第9章

Hadhesufferedtorturesofremorse，orhaditbeen，“There！that\'sover。Nowforrespectablelifeagain“？Thelatter，ifshereadhimrightly。Amanwhohasbeenthroughhelldoesnotboastofhisvirility。Heishumbleandhidesit，if，indeed，itstillexists。

Onlyinlegenddoesthesinnercomeforthpenitent，butterrible，toconquerpurewomanbyhisresistlesspower。Henrywasanxioustobeterrible，buthadnotgotitinhim。HewasagoodaverageEnglishman，whohadslipped。Thereallyculpablepoint——hisfaithlessnesstoMrs。

Wilcox——neverseemedtostrikehim。ShelongedtomentionMrs。Wilcox。

Andbitbybitthestorywastoldher。Itwasaverysimplestory。Tenyearsagowasthetime，agarrisontowninCyprustheplace。Nowandthenheaskedherwhethershecouldpossiblyforgivehim，andsheanswered，“Ihavealreadyforgivenyou，Henry。“

Shechoseherwordscarefully，andsosavedhimfrompanic。Sheplayedthegirl，untilhecouldrebuildhisfortressandhidehissoulfromtheworld。Whenthebutlercametoclearaway，Henrywasinaverydifferentmood——askedthefellowwhathewasinsuchahurryfor，complainedofthenoiselastnightintheservants\'hall。Margaretlookedintentlyatthebutler。He，asahandsomeyoungman，wasfaintlyattractivetoherasawoman——anattractionsofaintasscarcelytobeperceptible，yettheskieswouldhavefallenifshehadmentionedittoHenry。

OnherreturnfromtheGeorgethebuildingoperationswerecomplete，andtheoldHenryfrontedher，competent，cynical，andkind。

Hehadmadeacleanbreast，hadbeenforgiven，andthegreatthingnowwastoforgethisfailure，andtosenditthewayofotherunsuccessfulinvestments。JackyrejoinedHowardsEndandDucieStreet，andthevermilionmotor-car，andtheArgentineHardDollars，andallthethingsandpeopleforwhomhehadneverhadmuchuseandhadlessnow。Theirmemoryhamperedhim。HecouldscarcelyattendtoMargaretwhobroughtbackdisquietingnewsfromtheGeorge。Helenandherclientshadgone。

“Well，letthemgo——themanandhiswife，Imean，forthemoreweseeofyoursisterthebetter。“

“Buttheyhavegoneseparately——Helenveryearly，theBastsjustbeforeIarrived。Theyhaveleftnomessage。

Theyhaveansweredneitherofmynotes。Idon\'tliketothinkwhatitallmeans。“

“Whatdidyousayinthenotes？“

“Itoldyoulastnight。“

“Oh——ah——yes！Dear，wouldyoulikeoneturninthegarden？“

Margarettookhisarm。Thebeautifulweathersoothedher。ButthewheelsofEvie\'sweddingwerestillatwork，tossingtheguestsoutwardsasdeftlyastheyhaddrawnthemin，andshecouldnotbewithhimlong。IthadbeenarrangedthattheyshouldmotortoShrewsbury，whencehewouldgonorth，andshebacktoLondonwiththeWarringtons。Forafractionoftimeshewashappy。Thenherbrainrecommenced。

“IamafraidtherehasbeengossipingofsomekindattheGeorge。Helenwouldnothaveleftunlessshehadheardsomething。

Imismanagedthat。Itiswretched。Ioughtto——havepartedherfromthatwomanatonce。

“Margaret！“heexclaimed，loosingherarmimpressively。

“Yes——yes，Henry？“

“Iamfarfromasaint——infact，thereverse——butyouhavetakenme，forbetterorworse。Bygonesmustbebygones。

Youhavepromisedtoforgiveme。Margaret，apromiseisapromise。

Nevermentionthatwomanagain。“

“Exceptforsomepracticalreason——never。“

“Practical！Youpractical！“

“Yes，I\'mpractical，“shemurmured，stoopingoverthemowing-machineandplayingwiththegrasswhichtrickledthroughherfingerslikesand。

Hehadsilencedher，butherfearsmadehimuneasy。

Notforthefirsttime，hewasthreatenedwithblackmail。Hewasrichandsupposedtobemoral；theBastsknewthathewasnot，andmightfinditprofitabletohintasmuch。

“Atallevents，youmustn\'tworry，“hesaid。

“Thisisaman\'sbusiness。“Hethoughtintently。“Onnoaccountmentionittoanybody。“

Margaretflushedatadvicesoelementary，buthewasreallypavingthewayforalie。IfnecessaryhewoulddenythathehadeverknownMrs。Bast，andprosecuteherforlibel。Perhapsheneverhadknownher。HerewasMargaret，whobehavedasifhehadnot。Therethehouse。Roundthemwerehalfadozengardeners，clearingupafterhisdaughter\'swedding。Allwassosolidandspruce，thatthepastflewupoutofsightlikeaspring-blind，leavingonlythelastfiveminutesunrolled。

Glancingatthese，hesawthatthecarwouldberoundduringthenextfive，andplungedintoaction。Gongsweretapped，ordersissued，Margaretwassenttodress，andthehousemaidtosweepupthelongtrickleofgrassthatshehadleftacrossthehall。AsisMantotheUniverse，sowasthemindofMr。Wilcoxtothemindsofsomemen——aconcentratedlightuponatinyspot，alittleTenMinutesmovingself-containedthroughitsappointedyears。NoPaganhe，wholivesfortheNow，andmaybewiserthanallphilosophers。Helivedforthefiveminutesthathavepast，andthefivetocome；hehadthebusinessmind。

Howdidhestandnow，ashismotorslippedoutofOnitonandbreastedthegreatroundhills？Margarethadheardacertainrumour，butwasallright。Shehadforgivenhim，Godblessher，andhefeltthemanlierforit。CharlesandEviehadnotheardit，andnevermusthear。NomoremustPaul。Overhischildrenhefeltgreattenderness，whichhedidnottrytotracktoacause:Mrs。Wilcoxwastoofarbackinhislife。HedidnotconnectherwiththesuddenachinglovethathefeltforEvie。PoorlittleEvie！hetrustedthatCahillwouldmakeheradecenthusband。

AndMargaret？Howdidshestand？

Shehadseveralminorworries。Clearlyhersisterhadheardsomething。Shedreadedmeetingherintown。

AndshewasanxiousaboutLeonard，forwhomtheycertainlywereresponsible。

NoroughtMrs。Basttostarve。Butthemainsituationhadnotaltered。

ShestilllovedHenry。Hisactions，nothisdisposition，haddisappointedher，andshecouldbearthat。Andshelovedherfuturehome。

Standingupinthecar，justwhereshehadleaptfromittwodaysbefore，shegazedbackwithdeepemotionuponOniton。BesidestheGrangeandtheCastlekeep，shecouldnowpickoutthechurchandtheblack-and-whitegablesoftheGeorge。Therewasthebridge，andtherivernibblingitsgreenpeninsula。Shecouldevenseethebathing-shed，butwhileshewaslookingforCharles\'snewspringboard，theforeheadofthehillroseupandhidthewholescene。

Sheneversawitagain。DayandnighttheriverflowsdownintoEngland，dayafterdaythesunretreatsintotheWelshmountains，andthetowerchimes，“SeetheConqueringHero。“ButtheWilcoxeshavenopartintheplace，norinanyplace。Itisnottheirnamesthatrecurintheparishregister。Itisnottheirghoststhatsighamongthealdersatevening。Theyhavesweptintothevalleyandsweptoutofit，leavingalittledustandalittlemoneybehind。Chapter30TibbywasnowapproachinghislastyearatOxford。Hehadmovedoutofcollege，andwascontemplatingtheUniverse，orsuchportionsofitasconcernedhim，fromhiscomfortablelodgingsinLongWall。Hewasnotconcernedwithmuch。Whenayoungmanisuntroubledbypassionsandsincerelyindifferenttopublicopinion，hisoutlookisnecessarilylimited。Tibbyneitherwishedtostrengthenthepositionoftherichnortoimprovethatofthepoor，andsowaswellcontenttowatchtheelmsnoddingbehindthemildlyembattledparapetsofMagdalen。Thereareworselives。Thoughselfish，hewasnevercruel；thoughaffectedinmanner，heneverposed。LikeMargaret，hedisdainedtheheroicequipment，anditwasonlyaftermanyvisitsthatmendiscoveredSchlegeltopossessacharacterandabrain。HehaddonewellinMods，muchtothesurpriseofthosewhoattendedlecturesandtookproperexercise，andwasnowglancingdisdainfullyatChineseincaseheshouldsomedayconsenttoqualifyasaStudentInterpreter。TohimthusemployedHelenentered。Atelegramhadprecededher。

