Atlengthhesaid，’IsoldMr。Watkinsstillalive？’inavoicewhichhadacuriousyouthfulcadenceinitevennow。
　　’Myfatherisdead，sir，’saidtheyoungman。
　　’Ah，Iamsorrytohearit，’saidthestranger。’ButitissomanyyearssinceIlastvisitedthistownthatIcouldhardlyexpectitshouldbeotherwise。’Afterashortsilencehecontinued——’AndisthefirmofBarnet，Browse，andCompanystillinexistence？——theyusedtobelargeflax-merchantsandtwine-spinnershere？’
　　’Thefirmisstillgoingon，sir，buttheyhavedroppedthenameofBarnet。Ibelievethatwasasortoffancyname——atleast，IneverknewofanylivingBarnet。’TisnowBrowseandCo。’
　　’AnddoesAndrewJonesstillkeeponasarchitect？’
　　’He’sdead，sir。’
　　’AndtheVicarofSt。Mary’s——Mr。Melrose？’
　　’He’sbeendeadagreatmanyyears。’
　　’Dearme！’Hepausedyetlonger，andclearedhisvoice。’IsMr。
　　Downe，thesolicitor，stillinpractice？’
　　’No，sir，he’sdead。Hediedaboutsevenyearsago。’
　　Hereitwasalongersilencestill；andanattentiveobserverwouldhavenoticedthatthepaperinthestranger’shandincreaseditsimperceptibletremortoavisibleshake。Thatgray-hairedgentlemannoticedithimself，andrestedthepaperonthecounter。’IsMRS。
　　Downestillalive？’heasked，closinghislipsfirmlyassoonasthewordswereoutofhismouth，anddroppinghiseyes。
　　’Yes，sir，she’saliveandwell。She’slivingattheoldplace。’
　　’InEastStreet？’
　　’Ono；atChateauRingdale。Ibelieveithasbeeninthefamilyforsomegenerations。’
　　’Sheliveswithherchildren，perhaps？’
　　’No；shehasnochildrenofherown。ThereweresomeMissDownes；I
　　thinktheywereMr。Downe’sdaughtersbyaformerwife；buttheyaremarriedandlivinginotherpartsofthetown。Mrs。Downelivesalone。’
　　’Quitealone？’
　　’Yes，sir；quitealone。’
　　Thenewly-arrivedgentlemanwentbacktothehotelanddined；afterwhichhemadesomechangeinhisdress，shavedbackhisbeardtothefashionthathadprevailedtwentyyearsearlier，whenhewasyoungandinteresting，andoncemoreemerging，benthisstepsinthedirectionoftheharbour-road。Justbeforegettingtothepointwherethepavementceasedandthehousesisolatedthemselves，heovertookashambling，stooping，unshavenman，whoatfirstsightappearedlikeaprofessionaltramp，hisshouldershavingaperceptiblegreasinessastheypassedunderthegaslight。Eachpedestrianmomentarilyturnedandregardedtheother，andthetramp-
　　likegentlemanstartedback。
　　’Good——why——isthatMr。Barnet？’TisMr。Barnet，surely！’
　　’Yes；andyouareCharlson？’
　　’Yes——ah——younoticemyappearance。TheFateshaveratherill-usedme。By-the-bye，thatfiftypounds。Ineverpaidit，didI？……
　　ButIwasnotungrateful！’Herethestoopingmanlaidonehandemphaticallyonthepalmoftheother。’Igaveyouachance，Mr。
　　GeorgeBarnet，whichmanymenwouldhavethoughtfullvaluereceived——thechancetomarryyourLucy。Asfarastheworldwasconcerned，yourwifewasaDROWNEDWOMAN，hey？’
　　’Heavenforbidallthat，Charlson！’
　　’Well，well，’twasawrongwayofshowinggratitude，Isuppose。Andnowadropofsomethingtodrinkforoldacquaintance’sake！AndMr。Barnet，she’sagainfree——there’sachancenowifyoucareforit——ha，ha！’Andthespeakerpushedhistongueintohishollowcheekandslantedhiseyeintheoldfashion。
　　’Iknowall，’saidBarnetquickly；andslippingasmallpresentintothehandsoftheneedy，saddeningman，hesteppedaheadandwassoonintheoutskirtsofthetown。
　　Hereachedtheharbour-road，andpausedbeforetheentrancetoawell-knownhouse。Itwassohighlybosomedintreesandshrubsplantedsincetheerectionofthebuildingthatonewouldscarcelyhaverecognizedthespotasthatwhichhadbeenamereneglectedslopetillchosenasasiteforadwelling。Heopenedtheswing-
