
Thesextonapparentlythoughthisconductalittlesingular，buthemadenoobservation，andwhenthegravewasfull，Barnetsuddenlystopped，lookedfaraway，andwithadecidedstepproceededtothegateandvanished。Thesextonrestedonhisshovelandlookedafterhimforafewmoments，andthenbeganbankingupthemound。
InthoseshortminutesoftreadinginthedeadmanBarnethadformedadesign，butwhatitwastheinhabitantsofthattowndidnotforsomelongtimeimagine。Hewenthome，wroteseverallettersofbusiness，calledonhislawyer，anoldmanofthesameplacewhohadbeenthelegaladviserofBarnet’sfatherbeforehim，andduringtheeveningoverhauledalargequantityoflettersandotherdocumentsinhispossession。Byeleveno’clocktheheapofpapersinandbeforeBarnet’sgratehadreachedformidabledimensions，andhebegantoburnthem。This，owingtotheirquantity，itwasnotsoeasytodoashehadexpected，andhesatlongintothenighttocompletethetask。
ThenextmorningBarnetdepartedforLondon，leavinganoteforDownetoinformhimofMrs。Barnet’ssuddendeath，andthathewasgonetoburyher；butwhenathrice-sufficienttimeforthatpurposehadelapsed，hewasnotseenagaininhisaccustomedwalks，orinhisnewhouse，orinhisoldone。Hewasgoneforgood，nobodyknewwhither。Itwassoondiscoveredthathehadempoweredhislawyertodisposeofallhisproperty，realandpersonal，intheborough，andpayintheproceedstotheaccountofanunknownpersonatoneofthelargeLondonbanks。Thepersonwasbysomesupposedtobehimselfunderanassumedname；butfew，ifany，hadcertainknowledgeofthatfact。
Theelegantnewresidencewassoldwiththerestofhispossessions；
anditspurchaserwasnootherthanDowne，nowathrivingmanintheborough，andonewhosegrowingfamilyandnewwiferequiredmoreroomyaccommodationthanwasaffordedbythelittlehouseupthenarrowsidestreet。Barnet’soldhabitationwasboughtbythetrusteesoftheCongregationalBaptistbodyinthattown，whopulleddownthetime-honoureddwellingandbuiltanewchapelonitssite。
Bythetimethelasthourofthat，toBarnet，eventfulyearhadchimed，everyvestigeofhimhaddisappearedfromtheprecinctsofhisnativeplace，andthenamebecameextinctintheboroughofPort-Bredy，afterhavingbeenalivingforcethereinformorethantwohundredyears。
Twenty-oneyearsandsixmonthsdonotpasswithoutsettingamarkevenupondurablestoneandtriplebrass；uponhumanitysuchaperiodworksnothinglessthantransformation。InBarnet’soldbirthplacevivaciousyoungchildrenwithboneslikeindia-rubberhadgrownuptobestablemenandwomen，menandwomenhaddriedintheskin，stiffened，withered，andsunkintodecrepitude；whileselectionsfromeveryclasshadbeenconsignedtotheoutlyingcemetery。Ofinorganicdifferencesthegreatestwasthatarailwayhadinvadedthetown，tyingitontoamainlineatajunctionadozenmilesoff。Barnet’shouseontheharbour-road，oncesoinsistentlynew，hadacquiredarespectablemellowness，withivy，Virginiacreepers，lichens，damppatches，andevenconstitutionalinfirmitiesofitsownlikeitselderfellows。Itsarchitecture，oncesoveryimprovedandmodern，hadalreadybecomestaleinstyle，withouthavingreachedthedignityofbeingold-fashioned。Treesabouttheharbour-roadhadincreasedincircumferenceordisappearedunderthesaw；whilethechurchhadhadsuchatremendouspracticaljokeplayeduponitbysomefacetiousrestorerorotherastobescarcerecognizablebyitsdearestoldfriends。