Henoticed，inadistantway，thathissisterhadaltered。Asarulehefoundhertoopronounced，andhadnevercomeacrossthislookofappeal，patheticyetdignified——thelookofasailorwhohaslosteverythingatsea。

“IhavecomefromOniton，“shebegan。“Therehasbeenagreatdealoftroublethere。“

“Who\'sforlunch？“saidTibby，pickinguptheclaret，whichwaswarminginthehearth。Helensatdownsubmissivelyatthetable。“Whysuchanearlystart？“heasked。

“Sunriseorsomething——whenIcouldgetaway。“

“SoIsurmise。Why？“

“Idon\'tknowwhat\'stobedone，Tibby。I

amverymuchupsetatapieceofnewsthatconcernsMeg，anddonotwanttofaceher，andIamnotgoingbacktoWickhamPlace。Istoppedheretotellyouthis。“

Thelandladycameinwiththecutlets。TibbyputamarkerintheleavesofhisChineseGrammarandhelpedthem。

Oxford——theOxfordofthevacation——dreamedandrustledoutside，andindoorsthelittlefirewascoatedwithgreywherethesunshinetouchedit。

Helencontinuedheroddstory。

“GiveMegmyloveandsaythatIwanttobealone。

ImeantogotoMunichorelseBonn。“

“Suchamessageiseasilygiven，“saidherbrother。

“AsregardsWickhamPlaceandmyshareofthefurniture，youandshearetodoexactlyasyoulike。Myownfeelingisthateverythingmayjustaswellbesold。Whatdoesonewantwithdustyeconomic，books，whichhavemadetheworldnobetter，orwithmother\'shideouschiffoniers？Ihavealsoanothercommissionforyou。

Iwantyoutodeliveraletter。“Shegotup。“Ihaven\'twrittenityet。Whyshouldn\'tIpostit，though？“Shesatdownagain。

“Myheadisratherwretched。Ihopethatnoneofyourfriendsarelikelytocomein。“

Tibbylockedthedoor。Hisfriendsoftenfounditinthiscondition。ThenheaskedwhetheranythinghadgonewrongatEvie\'swedding。

“Notthere，“saidHelen，andburstintotears。

Hehadknownherhysterical——itwasoneofheraspectswithwhichhehadnoconcern——andyetthesetearstouchedhimassomethingunusual。Theywerenearerthethingsthatdidconcernhim，suchasmusic。Helaiddownhisknifeandlookedathercuriously。

Then，asshecontinuedtosob，hewentonwithhislunch。

Thetimecameforthesecondcourse，andshewasstillcrying。AppleCharlottewastofollow，whichspoilsbywaiting。

“DoyoumindMrs。Martlettcomingin？“heasked，“orshallItakeitfromheratthedoor？“

“CouldIbathemyeyes，Tibby？“

Hetookhertohisbedroom，andintroducedthepuddinginherabsence。Havinghelpedhimself，heputitdowntowarminthehearth。HishandstretchedtowardstheGrammar，andsoonhewasturningoverthepages，raisinghiseyebrowsscornfully，perhapsathumannature，perhapsatChinese。TohimthusemployedHelenreturned。

Shehadpulledherselftogether，butthegraveappealhadnotvanishedfromhereyes。

“Nowfortheexplanation，“shesaid。“Whydidn\'tIbeginwithit？IhavefoundoutsomethingaboutMr。Wilcox。

Hehasbehavedverywronglyindeed，andruinedtwopeople\'slives。

Itallcameonmeverysuddenlylastnight；Iamverymuchupset，andI

donotknowwhattodo。Mrs。Bast——“

“Oh，thosepeople！“

Helenseemedsilenced。

“ShallIlockthedooragain？“

“No，thanks，Tibbikins。You\'rebeingverygoodtome。IwanttotellyouthestorybeforeIgoabroad。

Youmustdoexactlywhatyoulike——treatitaspartofthefurniture。

Megcannothaveheardityet，Ithink。ButIcannotfaceherandtellherthatthemansheisgoingtomarryhasmisconductedhimself。

Idon\'tevenknowwhethersheoughttobetold。KnowingasshedoesthatIdislikehim，shewillsuspectme，andthinkthatIwanttoruinhermatch。Isimplydon\'tknowwhattomakeofsuchathing。

Itrustyourjudgment。Whatwouldyoudo？“

“Igatherhehashadamistress，“saidTibby。

Helenflushedwithshameandanger。“Andruinedtwopeople\'slives。Andgoesaboutsayingthatpersonalactionscountfornothing，andtherealwayswillberichandpoor。HemetherwhenhewastryingtogetrichoutinCyprus——Idon\'twishtomakehimworsethanheis，andnodoubtshewasreadyenoughtomeethim。Butthereitis。Theymet。Hegoeshiswayandshegoeshers。Whatdoyousupposeistheendofsuchwomen？“

Heconcededthatitwasabadbusiness。

“Theyendintwoways:Eithertheysinktillthelunaticasylumsandtheworkhousesarefullofthem，andcauseMr。Wilcoxtowriteletterstothepaperscomplainingofournationaldegeneracy，orelsetheyentrapaboyintomarriagebeforeitistoolate。She——I

can\'tblameher。

“Butthisisn\'tall，“shecontinuedafteralongpause，duringwhichthelandladyservedthemwithcoffee。“IcomenowtothebusinessthattookustoOniton。Wewentallthree。

ActingonMr。Wilcox\'sadvice，themanthrowsupasecuresituationandtakesaninsecureone，fromwhichheisdismissed。Therearecertainexcuses，butinthemainMr。Wilcoxistoblame，asMegherselfadmitted。

Itisonlycommonjusticethatheshouldemploythemanhimself。

Buthemeetsthewoman，and，likethecurthatheis，herefuses，andtriestogetridofthem。HemakesMegwrite。Twonotescamefromherlatethatevening——oneforme，oneforLeonard，dismissinghimwithbarelyareason。Icouldn\'tunderstand。ThenitcomesoutthatMrs。BasthadspokentoMr。Wilcoxonthelawnwhilewelefthertogetrooms，andwasstillspeakingabouthimwhenLeonardcamebacktoher。

ThisLeonardknewallalong。Hethoughtitnaturalheshouldberuinedtwice。Natural！Couldyouhavecontainedyourself？。

“Itiscertainlyaverybadbusiness，“saidTibby。

Hisreplyseemedtocalmhissister。“IwasafraidthatIsawitoutofproportion。Butyouarerightoutsideit，andyoumustknow。Inadayortwo——orperhapsaweek——takewhateverstepsyouthinkfit。Ileaveitinyourhands。“

Sheconcludedhercharge。

“ThefactsastheytouchMegareallbeforeyou，“

sheadded；andTibbysighedandfeltitratherhardthat，becauseofhisopenmind，heshouldbeempanelledtoserveasajuror。Hehadneverbeeninterestedinhumanbeings，forwhichonemustblamehim，buthehadhadrathertoomuchofthematWickhamPlace。Justassomepeopleceasetoattendwhenbooksarementioned，soTibby\'sattentionwanderedwhen“personalrelations“cameunderdiscussion。OughtMargarettoknowwhatHelenknewtheBaststoknow？Similarquestionshadvexedhimfrominfancy，andatOxfordhehadlearnedtosaythattheimportanceofhumanbeingshasbeenvastlyoverratedbyspecialists。Theepigram，withitsfaintwhiffoftheeighties，meantnothing。Buthemighthaveletitoffnowifhissisterhadnotbeenceaselesslybeautiful。

