AsClennamsaidthatitwashisfavouriteway，hefeltherhandfalteronhisarm，andsawtherosesshake。
’Willyouletmegiveyouone，MrClennam？IgatheredthemasI
cameoutofthegarden。Indeed，Ialmostgatheredthemforyou，thinkingitsolikelyImightmeetyou。MrDoycearrivedmorethananhourago，andtoldusyouwerewalkingdown。’
Hisownhandshook，asheacceptedaroseortwofromhersandthankedher。Theywerenowbyanavenueoftrees。Whethertheyturnedintoitonhismovementoronhersmatterslittle。Heneverknewhowthatwas。
’Itisverygravehere，’saidClennam，’butverypleasantatthishour。Passingalongthisdeepshade，andoutatthatarchoflightattheotherend，wecomeupontheferryandthecottagebythebestapproach，Ithink。’
Inhersimplegarden-hatandherlightsummerdress，withherrichbrownhairnaturallyclusteringabouther，andherwonderfuleyesraisedtohisforamomentwithalookinwhichregardforhimandtrustfulnessinhimwerestrikinglyblendedwithakindoftimidsorrowforhim，shewassobeautifulthatitwaswellforhispeace——orillforhispeace，hedidnotquiteknowwhich——thathehadmadethatvigorousresolutionhehadsooftenthoughtabout。
Shebrokeamomentarysilencebyinquiringifheknewthatpapahadbeenthinkingofanothertourabroad？Hesaidhehadhearditmentioned。Shebrokeanothermomentarysilencebyadding，withsomehesitation，thatpapahadabandonedtheidea。
Atthis，hethoughtdirectly，’theyaretobemarried。’
’MrClennam，’shesaid，hesitatingmoretimidlyyet，andspeakingsolowthathebenthisheadtohearher。’Ishouldverymuchliketogiveyoumyconfidence，ifyouwouldnotmindhavingthegoodnesstoreceiveit。Ishouldhaveverymuchlikedtohavegivenittoyoulongago，because——Ifeltthatyouwerebecomingsomuchourfriend。’
’HowcanIbeotherwisethanproudofitatanytime!Praygiveittome。Praytrustme。’
’Icouldneverhavebeenafraidoftrustingyou，’shereturned，raisinghereyesfranklytohisface。’IthinkIwouldhavedonesosometimeago，ifIhadknownhow。ButIscarcelyknowhow，evennow。’
’MrGowan，’saidArthurClennam，’hasreasontobeveryhappy。Godblesshiswifeandhim!’
Shewept，asshetriedtothankhim。Hereassuredher，tookherhandasitlaywiththetremblingrosesinitonhisarm，tooktheremainingrosesfromit，andputittohislips。Atthattime，itseemedtohim，hefirstfinallyresignedthedyinghopethathadflickeredinnobody’sheartsomuchtoitspainandtrouble；andfromthattimehebecameinhisowneyes，astoanysimilarhopeorprospect，averymucholdermanwhohaddonewiththatpartoflife。
Heputtherosesinhisbreastandtheywalkedonforalittlewhile，slowlyandsilently，undertheumbrageoustrees。Thenheaskedher，inavoiceofcheerfulkindness，wasthereanythingelsethatshewouldsaytohimasherfriendandherfather’sfriend，manyyearsolderthanherself；wasthereanytrustshewouldreposeinhim，anyserviceshewouldaskofhim，anylittleaidtoherhappinessthatshecouldgivehimthelastinggratificationofbelievingitwasinhispowertorender？
Shewasgoingtoanswer，whenshewassotouchedbysomelittlehiddensorroworsympathy——whatcouldithavebeen？——thatshesaid，burstingintotearsagain：’OMrClennam!Good，generous，MrClennam，praytellmeyoudonotblameme。’
’Iblameyou？’saidClennam。’Mydearestgirl!Iblameyou？No!’
