Mattersbeinginthisadvancingstate，Stockdalewasrathersurprisedonecloudyevening，whilesittinginhisroom，athearingherspeakinlowtonesofexpostulationtosomeoneatthedoor。Itwasnearlydark，buttheshutterswerenotyetclosed，northecandleslighted；andStockdalewastemptedtostretchhisheadtowardsthewindow。Hesawoutsidethedoorayoungmaninclothesofawhitishcolour，anduponreflectionjudgedtheirwearertobethewell-builtandratherhandsomemillerwholivedbelow。Themiller’svoicewasalternatelylowandfirm，andsometimesitreachedthelevelofpositiveentreaty；butwhatthewordswereStockdalecouldinnowayhear。
Beforethecolloquyhadended，theminister’sattentionwasattractedbyasecondincident。OppositeLizzy’shomegrewaclumpoflaurels，formingathickandpermanentshade。Oneofthelaurelboughsnowquiveredagainstthelightbackgroundofsky，andinamomenttheheadofamanpeeredout，andremainedstill。Heseemedtobealsomuchinterestedintheconversationatthedoor，andwasplainlylingeringtheretowatchandlisten。HadStockdalestoodinanyotherrelationtoLizzythanthatofalover，hemighthavegoneoutandinvestigatedthemeaningofthis:butbeingasyetbutanunprivilegedally，hedidnothingmorethanstandupandshowhimselfagainstthefirelight，whereuponthelistenerdisappeared，andLizzyandthemillerspokeinlowertones。
Stockdalewasmadesouneasybythecircumstance，thatassoonasthemillerwasgone，hesaid，’Mrs。Newberry，areyouawarethatyouwerewatchedjustnow，andyourconversationheard？’
’When？’shesaid。
’Whenyouweretalkingtothatmiller。Amanwaslookingfromthelaurel-treeasjealouslyasifhecouldhaveeatenyou。’
Sheshowedmoreconcernthanthetriflingeventseemedtodemand，andheadded，’Perhapsyouweretalkingofthingsyoudidnotwishtobeoverheard？’
’Iwastalkingonlyonbusiness，’shesaid。
’Lizzy，befrank！’saidtheyoungman。’Ifitwasonlyonbusiness，whyshouldanybodywishtolistentoyou？’
Shelookedcuriouslyathim。’Whatelsedoyouthinkitcouldbe，then？’
’Well——theonlytalkbetweenayoungwomanandmanthatislikelytoamuseaneavesdropper。’
’Ahyes，’shesaid，smilinginspiteofherpreoccupation。’Well，mycousinOwletthasspokentomeaboutmatrimony，everynowandthen，that’strue；buthewasnotspeakingofitthen。Iwishhehadbeenspeakingofit，withallmyheart。Itwouldhavebeenmuchlessseriousforme。’
’OMrs。Newberry！’
’Itwould。NotthatIshouldha’chimedinwithhim，ofcourse。I
wishitforotherreasons。Iamglad，Mr。Stockdale，thatyouhavetoldmeofthatlistener。Itisatimelywarning，andImustseemycousinagain。’
’Butdon’tgoawaytillIhavespoken，’saidtheminister。’I’lloutwithitatonce，andmakenomoreado。LetitbeYesorNobetweenus，Lizzy；pleasedo！’Andheheldouthishand，inwhichshefreelyallowedherowntorest，butwithoutspeaking。
’YoumeanYesbythat？’heasked，afterwaitingawhile。
’Youmaybemysweetheart，ifyouwill。’
’WhynotsayatonceyouwillwaitformeuntilIhaveahouseandcancomebacktomarryyou。’
’BecauseIamthinking——thinkingofsomethingelse，’shesaidwithembarrassment。’Itallcomesuponmeatonce，andImustsettleonethingatatime。’
’Atanyrate，dearLizzy，youcanassuremethatthemillershallnotbeallowedtospeaktoyouexceptonbusiness？Youhaveneverdirectlyencouragedhim？’
Sheparriedthequestionbysaying，’Yousee，heandhispartyhavebeeninthehabitofleavingthingsonmypremisessometimes，andasIhavenotdeniedhim，itmakeshimratherforward。’
’Things——whatthings？’
’Tubs——theyarecalledThingshere。’
’Butwhydon’tyoudenyhim，mydearLizzy？’
’Icannotwell。’
’Youaretootimid。Itisunfairofhimtoimposesouponyou，andgetyourgoodnameintodangerbyhissmugglingtricks。Promisemethatthenexttimehewantstoleavehistubshereyouwillletmerollthemintothestreet？’
Sheshookherhead。’Iwouldnotventuretooffendtheneighbourssomuchasthat，’saidshe，’ordoanythingthatwouldbesolikelytoputpoorOwlettintothehandsoftheexcisemen。’