“Yousee，Helen——haveacigarette——Idon\'tseewhatI\'mtodo。“

“Thenthere\'snothingtobedone。Idaresayyouareright。Letthemmarry。Thereremainsthequestionofcompensation。“

“Doyouwantmetoadjudicatethattoo？Hadyounotbetterconsultanexpert？“

“Thispartisinconfidence，“saidHelen。

“IthasnothingtodowithMeg，anddonotmentionittoher。Thecompensation——IdonotseewhoistopayitifIdon\'t，andIhavealreadydecidedontheminimumsum。AssoonaspossibleIamplacingittoyouraccount，andwhenIaminGermanyyouwillpayitoverforme。

Ishallneverforgetyourkindness，Tibbikins，ifyoudothis。“

“Whatisthesum？“

“Fivethousand。“

“GoodGodalive！“saidTibby，andwentcrimson。

“Now，whatisthegoodofdriblets？Togothroughlifehavingdoneonething——tohaveraisedonepersonfromtheabyss:notthesepunygiftsofshillingsandblankets——makingthegreymoregrey。Nodoubtpeoplewillthinkmeextraordinary。“

“Idon\'tcareadamnwhatpeoplethink！“criedhe，heatedtounusualmanlinessofdiction。“Butit\'shalfwhatyouhave。“

“Notnearlyhalf。“Shespreadoutherhandsoverhersoiledskirt。“Ihavefartoomuch，andwesettledatChelsealastspringthatthreehundredayearisnecessarytosetamanonhisfeet。WhatIgivewillbringinahundredandfiftybetweentwo。

Itisn\'tenough。“

Hecouldnotrecover。Hewasnotangryorevenshocked，andhesawthatHelenwouldstillhaveplentytoliveon。

Butitamazedhimtothinkwhathaycockspeoplecanmakeoftheirlives。

Hisdelicateintonationswouldnotwork，andhecouldonlyblurtoutthatthefivethousandpoundswouldmeanagreatdealofbotherforhimpersonally。

“Ididn\'texpectyoutounderstandme。“

“I？Iunderstandnobody。“

“Butyou\'lldoit？“

“Apparently。“

“Ileaveyoutwocommissions，then。ThefirstconcernsMr。Wilcox，andyouaretouseyourdiscretion。Thesecondconcernsthemoney，andistobementionedtonoone，andcarriedoutliterally。

Youwillsendahundredpoundsonaccounttomorrow。“

Hewalkedwithhertothestation，passingthroughthosestreetswhoseserriedbeautyneverbewilderedhimandneverfatigued。

Thelovelycreatureraiseddomesandspiresintothecloudlessblue，andonlytheganglionofvulgarityroundCarfaxshowedhowevanescentwasthephantom，howfaintitsclaimtorepresentEngland。Helen，rehearsinghercommission，noticednothing:theBastswereinherbrain，andsheretoldthecrisisinameditativeway，whichmighthavemadeothermencurious。

Shewasseeingwhetheritwouldhold。HeaskedheroncewhyshehadtakentheBastsrightintotheheartofEvie\'swedding。Shestoppedlikeafrightenedanimalandsaid，“Doesthatseemtoyousoodd？“

Hereyes，thehandlaidonthemouth，quitehauntedhim，untiltheywereabsorbedintothefigureofSt。MarytheVirgin，beforewhomhepausedforamomentonthewalkhome。

Itisconvenienttofollowhiminthedischargeofhisduties。Margaretsummonedhimthenextday。ShewasterrifiedatHelen\'sflight，andhehadtosaythatshehadcalledinatOxford。Thenshesaid:“DidsheseemworriedatanyrumouraboutHenry？“Heanswered，“Yes。““Iknewitwasthat！“sheexclaimed。

“I\'llwritetoher。“Tibbywasrelieved。

HethensentthechequetotheaddressthatHelengavehim，andstatedthatlateronhewasinstructedtoforwardfivethousandpounds。Ananswercameback，verycivilandquietintone——suchananswerasTibbyhimselfwouldhavegiven。Thechequewasreturned，thelegacyrefused，thewriterbeinginnoneedofmoney。TibbyforwardedthistoHelen，addinginthefulnessofhisheartthatLeonardBastseemedsomewhatamonumentalpersonafterall。Helen\'sreplywasfrantic。

Hewastotakenonotice。Hewastogodownatonceandsaythatshecommandedacceptance。Hewent。Ascurfofbooksandchinaornamentsawaitedthem。TheBastshadjustbeenevictedfornotpayingtheirrent，andhadwanderednooneknewwhither。Helenhadbegunbunglingwithhermoneybythistime，andhadevensoldouthersharesintheNottinghamandDerbyRailway。Forsomeweeksshedidnothing。

Thenshereinvested，and，owingtothegoodadviceofherstockbrokers，becameratherricherthanshehadbeenbefore。Chapter31Houseshavetheirownwaysofdying，fallingasvariouslyasthegenerationsofmen，somewithatragicroar，somequietly，buttoanafter-lifeinthecityofghosts，whilefromothers——andthuswasthedeathofWickhamPlace——thespiritslipsbeforethebodyperishes。Ithaddecayedinthespring，disintegratingthegirlsmorethantheyknew，andcausingeithertoaccostunfamiliarregions。BySeptemberitwasacorpse，voidofemotion，andscarcelyhallowedbythememoriesofthirtyyearsofhappiness。Throughitsround-toppeddoorwaypassedfurniture，andpictures，andbooks，untilthelastroomwasguttedandthelastvanhadrumbledaway。Itstoodforaweekortwolonger，open-eyed，asifastonishedatitsownemptiness。Thenitfell。Navviescame，andspiltitbackintothegrey。Withtheirmusclesandtheirbeerygoodtemper，theywerenottheworstofundertakersforahousewhichhadalwaysbeenhuman，andhadnotmistakencultureforanend。

Thefurniture，withafewexceptions，wentdownintoHertfordshire，Mr。WilcoxhavingmostkindlyofferedHowardsEndasawarehouse。Mr。Brycehaddiedabroad——anunsatisfactoryaffair——andasthereseemedlittleguaranteethattherentwouldbepaidregularly，hecancelledtheagreement，andresumedpossessionhimself。Untilhereletthehouse，theSchlegelswerewelcometostacktheirfurnitureinthegarageandlowerrooms。Margaretdemurred，butTibbyacceptedtheoffergladly；itsavedhimfromcomingtoanydecisionaboutthefuture。

TheplateandthemorevaluablepicturesfoundasaferhomeinLondon，butthebulkofthethingswentcountry-ways，andwereentrustedtotheguardianshipofMissAvery。

Shortlybeforethemove，ourheroandheroineweremarried。Theyhaveweatheredthestorm，andmayreasonablyexpectpeace。Tohavenoillusionsandyettolove——whatstrongersuretycanawomanfind？Shehadseenherhusband\'spastaswellashisheart。Sheknewherownheartwithathoroughnessthatcommonplacepeoplebelieveimpossible。TheheartofMrs。Wilcoxwasalonehidden，andperhapsitissuperstitioustospeculateonthefeelingsofthedead。

Theyweremarriedquietly——reallyquietly，forasthedayapproachedsherefusedtogothroughanotherOniton。Herbrothergaveheraway，heraunt，whowasoutofhealth，presidedoverafewcolourlessrefreshments。

TheWilcoxeswererepresentedbyCharles，whowitnessedthemarriagesettlement，andbyMr。Cahill。Pauldidsendacablegram。Inafewminutes，andwithouttheaidofmusic，theclergymanmadethemmanandwife，andsoontheglassshadehadfallenthatcutsoffmarriedcouplesfromtheworld。She，amonogamist，regrettedthecessationofsomeoflife\'sinnocentodours；he，whoseinstinctswerepolygamous，feltmorallybracedbythechange，andlessliabletothetemptationsthathadassailedhiminthepast。

