Amongallthepeoplewhoassembledonthatdaythebrotherclergymenweretheleastinterested。Theirmindswerehauntedbyaspiritinkerseymereintheeveningtheywalkedtogetherinthefields。
’She’sallright，’saidJoshua。’Buthereareyoudoingjourney-
work，Cornelius，andlikelytocontinueatittilltheendoftheday，asfarasIcansee。I，too，withmypettyliving——whatamI
afterall？……Totellthetruth，theChurchisapoorforlornhopeforpeoplewithoutinfluence，particularlywhentheirenthusiasmbeginstoflag。Asocialregeneratorhasabetterchanceoutside，whereheisunhamperedbydogmaandtradition。Asforme，Iwouldratherhavegoneonmendingmills，withmycrustofbreadandliberty。’
Almostautomaticallytheyhadbenttheirstepsalongthemarginoftheriver；theynowpaused。Theywerestandingonthebrinkofthewell-knownweir。Therewerethehatches，therewastheculvert；theycouldseethepebblybedofthestreamthroughthepellucidwater。
Thenotesofthechurch-bellswereaudible，stilljangledbytheenthusiasticvillagers。
’Whysee——itwasthereIhidhiswalking-stick!’saidJoshua，lookingtowardsthesedge。Thenextmoment，duringapassingbreeze，somethingflashedwhiteonthespottowhichtheattentionofCorneliuswasdrawn。
Fromthesedgeroseastraightlittlesilver-poplar，anditwastheleavesofthissaplingwhichcausedtheflickerofwhiteness。
’Hiswalking-stickhasgrown!’Joshuaadded。’Itwasaroughone——
cutfromthehedge，Iremember。’
Ateverypuffofwindthetreeturnedwhite，tilltheycouldnotbeartolookatit；andtheywalkedaway。
’Iseehimeverynight，’Corneliusmurmured……’Ah，wereadourHebrewstolittleaccount，Jos![GREEKTEXT]Tohaveenduredthecross，despisingtheshame——therelaygreatness!ButnowIoftenfeelthatIshouldliketoputanendtotroublehereinthisself-
samespot。’
’Ihavethoughtofitmyself，’saidJoshua。
’Perhapsweshall，someday，’murmuredhisbrother。’Perhaps，’saidJoshuamoodily。
Withthatcontingencytoconsiderinthesilenceoftheirnightsanddaystheybenttheirstepshomewards。
Themanwhoplayedthedisturbingpartinthetwoquietliveshereafterdepicted——nogreatman，inanysense，bytheway——firsthadknowledgeofthemonanOctoberevening，inthecityofMelchester。
HehadbeenstandingintheClose，vainlyendeavouringtogainamidthedarknessaglimpseofthemosthomogeneouspileofmediaevalarchitectureinEngland，whichtoweredandtaperedfromthedampandlevelswardinfrontofhim。WhilehestoodthepresenceoftheCathedralwallswasrevealedratherbytheearthanbytheeyes；hecouldnotseethem，buttheyreflectedsharplyaroarofsoundwhichenteredtheClosebyastreetleadingfromthecitysquare，and，fallinguponthebuilding，wasflungbackuponhim。
Hepostponedtillthemorrowhisattempttoexaminethedesertededifice，andturnedhisattentiontothenoise。Itwascompoundedofsteambarrel-organs，theclangingofgongs，theringingofhand-
bells，theclackofrattles，andtheundistinguishableshoutsofmen。
Aluridlighthungintheairinthedirectionofthetumult。
Thitherwardhewent，passingunderthearchedgateway，alongastraightstreet，andintothesquare。
HemighthavesearchedEuropeoverforagreatercontrastbetweenjuxtaposedscenes。ThespectaclewasthatoftheeighthchasmoftheInfernoastocolourandflame，and，astomirth，adevelopmentoftheHomericheaven。Asmokyglare，ofthecomplexionofbrass-
filings，ascendedfromthefierytonguesofinnumerablenaphthalampsaffixedtobooths，stalls，andothertemporaryerectionswhichcrowdedthespaciousmarket-square。Infrontofthisirradiationscoresofhumanfigures，moreorlessinprofile，weredartingathwartandacross，up，down，andaround，likegnatsagainstasunset。
Theirmotionsweresorhythmicalthattheyseemedtobemovedbymachinery。Anditpresentlyappearedthattheyweremovedbymachineryindeed；thefiguresbeingthoseofthepatronsofswings，see-saws，flying-leaps，aboveallofthethreesteamroundaboutswhichoccupiedthecentreoftheposition。Itwasfromthelatterthatthedinofsteam-organscame。
Throbbinghumanityinfulllightwas，onsecondthoughts，betterthanarchitectureinthedark。Theyoungman，lightingashortpipe，andputtinghishatononesideandonehandinhispocket，tothrowhimselfintoharmonywithhisnewenvironment，drewneartothelargestandmostpatronizedofthesteamcircuses，astheroundaboutswerecalledbytheirowners。Thiswasoneofbrilliantfinish，anditwasnowinfullrevolution。Themusicalinstrumentaroundwhichandtowhosetonestheridersrevolved，directeditstrumpet-mouthsofbrassupontheyoungman，andthelongplate-glassmirrorssetatangles，whichrevolvedwiththemachine，flashedthegyratingpersonagesandhobbyhorseskaleidoscopicallyintohiseyes。
Itcouldnowbeseenthathewasunlikethemajorityofthecrowd。A
gentlemanlyyoungfellow，oneofthespeciesfoundinlargetownsonly，andLondonparticularly，builtondelicatelines，well，thoughnotfashionablydressed，heappearedtobelongtotheprofessionalclass；hehadnothingsquareorpracticalabouthislook，muchthatwascurvilinearandsensuous。Indeed，somewouldhavecalledhimamannotaltogethertypicalofthemiddle-classmaleofacenturywhereinsordidambitionisthemaster-passionthatseemstobetakingthetime-honouredplaceoflove。
Therevolvingfigurespassedbeforehiseyeswithanunexpectedandquietgraceinathrongwhosenaturalmovementsdidnotsuggestgracefulnessorquietudeasarule。Bysomecontrivancetherewasimpartedtoeachofthehobby-horsesamotionwhichwasreallythetriumphandperfectionofroundaboutinventiveness——agallopingriseandfall，sotimedthat，ofeachpairofsteeds，onewasonthespringwhiletheotherwasonthepitch。Theriderswerequitefascinatedbytheseequineundulationsinthismostdelightfulholiday-gameofourtimes。Therewereridersasyoungassix，andasoldassixtyyears，witheveryagebetween。Atfirstitwasdifficulttocatchapersonality，butbyandbytheobserver’seyescentredontheprettiestgirloutoftheseveralprettyonesrevolving。
Itwasnotthatonewiththelightfrockandlighthatwhomhehadbeenatfirstattractedby；no，itwastheonewiththeblackcape，greyskirt，lightglovesand——no，notevenshe，buttheonebehindher；shewiththecrimsonskirt，darkjacket，brownhatandbrowngloves。Unmistakablythatwastheprettiestgirl。
Havingfinallyselectedher，thisidlespectatorstudiedheraswellashewasableduringeachofherbrieftransitsacrosshisvisualfield。Shewasabsolutelyunconsciousofeverythingsavetheactofriding：herfeatureswereraptinanecstaticdreaminess；forthemomentshedidnotknowherageorherhistoryorherlineaments，muchlesshertroubles。Hehimselfwasfullofvaguelatter-daygloomsandpopularmelancholies，anditwasarefreshingsensationtobeholdthisyoungthingthenandthere，absolutelyashappyasifshewereinaParadise。
Dreadingthemomentwhentheinexorablestoker，grimilylurkingbehindtheglitteringrococo-work，shoulddecidethatthissetofridershadhadtheirpennyworth，andbringthewholeconcernofsteam-engine，horses，mirrors，trumpets，drums，cymbals，andsuch-
liketopauseandsilence，hewaitedforhereveryreappearance，glancingindifferentlyovertheinterveningforms，includingthetwoplainergirls，theoldwomanandchild，thetwoyoungsters，thenewly-marriedcouple，theoldmanwithaclaypipe，thesparkishyouthwitharing，theyoungladiesinthechariot，thepairofjourneyman-carpenters，andothers，tillhisselectcountrybeautyfollowedonagaininherplace。Hehadneverseenafairerproductofnature，andateachroundshemadeadeepermarkinhissentiments。Thestoppagethencame，andthesighsoftheriderswereaudible。
Hemovedroundtotheplaceatwhichhereckonedshewouldalight；
butsheretainedherseat。Theemptysaddlesbegantorefill，andsheplainlywasdecidingtohaveanotherturn。Theyoungmandrewuptothesideofhersteed，andpleasantlyaskedherifshehadenjoyedherride。
’Oyes!’shesaid，withdancingeyes。’IthasbeenquiteunlikeanythingIhaveeverfeltinmylifebefore!’
