。ThiseveningIfellinwithanacquaintance，andwhenIsawhowhappyhewaswithhiswifeandfamilywelcominghimhome，thoughwithonlyone-tenthofmyincomeandchances，andthoughtwhatmighthavebeeninmycase，itfairlybrokedownmydiscretion，andoffIcamehere。NowIamhereIfeelthatIamwrongtosomeextent。
　　ButthefeelingthatIshouldliketoseeyou，andtalkofthoseweusedtoknowincommon，wasverystrong。’
　　’Beforethatcanbethecasealittlemoretimemustpass，’saidMissSavilequietly；’atimelongenoughformetoregardwithsomecalmnesswhatatpresentIrememberfartooimpatiently——thoughitmaybeyoualmostforgetit。Indeedyoumusthaveforgottenitlongbeforeyouactedasyoudid。’Hervoicegrewstrongerandmorevivaciousassheadded:’ButIamdoingmybesttoforgetittoo，andIknowIshallsucceedfromtheprogressIhavemadealready！’
　　Shehadremainedstandingtillnow，whensheturnedandsatdown，facinghalfawayfromhim。
　　Barnetwatchedhermoodily。’Yes，itisonlywhatIdeserve，’hesaid。’Ambitionprickedmeon——no，itwasnotambition，itwaswrongheadedness！HadIbutreflected……’Hebrokeoutvehemently:’Butalwaysrememberthis，Lucy:ifyouhadwrittentomeonlyonelittlelineafterthatmisunderstanding，IdeclareI
　　shouldhavecomebacktoyou。Thatruinedme！’heslowlywalkedasfarasthelittleroomwouldallowhimtogo，andremainedwithhiseyesontheskirting。
　　’But，Mr。Barnet，howcouldIwritetoyou？Therewasnoopeningformydoingso。’
　　’Thenthereoughttohavebeen，’saidBarnet，turning。’Thatwasmyfault！’
　　’Well，Idon’tknowanythingaboutthat；butastherehadbeennothingsaidbymewhichrequiredanyexplanationbyletter，Ididnotsendone。Everythingwassoindefinite，andfeelingyourpositiontobesomuchwealthierthanmine，IfanciedImighthavemistakenyourmeaning。AndwhenIheardoftheotherlady——awomanofwhosefamilyevenyoumightbeproud——IthoughthowfoolishIhadbeen，andsaidnothing。’
　　’ThenIsupposeitwasdestiny——accident——Idon’tknowwhat，thatseparatedus，dearLucy。AnyhowyouwerethewomanIoughttohavemademywife——andIletyouslip，likethefoolishmanthatIwas！’
　　’O，Mr。Barnet，’shesaid，almostintears，’don’trevivethesubjecttome；Iamthewrongonetoconsoleyou——think，sir，——youshouldnotbehere——itwouldbesobadformeifitwereknown！’
　　’Itwould——itwould，indeed，’hesaidhastily。’Iamnotrightindoingthis，andIwon’tdoitagain。’
　　’Itisaverycommonfollyofhumannature，youknow，tothinkthecourseyoudidNOTadoptmusthavebeenthebest，’shecontinued，withgentlesolicitude，asshefollowedhimtothedooroftheroom。
　　’Andyoudon’tknowthatIshouldhaveacceptedyou，evenifyouhadaskedmetobeyourwife。’Atthishiseyemethers，andshedroppedhergaze。Sheknewthathervoicebeliedher。Therewasasilencetillshelookeduptoadd，inavoiceofsoothingplayfulness，’Myfamilywassomuchpoorerthanyours，evenbeforeI
　　lostmydearfather，that——perhapsyourcompanionswouldhavemadeitunpleasantforusonaccountofmydeficiencies。’
　　’Yourdispositionwouldsoonhavewonthemround，’saidBarnet。
　　Shearchlyexpostulated:’Now，nevermindmydisposition；trytomakeitupwithyourwife！Thosearemycommandstoyou。Andnowyouaretoleavemeatonce。’
　　’Iwill。Imustmakethebestofitall，Isuppose，’hereplied，morecheerfullythanhehadasyetspoken。’ButIshallneveragainmeetwithsuchadeargirlasyou！’Andhesuddenlyopenedthedoor，andleftheralone。Whenhisglanceagainfellonthelampsthatweresparselyrangedalongthedrearylevelroad，hiseyeswereinastatewhichshowedstraw-likemotesoflightradiatingfromeachflameintothesurroundingair。
　　OntheothersideofthewayBarnetobservedamanunderanumbrella，walkingparallelwithhimself。Presentlythismanleftthefootway，andgraduallyconvergedonBarnet’scourse。ThelatterthensawthatitwasCharlson，asurgeonofthetown，whoowedhimmoney。Charlsonwasamannotwithoutability；yethedidnotprosper。Sundrycircumstancesstoodinhiswayasamedicalpractitioner:hewasneedy；hewasnotacoddle；hegossipedwithmeninsteadofwithwomen；hehadmarriedastrangerinsteadofoneofthetownyoungladies；andhewasgiventoconversationalbuffoonery。Moreover，hislookwasquiteerroneous。Thoseonlyproperfeaturesinthefamilydoctor，thequieteye，andthethinstraightpassionlesslipswhichnevercurlinpubliceitherforlaughterorforscorn，werenothis；hehadafull-curvedmouth，andaboldblackeyethatmadetimidpeoplenervous。Hiscompanionswerewhatinoldtimeswouldhavebeencalledbooncompanions——anexpressionwhich，thoughofirreproachableroot，suggestsfraternizationcarriedtothepointofunscrupulousness。Allthiswasagainsthiminthelittletownofhisadoption。
　　Charlsonhadbeenindifficulties，andtoobligehimBarnethadputhisnametoabill；and，ashehadexpected，wascalledupontomeetitwhenitfelldue。Ithadbeenonlyamatteroffiftypounds，whichBarnetcouldwellaffordtolose，andheborenoill-willtothethriftlesssurgeononaccountofit。ButCharlsonhadalittletoomuchbrazenindifferentisminhiscompositiontobealtogetheradesirableacquaintance。
　　’Ihopetobeabletomakethatlittlebill-businessrightwithyouinthecourseofthreeweeks，Mr。Barnet，’saidCharlsonwithhail-
　　fellowfriendliness。
　　Barnetrepliedgood-naturedlythattherewasnohurry。
　　ThisparticularthreeweekshadmovedoninadvanceofCharlson’spresentwiththeprecisionofashadowforsomeconsiderabletime。
　　’I’vehadadream，’Charlsoncontinued。Barnetknewfromhistonethatthesurgeonwasgoingtobeginhischaracteristicnonsense，anddidnotencouragehim。’I’vehadadream，’repeatedCharlson，whorequirednoencouragement。’Idreamedthatagentleman，whohasbeenverykindtome，marriedahaughtyladyinhaste，beforehehadquiteforgottenanicelittlegirlheknewbefore，andthatonewetevening，likethepresent，asIwaswalkinguptheharbour-road，I
　　sawhimcomeoutofthatdearlittlegirl’spresentabode。’
　　Barnetglancedtowardsthespeaker。TheraysfromaneighbouringlampstruckthroughthedrizzleunderCharlson’sumbrella，soasjusttoilluminehisfaceagainsttheshadebehind，andshowthathiseyewasturnedupundertheoutercornerofitslid，whenceitleeredwithimpishjocosenessashethrusthistongueintohischeek。
　　’Come，’saidBarnetgravely，’we’llhavenomoreofthat。’
　　’No，no——ofcoursenot，’Charlsonhastilyanswered，seeingthathishumourhadcarriedhimtoofar，asithaddonemanytimesbefore。
　　Hewasprofuseinhisapologies，butBarnetdidnotreply。Ofonethinghewascertain——thatscandalwasaplantofquickroot，andthathewasboundtoobeyLucy’sinjunctionforLucy’sownsake。
　　Hedidso，totheletter；andthough，asthecrocusfollowedthesnowdropandthedaffodilthecrocusinLucy’sgarden，theharbour-
　　roadwasanotunpleasantplacetowalkin，Barnet’sfeetnevertroditsstones，muchlessapproachedherdoor。Heavoidedasaunterthatwayashewouldhaveavoidedadangerousdram，andtookhisairingsalongdistancenorthward，amongseverelysquareandbrownploughedfields，wherenoothertownsmancame。Sometimeshewentroundbythelowerlanesoftheborough，wheretherope-walksstretchedinwhichhisfamilyformerlyhadshare，andlookedattherope-makerswalkingbackwards，overhungbyapple-treesandbushes，andintrudedonbycowsandcalves，asiftradehadestablisheditselfthereatconsiderableinconveniencetoNature。
　　Onemorning，whenthesunwassowarmastoraiseasteamfromthesouth-easternslopesofthoseflankinghillsthatlookedsolovelyabovetheoldroofs，butmadeeverylow-chimneyedhouseinthetownassmokyasTophet，Barnetglancedfromthewindowsofthetown-
　　councilroomforlackofinterestinwhatwasproceedingwithin。
　　Severalmembersofthecorporationwerepresent，buttherewasnotmuchbusinessdoing，andinafewminutesDownecameleisurelyacrosstohim，sayingthatheseldomsawBarnetnow。
　　Barnetownedthathewasnotoftenpresent。
　　Downelookedatthecrimsoncurtainwhichhungdownbesidethepanes，reflectingitshothuesintotheirfaces，andthenoutofthewindow。Atthatmomenttherepassedalongthestreetatallcommandinglady，inwhomthesolicitorrecognizedBarnet’swife。
　　Barnethaddonethesamething，andturnedaway。
　　’Itwillbeallrightsomeday，’saidDowne，withcheeringsympathy。
　　’Youhaveheard，then，ofherlastoutbreak？’
　　Downedepressedhischeerfulnesstoitsveryreverseinamoment。
　　’No，Ihavenotheardofanythingserious，’hesaid，withaslongafaceasonenaturallyroundcouldbeturnedintoatshortnotice。
　　’Ionlyhearvaguereportsofsuchthings。’
　　’Youmaythinkitwillbeallright，’saidBarnetdrily。’ButI
　　haveadifferentopinion……No，Downe，wemustlookthethingintheface。Notpoppynormandragora——however，howareyourwifeandchildren？’
　　Downesaidthattheywereallwell，thanks；theywereoutthatmorningsomewhere；hewasjustlookingtoseeiftheywerewalkingthatway。Ah，theretheywere，justcomingdownthestreet；andDownepointedtothefiguresoftwochildrenwithanursemaid，andaladywalkingbehindthem。
　　’Youwillcomeoutandspeaktoher？’heasked。
　　’Notthismorning。ThefactisIdon’tcaretospeaktoanybodyjustnow。’
　　’Youaretoosensitive，Mr。Barnet。AtschoolIrememberyouusedtogetasredasaroseifanybodyutteredawordthathurtyourfeelings。’