TheyspenttheirhoneymoonnearInnsbruck。

Henryknewofareliablehotelthere，andMargarethopedforameetingwithhersister。Inthisshewasdisappointed。Astheycamesouth，HelenretreatedovertheBrenner，andwroteanunsatisfactorypostcardfromtheshoresoftheLakeofGarda，sayingthatherplanswereuncertainandhadbetterbeignored。EvidentlyshedislikedmeetingHenry。

Twomonthsaresurelyenoughtoaccustomanoutsidertoasituationwhichawifehasacceptedintwodays，andMargarethadagaintoregrethersister\'slackofself-control。Inalonglettershepointedouttheneedofcharityinsexualmatters:solittleisknownaboutthem；itishardenoughforthosewhoarepersonallytouchedtojudge；thenhowfutilemustbetheverdictofSociety。“Idon\'tsaythereisnostandard，forthatwoulddestroymorality；onlythattherecanbenostandarduntilourimpulsesareclassifiedandbetterunderstood。“Helenthankedherforherkindletter——ratheracuriousreply。Shemovedsouthagain，andspokeofwinteringinNaples。

Mr。Wilcoxwasnotsorrythatthemeetingfailed。

Helenlefthimtimetogrowskinoverhiswound。Therewerestillmomentswhenitpainedhim。HadheonlyknownthatMargaretwasawaitinghim——Margaret，solivelyandintelligent，andyetsosubmissive——hewouldhavekepthimselfworthierofher。Incapableofgroupingthepast，heconfusedtheepisodeofJackywithanotherepisodethathadtakenplaceinthedaysofhisbachelorhood。Thetwomadeonecropofwildoats，forwhichhewasheartilysorry，andhecouldnotseethatthoseoatsareofadarkerstockwhicharerootedinanother\'sdishonour。UnchastityandinfidelitywereasconfusedtohimastotheMiddleAges，hisonlymoralteacher。Ruth(pooroldRuth！)didnotenterintohiscalculationsatall，forpooroldRuthhadneverfoundhimout。

Hisaffectionforhispresentwifegrewsteadily。

Herclevernessgavehimnotrouble，and，indeed，helikedtoseeherreadingpoetryorsomethingaboutsocialquestions；itdistinguishedherfromthewivesofothermen。Hehadonlytocall，andsheclappedthebookupandwasreadytodowhathewished。Thentheywouldarguesojollily，andonceortwiceshehadhiminquiteatightcorner，butassoonashegrewreallyserious，shegavein。Manisforwar，womanfortherecreationofthewarrior，buthedoesnotdislikeitifshemakesashowoffight。

Shecannotwininarealbattle，havingnomuscles，onlynerves。

Nervesmakeherjumpoutofamovingmotor-car，orrefusetobemarriedfashionably。Thewarriormaywellallowhertotriumphonsuchoccasions；

theymovenottheimperishableplinthofthingsthattouchhispeace。

Margarethadabadattackofthesenervesduringthehoneymoon。Hetoldher——casually，aswashishabit——thatOnitonGrangewaslet。Sheshowedherannoyance，andaskedrathercrosslywhyshehadnotbeenconsulted。

“Ididn\'twanttobotheryou，“hereplied。

“Besides，Ihaveonlyheardforcertainthismorning。“

“Wherearewetolive？“saidMargaret，tryingtolaugh。“Ilovedtheplaceextraordinarily。Don\'tyoubelieveinhavingapermanenthome，Henry？“

Heassuredherthatshemisunderstoodhim。

Itishomelifethatdistinguishesusfromtheforeigner。Buthedidnotbelieveinadamphome。

“Thisisnews。IneverheardtillthisminutethatOnitonwasdamp。“

“Mydeargirl！“——heflungouthishand——“haveyoueyes？haveyouaskin？Howcoulditbeanythingbutdampinsuchasituation？Inthefirstplace，theGrangeisonclay，andbuiltwherethecastlemoatmusthavebeen；thenthere\'sthatdestestablelittleriver，steamingallnightlikeakettle。Feelthecellarwalls；

lookupundertheeaves。AskSirJamesoranyone。ThoseShropshirevalleysarenotorious。TheonlypossibleplaceforahouseinShropshireisonahill；but，formypart，IthinkthecountryistoofarfromLondon，andthescenerynothingspecial。“

Margaretcouldnotresistsaying，“Whydidyougothere，then？“

“I——because——“Hedrewhisheadbackandgrewratherangry。“WhyhavewecometotheTyrol，ifitcomestothat？

Onemightgoonaskingsuchquestionsindefinitely。“

Onemight；buthewasonlygainingtimeforaplausibleanswer。Outitcame，andhebelieveditassoonasitwasspoken。

“Thetruthis，ItookOnitononaccountofEvie。

Don\'tletthisgoanyfurther。“

“Certainlynot。“

“Ishouldn\'tlikehertoknowthatshenearlyletmeinforaverybadbargain。NosoonerdidIsigntheagreementthanshegotengaged。Poorlittlegirl！Shewassokeenonitall，andwouldn\'tevenwaittomakeproperinquiriesabouttheshooting。

Afraiditwouldgetsnappedup——justlikeallofyoursex。Well，noharm\'sdone。Shehashadhercountrywedding，andI\'vegotridofmyhousetosomefellowswhoarestartingapreparatoryschool。“

“Whereshallwelive，then，Henry？Ishouldenjoylivingsomewhere。“

“Ihavenotyetdecided。WhataboutNorfolk？“

Margaretwassilent。Marriagehadnotsavedherfromthesenseofflux。Londonwasbutaforetasteofthisnomadiccivilizationwhichisalteringhumannaturesoprofoundly，andthrowsuponpersonalrelationsastressgreaterthantheyhaveeverbornebefore。

Undercosmopolitanism，ifitcomes，weshallreceivenohelpfromtheearth。

Treesandmeadowsandmountainswillonlybeaspectacle，andthebindingforcethattheyonceexercisedoncharactermustbeentrustedtoLovealone。

MayLovebeequaltothetask！

“Itisnowwhat？“continuedHenry。“NearlyOctober。LetuscampforthewinteratDucieStreet，andlookoutforsomethinginthespring。

“Ifpossible，somethingpermanent。Ican\'tbeasyoungasIwas，forthesealterationsdon\'tsuitme。“

“But，mydear，whichwouldyouratherhave——alterationsorrheumatism？“

“Iseeyourpoint，“saidMargaret，gettingup。

“IfOnitonisreallydamp，itisimpossible，andmustbeinhabitedbylittleboys。Only，inthespring，letuslookbeforeweleap。IwilltakewarningbyEvie，andnothurryyou。Rememberthatyouhaveafreehandthistime。Theseendlessmovesmustbebadforthefurniture，andarecertainlyexpensive。“

“Whatapracticallittlewomanitis！What\'sitbeenreading？Theo——theo——howmuch？“

“Theosophy。“

SoDucieStreetwasherfirstfate——apleasantenoughfate。Thehouse，beingonlyalittlelargerthanWickhamPlace，trainedherfortheimmenseestablishmentthatwaspromisedinthespring。

Theywerefrequentlyaway，butathomeliferanfairlyregularly。

InthemorningHenrywenttothebusiness，andhissandwich——arelicthisofsomeprehistoriccraving——wasalwayscutbyherownhand。Hedidnotrelyuponthesandwichforlunch，butlikedtohaveitbyhimincasehegrewhungryateleven。Whenhehadgone，therewasthehousetolookafter，andtheservantstohumanize，andseveralkettlesofHelen\'stokeepontheboil。HerconscienceprickedheralittleabouttheBasts；shewasnotsorrytohavelostsightofthem。NodoubtLeonardwasworthhelping，butbeingHenry\'swife，shepreferredtohelpsomeoneelse。Asfortheatresanddiscussionsocieties，theyattractedherlessandless。Shebeganto“miss“newmovements，andtospendhersparetimere-readingorthinking，rathertotheconcernofherChelseafriends。Theyattributedthechangetohermarriage，andperhapssomedeepinstinctdidwarnhernottotravelfurtherfromherhusbandthanwasinevitable。Yetthemaincauselaydeeperstill；shehadoutgrownstimulants，andwaspassingfromwordstothings。ItwasdoubtlessapitynottokeepupwithWedekindorJohn，butsomeclosingofthegatesisinevitableafterthirty，iftheminditselfistobecomeacreativepower。Chapter32Shewaslookingatplansonedayinthefollowingspring——theyhadfinallydecidedtogodownintoSussexandbuild——whenMrs。CharlesWilcoxwasannounced。