Stockdalesighed，andsaidthathethoughthersamistakengenerositywhenitextendedtoassistingthosewhocheatedthekingofhisdues。’Atanyrate，youwillletmemakehimkeephisdistanceasyourlover，andtellhimflatlythatyouarenotforhim？’
’Pleasenot，atpresent，’shesaid。’Idon’twishtooffendmyoldneighbours。ItisnotonlyOwlettwhoisconcerned。’
’Thisistoobad，’saidStockdaleimpatiently。
’Onmyhonour，Iwon’tencouragehimasmylover，’Lizzyansweredearnestly。’Areasonablemanwillbesatisfiedwiththat。’
’Well，soIam，’saidStockdale，hiscountenanceclearing。
Stockdalenowbegantonoticemoreparticularlyafeatureinthelifeofhisfairlandlady，whichhehadcasuallyobservedbutscarcelyeverthoughtofbefore。Itwasthatshewasmarkedlyirregularinherhoursofrising。Foraweekortwoshewouldbetolerablypunctual，reachingtheground-floorwithinafewminutesofhalf-pastseven。Thensuddenlyshewouldnotbevisibletilltwelveatnoon，perhapsforthreeorfourdaysinsuccession；andtwicehehadcertainproofthatshedidnotleaveherroomtillhalf-pastthreeintheafternoon。Thesecondtimethatthisextremelatenesscameunderhisnoticewasonadaywhenhehadparticularlywishedtoconsultwithherabouthisfuturemovements；andheconcluded，ashealwayshaddone，thatshehadacold，headache，orotherailment，unlessshehadkeptherselfinvisibletoavoidmeetingandtalkingtohim，whichhecouldhardlybelieve。Theformersuppositionwasdisproved，however，byherinnocentlysaying，somedayslater，whentheywerespeakingonaquestionofhealth，thatshehadneverhadamoment’sheaviness，headache，orillnessofanykindsincethepreviousJanuarytwelvemonth。
’Iamgladtohearit，’saidhe。’Ithoughtquiteotherwise。’
’What，doIlooksickly？’sheasked，turningupherfacetoshowtheimpossibilityofhisgazingonitandholdingsuchabeliefforamoment。
’Notatall；Imerelythoughtsofromyourbeingsometimesobligedtokeepyourroomthroughthebestpartoftheday。’
’O，asforthat——itmeansnothing，’shemurmured，withalookwhichsomemighthavecalledcold，andwhichwastheworstlookthathelikedtoseeuponher。’Itispuresleepiness，Mr。Stockdale。’
’Never！’
’Itis，Itellyou。WhenIstayinmyroomtillhalf-pastthreeintheafternoon，youmayalwaysbesurethatIsleptsoundlytillthree，orIshouldn’thavestayedthere。’
’Itisdreadful，’saidStockdale，thinkingofthedisastrouseffectsofsuchindulgenceuponthehouseholdofaminister，shoulditbecomeahabitofeverydayoccurrence。
’Butthen，’shesaid，divininghisgoodandprescientthoughts，’itonlyhappenswhenIstayawakeallnight。Idon’tgotosleeptillfiveorsixinthemorningsometimes。’
’Ah，that’sanothermatter，’saidStockdale。’Sleeplessnesstosuchanalarmingextentisrealillness。Haveyouspokentoadoctor？’
’Ono——thereisnoneedfordoingthat——itisallnaturaltome。’
Andshewentawaywithoutfurtherremark。
Stockdalemighthavewaitedalongtimetoknowtherealcauseofhersleeplessness，haditnothappenedthatonedarknighthewassittinginhisbedroomjottingdownnotesforasermon，whichoccupiedhimperfunctorilyforaconsiderabletimeaftertheothermembersofthehouseholdhadretired。Hedidnotgettobedtilloneo’clock。Beforehehadfallenasleepheheardaknockingatthefrontdoor，firstrathertimidlyperformed，andthenlouder。Nobodyansweredit，andthepersonknockedagain。Asthehousestillremainedundisturbed，Stockdalegotoutofbed，wenttohiswindow，whichoverlookedthedoor，andopeningit，askedwhowasthere。
Ayoungwoman’svoicerepliedthatSusanWalliswasthere，andthatshehadcometoaskifMrs。Newberrycouldgivehersomemustardtomakeaplasterwith，asherfatherwastakenveryillonthechest。
Theminister，havingneitherbellnorservant，wascompelledtoactinperson。’IwillcallMrs。Newberry，’hesaid。Partlydressinghimself；hewentalongthepassageandtappedatLizzy’sdoor。Shedidnotanswer，and，thinkingofhererratichabitsinthematterofsleep，hethumpedthedoorpersistently，whenhediscovered，byitsmovingajarunderhisknocking，thatithadonlybeengentlypushedto。Astherewasnowasufficiententryforthevoice，heknockednolonger，butsaidinfirmtones，’Mrs。Newberry，youarewanted。’