DuringthislongintervalGeorgeBarnethadneveroncebeenseenorheardofinthetownofhisfathers。
Itwastheeveningofamarket-day，andsomehalf-dozenmiddle-agedfarmersanddairymenwereloungingroundthebaroftheBlack-BullHotel，occasionallydroppingaremarktoeachother，andlessfrequentlytothetwobarmaidswhostoodwithinthepewter-toppedcounterinaperfunctoryattitudeofattention，theselattersighingandmakingaprivateobservationtooneanotheratoddintervals，onmoreinterestingexperiencesthanthepresent。
’Daysgetshorter，’saidoneofthedairymen，ashelookedtowardsthestreet，andnoticedthatthelamp-lighterwaspassingby。
Thefarmersmerelyacknowledgedbytheircountenancestheproprietyofthisremark，andfindingthatnobodyelsespoke，oneofthebarmaidssaid’yes，’inatoneofpainfulduty。
’Comefair-dayweshallhavetolightupbeforewestartforhome-
along。’
’That’strue，’hisneighbourconceded，withagazeofblankness。
’Andafterthatweshan’tseemuchfurtherdifferenceall’swinter。’
Therestwerenotunwillingtogoevensofarasthis。
Thebarmaidsighedagain，andraisedoneofherhandsfromthecounteronwhichtheyrestedtoscratchthesmallestsurfaceofherfacewiththesmallestofherfingers。Shelookedtowardsthedoor，andpresentlyremarked，’IthinkIhearthe’buscominginfromstation。’
Theeyesofthedairymenandfarmersturnedtotheglassdoordividingthehallfromtheporch，andinaminuteortwotheomnibusdrewupoutside。Thentherewasalumberingdownofluggage，andthenamancameintothehall，followedbyaporterwithaportmanteauonhispoll，whichhedepositedonabench。
Thestrangerwasanelderlyperson，withcurlyashenwhitehair，adeeply-crevicedoutercornertoeacheyelid，andacountenancebakedbyinnumerablesunstothecolourofterra-cotta，itshueandthatofhishaircontrastinglikeheatandcoldrespectively。Hewalkedmeditativelyandgently，likeonewhowasfearfulofdisturbinghisownmentalequilibrium。Butwhateverlayatthebottomofhisbreasthadevidentlymadehimsoaccustomedtoitssituationtherethatitcausedhimlittlepracticalinconvenience。
Hepausedinsilencewhile，withhisdubiouseyesfixedonthebarmaids，heseemedtoconsiderhimself。Inamomentortwoheaddressedthem，andaskedtobeaccommodatedforthenight。Ashewaitedhelookedcuriouslyroundthehall，butsaidnothing。Assoonasinvitedhedisappearedupthestaircase，precededbyachambermaidandcandle，andfollowedbyaladwithhistrunk。Notasoulhadrecognizedhim。
Aquarterofanhourlater，whenthefarmersanddairymenhaddrivenofftotheirhomesteadsinthecountry，hecamedownstairs，tookabiscuitandoneglassofwine，andwalkedoutintothetown，wheretheradiancefromtheshop-windowshadgrownsoinvolumeoflateyearsastofloodwithcheerfulnesseverystandingcart，barrow，stall，andidlerthatoccupiedthewayside，whethershabbyorgenteel。Hischiefinterestatpresentseemedtolieinthenamespaintedovertheshop-frontsandondoor-ways，asfarastheywerevisible；thesenowdifferedtoanominousextentfromwhattheyhadbeenone-and-twentyyearsbefore。
Thetravellerpassedontillhecametothebookseller’s，wherehelookedinthroughtheglassdoor。Afresh-facedyoungmanwasstandingbehindthecounter，otherwisetheshopwasempty。Thegray-hairedobserverentered，askedforsomeperiodicalbywayofpayingforadmission，andwithhiselbowonthecounterbegantoturnoverthepageshehadbought，thoughthathereadnothingwasobvious。
