TheyoungcurateofIvellstillheldaloof，tantalizingFrancesbyhiselusiveness。Plainlyhewaswaitinguponevents。Millborneborethereproachesofhiswifeanddaughteralmostinsilence；butbydegreeshegrewmeditative，asifrevolvinganewidea。ThebittercryaboutblightingtheirexistenceatlengthbecamesoimpassionedthatonedayMillbornecalmlyproposedtoreturnagaintothecountry；notnecessarilytoExonbury，but，iftheywerewilling，toalittleoldmanor-housewhichhehadfoundwastobelet，standingamilefromMr。Cope’stownofIvell。
Theyweresurprised，and，despitetheirviewofhimasthebringerofill，weredisposedtoaccede。’ThoughIsuppose，’saidMrs。
Millbornetohim，’itwillendinMr。Cope’saskingyouflatlyaboutthepast，andyourbeingcompelledtotellhim；whichmaydashallmyhopesforFrances。Shegetsmoreandmorelikeyoueveryday，particularlywhensheisinabadtemper。Peoplewillseeyoutogether，andnoticeit；andIdon’tknowwhatmaycomeofit!’
’Idon’tthinktheywillseeustogether，’hesaid；butheenteredintonoargumentwhensheinsistedotherwise。Theremovalwaseventuallyresolvedon；thetown-housewasdisposedof；andagaincametheinvasionbyfurniture-menandvans，tillallthemovablesandservantswerewhiskedaway。Hesenthiswifeanddaughtertoanhotelwhilethiswasgoingon，takingtwoorthreejourneyshimselftoIvelltosuperintendtherefixing，andtheimprovementofthegrounds。Whenallwasdonehereturnedtothemintown。
Thehousewasreadyfortheirreception，hetoldthem，andthereonlyremainedthejourney。Heaccompaniedthemandtheirpersonalluggagetothestationonly，having，hesaid，toremainintownashorttimeonbusinesswithhislawyer。Theywent，dubiousanddiscontented——
forthemuch-lovedCopehadmadenosign。
’Ifweweregoingdowntoliveherealone，’saidMrsMillbornetoherdaughterinthetrain；’andtherewasnointrusivetell-talepresence!……Butletitbe!’
Thehousewasalovelylittleplaceinagroveofelms，andtheylikeditmuch。ThefirstpersontocalluponthemasnewresidentswasMr。Cope。Hewasdelightedtofindthattheyhadcomesonear，andthoughhedidnotsaythismeanttoliveinsuchexcellentstyle。Hehadnot，however，resumedthemannerofalover。
’Yourfatherspoilsall!’murmuredMrs。Millborne。
Butthreedayslatershereceivedaletterfromherhusband，whichcausedhernosmalldegreeofastonishment。ItwaswrittenfromBoulogne。
Itbeganwithalongexplanationofsettlementsofhisproperty，inwhichhehadbeenengagedsincetheirdeparture。ThechieffeatureinthebusinesswasthatMrs。Millbornefoundherselftheabsoluteownerofacomfortablesuminpersonalestate，andFrancesofalife-
interestinalargersum，theprincipaltobeafterwardsdividedamongstherchildrenifshehadany。Theremainderofhisletterranashereunder：-
’Ihavelearntthattherearesomederelictionsofdutywhichcannotbeblottedoutbytardyaccomplishment。Ourevilactionsdonotremainisolatedinthepast，waitingonlytobereversed：likelocomotiveplantstheyspreadandre-root，tilltodestroytheoriginalstemhasnomaterialeffectinkillingthem。Imadeamistakeinsearchingyouout；Iadmitit；whatevertheremedymaybeinsuchcasesitisnotmarriage，andthebestthingforyouandmeisthatyoudonotseememore。Youhadbetternotseekme，foryouwillnotbelikelytofindme：youarewellprovidedfor，andwemaydoourselvesmoreharmthangoodbymeetingagain。
Millborne，inshort，disappearedfromthatdayforward。Butasearchinginquirywouldhaverevealedthat，soonaftertheMillborneswenttoIvell，anEnglishman，whodidnotgivethenameofMillborne，tookuphisresidenceinBrussels；amanwhomighthavebeenrecognizedbyMrs。Millborneifshehadmethim。Oneafternoonintheensuingsummer，whenthisgentlemanwaslookingovertheEnglishpapers，hesawtheannouncementofMissFrancesFrankland’smarriage。
ShehadbecometheReverendMrs。Cope。
’ThankGod!’saidthegentleman。