“Haveyouheardthenews？“Dollycried，assoonassheenteredtheroom。“Charlesissoang——Imeanheissureyouknowaboutit，orrather，thatyoudon\'tknow。“

“Why，Dolly！“saidMargaret，placidlykissingher。

“Here\'sasurprise！Howaretheboysandthebaby？“

Boysandthebabywerewell，andindescribingagreatrowthattherehadbeenatHiltonTennisClub，Dollyforgothernews。

Thewrongpeoplehadtriedtogetin。Therector，asrepresentingtheolderinhabitants，hadsaid——Charleshadsaid——thetax-collectorhadsaid——Charleshadregrettednotsaying——andsheclosedthedescriptionwith，“Butluckyyou，withfourcourtsofyourownatMidhurst。“

“Itwillbeveryjolly，“repliedMargaret。

“Arethosetheplans？Doesitmattermeseeingthem？“

“Ofcoursenot。“

“Charleshasneverseentheplans。“

“Theyhaveonlyjustarrived。Hereisthegroundfloor——no，that\'sratherdifficult。Trytheelevation。

Wearetohaveagoodmanygablesandapicturesquesky-line。“

“Whatmakesitsmellsofunny？“saidDolly，afteramoment\'sinspection。Shewasincapableofunderstandingplansormaps。

“Isupposethepaper。“

“Andwhichwayupisit？“

“Justtheordinarywayup。That\'sthesky-line，andthepartthatsmellsstrongestisthesky。“

“Well，askmeanother。Margaret——oh——whatwasIgoingtosay？How\'sHelen？“

“Quitewell。“

“IsshenevercomingbacktoEngland？Everyonethinksit\'sawfullyoddshedoesn\'t。“

“Soitis，“saidMargaret，tryingtoconcealhervexation。Shewasgettingrathersoreonthispoint。“Helenisodd，awfully。Shehasnowbeenawayeightmonths。

“Buthasn\'tsheanyaddress？“

“AposterestantesomewhereinBavariaisheraddress。

Dowriteheraline。Iwilllookitupforyou。“

“No，don\'tbother。That\'seightmonthsshehasbeenaway，surely？“

“Exactly。SheleftjustafterEvie\'swedding。

Itwouldbeeightmonths。“

“Justwhenbabywasborn，then？“

“Justso。“

Dollysighed，andstaredenviouslyroundthedrawing-room。

Shewasbeginningtoloseherbrightnessandgoodlooks。TheCharles\'

werenotwelloff，forMr。Wilcox，havingbroughtuphischildrenwithexpensivetastes，believedinlettingthemshiftforthemselves。

Afterall，hehadnottreatedthemgenerously。Yetanotherbabywasexpected，shetoldMargaret，andtheywouldhavetogiveupthemotor。

Margaretsympathized，butinaformalfashion，andDollylittleimaginedthatthestep-motherwasurgingMr。Wilcoxtomakethemamoreliberalallowance。Shesighedagain，andatlasttheparticulargrievancewasremembered。“Ohyes，“shecried，“thatisit:MissAveryhasbeenunpackingyourpacking-cases。“

“Whyhasshedonethat？Howunnecessary！“

“Askanother。Isupposeyouorderedherto。“

“Igavenosuchorders。Perhapsshewasairingthethings。Shedidundertaketolightanoccasionalfire。“

“Itwasfarmorethananair，“saidDollysolemnly。

“Thefloorsoundscoveredwithbooks。Charlessentmetoknowwhatistobedone，forhefeelscertainyoudon\'tknow。“

“Books！“criedMargaret，movedbytheholyword。

“Dolly，areyouserious？Hasshebeentouchingourbooks？“

“Hasn\'tshe，though！Whatusedtobethehall\'sfullofthem。Charlesthoughtforcertainyouknewofit。“

“Iamverymuchobligedtoyou，Dolly。WhatcanhavecomeoverMissAvery？Imustgodownaboutitatonce。

Someofthebooksaremybrother\'s，andarequitevaluable。Shehadnorighttoopenanyofthecases。“

“Isayshe\'sdotty。Shewastheonethatnevergotmarried，youknow。Oh，Isay，perhapsshethinksyourbooksarewedding-presentstoherself。Oldmaidsaretakenthatwaysometimes。

MissAveryhatesusalllikepoisoneversinceherfrightfuldust-upwithEvie。“

“Ihadn\'theardofthat，“saidMargaret。A

visitfromDollyhaditscompensations。

“Didn\'tyouknowshegaveEvieapresentlastAugust，andEviereturnedit，andthen——oh，goloshes！YouneverreadsuchaletterasMissAverywrote。“

“ButitwaswrongofEvietoreturnit。Itwasn\'tlikehertodosuchaheartlessthing。“

“Butthepresentwassoexpensive。“

“Whydoesthatmakeanydifference，Dolly？“

“Still，whenitcostsoverfivepounds——Ididn\'tseeit，butitwasalovelyenamelpendantfromaBondStreetshop。

Youcan\'tverywellacceptthatkindofthingfromafarmwoman。

Now，canyou？“

“YouacceptedapresentfromMissAverywhenyouweremarried。

“Oh，minewasoldearthenwarestuff——notworthahalfpenny。Evie\'swasquitedifferent。You\'dhavetoaskanyonetotheweddingwhogaveyouapendantlikethat。UnclePercyandAlbertandfatherandCharlesallsaiditwasquiteimpossible，andwhenfourmenagree，whatisagirltodo？Eviedidn\'twanttoupsettheoldthing，sothoughtasortofjokingletterbest，andreturnedthependantstraighttotheshoptosaveMissAverytrouble。“

“ButMissAverysaid——“

Dolly\'seyesgrewround。“Itwasaperfectlyawfulletter。Charlessaiditwastheletterofamadman。Intheendshehadthependantbackagainfromtheshopandthrewitintotheduckpond。

“Didshegiveanyreasons？“

“WethinkshemeanttobeinvitedtoOniton，andsoclimbintosociety。“

“She\'sratheroldforthat，“saidMargaretpensively。

“MaynotshehavegiventhepresenttoEvieinremembranceofhermother？“

“That\'sanotion。Giveeveryonetheirdue，eh？Well，IsupposeIoughttobetoddling。Comealong，Mr。

Muff——youwantanewcoat，butIdon\'tknowwho\'llgiveityou，I\'msure；“

andaddressingherapparelwithmournfulhumour，Dollymovedfromtheroom。

MargaretfollowedhertoaskwhetherHenryknewaboutMissAvery\'srudeness。

“Ohyes。“

“Iwonder，then，whyheletmeaskhertolookafterthehouse。“

“Butshe\'sonlyafarmwoman，“saidDolly，andherexplanationprovedcorrect。Henryonlycensuredthelowerclasseswhenitsuitedhim。HeborewithMissAveryaswithCrane——becausehecouldgetgoodvalueoutofthem。“Ihavepatiencewithamanwhoknowshisjob，“hewouldsay，reallyhavingpatiencewiththejob，andnottheman。Paradoxicalasitmaysound，hehadsomethingoftheartistabouthim；hewouldpassoveraninsulttohisdaughtersoonerthanloseagoodcharwomanforhiswife。

Margaretjudgeditbettertosettlethelittletroubleherself。Partieswereevidentlyruffled。WithHenry\'spermission，shewroteapleasantnotetoMissAvery，askinghertoleavethecasesuntouched。Then，atthefirstconvenientopportunity，shewentdownherself，intendingtorepackherbelongingsandstorethemproperlyinthelocalwarehouse:theplanhadbeenamateurishandafailure。

