Shedidmostofthetalking，hermotherlisteningwithahalf-absentair，asshepickedupfragmentsofred-hotwoodemberwiththetongs，andpiledthemuponthebrands。Butthenumberofspeechesthatpassedwasverysmallinproportiontothemeaningsexchanged。
Longexperiencetogetheroftenenabledthemtoseethecourseofthoughtineachother’smindswithoutawordbeingspoken。Behindthem，inthecentreoftheroom，thetablewasspreadforsupper，certainwhiffsofairladenwithfatvapours，whicheverandanonenteredfromthekitchen，denotingitspreparationthere。
’Thenewgownhewasgoingtosendyoustaysaboutonthewaylikehimself，’Sally’smotherwassaying。
’Yes，notfinished，Idaresay，’criedSallyindependently。’Lord，I
shouldn’tbeamazedifitdidn’tcomeatall！Youngmenmakesuchkindpromiseswhentheyarenearyou，andforget’emwhentheygoaway。Buthedoesn’tintenditasawedding-gown——hegivesittomemerelyasagowntowearwhenIlike——atravelling-dressiswhatitwouldbecalledbysome。Comeratheorcomelateitdon’tmuchmatter，asIhaveadressofmyowntofallbackupon。Butwhattimeisit？’
Shewenttothefamilyclockandopenedtheglass，forthehourwasnototherwisediscerniblebynight，andindeedatalltimeswasratherathingtobeinvestigatedthanbeheld，somuchmorewallthanwindowwasthereintheapartment。’Itisnearlyeight，’saidshe。
’Eighto’clock，andneitherdressnorman，’saidMrs。Hall。
’Mother，ifyouthinktotantalizemebytalkinglikethat，youaremuchmistaken！Lethimbeaslateashewill——orstayawayaltogether——Idon’tcare，’saidSally。Butatender，minutequaverinthenegationshowedthattherewassomethingforcedinthatstatement。
Mrs。Hallperceivedit，anddrilyobservedthatshewasnotsosureaboutSallynotcaring。’Butperhapsyoudon’tcaresomuchasI
do，afterall，’shesaid。’ForIseewhatyoudon’t，thatitisagoodandflourishingmatchforyou；averyhonourableofferinMr。
Darton。AndIthinkIseeakindhusbandinhim。SoprayGod’twillgosmooth，andwindupwell。’
Sallywouldnotlistentomisgivings。Ofcourseitwouldgosmoothly，sheasserted。’Howyouareupanddown，mother！’shewenton。’Atthismoment，whateverhindershim，wearenotsoanxioustoseehimasheistobehere，andhisthoughtrunsonbeforehim，andsettlesdownuponuslikethestarintheeast。Hark！’sheexclaimed，withabreathofrelief，hereyessparkling。’Iheardsomething。Yes——heretheyare！’
Thenextmomenthermother’sslowerearalsodistinguishedthefamiliarreverberationoccasionedbyfootstepsclamberinguptherootsofthesycamore。
’Yesitsoundslikethematlast，’shesaid。’Well，itisnotsoverylateafterall，consideringthedistance。’
Thefootfallceased，andtheyarose，expectingaknock。Theybegantothinkitmighthavebeen，afterall，someneighbouringvillagerunderBacchicinfluence，givingthecentreoftheroadawideberth，whentheirdoubtsweredispelledbythenew-comer’sentryintothepassage。Thedooroftheroomwasgentlyopened，andthereappeared，notthepairoftravellerswithwhomwehavealreadymadeacquaintance，butapale-facedmaninthegarbofextremepoverty——
almostinrags。
’O，it’satramp——graciousme！’saidSally，startingback。
Hischeeksandeye-orbitsweredeepconcaves——rather，itmightbe，fromnaturalweaknessofconstitutionthanirregularliving，thoughtherewereindicationsthathehadlednocarefullife。Hegazedatthetwowomenfixedlyforamoment:thenwithanabashed，humiliateddemeanour，droppedhisglancetothefloor，andsankintoachairwithoututteringaword。
Sallywasinadvanceofhermother，whohadremainedstandingbythefire。Shenowtriedtodiscernthevisitoracrossthecandles。
’Why——mother，’saidSallyfaintly，turningbacktoMrs。Hall。’ItisPhil，fromAustralia！’
Mrs。Hallstarted，andgrewpale，andafitofcoughingseizedthemanwiththeraggedclothes。’Tocomehomelikethis！’shesaid。
’O，Philip——areyouill？’
’No，no，mother，’repliedheimpatiently，assoonashecouldspeak。
’ButforGod’ssakehowdoyoucomehere——andjustnowtoo？’
’Well，Iamhere，’saidtheman。’HowitisIhardlyknow。I’vecomehome，mother，becauseIwasdriventoit。Thingswereagainstmeoutthere，andwentfrombadtoworse。’
