RenovatedcertainlythesaloonoftheFerndalewastoreceivethe”strangewoman。”Themellownessofitsold-fashioned，tarnisheddecorationwasgone。AndAnthonylookingroundsawtheglitter，thegleams，thecolourofnewthings，untried，unused，verybright——toobright。Theworkmenhadgoneonlylastnight；andthelastpieceofworktheydidwasthehangingoftheheavycurtainswhichloopedmidwaythelengthofthesaloon——divideditintwoifreleased，cuttingofftheafterendwithitscompanion-wayleadingdirectonthepoop，fromtheforepartwithitsoutletonthedeck；makingaprivacywithinaprivacy，asthoughCaptainAnthonycouldnotplaceobstaclesenoughbetweenhisnewhappinessandthemenwhosharedhislifeatsea。Heinspectedthatarrangementwithanapprovingeyethenmadeaparticularvisitationofthewhole，endingbyopeningadoorwhichledintoalargestateroommadeoftwoknockedintoone。Itwasverywellfurnishedandhad，insteadoftheusualbedplaceofsuchcabins，anelaborateswingingcotofthelatestpattern。Anthonytilteditalittlebywayoftrial。”Theoldmanwillbeverycomfortableinhere，”hesaidtohimself，andsteppedbackintothesaloonclosingthedoorgently。Thenanotherthoughtoccurredtohimobviousunderthecircumstancesbutstrangelyenoughpresentingitselfforthefirsttime。”Jove！Won’thegetashock，”thoughtRoderickAnthony。
Hewenthastilyondeck。”Mr。Franklin，Mr。Franklin。”Thematewasnotveryfar。”Oh！Hereyouare。Miss……Mrs。Anthony’llbecomingonboardpresently。Justgivemeacallwhenyouseethecab。”
Then，withoutnoticingthegloominessofthemate’scountenancehewentinagain。Notafriendlyword，notaprofessionalremark，orasmalljoke，notasmuchasasimpleandinane”fineday。”Nothing。
Justturnedaboutandwentin。
Weknowthat，whenthemomentcame，hethoughtbetterofitanddecidedtomeetFlora’sfatherinthatprivacyofthemaincabinwhichhehadbeensocarefultoarrange。WhyAnthonyappearedtoshrinkfromthecontact，hewhowassufficientlyself-confidentnotonlytofacebuttoabsolutelycreateasituationalmostinsaneinitsaudaciousgenerosity，isdifficulttoexplain。Perhapswhenhecameonthepoopforaglancehefoundthatmansodifferentoutwardlyfromwhatheexpectedthathedecidedtomeethimforthefirsttimeoutofeverybody’ssight。Possiblythegeneralsecrecyofhisrelationtothegirlmighthaveinfluencedhim。Trulyhemaywellhavebeendismayed。Thatman’scomingbroughthimfacetofacewiththenecessitytospeakandactalie；toappearwhathewasnotandwhathecouldneverbe，unless，unless-
Inshort，we’llsayifyoulikethatforvariousreasons，allhavingtodowiththedelicaterectitudeofhisnature，RoderickAnthonyamanofwhomhischiefmateusedtosay:hedoesn’tknowwhatfeariswasfrightened。ThereisaNemesiswhichovertakesgenerositytoo，likealltheotherimprudencesofmenwhodaretobelawlessandproud……””Whydoyousaythis？”Iinquired，forMarlowhadstoppedabruptlyandkeptsilentintheshadowofthebookcase。”IsaythisbecausethatmanwhomchancehadthrowninFlora’swaywasboth:lawlessandproud。Whetherheknewanythingaboutitornotitdoesnotmatter。Verylikelynot。Onemayflingagloveinthefaceofnatureandinthefaceofone’sownmoralendurancequiteinnocently，withasimplicitywhichwearstheaspectofperfectlySatanicconceit。However，asIhavesaiditdoesnotmatter。It’satransgressionallthesameandhasgottobepaidforintheusualway。Butnevermindthat。Ipausedbecause，likeAnthony，Ifindadifficulty，asortofdreadincomingtogripswitholddeBarral。
YourememberIhadaglimpseofhimonce。Hewasnotanimposingpersonality:tall，thin，straight，stiff，faded，movingwithshortstepsandwithaglidingmotion，speakinginanevenlowvoice。
Whentheseawasroughhewasn’tmuchseenondeck——atleastnotwalking。Hecaughtholdofthingsthenanddraggedhimselfalongasfarastheafterskylightwherehewouldsitforhours。Our，thenyoung，friendofferedoncetoassisthimandthisservicewasthefirstbeginningofasortoffriendship。Heclunghardtoone——
Powellsays，withnofigurativeintention。Powellwasalwaysonthelookouttoassist，andtoassistmainlyMrs。Anthony，becauseheclungsojollyhardtoherthatPowellwasafraidofherbeingdraggeddownnotwithstandingthatsheverysoonbecameverysure-