Tibbypromisedtoaccompanyher，butatthelastmomentbeggedtobeexcused。

So，forthesecondtimeinherlife，sheenteredthehousealone。Chapter33Thedayofhervisitwasexquisite，andthelastofuncloudedhappinessthatshewastohaveformanymonths。HeranxietyaboutHelen\'sextraordinaryabsencewasstilldormant，andasforapossiblebrushwithMissAvery——thatonlygavezesttotheexpedition。ShehadalsoeludedDolly\'sinvitationtoluncheon。Walkingstraightupfromthestation，shecrossedthevillagegreenandenteredthelongchestnutavenuethatconnectsitwiththechurch。Thechurchitselfstoodinthevillageonce。Butitthereattractedsomanyworshippersthatthedevil，inapet，snatcheditfromitsfoundations，andpoiseditonaninconvenientknoll，three-quartersofamileaway。Ifthisstoryistrue，thechestnutavenuemusthavebeenplantedbytheangels。Nomoretemptingapproachcouldbeimaginedfortheluke-warmChristian，andifhestillfindsthewalktoolong，thedevilisdefeatedallthesame，SciencehavingbuiltHolyTrinity，aChapelofEase，neartheCharles\'，androofeditwithtin。

UptheavenueMargaretstrolledslowly，stoppingtowatchtheskythatgleamedthroughtheupperbranchesofthechestnuts，ortofingerthelittlehorseshoesonthelowerbranches。WhyhasnotEnglandagreatmythology？Ourfolklorehasneveradvancedbeyonddaintiness，andthegreatermelodiesaboutourcountry-sidehaveallissuedthroughthepipesofGreece。Deepandtrueasthenativeimaginationcanbe，itseemstohavefailedhere。Ithasstoppedwiththewitchesandthefairies。Itcannotvivifyonefractionofasummerfield，orgivenamestohalfadozenstars。Englandstillwaitsforthesuprememomentofherliterature——forthegreatpoetwhoshallvoiceher，or，betterstill，forthethousandlittlepoetswhosevoicesshallpassintoourcommontalk。

Atthechurchthescenerychanged。Thechestnutavenueopenedintoaroad，smoothbutnarrow，whichledintotheuntouchedcountry。Shefolloweditforoveramile。Itslittlehesitationspleasedher。Havingnourgentdestiny，itstrolleddownhillorupasitwished，takingnotroubleaboutthegradients，norabouttheview，whichneverthelessexpanded。ThegreatestatesthatthrottlethesouthofHertfordshirewerelessobtrusivehere，andtheappearanceofthelandwasneitheraristocraticnorsuburban。Todefineitwasdifficult，butMargaretknewwhatitwasnot:itwasnotsnobbish。

Thoughitscontourswereslight，therewasatouchoffreedomintheirsweeptowhichSurreywillneverattain，andthedistantbrowoftheChilternstoweredlikeamountain。“Lefttoitself，“wasMargaret\'sopinion，“thiscountywouldvoteLiberal。“Thecomradeship，notpassionate，thatisourhighestgiftasanation，waspromisedbyit，asbythelowbrickfarmwhereshecalledforthekey。

Buttheinsideofthefarmwasdisappointing。

Amostfinishedyoungpersonreceivedher。“Yes，Mrs。Wilcox；no，Mrs。Wilcox；ohyes，Mrs。Wilcox，auntiereceivedyourletterquiteduly。

Auntiehasgoneuptoyourlittleplaceatthepresentmoment。ShallIsendtheservanttodirectyou？“Followedby:“Ofcourse，auntiedoesnotgenerallylookafteryourplace；sheonlydoesittoobligeaneighbourassomethingexceptional。Itgiveshersomethingtodo。

Shespendsquitealotofhertimethere。Myhusbandsaystomesometimes，\'Where\'sauntie？\'Isay，\'Needyouask？She\'satHowardsEnd。\'Yes，Mrs。Wilcox。Mrs。Wilcox，couldIprevailuponyoutoacceptapieceofcake？NotifIcutitforyou？“

Margaretrefusedthecake，butunfortunatelythisacquiredhergentilityintheeyesofMissAvery\'sniece。

“Icannotletyougoonalone。Nowdon\'t。

Youreallymustn\'t。Iwilldirectyoumyselfifitcomestothat。

Imustgetmyhat。Now“——roguishly——“Mrs。Wilcox，don\'tyoumovewhileI\'mgone。“

Stunned，Margaretdidnotmovefromthebestparlour，overwhichthetouchofartnouveauhadfallen。Buttheotherroomslookedinkeeping，thoughtheyconveyedthepeculiarsadnessofaruralinterior。Herehadlivedanelderrace，towhichwelookbackwithdisquietude。Thecountrywhichwevisitatweek-endswasreallyahometoit，andthegraversidesoflife，thedeaths，thepartings，theyearningsforlove，havetheirdeepestexpressionintheheartofthefields。

Allwasnotsadness。Thesunwasshiningwithout。Thethrushsanghistwosyllablesonthebuddingguelder-rose。Somechildrenwereplayinguproariouslyinheapsofgoldenstraw。ItwasthepresenceofsadnessatallthatsurprisedMargaret，andendedbygivingherafeelingofcompleteness。IntheseEnglishfarms，ifanywhere，onemightseelifesteadilyandseeitwhole，groupinonevisionitstransitorinessanditseternalyouth，connect——connectwithoutbitternessuntilallmenarebrothers。ButherthoughtswereinterruptedbythereturnofMissAvery\'sniece，andweresotranquillizingthatshesufferedtheinterruptiongladly。

Itwasquickertogooutbythebackdoor，and，afterdueexplanations，theywentoutbyit。Theniecewasnowmortifiedbyunnumerablechickens，whorusheduptoherfeetforfood，andbyashamelessandmaternalsow。Shedidnotknowwhatanimalswerecomingto。

Buthergentilitywitheredatthetouchofthesweetair。Thewindwasrising，scatteringthestrawandrufflingthetailsoftheducksastheyfloatedinfamiliesoverEvie\'spendant。Oneofthosedeliciousgalesofspring，inwhichleavesstiffinbudseemtorustle，sweptoverthelandandthenfellsilent。“Georgia，“sangthethrush。

“Cuckoo，“camefurtivelyfromthecliffofpine-trees。“Georgia，prettyGeorgia，“andtheotherbirdsjoinedinwithnonsense。Thehedgewasahalf-paintedpicturewhichwouldbefinishedinafewdays。

Celandinesgrewonitsbanks，lordsandladiesandprimrosesinthedefendedhollows；thewildrose-bushes，stillbearingtheirwitheredhips，showedalsothepromiseofblossom。Springhadcome，cladinnoclassicalgarb，yetfairerthanallsprings；fairereventhanshewhowalksthroughthemyrtlesofTuscanywiththegracesbeforeherandthezephyrbehind。

Thetwowomenwalkedupthelanefullofoutwardcivility。ButMargaretwasthinkinghowdifficultitwastobeearnestaboutfurnitureonsuchaday，andtheniecewasthinkingabouthats。

Thusengaged，theyreachedHowardsEnd。Petulantcriesof“Auntie！“

severedtheair。Therewasnoreply，andthefrontdoorwaslocked。

“AreyousurethatMissAveryisuphere？“askedMargaret。

“Ohyes，Mrs。Wilcox，quitesure。Sheisheredaily。“

Margarettriedtolookinthroughthedining-roomwindow，butthecurtaininsidewasdrawntightly。Sowiththedrawing-roomandthehall。Theappearanceofthesecurtainswasfamiliar，yetshedidnotrememberthembeingthereonherothervisit:herimpressionwasthatMr。Brycehadtakeneverythingaway。Theytriedtheback。

Hereagaintheyreceivednoanswer，andcouldseenothing；thekitchen-windowwasfittedwithablind，whilethepantryandsculleryhadpiecesofwoodproppedupagainstthem，whichlookedominouslylikethelidsofpacking-cases。