’Thenwhydidn’tyouletusknow？——you’venotwritalineforthelasttwoorthreeyears。’
Thesonadmittedsadlythathehadnot。Hesaidthathehadhopedandthoughthemightfetchupagain，andbeabletosendgoodnews。
Thenhehadbeenobligedtoabandonthathope，andhadfinallycomehomefromsheernecessity——previouslytomakinganewstart。’Yes，thingsareverybadwithme，’herepeated，perceivingtheircommiseratingglancesathisclothes。
Theybroughthimnearerthefire，tookhishatfromhisthinhand，whichwassosmallandsmoothastoshowthathisattemptstofetchupagainhadnotbeeninamanualdirection。Hismotherresumedherinquiries，anddubiouslyaskedifhehadchosentocomethatparticularnightforanyspecialreason。
Fornoreason，hetoldher。Hisarrivalhadbeenquiteatrandom。
ThenPhilipHalllookedroundtheroom，andsawforthefirsttimethatthetablewaslaidsomewhatluxuriously，andforalargernumberthanthemselves；andthatanairoffestivitypervadedtheirdress。Heaskedquicklywhatwasgoingon。
’Sallyisgoingtobemarriedinadayortwo，’repliedthemother；
andsheexplainedhowMr。Darton，Sally’sintendedhusband，wascomingtherethatnightwiththegroomsman，Mr。Johns，andotherdetails。’Wethoughtitmustbetheirstepwhenweheardyou，’saidMrs。Hall。
Theneedywandererlookedagainonthefloor。’Isee——Isee，’hemurmured。’Why，indeed，shouldIhavecometo-night？SuchfolkasIarenotwantedhereatthesetimes，naturally。AndIhavenobusinesshere——spoilingotherpeople’shappiness。’
’Phil，’saidhismother，withatearinhereye，butwithathinnessoflipandseverityofmannerwhichwerepresumablynotmorethanpasteventsjustified；’sinceyouspeaklikethattome，I’llspeakhonestlytoyou。Forthesethreeyearsyouhavetakennothoughtforus。Youlefthomewithagoodsupplyofmoney，andstrengthandeducation，andyououghttohavemadegooduseofitall。Butyoucomebacklikeabeggar；andthatyoucomeinaveryawkwardtimeforuscannotbedenied。Yourreturnto-nightmaydousmuchharm。
Butmind——youarewelcometothishomeaslongasitismine。I
don’twishtoturnyouadrift。Wewillmakethebestofabadjob；
andIhopeyouarenotseriouslyill？’
’Ono。Ihaveonlythisinfernalcough。’
Shelookedathimanxiously。’Ithinkyouhadbettergotobedatonce，’shesaid。
’Well——Ishallbeoutofthewaythere，’saidthesonwearily。
’Havingruinedmyself，don’tletmeruinyoubybeingseeninthesetogs，forHeaven’ssake。WhodoyousaySallyisgoingtobemarriedto——aFarmerDarton？’
’Yes——agentleman-farmer——quiteawealthyman。Farbetterinstationthanshecouldhaveexpected。Itisagoodthing，altogether。’
’Welldone，littleSal！’saidherbrother，brighteningandlookingupatherwithasmile。’Ioughttohavewritten；butperhapsI
havethoughtofyouallthemore。Butletmegetoutofsight。I
wouldrathergoandjumpintotheriverthanbeseenhere。ButhaveyouanythingIcandrink？Iamconfoundedlythirstywithmylongtramp。’
’Yes，yes，wewillbringsomethingupstairstoyou，’saidSally，withgriefinherface。
’Ay，thatwilldonicely。But，Sallyandmother——’Hestopped，andtheywaited。’Mother，Ihavenottoldyouall，’heresumedslowly，stilllookingonthefloorbetweenhisknees。’Sadaswhatyouseeofmeis，there’sworsebehind。’
Hismothergazeduponhimingrievedsuspense，andSallywentandleantuponthebureau，listeningforeverysound，andsighing。
Suddenlysheturnedround，saying，’Letthemcome，Idon’tcare！
Philip，telltheworst，andtakeyourtime。’
’Well，then，’saidtheunhappyPhil，’Iamnottheonlyoneinthismess。WouldtoHeavenIwere！But——’
’O，Phil！’
’IhaveawifeasdestituteasI。’
’Awife？’saidhismother。
’Unhappily！’
’Awife！Yes，thatisthewaywithsons！’
’Andbesides——’saidhe。
’Besides！O，Philip，surely——’
’Ihavetwolittlechildren。’
’Wifeandchildren！’whisperedMrs。Hall，sinkingdownconfounded。
’Poorlittlethings！’saidSallyinvoluntarily。
Hismotherturnedagaintohim。’IsupposethesehelplessbeingsareleftinAustralia？’
’No。TheyareinEngland。’
’Well，Icanonlyhopeyou’velefttheminarespectableplace。’
’Ihavenotleftthematall。Theyarehere——withinafewyardsofus。Inshort，theyareinthestable。’
’Where？’