footedinallsortsofweather。AndPowellwastheonlyonereadytoassistathandbecauseAnthonybythattimeseemedtobeafraidtocomenearthem；theunforgivingFranklinalwayslookedwrathfullytheotherway；theboatswain，ifupthere，actedlikewisebutsheepishly；andanyhandsthathappenedtobeonthepoopafeelingspreadsmysteriouslyalloverashipshunnedhimasthoughhehadbeenthedevil。
Weknowhowhearrivedonboard。FormypartIknowsolittleofprisonsthatIhaven’tthefaintestnotionhowoneleavesthem。Itseemsasabominableanoperationastheother，theshuttingupwithitsmentalsuggestionsofbang，snap，crashandtheemptysilenceoutside——whereaninstantbeforeyouwere——youWERE——andnownolongerare。Perfectlydevilish。Andtherelease！Idon’tknowwhichisworse。Howdotheydoit？Pullthestring，doorfliesopen，manfliesthrough:Outyougo！Adios！Andinthespacewhereasecondbeforeyouwerenot，inthesilentspacethereisafiguregoingaway，limping。Whylimping？Idon’tknow。That’showIseeit。Onehasanotionofamaiming，cripplingprocess；oftheindividualcomingbackdamagedinsomesubtleway。Iadmititisafantastichallucination，butIcan’thelpit。OfcourseIknowthattheproceedingsofthebestmachine-madehumanityareemployedwithjudiciouscareandsoon。Iamabsurd，nodoubt，butstill……Ohyesit’sidiotic。WhenIpassoneoftheseplaces……didyounoticethatthereissomethinginfernalabouttheaspectofeveryindividualstoneorbrickofthem，somethingmaliciousasifmatterwereenjoyingitsrevengeofthecontemptuousspiritofman。Didyounotice？Youdidn’t？Eh？WellIamperhapsalittlemadonthatpoint。WhenIpassoneoftheseplacesImustavertmyeyes。
Icouldn’thavegonetomeetdeBarral。Ishouldhaveshrunkfromtheordeal。You’llnoticethatitlooksasifAnthonyabravemanindubitablyhadshirkedittoo。LittleFyne’sflightoffancypicturingthreepeopleinthefatalfourwheeler——youremember？——
wentwideofthetruth。Therewereonlytwopeopleinthefourwheeler。Floradidnotshrink。Womencanstandanything。Thedearcreatureshavenoimaginationwhenitcomestosolidfactsoflife。
Insentimentalregions——Iwon’tsay。It’sanotherthingaltogether。
Theretheyshrinkfromorrushtoembraceghostsoftheirowncreationjustthesameasanyfool-manwould。
No。IsupposethegirlFlorawentonthaterrandreasonably。Andthen，why！Thiswasthemomentforwhichshehadlived。Itwasheronlypointofcontactwithexistence。Ohyes。ShehadbeenassistedbytheFynes。Andkindly。Certainly。Kindly。Butthat’snotenough。Thereisakindwayofassistingourfellow-creatureswhichisenoughtobreaktheirheartswhileitsavestheirouterenvelope。Howcold，howinfernallycoldshemusthavefelt——unlesswhenshewasmadetoburnwithindignationorshame。Man，weknow，cannotlivebybreadalonebuthangmeifIdon’tbelievethatsomewomencouldlivebylovealone。Iftherebeaflameinhumanbeingsfedbyvariedingredientsearthlyandspiritualwhichtingeitindifferenthues，thenIseemtoseethecolouroftheirs。Itisazure……Whatthedevilareyoulaughingat……”
Marlowjumpedupandstrodeoutoftheshadowasifliftedbyindignationbuttherewastheflickerofasmileonhislips。”YousayIdon’tknowwomen。Maybe。It’sjustaswellnottocometooclosetotheshrine。ButIhaveaclearnotionofWOMAN。Inallofthem，termagant，flirt，crank，washerwoman，blue-stocking，outcastandevenintheordinaryfooloftheordinarycommercethereissomethingleft，ifonlyaspark。Andwhenthereisasparktherecanalwaysbeaflame……”
Hewentbackintotheshadowandsatdownagain。”Idon’tmeantosaythatFloradeBarralwasoneofthesortthatcouldlivebylovealone。Infactshehadmanagedtolivewithout。
Butstill，inthedistrustofherselfandofothersshelookedforlove，anykindoflove，aswomenwill。Andthatconfoundedjailwastheonlyspotwhereshecouldseeit——forshehadnoreasontodistrustherfather。
Shewasthereingoodtime。Iseehergazingacrosstheroadatthesewallswhichare，properlyspeaking，awful。Youdoindeedseemtofeelalongtheverylinesandanglesoftheunholybulk，thefalloftime，dropbydrop，hourbyhour，leafbyleaf，withagentleandimplacableslowness。Andavoicelessmelancholycomesoverone，invading，overpoweringlikeadream，penetratingandmortallikepoison。
WhendeBarralcameoutsheexperiencedasortofshocktoseethathewasexactlyassherememberedhim。Perhapsalittlesmaller。
