ThelastdaysofAugustcame，andwiththemthelastweekoftheholiday。Alreadytherewasascentofautumnintheair，leaveswereturninggoldandred，andtheeveningscamecoolandsudden，uponthehotsummerafternoons。Marywasnotverywell；shehadcaughtacoldsomewhere，andexistedintheirritatingconditionofgoingoutonedayandbeingheldindoorsthenext。Thisupsethertemper，andatnightshehadnightmares，inwhichshesawcloudsofsmokecrawlinginatherwindow，snakesonthefloor，andcrimsonflamesdartingatherfromtheceiling。ItwasbecauseshewasinanabnormalconditionofhealththattheideaofdoingsomethingwithHamlethadgainedsuchaholduponher。Sheconsideredthematterfromeverypointofview。Shedidnotwanttobecrueltothedog；
　　shesupposedthatafteraweekortwohewouldbequitehappywithhisnewmaster，and，inanycase，hehadstrolledinsocasuallyupontheColefamilythathewasaccustomedtoawanderinglife。
　　Shedidnotintendthatanyoneshouldknow。Itwastobeadeepsecretallofherown。
　　JeremywasgoingtoschoolinSeptember，andbeforethenshemustmakehimfriendlytoheragain。Shesawstretchinginfrontofherallthelonelyautumnwithouthimandherownmemoriesofthemiserablesummertomakeherwretched。Shewasanextremelysentimentallittlegirl。
　　Asalwayshappenswhenoneismeditatingwithaplacatedconscienceawickeddeed，theopportunitywassuddenlyofferedtoMaryofachievingherpurpose。OnemorningJeremy，afterrefusingtolistentooneofMary’slongromances，losthistemper。
　　“Ican’tstop，“hesaid。“Youbotherandbotherandbother。AuntAmysaysyounearlymakehermad。“
　　“Idon’tcarewhatAuntAmysays，“Maryontheedgeoftearsreplied。
　　“HamletandIaregoingout。AndI’msickofyoursillyoldstories。“ThenhesuddenlystoppedandgazedatMary，whowasbeginning，asusual，toweep。
　　“Lookhere，Mary，what’sbeenthematterwithyoulately？You’realwayscryingnoworsomething。AndyoulookatmeasthoughI’ddonesomethingdreadful。Ihaven’tdoneanything。“
　　“I——never——saidyou——had，“Marygulpedout。Herubbedhisnoseinawaythathehadwhenhewaspuzzled。
　　“Ifit’sanythingIdo，tellme。It’ssosillyalwayscrying。Theholidayswillbeoversoon，andyou’vedonenothingbutcry。“
　　“You’re——never——withme——now，“Marysobbed。
　　“Well，I’vebeenbusy。“
　　“Youhaven’t。Youcan’tbebusyall——byyourself。“
　　“Oh，yes，youcan。“Hewasgettingimpatient。“Anyway，youmightletHamletandmealone。You’realwaysbotheringoneofus。“
　　“No，I’mnot。“Shechokedanenormoussobandburstoutwith：“It’salwaysHamletnow。Iwishhe’dnever——come。Itwasmuchnicerbefore。“
　　Thenhelosthistemper。“Oh，you’reababy！I’msickofyouandyournonsense，“hecried，andstampedoff。
　　InMary’sred-rimmedeyes，asshewatchedhimgo，determinationgrew。
　　IthappenedthatupontheafternoonofthatsamedayMissJonesannouncedthatshewouldtakeMaryforawalk；then，justastheypassedthroughthefarmgates，Hamlet，rushingout，joinedthem。Hedidnotoftenhonourthemwithhiscompany，despisingwomenmostespeciallywhentheywalked，butto-dayhismasterwasbusydiggingforwormsinthevegetablegarden，and，afteraquarterofanhour’scontemplationofthisfascinatingoccupation，hehadwanderedoffinsearchofaliveliergame。HedecidedtojoinMissJones；hecoulddowhathepleased，hecouldamusehimselfwithherineffectualattemptstokeephiminorder，andhecouldirritateMary；sohedancedalong，withhistailintheair，barkingatimaginaryratsandpokinghisnoseintohedges。
