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Barnetmused。’Yes，’headmitted，’thereisagrainoftruthinthat。ItisbecauseofthatIoftentrytomakepeaceathome。
Lifewouldbetolerablethenatanyrate，evenifnotparticularlybright。’
’Ihavethoughtmorethanonceofproposingalittleplantoyou，’
saidDownewithsomehesitation。’Idon’tknowwhetheritwillmeetyourviews，buttakeitorleaveit，asyouchoose。Infact，itwasmywifewhosuggestedit:thatshewouldbeverygladtocallonMrs。Barnetandgetintoherconfidence。SheseemstothinkthatMrs。Barnetisratheraloneinthetown，andwithoutadvisers。Herimpressionisthatyourwifewilllistentoreason。Emilyhasawonderfulwayofwinningtheheartsofpeopleofherownsex。’
’Andoftheothersextoo，Ithink。Sheisacharmingwoman，andyouwerealuckyfellowtofindher。’
’Well，perhapsIwas，’simperedDowne，tryingtowearanaspectofbeingthelastmanintheworldtofeelpride。’However，shewillbelikelytofindoutwhatrufflesMrs。Barnet。Perhapsitissomemisunderstanding，youknow——somethingthatsheistooproudtoaskyoutoexplain，orsomelittlethinginyourconductthatirritatesherbecauseshedoesnotfullycomprehendyou。Thetruthis，EmilywouldhavebeenmorereadytomakeadvancesifshehadbeenquitesureofherfitnessforMrs。Barnet’ssociety，whohasofcoursebeenaccustomedtoLondonpeopleofgoodposition，whichmadeEmilyfearfulofintruding。’
Barnetexpressedhiswarmestthanksforthewell-intentionedproposition。TherewasreasoninMrs。Downe’sfear——thatheowned。
’Butdolethercall，’hesaid。’ThereisnowomaninEnglandI
wouldsosoontrustonsuchanerrand。Iamafraidtherewillnotbeanybrilliantresult；stillIshalltakeitasthekindestandnicestthingifshewilltryit，andnotbefrightenedatarepulse。’
WhenBarnetandDownehadparted，theformerwenttotheTownSavings-Bank，ofwhichhewasatrustee，andendeavouredtoforgethistroublesinthecontemplationoflowsumsofmoney，andfiguresinanetworkofredandbluelines。Hesatandwatchedtheworking-
peoplemakingtheirdeposits，towhichatintervalshesignedhisname。BeforeheleftintheafternoonDowneputhisheadinsidethedoor。
’EmilyhasseenMrs。Barnet，’hesaid，inalowvoice。’ShehasgotMrs。Barnet’spromisetotakeherforadrivedowntotheshoreto-
morrow，ifitisfine。Goodafternoon！’
BarnetshookDownebythehandwithoutspeaking，andDownewentaway。
Thenextdaywasasfineasthearrangementcouldpossiblyrequire。
Asthesunpassedthemeridiananddeclinedwestward，thetallshadowsfromthescaffold-polesofBarnet’srisingresidencestreakedthegroundasfarastothemiddleofthehighway。Barnethimselfwasthereinspectingtheprogressoftheworksforthefirsttimeduringseveralweeks。Abuildinginanold-fashionedtownfive-and-thirtyyearsagodidnot，asinthemodernfashion，risefromthesodlikeaboothatafair。Thefoundationsandlowercourseswereputinandallowedtosettleformanyweeksbeforethesuperstructurewasbuiltup，andawholesummerofdryingwashardlysufficienttodojusticetotheimportantissuesinvolved。Barnetstoodwithinawindow-nichewhichhadasyetreceivednoframe，andthencelookeddownaslopeintotheroad。Thewheelsofachaisewereheard，andthenhishandsomeXantippe，inthecompanyofMrs。
Downe，drovepastontheirwaytotheshore。Theyweredrivingslowly；therewasapleasinglightinMrs。Downe’sface，whichseemedfaintlytoreflectitselfuponthecountenanceofhercompanion——thatpolitesseducoeurwhichwassonaturaltoherhavingpossiblybegunalreadytoworkresults。Butwhateverthesituation，Barnetresolvednottointerfere，ordoanythingtohazardthepromiseoftheday。Hemightwellaffordtotrusttheissuetoanotherwhenhecouldneverdirectitbuttoillhimself。
Hiswife’sclenchedrein-handinitslemon-colouredglove，herstifferectfigure，cladinvelvetandlace，andherboldly-outlinedface，passedon，exhibitingtheirownerasonefixedforeverabovethelevelofhercompanion——sociallybyherearlybreeding，andmateriallybyherhighercushion。
Barnetdecidedtoallowthemapropertimetothemselves，andthenstrolldowntotheshoreanddrivethemhome。Afterlingeringonatthehouseforanotherhourhestartedwiththisintention。Afewhundredyardsbelow’ChateauRingdale’stoodthecottageinwhichthelatelieutenant’sdaughterhadherlodging。Barnethadnotbeensofarthatwayforalongtime，andasheapproachedtheforbiddengroundacuriouswarmthpassedintohim，whichledhimtoperceivethat，unlesshewerecareful，hemighthavetofightthebattlewithhimselfaboutLucyoveragain。Atenthofhispresentexcusewould，however，havejustifiedhimintravellingbythatroadto-day。
Hecameoppositethedwelling，andturnedhiseyesforamomentaryglanceintothelittlegardenthatstretchedfromthepalingstothedoor。Lucywasintheenclosure；shewaswalkingandstoopingtogathersomeflowers，possiblyforthepurposeofpaintingthem，forshemovedaboutquickly，asifanxioustosavetime。Shedidnotseehim；hemighthavepassedunnoticed；butasensationwhichwasnotinstrictunisonwithhisprevioussentimentsthatdayledhimtopauseinhiswalkandwatchher。Shewentnimblyroundandroundthebedsofanemones，tulips，jonquils，polyanthuses，andotherold-
fashionedflowers，lookingaverycharmingfigureinherhalf-
mourningbonnet，andwithanincompletenosegayinherlefthand。
Raisingherselftopulldownalilacblossomsheobservedhim。
’Mr。Barnet！’shesaid，innocentlysmiling。’Why，IhavebeenthinkingofyoumanytimessinceMrs。Barnetwentbyinthepony-
carriage，andnowhereyouare！’
’Yes，Lucy，’hesaid。
Thensheseemedtorecallparticularsoftheirlastmeeting，andhebelievedthatsheflushed，thoughitmighthavebeenonlythefancyofhisownsupersensitivenesss。
’Iamgoingtotheharbour，’headded。
’Areyou？’Lucyremarkedsimply。’Agreatmanypeoplebegintogotherenowthesummerisdrawingon。’
Herfacehadcomemoreintohisviewasshespoke，andhenoticedhowmuchthinnerandpaleritwasthanwhenhehadseenitlast。
’Lucy，howwearyyoulook！tellme，canIhelpyou？’hewasgoingtocryout——’IfIdo，’hethought，’itwillbetheruinofusboth！’
Hemerelysaidthattheafternoonwasfine，andwentonhisway。
Ashewentasuddenblastofaircameoverthehillasifincontradictiontohiswords，andspoiltthepreviousquietofthescene。Thewindhadalreadyshiftedviolently，andnowsmeltofthesea。
Theharbour-roadsoonbegantojustifyitsname。Agapappearedintherampartofhillswhichshutoutthesea，andontheleftoftheopeningroseaverticalcliff，colouredaburningorangebythesunlight，thecompanioncliffontherightbeinglividinshade。
Betweenthesecliffs，liketheLibyanbaywhichshelteredtheshipwreckedTrojans，wasalittlehaven，seeminglyabeginningmadebyNatureherselfofaperfectharbour，whichappealedtothepasser-byasonlyrequiringalittlehumanindustrytofinishitandmakeitfamous，thegroundoneachsideasfarbackasthedaisiedslopesthatboundedtheinteriorvalleybeingamerelayerofblownsand。ButthePort-Bredyburgessesamileinlandhad，inthecourseoftencenturies，respondedmanytimestothatmuteappeal，withtheresultthatthetideshadinvariablychokeduptheirworkswithsandandshingleassoonascompleted。Therewerebutfewhouseshere:
aroughpier，afewboats，somestores，aninn，aresidenceortwo，aketchunloadingintheharbour，werethechieffeaturesofthesettlement。Ontheopengroundbytheshorestoodhiswife’spony-
carriage，empty，theboyinattendanceholdingthehorse。
WhenBarnetdrewnearer，hesawanindigo-colouredspotmovingswiftlyalongbeneaththeradiantbaseoftheeasterncliff，whichprovedtobeamaninajersey，runningwithallhismight。HehelduphishandtoBarnet，asitseemed，andtheyapproachedeachother。
Themanwaslocal，butastrangertohim。
’Whatisit，myman？’saidBarnet。
’Aterriblecalamity！’theboatmanhastilyexplained。Twoladieshadbeencapsizedinaboat——theywereMrs。DowneandMrs。Barnetoftheoldtown；theyhaddrivendowntherethatafternoon——theyhadalighted，anditwassofine，that，afterwalkingaboutalittlewhile，theyhadbeentemptedtogooutforashortsailroundthecliff。Justastheywereputtingintotheshore，thewindshiftedwithasuddengust，theboatlistedover，anditwasthoughttheywerebothdrowned。Howitcouldhavehappenedwasbeyondhismindtofathom，forJohnGreenknewhowtosailaboataswellasanymanthere。
’Whichisthewaytotheplace？’saidBarnet。
Itwasjustroundthecliff。
’Runtothecarriageandtelltheboytobringittotheplaceassoonasyoucan。ThengototheHarbourInnandtellthemtoridetotownforadoctor。Havetheybeengotoutofthewater？’
’Oneladyhas。’
’Which？’
’Mrs。Barnet。Mrs。Downe，itisfeared，hasfleetedouttosea。’
Barnetranontothatpartoftheshorewhichthecliffhadhithertoobscuredfromhisview，andtherediscerned，alongwayahead，agroupoffishermenstanding。Assoonashecameuponeortworecognizedhim，and，notlikingtomeethiseye，turnedasidewithmisgiving。Hewentamidstthemandsawasmallsailing-boatlyingdraggledatthewater’sedge；and，ontheslopingshinglebesideit，asoakedandsandywoman’sforminthevelvetdressandyellowglovesofhiswife。
