Thenheplacidlydismissedthematter，andwentonwithhisdailyaffairs。BythistimeEllaathomehadcometoadetermination。
　　Mrs。Hooper，insendingthehairandphotograph，hadinformedherofthedayofthefuneral；andasthemorningandnoonworeonanoverpoweringwishtoknowwheretheywerelayinghimtookpossessionofthesympatheticwoman。Caringverylittlenowwhatherhusbandoranyoneelsemightthinkofhereccentricities；shewroteMarchmillabriefnote，statingthatshewascalledawayfortheafternoonandevening，butwouldreturnonthefollowingmorning。
　　Thissheleftonhisdesk，andhavinggiventhesameinformationtotheservants，wentoutofthehouseonfoot。
　　WhenMr。Marchmillreachedhomeearlyintheafternoontheservantslookedanxious。Thenursetookhimprivatelyaside，andhintedthathermistress’ssadnessduringthepastfewdayshadbeensuchthatshefearedshehadgoneouttodrownherself。Marchmillreflected。
　　Uponthewholehethoughtthatshehadnotdonethat。Withoutsayingwhitherhewasboundhealsostartedoff，tellingthemnottositupforhim。Hedrovetotherailway-station，andtookaticketforSolentsea。
　　Itwasdarkwhenhereachedtheplace，thoughhehadcomebyafasttrain，andheknewthatifhiswifehadprecededhimthitheritcouldonlyhavebeenbyaslowertrain，arrivingnotagreatwhilebeforehisown。TheseasonatSolentseawasnowpast:theparadewasgloomy，andtheflyswerefewandcheap。HeaskedthewaytotheCemetery，andsoonreachedit。Thegatewaslocked，butthekeeperlethimin，declaring，however，thattherewasnobodywithintheprecincts。Althoughitwasnotlate，theautumnaldarknesshadnowbecomeintense；andhefoundsomedifficultyinkeepingtotheserpentinepathwhichledtothequarterwhere，asthemanhadtoldhim，theoneortwointermentsforthedayhadtakenplace。Hesteppeduponthegrass，and，stumblingoversomepegs，stoopednowandthentodiscernifpossibleafigureagainstthesky。
　　Hecouldseenone；butlightingonaspotwherethesoilwastrodden，beheldacrouchingobjectbesideanewlymadegrave。Sheheardhim，andsprangup。
　　’Ell，howsillythisis！’hesaidindignantly。’Runningawayfromhome——Ineverheardsuchathing！OfcourseIamnotjealousofthisunfortunateman；butitistooridiculousthatyou，amarriedwomanwiththreechildrenandafourthcoming，shouldgolosingyourheadlikethisoveradeadlover！……Doyouknowyouwerelockedin？Youmightnothavebeenabletogetoutallnight。’
　　Shedidnotanswer。
　　’Ihopeitdidn’tgofarbetweenyouandhim，foryourownsake。’
　　’Don’tinsultme，Will。’
　　’Mind，Iwon’thaveanymoreofthissortofthing；doyouhear？’
　　’Verywell，’shesaid。
　　Hedrewherarmwithinhisown，andconductedheroutoftheCemetery。Itwasimpossibletogetbackthatnight；andnotwishingtoberecognizedintheirpresentsorrycondition，hetookhertoamiserablelittlecoffee-houseclosetothestation，whencetheydepartedearlyinthemorning，travellingalmostwithoutspeaking，underthesensethatitwasoneofthosedrearysituationsoccurringinmarriedlifewhichwordscouldnotmend，andreachingtheirowndooratnoon。
　　Themonthspassed，andneitherofthetwaineverventuredtostartaconversationuponthisepisode。Ellaseemedtobeonlytoofrequentlyinasadandlistlessmood，whichmightalmosthavebeencalledpining。Thetimewasapproachingwhenshewouldhavetoundergothestressofchildbirthforafourthtime，andthatapparentlydidnottendtoraiseherspirits。
　　’Idon’tthinkIshallgetoveritthistime！’shesaidoneday。
　　’Pooh！whatchildishforeboding！Whyshouldn’titbeaswellnowasever？’
　　Sheshookherhead。’IfeelalmostsureIamgoingtodie；andI
　　shouldbeglad，ifitwerenotforNelly，andFrank，andTiny。’
　　’Andme！’
　　’You’llsoonfindsomebodytofillmyplace，’shemurmured，withasadsmile。’Andyou’llhaveaperfectrightto；Iassureyouofthat。’
　　’Ell，youarenotthinkingstillaboutthat——poeticalfriendofyours？’
　　Sheneitheradmittednordeniedthecharge。’Iamnotgoingtogetovermyillnessthistime，’shereiterated。’SomethingtellsmeI
　　shan’t。’
　　Thisviewofthingswasratherabadbeginning，asitusuallyis；
　　and，infact，sixweekslater，inthemonthofMay，shewaslyinginherroom，pulselessandbloodless，withhardlystrengthenoughlefttofollowuponefeeblebreathwithanother，theinfantforwhoseunnecessarylifeshewasslowlypartingwithherownbeingfatandwell。JustbeforeherdeathshespoketoMarchmillsoftly:-
　　’Will，Iwanttoconfesstoyoutheentirecircumstancesofthat——
　　aboutyouknowwhat——thattimewevisitedSolentsea。Ican’ttellwhatpossessedme——howIcouldforgetyouso，myhusband！ButIhadgotintoamorbidstate:Ithoughtyouhadbeenunkind；thatyouhadneglectedme；thatyouweren’tuptomyintellectuallevel，whilehewas，andfaraboveit。Iwantedafullerappreciator，perhaps，ratherthananotherlover——’
　　Shecouldgetnofurtherthenforveryexhaustion；andshewentoffinsuddencollapseafewhourslater，withouthavingsaidanythingmoretoherhusbandonthesubjectofherloveforthepoet。
　　WilliamMarchmill，intruth，likemosthusbandsofseveralyears’
