ThelastdaysofAugustcame，andwiththemthelastweekoftheholiday。Alreadytherewasascentofautumnintheair，leaveswereturninggoldandred，andtheeveningscamecoolandsudden，uponthehotsummerafternoons。Marywasnotverywell；shehadcaughtacoldsomewhere，andexistedintheirritatingconditionofgoingoutonedayandbeingheldindoorsthenext。Thisupsethertemper，andatnightshehadnightmares，inwhichshesawcloudsofsmokecrawlinginatherwindow，snakesonthefloor，andcrimsonflamesdartingatherfromtheceiling。ItwasbecauseshewasinanabnormalconditionofhealththattheideaofdoingsomethingwithHamlethadgainedsuchaholduponher。Sheconsideredthematterfromeverypointofview。Shedidnotwanttobecrueltothedog；
shesupposedthatafteraweekortwohewouldbequitehappywithhisnewmaster，and，inanycase，hehadstrolledinsocasuallyupontheColefamilythathewasaccustomedtoawanderinglife。
Shedidnotintendthatanyoneshouldknow。Itwastobeadeepsecretallofherown。
JeremywasgoingtoschoolinSeptember，andbeforethenshemustmakehimfriendlytoheragain。Shesawstretchinginfrontofherallthelonelyautumnwithouthimandherownmemoriesofthemiserablesummertomakeherwretched。Shewasanextremelysentimentallittlegirl。
Asalwayshappenswhenoneismeditatingwithaplacatedconscienceawickeddeed，theopportunitywassuddenlyofferedtoMaryofachievingherpurpose。OnemorningJeremy，afterrefusingtolistentooneofMary’slongromances，losthistemper。
“Ican’tstop，“hesaid。“Youbotherandbotherandbother。AuntAmysaysyounearlymakehermad。“
“Idon’tcarewhatAuntAmysays，“Maryontheedgeoftearsreplied。
“HamletandIaregoingout。AndI’msickofyoursillyoldstories。“ThenhesuddenlystoppedandgazedatMary，whowasbeginning，asusual，toweep。
“Lookhere，Mary，what’sbeenthematterwithyoulately？You’realwayscryingnoworsomething。AndyoulookatmeasthoughI’ddonesomethingdreadful。Ihaven’tdoneanything。“
“I——never——saidyou——had，“Marygulpedout。Herubbedhisnoseinawaythathehadwhenhewaspuzzled。
“Ifit’sanythingIdo，tellme。It’ssosillyalwayscrying。Theholidayswillbeoversoon，andyou’vedonenothingbutcry。“
“You’re——never——withme——now，“Marysobbed。
“Well，I’vebeenbusy。“
“Youhaven’t。Youcan’tbebusyall——byyourself。“
“Oh，yes，youcan。“Hewasgettingimpatient。“Anyway，youmightletHamletandmealone。You’realwaysbotheringoneofus。“
“No，I’mnot。“Shechokedanenormoussobandburstoutwith：“It’salwaysHamletnow。Iwishhe’dnever——come。Itwasmuchnicerbefore。“
Thenhelosthistemper。“Oh，you’reababy！I’msickofyouandyournonsense，“hecried，andstampedoff。
InMary’sred-rimmedeyes，asshewatchedhimgo，determinationgrew。
IthappenedthatupontheafternoonofthatsamedayMissJonesannouncedthatshewouldtakeMaryforawalk；then，justastheypassedthroughthefarmgates，Hamlet，rushingout，joinedthem。Hedidnotoftenhonourthemwithhiscompany，despisingwomenmostespeciallywhentheywalked，butto-dayhismasterwasbusydiggingforwormsinthevegetablegarden，and，afteraquarterofanhour’scontemplationofthisfascinatingoccupation，hehadwanderedoffinsearchofaliveliergame。HedecidedtojoinMissJones；hecoulddowhathepleased，hecouldamusehimselfwithherineffectualattemptstokeephiminorder，andhecouldirritateMary；sohedancedalong，withhistailintheair，barkingatimaginaryratsandpokinghisnoseintohedges。
Mary，withasuddentightenedclutchingoftheheart，realisedthatherhourwasuponher。Shefeltsowickedassherealisedthisthatshewonderedthatthegrounddidn’topenupandswallowher，asithaddonewiththoseunfortunatepeopleintheBible。Butno，theworldwascalm。Littlewhitemilkycloudsracedinlinesandcirclesacrossthesky，andonceandagainaleaffloatedfromatree，hungforamomentsuspended，andthenturnedslowlytotheground。Thehedgeswereadarkblack-green，highandthickabovethedustyroad；
therehadbeennorainforweeks。Trulyastableworld。Mary，glaringatFate，wonderedhowitcouldbeso。
MissJones，whowashappyandoptimisticto-day，talkedinatenderlyreminiscenttoneofheryouth。ThisveinofreminiscenceMary，onhernormalday，loved。To-dayshedidnothearawordthatMissJonessaid。
“Iremembermymothersayingsowelltomydearbrother：’Dowhatyoulike，myboy。Itrustyou。’AndindeedAlfredwastobetrustedifeveraboywas。Itisaremarkablething，butIcannotrememberasingleoccasionofdishonestyonAlfred’spart。’Awhitelie，’hewouldoftensay，’isalie，andalieisasin——whiteorblack，alwaysasin’；andIrememberthathewouldoftenputmothertoaseriousinconveniencebyhistellingcallersthatshewasinwhenshehadwishedittobesaidthatshewasnotathome。Hefeltithisseriousduty，andsohetoldMother。’Don’taskmetotellalie，Mother，’Irememberhissaying。’Icannotdoit。’“
“LikeGeorgeWashington，“saidMary，suddenlycatchingthelastwordsofMissJones’ssentence。
“Hewaslikemanyfamouscharactersinhistory，Iusedtothink。
OnceIrememberreadingaboutOliverCromwell……“Whereisthatdog？Hamlet！Hamlet！Perhapshe’sgoneafterthesheep。Ah！thereheis！Hamlet，younaughtydog！“
Theywereapproachingoneoftheirfavouritepiecesofcountry——
MellotWood。Here，onthewood’sedge，thegroundbrokeaway，runningdowninafieldofcorntoalittlegreenvalleywithclusteredtreesthatshowedonlytheirheads，sothicklyembeddedwerethey，andbeyondthevalleythesea。Thesealookedquiteclosehere，althoughitwasinrealityfourmilesdistant。Neverwassuchaplaceasthisviewforlightandshadow。Thecloudsracedliketheblackwingsofenormousbirdsacrossthelightgreenvalley，andthered-goldofthecornfieldwastossedintothehazeandsweptlikeagoldenshadowacrosstheearth，bendingbackagainwhenthebreezehaddied。BehindMellotWoodwasMellotFarm，anoldeighteenth-
centuryhouseaboutwhichtherewasafinetragicstorywithamurderandaghostinit，andthis，ofcourse，gaveMellotWoodanadditionalcharm。WhentheyarrivedattheoutskirtsofMellotWoodMarylookedabouther。Itwashere，ontheedgeoftheRafielRoadthatskirtedthewood，thatshehadonceseenthedog-maneatinghisluncheonoutofaredpocket-handkerchief。Therewasnosignofhimto-day。Allwassilentandstill。Onlythelittlewoodutteredlittlesighsofcontentbeneaththeflyingclouds。Hamlet，tiredwithhisracingafterimaginaryrabbits，walkedquietlyalongbyMary’sside。Whatwasshetodo？Shehadonceagainthedesperatefeelingthatsomethingstrongerthanshehadsweptdownuponherandwasforcinghertodothisthing。Sheseemedtohavenowillofherown，buttobewatchingsomeothercommitanactwhosedangerouswickednessfrozeherheart。Howcouldshe？Butshemust。Someonewasdoingitforher。
Andinverytruthitseemedso。MissJonessaidthatnowtheywerehereshemightaswellcalluponMissAndrews，thesisteroftheMellotfarmer。MissAndrewshadpromisedhersomeducks’eggs。Theypushedopenthefarmgate，passedacrosstheyardandknockedonthehousedoor。NearMarywasalargebarnwithaheavydoor，nowajar。
Hamletsatgazingpensivelyataflockofgeese，histongueout，pantingcontentedly。
“Waithereoneminute，Mary，“saidMissJones。“Iwon’tstay。“
MissJonesdisappeared。Mary，stillunderthestrangesensethatitwasnotshe，butanother，whodidthesethings，movedbacktothebarn，callingsoftlytoHamlet。Hefollowedher，sniffingaratsomewhere。Veryquicklyshepulledbackthedoor；he，stillinvestigatinghisrat，followedintothedarkexcitementsofthebarn。Withaquickmovementshebentdown，slippedoffhiscollar，whichshehidinherdress，thenshuthimin。Sheknewthatforamomentortwohewouldstillbepursuinghisrat，andshesaw，withguiltyrelief，MissJonescomeouttoherjustasshehadfinishedherevildeed。
“MissAndrewsisout，“saidMissJones。“TheyareallawayatLiskaneFair。“
Theyleftthefarmandwalkeddowntheroad。Hamlethadnotbegunhiscry。
IV
MissJoneswaspleased。“Suchaniceservant，“shesaid。“Oneoftheoldkind。Shehadbeenwiththefamilyfiftyyears，shetoldme，andhadnursedMr。Andrewsonherknee。Fancy！Suchalargefatmanasheisnow。Toomuchbeer，Isuppose。Isupposetheygetsothirstywithallthestrawandhayabout。Yes，areallynicewoman。ShetoldmethattherewasnoplaceinGlebeshiretotouchthemforcream。I
daresaythey’reright。Afterall，younevercantell。Irememberathome……“
Shebrokeoffthenandcried：“Where’sHamlet？“
Mary，wickederthanever，staredthroughherspectaclesdowntheroad。“Idon’tknow，MissJones，“shesaid。Theyhadleftthewoodandthefarm，andtherewasnothingtobeseenbutthelongwhiteribbonofroadhemmedinbythehighhedges。
“Perhapshestayedbehindatthefarm，“saidMissJones。
ThenMarytoldherworstlie。
“Oh，no，MissJones。Heranpastusjustnow。Didn’tyouseehim？“
“No，Ididn’t。He’sgoneonahead，Isuppose。Herunshomesometimes。Naughtydog！Weshallcatchhimup。“
Butofcoursetheydidnot。TheypassedthroughthegatesofCowFarmandstillnothingofHamletwastobeseen。
“Ohdear！Ohdear！“saidMissJones。“Idohopethathe’sarrived。
WhateverwillJeremysayifanythinghasgonewrong？“
Marywasbreathinghardnow，asthoughshehadbeenrunningadesperaterace。Shewouldatthismomenthavegivenallthatshepossessed，orallthatshewaseverlikelytopossess，torecallherdeed。IfshecouldhaveseenHamletrushingdowntheroadtowardshershewouldhavecriedwithrelief；thereseemednowtobesuddenlyremovedfromherthatoutsideagencythathadforcedhertodothisthing；now，havingcompelledher，ithadwithdrawnandlefthertocarrytheconsequences。StrangelyconfusedinhersentimentalsoulwasherterrorofJeremy’swrathandherownpictureofthewretchedHamletbarkinghisheartout，frightened，thirsty，andlonely。Herteethbegantochatter；sheclenchedherhandstogether。
MissJoneswentacrossthecourtyard，calling：
“Hamlet！Hamlet！“
Thefamilywascollected，havingjustsatdowntotea，sothattheannouncementreceiveditsfullmeasureofexcitement。
“HasHamletcomeback？Wethoughthewasaheadofus。“
Achairhadtumbledover。JeremyhadrunroundthetabletoMissJones。
“What’sthat？Hamlet？Whereishe？“
“Wethoughthemustbeaheadofus。Heranpastusdowntheroad，andwethought——“
Theythought！Sillywomen！Jeremy，asthoughhewerechallengingagod，stoodupagainstMissJones，hurlingquestionsather。Wherehadtheybeen？Whatroadhadtheytaken？Hadtheygoneintothewood？Whereaboutshadherunpastthem？
“Idon’tknow，“saidMissJonestothislast。“Ididn’tseehim。
Marydid。“
JeremyturneduponMary。“Wherewasityousawhim？“
Shecouldn’tspeak。Hertonguewouldn’tmove，herlipswouldn’topen；shecouldbutwaggleherheadlikeanidiot。Shesawnothingbuthisface。Itwasadesperateface。SheknewsomuchbetterthanalltheotherswhatthethoughtoflosingHamletwastohim。Itwaspartoftheharshnessofherfatethatsheshouldunderstandhimsomuchbetterthantheothersdid。