Afterclaspingbothherhandsuponhisarm，andlookingconfidentiallyupintohisface，withsomehurriedwordstotheeffectthatshethankedhimfromherheartasshedid，ifitbethesourceofearnestness，shegraduallycomposedherself，withnowandthenawordofencouragementfromhim，astheywalkedonslowlyandalmostsilentlyunderthedarkeningtrees。
’And，now，MinnieGowan，’atlengthsaidClennam，smiling；’willyouaskmenothing？’
’Oh!Ihaveverymuchtoaskofyou。’
’That’swell!Ihopeso；Iamnotdisappointed。’
’YouknowhowIamlovedathome，andhowIlovehome。Youcanhardlythinkitperhaps，dearMrClennam，’shespokewithgreatagitation，’seeingmegoingfromitofmyownfreewillandchoice，butIdosodearlyloveit!’
’Iamsureofthat，’saidClennam。’CanyousupposeIdoubtit？’
’No，no。Butitisstrange，eventome，thatlovingitsomuchandbeingsomuchbelovedinit，Icanbeartocastitaway。Itseemssoneglectfulofit，sounthankful。’
’Mydeargirl，’saidClennam，’itisinthenaturalprogressandchangeoftime。Allhomesareleftso。’
’Yes，Iknow；butallhomesarenotleftwithsuchablankinthemastherewillbeinminewhenIamgone。NotthatthereisanyscarcityoffarbetterandmoreendearingandmoreaccomplishedgirlsthanIam；notthatIammuch，butthattheyhavemadesomuchofme!’
Pet’saffectionateheartwasovercharged，andshesobbedwhileshepicturedwhatwouldhappen。
’Iknowwhatachangepapawillfeelatfirst，andIknowthatatfirstIcannotbetohimanythinglikewhatIhavebeenthesemanyyears。Anditisthen，MrClennam，thenmorethanatanytime，thatIbegandentreatyoutorememberhim，andsometimestokeephimcompanywhenyoucansparealittlewhile；andtotellhimthatyouknowIwasfonderofhimwhenIlefthim，thanIeverwasinallmylife。Forthereisnobody——hetoldmesohimselfwhenhetalkedtomethisveryday——thereisnobodyhelikessowellasyou，ortrustssomuch。’
AcluetowhathadpassedbetweenthefatheranddaughterdroppedlikeaheavystoneintothewellofClennam’sheart，andswelledthewatertohiseyes。Hesaid，cheerily，butnotquitesocheerilyashetriedtosay，thatitshouldbedone——thathegaveherhisfaithfulpromise。
’IfIdonotspeakofmama，’saidPet，moremovedby，andmoreprettyin，herinnocentgrief，thanClennamcouldtrusthimselfeventoconsider——forwhichreasonhecountedthetreesbetweenthemandthefadinglightastheyslowlydiminishedinnumber——’itisbecausemamawillunderstandmebetterinthisaction，andwillfeelmylossinadifferentway，andwilllookforwardinadifferentmanner。Butyouknowwhatadear，devotedmothersheis，andyouwillrememberhertoo；willyounot？’
LetMinnietrusthim，Clennamsaid，letMinnietrusthimtodoallshewished。
’And，dearMrClennam，’saidMinnie，’becausepapaandonewhomI
neednotname，donotfullyappreciateandunderstandoneanotheryet，astheywillby-and-by；andbecauseitwillbetheduty，andthepride，andpleasureofmynewlife，todrawthemtoabetterknowledgeofoneanother，andtobeahappinesstooneanother，andtobeproudofoneanother，andtoloveoneanother，bothlovingmesodearly；oh，asyouareakind，trueman!whenIamfirstseparatedfromhomeIamgoingalongdistanceaway，trytoreconcilepapatohimalittlemore，anduseyourgreatinfluencetokeephimbeforepapa’smindfreefromprejudiceandinhisrealform。Willyoudothisforme，asyouareanoble-heartedfriend？’
PoorPet!Self-deceived，mistakenchild!Whenweresuchchangesevermadeinmen’snaturalrelationstooneanother：whenwassuchreconcilementofingraindifferencesevereffected!Ithasbeentriedmanytimesbyotherdaughters，Minnie；ithasneversucceeded；nothinghasevercomeofitbutfailure。
SoClennamthought。Sohedidnotsay；itwastoolate。Heboundhimselftodoallsheasked，andsheknewfullwellthathewoulddoit。
Theywerenowatthelasttreeintheavenue。Shestopped，andwithdrewherarm。Speakingtohimwithhereyeslifteduptohis，andwiththehandthathadlatelyrestedonhissleevetremblingbytouchingoneoftherosesinhisbreastasanadditionalappealtohim，shesaid：
’DearMrClennam，inmyhappiness——forIamhappy，thoughyouhaveseenmecrying——Icannotbeartoleaveanycloudbetweenus。IfyouhaveanythingtoforgivemenotanythingthatIhavewilfullydone，butanytroubleImayhavecausedyouwithoutmeaningit，orhavingitinmypowertohelpit，forgivemeto-nightoutofyournobleheart!’
Hestoopedtomeettheguilelessfacethatmethiswithoutshrinking。Hekissedit，andanswered，Heavenknewthathehadnothingtoforgive。Ashestoopedtomeettheinnocentfaceonceagain，shewhispered，’Good-bye!’andherepeatedit。Itwastakingleaveofallhisoldhopes——allnobody’soldrestlessdoubts。Theycameoutoftheavenuenextmoment，arm-in-armastheyhadenteredit：andthetreesseemedtocloseupbehindtheminthedarkness，liketheirownperspectiveofthepast。
ThevoicesofMrandMrsMeaglesandDoycewereaudibledirectly，speakingnearthegardengate。HearingPet’snameamongthem，Clennamcalledout，’Sheishere，withme。’Therewassomelittlewonderingandlaughinguntiltheycameup；butassoonastheyhadallcometogether，itceased，andPetglidedaway。
MrMeagles，Doyce，andClennam，withoutspeaking，walkedupanddownonthebrinkoftheriver，inthelightoftherisingmoon，forafewminutes；andthenDoycelingeredbehind，andwentintothehouse。MrMeaglesandClennamwalkedupanddowntogetherforafewminutesmorewithoutspeaking，untilatlengththeformerbrokesilence。
’Arthur，’saidhe，usingthatfamiliaraddressforthefirsttimeintheircommunication，’doyouremembermytellingyou，aswewalkedupanddownonehotmorning，lookingovertheharbouratMarseilles，thatPet’sbabysisterwhowasdeadseemedtoMotherandmetohavegrownasshehadgrown，andchangedasshehadchanged？’
’Verywell。’
’Youremembermysayingthatourthoughtshadneverbeenabletoseparatethosetwinsisters，andthat，inourfancy，whateverPetwas，theotherwas？’
’Yes，verywell。’
’Arthur，’saidMrMeagles，muchsubdued，’Icarrythatfancyfurtherto-night。Ifeelto-night，mydearfellow，asifyouhadlovedmydeadchildverytenderly，andhadlostherwhenshewaslikewhatPetisnow。’
’Thankyou!’murmuredClennam，’thankyou!’Andpressedhishand。
’Willyoucomein？’saidMrMeagles，presently。
’Inalittlewhile。’
MrMeaglesfellaway，andhewasleftalone。Whenhehadwalkedontheriver’sbrinkinthepeacefulmoonlightforsomehalfanhour，heputhishandinhisbreastandtenderlytookoutthehandfulofroses。Perhapsheputthemtohisheart，perhapsheputthemtohislips，butcertainlyhebentdownontheshoreandgentlylaunchedthemontheflowingriver。Paleandunrealinthemoonlight，theriverfloatedthemaway。
Thelightswerebrightwithindoorswhenheentered，andthefacesonwhichtheyshone，hisownfacenotexcepted，weresoonquietlycheerful。Theytalkedofmanysubjectshispartnerneverhadhadsuchareadystoretodrawuponforthebeguilingofthetime，andsotobed，andtosleep。Whiletheflowers，paleandunrealinthemoonlight，floatedawayupontheriver；andthusdogreaterthingsthatoncewereinourbreasts，andnearourhearts，flowfromustotheeternalseas。