Afterthisentrymanypageswereutterlyeffaced。
　　Thelastlegiblepassageranasfollows——“SoguidedbytheladJeekie，andwearingthegoldmask，LittleBonsa，onmyhead，Iranthroughthemall，holdinghimbythehandasthoughIweredragginghimaway。
　　AstrangespectacleImusthavebeenwithmyoldblackclergyman’scoatbuttonedaboutme，mynakedlegsandthegoldmask，aspretendingtobeadevilsuchastheyworship，Irushedthroughtheminthemoonlight，blowingthewhistleinthemaskandbellowinglikeabull……Suchwasthebeginningofmydreadfulsixmonths’journeytothecoast。SettingasidethemercyofProvidencethatpreservedmeforitsownpurposes，IcouldneverhavelivedtoreachithaditnotbeenforLittleBonsa，sincecuriouslyenoughIfoundthisfetishknownanddreadedforhundredsofmiles，andthatbypeoplewhohadneverseenit，yes，evenbythewildcannibals。Wheneveritwasproducedfood，bearers，canoes，orwhateverelseImightwantwereforthcomingasthoughbymagic。GreatisthefameofBigandLittleBonsainallthatpartofWestAfrica，although，strangeasitmayseem，theoutlyingtribesseldommentionthembyname。Iftheymustspeakofeitheroftheseimageswhicharesupposedtobemanandwife，theycallitthe’Yellow-God-who-lives-yonder。’“
　　NotanotherwordofallthisstrangehistorycouldAlandecipher，sowithachingeyesheshutupthestainedandtatteredvolume，andatlast，justasthedaywasbreaking，fellasleep。
　　Ateleveno’clockonthatsamemorning，forhehadsleptlate，AlanrosefromhisbreakfastandwenttosmokehispipeattheopendoorofthebeautifuloldhallinYarleysthatwascladwithbrownElizabethanoakforwhichanydealerwouldhavegivenhundredsofpounds。Itwasacharmingmorning，oneofthosethatcomestoussometimesinanEnglishAprilwhentheairissoftlikethatofItalyandthesmelloftheearthriseslikethatofincense，andlittlecloudsfloatidlyacrossaskyoftenderblue。Standingthushelookedoutupontheparkwheretheelmsalreadyshowedatingeofgreenandtheash-budswerecoalblack。Onlythewalnutsandthegreatoaks，someofthempollardsofathousandyearsofage，remainedstarkandsternintheirwinterdress。
　　AlanwasinareflectivemoodandinvoluntarilybegantowonderhowmanyofhisforefathershadstoodinthatsamespotuponsuchAprilmorningsandlookedoutuponthoseidenticaltreeswakeninginthebreathofspring。Onlythetreesandthelandscapeknew，thosetreeswhichhadseeneveryoneofthembornetobaptism，tobridalandtoburial。Themenandwomenthemselveswereforgotten。Theirportraits，eachinthegarbofhisorhergeneration，hunghereandthereuponthewallsoftheancienthousewhichoncetheyhadownedorinhabited，butwhorememberedanythingofthemto-day？Inmanycasestheirnamesevenwerelost，forbelievingthatthey，soimportantintheirtime，couldneversinkintooblivion，theyhadnotthoughtitnecessarytorecordthemupontheirpictures。
　　Andnowthethingwascomingtoanend。Unlessinthiswayorinthathecouldsaveit，whatremainedoftheoldplace，fortheoutlyinglandshadlongsincebeensold，mustgotothehammerandbecomethepropertyofsomepushingandsuccessfulpersonwhodesiredtofoundafamily，andperhapsindaystobewouldclaimtheseverypicturesthathunguponthewallsasthoseofhisownancestors，declaringthathehadbroughtintheestatebecausehewasarelativeoftheancientandruinedrace。
　　Well，itwasthewayoftheworld，andperhapsitmustbeso，butthethoughtofitmadeAlanVernonsad。Ifhecouldhavecontinuedthatbusiness，itmighthavebeenotherwise。Bythishourhislatepartners，SirRobertAylwardandMr。Champers-Haswell，weredoubtlesssittingintheirgraniteofficeintheCity，probablyinconsultationwithLordSpecton，whohadtakenhisplaceupontheBoardofthegreatCompanywhichwasbeingsubscribedthatday。Nodoubtapplicationsforshareswerepouringinbytheearlypostsandbytelegram，andfromtimetotimeMr。Jeffreysrespectfullyreportedtheirnumberandamount，whileSirRobertlookedunconcernedandMr。Haswellrubbedhishandsandwhistledcheerfully。Almosthecouldenvythem，thesemenwhowererealizinggreatfortunesamidstthebustleandexcitementofthatfiercefinanciallife，whilsthestoodpennilessandstaredatthetreesandtheeweswhichwanderedamongthemwiththeirlambs，hewho，afterallhiswork，wasbutafailure。Withasighheturnedawaytofetchhiscapandgooutwalking——therewasatenantwhomhemustsee，ashifty，new-fangledkindofmanwhowasalwaysclamouringforfreshbuildingsandreductionsinhisrent。Howwashetopayformorebuildings？Hemustputhimoff，orlethimgo。
　　Justthenasharpsoundcaughthisear，thatofanelectricbell。Itcamefromthetelephonewhich，sincehehadbeenamemberofaCityfirm，hehadcausedtobeputintoYarleysatconsiderableexpenseinorderthathemightbeabletocommunicatewiththeofficeinLondon。
　　“Weretheycallinghimupfromforceofhabit？“hewondered。Hewenttotheinstrumentwhichwasfixedinalittleroomheusedasastudy，andtookdownthereceiver。
　　“Whoisit？“heasked。“IamYarleys。AlanVernon。“
　　“AndIamBarbara，“cametheanswer。“Howareyou，dear？Didyousleepwell？“
　　“No，verybadly。“
　　“Nerves——Alan，youhavegotnerves。NowalthoughIhadaworsedaythanyoudid，Iwenttobedatnine，andprotectedbyaperfectconscience，slumberedtillninethismorning，exactlytwelvehours。
　　Isn’titcleverofmetothinkofthistelephone，whichismorethanyouwouldeverhavedone？MyunclehasdepartedtoLondonvowingthatnoletterfromyoushallenterthishouse，butheforgotthatthereisatelephoneineveryroom，andinfactatthismomentIamspeakingroundbyhisofficewithinayardortwoofhishead。However，hecan’thear，sothatdoesn’tmatter。Myblessingbeonthemanwhoinventedtelephones，whichhithertoIhavealwaysthoughtanawfulnuisance。Areyoufeelingcheerful，Alan？“
　　“Verymuchthereverse，“heanswered；“neverwasmoregloomyinmylife，notevenwhenIthoughtIhadtodiewithinsixhoursofblackwaterfever。AlsoIhavelotsthatIwanttotalktoyouaboutandIcan’tdoitattheendofthisconfoundedwirethatyourunclemaybetapping。“
　　“Ithoughtitmightbeso，“answeredBarbara，“soIjustrangyouuptowishyougood-morningandtosaythatIamcomingoverinthemotortolunchwithmymaidSnellaschaperone。Allright，don’tremonstrate，I/amcoming/overtolunch——Ican’thearyou——nevermindwhatpeoplewillsay。Iamcomingovertolunchatoneo’clock，mindyouarein。Good-bye，Idon’twantmuchtoeat，buthavesomethingforSnellandthechauffeur。Good-bye。“
　　Thenthewirewentdead，norcouldallAlan’s“Hello’s“and“Areyouthere’s？“extractanothersyllable。
　　HavingorderedthebestluncheonthathisoldhousekeepercouldprovideAlanwentoffforhiswalkinmuchbetterspirits，whichwerefurtherimprovedbyhissuccessinpersuadingthetenanttodowithoutthenewbuildingsforanotheryear。Inayear，hereflected，anythingmighthappen。Thenhereturnedbythewoodwhereanumberofnew-
　　felledoakslayreadyforbarking。Thiswasnotacheerfulsight；itseemedsocrueltokillthegreattreesjustastheywerepushingtheirbudsforanothersummeroflife。Butheconsoledhimselfbyrecallingthattheyhadbeentoocrowdedandthatthetimberwasreallyneededontheestate。AshereachedthehouseagaincarryingabunchofwhitevioletswhichhehadpluckedinashelteredplaceforBarbara，heperceivedamotortravellingatmuchmorethanthelegalspeedupthewalnutavenuewhichwastheprideoftheplace。Initsatthatyoungladyherself，andhermaid，Snell，amiddle-agedwomanwithwhom，asitchanced，hewasonverygoodterms，asonce，atsometroubletohimself，hehadbeenabletodoherakindness。
　　ThemotorpulledupatthefrontdoorandoutofitsprangBarbara，laughingpleasantlyandlookingfreshandcharmingasthespringitself。
　　“Therewillbearowoverthis，dear，“saidAlan，shakinghisheaddoubtfullywhenatlasttheywerealonetogetherinthehall。
　　“Ofcourse，there’llbearow，“sheanswered。“Imeanthatthereshouldbearow。Imeantohavearoweverydayifnecessary，untiltheyleavemealonetofollowmyownroad，andiftheywon’t，asI
　　said，togototheCourtofChanceryforprotection。Oh！bytheway，I
　　havebroughtyouacopyof/TheJudge/。There’samostawfularticleinitaboutthatSaharaflotation，andamongotherthingsitannouncesthatyouhaveleftthefirmandcongratulatesyouuponhavingdoneso。“
　　“They’llthinkIhaveputitin，“groanedAlanasheglancedattheheadlines，whichwerealmostlibellousintheirvigour，andthesummariesofthefinancialcareersofSirRobertAylwardandMr。
　　Champers-Haswell。“Itwillmakethemhatememorethanever，andI
　　say，Barbara，wecan’tliveinanatmosphereofperpetualwarfareforthenexttwoyears。“
　　“Ican，ifneedbe，“answeredthatdeterminedyoungwoman。“ButI
　　admitthatitwouldbetryingforyou，ifyoustayhere。“
　　“That’sjustthepoint，Barbara。Imustnotstayhere，Imustgoaway，thefurtherthebetter，untilyouareyourownmistress。“
　　“Whereto，Alan？“
　　“ToWestAfrica，Ithink。“
　　“ToWestAfrica？“repeatedBarbara，hervoicetremblingalittle。
　　“Afterthattreasure，Alan？“
　　“Yes，Barbara。Butfirstcomeandhaveyourlunch，thenwewilltalk。
　　Ihavegotlotstotellandshowyou。“
　　Sotheylunched，speakingofindifferentthings，fortheservantwastherewaitingonthem。JustastheywerefinishingtheirmealJeekieenteredtheroomcarryingaboxandalargeenvelopeaddressedtohismaster，whichhesaidhadbeensentbyspecialmessengerfromtheofficeinLondon。
　　“What’sinthebox？“askedAlan，lookingsomewhatnervouslyattheenvelope，whichwasaddressedinawritingthatheknew。
　　“Don’tknowforcertain，Major，“answeredJeekie，“butthinkLittleBonsa；thinkIsmellherthroughwood。“
　　“Well，lookandsee，“repliedAlan，whilehebrokethesealoftheenvelopeanddrewoutitscontents。Theyprovedtobesundrydocumentssentbythefirm’slawyers，amongwhichwereanoticeoftheformaldissolutionofpartnershiptobeapprovedbyhimbeforeitappearedinthe/Gazette/，asecondnoticecallinginamortgageforfifteenthousandandoddpoundsonYarleys，whichasamatterofbusinesshadbeentakenoverbythefirmwhilehewasapartner；acashaccountshowingasmallbalanceagainsthim，andfinallyareceiptforhimtosignacknowledgingthereturnofthegoldimagethatwashisproperty。