Margaretthoughtofherbooks，andshelifteduphervoicealso。

Atthefirstcryshesucceeded。

“Well，well！“repliedsomeoneinsidethehouse。

“Ifitisn\'tMrs。Wilcoxcomeatlast！“

“Haveyougotthekey，auntie？“

“Madge，goaway，“saidMissAvery，stillinvisible。

“Auntie，it\'sMrs。Wilcox——“

Margaretsupportedher。“YournieceandI

havecometogether——“

“Madge，goaway。Thisisnomomentforyourhat。“

Thepoorwomanwentred。“Auntiegetsmoreeccentriclately，“shesaidnervously。

“MissAvery！“calledMargaret。“Ihavecomeaboutthefurniture。Couldyoukindlyletmein？“

“Yes，Mrs。Wilcox，“saidthevoice，“ofcourse。“

Butafterthatcamesilence。Theycalledagainwithoutresponse。

Theywalkedroundthehousedisconsolately。

“IhopeMissAveryisnotill，“hazardedMargaret。

“Well，ifyou\'llexcuseme，“saidMadge，“perhapsIoughttobeleavingyounow。Theservantsneedseeingtoatthefarm。Auntieissooddattimes。“Gatheringupherelegancies，sheretireddefeated，and，asifherdeparturehadloosedaspring，thefrontdooropenedatonce。

MissAverysaid，“Well，comerightin，Mrs。Wilcox！“

quitepleasantlyandcalmly。

“Thankyousomuch，“beganMargaret，butbrokeoffatthesightofanumbrella-stand。Itwasherown。

“Comerightintothehallfirst，“saidMissAvery。

Shedrewthecurtain，andMargaretutteredacryofdespair。Foranappallingthinghadhappened。ThehallwasfittedupwiththecontentsofthelibraryfromWickhamPlace。Thecarpethadbeenlaid，thebigwork-tabledrawnupnearthewindow；thebookcasesfilledthewalloppositethefireplace，andherfather\'ssword——thisiswhatbewilderedherparticularly——hadbeendrawnfromitsscabbardandhungnakedamongstthesobervolumes。MissAverymusthaveworkedfordays。

“I\'mafraidthisisn\'twhatwemeant，“shebegan。

“Mr。WilcoxandIneverintendedthecasestobetouched。Forinstance，thesebooksaremybrother\'s。Wearestoringthemforhimandformysister，whoisabroad。Whenyoukindlyundertooktolookafterthings，weneverexpectedyoutodosomuch。“

“Thehousehasbeenemptylongenough，“saidtheoldwoman。

Margaretrefusedtoargue。“Idaresaywedidn\'texplain，“shesaidcivilly。“Ithasbeenamistake，andverylikelyourmistake。“

“Mrs。Wilcox，ithasbeenmistakeuponmistakeforfiftyyears。ThehouseisMrs。Wilcox\'s，andshewouldnotdesireittostandemptyanylonger。“

Tohelpthepoordecayingbrain，Margaretsaid:

“Yes，Mrs。Wilcox\'shouse，themotherofMr。Charles。“

“Mistakeuponmistake，“saidMissAvery。“Mistakeuponmistake。“

“Well，Idon\'tknow，“saidMargaret，sittingdowninoneofherownchairs。“Ireallydon\'tknowwhat\'stobedone。“

Shecouldnothelplaughing。

Theothersaid:“Yes，itshouldbeamerryhouseenough。“

“Idon\'tknow——Idaresay。Well，thankyouverymuch，MissAvery。Yes，that\'sallright。Delightful。“

“Thereisstilltheparlour。“Shewentthroughthedooroppositeanddrewacurtain。Lightfloodedthedrawing-roomandthedrawing-roomfurniturefromWickhamPlace。“Andthedining-room。“

Morecurtainsweredrawn，morewindowswereflungopentothespring。

“Thenthroughhere——“MissAverycontinuedpassingandrepassingthroughthehall。Hervoicewaslost，butMargaretheardherpullingupthekitchenblind。“I\'venotfinishedhereyet，“sheannounced，returning。

“There\'sstilladealtodo。Thefarmladswillcarryyourgreatwardrobesupstairs，forthereisnoneedtogointoexpenseatHilton。“

“Itisallamistake，“repeatedMargaret，feelingthatshemustputherfootdown。“Amisunderstanding。Mr。WilcoxandIarenotgoingtoliveatHowardsEnd。“

“Oh，indeed。Onaccountofhishayfever？“

“WehavesettledtobuildanewhomeforourselvesinSussex，andpartofthisfurniture——mypart——willgodowntherepresently。“

ShelookedatMissAveryintently，tryingtounderstandthekinkinherbrain。Herewasnomaunderingoldwoman。Herwrinkleswereshrewdandhumorous。Shelookedcapableofscathingwitandalsoofhighbutunostentatiousnobility。

“Youthinkthatyouwon\'tcomebacktolivehere，Mrs。Wilcox，butyouwill。“

“Thatremainstobeseen，“saidMargaret，smiling。

“Wehavenointentionofdoingsoforthepresent。Wehappentoneedamuchlargerhouse。Circumstancesobligeustogivebigparties。

Ofcourse，someday——oneneverknows，doesone？“

MissAveryretorted:“Someday！Tcha！

tcha！Don\'ttalkaboutsomeday。Youarelivingherenow。“

“AmI？“

“Youarelivinghere，andhavebeenforthelasttenminutes，ifyouaskme。“

Itwasasenselessremark，butwithaqueerfeelingofdisloyaltyMargaretrosefromherchair。ShefeltthatHenryhadbeenobscurelycensured。Theywentintothedining-room，wherethesunlightpouredinuponhermother\'schiffonier，andupstairs，wheremanyanoldgodpeepedfromanewniche。Thefurniturefittedextraordinarilywell。Inthecentralroom——overthehall，theroomthatHelenhadsleptinfouryearsago——MissAveryhadplacedTibby\'soldbassinette。

“Thenursery，“shesaid。

Margaretturnedawaywithoutspeaking。

Atlasteverythingwasseen。Thekitchenandlobbywerestillstackedwithfurnitureandstraw，but，asfarasshecouldmakeout，nothinghadbeenbrokenorscratched。Apatheticdisplayofingenuity！Thentheytookafriendlystrollinthegarden。

Ithadgonewildsinceherlastvisit。Thegravelsweepwasweedy，andgrasshadsprungupattheveryjawsofthegarage。AndEvie\'srockerywasonlybumps。PerhapsEviewasresponsibleforMissAvery\'soddness。ButMargaretsuspectedthatthecauselaydeeper，andthatthegirl\'ssillyletterhadbutloosedtheirritationofyears。

“It\'sabeautifulmeadow，“sheremarked。Itwasoneofthoseopen-airdrawing-roomsthathavebeenformed，hundredsofyearsago，outofthesmallerfields。Sotheboundaryhedgezigzaggeddownthehillatrightangles，andatthebottomtherewasalittlegreenannex——asortofpowder-closetforthecows。

“Yes，themaidy\'swellenough，“saidMissAvery，“forthosethatis，whodon\'tsufferfromsneezing。“Andshecackledmaliciously。

“I\'veseenCharlieWilcoxgoouttomyladsinhaytime——oh，theyoughttodothis——theymustn\'tdothat——he\'dlearnthemtobelads。Andjustthentheticklingtookhim。Hehasitfromhisfather，withotherthings。There\'snotoneWilcoxthatcanstandupagainstafieldinJune——IlaughedfittoburstwhilehewascourtingRuth。“

“Mybrothergetshayfevertoo，“saidMargaret。

“Thishouseliestoomuchonthelandforthem。

Naturally，theyweregladenoughtoslipinatfirst。ButWilcoxesarebetterthannothing，asIseeyou\'vefound。“

Margaretlaughed。

“Theykeepaplacegoing，don\'tthey？Yes，itisjustthat。“

“TheykeepEnglandgoing，itismyopinion。“

ButMissAveryupsetherbyreplying:“Ay，theybreedlikerabbits。Well，well，it\'safunnyworld。ButHewhomadeitknowswhatHewantsinit，Isuppose。IfMrs。Charlieisexpectingherfourth，itisn\'tforustorepine。“