　　Mary，withasuddentightenedclutchingoftheheart，realisedthatherhourwasuponher。Shefeltsowickedassherealisedthisthatshewonderedthatthegrounddidn’topenupandswallowher，asithaddonewiththoseunfortunatepeopleintheBible。Butno，theworldwascalm。Littlewhitemilkycloudsracedinlinesandcirclesacrossthesky，andonceandagainaleaffloatedfromatree，hungforamomentsuspended，andthenturnedslowlytotheground。Thehedgeswereadarkblack-green，highandthickabovethedustyroad；
　　therehadbeennorainforweeks。Trulyastableworld。Mary，glaringatFate，wonderedhowitcouldbeso。
　　MissJones，whowashappyandoptimisticto-day，talkedinatenderlyreminiscenttoneofheryouth。ThisveinofreminiscenceMary，onhernormalday，loved。To-dayshedidnothearawordthatMissJonessaid。
　　“Iremembermymothersayingsowelltomydearbrother：’Dowhatyoulike，myboy。Itrustyou。’AndindeedAlfredwastobetrustedifeveraboywas。Itisaremarkablething，butIcannotrememberasingleoccasionofdishonestyonAlfred’spart。’Awhitelie，’hewouldoftensay，’isalie，andalieisasin——whiteorblack，alwaysasin’；andIrememberthathewouldoftenputmothertoaseriousinconveniencebyhistellingcallersthatshewasinwhenshehadwishedittobesaidthatshewasnotathome。Hefeltithisseriousduty，andsohetoldMother。’Don’taskmetotellalie，Mother，’Irememberhissaying。’Icannotdoit。’“
　　“LikeGeorgeWashington，“saidMary，suddenlycatchingthelastwordsofMissJones’ssentence。
　　“Hewaslikemanyfamouscharactersinhistory，Iusedtothink。
　　OnceIrememberreadingaboutOliverCromwell……“Whereisthatdog？Hamlet！Hamlet！Perhapshe’sgoneafterthesheep。Ah！thereheis！Hamlet，younaughtydog！“
　　Theywereapproachingoneoftheirfavouritepiecesofcountry——
　　MellotWood。Here，onthewood’sedge，thegroundbrokeaway，runningdowninafieldofcorntoalittlegreenvalleywithclusteredtreesthatshowedonlytheirheads，sothicklyembeddedwerethey，andbeyondthevalleythesea。Thesealookedquiteclosehere，althoughitwasinrealityfourmilesdistant。Neverwassuchaplaceasthisviewforlightandshadow。Thecloudsracedliketheblackwingsofenormousbirdsacrossthelightgreenvalley，andthered-goldofthecornfieldwastossedintothehazeandsweptlikeagoldenshadowacrosstheearth，bendingbackagainwhenthebreezehaddied。BehindMellotWoodwasMellotFarm，anoldeighteenth-
　　centuryhouseaboutwhichtherewasafinetragicstorywithamurderandaghostinit，andthis，ofcourse，gaveMellotWoodanadditionalcharm。WhentheyarrivedattheoutskirtsofMellotWoodMarylookedabouther。Itwashere，ontheedgeoftheRafielRoadthatskirtedthewood，thatshehadonceseenthedog-maneatinghisluncheonoutofaredpocket-handkerchief。Therewasnosignofhimto-day。Allwassilentandstill。Onlythelittlewoodutteredlittlesighsofcontentbeneaththeflyingclouds。Hamlet，tiredwithhisracingafterimaginaryrabbits，walkedquietlyalongbyMary’sside。Whatwasshetodo？Shehadonceagainthedesperatefeelingthatsomethingstrongerthanshehadsweptdownuponherandwasforcinghertodothisthing。Sheseemedtohavenowillofherown，buttobewatchingsomeothercommitanactwhosedangerouswickednessfrozeherheart。Howcouldshe？Butshemust。Someonewasdoingitforher。
　　Andinverytruthitseemedso。MissJonessaidthatnowtheywerehereshemightaswellcalluponMissAndrews，thesisteroftheMellotfarmer。MissAndrewshadpromisedhersomeducks’eggs。Theypushedopenthefarmgate，passedacrosstheyardandknockedonthehousedoor。NearMarywasalargebarnwithaheavydoor，nowajar。
　　Hamletsatgazingpensivelyataflockofgeese，histongueout，pantingcontentedly。
　　“Waithereoneminute，Mary，“saidMissJones。“Iwon’tstay。“