Otherwiseunchanged。Youcomeoutinthesameclothes，youknow。I
can’ttellwhetherhewaslookingforher。Nodoubthewas。
Whetherherecognizedher？Verylikely。Shecrossedtheroadandatoncetherewasreproducedatadistanceofyears，asifbysomemockingwitchcraft，thesightsofamiliarontheParadeatBrightonofthefinancierdeBarralwalkingwithhisonlydaughter。Onecomesoutofprisoninthesameclothesoneworeonthedayofcondemnation，nomatterhowlongonehasbeenputawaythere。Oh，theylast！Theylast！Butthereissomethingwhichispreservedbyprisonlifeevenbetterthanone’sdiscardedclothing。Itistheforce，thevividnessofone’ssentiments。Amonasterywilldothattoo；butintheunholyclaustrationofajailyouarethrownbackwhollyuponyourself——forGodandFaitharenotthere。Thepeopleoutsidedispersetheiraffections，youhoardyours，younursethemintointensity。Whattheyletslip，whattheyforgetinthemovementandchangesoffreelife，youholdonto，amplify，exaggerateintoarankgrowthofmemories。Theycanlookwithasmileatthetroublesandpainsofthepast；butyoucan’t。Oldpainskeepongnawingatyourheart，olddesires，olddeceptions，olddreams，assailingyouinthedeadstillnessofyourpresentwherenothingmovesexcepttheirrecoverableminutesofyourlife。
DeBarralwasoutand，foratimespeechless，beingledawayalmostbeforehehadtakenpossessionofthefreeworld，byhisdaughter。
Floracontrolledherselfwell。Theywalkedalongquicklyforsomedistance。Thecabhadbeenleftroundthecorner——roundseveralcornersforallIknow。Hewasflustered，outofbreath，whenshehelpedhiminandfollowedherself。Insidethatrollingbox，turningtowardsthatrecoveredpresencewithherhearttoofullforwordsshefeltthedesireoftearsshehadmanagedtokeepdownabandonhersuddenly，herhalf-mournful，half-triumphantexultationsubside，everyfibreofherbody，relaxedintenderness，gostiffinthecloselookshetookathisface。HeWASdifferent。Therewassomething。Yes，therewassomethingbetweenthem，somethinghardandimpalpable，theghostofthesehighwalls。
Howoldhewas，howunlike！
Sheshookoffthisimpression，amazedandfrightenedbyitofcourse。Andremorsefultoo。Naturally。Shethrewherarmsroundhisneck。Hereturnedthathugawkwardly，asifnotinperfectcontrolofhisarms，withafumblinganduncertainpressure。Shehidherfaceonhisbreast。Itwasasthoughshewerepressingitagainstastone。Theyreleasedeachotherandpresentlythecabwasrollingalongatajog-trottothedockswiththosetwopeopleasfarapartastheycouldgetfromeachother，inoppositecorners。
Afterasilencegivenuptomutualexaminationheutteredhisfirstcoherentsentenceoutsidethewallsoftheprison。”Whathasdoneformewasenvy。Envy。Therewasalotofthemjustburstingwithiteverytimetheylookedmyway。Iwasdoingtoowell。SotheywenttothePublicProsecutor——”
Shesaidhastily”Yes！Yes！Iknow，”andheglaredasifresentfulthatthechildhadturnedintoayoungwomanwithoutwaitingforhimtocomeout。”Whatdoyouknowaboutit？”heasked。”Youweretooyoung。”Hisspeechwassoft。Theoldvoice，theoldvoice！Itgaveherathrill。Sherecognizeditspointlessgentlenessalwaysthesamenomatterwhathehadtosay。Andsherememberedthatheneverhadmuchtosaywhenhecamedowntoseeher。Itwasshewhochattered，chattered，ontheirwalks，whilestiffandwitharigidly-carriedhead，hedroppedagentlewordnowandthen。
Movedbytheserecollectionswakingupwithinher，sheexplainedtohimthatwithinthelastyearshehadreadandstudiedthereportofthetrial。”Iwentthroughthefilesofseveralpapers，papa。”
Helookedathersuspiciously。Thereportswereprobablyveryincomplete。Nodoubtthereportershadgarbledhisevidence。Theyweredeterminedtogivehimnochanceeitherincourtorbeforethepublicopinion。Itwasaconspiracy……”Mycounselwasafooltoo，”headded。”Didyounotice？Aperfectfool。”
Shelaidherhandonhisarmsoothingly。”Isitworthwhiletalkingaboutthatawfultime？Itissofarawaynow。”Sheshudderedslightlyatthethoughtofallthehorribleyearswhichhadpassedoverheryounghead；neverguessingthatforhimthetimewasbutyesterday。Hefoldedhisarmsonhisbreast，leanedbackinhiscornerandbowedhishead。Butinalittlewhilehemadeherjumpbyaskingsuddenly:”WhohasgotholdoftheLoneValleyRailway？That’swhattheywereaftermainly。Somebodyhasgotit。ParfittsandCo。grabbedit——
eh？OrwasitthatfellowWarner……””I——Idon’tknow，”shesaidquitescaredbythetwitchingofhislips。”Don’tknow！”heexclaimedsoftly。Hadn’thercousintoldher？Ohyes。Shehadleftthem——ofcourse。Whydidshe？Itwashisfirstquestionaboutherselfbutshedidnotanswerit。Shedidnotwanttotalkofthesehorrors。Theywereimpossibletodescribe。Sheperceivedthoughthathehadnotexpectedananswer，becausesheheardhimmutteringtohimselfthat:”Therewashalfamillion’sworthofworkdoneandmaterialaccumulatedthere。””Youmustn’tthinkofthesethings，papa，”shesaidfirmly。Andheaskedherwiththatinvariablegentleness，inwhichsheseemednowtodetectsomeratheruglyshades，whatelsehadhetothinkabout？
Anotheryearortwo，iftheyhadonlylefthimalone，heandeverybodyelsewouldhavebeenallright，rollinginmoney；andshe，hisdaughter，couldhavemarriedanybody——anybody。Alord。
Allthiswastohimlikeyesterday，alongyesterday，ayesterdaygoneoverinnumerabletimes，analysed，meditateduponforyears。Ithadavividnessandforceforthatoldmanofwhichhisdaughterwhohadnotbeenshutoutoftheworldcouldhavenoidea。Shewastohimtheonlylivingfigureoutofthatpast，anditwasperhapsinperfectgoodfaiththatheadded，coldly，inexpressiveandthin-
lipped:”Ilivedonlyforyou，Imaysay。Isupposeyouunderstandthat。Therewereonlyyouandme。”
Movedbythisdeclaration，wonderingthatitdidnotwarmherheartmore，shemurmuredafewendearingwordswhiletheuppermostthoughtinhermindwasthatshemusttellhimnowofthesituation。Shehadexpectedtobequestionedanxiouslyaboutherself——andwhileshedesireditsheshrankfromtheanswersshewouldhavetomake。Butherfatherseemedstrangely，unnaturallyincurious。Itlookedasiftherewouldbenoquestions。Stillthiswasanopening。Thisseemedtobethetimeforhertobegin。Andshebegan。Shebeganbysayingthatshehadalwaysfeltlikethat。Thereweretwoofthem，toliveforeachother。Andifheonlyknewwhatshehadgonethrough！
Ensconcedinhiscorner，withhisarmsfolded，hestaredoutofthecabwindowatthestreet。Howlittlehewaschangedafterall。Itwastheunmovableexpression，thefadedstaresheusedtoseeontheesplanadewheneverwalkingbyhissidehandinhandsheraisedhereyestohisface——whileshechattered，chattered。Itwasthesamestiff，silentfigurewhichatawordfromherwouldturnrigidlyintoashopandbuyheranythingitoccurredtoherthatshewouldliketohave。FloradeBarral’svoicefaltered。Hebentonherthatwell-rememberedglanceinwhichshehadneverreadanythingasachild，excepttheconsciousnessofherexistence。Andthatwasenoughforachildwhohadneverknowndemonstrativeaffection。Butshehadlivedalifesostarvedofallfeelingthatthiswasnolongerenoughforher。Whatwasthegoodoftellinghimthestoryofallthesemiseriesnowpastandgone，ofallthosebewilderingdifficultiesandhumiliations？Whatshemusttellhimwasdifficultenoughtosay。Sheapproacheditbyremarkingcheerfully:”Youhaven’tevenaskedmewhereIamtakingyou。”Hestartedlikeasomnambulistawakenedsuddenly，andtherewasnowsomemeaninginhisstare；asortofalarmedspeculation。Heopenedhismouthslowly。Florastruckinwithforcedgaiety。”Youwouldnever，guess。”
Hewaited，stillmorestartledandsuspicious。”Guess！Whydon’tyoutellme？”
Heuncrossedhisarmsandleanedforwardtowardsher。Shegotholdofoneofhishands。”Youmustknowfirst……”Shepaused，madeaneffort:”Iammarried，papa。”
Foramomenttheykeptperfectlystillinthatcabrollingonatasteadyjog-trotthroughanarrowcitystreetfullofbustle。
Whateversheexpectedshedidnotexpecttofeelhishandsnatchedawayfromhergraspasiffromaburnoracontamination。DeBarralfreshfromthestagnanttormentoftheprisonwherenothinghappenshadnotexpectedthatsortofnews。Itseemedtostickinhisthroat。Instrangledlowtoneshecriedout，”You——married？
You，Flora！When？Married！Whatfor？Whoto？Married！”
Hiseyeswhichwerebluelikehers，onlyfaded，withoutdepth，seemedtostartoutoftheirorbits。Hedidreallylookasifhewerechoking。Heevenputhishandtohiscollar……””Youknow，”continuedMarlowoutoftheshadowofthebookcaseandnearlyinvisibleinthedepthsofthearm-chair，”theonlytimeI
