gatewereacoupleofcarriages，andBarnetthencouldperceivethatthemarriagebetweenDowneandLucywasatthatmomentbeingsolemnizedwithin。Afeelingofsudden，proudself-confidence，anindocilewishtowalkunmovedinspiteofgrimenvironments，plainlypossessedhim，andwhenhereachedthewicket-gateheturnedinwithoutapparenteffort。Pacingupthepavedfootwayheenteredthechurchandstoodforawhileinthenavepassage。Agroupofpeoplewasstandingroundthevestrydoor；Barnetadvancedthroughtheseandsteppedintothevestry。
　　Theretheywere，busilysigningtheirnames。SeeingDowneabouttolookround，Barnetavertedhissomewhatdisturbedfaceforasecondortwo；whenheturnedagainfronttofronthewascalmandquitesmiling；itwasacreditabletriumphoverhimself，anddeservedtoberememberedinhisnativetown。HegreetedDowneheartily，offeringhiscongratulations。
　　ItseemedasifBarnetexpectedahalf-guiltylookuponLucy’sface；
　　butno，savethenaturalflushandflurryengenderedbytheservicejustperformed，therewasnothingwhateverinherbearingwhichshowedadisturbedmind:hergray-browneyescarriedinthemnowasatothertimesthewell-knownexpressionofcommon-sensedrectitudewhichneverwentsofarastotouchonhardness。Sheshookhandswithhim，andDownesaidwarmly，’Iwishyoucouldhavecomesooner:
　　Icalledonpurposetoaskyou。You’lldrivebackwithusnow？’
　　’No，no，’saidBarnet；’Iamnotatallprepared；butIthoughtI
　　wouldlookinuponyouforamoment，eventhoughIhadnottimetogohomeanddress。I’llstandbackandseeyoupassout，andobservetheeffectofthespectacleuponmyselfasoneofthepublic。’
　　ThenLucyandherhusbandlaughed，andBarnetlaughedandretired；
　　andthequietlittlepartywentglidingdownthenaveandtowardstheporch，Lucy’snewsilkdresssweepingwithasmartrustleroundthebase-mouldingsoftheancientfont，andDowne’slittledaughtersfollowinginastateofround-eyedinterestintheirposition，andthatofLucy，theirteacherandfriend。
　　SoDownewascomfortedafterhisEmily’sdeath，whichhadtakenplacetwelvemonths，twoweeks，andthreedaysbeforethattime。
　　Whenthetwoflyshaddrivenoffandthespectatorshadvanished，Barnetfollowedtothedoor，andwentoutintothesun。Hetooknomoretroubletopreserveaspruceexterior；hisstepwasunequal，hesitating，almostconvulsive；andtheslightchangesofcolourwhichwentoninhisfaceseemedrefractedfromsomeinwardflame。
　　Inthechurchyardhebecamepaleasasummercloud，andfindingitnoteasytoproceedhesatdownononeofthetombstonesandsupportedhisheadwithhishand。
　　Hardbywasasextonfillingupagravewhichhehadnotfoundtimetofinishonthepreviousevening。ObservingBarnet，hewentuptohim，andrecognizinghim，said，’ShallIhelpyouhome，sir？’
　　’Ono，thankyou，’saidBarnet，rousinghimselfandstandingup。
　　Thesextonreturnedtohisgrave，followedbyBarnet，who，afterwatchinghimawhile，steppedintothegrave，nownearlyfilled，andhelpedtotreadintheearth。
　　Thesextonapparentlythoughthisconductalittlesingular，buthemadenoobservation，andwhenthegravewasfull，Barnetsuddenlystopped，lookedfaraway，andwithadecidedstepproceededtothegateandvanished。Thesextonrestedonhisshovelandlookedafterhimforafewmoments，andthenbeganbankingupthemound。
　　InthoseshortminutesoftreadinginthedeadmanBarnethadformedadesign，butwhatitwastheinhabitantsofthattowndidnotforsomelongtimeimagine。Hewenthome，wroteseverallettersofbusiness，calledonhislawyer，anoldmanofthesameplacewhohadbeenthelegaladviserofBarnet’sfatherbeforehim，andduringtheeveningoverhauledalargequantityoflettersandotherdocumentsinhispossession。Byeleveno’clocktheheapofpapersinandbeforeBarnet’sgratehadreachedformidabledimensions，andhebegantoburnthem。This，owingtotheirquantity，itwasnotsoeasytodoashehadexpected，andhesatlongintothenighttocompletethetask。
　　ThenextmorningBarnetdepartedforLondon，leavinganoteforDownetoinformhimofMrs。Barnet’ssuddendeath，andthathewasgonetoburyher；butwhenathrice-sufficienttimeforthatpurposehadelapsed，hewasnotseenagaininhisaccustomedwalks，orinhisnewhouse，orinhisoldone。Hewasgoneforgood，nobodyknewwhither。Itwassoondiscoveredthathehadempoweredhislawyertodisposeofallhisproperty，realandpersonal，intheborough，andpayintheproceedstotheaccountofanunknownpersonatoneofthelargeLondonbanks。Thepersonwasbysomesupposedtobehimselfunderanassumedname；butfew，ifany，hadcertainknowledgeofthatfact。
　　Theelegantnewresidencewassoldwiththerestofhispossessions；
　　anditspurchaserwasnootherthanDowne，nowathrivingmanintheborough，andonewhosegrowingfamilyandnewwiferequiredmoreroomyaccommodationthanwasaffordedbythelittlehouseupthenarrowsidestreet。Barnet’soldhabitationwasboughtbythetrusteesoftheCongregationalBaptistbodyinthattown，whopulleddownthetime-honoureddwellingandbuiltanewchapelonitssite。
　　Bythetimethelasthourofthat，toBarnet，eventfulyearhadchimed，everyvestigeofhimhaddisappearedfromtheprecinctsofhisnativeplace，andthenamebecameextinctintheboroughofPort-Bredy，afterhavingbeenalivingforcethereinformorethantwohundredyears。
　　Twenty-oneyearsandsixmonthsdonotpasswithoutsettingamarkevenupondurablestoneandtriplebrass；uponhumanitysuchaperiodworksnothinglessthantransformation。InBarnet’soldbirthplacevivaciousyoungchildrenwithboneslikeindia-rubberhadgrownuptobestablemenandwomen，menandwomenhaddriedintheskin，stiffened，withered，andsunkintodecrepitude；whileselectionsfromeveryclasshadbeenconsignedtotheoutlyingcemetery。Ofinorganicdifferencesthegreatestwasthatarailwayhadinvadedthetown，tyingitontoamainlineatajunctionadozenmilesoff。Barnet’shouseontheharbour-road，oncesoinsistentlynew，hadacquiredarespectablemellowness，withivy，Virginiacreepers，lichens，damppatches，andevenconstitutionalinfirmitiesofitsownlikeitselderfellows。Itsarchitecture，oncesoveryimprovedandmodern，hadalreadybecomestaleinstyle，withouthavingreachedthedignityofbeingold-fashioned。Treesabouttheharbour-roadhadincreasedincircumferenceordisappearedunderthesaw；whilethechurchhadhadsuchatremendouspracticaljokeplayeduponitbysomefacetiousrestorerorotherastobescarcerecognizablebyitsdearestoldfriends。
　　DuringthislongintervalGeorgeBarnethadneveroncebeenseenorheardofinthetownofhisfathers。
　　Itwastheeveningofamarket-day，andsomehalf-dozenmiddle-agedfarmersanddairymenwereloungingroundthebaroftheBlack-BullHotel，occasionallydroppingaremarktoeachother，andlessfrequentlytothetwobarmaidswhostoodwithinthepewter-toppedcounterinaperfunctoryattitudeofattention，theselattersighingandmakingaprivateobservationtooneanotheratoddintervals，onmoreinterestingexperiencesthanthepresent。
　　’Daysgetshorter，’saidoneofthedairymen，ashelookedtowardsthestreet，andnoticedthatthelamp-lighterwaspassingby。
　　Thefarmersmerelyacknowledgedbytheircountenancestheproprietyofthisremark，andfindingthatnobodyelsespoke，oneofthebarmaidssaid’yes，’inatoneofpainfulduty。
　　’Comefair-dayweshallhavetolightupbeforewestartforhome-
　　along。’
　　’That’strue，’hisneighbourconceded，withagazeofblankness。
　　’Andafterthatweshan’tseemuchfurtherdifferenceall’swinter。’
　　Therestwerenotunwillingtogoevensofarasthis。
　　Thebarmaidsighedagain，andraisedoneofherhandsfromthecounteronwhichtheyrestedtoscratchthesmallestsurfaceofherfacewiththesmallestofherfingers。Shelookedtowardsthedoor，andpresentlyremarked，’IthinkIhearthe’buscominginfromstation。’
　　Theeyesofthedairymenandfarmersturnedtotheglassdoordividingthehallfromtheporch，andinaminuteortwotheomnibusdrewupoutside。Thentherewasalumberingdownofluggage，andthenamancameintothehall，followedbyaporterwithaportmanteauonhispoll，whichhedepositedonabench。
　　Thestrangerwasanelderlyperson，withcurlyashenwhitehair，adeeply-crevicedoutercornertoeacheyelid，andacountenancebakedbyinnumerablesunstothecolourofterra-cotta，itshueandthatofhishaircontrastinglikeheatandcoldrespectively。Hewalkedmeditativelyandgently，likeonewhowasfearfulofdisturbinghisownmentalequilibrium。Butwhateverlayatthebottomofhisbreasthadevidentlymadehimsoaccustomedtoitssituationtherethatitcausedhimlittlepracticalinconvenience。
　　Hepausedinsilencewhile，withhisdubiouseyesfixedonthebarmaids，heseemedtoconsiderhimself。Inamomentortwoheaddressedthem，andaskedtobeaccommodatedforthenight。Ashewaitedhelookedcuriouslyroundthehall，butsaidnothing。Assoonasinvitedhedisappearedupthestaircase，precededbyachambermaidandcandle，andfollowedbyaladwithhistrunk。Notasoulhadrecognizedhim。
　　Aquarterofanhourlater，whenthefarmersanddairymenhaddrivenofftotheirhomesteadsinthecountry，hecamedownstairs，tookabiscuitandoneglassofwine，andwalkedoutintothetown，wheretheradiancefromtheshop-windowshadgrownsoinvolumeoflateyearsastofloodwithcheerfulnesseverystandingcart，barrow，stall，andidlerthatoccupiedthewayside，whethershabbyorgenteel。Hischiefinterestatpresentseemedtolieinthenamespaintedovertheshop-frontsandondoor-ways，asfarastheywerevisible；thesenowdifferedtoanominousextentfromwhattheyhadbeenone-and-twentyyearsbefore。
　　Thetravellerpassedontillhecametothebookseller’s，wherehelookedinthroughtheglassdoor。Afresh-facedyoungmanwasstandingbehindthecounter，otherwisetheshopwasempty。Thegray-hairedobserverentered，askedforsomeperiodicalbywayofpayingforadmission，andwithhiselbowonthecounterbegantoturnoverthepageshehadbought，thoughthathereadnothingwasobvious。