Buthismomentarysatisfactionwasfarfrombeinghappiness。Asheformerlyhadbeenweightedwithabadconscience，sonowwasheburdenedwiththeheavythoughtwhichoppressedAntigone，thatbyhonourableobservanceofaritehehadobtainedforhimselftherewardofdishonourablelaxity。OccasionallyhehadtobehelpedtohislodgingsbyhisservantfromtheCerclehefrequented，throughhavingimbibedalittletoomuchliquortobeabletotakecareofhimself。Buthewasharmless，andevenwhenhehadbeendrinkingsaidlittle。
Theshoutsofthevillage-boyscameinatthewindow，accompaniedbybrokenlaughterfromloungersattheinn-door；butthebrothersHalboroughworkedon。
Theyweresittinginabedroomofthemaster-millwright’shouse，engagedintheuntutoredreadingofGreekandLatin。ItwasnotaleofHomericblowsandknocks，Argonauticvoyaging，orThebanfamilywoethatinflamedtheirimaginationsandspurredthemonward。TheywereploddingawayattheGreekTestament，immersedinachapteroftheidiomaticanddifficultEpistletotheHebrews。
TheDog-daysuninitsdeclinereachedthelowceilingwithslantingsides，andtheshadowsofthegreatgoat’s-willowswayedandinterchangeduponthewallslikeaspectralarmymanoeuvring。Theopencasementwhichadmittedtheremotersoundsnowbroughtthevoiceofsomeonecloseathand。Itwastheirsister，aprettygirloffourteen，whostoodinthecourtbelow。
’Icanseethetopsofyourheads!What’stheuseofstayingupthere？Ilikeyounottogooutwiththestreet-boys；butdocomeandplaywithme!’
Theytreatedherasaninadequateinterlocutor，andputheroffwithsomeslightword。Shewentawaydisappointed。Presentlytherewasadullnoiseofheavyfootstepsatthesideofthehouse，andoneofthebrotherssatup。’IfancyIhearhimcoming，’hemurmured，hiseyesonthewindow。
Amaninthelightdrabclothesofanold-fashionedcountrytradesmanapproachedfromroundthecorner，reelingashecame。Theeldersonflushedwithanger，rosefromhisbooks，anddescendedthestairs。
Theyoungersaton，till，afterthelapseofafewminutes，hisbrotherre-enteredtheroom。
’DidRosaseehim？’
’No。’
’Noranybody？’
’No。’
’Whathaveyoudonewithhim？’
’He’sinthestraw-shed。Igothiminwithsometrouble，andhehasfallenasleep。Ithoughtthiswouldbetheexplanationofhisabsence!NostonesdressedforMillerKench，thegreatwheelofthesaw-millswaitingfornewfloat-boards，eventhepoorfolknotabletogettheirwaggonswheeled。’
’WhatIStheuseofporingoverthis!’saidtheyounger，shuttingupDonnegan’sLexiconwithaslap。’Oifwehadonlybeenabletokeepmother’sninehundredpounds，whatwecouldhavedone!’
’Howwellshehadestimatedthesumnecessary!Fourhundredandfiftyeach，shethought。AndIhavenodoubtthatwecouldhavedoneitonthat，withcare。’
Thislossoftheninehundredpoundswasthesharpthornoftheircrown。Itwasasumwhichtheirmotherhadamassedwithgreatexertionandself-denial，byaddingtoachancelegacysuchothersmallamountsasshecouldlayhandsonfromtimetotime；andshehadintendedwiththehoardtoindulgethedearwishofherheart——
thatofsendinghersons，JoshuaandCornelius，tooneoftheUniversities，havingbeeninformedthatfromfourhundredtofourhundredandfiftyeachmightcarrythemthroughtheirtermswithsuchgreateconomyassheknewshecouldtrustthemtopractise。Butshehaddiedayearortwobeforethistime，wornoutbytookeenastraintowardstheseends；andthemoney，comingunreservedlyintothehandsoftheirfather，hadbeennearlydissipated。Withitsexhaustionwentallopportunityandhopeofauniversitydegreeforthesons。
’ItdrivesmemadwhenIthinkofit，’saidJoshua，theelder。’Andhereweworkandworkinourownbunglingway，andtheutmostwecanhopeforisatermofyearsasnationalschoolmasters，andpossibleadmissiontoaTheologicalcollege，andordinationasdespisedlicentiates。’
Theangeroftheelderwasreflectedassimplesadnessinthefaceoftheother。’WecanpreachtheGospelaswellwithoutahoodonoursurplicesaswithone，’hesaidwithfeebleconsolation。
’PreachtheGospel——true，’saidJoshuawithaslightpursingofmouth。’Butwecan’trise!’
