Heshowedamoremanlyangernow，butwouldnotagree。Sheonhersidewasmorepersistent，andhehaddoubtswhethershecouldbetrustedinhisabsence。Butbyindignationandcontemptforhertastehecompletelymaintainedhisascendency；andfinallytakingherbeforealittlecrossandaltarthathehaderectedinhisbedroomforhisprivatedevotions，therebadeherkneel，andswearthatshewouldnotwedSamuelHobsonwithouthisconsent。’Iowethistomyfather!’hesaidThepoorwomanswore，thinkinghewouldsoftenassoonashewasordainedandinfullswingofclericalwork。Buthedidnot。Hiseducationhadbythistimesufficientlyoustedhishumanitytokeephimquitefirm；thoughhismothermighthaveledanidylliclifewithherfaithfulfruitererandgreengrocer，andnobodyhavebeenanythingtheworseintheworld。
Herlamenessbecamemoreconfirmedastimewenton，andsheseldomorneverleftthehouseinthelongsouthernthoroughfare，wheresheseemedtobepiningherheartaway。’Whymayn’tIsaytoSamthatI’llmarryhim？Whymayn’tI？’shewouldmurmurplaintivelytoherselfwhennobodywasnear。
Somefouryearsafterthisdateamiddle-agedmanwasstandingatthedoorofthelargestfruiterer’sshopinAldbrickham。Hewastheproprietor，butto-day，insteadofhisusualbusinessattire，heworeaneatsuitofblack；andhiswindowwaspartlyshuttered。Fromtherailway-stationafuneralprocessionwasseenapproaching：itpassedhisdoorandwentoutofthetowntowardsthevillageofGaymead。
Theman，whoseeyeswerewet，heldhishatinhishandasthevehiclesmovedby；whilefromthemourningcoachayoungsmooth-
shavenpriestinahighwaistcoatlookedblackasacloudattheshopkeeperstandingthere。
Whethertheutilitarianortheintuitivetheoryofthemoralsensebeupheld，itisbeyondquestionthatthereareafewsubtle-souledpersonswithwhomtheabsolutegratuitousnessofanactofreparationisaninducementtoperformit；whileexhortationastoitsnecessitywouldbreedexcusesforleavingitundone。ThecaseofMr。MillborneandMrs。Franklandparticularlyillustratedthis，andperhapssomethingmore。
Therewerefewfiguresbetterknowntothelocalcrossing-sweeperthanMr。Millborne’s，inhisdailycomingsandgoingsalongafamiliarandquietLondonstreet，wherehelivedinsidethedoormarkedeleven，thoughnotashouseholder。Inagehewasfiftyatleast，andhishabitswereasregularasthoseofapersoncanbewhohasnooccupationbutthestudyofhowtokeephimselfemployed。Heturnedalmostalwaystotherightongettingtotheendofhisstreet，thenhewentonwarddownBondStreettohisclub，whencehereturnedbypreciselythesamecourseaboutsixo’clock，onfoot；or，ifhewenttodine，lateroninacab。Hewasknowntobeamanofsomemeans，thoughapparentlynotwealthy。BeingabachelorheseemedtopreferhispresentmodeoflivingasalodgerinMrs。
Towney’sbestrooms，withtheuseoffurniturewhichhehadboughttentimesoverinrentduringhistenancy，tohavingahouseofhisown。
Noneamonghisacquaintancetriedtoknowhimwell，forhismannerandmoodsdidnotexcitecuriosityordeepfriendship。Hewasnotamanwhoseemedtohaveanythingonhismind，anythingtoconceal，anythingtoimpart。Fromhiscasualremarksitwasgenerallyunderstoodthathewascountry-born，anativeofsomeplaceinWessex；thathehadcometoLondonasayoungmaninabanking-house，andhadrisentoapostofresponsibility；when，bythedeathofhisfather，whohadbeenfortunateinhisinvestments，thesonsucceededtoanincomewhichledhimtoretirefromabusinesslifesomewhatearly。
Oneevening，whenhehadbeenunwellforseveraldays，DoctorBindoncamein，afterdinner，fromtheadjoiningmedicalquarter，andsmokedwithhimoverthefire。Thepatient’sailmentwasnotsuchastorequiremuchthought，andtheytalkedtogetheronindifferentsubjects。
’Iamalonelyman，Bindon——alonelyman，’Millbornetookoccasiontosay，shakinghisheadgloomily。’Youdon’tknowsuchlonelinessasmine……AndtheolderIgetthemoreIamdissatisfiedwithmyself。Andto-dayIhavebeen，throughanaccident，morethanusuallyhauntedbywhat，aboveallothereventsofmylife，causesthatdissatisfaction——therecollectionofanunfulfilledpromisemadetwentyyearsago。InordinaryaffairsIhavealwaysbeenconsideredamanofmywordandperhapsitisonthataccountthataparticularvowIoncemade，anddidnotkeep，comesbacktomewithamagnitudeoutofallproportionIdaresaytoitsrealgravity，especiallyatthistimeofday。Youknowthediscomfortcausedatnightbythehalf-sleepingsensethatadoororwindowhasbeenleftunfastened，orinthedaybytheremembranceofunansweredletters。Sodoesthatpromisehauntmefromtimetotime，andhasdoneto-dayparticularly。’