“Theybreedandtheyalsowork，“saidMargaret，consciousofsomeinvitationtodisloyalty，whichwasechoedbytheverybreezeandbythesongsofthebirds。“Itcertainlyisafunnyworld，butsolongasmenlikemyhusbandandhissonsgovernit，Ithinkit\'llneverbeabadone——neverreallybad。“

“No，better\'nnothing，“saidMissAvery，andturnedtothewych-elm。

Ontheirwaybacktothefarmshespokeofheroldfriendmuchmoreclearlythanbefore。InthehouseMargarethadwonderedwhethershequitedistinguishedthefirstwifefromthesecond。Nowshesaid:“IneversawmuchofRuthafterhergrandmotherdied，butwestayedcivil。Itwasaverycivilfamily。OldMrs。Howardneverspokeagainstanybody，norletanyonebeturnedawaywithoutfood。

Thenitwasnever\'Trespasserswillbeprosecuted\'intheirland，butwouldpeoplepleasenotcomein。Mrs。Howardwasnevercreatedtorunafarm。“

“Hadtheynomentohelpthem？“Margaretasked。

MissAveryreplied:“Thingswentonuntiltherewerenomen。“

“UntilMr。Wilcoxcamealong，“correctedMargaret，anxiousthatherhusbandshouldreceivehisdues。

“Isupposeso；butRuthshouldhavemarrieda——nodisrespecttoyoutosaythis，forItakeityouwereintendedtogetWilcoxanyway，whethershegothimfirstorno。“

“Whomshouldshehavemarried？“

“Asoldier！“exclaimedtheoldwoman。“Somerealsoldier。“

Margaretwassilent。ItwasacriticismofHenry\'scharacterfarmoretrenchantthananyofherown。Shefeltdissatisfied。

“Butthat\'sallover，“shewenton。“Abettertimeiscomingnow，thoughyou\'vekeptmelongenoughwaiting。InacoupleofweeksI\'llseeyourlightsshiningthroughthehedgeofanevening。Haveyouorderedincoals？“

“Wearenotcoming，“saidMargaretfirmly。

SherespectedMissAverytoomuchtohumourher。“No。Notcoming。

Nevercoming。Ithasallbeenamistake。Thefurnituremustberepackedatonce，andIamverysorrybutIammakingotherarrangements，andmustaskyoutogivemethekeys。“

“Certainly，Mrs。Wilcox，“saidMissAvery，andresignedherdutieswithasmile。

Relievedatthisconclusion，andhavingsenthercomplimentstoMadge，Margaretwalkedbacktothestation。Shehadintendedtogotothefurniturewarehouseandgivedirectionsforremoval，butthemuddlehadturnedoutmoreextensivethansheexpected，soshedecidedtoconsultHenry。Itwasaswellthatshedidthis。

Hewasstronglyagainstemployingthelocalmanwhomhehadpreviouslyrecommended，andadvisedhertostoreinLondonafterall。

Butbeforethiscouldbedoneanunexpectedtroublefelluponher。Chapter34Itwasnotunexpectedentirely。AuntJuley\'shealthhadbeenbadallthewinter。Shehadhadalongseriesofcoldsandcoughs，andhadbeentoobusytogetridofthem。Shehadscarcelypromisedherniece“toreallytakemytiresomechestinhand，“whenshecaughtachillanddevelopedacutepneumonia。MargaretandTibbywentdowntoSwanage。

Helenwastelegraphedfor，andthatspringpartythatafterallgatheredinthathospitablehousehadallthepathosoffairmemories。Onaperfectday，whentheskyseemedblueporcelain，andthewavesofthediscreetlittlebaybeatgentlestoftattoosuponthesand，Margarethurriedupthroughtherhododendrons，confrontedagainbythesenselessnessofDeath。Onedeathmayexplainitself，butitthrowsnolightuponanother:thegropinginquirymustbeginanew。Preachersorscientistsmaygeneralize，butweknowthatnogeneralityispossibleaboutthosewhomwelove；notoneheavenawaitsthem，notevenoneoblivion。

AuntJuley，incapableoftragedy，slippedoutoflifewithoddlittlelaughsandapologiesforhavingstoppedinitsolong。Shewasveryweak；

shecouldnotrisetotheoccasion，orrealizethegreatmysterywhichallagreemustawaither；itonlyseemedtoherthatshewasquitedoneup——moredoneupthaneverbefore；thatshesawandheardandfeltlesseverymoment；andthat，unlesssomethingchanged，shewouldsoonfeelnothing。

Hersparestrengthshedevotedtoplans:couldnotMargarettakesomesteamerexpeditions？weremackerelcookedasTibbylikedthem？SheworriedherselfaboutHelen\'sabsence，andalsothatshecouldbethecauseofHelen\'sreturn。Thenursesseemedtothinksuchinterestsquitenatural，andperhapsherswasanaverageapproachtotheGreatGate。

ButMargaretsawDeathstrippedofanyfalseromance；whatevertheideaofDeathmaycontain，theprocesscanbetrivialandhideous。

“Important——Margaretdear，taketheLulworthwhenHelencomes。“

“Helenwon\'tbeabletostop，AuntJuley。

Shehastelegraphedthatshecanonlygetawayjusttoseeyou。ShemustgobacktoGermanyassoonasyouarewell。“

“HowveryoddofHelen！Mr。Wilcox——“

“Yes，dear？“

“Canhespareyou？“

Henrywishedhertocome，andhadbeenverykind。

YetagainMargaretsaidso。

Mrs。Muntdidnotdie。Quiteoutsideherwill，amoredignifiedpowertookholdofherandcheckedheronthedownwardslope。Shereturned，withoutemotion，asfidgetyasever。Onthefourthdayshewasoutofdanger。

“Margaret——important，“itwenton:“Ishouldlikeyoutohavesomecompaniontotakewalkswith。DotryMissConder。“

“IhavebeenalittlewalkwithMissConder。“

“Butsheisnotreallyinteresting。IfonlyyouhadHelen。“

“IhaveTibby，AuntJuley。“

“No，buthehastodohisChinese。Somerealcompanioniswhatyouneed。Really，Helenisodd。“

“Helenisodd，very，“agreedMargaret。

“Notcontentwithgoingabroad，whydoesshewanttogobackthereatonce？“

“Nodoubtshewillchangehermindwhensheseesus。Shehasnottheleastbalance。“

ThatwasthestockcriticismaboutHelen，butMargaret\'svoicetrembledasshemadeit。Bynowshewasdeeplypainedathersister\'sbehaviour。ItmaybeunbalancedtoflyoutofEngland，buttostopawayeightmonthsarguesthattheheartisawryaswellasthehead。Asick-bedcouldrecallHelen，butshewasdeaftomorehumancalls；afteraglimpseatheraunt，shewouldretireintohernebulouslifebehindsomeposterestante。Shescarcelyexisted；herlettershadbecomedullandinfrequent；shehadnowantsandnocuriosity。

AnditwasallputdowntopoorHenry\'saccount！Henry，longpardonedbyhiswife，wasstilltooinfamoustobegreetedbyhissister-in-law。

Itwasmorbid，and，toheralarm，MargaretfanciedthatshecouldtracethegrowthofmorbiditybackinHelen\'slifefornearlyfouryears。

TheflightfromOniton；theunbalancedpatronageoftheBasts；theexplosionofgriefupontheDowns——allconnectedwithPaul，aninsignificantboywhoselipshadkissedhersforafractionoftime。MargaretandMrs。

Wilcoxhadfearedthattheymightkissagain。Foolishly:therealdangerwasreaction。ReactionagainsttheWilcoxeshadeatenintoherlifeuntilshewasscarcelysane。Attwenty-fiveshehadanidé；efixe。Whathopewasthereforherasanoldwoman？

ThemoreMargaretthoughtaboutitthemorealarmedshebecame。Formanymonthsshehadputthesubjectaway，butitwastoobigtobeslightednow。Therewasalmostataintofmadness。