’Letusmakethebestofit，andgrindon。’
Theotherwassilent，andtheydrearilybentovertheirbooksagain。
Thecauseofallthisgloom，themillwrightHalborough，nowsnoringintheshed，hadbeenathrivingmaster-machinist，notwithstandinghisfreeandcarelessdisposition，tillatasteforamorethanadequatequantityofstrongliquortookholdofhim；sincewhenhishabitshadinterferedwithhisbusinesssadly。Alreadymillerswentelsewherefortheirgear，andonlyonesetofhandswasnowkeptgoing，thoughtherewereformerlytwo。Alreadyhefoundadifficultyinmeetinghismenattheweek’send，andthoughtheyhadbeenreducedinnumbertherewasbarelyenoughworktodoforthosewhoremained。
Thesundroppedlowerandvanished，theshoutsofthevillagechildrenceasedtoresound，darknesscloakedthestudents’bedroom，andallthesceneoutwardlybreathedpeace。Noneknewofthefeveredyouthfulambitionsthatthrobbedintwobreastswithinthequietcreeper-coveredwallsofthemillwright’shouse。
Inafewmonthsthebrothersleftthevillageoftheirbirthtoenterthemselvesasstudentsinatrainingcollegeforschoolmasters；firsthavingplacedtheiryoungsisterRosaunderasefficientatuitionatafashionablewatering-placeasthemeansattheirdisposalcouldcommand。
CHAPTERII
Amaninsemi-clericaldresswaswalkingalongtheroadwhichledfromtherailway-stationintoaprovincialtown。Ashewalkedhereadpersistently，onlylookinguponcenowandthentoseethathewaskeepingonthefoottrackandtoavoidotherpassengers。Atthosemoments，whoeverhadknowntheformerstudentsatthemillwright’swouldhaveperceivedthatoneofthem，JoshuaHalborough，wastheperipateticreaderhere。
Whathadbeensimpleforceintheyouth’sfacewasenergizedjudgmentintheman’s。Hischaracterwasgraduallywritingitselfoutinhiscountenance。Thathewaswatchinghisowncareerwithdeeperanddeeperinterest，thathecontinually’heardhisdaysbeforehim，’andcaredtohearlittleelse，mighthavebeenhazardedfromwhatwasseenthere。Hisambitionswere，intruth，passionate，yetcontrolled；sothatthegermsofmanymoreplansthaneverblossomedtomaturityhadplaceinhim；andforwardvisionswerekeptpurposelyintwilight，toavoiddistraction。
Eventssofarhadbeenencouraging。ShortlyafterassumingthemastershipofhisfirstschoolhehadobtainedanintroductiontotheBishopofadiocesefarfromhisnativecounty，whohadlookeduponhimasapromisingyoungmanandtakenhiminhand。Hewasnowinthesecondyearofhisresidenceatthetheologicalcollegeofthecathedral-town，andwouldsoonbepresentedforordination。
Heenteredthetown，turnedintoabackstreet，andthenintoayard，keepinghisbookbeforehimtillhesetfootunderthearchofthelatterplace。Roundthearchwaswritten’NationalSchool，’andthestoneworkofthejambswaswornawayasnothingbutboysandthewavesofoceanwillwearit。Hewassoonamidthesing-songaccentsofthescholars。
HisbrotherCornelius，whowastheschoolmasterhere，laiddownthepointerwithwhichhewasdirectingattentiontotheCapesofEurope，andcameforward。
’That’shisbrotherJos!’whisperedoneofthesixthstandardboys。
’He’sgoingtobeapa’son，he’snowatcollege。’
’Corneyisgoingtobeonetoo，whenhe’ssavedenoughmoney，’saidanother。
Aftergreetinghisbrother，whomhehadnotseenforseveralmonths，thejuniorbegantoexplainhissystemofteachinggeography。
ButHalboroughtheeldertooknointerestinthesubject。’Howaboutyourownstudies？’heasked。’DidyougetthebooksIsent？’