Therewasapause，andtheysmokedon。Millborne’seyes，thoughfixedonthefire，werereallyregardingattentivelyatownintheWestofEngland。
’Yes，’hecontinued，’Ihaveneverquiteforgottenit，thoughduringthebusyyearsofmylifeitwasshelvedandburiedunderthepressureofmypursuits。And，asIsay，to-dayinparticular，anincidentinthelaw-reportofasomewhatsimilarkindhasbroughtitbackagainvividly。However，whatitwasIcantellyouinafewwords，thoughnodoubtyou，asamanoftheworld，willsmileatthethinnessofmyskinwhenyouhearit……Icameuptotownatone-
and-twenty，fromToneborough，inOuterWessex，whereIwasborn，andwhere，beforeIleft，Ihadwontheheartofayoungwomanofmyownage。Ipromisedhermarriage，tookadvantageofmypromise，and——amabachelor。’
’Theoldstory。’
Theothernodded。
’Ilefttheplace，andthoughtatthetimeIhaddoneaverycleverthingingettingsoeasilyoutofanentanglement。ButIhavelivedlongenoughforthatpromisetoreturntobotherme——tobehonest，notaltogetherasaprickingoftheconscience，butasadissatisfactionwithmyselfasaspecimenoftheheapoffleshcalledhumanity。IfIweretoaskyoutolendmefiftypounds，whichI
wouldrepayyounextmidsummer，andIdidnotrepayyou，Ishouldconsidermyselfashabbysortoffellow，especiallyifyouwantedthemoneybadly。YetIpromisedthatgirljustasdistinctly；andthencoollybrokemyword，asifdoingsowererathersmartconductthanameanaction，forwhichthepoorvictimherself，encumberedwithachild，andnotI，hadreallytopaythepenalty，inspiteofcertainpecuniaryaidthatwasgiven。There，that’stheretrospectivetroublethatIamalwaysunearthing；andyoumayhardlybelievethatthoughsomanyyearshaveelapsed，anditisallgonebyanddonewith，andshemustbegettingonforanoldwomannow，asIamforanoldman，itreallyoftendestroysmysenseofself-respectstill。’
’O，Icanunderstandit。Alldependsuponthetemperament。
Thousandsofmenwouldhaveforgottenallaboutit；sowouldyou，perhaps，ifyouhadmarriedandhadafamily。Didsheevermarry？’
’Idon’tthinkso。Ono——sheneverdid。SheleftToneborough，andlateronappearedunderanothernameatExonbury，inthenextcounty，whereshewasnotknown。ItisveryseldomthatIgodownintothatpartofthecountry，butinpassingthroughExonbury，ononeoccasion，Ilearntthatshewasquiteasettledresidentthere，asateacherofmusic，orsomethingofthekind。ThatmuchIcasuallyheardwhenIwastheretwoorthreeyearsago。ButIhaveneverseteyesonhersinceouroriginalacquaintance，andshouldnotknowherifImether。’
’Didthechildlive？’askedthedoctor。
’Forseveralyears，certainly，’repliedhisfriend。’Icannotsayifsheislivingnow。Itwasalittlegirl。Shemightbemarriedbythistimeasfarasyearsgo。’
’Andthemother——wassheadecent，worthyyoungwoman？’
’Oyes；asensible，quietgirl，neitherattractivenorunattractivetotheordinaryobserver；simplycommonplace。Herpositionatthetimeofouracquaintancewasnotsogoodasmine。Myfatherwasasolicitor，asIthinkIhavetoldyou。Shewasayounggirlinamusic-shop；anditwasrepresentedtomethatitwouldbebeneathmypositiontomarryher。Hencetheresult。’
’Well，allIcansayisthataftertwentyyearsitisprobablytoolatetothinkofmendingsuchamatter。Ithasdoubtlessbythistimemendeditself。Youhadbetterdismissitfromyourmindasanevilpastyourcontrol。Ofcourse，ifmotheranddaughterarealive，oreither，youmightsettlesomethinguponthem，ifyouwereinclined，andhadittospare。’
’Well，Ihaven’tmuchtospare；andIhaverelationsinnarrowcircumstances——perhapsnarrowerthantheirs。Butthatisnotthepoint。WereIeversorichIfeelIcouldnotrectifythepastbymoney。Ididnotpromisetoenrichher。Onthecontrary，Itoldheritwouldprobablybedirepovertyforbothofus。ButIdidpromisetomakehermywife。’
’Thenfindheranddoit，’saidthedoctorjocularlyasherosetoleave。
’Ah，Bindon。That，ofcourse，istheobviousjest。ButIhaven’ttheslightestdesireformarriage；IamquitecontenttoliveasI
havelived。Iamabachelorbynature，andinstinct，andhabit，andeverything。Besides，thoughIrespectherstillforshewasnotanatomtoblame，Ihaven’tanyshadowofloveforher。Inmymindsheexistsasoneofthosewomenyouthinkwellof，butfinduninteresting。ItwouldbepurelywiththeideaofputtingwrongrightthatIshouldhuntherup，andproposetodoitoff-hand。’
’Youdon’tthinkofitseriously？’saidhissurprisedfriend。
’IsometimesthinkthatIwould，ifitwerepracticable；simply，asI
say，torecovermysenseofbeingamanofhonour。’
’Iwishyouluckintheenterprise，’saidDoctorBindon。’You’llsoonbeoutofthatchair，andthenyoucanputyourimpulsetothetest。But——aftertwentyyearsofsilence——Ishouldsay，don’t!’