　　gate，closeditnoiselessly，andgentlymovedintothesemicirculardrive，whichremainedexactlyasithadbeenmarkedoutbyBarnetonthemorningwhenLucySavileranintothankhimforprocuringherthepostofgovernesstoDowne’schildren。Butthegrowthoftreesandbusheswhichrevealeditselfateverystepwasbeyondallexpectation；sun-proofandmoon-proofbowersvaultedthewalks，andthewallsofthehousewereuniformlybeardedwithcreepingplantsashighasthefirst-floorwindows。
　　Afterlingeringforafewminutesintheduskofthebendingboughs，thevisitorrangthedoor-bell，andontheservantappearing，heannouncedhimselfas’anoldfriendofMrs。Downe’s。’
　　Thehallwaslighted，butnotbrightly，thegasbeingturnedlow，asifvisitorswererare。Therewasastagnationinthedwelling；itseemedtobewaiting。Coulditreallybewaitingforhim？ThepartitionswhichhadbeenprobedbyBarnet’swalking-stickwhenthemortarwasgreen，werenowquitebrownwiththeantiquityoftheirvarnish，andtheornamentalwoodworkofthestaircase，whichhadglistenedwithapaleyellownewnesswhenfirsterected，wasnowofarichwine-colour。Duringtheservant’sabsencethefollowingcolloquycouldbedimlyheardthroughthenearlycloseddoorofthedrawing-room。
　　’Hedidn’tgivehisname？’
　　’Heonlysaid“anoldfriend，“ma’am。’
　　’Whatkindofgentlemanishe？’
　　’Astaidishgentleman，withgrayhair。’
　　Thevoiceofthesecondspeakerseemedtoaffectthelistenergreatly。Afterapause，theladysaid，’Verywell，Iwillseehim。’
　　AndthestrangerwasshowninfacetofacewiththeLucywhohadoncebeenLucySavile。Theroundcheekofthatformerlyyoungladyhad，ofcourse，alarminglyflatteneditscurveinhermodernrepresentative；apervasivegraynessoverspreadheroncedarkbrownhair，likemorningrimeonheather。Thepartingdownthemiddlewaswideandjagged；onceithadbeenathinwhiteline，anarrowcrevicebetweentwohighbanksofshade。Buttherewasstillenoughlefttoformahandsomeknobbehind，andsomecurlsbeneathinwroughtwithafewhairslikesilverwireswereverybecoming。Inhereyestheonlymodificationwasthattheiroriginallymildrectitudeofexpressionhadbecomealittlemorestringentthanheretofore。Yetshewasstillgirlish——agirlwhohadbeengratuitouslyweightedbydestinywithaburdenoffive-and-fortyyearsinsteadofherpropertwenty。
　　’Lucy，don’tyouknowme？’hesaid，whentheservanthadclosedthedoor。
　　’IknewyoutheinstantIsawyou！’shereturnedcheerfully。’I
　　don’tknowwhy，butIalwaysthoughtyouwouldcomebacktoyouroldtownagain。’
　　Shegavehimherhand，andthentheysatdown。’Theysaidyouweredead，’continuedLucy，’butIneverthoughtso。Weshouldhaveheardofitforcertainifyouhadbeen。’
　　’Itisaverylongtimesincewemet。’
　　’Yes；whatyoumusthaveseen，Mr。Barnet，inalltheserovingyears，incomparisonwithwhatIhaveseeninthisquietplace！’
　　Herfacegrewmoreserious。’Youknowmyhusbandhasbeendeadalongtime？Iamalonelyoldwomannow，consideringwhatIhavebeen；thoughMr。Downe’sdaughters——allmarried——managetokeepmeprettycheerful。’
　　’AndIamalonelyoldman，andhavebeenanytimethesetwentyyears。’
　　’Butwherehaveyoukeptyourself？Andwhydidyougooffsomysteriously？’
　　’Well，Lucy，IhavekeptmyselfalittleinAmerica，andalittleinAustralia，alittleinIndia，alittleattheCape，andsoon；I
　　havenotstayedinanyplaceforalongtime，asitseemstome，andyetmorethantwentyyearshaveflown。Butwhenpeoplegettomyagetwoyearsgolikeone！——Yoursecondquestion，whydidIgoawaysomysteriously，issurelynotnecessary。Youguessedwhy，didn’tyou？’
　　’No，Ineveronceguessed，’shesaidsimply；’nordidCharles，nordidanybodyasfarasIknow。’
　　’Well，indeed！Nowthinkitoveragain，andthenlookatme，andsayifyoucan’tguess？’
　　Shelookedhiminthefacewithaninquiringsmile。’Surelynotbecauseofme？’shesaid，pausingatthecommencementofsurprise。
　　Barnetnodded，andsmiledagain；buthissmilewassadderthanhers。
　　’BecauseImarriedCharles？’sheasked。