sawhimhehadgivenmetheimpressionofabsoluterigidity，asthoughhehadswallowedapoker。Butitseemsthathecouldcollapse。Icanhardlypicturethistomyself。Iunderstandthathedidcollapsetoacertainextentinhiscornerofthecab。Theunexpectedhadcrumpledhimup。Sheregardedhimperplexed，pitying，alittledisillusioned，andnoddedathimgravely:Yes。
Married。Whatshedidnotlikewastoseehimsmileinamannerfarfromencouragingtothedevotionofadaughter。Therewassomethingunintentionallysavageinit。OlddeBarralcouldnotquitecommandhismuscles，asyet。Buthehadrecoveredcommandofhisgentlevoice。”Youwerejustsayingthatinthiswideworldtherewewere，onlyyouandI，tosticktoeachother。”
Shewasdimlyawareofthescathingintentionlurkinginthesesoftlowtones，inthesewordswhichappealedtoherpoignantly。Shedefendedherself。Never，neverforasinglemomenthadsheceasedtothinkofhim。Neitherdidheceasetothinkofher，hesaid，withasmuchsinisteremphasisashewascapableof。”But，papa，”shecried，”Ihaven’tbeenshutuplikeyou。”Shedidn’tmindspeakingofitbecausehewasinnocent。Hehadn’tbeenunderstood。Itwasamisfortuneofthemostcruelkindbutnomoredisgracefulthananillness，amaimingaccidentorsomeothervisitationofblindfate。”IwishIhadbeentoo。ButIwasaloneoutintheworld，thehorridworld，thatveryworldwhichhadusedyousobadly。””Andyoucouldn’tgoaboutinitwithoutfindingsomebodytofallinlovewith？”hesaid。Ajealousrageaffectedhisbrainlikethefumesofwine，risingfromsomesecretdepthsofhisbeingsolongdeprivedofallemotions。Thehollowsatthecornersofhislipsbecamemorepronouncedinthepuffyroundnessofhischeeks。
Images，visions，obsesswithparticularforce，menwithdrawnfromthesightsandsoundsofactivelife。”AndIdidnothingbutthinkofyou！”heexclaimedunderhisbreath，contemptuously。”Thinkofyou！Youhauntedme，Itellyou。”
Florasaidtoherselfthattherewasabeingwholovedher。”Thenwehavebeenhauntingeachother，”shedeclaredwithapangofremorse。Forindeedhehadhauntedhernearlyoutoftheworld，intoafinalandirremediabledesertion。”SomedayIshalltellyou……No。Idon’tthinkIcanevertellyou。TherewasatimewhenIwasmad。Butwhat’sthegood？It’sallovernow。Weshallforgetallthis。Thereshallbenothingtoremindus。”
DeBarralmovedhisshoulders。”Ishouldthinkyouweremadtotieyourselfto……Howlongisitsinceyouaremarried？”
Sheanswered”Notlong”thatbeingtheonlyanswershedaredtomake。Everythingwassodifferentfromwhatsheimagineditwouldbe。Hewantedtoknowwhyshehadsaidnothingofitinanyofherletters；inherlastletter。Shesaid:”Itwasafter。””Sorecently！”hewondered。”Couldn’tyouwaitatleasttillIcameout？Youcouldhavetoldme；askedme；consultedme！Letmesee——”
Sheshookherheadnegatively。Andhewasappalled。Hethoughttohimself:Whocanhebe？Somemiserable，sillyyouthwithoutapenny。Orperhapssomescoundrel？Withoutmakinganyexpressivemovementhewrunghisloosely-claspedhandstillthejointscracked。
Helookedather。Shewaspretty。Somelowscoundrelwhowillcastheroff。Someplausiblevagabond……”Youcouldn’twait——eh？”
Againshemadeaslightnegativesign。”Whynot？Whatwasthehurry？”Shecastdownhereyes。”Ithadtobe。Yes。Itwassudden，butithadtobe。”
Heleanedtowardsher，hismouthopen，hiseyeswildwithvirtuousanger，butmeetingtheabsolutecandourofherraisedglancethrewhimselfbackintohiscorneragain。”Sotremendouslyinlovewitheachother——wasthatit？Couldn’tletafatherhavehisdaughteralltohimselfevenforadayafter——
aftersuchaseparation。AndyouknowIneverhadanyone，Ihadnofriends。WhatdidIwantwiththosepeopleonemeetsintheCity。
Thebestofthemarereadytocutyourthroat。Yes！Businessmen，gentlemen，anysortofmenandwomen——outofspite，ortogetsomething。Ohyes，theycantalkfairenoughiftheythinkthere’ssomethingtobegotoutofyou……”HisvoicewasamerebreathyeteverywordcametoFloraasdistinctlyasifchargedwithallthemovingpowerofpassion……”Mygirl，IlookedatthemmakinguptomeandIwouldsaytomyself:WhatdoIcareforallthat！I
amabusinessman。IamthegreatMr。deBarralyes，yes，someofthemtwistedtheirmouthsatit，butIWASthegreatMr。deBarral
