第6章

Thenheplacidlydismissedthematter，andwentonwithhisdailyaffairs。BythistimeEllaathomehadcometoadetermination。

Mrs。Hooper，insendingthehairandphotograph，hadinformedherofthedayofthefuneral；andasthemorningandnoonworeonanoverpoweringwishtoknowwheretheywerelayinghimtookpossessionofthesympatheticwoman。Caringverylittlenowwhatherhusbandoranyoneelsemightthinkofhereccentricities；shewroteMarchmillabriefnote，statingthatshewascalledawayfortheafternoonandevening，butwouldreturnonthefollowingmorning。

Thissheleftonhisdesk，andhavinggiventhesameinformationtotheservants，wentoutofthehouseonfoot。

WhenMr。Marchmillreachedhomeearlyintheafternoontheservantslookedanxious。Thenursetookhimprivatelyaside，andhintedthathermistress’ssadnessduringthepastfewdayshadbeensuchthatshefearedshehadgoneouttodrownherself。Marchmillreflected。

Uponthewholehethoughtthatshehadnotdonethat。Withoutsayingwhitherhewasboundhealsostartedoff，tellingthemnottositupforhim。Hedrovetotherailway-station，andtookaticketforSolentsea。

Itwasdarkwhenhereachedtheplace，thoughhehadcomebyafasttrain，andheknewthatifhiswifehadprecededhimthitheritcouldonlyhavebeenbyaslowertrain，arrivingnotagreatwhilebeforehisown。TheseasonatSolentseawasnowpast:theparadewasgloomy，andtheflyswerefewandcheap。HeaskedthewaytotheCemetery，andsoonreachedit。Thegatewaslocked，butthekeeperlethimin，declaring，however，thattherewasnobodywithintheprecincts。Althoughitwasnotlate，theautumnaldarknesshadnowbecomeintense；andhefoundsomedifficultyinkeepingtotheserpentinepathwhichledtothequarterwhere，asthemanhadtoldhim，theoneortwointermentsforthedayhadtakenplace。Hesteppeduponthegrass，and，stumblingoversomepegs，stoopednowandthentodiscernifpossibleafigureagainstthesky。

Hecouldseenone；butlightingonaspotwherethesoilwastrodden，beheldacrouchingobjectbesideanewlymadegrave。Sheheardhim，andsprangup。

’Ell，howsillythisis！’hesaidindignantly。’Runningawayfromhome——Ineverheardsuchathing！OfcourseIamnotjealousofthisunfortunateman；butitistooridiculousthatyou，amarriedwomanwiththreechildrenandafourthcoming，shouldgolosingyourheadlikethisoveradeadlover！……Doyouknowyouwerelockedin？Youmightnothavebeenabletogetoutallnight。’

Shedidnotanswer。

’Ihopeitdidn’tgofarbetweenyouandhim，foryourownsake。’

’Don’tinsultme，Will。’

’Mind，Iwon’thaveanymoreofthissortofthing；doyouhear？’

’Verywell，’shesaid。

Hedrewherarmwithinhisown，andconductedheroutoftheCemetery。Itwasimpossibletogetbackthatnight；andnotwishingtoberecognizedintheirpresentsorrycondition，hetookhertoamiserablelittlecoffee-houseclosetothestation，whencetheydepartedearlyinthemorning，travellingalmostwithoutspeaking，underthesensethatitwasoneofthosedrearysituationsoccurringinmarriedlifewhichwordscouldnotmend，andreachingtheirowndooratnoon。

Themonthspassed，andneitherofthetwaineverventuredtostartaconversationuponthisepisode。Ellaseemedtobeonlytoofrequentlyinasadandlistlessmood，whichmightalmosthavebeencalledpining。Thetimewasapproachingwhenshewouldhavetoundergothestressofchildbirthforafourthtime，andthatapparentlydidnottendtoraiseherspirits。

’Idon’tthinkIshallgetoveritthistime！’shesaidoneday。

’Pooh！whatchildishforeboding！Whyshouldn’titbeaswellnowasever？’

Sheshookherhead。’IfeelalmostsureIamgoingtodie；andI

shouldbeglad，ifitwerenotforNelly，andFrank，andTiny。’

’Andme！’

’You’llsoonfindsomebodytofillmyplace，’shemurmured，withasadsmile。’Andyou’llhaveaperfectrightto；Iassureyouofthat。’

’Ell，youarenotthinkingstillaboutthat——poeticalfriendofyours？’

Sheneitheradmittednordeniedthecharge。’Iamnotgoingtogetovermyillnessthistime，’shereiterated。’SomethingtellsmeI

shan’t。’

