SomeknightwhohadfoughtintheFrenchwarsofthattime，andhadsurvivedhisbattlesandcomehometohisoldhalls，hadbeenstirredupbyhisconscience，orbywhatwasequivalentinthosedays，hisconfessor，tobuildandendowahospitalfortwelvedecayedsoldiers，andachapelwhereintheyweretoattendthedailymassesheordainedtobesaidtilltheendofalltime（whicheternitylastedrathermorethanacentury，prettywellforaneternitybespokenbyaman），forhissoulandthesoulsofthosewhomhehadslain。Therewasalargedivisionofthequadrangularbuildingsetapartforthepriestwhowastosaythesemasses;andtowatchoverthewell—beingofthebedesmen。Inprocessofyearstheoriginandprimarypurposeofthehospitalhadbeenforgottenbyallexceptingthelocalantiquaries;
andtheplaceitselfcametoberegardedasaverypleasantquaintsetofalmshouses;andthewarden\'soffice（hewhoshouldhavesaidorsunghisdailymasseswasnowcalledthewarden，andreaddailyprayersandpreachedasermononSundays）anagreeablesinecure。AnotherlegacyofoldSirSimonBraywasthatofasmallcroftofland，therentorprofitsofwhichweretogotowardsgivingtoallwhoaskedforitamanchetofbreadandacupofgoodbeer。Thisbeerwas，soSirSimonordained，tobemadeafteracertainreceiptwhichheleft，inwhichgroundivytooktheplaceofhops。Butthereceipt，aswellasthemasses，wasmodernizedaccordingtotheprogressoftime。Philipstoodunderagreatbroadstonearchway;theback—doorintothewarden\'shousewasontherightside;akindofbuttery—hatchwasplacedbytheporter\'sdoorontheoppositeside。Aftersomeconsideration，Philipknockedattheclosedshutter，andthesignalseemedtobewellunderstood。
Heheardamovementwithin;thehatchwasdrawnaside，andhisbreadandbeerwerehandedtohimbyapleasant—lookingoldman，whoprovedhimselfnotatalldisinclinedforconversation。\'Youmaysitdownonyonderbench，\'saidhe。\'Nay，man！siti\'thesun，forit\'sachillyplace，this，andthenyoucanlookthroughthegrateandwatchth\'oldfellowstoddlingaboutinth\'quad。\'PhilipsatdownwherethewarmOctobersunslanteduponhim，andlookedthroughtheironrailingatthepeacefulsight。Agreatsquareofvelvetlawn，intersecteddiagonallywithbroadflag—pavedwalks，thesamekindofwalkgoingallroundthequadrangle;lowtwo—storiedbrickhouses，tintedgrayandyellowbyage，andinmanyplacesalmostcoveredwithvines，Virginiancreepers，andmonthlyroses;beforeeachhousealittleplotofgardenground，brightwithflowers，andevidentlytendedwiththeutmostcare;onthefarthersidethemassivechapel;hereandthereanoldorinfirmmansunninghimself，orleisurelydoingabitofgardening，ortalkingtooneofhiscomrades——theplacelookedasifcareandwant，andevensorrow，werelockedoutandexcludedbytheponderousgatethroughwhichPhilipwasgazing。\'It\'saniceenoughplace，bean\'tit？\'saidtheporter，interpretingPhilip\'slooksprettyaccurately。\'Leastways，forthemaslikesit。I\'vegotabitwearyonitmyself;it\'ssofarfromth\'world，asamanmaysay;notadecentpublicwithinamileandahalf，whereonecanhearabito\'newsofanevening。\'\'IthinkIcouldmakemyselfverycontenthere，\'repliedPhilip。\'That\'stosay，ifonewereeasyinone\'smind。\'\'Ay，ay，myman。That\'siteverywhere。Why，Idon\'tthinkthatIcouldenjoymyself——notevenatth\'WhiteHart，wheretheygiveyouasgoodaglassofalefortwopenceasanywherei\'th\'fourkingdoms——Icouldn\'t，tosay，flavourmyaleeventhere，ifmyoldwomanlaya—dying;whichisasignasit\'stheheart，andnottheale，asmakesthedrink。\'Justthenthewarden\'sback—dooropened，andoutcamethewardenhimself，dressedinfullclericalcostume。Hewasgoingintotheneighbouringcity，buthestoppedtospeaktoPhilip，thewoundedsoldier;andallthemorereadilybecausehisoldfadeduniformtoldthewarden\'sexperiencedeyethathehadbelongedtothemarines。\'IhopeyouenjoythevictualprovidedforyoubythefounderofSt。Sepulchre，\'
