Thegeneralconversationthusbegunwascontinuedbriskly，thoughitwasinthemainrestrictedtoMrs。HallandJapheth，whointruthrequiredbutlittlehelpfromanybody。TherebeingslightcalluponSally’stongue，shehadampleleisuretodowhatherheartmostdesired，namely，watchherintendedhusbandandhersister-in-lawwithaviewofelucidatingthestrangemomentarysceneinwhichhermotherandherselfhadsurprisedtheminthestable。Ifthatscenemeantanything，itmeant，atleast，thattheyhadmetbefore。ThattherehadbeennotimeforexplanationsSallycouldsee，fortheirmannerwasstilloneofsuppressedamazementateachother’spresencethere。Darton’seyes，too，fellcontinuallyonthegownwornbyHelenaasifthiswereanaddedriddletohisperplexity；
thoughtoSallyitwastheonefeatureinthecasewhichwasnomystery。Heseemedtofeelthatfatehadimpishlychangedhisvis-
a-visinthelover’sjighewasabouttofoot；thatwhilethegownhadbeenexpectedtoencloseaSally，aHelena’sfacelookedoutfromthebodice；thatsomelong-losthandmethisownfromthesleeves。
SallycouldseethatwhateverHelenamightknowofDarton，sheknewnothingofhowthedressenteredintohisembarrassment。AndatmomentstheyounggirlwouldhavepersuadedherselfthatDarton’slooksathersister-in-lawwereentirelythefruitoftheclothesquery。Butsurelyatothertimesamoreextensiverangeofspeculationandsentimentwasexpressedbyherlover’seyethanthatwhichthechangeddresswouldaccountfor。
Sally’sindependencemadeheroneoftheleastjealousofwomen。
Buttherewassomethingintherelationsofthesetwovisitorswhichoughttobeexplained。
JaphethJohnscontinuedtoconverseinhiswell-knownstyle，interspersinghistalkwithsomeprivatereflectionsonthepositionofDartonandSally，which，thoughthesparkleinhiseyeshowedthemtobehighlyentertainingtohimself，wereapparentlynotquitecommunicabletothecompany。Atlasthewithdrewforthenight，goingofftotheroadsideinnhalf-a-mileback，whitherDartonpromisedtofollowhiminafewminutes。
Half-an-hourpassed，andthenMr。Dartonalsorosetoleave，Sallyandhersister-in-lawsimultaneouslywishinghimgood-nightastheyretiredupstairstotheirrooms。ButonhisarrivingatthefrontdoorwithMrs。Hallasharpshowerofrainbegantocomedown，whenthewidowsuggestedthatheshouldreturntothefire-sidetillthestormceased。
Dartonacceptedherproposal，butinsistedthat，asitwasgettinglate，andshewasobviouslytired，sheshouldnotsituponhisaccount，sincehecouldlethimselfoutofthehouse，andwouldquiteenjoysmokingapipebythehearthalone。Mrs。Hallassented；
andDartonwasleftbyhimself。Hespreadhiskneestothebrands，lituphistobaccoashehadsaid，andsatgazingintothefire，andatthenotchesofthechimney-crookwhichhungabove。
Anoccasionaldropofrainrolleddownthechimneywithahiss，andstillhesmokedon；butnotlikeamanwhosemindwasatrest。Inthelongrun，however，despitehismeditations，earlyhoursafieldandalongrideintheopenairproducedtheirnaturalresult。Hebegantodoze。
Howlongheremainedinthishalf-unconsciousstatehedidnotknow。
Hesuddenlyopenedhiseyes。Theback-brandhadburntitselfintwo，andceasedtoflame；thelightwhichhehadplacedonthemantelpiecehadnearlygoneout。Butinspiteofthesedeficienciestherewasalightintheapartment，anditcamefromelsewhere。