Thisviewofthingswasratherabadbeginning，asitusuallyis；

and，infact，sixweekslater，inthemonthofMay，shewaslyinginherroom，pulselessandbloodless，withhardlystrengthenoughlefttofollowuponefeeblebreathwithanother，theinfantforwhoseunnecessarylifeshewasslowlypartingwithherownbeingfatandwell。JustbeforeherdeathshespoketoMarchmillsoftly:-

’Will，Iwanttoconfesstoyoutheentirecircumstancesofthat——

aboutyouknowwhat——thattimewevisitedSolentsea。Ican’ttellwhatpossessedme——howIcouldforgetyouso，myhusband！ButIhadgotintoamorbidstate:Ithoughtyouhadbeenunkind；thatyouhadneglectedme；thatyouweren’tuptomyintellectuallevel，whilehewas，andfaraboveit。Iwantedafullerappreciator，perhaps，ratherthananotherlover——’

Shecouldgetnofurtherthenforveryexhaustion；andshewentoffinsuddencollapseafewhourslater，withouthavingsaidanythingmoretoherhusbandonthesubjectofherloveforthepoet。

WilliamMarchmill，intruth，likemosthusbandsofseveralyears’

standing，waslittledisturbedbyretrospectivejealousies，andhadnotshowntheleastanxietytopressherforconfessionsconcerningamandeadandgonebeyondanypowerofinconveniencinghimmore。

Butwhenshehadbeenburiedacoupleofyearsitchancedonedaythat，inturningoversomeforgottenpapersthathewishedtodestroybeforehissecondwifeenteredthehouse，helightedonalockofhairinanenvelope，withthephotographofthedeceasedpoet，adatebeingwrittenonthebackinhislatewife’shand。ItwasthatofthetimetheyspentatSolentsea。

Marchmilllookedlongandmusinglyatthehairandportrait，forsomethingstruckhim。Fetchingthelittleboywhohadbeenthedeathofhismother，nowanoisytoddler，hetookhimonhisknee，heldthelockofhairagainstthechild’shead，andsetupthephotographonthetablebehind，sothathecouldcloselycomparethefeatureseachcountenancepresented。Therewereundoubtedlystrongtracesofresemblance；thedreamyandpeculiarexpressionofthepoet’sfacesat，asthetransmittedidea，uponthechild’s，andthehairwasofthesamehue。

’I’mdamnedifIdidn’tthinkso！’murmuredMarchmill。’ThensheDIDplaymefalsewiththatfellowatthelodgings！Letmesee:

thedates——thesecondweekinAugust……thethirdweekinMay……Yes……yes……Getaway，youpoorlittlebrat！Youarenothingtome！’

AmongthefewfeaturesofagriculturalEnglandwhichretainanappearancebutlittlemodifiedbythelapseofcenturies，maybereckonedthehigh，grassyandfurzydowns，coombs，orewe-leases，astheyareindifferentlycalled，thatfillalargeareaofcertaincountiesinthesouthandsouth-west。Ifanymarkofhumanoccupationismetwithhereon，itusuallytakestheformofthesolitarycottageofsomeshepherd。

Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown，andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow。Inspiteofitsloneliness，however，thespot，byactualmeasurement，wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town。Yetthataffecteditlittle。Fivemilesofirregularupland，duringthelonginimicalseasons，withtheirsleets，snows，rains，andmists，affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar；muchless，infairweather，topleasethatlessrepellenttribe，thepoets，philosophers，artists，andotherswho’conceiveandmeditateofpleasantthings。’

Someoldearthencamporbarrow，someclumpoftrees，atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings。But，inthepresentcase，suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded。HigherCrowstairs，asthehousewascalled，stoodquitedetachedandundefended。Theonlyreasonforitsprecisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby，whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears。Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides。But，thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow，andtherainhithardwheneveritfell，thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground。Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows，andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere。Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure，theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessinconveniencedby’wuzzesandflames’(hoarsesandphlegms)thanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley。

ThenightofMarch28，182-，waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration。Thelevelrainstormsmotewalls，slopes，andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy。Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds；whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas。Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet，andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall。Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmoremisplaced。Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglorificationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl。

Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall，andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling。A

glanceintotheapartmentateighto’clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresultedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather。

Thecallingofitsinhabitantwasproclaimedbyanumberofhighly-

polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace，thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpicturesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair。

Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles，havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem，incandlesticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days，holy-days，andfamilyfeasts。

Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom，twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece。Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant。Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty。