’BettyPrivettwasascertaininherownmindthathedidgooutasshewasofherownexistence，andwaslittlelesscertainthathedidnotreturn。Shefelttoodisturbedtoarguewithhim，andletthesubjectdropasthoughshemusthavebeenmistaken。WhenshewaswalkingdownLongpuddlestreetlaterinthedayshemetJimWeedle’sdaughterNancy，andsaid，“Well，Nancy，youdolooksleepyto-day!“
’“Yes，Mrs。Privett，“saysNancy。“Nowdon’ttellanybody，butI
don’tmindlettingyouknowwhatthereasono’tis。Lastnight，beingOldMidsummerEve，someofuswenttochurchporch，anddidn’tgethometillnearone。“
’“Didye？“saysMrs。Privett。“OldMidsummeryesterdaywasit？
FaithIdidn’tthinkwhe’r’twasMidsummerorMichaelmas；I’dtoomuchworktodo。“
’“Yes。Andwewerefrightenedenough，Icantell’ee，bywhatwesaw。“
’“Whatdidyesee？“
’Youmaynotremember，sir，havinggoneofftoforeignpartssoyoung，thatonMidsummerNightitisbelievedhereaboutthatthefaintshapesofallthefolkintheparishwhoaregoingtobeatdeath’sdoorwithintheyearcanbeseenenteringthechurch。Thosewhogetovertheirillnesscomeoutagainafterawhile；thosethataredoomedtodiedonotreturn。
’“Whatdidyousee？“askedWilliam’swife。
’“Well，“saysNancy，backwardly——“weneedn’ttellwhatwesaw，orwhowesaw。“
’“Yousawmyhusband，“saysBettyPrivett，inaquietway。
’“Well，sinceyouputitso，“saysNancy，hangingfire，“we——thoughtwedidseehim；butitwasdarkish，andwewasfrightened，andofcourseitmightnothavebeenhe。“
’“Nancy，youneedn’tmindlettingitout，though’tiskeptbackinkindness。Andhedidn’tcomeoutofchurchagain：Iknowitaswellasyou。“
’Nancydidnotansweryesornotothat，andnomorewassaid。Butthreedaysafter，WilliamPrivettwasmowingwithJohnChilesinMr。
Hardcome’smeadow，andintheheatofthedaytheysatdowntoeattheirbito’nunchunderatree，andemptytheirflagon。Afterwardsbothof’emfellasleepastheysat。JohnChileswasthefirsttowake，andashelookedtowardshisfellow-mowerhesawoneofthosegreatwhitemiller’s-soulsaswecall’em——thatistosay，amiller-
moth——comefromWilliam’sopenmouthwhileheslept，andflystraightaway。Johnthoughtitoddenough，asWilliamhadworkedinamillforseveralyearswhenhewasaboy。Hethenlookedatthesun，andfoundbytheplaceo’tthattheyhadsleptalongwhile，andasWilliamdidnotwake，Johncalledtohimandsaiditwashightimetobeginworkagain。Hetooknonotice，andthenJohnwentupandshookhim，andfoundhewasdead。
’NowonthatverydayoldPhilipHookhornwasdownatLongpuddleSpringdippingupapitcherofwater；andasheturnedaway，whoshouldheseecomingdowntothespringontheothersidebutWilliam，lookingverypaleandodd。ThissurprisedPhilipHookhornverymuch，foryearsbeforethattimeWilliam’slittleson——hisonlychild——hadbeendrownedinthatspringwhileatplaythere，andthishadsopreyeduponWilliam’smindthathe’dneverbeenseennearthespringafterwards，andhadbeenknowntogohalfamileoutofhiswaytoavoidtheplace。Oninquiry，itwasfoundthatWilliaminbodycouldnothavestoodbythespring，beinginthemeadtwomilesoff；anditalsocameoutthatthetimeatwhichhewasseenatthespringwastheverytimewhenhedied。’
’Arathermelancholystory，’observedtheemigrant，afteraminute’ssilence。
’Yes，yes。Well，wemusttakeupsanddownstogether，’saidtheseedsman’sfather。