saidhe，kindly。\'Youlookbutpoorly，mygoodfellow，andasifasliceofgoodcoldmeatwouldhelpyourbreaddown。\'\'Thankyou，sir！\'saidPhilip。\'I\'mnothungry，onlyweary，andgladofadraughtofbeer。\'\'You\'vebeenintheMarines，Isee。Wherehaveyoubeenserving？\'\'IwasatthesiegeofAcre，lastMay，sir。\'\'AtAcre！Wereyou，indeed？ThenperhapsyouknowmyboyHarry？Hewasinthe————th。\'\'Itwasmycompany，\'saidPhilip，warmingupalittle。Lookingbackuponhissoldier\'slife，itseemedtohimtohavemanycharms，becauseitwassofullofsmalldailyinterests。\'Then，didyouknowmyson，LieutenantPennington？\'\'Itwashethatgavemethiscloak，sir，whentheyweresendingmebacktoEngland。IhadbeenhisservantforashorttimebeforeIwaswoundedbytheexplosiononboardtheTheseus，andhesaidIshouldfeelthecoldofthevoyage。He\'sverykind;andI\'veheardsayhepromisestobeafirst—rateofficer。\'\'Youshallhaveasliceofroastbeef，whetheryouwantitornot，\'saidthewarden，ringingthebellathisownback—door。\'Irecognizethecloaknow——theyoungscamp！Howsoonhehasmadeitshabby，though，\'hecontinued，takingupacornerwheretherewasanimmensetearnottoowellbotchedup。\'AndsoyouwereonboardtheTheseusatthetimeoftheexplosion？
Bringsomecoldmeathereforthegoodman——orstay！Comeinwithme，andthenyoucantellMrsPenningtonandtheyoungladiesallyouknowaboutHarry，——andthesiege，——andtheexplosion。\'SoPhilipwasusheredintothewarden\'shouseandmadetoeatroastbeefalmostagainsthiswill;andhewasquestionedandcross—questionedbythreeeagerladies，allatthesametime，asitseemedtohim。Hehadgivenallpossibledetailsonthesubjectsaboutwhichtheywerecurious;andwasbeginningtoconsiderhowhecouldbestmakehisretreat，whentheyoungerMissPenningtonwentuptoherfather——whohadallthistimestood，withhishaton，holdinghiscoat—tailsoverhisarms，withhisbacktothefire。Hebenthiseardownaverylittletohearsomewhisperedsuggestionofhisdaughter\'s，noddedhishead，andthenwentonquestioningPhilip，withkindlyinquisitivenessandpatronage，astherichdoquestionthepoor。\'Andwhereareyougoingtonow？\'Philipdidnotanswerdirectly。Hewonderedinhisownmindwherehewasgoing。Atlengthhesaid，\'Northwards，Ibelieve。ButperhapsIshallneverreachthere。\'\'Haven\'tyoufriends？Aren\'tyougoingtothem？\'Therewasagainapause;acloudcameoverPhilip\'scountenance。Hesaid，\'No！I\'mnotgoingtomyfriends。Idon\'tknowthatI\'vegotanyleft。\'Theyinterpretedhislooksandthisspeechtomeanthathehadeitherlosthisfriendsbydeath，oroffendedthembyenlisting。Thewardenwenton，\'Iask，becausewe\'vegotacottagevacantinthemead。OldDobson，whowaswithGeneralWolfeatthetakingofQuebec，diedafortnightago。Withsuchinjuriesasyours，Ifearyou\'llneverbeabletoworkagain。Butwerequirestricttestimonialsastocharacter，\'headded，withaspenetratingalookashecouldsummonupatPhilip。Philiplookedunmoved，eitherbytheofferofthecottage，ortheillusiontothepossibilityofhischaracternotbeingsatisfactory。Hewasgratefulenoughinreality，buttooheavyathearttocareverymuchwhatbecameofhim。Thewardenandhisfamily，whowereaccustomedtoconsiderasettlementatSt。Sepulchre\'sasthesumofallgoodtoaworn—outsoldier，werealittleannoyedatPhilip\'scoolwayofreceivingtheproposition。Thewardenwentontonamethecontingentadvantages。\'Besidesthecottage，youwouldhavealoadofwoodforfiringonAllSaints\'，onChristmas，andonCandlemasdays——abluegownandsuitofclothestomatcheveryMichaelmas，andashillingadaytokeepyourselfinallotherthings。Yourdinneryouwouldhavewiththeothermen，inhall。\'\'Thewardenhimselfgoesintohalleveryday，andseesthateverythingiscomfortable，andsaysgrace，\'addedthewarden\'slady。\'IknowIseemstupid，\'saidPhilip，almosthumbly，\'nottobemoregrateful，forit\'sfarbeyondwhatliverexpectedorthoughtforagain，andit\'sagreattemptation，forI\'mjustwornoutwithfatigue。SeveraltimesI\'vethoughtImustliedownunderahedge，andjustdieforveryweariness。