第18章

TheheartofBarnetwassufficientlyimpressionabletobeinfluencedbyDowne’spartingprophecythathemightnotbesounwelcomehomeasheimagined:thedrearynightmight，atleastonthisoneoccasion，makeDowne’sforecasttrue。Henceitwasinasuspensethathecouldhardlyhavebelievedpossiblethathehaltedathisdoor。Onenteringhiswifewasnowheretobeseen，andheinquiredforher。Theservantinformedhimthathermistresshadthedressmakerwithher，andwouldbeengagedforsometime。

’Dressmakeratthistimeofday！’

’Shedinedearly，sir，andhopesyouwillexcuseherjoiningyouthisevening。’

’ButsheknewIwascomingto-night？’

’Oyes，sir。’

’GoupandtellherIamcome。’

Theservantdidso；butthemistressofthehousemerelytransmittedherformerwords。

Barnetsaidnothingmore，andpresentlysatdowntohislonelymeal，whichwaseatenabstractedly，thedomesticscenehehadlatelywitnessedstillimpressinghimbyitscontrastwiththesituationhere。Hismindfellbackintopastyearsuponacertainpleasingandgentlebeingwhosefacewouldloomoutoftheirshadesatsuchtimesasthese。Barnetturnedinhischair，andlookedwithunfocusedeyesinadirectionsouthwardfromwherehesat，asifhesawnottheroombutalongwaybeyond。’Iwonderifshelivestherestill！’hesaid。

Herosewithasuddenrebelliousness，putonhishatandcoat，andwentoutofthehouse，pursuinghiswayalongtheglisteningpavementwhileeighto’clockwasstrikingfromSt。Mary’stower，andtheapprenticesandshopmenwereslamminguptheshuttersfromendtoendofthetown。Intwominutesonlythoseshopswhichcouldboastofnoattendantsavethemasterorthemistressremainedwithopeneyes。Thesewereeversomewhatlessprompttoexcludecustomersthantheothers:fortheirowners’earstheclosinghourhadscarcelythecheerfulnessthatitpossessedforthehiredservantsoftherest。Yetthenightbeingdrearythedelaywasnotforlong，andtheirwindows，too，blinkedtogetheronebyone。

DuringthistimeBarnethadproceededwithdecidedstepinadirectionatrightanglestothebroadmainthoroughfareofthetown，byalongstreetleadingduesouthward。Here，thoughhisfamilyhadnomoretodowiththeflaxmanufacture，hisownnameoccasionallygreetedhimongatesandwarehouses，beingusedallusivelybysmallrisingtradesmenasarecommendation，insuchwordsas’Smith，fromBarnet&Co。’——’Robinson，latemanageratBarnet’s。’Thesightledhimtoreflectuponhisfather’sbusylife，andhequestionedifithadnotbeenfarhappierthanhisown。

Thehousesalongtheroadbecamefewer，andpresentlyopengroundappearedbetweenthemoneitherside，thetrackontherighthandrisingtoahigherleveltillitmergedinaknoll。Onthesummitarowofbuilders’scaffold-polesprobedtheindistinctskylikespears，andattheirbasescouldbediscernedthelowercoursesofabuildinglatelybegun。Barnetslackenedhispaceandstoodforafewmomentswithoutleavingthecentreoftheroad，apparentlynotmuchinterestedinthesight，tillsuddenlyhiseyewascaughtbyapostintheforepartofthegroundbearingawhiteboardatthetop。Hewenttotherails，vaultedover，andwalkedinfarenoughtodiscernpaintedupontheboard’ChateauRingdale。’

Adismalironyseemedtolieinthewords，anditseffectwastoirritatehim。Downe，then，hadspokentruly。Hestuckhisumbrellaintothesod，andseizedthepostwithbothhands，asifintendingtoloosenandthrowitdown。Then，likeonebewilderedbyanoppositionwhichwouldexistnonethelessthoughitsmanifestationswereremoved，heallowedhisarmstosinktohisside。

’Letitbe，’hesaidtohimself。’Ihavedeclaredthereshallbepeace——ifpossible。’

Takinguphisumbrellahequietlylefttheenclosure，andwentonhisway，stillkeepinghisbacktothetown。Hehadadvancedwithmoredecisionsincepassingthenewbuilding，andsoonahoarsemurmurroseuponthegloom；itwasthesoundofthesea。Theroadledtotheharbour，atadistanceofamilefromthetown，fromwhichthetradeofthedistrictwasfed。Afterseeingtheobnoxiousname-boardBarnethadforgottentoopenhisumbrella，andtheraintappedsmartlyonhishat，andoccasionallystrokedhisfaceashewenton。

Thoughthelampswerestillcontinuedattheroadside，theystoodatwiderintervalsthanbefore，andthepavementhadgivenplacetocommonroad。Everytimehecametoalampanincreasingshinemadeitselfvisibleuponhisshoulders，tillatlasttheyquiteglistenedwithwet。Themurmurfromtheshoregrewstronger，butitwasstillsomedistanceoffwhenhepausedbeforeoneofthesmallestofthedetachedhousesbythewayside，standinginitsowngarden，thelatterbeingdividedfromtheroadbyarowofwoodenpalings。

Scrutinizingthespottoensurethathewasnotmistaken，heopenedthegateandgentlyknockedatthecottagedoor。

Whenhehadpatientlywaitedminutesenoughtoleadanymaninordinarycasestoknockagain，thedoorwasheardtoopen，thoughitwasimpossibletoseebywhosehand，therebeingnolightinthepassage。Barnetsaidatrandom，’DoesMissSavilelivehere？’

