Thusuncertainlytheweekpassedon；tillonemorningStockdalesaidtoher:’Ihavehadaletter，Lizzy。ImustcallyouthattillI
amgone。’
’Gone？’saidsheblankly。
’Yes，’hesaid。’Iamgoingfromthisplace。IfeltitwouldbebetterforusboththatIshouldnotstayafterwhathashappened。
Infact，Icouldn’tstayhere，andlookonyoufromdaytoday，withoutbecomingweakandfalteringinmycourse。Ihavejustheardofanarrangementbywhichtheotherministercanarrivehereinaboutaweek；andletmegoelsewhere。’
Thathehadallthistimecontinuedsofirmlyfixedinhisresolutioncameuponherasagrievoussurprise。’Youneverlovedme！’shesaidbitterly。
’Imightsaythesame，’hereturned；’butIwillnot。Grantmeonefavour。ComeandhearmylastsermononthedaybeforeIgo。’
Lizzy，whowasachurch-goeronSundaymornings，frequentlyattendedStockdale’schapelintheeveningwiththerestofthedouble-
minded；andshepromised。
ItbecameknownthatStockdalewasgoingtoleave，andagoodmanypeopleoutsidehisownsectweresorrytohearit。Theinterveningdaysflewrapidlyaway，andontheeveningoftheSundaywhichprecededthemorningofhisdepartureLizzysatinthechapeltohearhimforthelasttime。Thelittlebuildingwasfulltooverflowing，andhetookupthesubjectwhichallhadexpected，thatofthecontrabandtradesoextensivelypractisedamongthem。Hishearers，inlayinghiswordstotheirownhearts，didnotperceivethattheyweremostparticularlydirectedagainstLizzy，tillthesermonwaxedwarm，andStockdalenearlybrokedownwithemotion。Intruthhisownearnestness，andhersadeyeslookingupathim，weretoomuchfortheyoungman’sequanimity。Hehardlyknewhowheended。HesawLizzy，asthroughamist，turnandgoawaywiththerestofthecongregation；andshortlyafterwardsfollowedherhome。
Sheinvitedhimtosupper，andtheysatdownalone，hermotherhaving，aswasusualwithheronSundaynights，gonetobedearly。
’Wewillpartfriends，won’twe？’saidLizzy，withforcedgaiety，andneveralludingtothesermon:areticencewhichratherdisappointedhim。
’Wewill，’hesaid，withaforcedsmileonhispart；andtheysatdown。
Itwasthefirstmealthattheyhadeversharedtogetherintheirlives，andprobablythelastthattheywouldsoshare。Whenitwasover，andtheindifferentconversationcouldnolongerbecontinued，hearoseandtookherhand。’Lizzy，’hesaid，’doyousaywemustpart——doyou？’
’Youdo，’shesaidsolemnly。’Icansaynomore。’
’NorI，’saidhe。’Ifthatisyouranswer，good-bye！’
Stockdalebentoverherandkissedher，andsheinvoluntarilyreturnedhiskiss。’Ishallgoearly，’hesaidhurriedly。’Ishallnotseeyouagain。’
Andhedidleaveearly。Hefancied，whensteppingforthintothegreymorninglight，tomountthevanwhichwastocarryhimaway，thathesawafacebetweenthepartedcurtainsofLizzy’swindow，butthelightwasfaint，andthepanesglistenedwithwet；sohecouldnotbesure。Stockdalemountedthevehicle，andwasgone；andonthefollowingSundaythenewministerpreachedinthechapeloftheMoyntonWesleyans。
Oneday，twoyearsaftertheparting，Stockdale，nowsettledinamidlandtown，cameintoNether-Moyntonbycarrierintheoriginalway。Joggingalonginthevanthatafternoonhehadputquestionstothedriver，andtheanswersthathereceivedinterestedtheministerdeeply。Theresultofthemwasthathewentwithouttheleasthesitationtothedoorofhisformerlodging。Itwasaboutsixo’clockintheevening，andthesametimeofyearaswhenhehadleft；now，too，thegroundwasdampandglistening，thewestwasbright，andLizzy’ssnowdropswereraisingtheirheadsintheborderunderthewall。
Lizzymusthavecaughtsightofhimfromthewindow，forbythetimethathereachedthedoorshewasthereholdingitopen:andthen，asifshehadnotsufficientlyconsideredheractofcomingout，shedrewherselfback，sayingwithsomeconstraint，’Mr。Stockdale！’
’Youknewitwas，’saidStockdale，takingherhand。’IwrotetosayIshouldcall。’
’Yes，butyoudidnotsaywhen，’sheanswered。
’Ididnot。Iwasnotquitesurewhenmybusinesswouldleadmetotheseparts。’
’Youonlycamebecausebusinessbroughtyounear？’
’Well，thatisthefact；butIhaveoftenthoughtIshouldliketocomeonpurposetoseeyou……Butwhat’sallthisthathashappened？Itoldyouhowitwouldbe，Lizzy，andyouwouldnotlistentome。’
’Iwouldnot，’shesaidsadly。’ButIhadbeenbroughtuptothatlife；anditwassecondnaturetome。However，itisallovernow。
Theofficershaveblood-moneyfortakingamandeadoralive，andthetradeisgoingtonothing。Wewerehunteddownlikerats。’
’Owlettisquitegone，Ihear。’
’Yes。HeisinAmerica。Wehadadreadfulstrugglethatlasttime，whentheytriedtotakehim。Itisaperfectmiraclethathelivedthroughit；anditisawonderthatIwasnotkilled。Iwasshotinthehand。Itwasnotbyaim；theshotwasreallymeantformycousin；butIwasbehind，lookingonasusual，andthebulletcametome。Itbledterribly，butIgothomewithoutfainting；andithealedafteratime。Youknowhowhesuffered？’
’No，’saidStockdale。’Ionlyheardthathejustescapedwithhislife。’
’Hewasshotintheback；butaribturnedtheball。Hewasbadlyhurt。Wewouldnotlethimbetook。ThemencarriedhimallnightacrossthemeadstoKingsbere，andhidhiminabarn，dressinghiswoundaswellastheycould，tillhewassofarrecoveredastobeabletogetabout。Hehadgieduphismillforsometime；andatlasthegottoBristol，andtookapassagetoAmerica，andhe’ssettledinWisconsin。’
’Whatdoyouthinkofsmugglingnow？’saidtheministergravely。
’Iownthatwewerewrong，’saidshe。’ButIhavesufferedforit。
Iamverypoornow，andmymotherhasbeendeadthesetwelvemonths……Butwon’tyoucomein，Mr。Stockdale？’
Stockdalewentin；anditistobesupposedthattheycametoanunderstanding；forafortnightlatertherewasasaleofLizzy’sfurniture，andafterthataweddingatachapelinaneighbouringtown。
Hetookherawayfromheroldhauntstothehomethathehadmadeforhimselfinhisnativecounty，whereshestudiedherdutiesasaminister’swifewithpraiseworthyassiduity。ItissaidthatinafteryearsshewroteanexcellenttractcalledRenderuntoCaesar；
or，TheRepentantVillagers，inwhichherownexperiencewasanonymouslyusedastheintroductorystory。Stockdalegotitprinted，aftermakingsomecorrections，andputtinginafewpowerfulsentencesofhisown；andmanyhundredsofcopiesweredistributedbythecoupleinthecourseoftheirmarriedlife。
End