andIhavemylittlegirl。IwantednobodyandIhaveneverhadanybody。”
Atrueemotionhadunsealedhislipsbutthewordsthatcameoutofthemwerenolouderthanthemurmurofalightwind。Itdiedaway。”That’sjustit，”saidFloradeBarralunderherbreath。Withoutremovinghiseyesfromherhetookoffhishat。Itwasatallhat。
Thehatofthetrial。Thehatofthethumb-nailsketchesintheillustratedpapers。Onecomesoutinthesameclothes，butseclusioncounts！Itiswellknownthatluridvisionshauntsecludedmen，monks，hermits——thenwhynotprisoners？DeBarraltheconvicttookoffthesilkhatofthefinancierdeBarralanddepositeditonthefrontseatofthecab。Thenheblewouthischeeks。Hewasredintheface。”Andthenwhathappens？”hebeganagaininhiscontainedvoice。”HereIam，overthrown，brokenbyenvy，maliceandalluncharitableness。Icomeout——andwhatdoIfind？IfindthatmygirlFlorahasgoneandmarriedsomemanorother，perhapsafool，howdoIknow；orperhaps——anywaynotgoodenough。””Stop，papa。””Asillyloveaffairaslikelyasnot，”hecontinuedmonotonously，histhinlipswrithingbetweentheill-omenedsunkcorners。”Andaverysuspiciousthingitistoo，onthepartofalovingdaughter。”
Shetriedtointerrupthimbuthewentontillsheactuallyclappedherhandonhismouth。Herolledhiseyesabitbutwhenshetookherhandawayheremainedsilent。”Wait。Imusttellyou……Andfirstofall，papa，understandthis，foreverything’sinthat:heisthemostgenerousmanintheworld。Heis……”
DeBarralverystillinhiscornerutteredwithaneffort”Youareinlovewithhim。””Papa！Hecametome。Iwasthinkingofyou。Ihadnoeyesforanybody。Icouldnolongerbeartothinkofyou。Itwasthenthathecame。Onlythen。Atthattimewhen——whenIwasgoingtogiveup。”
Shegazedintohisfadedblueeyesasifyearningtobeunderstood，tobegivenencouragement，peace——awordofsympathy。Hedeclaredwithoutanimation”Iwouldliketobreakhisneck。”
Shehadthementalexclamationoftheoverburdened。”OhmyGod！”andwatchedhimwithfrightenedeyes。Buthedidnotappearinsaneorinanyotherwayformidable。Thiscomfortedher。
Thesilencelastedforsomelittletime。Thensuddenlyheasked:”What’syournamethen？”
Foramomentintheprofoundtroubleofthetaskbeforehershedidnotunderstandwhatthequestionmeant。Then，herfacefaintlyflushing，shewhispered:”Anthony。”
Herfather，aredspotoneachcheek，leanedhisheadbackwearilyinthecornerofthecab。”Anthony。Whatishe？Wheredidhespringfrom？””Papa，itwasinthecountry，onaroad——”
Hegroaned，”Onaroad，”andclosedhiseyes。”It’stoolongtoexplaintoyounow。Weshallhavelotsoftime。
TherearethingsIcouldnottellyounow。Butsomeday。Someday。
Fornownothingcanpartus。Nothing。Wearesafeaslongaswelive——nothingcanevercomebetweenus。””Youareinfatuatedwiththefellow，”heremarked，withoutopeninghiseyes。Andshesaid:”Ibelieveinhim，”inalowvoice。”YouandImustbelieveinhim。””Whothedevilishe？””He’sthebrotherofthelady——youknowMrs。Fyne，sheknewmother——
whowassokindtome。Iwasstayinginthecountry，inacottage，withMr。andMrs。Fyne。Itwastherethatwemet。Hecameonavisit。Henoticedme。I——well——wearemarriednow。”
Shewasthankfulthathiseyeswereshut。Itmadeiteasiertotalkofthefutureshehadarranged，whichnowwasanunalterablething。
Shedidnotenteronthepathofconfidences。Thatwasimpossible。
Shefelthewouldnotunderstandher。Shefeltalsothathesuffered。Nowandthenagreatanxietygrippedherheartwithamysterioussenseofguilt——asthoughshehadbetrayedhimintothehandsofanenemy。Withhiseyesshuthehadanairofwearyandpiousmeditation。Shewasalittleafraidofit。Nextmomentagreatpityforhimfilledherheart。Andinthebackgroundtherewasremorse。Hisfacetwitchednowandthenjustperceptibly。Hemanagedtokeephiseyelidsdowntillheheardthatthe’husband’
wasasailorandthathe，thefather，wasbeingtakenstraightonboardshipreadytosailawayfromthisabominableworldoftreacheries，andscornsandenviesandlies，away，awayoverthebluesea，thesure，theinaccessible，theuncontaminatedandspaciousrefugeforwoundedsouls。
Somethinglikethat。Nottheverywordsperhapsbutsuchwasthegeneralsenseofheroverwhelmingargument——theargumentofrefuge。