’Youdon’tknow，Mr。Lackland，Isuppose，whatarumstartthatwasbetweenAndreySatchelandJaneVallensandthepa’sonandclerko’
Scrimpton？’saidthemaster-thatcher，amanwithasparkofsubduedlivelinessinhiseye，whohadhithertokepthisattentionmainlyuponsmallobjectsalongwayahead，ashesatinfrontofthevanwithhisfeetoutside。’Theirswasaqueererexperienceofapa’sonandclerkthansomefolksget，andmaycheer’eeupalittleafterthisdampnessthat’sbeenflungoveryersoul。’
Thereturnedonerepliedthatheknewnothingofthehistory，andshouldbehappytohearit，quiterecollectingthepersonalityofthemanSatchel。
’Ahno；thisAndreySatchelisthesonoftheSatchelthatyouknew；
thisonehasnotbeenmarriedmorethantwoorthreeyears，and’twasatthetimeo’theweddingthattheaccidenthappenedthatIcouldtell’eeof，oranybodyelsehere，forthatmatter。’
’No，no；youmusttellit，neighbour，ifanybody，’saidseveral；arequestinwhichMr。Lacklandjoined，addingthattheSatchelfamilywasonehehadknownwellbeforeleavinghome。
’I’lljustmention，asyoubeastranger，’whisperedthecarriertoLackland，’thatChristopher’sstorieswillbearpruning。’
Theemigrantnodded。
’Well，Icansoontellit，’saidthemaster-thatcher，schoolinghimselftoatoneofactuality。’Thoughasithasmoretodowiththepa’sonandclerkthanwithAndreyhimself，itoughttobetoldbyabetterchurchmanthanI。’
ANDREYSATCHELANDTHEPARSONANDCLERK
’Itallarose，youmustknow，fromAndreybeingfondofadropofdrinkatthattime——thoughhe’sasoberenoughmannowbyallaccount，somuchthebetterforhim。Jane，hisbride，yousee，wassomewhatolderthanAndrey；howmucholderIdon’tpretendtosay；
shewasnotoneofourparish，andtheregisteralonemaybeabletotellthat。But，atanyrate，herbeingalittleaheadofheryoungmaninmortalyears，coupledwithotherbodilycircumstances——’
’Ah，poorthing!’sighedthewomen。
’——madeherveryanxioustogetthethingdonebeforehechangedhismind；and’twaswithajoyfulcountenancetheysaythatshe，withAndreyandhisbrotherandsister-in-law，marchedofftochurchoneNovembermorningassoonas’twasdaya’most，tobemadeonewithAndreyfortherestofherlife。Hehadleftourplacelongbeforeitwaslight，andthefolksthatwereupallwavedtheirlanternsathim，andflunguptheirhatsashewent。
’Thechurchofherparishwasamileandmorefromthehouses，and，asitwasawonderfulfinedayforthetimeofyear，theplanwasthatassoonastheyweremarriedtheywouldmakeoutaholidaybydrivingstraightofftoPortBredy，toseetheshipsandtheseaandthesojers，insteadofcomingbacktoamealatthehouseofthedistantrelationshelivedwi’，andmopingabouttherealltheafternoon。
’Well，somefolksnoticedthatAndreywalkedwithratherwamblingstepstochurchthatmorning；thetrutho’twasthathisnearestneighbour’schildhadbeenchristenedthedaybefore，andAndrey，havingstoodgodfather，hadstayedallnightkeepingupthechristening，forhehadsaidtohimself，“NotifIlivetobethousandshallIagainbemadeagodfatheroneday，andahusbandthenext，andperhapsafatherthenext，andthereforeI’llmakethemostoftheblessing。“Sothatwhenhestartedfromhomeinthemorninghehadnotbeeninbedatall。Theresultwas，asIsay，thatwhenheandhisbride-to-hewalkedupthechurchtogetmarried，thepa’sonwhowasaverystrictmaninsidethechurch，whateverhewasoutsidelookedhardatAndrey，andsaid，verysharp：
’“How’sthis，myman？Youareinliquor。Andsoearly，too。I’mashamedofyou!“
’“Well，that’strue，sir，“saysAndrey。“ButIcanwalkstraightenoughforpracticalpurposes。Icanwalkachalkline，“hesaysmeaningnooffence，“aswellassomeotherfolk：and——“gettinghotter——“Ireckonthatifyou，Pa’sonBillyToogood，hadkeptupachristeningallnightsothoroughlyasIhavedone，youwouldn’tbeabletostandatall；d-meifyouwould!“
’ThisanswermadePa’sonBilly——astheyusedtocallhim——ratherspitish，nottosayhot，forhewasawarm-temperedmanifprovoked，andhesaid，verydecidedly：
’“Well，Icannotmarryyouinthisstate；andIwillnot!Gohomeandgetsober!’Andheslappedthebooktogetherlikearat-trap。
’Thenthebrideburstoutcryingasifherheartwouldbreak，forveryfearthatshewouldloseAndreyafterallherhardworktogethim，andbeggedandimploredthepa’sontogoonwiththeceremony。
Butno。
’“Iwon’tbeapartytoyoursolemnizingmatrimonywithatipsyman，“
saysMr。Toogood。“Itisnotrightanddecent。Iamsorryforyou，myyoungwoman，butyou’dbettergohomeagain。Iwonderhowyoucouldthinkofbringinghimheredrunklikethis!“
’“Butif——ifhedon’tcomedrunkhewon’tcomeatall，sir!“shesays，throughhersobs。
’“Ican’thelpthat，“saysthepa’son；andpleadasshemight，itdidnotmovehim。Thenshetriedhimanotherway。
’“Well，then，ifyou’llgohome，sir，andleaveushere，andcomebacktothechurchinanhourortwo，I’llundertaketosaythatheshallbeassoberasajudge，“shecries。“We’llbidehere，withyourpermission；forifheoncegoesoutofthisherechurchunmarried，allVanAmburgh’shorseswon’tdraghimbackagain!“
’“Verywell，“saystheparson。“I’llgiveyoutwohours，andthenI’llreturn。“
’“Andplease，sir，lockthedoor，sothatwecan’tescape!“saysshe。
’“Yes，“saystheparson。
’“Andletnobodyknowthatwearehere。“
’Thepa’sonthentookoffhisclanewhitesurplice，andwentaway；
andtheothersconsulteduponthebestmeansforkeepingthematterasecret，whichitwasnotaveryhardthingtodo，theplacebeingsolonely，andthehoursoearly。Thewitnesses，Andrey’sbrotherandbrother’swife，neitheroneo’whichcaredaboutAndrey’smarryingJane，andhadcomeratheragainsttheirwill，saidtheycouldn’twaittwohoursinthatholeofaplace，wishingtogethometoLongpuddlebeforedinner-time。Theywerealtogethersocrustythattheclerksaidtherewasnodifficultyintheirdoingastheywished。Theycouldgohomeasiftheirbrother’sweddinghadactuallytakenplaceandthemarriedcouplehadgoneonwardfortheirday’spleasurejaunttoPortBredyasintended，he，theclerk，andanycasualpasser-bywouldactaswitnesseswhenthepa’soncameback。
’Thiswasagreedto，andawayAndrey’srelationswent，nothingloath，andtheclerkshutthechurchdoorandpreparedtolockinthecouple。Thebridewentupandwhisperedtohim，withhereyesa-
streamingstill。
’“Mydeargoodclerk，“shesays，“ifwebidehereinthechurch，folkmayseeusthroughthewinders，andfindoutwhathashappened；and’twouldcausesuchatalkandscandalthatInevershouldgetoverit：andperhaps，too，dearAndreymighttrytogetoutandleaveme!
Willyelockusupinthetower，mydeargoodclerk？“shesays。
“I’lltolehiminthereifyouwill。“
’Theclerkhadnoobjectiontodothistoobligethepooryoungwoman，andtheytoledAndreyintothetower，andtheclerklocked’embothupstraightway，andthenwenthome，toreturnattheendofthetwohours。