　　standing，waslittledisturbedbyretrospectivejealousies，andhadnotshowntheleastanxietytopressherforconfessionsconcerningamandeadandgonebeyondanypowerofinconveniencinghimmore。
　　Butwhenshehadbeenburiedacoupleofyearsitchancedonedaythat，inturningoversomeforgottenpapersthathewishedtodestroybeforehissecondwifeenteredthehouse，helightedonalockofhairinanenvelope，withthephotographofthedeceasedpoet，adatebeingwrittenonthebackinhislatewife’shand。ItwasthatofthetimetheyspentatSolentsea。
　　Marchmilllookedlongandmusinglyatthehairandportrait，forsomethingstruckhim。Fetchingthelittleboywhohadbeenthedeathofhismother，nowanoisytoddler，hetookhimonhisknee，heldthelockofhairagainstthechild’shead，andsetupthephotographonthetablebehind，sothathecouldcloselycomparethefeatureseachcountenancepresented。Therewereundoubtedlystrongtracesofresemblance；thedreamyandpeculiarexpressionofthepoet’sfacesat，asthetransmittedidea，uponthechild’s，andthehairwasofthesamehue。
　　’I’mdamnedifIdidn’tthinkso！’murmuredMarchmill。’ThensheDIDplaymefalsewiththatfellowatthelodgings！Letmesee:
　　thedates——thesecondweekinAugust……thethirdweekinMay……Yes……yes……Getaway，youpoorlittlebrat！Youarenothingtome！’
　　AmongthefewfeaturesofagriculturalEnglandwhichretainanappearancebutlittlemodifiedbythelapseofcenturies，maybereckonedthehigh，grassyandfurzydowns，coombs，orewe-leases，astheyareindifferentlycalled，thatfillalargeareaofcertaincountiesinthesouthandsouth-west。Ifanymarkofhumanoccupationismetwithhereon，itusuallytakestheformofthesolitarycottageofsomeshepherd。
　　Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown，andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow。Inspiteofitsloneliness，however，thespot，byactualmeasurement，wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town。Yetthataffecteditlittle。Fivemilesofirregularupland，duringthelonginimicalseasons，withtheirsleets，snows，rains，andmists，affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar；muchless，infairweather，topleasethatlessrepellenttribe，thepoets，philosophers，artists，andotherswho’conceiveandmeditateofpleasantthings。’
　　Someoldearthencamporbarrow，someclumpoftrees，atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings。But，inthepresentcase，suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded。HigherCrowstairs，asthehousewascalled，stoodquitedetachedandundefended。Theonlyreasonforitsprecisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby，whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears。Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides。But，thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow，andtherainhithardwheneveritfell，thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground。Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows，andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere。Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure，theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessinconveniencedby’wuzzesandflames’hoarsesandphlegmsthanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley。
　　ThenightofMarch28，182-，waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration。Thelevelrainstormsmotewalls，slopes，andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy。Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds；whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas。Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet，andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall。Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmoremisplaced。Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglorificationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl。
　　Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall，andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling。A
　　glanceintotheapartmentateighto’clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresultedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather。
　　Thecallingofitsinhabitantwasproclaimedbyanumberofhighly-
　　polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace，thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpicturesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair。
　　Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles，havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem，incandlesticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days，holy-days，andfamilyfeasts。
　　Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom，twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece。Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant。Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty。