InLondonhelivedandworkedregularlyathistrade。Morefortunatethanmany，hisdisinterestedwillingnessrecommendedhimfromthefirst。Duringtheensuingfouryearshewasneveroutofemployment。
Heneitheradvancednorrecededinthemodernsense；heimprovedasaworkman，buthedidnotshiftonejotinsocialposition。AbouthisloveforCar’linehemaintainedarigidsilence。Nodoubtheoftenthoughtofher；butbeingalwaysoccupied，andhavingnorelationsatStickleford，heheldnocommunicationwiththatpartofthecountry，andshowednodesiretoreturn。InhisquietlodginginLambethhemovedaboutafterworking-hourswiththefacilityofawoman，doinghisowncooking，attendingtohisstocking-heels，andshapinghimselfbydegreestoalife-longbachelorhood。ForthisconductoneisboundtoadvancethecanonicalreasonthattimecouldnoteffacefromhishearttheimageoflittleCar’lineAspent——anditmaybeinparttrue；buttherewasalsotheinferencethathiswasanaturenotgreatlydependentupontheministrationsoftheothersexforitscomforts。
ThefourthyearofhisresidenceasamechanicinLondonwastheyearoftheHyde-ParkExhibitionalreadymentioned，andattheconstructionofthishugeglass-house，thenunexampledintheworld’shistory，heworkeddaily。Itwasaneraofgreathopeandactivityamongthenationsandindustries。ThoughHipcroftwas，inhissmallway，acentralmaninthemovement，heploddedonwithhisusualoutwardplacidity。Yetforhim，too，theyearwasdestinedtohaveitssurprises，forwhenthebustleofgettingthebuildingreadyfortheopeningdaywaspast，theceremonieshadbeenwitnessed，andpeoplewereflockingthitherfromallpartsoftheglobe，hereceivedaletterfromCar’line。TillthatdaythesilenceoffouryearsbetweenhimselfandSticklefordhadneverbeenbroken。
Sheinformedheroldlover，inanuncertainpenmanshipwhichsuggestedatremblinghand，ofthetroubleshehadbeenputtoinascertaininghisaddress，andthenbroachedthesubjectwhichhadpromptedhertowrite。Fouryearsago，shesaidwiththegreatestdelicacyofwhichshewascapable，shehadbeensofoolishastorefusehim。Herwilfulwrong-headednesshadsincebeenagrieftohermanytimes，andoflateparticularly。AsforMr。Ollamoor，hehadbeenabsentalmostaslongasNed——shedidnotknowwhere。ShewouldgladlymarryNednowifheweretoaskheragain，andbeatenderlittlewifetohimtillherlife’send。
AtideofwarmfeelingmusthavesurgedthroughNedHipcroft’sframeonreceiptofthisnews，ifwemayjudgebytheissue。
Unquestionablyhelovedherstill，evenifnottotheexclusionofeveryotherhappiness。ThisfromhisCar’line，shewhohadbeendeadtohimthesemanyyears，alivetohimagainasofold，wasinitselfapleasant，gratifyingthing。Nedhadgrownsoresignedto，orsatisfiedwith，hislonelylot，thatheprobablywouldnothaveshownmuchjubilationatanything。Still，acertainardourofpreoccupation，afterhisfirstsurprise，revealedhowdeeplyherconfessionoffaithinhimhadstirredhim。Measuredandmethodicalinhisways，hedidnotanswertheletterthatday，northenext，northenext。Hewashaving’agoodthink。’Whenhedidanswerit，therewasagreatdealofsoundreasoningmixedinwiththeunmistakabletendernessofhisreply；butthetendernessitselfwassufficienttorevealthathewaspleasedwithherstraightforwardfrankness；thattheanchorageshehadonceobtainedinhisheartwasrenewable，ifithadnotbeencontinuouslyfirm。
Hetoldher——andashewrotehislipstwitchedhumorouslyoverthefewgentlewordsofrailleryheinditedamongtherestofhissentences——thatitwasallverywellforhertocomeroundatthistimeofday。Whywouldn’tshehavehimwhenhewantedher？Shehadnodoubtlearnedthathewasnotmarried，butsupposehisaffectionshadsincebeenfixedonanother？Sheoughttobeghispardon。
Still，hewasnotthemantoforgether。Butconsideringhowhehadbeenused，andwhathehadsuffered，shecouldnotquiteexpecthimtogodowntoSticklefordandfetchher。Butifshewouldcometohim，andsayshewassorry，aswasonlyfair；why，yes，hewouldmarryher，knowingwhatagoodlittlewomanshewasatthecore。HeaddedthattherequestforhertocometohimwasalessonetomakethanitwouldhavebeenwhenhefirstleftStickleford，orevenafewmonthsago；forthenewrailwayintoSouthWessexwasnowopen，andtherehadjustbeguntoberunwonderfullycontrivedspecialtrains，calledexcursion-trains，onaccountoftheGreatExhibition；sothatshecouldcomeupeasilyalone。
Shesaidinherreplyhowgooditwasofhimtotreathersogenerously，afterherhotandcoldtreatmentofhim；thatthoughshefeltfrightenedatthemagnitudeofthejourney，andwasneverasyetinarailway-train，havingonlyseenonepassatadistance，sheembracedhisofferwithallherheart；andwould，indeed，owntohimhowsorryshewas，andbeghispardon，andtrytobeagoodwifealways，andmakeupforlosttime。
Theremainingdetailsofwhenandwhereweresoonsettled，Car’lineinforminghim，forherreadyidentificationinthecrowd，thatshewouldbewearing’mynewsprigged-laylockcottongown，’andNedgailyrespondingthat，havingmarriedherthemorningafterherarrival，hewouldmakeadayofitbytakinghertotheExhibition。Oneearlysummerafternoon，accordingly，hecamefromhisplaceofwork，andhastenedtowardsWaterlooStationtomeether。ItwasaswetandchillyasanEnglishJunedaycanoccasionallybe，butashewaitedontheplatforminthedrizzleheglowedinwardly，andseemedtohavesomethingtoliveforagain。
The’excursion-train’——anabsolutelynewdepartureinthehistoryoftravel——wasstillanoveltyontheWessexline，andprobablyeverywhere。Crowdsofpeoplehadflockedtoallthestationsonthewayuptowitnesstheunwontedsightofsolongatrain’spassage，evenwheretheydidnottakeadvantageoftheopportunityitoffered。
Theseatsforthehumblerclassoftravellersintheseearlyexperimentsinsteam-locomotion，wereopentrucks，withoutanyprotectionwhateverfromthewindandrain；anddampweatherhavingsetinwiththeafternoon，theunfortunateoccupantsofthesevehicleswere，onthetraindrawingupattheLondonterminus，foundtoheinapitiableconditionfromtheirlongjourney；blue-faced，stiff-necked，sneezing，rain-beaten，chilledtothemarrow，manyofthemenbeinghatless；infact，theyresembledpeoplewhohadbeenoutallnightinanopenboatonaroughsea，ratherthaninlandexcursionistsforpleasure。Thewomenhadinsomedegreeprotectedthemselvesbyturninguptheskirtsoftheirgownsovertheirheads，butasbythisarrangementtheywereadditionallyexposedaboutthehips，theywereallmoreorlessinasorryplight。
Inthebustleandcrushofalightingformsofbothsexeswhichfollowedtheentryofthehugeconcatenationintothestation，NedHipcroftsoondiscernedtheslimlittlefigurehiseyewasinsearchof，inthespriggedlilac，asdescribed。Shecameuptohimwithafrightenedsmile——stillpretty，thoughsodamp，weather-beaten，andshiveringfromlongexposuretothewind。
’ONed!’shesputtered，’I——I——’Heclaspedherinhisarmsandkissedher，whereuponsheburstintoafloodoftears。
’Youarewet，mypoordear!Ihopeyou’llnotgetcold，’hesaid。
Andsurveyingherandhermultifarioussurroundingpackages，henoticedthatbythehandsheledatoddlingchild——alittlegirlofthreeorso——whosehoodwasasclammyandtenderfaceasblueasthoseoftheothertravellers。
’Whoisthis——somebodyyouknow？’askedNedcuriously。
’Yes，Ned。She’smine。’
’Yours？’
’Yes——myown!’
’Yourownchild？’
’Yes!’
’Well——asGod’sin——’
’Ned，Ididn’tnameitinmyletter，because，yousee，itwouldhavebeensohardtoexplain!IthoughtthatwhenwemetIcouldtellyouhowshehappenedtobeborn，somuchbetterthaninwriting!Ihopeyou’llexcuseitthisonce，dearNed，andnotscoldme，nowI’vecomesomany，manymiles!’
’ThismeansMr。MopOllamoor，Ireckon!’saidHipcroft，gazingpalelyatthemfromthedistanceoftheyardortwotowhichhehadwithdrawnwithastart。
Car’linegasped。’Buthe’sbeengoneawayforyears!’shesupplicated。’AndIneverhadayoungmanbefore!AndIwassoonluckytobecatchedthefirsttime，thoughsomeofthegirlsdowntheregoonlikeanything!’
Nedremainedinsilence，pondering。
’You’llforgiveme，dearNed？’sheadded，beginningtosoboutright。
’Ihaven’ttaken’eeinafterall，because——becauseyoucanpackusbackagain，ifyouwantto；though’tishundredso’miles，andsowet，andnighta-comingon，andIwithnomoney!’
’WhatthedevilcanIdo!’Hipcroftgroaned。
Amorepitiablepicturethanthepairofhelplesscreaturespresentedwasneverseenonarainyday，astheystoodonthegreat，gaunt，puddledplatform，awhiffofdrizzleblowingundertheroofuponthemnowandthen；theprettyattireinwhichtheyhadstartedfromSticklefordintheearlymorningbemuddledandsodden，wearinessontheirfaces，andfearofhimintheireyes；forthechildbegantolookasifshethoughtshetoohaddonesomewrong，remaininginanappalledsilencetillthetearsrolleddownherchubbycheeks。
’What’sthematter，mylittlemaid？’saidNedmechanically。
’Idowanttogohome!’sheletout，intonesthattoldofaburstingheart。’Andmytottiesbecold，an’Ishan’thavenobreadan’
butternomore!’
’Idon’tknowwhattosaytoitall!’declaredNed，hisowneyemoistasheturnedandwalkedafewstepswithhisheaddown；thenregardedthemagainpointblank。Fromthechildescapedtroubledbreathsandsilentlywellingtears。
’Wantsomebreadandbutter，do’ee？’hesaid，withfactitioushardness。
’Ye-e-s!’
’Well，IdaresayIcanget’eeabit!Naturally，youmustwantsome。
Andyou，too，forthatmatter，Car’line。’
’Idofeelalittlehungered。ButIcankeepitoff，’shemurmured。
’Folkshouldn’tdothat，’hesaidgruffly……’Therecomealong!’
hecaughtupthechild，asheadded，’Youmustbidehereto-night，anyhow，Is’pose!Whatcanyoudootherwise？I’llget’eesometeaandvictuals；andasforthisjob，I’msureIdon’tknowwhattosay!
Thisisthewayout。’
Theypursuedtheirway，withoutspeaking，toNed’slodgings，whichwerenotfaroff。Therehedriedthemandmadethemcomfortable，andpreparedtea；theythankfullysatdown。Theready-madehouseholdofwhichhesuddenlyfoundhimselftheheadimpartedacosyaspecttohisroom，andapaternalonetohimself。Presentlyheturnedtothechildandkissedhernowbloomingcheeks；and，lookingwistfullyatCar’line，kissedheralso。
’Idon’tseehowIcansend’eebackallthemmiles，’hegrowled，’nowyou’vecomeallthewayo’purposetojoinme。Butyoumusttrustme，Car’line，andshowyou’verealfaithinme。Well，doyoufeelbetternow，mylittlewoman？’
Thechildnodded，hermouthbeingotherwiseoccupied。
’Ididtrustyou，Ned，incoming；andIshallalways!’
Thus，withoutanydefiniteagreementtoforgiveher，hetacitlyacquiescedinthefatethatHeavenhadsenthim；andonthedayoftheirmarriagewhichwasnotquitesosoonashehadexpecteditcouldbe，onaccountofthetimenecessaryforbannshetookhertotheExhibitionwhentheycamebackfromchurch，ashehadpromised。