Idon’tthinkshegaveathoughttomaterialconditions。Butaspartofthatargumentsetforthbreathlessly，asifshewereafraidthatifshestoppedforamomentshecouldnevergoonagain，shementionedthatgenerosityofastormytype，whichhadcometoherfromthesea，hadcaughtheruponthebrinkofunmentionablefailure，hadwhirledherawayinitsfirstardentgustandcouldbetrustednow，implicitlytrusted，tocarrythemboth，sidebyside，intoabsolutesafety。
Shebelievedit，sheaffirmedit。Heunderstoodthoroughlyatlast，andatoncetheinteriorofthatcab，ofanaspectsopacificintheeyesofthepeopleonthepavements，becamethesceneofagreatagitation。ThegenerosityofRoderickAnthony——thesonofthepoet——
affectedtheex-financierdeBarralinamannerwhichmusthavebroughthometoFloradeBarraltheextremearduousnessofthebusinessofbeingawoman。Beingawomanisaterriblydifficulttradesinceitconsistsprincipallyofdealingswithmen。Thisman——
themaninsidethecab——castofthisstiffplacidityandbehavedlikeananimal。Idon’tmeanitinanoffensivesense。Whathedidwastogivewaytoaninstinctivepanic。Likesomewildcreaturescaredbythefirsttouchofanetfallingonitsback，olddeBarralbegantostruggle，lankandangular，againsttheemptyair——
asmuchofitastherewasinthecab——withstaringeyesandgaspingmouthfromwhichhisdaughtershrankasfarasshecouldintheconfinedspace。”Stopthecab。StophimItellyou。Letmegetout！”werethestrangledexclamationssheheard。Why？Whatfor？Todowhat？Hewouldhearnothing。Shecriedtohim”Papa！Papa！Whatdoyouwanttodo？”Andallshegotfromhimwas:”Stop。Imustgetout。
Iwanttothink。Imustgetouttothink。”
Itwasamercythathedidn’tattempttoopenthedooratonce。Heonlystuckhisheadandshouldersoutofthewindowcryingtothecabman。Shesawtheconsequences，thecabstopping，acrowdcollectingaroundaravingoldgentleman……Inthisterriblebusinessofbeingawomansofulloffineshades，ofdelicateperplexitiesandverysmallrewardsyoucanneverknowwhatroughworkyoumayhavetodo，atanymoment。WithouthesitationFloraseizedherfatherroundthebodyandpulledback——beingastonishedattheeasewithwhichshemanagedtomakehimdropintohisseatagain。Shekepthimthereresolutelywithonehandpressedagainsthisbreast，andleaningacrosshim，she，inherturnputherheadandshouldersoutofthewindow。Bythenthecabhaddrawnuptothecurbstoneandwasstopped。”No！I’vechangedmymind。Goonpleasewhereyouweretoldfirst。Tothedocks。”
Shewonderedatthesteadinessofherownvoice。Sheheardagruntfromthedriverandthecabbegantorollagain。Onlythenshesankintoherplacekeepingawatchfuleyeonhercompanion。Hewashardlyanythingmorebythistime。Exceptforherchildhood’simpressionshewasjust——aman。Almostastranger。Howwasonetodealwithhim？Andtherewastheothertoo。Alsoalmostastranger。Thetradeofbeingawomanwasverydifficult。Toodifficult。Floraclosedhereyessayingtoherself:”IfIthinktoomuchaboutitIshallgomad。”Andthenopeningthemsheaskedherfatheriftheprospectoflivingalwayswithhisdaughterandbeingtakencareofbyheraffectionawayfromtheworld，whichhadnohonourtogivetohisgreyhairs，wassuchanawfulprospect。”Tellme，isitsobadasthat？”
Sheputthatquestionsadly，withoutbitterness。Thefamous——ornotorious——deBarralhadlosthisrigiditynow。Hewasbent。
Nothingmoredeplorablyfutilethanabentpoker。Hesaidnothing。
Sheaddedgently，suppressinganuneasyremorsefulsigh:”Anditmighthavebeenworse。Youmighthavefoundnoone，nooneinallthistown，nooneinalltheworld，notevenme！Poorpapa！”
Shemadeaconscience-strickenmovementtowardshimthinking:”Oh！
Iamhorrible，Iamhorrible。”AndolddeBarral，scared，tired，bewilderedbytheextraordinaryshocksofhisliberation，swayedoverandactuallyleanedhisheadonhershoulder，asifsorrowingoverhisregainedfreedom。
Themovementbyitselfwastouching。Florasupportinghimlightlyimaginedthathewascrying；andatthethoughtthathadshesmashedinaquarrythatshoulder，togetherwithsomeotherofherbones，thisgreyandpitifulheadwouldhavehadnowheretorest，shetoogavewaytotears。Theyflowedquietly，easingheroverstrainednerves。Suddenlyhepushedherawayfromhimsothatherheadstruckthesideofthecab，pushinghimselfawaytoofromherasifsomethinghadstunghim。