TurninghisheadhesawPhilipHall’swifestandingattheentranceoftheroomwithabed-candleinonehand，asmallbrasstea-kettleintheother，andHISgown，asitcertainlyseemed，stilluponher。
’Helena！’saidDarton，startingup。
Hercountenanceexpresseddismay，andherfirstwordswereanapology。’I——didnotknowyouwerehere，Mr。Darton，’shesaid，whileablushflashedtohercheek。’Ithoughteveryonehadretired——Iwascomingtomakealittlewaterboil；myhusbandseemstobeworse。Butperhapsthekitchenfirecanbelightedupagain。’
’Don’tgoonmyaccount。Byallmeansputitonhereasyouintended，’saidDarton。’Allowmetohelpyou。’Hewentforwardtotakethekettlefromherhand，butshedidnotallowhim，andplaceditonthefireherself。
Theystoodsomewayapart，oneoneachsideofthefireplace，waitingtillthewatershouldboil，thecandleonthemantelbetweenthem，andHelenawithhereyesonthekettle。Dartonwasthefirsttobreakthesilence。’ShallIcallSally？’hesaid。
’Ono，’shequicklyreturned。’Wehavegiventroubleenoughalready。Wehavenorighthere。Butwearethesportoffate，andwereobligedtocome。’
’Norighthere！’saidheinsurprise。
’None。Ican’texplainitnow，’answeredHelena。’Thiskettleisveryslow。’
Therewasanotherpause；theproverbialdilatorinessofwatchedpotswasnevermoreclearlyexemplified。
Helena’sfacewasofthatsortwhichseemstoaskforassistancewithouttheowner’sknowledge——theveryantipodesofSally’s，whichwasself-relianceexpressed。Darton’seyestravelledfromthekettletoHelena’sface，thenbacktothekettle，thentothefaceforratheralongertime。’SoIamnottoknowanythingofthemysterythathasdistractedmealltheevening？’hesaid。’Howisitthatawoman，whorefusedmebecause(asIsupposed)mypositionwasnotgoodenoughforhertaste，isfoundtobethewifeofamanwhocertainlyseemstobeworseoffthanI？’
’Hehadthepriorclaim，’saidshe。
’What！youknewhimatthattime？’
’Yes，yes！Pleasesaynomore，’sheimplored。
’Whatevermyerrors，Ihavepaidforthemduringthelastfiveyears！’
TheheartofDartonwassubjecttosuddenoverflowings。Hewaskindtoafault。’Iamsorryfrommysoul，’hesaid，involuntarilyapproachingher。Helenawithdrewasteportwo，atwhichhebecameconsciousofhismovement，andquicklytookhisformerplace。Herehestoodwithoutspeaking，andthelittlekettlebegantosing。
’Well，youmighthavebeenmywifeifyouhadchosen，’hesaidatlast。’Butthat’sallpastandgone。However，ifyouareinanytroubleorpovertyIshallbegladtobeofservice，andasyourrelationbymarriageIshallhavearighttobe。Doesyouruncleknowofyourdistress？’
’Myuncleisdead。Heleftmewithoutafarthing。Andnowwehavetwochildrentomaintain。’
’What，leftyounothing？Howcouldhebesocruelasthat？’
’Idisgracedmyselfinhiseyes。’
’Now，’saidDartonearnestly，’letmetakecareofthechildren，atleastwhileyouaresounsettled。YOUbelongtoanother，soI
cannottakecareofyou。’
’Yesyoucan，’saidavoice；andsuddenlyathirdfigurestoodbesidethem。ItwasSally。’Youcan，sinceyouseemtowishto？’
sherepeated。’Shenolongerbelongstoanother……Mypoorbrotherisdead！’
Herfacewasred，hereyessparkled，andallthewomancametothefront。’Ihaveheardit！’shewentontohimpassionately。’Youcanprotecthernowaswellasthechildren！’Sheturnedthentoheragitatedsister-in-law。’Iheardsomething，’saidSally(inagentlemurmur，differingmuchfromherpreviouspassionatewords)，’andIwentintohisroom。Itmusthavebeenthemomentyouleft。
Hewentoffsoquickly，andweakly，anditwassounexpected，thatI
couldn’tleaveeventocallyou。’
Dartonwasjustabletogatherfromtheconfuseddiscoursewhichfollowedthat，duringhissleepbythefire，thisbrotherwhomhehadneverseenhadbecomeworse；andthatduringHelena’sabsenceforwatertheendhadunexpectedlycome。Thetwoyoungwomenhastenedupstairs，andhewasagainleftalone。
Afterstandingthereashorttimehewenttothefrontdoorandlookedout；till，softlyclosingitbehindhim，headvancedandstoodunderthelargesycamore-tree。Thestarswereflickeringcoldly，andthedampnesswhichhadjustdescendedupontheearthinrainnowsentupachillfromit。Dartonwasinastrangeposition，andhefeltit。Theunexpectedappearance，indeeppoverty，ofHelena——ayounglady，daughterofadeceasednavalofficer，whohadbeenbroughtupbyheruncle，asolicitor，andhadrefusedDartoninmarriageyearsago——thepassionate，almostangrydemeanourofSallyatdiscoveringthem，theabruptannouncementthatHelenawasawidow；allthiscomingtogetherwasaconjuncturedifficulttocopewithinamoment，andmadehimquestionwhetherheoughttoleavethehouseorofferassistance。ButforSally’smannerhewouldunhesitatinglyhavedonethelatter。
Hewasstillstandingunderthetreewhenthedoorinfrontofhimopened，andMrs。Hallcameout。Shewentroundtothegarden-gateatthesidewithoutseeinghim。Dartonfollowedher，intendingtospeak。
Pausingoutside，asifinthought，sheproceededtoaspotwherethesuncameearliestinspring-time，andwherethenorthwindneverblew；itwaswheretherowofbeehivesstoodunderthewall。
Discerningherobject，hewaitedtillshehadaccomplishedit。
Itwastheuniversalcustomthereabouttowakethebeesbytappingattheirhiveswheneveradeathoccurredinthehousehold，underthebeliefthatifthiswerenotdonethebeesthemselveswouldpineawayandperishduringtheensuingyear。AssoonasaninteriorbuzzingrespondedtohertapatthefirsthiveMrs。Hallwentontothesecond，andthuspasseddowntherow。Assoonasshecamebackhemether。
’WhatcanIdointhistrouble，Mrs。Hall？’hesaid。
’O——nothing，thankyou，nothing，’shesaidinatearfulvoice，nowjustperceivinghim。’WehavecalledRebekahandherhusband，andtheywilldoeverythingnecessary。’Shetoldhiminafewwordstheparticularsofherson’sarrival，brokeninhealth——indeed，atdeath’sverydoor，thoughtheydidnotsuspectit——andsuggested，astheresultofaconversationbetweenherandherdaughter，thattheweddingshouldbepostponed。
’Yes，ofcourse，’saidDarton。’IthinknowtogostraighttotheinnandtellJohnswhathashappened。’Itwasnottillafterhehadshakenhandswithherthatheturnedhesitatinglyandadded，’Willyoutellthemotherofhischildrenthat，astheyarenowleftfatherless，Ishallbegladtotaketheeldestofthem，ifitwouldbeanyconveniencetoherandtoyou？’
Mrs。Hallpromisedthatherson’swidowshouldhetoldoftheoffer，andtheyparted。Heretireddowntherootyslopeanddisappearedinthedirectionoftheinn，whereheinformedJohnsofthecircumstances。MeanwhileMrs。Hallhadenteredthehouse，Sallywasdownstairsinthesitting-roomalone，andhermotherexplainedtoherthatDartonhadreadilyassentedtothepostponement。
’Nodoubthehas，’saidSally，withsademphasis。’Itisnotputoffforaweek，oramonth，orayear。Ishallnevermarryhim，andshewill！’
