Now，suchwasDarton，thatashourswentonhecouldnothelpfeelingtoogenerouslytowardsSallytocondemnherinthis。Whatdidhewantinawife？heaskedhimself。Loveandintegrity。Whatnext？Worldlywisdom。Andwastherereallymorethanworldlywisdominherrefusaltogoaboardasinkingship？Shenowknewitwasotherwise。’Begad，’hesaid，’I’lltryheragain。’
ThefactwashehadsosethisheartuponSally，andSallyalone，thatnothingwastobeallowedtobaulkhim；andhisreasoningwaspurelyformal。
Anniversarieshavingbeenunpropitious，hewaitedontillabrightdaylateinMay——adaywhenallanimatenaturewasfancying，initstrusting，foolishway，thatitwasgoingtobaskoutofdoorsforevermore。AsherodethroughLong-AshLaneitwasscarcerecognizableasthetrackofhistwowinterjourneys。Nomistakecouldbemadenow，evenwithhiseyesshut。Thecuckoo’snotewasatitsbest，betweenApriltentativenessandmidsummerdecrepitude，andthereptilesinthesunbehavedaswinninglyaskittensonahearth。Thoughafternoon，andaboutthesametimeasonthelastoccasion，itwasbroaddayandsunshinewhenheenteredHintock，andthedetailsoftheKnapdairy-housewerevisiblefaruptheroad。
HesawSallyinthegarden，andwassetvibrating。Hehadfirstintendedtogoontotheinn；but’No，’hesaid；’I’lltiemyhorsetothegarden-gate。Ifallgoeswellitcansoonbetakenround:
ifnot，Imountandrideaway’
ThetallshadeofthehorsemandarkenedtheroominwhichMrs。Hallsat，andmadeherstart，forhehadriddenbyasidepathtothetopoftheslope，whereridersseldomcame。InafewsecondshewasinthegardenwithSally。
Five——ay，threeminutes——didthebusinessatthebackofthatrowofbees。Thoughspringhadcome，andheavenlyblueconsecratedthescene，Dartonsucceedednot。’NO，’saidSallyfirmly。’Iwillnever，nevermarryyou，Mr。Darton。Iwouldhavedoneitonce；butnowInevercan。’
’But！’——imploredMr。Darton。Andwithaburstofrealeloquencehewentontodeclareallsortsofthingsthathewoulddoforher。Hewoulddrivehertoseehermothereveryweek——takehertoLondon——
settlesomuchmoneyuponher——Heavenknowswhathedidnotpromise，suggest，andtemptherwith。Butitavailednothing。Sheinterposedwithastoutnegative，whichclosedthecourseofhisargumentlikeanirongateacrossahighway。Dartonpaused。
’Then，’saidhesimply，’youhadn’theardofmysupposedfailurewhenyoudeclinedlasttime？’
’Ihadnot，’shesaid。’ButifIhad’twouldhavebeenallthesame。’
’And’tisnotbecauseofanysorenessfrommyslightingyouyearsago？’
’No。Thatsorenessislongpast。’
’Ah——thenyoudespiseme，Sally？’
’No，’sheslowlyanswered。’Idon’taltogetherdespiseyou。I
don’tthinkyouquitesuchaheroasIoncedid——that’sall。Thetruthis，IamhappyenoughasIam；andIdon’tmeantomarryatall。Now，may_I_askafavour，sir？’Shespokewithanineffablecharm，which，wheneverhethoughtofit，madehimcursehislossofheraslongashelived。
’Toanyextent。’
’Pleasedonotputthisquestiontomeanymore。Friendsaslongasyoulike，butloversandmarriednever。’
’Ineverwill，’saidDarton。’NotifIliveahundredyears。’
Andheneverdid。Thathehadwornouthiswelcomeinherheartwasonlytooplain。
Whenhisstep-childrenhadgrownup，andwereplacedoutinlife，allcommunicationbetweenDartonandtheHallfamilyceased。Itwasonlybychancethat，yearsafter，helearntthatSally，notwithstandingthesolicitationsherattractionsdrewdownuponher，hadrefusedseveraloffersofmarriage，andsteadilyadheredtoherpurposeofleadingasinglelifeMay1884。
SomethingdelayedthearrivaloftheWesleyanminister，andayoungmancametemporarilyinhisstead。ItwasonthethirteenthofJanuary183-thatMr。Stockdale，theyoungmaninquestion，madehishumbleentryintothevillage，unknown，andalmostunseen。Butwhenthoseoftheinhabitantswhostyledthemselvesofhisconnectionbecameacquaintedwithhim，theywereratherpleasedwiththesubstitutethanotherwise，thoughhehadscarcelyasyetacquiredballastofcharactersufficienttosteadytheconsciencesofthehundred-and-fortyMethodistsofpurebloodwho，atthistime，livedinNether-Moynton，andtogiveinadditionsupplementarysupporttothemixedracewhichwenttochurchinthemorningandchapelintheevening，orwhentherewasatea——asmanyasahundred-and-tenpeoplemore，alltold，andincludingtheparish-clerkinthewinter-
time，whenitwastoodarkforthevicartoobservewhopassedupthestreetatseveno’clock——which，tobejusttohim，hewasneveranxioustodo。