Itwasnotdifficulttofallintoconversationwithher。Unreserved——
toounreserved——bynature，shewasnotexperiencedenoughtobereservedbyart，andafteralittlecoaxingsheansweredhisremarksreadily。ShehadcometoliveinMelchesterfromavillageontheGreatPlain，andthiswasthefirsttimethatshehadeverseenasteam-circus；shecouldnotunderstandhowsuchwonderfulmachinesweremade。ShehadcometothecityontheinvitationofMrs。
Harnham，whohadtakenherintoherhouseholdtotrainherasaservant，ifsheshowedanyaptitude。Mrs。HarnhamwasayoungladywhobeforeshemarriedhadbeenMissEdithWhite，livinginthecountrynearthespeaker’scottage；shewasnowverykindtoherthroughknowingherinchildhoodsowell。Shewaseventakingthetroubletoeducateher。Mrs。Harnhamwastheonlyfriendshehadintheworld，andbeingwithoutchildrenhadwishedtohavehernearherinpreferencetoanybodyelse，thoughshehadonlylatelycome；
allowedhertodoalmostassheliked，andtohaveaholidaywheneversheaskedforit。Thehusbandofthiskindyoungladywasarichwine-merchantofthetown，butMrs。Harnhamdidnotcaremuchabouthim。Inthedaytimeyoucouldseethehousefromwheretheyweretalking。She，thespeaker，likedMelchesterbetterthanthelonelycountry，andshewasgoingtohaveanewhatfornextSundaythatwastocostfifteenandninepence。
Thensheinquiredofheracquaintancewherehelived，andhetoldherinLondon，thatancientandsmokycity，whereeverybodylivedwholivedatall，anddiedbecausetheycouldnotlivethere。HecameintoWessextwoorthreetimesayearforprofessionalreasons；hehadarrivedfromWintoncesteryesterday，andwasgoingonintothenextcountyinadayortwo。Foronethinghedidlikethecountrybetterthanthetown，anditwasbecauseitcontainedsuchgirlsasherself。
Thenthepleasure-machinestartedagain，and，tothelight-heartedgirl，thefigureofthehandsomeyoungman，themarket-squarewithitslightsandcrowd，thehousesbeyond，andtheworldatlarge，beganmovingroundasbefore，countermovingintherevolvingmirrorsonherrighthand，shebeingasitwerethefixedpointinanundulating，dazzling，luriduniverse，inwhichloomedforwardmostprominentlyofalltheformofherlateinterlocutor。Eachtimethatsheapproachedthehalfofherorbitthatlaynearesthimtheygazedateachotherwithsmiles，andwiththatunmistakableexpressionwhichmeanssolittleatthemoment，yetsooftenleadsuptopassion，heart-ache，union，disunion，devotion，overpopulation，drudgery，content，resignation，despair。
Whenthehorsesslowedanewhesteppedtohersideandproposedanotherheat。’Hangtheexpenseforonce，’hesaid。’I’llpay!’
Shelaughedtillthetearscame。
’Whydoyoulaugh，dear？’saidhe。
’Because——youaresogenteelthatyoumusthaveplentyofmoney，andonlysaythatforfun!’shereturned。
’Ha-ha!’laughedtheyoungmaninunison，andgallantlyproducinghismoneyshewasenabledtowhirlonagain。