　　MissJonesdisappeared。Mary，stillunderthestrangesensethatitwasnotshe，butanother，whodidthesethings，movedbacktothebarn，callingsoftlytoHamlet。Hefollowedher，sniffingaratsomewhere。Veryquicklyshepulledbackthedoor；he，stillinvestigatinghisrat，followedintothedarkexcitementsofthebarn。Withaquickmovementshebentdown，slippedoffhiscollar，whichshehidinherdress，thenshuthimin。Sheknewthatforamomentortwohewouldstillbepursuinghisrat，andshesaw，withguiltyrelief，MissJonescomeouttoherjustasshehadfinishedherevildeed。
　　“MissAndrewsisout，“saidMissJones。“TheyareallawayatLiskaneFair。“
　　Theyleftthefarmandwalkeddowntheroad。Hamlethadnotbegunhiscry。
　　IV
　　MissJoneswaspleased。“Suchaniceservant，“shesaid。“Oneoftheoldkind。Shehadbeenwiththefamilyfiftyyears，shetoldme，andhadnursedMr。Andrewsonherknee。Fancy！Suchalargefatmanasheisnow。Toomuchbeer，Isuppose。Isupposetheygetsothirstywithallthestrawandhayabout。Yes，areallynicewoman。ShetoldmethattherewasnoplaceinGlebeshiretotouchthemforcream。I
　　daresaythey’reright。Afterall，younevercantell。Irememberathome……“
　　Shebrokeoffthenandcried：“Where’sHamlet？“
　　Mary，wickederthanever，staredthroughherspectaclesdowntheroad。“Idon’tknow，MissJones，“shesaid。Theyhadleftthewoodandthefarm，andtherewasnothingtobeseenbutthelongwhiteribbonofroadhemmedinbythehighhedges。
　　“Perhapshestayedbehindatthefarm，“saidMissJones。
　　ThenMarytoldherworstlie。
　　“Oh，no，MissJones。Heranpastusjustnow。Didn’tyouseehim？“
　　“No，Ididn’t。He’sgoneonahead，Isuppose。Herunshomesometimes。Naughtydog！Weshallcatchhimup。“
　　Butofcoursetheydidnot。TheypassedthroughthegatesofCowFarmandstillnothingofHamletwastobeseen。
　　“Ohdear！Ohdear！“saidMissJones。“Idohopethathe’sarrived。
　　WhateverwillJeremysayifanythinghasgonewrong？“
　　Marywasbreathinghardnow，asthoughshehadbeenrunningadesperaterace。Shewouldatthismomenthavegivenallthatshepossessed，orallthatshewaseverlikelytopossess，torecallherdeed。IfshecouldhaveseenHamletrushingdowntheroadtowardshershewouldhavecriedwithrelief；thereseemednowtobesuddenlyremovedfromherthatoutsideagencythathadforcedhertodothisthing；now，havingcompelledher，ithadwithdrawnandlefthertocarrytheconsequences。StrangelyconfusedinhersentimentalsoulwasherterrorofJeremy’swrathandherownpictureofthewretchedHamletbarkinghisheartout，frightened，thirsty，andlonely。Herteethbegantochatter；sheclenchedherhandstogether。
　　MissJoneswentacrossthecourtyard，calling：
　　“Hamlet！Hamlet！“
　　Thefamilywascollected，havingjustsatdowntotea，sothattheannouncementreceiveditsfullmeasureofexcitement。
　　“HasHamletcomeback？Wethoughthewasaheadofus。“
　　Achairhadtumbledover。JeremyhadrunroundthetabletoMissJones。
　　“What’sthat？Hamlet？Whereishe？“
　　“Wethoughthemustbeaheadofus。Heranpastusdowntheroad，andwethought——“
　　Theythought！Sillywomen！Jeremy，asthoughhewerechallengingagod，stoodupagainstMissJones，hurlingquestionsather。Wherehadtheybeen？Whatroadhadtheytaken？Hadtheygoneintothewood？Whereaboutshadherunpastthem？
　　“Idon’tknow，“saidMissJonestothislast。“Ididn’tseehim。
　　Marydid。“
　　JeremyturneduponMary。“Wherewasityousawhim？“
　　Shecouldn’tspeak。Hertonguewouldn’tmove，herlipswouldn’topen；shecouldbutwaggleherheadlikeanidiot。Shesawnothingbuthisface。Itwasadesperateface。SheknewsomuchbetterthanalltheotherswhatthethoughtoflosingHamletwastohim。Itwaspartoftheharshnessofherfatethatsheshouldunderstandhimsomuchbetterthantheothersdid。