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。