Hewasinbed；faintlyintothedarkroom，stolethescentofthebonfireandthenoiseoftheFair。
“Tum——te-Tum……Tum——te——Tum……“
Hewasasleep，ridingonagiantchargeracrossboundlessplains。
CHAPTERXII
HAMLETWAITS
I
Thelastday！Jeremy，suddenlywaking，realisedthiswithaconfusionoffeelingasthoughheweresentencedtothedentist’s，but，oddlyenough，lookedforwardtohisvisit。Goingtoschool，onehad，ofcourse，longagoperceived，wasamixedbusiness；butthebalancewasnowgreatlytothegood。Itwasastepintherightdirectiontowardslibertyandfreedom。ThankHeaven！
Nooneinthefamilywaslikelytomakeafussabouthisdeparture，unlessitwerepossiblyMary，andshehad，oflate，keptverymuchtoherselfandworriedhimscarcelyatall。Indeed，hefeltguiltyaboutMary。Hewasfondofher，really……Funnykid……Ifonlyshedidn’tmakefusses！
Yes，itwasunlikehisfamilytomakefusses。Herealisedthatveryplainlyto-day。Everyonewentabouthisorherdailybusinesswithnoimplicationwhateverthatsomethingextraordinarywasgoingtohappentomorrow。Perhapstheywereallsecretlyrelievedthathewasoff。Hehadbeen，heknew，somethingofafailureduringtheselastmonths；onetroubleafteranother；thescandalofhisvisittotheFairasthegrandfinale。Hefeltthattherewas，insomeway，someinjusticeinallthis。Hehadnodesiretobebadorrebellious——onthecontraryhewishedtodoallthathiseldersorderedhim——buthecouldnotpreventtherisingofhisownindividuality，whichshowedhimquiteclearlywhetherheshoulddoathingorno。Itwasasthoughsomethinginsidehimpushedhim……whereasthey，allofthem，onlycheckedhim。
Helovedhismotherbest，andhewassecretlydisappointedtofindhowordinaryanaffairhisdeparturewastoher。Herealised，withaperceptionthatwasbeyondhisyears，thattheinfantBarbarawasnowrapidlyoccupyingtheposition，ascentreofthefamily，thathehadheld。Barbara，everyonedeclared，wasacharmingbaby——thehouserevolved，tosomeextent，roundBarbara。But，thenagain，thisisolationwasentirelyhisownfault。Duringthesummerholidayshehadgonehisownway，andhadwantednoonebutHamletashiscompanion。Hehadnorighttocomplain。
Afterbreakfasthedidnotknowquitewhattodo，anditwasobvious，also，thatnooneknewquitewhattodowithhim。
Mrs。Colesaid：“Jeremy，dear，Pontinghasneversentthatletterpaperandenvelopesthathepromised，andFathermusthavethemto-
day。Wouldyougodownandbringthembackwithyou？Fatherwillwriteanote。“
Nooneseemedtorealisewhatanabysmalchangefromearlierconditionsthiscasualsentencemarked。ThatheshouldgotoFooting’s，whichwasonthefarthersideofthetown，aloneandunattended，seemedtonoonepeculiar；andyet，onlysixmonthsago，awalkwithoutMissJoneswasundreamtof；and，beforeher，nomorethanninemonthsback，therewastheJampot！Hewasdelightedtogo；
but，ofcourse，hedidnotshowhisdelight。
Allhesaidwas：“Yes，Mother。“
Hewasinhisnewclothes：stiffblackjacket，blackknickerbockers，blackstockings，blackboots。Nomorenavysuitswithwhitebraidandwhistles！PerhapshewouldseetheDean’sErnest。Itwashismosturgentdesire！
Hestartedoff，accompaniedbyabarking，boundingHamlet，whoshowednoperceptionofthecalamitythatthreatenedtotumbleuponhim。ForJeremy，leavingHamletwasadreadfulaffair。Inthreemonthsadogcanchangemoreswiftlythanahumanbeing，andHamlet，althoughnotasupremelygreedydog，hadshownoflateincreasingsignsofaloveofgoodfood，andaregrettabletendencytofawnuponthegiverofthesame，evenwhenitwasAuntAmy。Jeremyhadcheckedthistendency，andhadissuedpunishmentswhennecessary，andHamlethadacceptedthesamewithoutamurmur。SolongasJeremywasthereHamlet’scharacterwassecure；butnow，duringthislongabsence，anythingmighthappen。TherewasnoonetowhomJeremymightleavehim；noonewhohadtheslightestideawhatadogshoulddoandwhatheshouldnot。
ThesemelancholythoughtsfilledJeremy’smindwhenhestarteduponhiswalk，butsoonhewasabsorbedbyhissurroundings。Herealisedevenmoredrasticallythanthefactswarrantedthathewasmakinghisfarewelltothetown。
Hewasnotmakinghisfinalfarewell；hewouldnotmakethatuntilhisdeath，and，perhaps，notthen；buthewasmakingfarewelltosomeofhissenseofhiswonderinit，onlynot，thankGod，tothesenseofwonderitself！
Ashewenthemetthedailyfiguresofallhiswalks，andhecouldnothelpbutspeculateontheirrealisationofthegreatchangethatwascomingtohim。Itwasabsurdtosupposethattheyweresayingtothemselves：“Ah，there’syoungJeremyCole！He’sofftoschooltomorrow。Iwonderwhathefeelsaboutit！……“No，thatwasincredible，andyettheymustrealisesomethingoftheadventure。
He，onhispart，staredatthemwithanewinterest。Theyhadbeforesharedintheinevitablebackgroundwithoutindividuality。Butnowthathewasleavingthem，andtheywouldgrow，asitwere，withouthispermission，hewasforcedtograntthemindependence。AtthebottomofOrangeStreethemetMr。Dawson，theCathedralOrganist；
hewasalittle，plumpman，inaveryneatgreysuit，ashinytophat，andverysmallspats。Hewasalwaysdressedinthesamefashion，andcarriedablackmusic-caseunderhisarm。HehadaneternalinterestforJeremybecause，wheneverhewasmentioned，thephrasewas：“PoorlittleMr。Dawson！“WhyhewastobepitiedJeremydidnotknow。Helookedspruceandbrightenough，andgenerallywhistledtohimselfashewalked；but“poor“wasanexcitingadjective，andJeremy，whenhepassedhim，feltalittleshudderofdramarundownhisspine。
OutsidePoole’sbookshoptherewas，ofcourse，Mr。Mockridge。Mr。
MockridgewasthepoorestoftheCanons；sopoor，thatithadbecomeaproverbintheplace：“AspoorasMr。Mockridge“；andalsoanotherproverb，Iamafraid，fromthesamesource：“AsdirtyasMr。
Mockridge。“Hewasaverylong，thinman，withabig，pointingnose，colouredred，notfromindigestion，andmostcertainlynotfromdrink，butsimply，Ithink，becausethewindcaughtit。Hispassionwasforbooks，andhemightbeseeneveryafternoon，betweenthreeandfouro’clock，bendingoverPoole’s2d。box，adirtyhandkerchiefflyingoutofthetailofhislong，blackcoat，andagreen，bulgingumbrella，pointingoutwards，underhisarm，totheinfinitedangerofallthepassers-by。HewassocommonplaceafiguretoJeremythat，onordinarydays，hewasshroudedbyaninvisibilityoftradition。But，to-day，hewasfreshandstrange。“He’llbehereto-
morrowpokinghisnoseintothatboxjustthesame，andI
shallbe——“
Then，ontheoutskirtsoftheMarketPlace，Jeremypausedandlookedabouthim。Therewasalltheusualbusinessoftheplace——thewoodentrestleswiththeflowerpots，theapple-womanunderherumbrella，theemptycattle-pens，wherethecowsandsheepstoodonmarketdays，andbehindthemthedark，vaultedarchesoftheactualmarket，nowemptyanddeserted。Bathedinsunlightitlayveryquietandstill；somepigeonspeckingatgrain，adogortwo，andchildrenplayingroundtheemptycattle-stalls。FromthehillabovethesquaretheCathedralboomedthehour，andallthepigeonsroseinaflight，hovered，thenslowlysettledagain。
Jeremysighed，and，withastrangepainathisheartthathecouldnotanalyse，movedupthehill。TheHighStreetis，ofcourse，theWestEndofPolchester，andinthemorning，betweentenandone，everyladyinthetownmaybeseenathershopping。IthadalwaysbeentheambitionoftheColechildrentobetakenfortheirwalkupHighStreetinthemorning；butitwasanambitionveryrarelygratified，becausetheystoppedsooftenandwerealwaysineveryone’sway。AndherewasJeremy，atthisgayhour，atrollinguptheHighStreetallbyhimselfheliftedhishead，pushedouthischest，andlookedtheworldintheface。HemightmeettheDean’sErnestatanymoment。ThefirstpeoplewhomhesawweretheMissesCragg——alwaysknown，ofcourse，as“TheCragggirls。“Theywere，perhaps，Polchester’smostconstantandobviousfeature。Therewerefourofthem，allasyetunmarried，allwithbrown-redfacesandhardstrawhats，shortskirts，andtremendousvoices；forerunners，infact，ofatypenowalmostuniversal。Theyplayedcroquetandlawn-tennis，wereprominentmembersoftheArcheryClub，andhuntedwhentheirfatherswouldletthem。TheywereterribleDianastoJeremy。HehadmetoneofthemonceataChildren’sDance，andshehadwhirledhimarounduntil，withaterrifiedscream，hebroke，howling，fromherarms，andhidhimselfinthelargebosomoftheJampot。Hewasalwaysashamedofthismemory，andhecouldneverseethemwithoutblushing；but，to-day，heseemedlessafraidofthem，andactually，whenhepassedthem，touchedhishatandlookedthemintheface。Theyallsmiledandnoddedtohim，andwhentheyhadgonehewassodeeplyastonishedatthisadventurethathehadtostopandconsiderhimself。IftheCraggswerenothingtohim，whatmighthenotface？
“Comehere，Hamlet。Howdareyou？“heorderedinsosharpandmilitaryavoicethatHamlet，whohadmerelycastamostinnocentglanceatadisdainfulandconceitedwhitepoodle，lookedupathismasterwithsurprise。
Nevertheless，hisnew-foundhardihoodreceived，intheverymidstofhisself-congratulation，itsseveresttest。HestumbledintotheverypathoftheDean’swife。
Mrs。Deancouldneverhaveseemedtoanyonealargewoman，buttoJeremyshehadalwaysbeenaterror。Shewasthickandhard，likeawall，andworethekindofsilkenclothes，thatrustled——likethewhisperingofawholemeetingoffrightenedclergymen’swives——asshemoved。Shehadahard，condemnatoryvoice，andshespokeasthoughshewereaddressinganassembly；but，worstofall，shehadblack，beetlingeyebrows，andthesefrightenedJeremyintofits。Hedidnot，ofcourse，knowthatthepoorladysufferedcontinuallyfromnervousheadaches。Hesuddenlyheardthatvoiceinhisear：
“Goodmorning，Jeremy，andwhereareyouofftosoearly？“Mrs。Deanwasneversoawfulaswhenshewasjolly，andJeremy，caughtupbytheeyebrowsasthoughtheyhadbeenhooksandhungthusinmid-airforallthestreettolaughat，nearlylosthiscommandofhisnaturaltongue。Hefoundhisvoicejustintime：
“ToPonting’s，“hesaid。
“Allalone？Ah，no，Iseeyouhaveyourlittledog。Nicelittledog。
Andhow’syourmother？“
“She’squitewell，thankyou。“
“That’sright——that’sright。Wehaven’tseenyoulately。Youmustcomeuptoteawithyoursisters。I’mafraidyouwon’tfindErnest，he’sgonebacktoschool——butIdaresayyou’renottoobigtoplaywithlittlegirls。“
Jeremyfeltsometriumphathisheart。
“I’mgoingtoschoolto-morrow，“hesaid。ButifheexpectedMrs。
Deantobepitifulatthisstatementhewasgreatlymistaken。
“Areyou，indeed？Suchapityyoucouldn’thavegonewithErnest——
buthe’dbeseniortoyou，ofcourse……Good-bye。Good-bye。Givemylovetoyourmother，“andshepoundedherwayalong。
“She’sabeastlywomananyway“thoughtJeremy。“IwishI’dfoundsomethingtosaytoher。IwonderwhethersheknowsIknockedErnestdowninthesummerandtrodonhim？“