Itwasowingtothisoverlappingofcreedsthatthecelebratedpopulation-puzzlearoseamongthedensergentryofthedistrictaroundNether-Moynton:howcoulditbethataparishcontainingfifteenscoreofstrongfull-grownEpiscopalians，andnearlythirteenscoreofwell-maturedDissenters，numberedbarelytwo-and-
twentyscoreadultsinall？
Theyoungmanbeingpersonallyinteresting，thosewithwhomhecameincontactwerecontenttowaiveforawhilethegraverquestionofhissufficiency。Itissaidthatatthistimeofhislifehiseyeswereaffectionate，thoughwithoutarayoflevity；thathishairwascurly，andhisfiguretall；thathewas，inshort，averylovableyouth，whowonuponhisfemalehearersassoonastheysawandheardhim，andcausedthemtosay，’Whydidn’tweknowofthisbeforehecame，thatwemighthavegiedhimawarmerwelcome！’
Thefactwasthat，knowinghimtobeonlyprovisionallyselected，andexpectingnothingremarkableinhispersonordoctrine，theyandtherestofhisflockinNether-Moyntonhadfeltalmostasindifferentabouthisadventasiftheyhadbeenthesoundestchurch-goingparishionersinthecountry，andhetheirtrueandappointedparson。ThuswhenStockdalesetfootintheplacenobodyhadsecuredalodgingforhim，andthoughhisjourneyhadgivenhimabadcoldinthehead，hewasforcedtoattendtothatbusinesshimself。OninquiryhelearntthattheonlypossibleaccommodationinthevillagewouldbefoundatthehouseofoneMrs。LizzyNewberry，attheupperendofthestreet。
Itwasayouthwhogavethisinformation，andStockdaleaskedhimwhoMrs。Newberrymightbe。
Theboysaidthatshewasawidow-woman，whohadgotnohusband，becausehewasdead。Mr。Newberry，headded，hadbeenawell-to-domanenough，asthesayingwas，andafarmer；buthehadgoneoffinadecline。AsregardedMrs。Newberry’sseriousside，Stockdalegatheredthatshewasoneofthetrimmerswhowenttochurchandchapelboth。
’I’llgothere，’saidStockdale，feelingthat，intheabsenceofpurelysectarianlodgings，hecoulddonobetter。
’She’salittleparticular，andwon’thaegover’mentfolks，orcurates，orthepa’son’sfriends，orsuchlike，’saidtheladdubiously。
’Ah，thatmaybeapromisingsign:I’llcall。Orno；justyougoupandaskfirstifshecanfindroomforme。Ihavetoseeoneortwopersonsonanothermatter。Youwillfindmedownatthecarrier’s。’
Inaquarterofanhourtheladcameback，andsaidthatMrs。
Newberrywouldhavenoobjectiontoaccommodatehim，whereuponStockdalecalledatthehouse。
Itstoodwithinagarden-hedge，andseemedtoberoomyandcomfortable。Hesawanelderlywoman，withwhomhemadearrangementstocomethesamenight，sincetherewasnoinnintheplace，andhewishedtohousehimselfassoonaspossible；thevillagebeingalocalcentrefromwhichhewastoradiateatoncetothedifferentsmallchapelsintheneighbourhood。HeforthwithsenthisluggagetoMrs。Newberry’sfromthecarrier’s，wherehehadtakenshelter，andintheeveningwalkeduptohistemporaryhome。
Ashenowlivedthere，Stockdalefeltitunnecessarytoknockatthedoor；andenteringquietlyhehadthepleasureofhearingfootstepsscuddingawaylikemiceintothebackquarters。Headvancedtotheparlour，asthefrontroomwascalled，thoughitsstonefloorwasscarcelydisguisedbythecarpet，whichonlyover-laidthetroddenareas，leavingsandydesertsunderthebulgingmouldingsofthetable-legs，playingwithbrassfurniture。Buttheroomlookedsnugandcheerful。Thefirelightshoneoutbrightly，tremblingontheknobsandhandles，andlurkingingreatstrengthontheundersurfaceofthechimney-piece。Adeeparm-chair，coveredwithhorsehair，andstuddedwithacountlessthrongofbrassnails，waspulledupononesideofthefireplace。Thetea-thingswereonthetable，theteapotcoverwasopen，andalittlehand-bellhadbeenlaidatthatprecisepointtowardswhichapersonseatedinthegreatchairmightbeexpectedinstinctivelytostretchhishand。
Stockdalesatdown，notobjectingtohisexperienceoftheroomthusfar，andbeganhisresidencebytinklingthebell。Alittlegirlcreptinatthesummons，andmadeteaforhim。Hername，shesaid，wasMartherSarer，andshelivedoutthere，noddingtowardstheroadandvillagegenerally。BeforeStockdalehadgotfarwithhismeal，atapsoundedonthedoorbehindhim，andonhistellingtheinquirertocomein，arustleofgarmentscausedhimtoturnhishead。Hesawbeforehimafineandextremelywell-madeyoungwoman，withdarkhair，awide，sensible，beautifulforehead，eyesthatwarmedhimbeforeheknewit，andamouththatwasinitselfapicturetoallappreciativesouls。
’CanIgetyouanythingelsefortea？’shesaid，comingforwardasteportwo，anexpressionoflivelinessonherfeatures，andherhandwavingthedoorbyitsedge。