Ayouthfulvoiceassuredhimthatshedidlivethere，andbyasuddenafterthoughtaskedhimtocomein。Itwouldsoongetalight，itsaid:butthenightbeingwet，motherhadnotthoughtitworthwhiletotrimthepassagelamp。

’Don’ttroubleyourselftogetalightforme，’saidBarnethastily；

’itisnotnecessaryatall。WhichisMissSavile’ssitting-room？’

Theyoungperson，whosewhitepinaforecouldjustbediscerned，signifiedadoorinthesideofthepassage，andBarnetwentforwardatthesamemoment，sothatnolightshouldfalluponhisface。Onenteringtheroomheclosedthedoorbehindhim，pausingtillheheardtheretreatingfootstepsofthechild。

Hefoundhimselfinanapartmentwhichwassimplyandneatly，thoughnotpoorlyfurnished；everything，fromtheminiaturechiffonniertotheshininglittledaguerreotypewhichformedthecentralornamentofthemantelpiece，beinginscrupulousorder。Thepicturewasenclosedbyaframeofembroideredcard-board——evidentlytheworkoffemininehands——anditwastheportraitofathinfaced，elderlylieutenantinthenavy。Frombehindthelamponthetableafemaleformnowroseintoview，thatofayounggirl，andaresemblancebetweenherandtheportraitwasearlydiscoverable。Shehadbeensoabsorbedinsomeoccupationontheothersideofthelampastohavebarelyfoundtimetorealizehervisitor’spresence。

Theybothremainedstandingforafewsecondswithoutspeaking。ThefacethatconfrontedBarnethadabeautifuloutline；theRaffaelesqueovalofitscontourwasremarkableforanEnglishcountenance，andthatcountenancehousedinaremotecountry-roadtoanunheard-ofharbour。Butherfeaturesdidnotdojusticetothissplendidbeginning:NaturehadrecollectedthatshewasnotinItaly；andtheyounglady’slineaments，thoughnotsoinconsistentastomakeherplain，wouldhavebeenacceptedratheraspleasingthanascorrect。Thepreoccupiedexpressionwhich，likeimagesontheretina，remainedwithherforamomentafterthestatethatcausedithadceased，nowchangedintoareserved，half-proud，andslightlyindignantlook，inwhichtheblooddiffuseditselfquicklyacrosshercheek，andadditionalbrightnessbroketheshadeofherratherheavyeyes。

’IknowIhavenobusinesshere，’hesaid，answeringthelook。’ButIhadagreatwishtoseeyou，andinquirehowyouwere。Youcangiveyourhandtome，seeinghowoftenIhavehelditinpastdays？’

’Iwouldratherforgetthanrememberallthat，Mr。Barnet，’sheanswered，asshecoldlycompliedwiththerequest。’WhenIthinkofthecircumstancesofourlastmeeting，Icanhardlyconsideritkindofyoutoalludetosuchathingasourpast——or，indeed，tocomehereatall。’

’Therewasnoharminitsurely？Idon’ttroubleyouoften，Lucy。’

’Ihavenothadthehonourofavisitfromyouforaverylongtime，certainly，andIdidnotexpectitnow，’shesaid，withthesamestiffnessinherair。’IhopeMrs。Barnetisverywell？’

’Yes，yes！’heimpatientlyreturned。’AtleastIsupposeso——thoughIonlyspeakfrominference！’

’Butsheisyourwife，sir，’saidtheyounggirltremulously。

Theunwontedtonesofaman’svoiceinthatfemininechamberhadstartledacanarythatwasroostinginitscagebythewindow；thebirdawokehastily，andflutteredagainstthebars。Shewentandstilleditbylayingherfaceagainstthecageandmurmuringacoaxingsound。Itmightpartlyhavebeendonetostillherself。

’Ididn’tcometotalkofMrs。Barnet，’hepursued；’Icametotalkofyou，ofyourselfalone；toinquirehowyouaregettingonsinceyourgreatloss。’Andheturnedtowardstheportraitofherfather。

’Iamgettingonfairlywell，thankyou。’

Theforceofherutterancewasscarcelyborneoutbyherlook；butBarnetcourteouslyreproachedhimselffornothavingguessedathingsonatural；andtodissipateallembarrassment，added，ashebentoverthetable，’WhatwereyoudoingwhenIcame？——paintingflowers，andbycandlelight？’

’Ono，’shesaid，’notpaintingthem——onlysketchingtheoutlines。

Idothatatnighttosavetime——Ihavetogetthreedozendonebytheendofthemonth。’

Barnetlookedasifheregretteditdeeply。’Youwillwearyourpooreyesout，’hesaid，withmoresentimentthanhehadhithertoshown。’Yououghtnottodoit。TherewasatimewhenIshouldhavesaidyoumustnot。Well——IalmostwishIhadneverseenlightwithmyowneyeswhenIthinkofthat！’

’Isthisatimeorplaceforrecallingsuchmatters？’sheasked，withdignity。’Youusedtohaveagentlemanlyrespectforme，andforyourself。Don’tspeakanymoreasyouhavespoken，anddon’tcomeagain。Icannotthinkthatthisvisitisserious，orwascloselyconsideredbyyou。’

’Considered:well，Icametoseeyouasanoldandgoodfriend——nottomincematters，tovisitawomanIloved。Don’tbeangry！I

couldnothelpdoingit，somanythingsbroughtyouintomymind