Allthewarmthwentoutofheremotion。Theverylasttearsturnedcoldonhercheek。Buttheirworkwasdone。Shehadfoundcourage，resolution，aswomendo，inagoodcry。Withhishandcoveringtheupperpartofhisfacewhethertoconcealhiseyesortoshutoutanunbearablesight，hewasstiffeningupinhiscornertohisusualpoker-likeconsistency。Sheregardedhiminsilence。Histhinobstinatelipsmoved。Heutteredthenameofthecousin——theman，youremember，whodidnotapproveoftheFynes，andwhomrightlyorwronglylittleFynesuspectedofinterestedmotives，inviewofdeBarralhavingpossiblyputawaysomeplunder，somewherebeforethesmash。
ImayjustaswelltellyouatoncethatIdon’tknowanythingmoreofhim。ButdeBarralwasoftheopinion，speakinginhislowvoicefromunderhishand，thatthisrelationwouldhavebeenonlytoogladtohavesecuredhisguidance。”OfcourseIcouldnotcomeforwardinmyownname，orperson。Buttheadviceofamanofmyexperienceisasgoodasafortunetoanybodywishingtoventureintofinance。Thesamesortofthingcanbedoneagain。”
Heshuffledhisfeetalittle，letfallhishand；andturningcarefullytowardhisdaughterhispuffyroundcheeks，hisroundchinrestingonhiscollar，hebentonherthefaded，resentfulgazeofhispaleeyes，whichwerewet。”Thestartisreallyonlyamatterofjudiciousadvertising。
There’snodifficulty。Andhereyougoand……”
Heturnedhisfaceaway。”AfterallIamstilldeBarral，THEdeBarral。Didn’tyourememberthat？””Papa，”saidFlora；”listen。It’syouwhomustrememberthatthereisnolongeradeBarral……”Helookedathersidewaysanxiously。”ThereisMr。Smith，whomnoharm，notrouble，nowickedliesofevilpeoplecanevertouch。””Mr。Smith，”hebreathedoutslowly。”Wheredoeshebelongto？
There’snotevenaMissSmith。””ThereisyourFlora。””MyFlora！Youwentand……Ican’tbeartothinkofit。It’shorrible。””Yes。Itwashorribleenoughattimes，”shesaidwithfeeling，becausesomehow，obscurely，whatthismansaidappealedtoherasifitwereherownthoughtclothedinanenigmaticemotion。”IthinkwithshamesometimeshowI……Nonotyet。Ishallnottellyou。
Atleastnotnow。”
Thecabturnedintothegatewayofthedock。Florahandedthetallhattoherfather。”Here，papa。Andpleasebegood。Isupposeyouloveme。Ifyoudon’t，thenIwonderwho——”
Heputthehaton，andstiffenedhardinhiscorner，keptasidelongglanceonhisgirl。”Trytobeniceformysake。ThinkoftheyearsIhavebeenwaitingforyou。Idoindeedwantsupport——andpeace。Alittlepeace。”
Sheclaspedhisarmsuddenlywithbothhandspressingwithallhermightasiftocrushtheresistanceshefeltinhim。”IcouldnothavepeaceifIdidnothaveyouwithme。Iwon’tletyougo。NotafterallIwentthrough。Iwon’t。”Thenervousforceofhergripfrightenedhimalittle。Shelaughedsuddenly。”It’sabsurd。It’sasifIwereaskingyouforasacrifice。WhatamIafraidof？
Wherecouldyougo？Imeannow，to-day，to-night？Youcan’ttellme。Haveyouthoughtofit？WellIhavebeenthinkingofitforthelastyear。Longer。Inearlywentmadtryingtofindout。I
believeIwasmadforatimeorelseIshouldneverhavethought……””Thiswasasnearasshecametoaconfession，”remarkedMarlowinachangedtone。”TheconfessionImeanofthatwalktothetopofthequarrywhichshereproachedherselfwithsobitterly。Andhemadeofitwhathisfancysuggested。Itcouldnotpossiblybeajustnotion。ThecabstoppedalongsidetheshipandtheygotoutinthemannerdescribedbythesensitiveFranklin。Idon’tknowiftheysuspectedeachother’ssanityattheendofthatdrive。Butthatispossible。Weallseemalittlemadtoeachother；anexcellentarrangementforthebulkofhumanitywhichfindsinitaneasymotiveofforgiveness。Floracrossedthequarter-deckwitharapiditybornofapprehension。Ithadgrownunbearable。Shewantedthisbusinessover。Shewasthankfulonlookingbacktoseehewasfollowingher。”Ifheboltsaway，”shethought，”thenIshallknowthatIamofnoaccountindeed！Thatnoonelovesme，thatwordsandactionsandprotestationsandeverythingintheworldisfalse——
andIshalljumpintothedock。THATatleastwon’tlie。”
WellIdon’tknow。Ifithadcometothatshewouldhavebeenmostlikelyfishedout，whatwithhernaturalwantofluckandthegoodmanypeopleonthequayandonboard。AndjustwheretheFerndalewasmooredtherehungonawallIknowtheberthacoilofline，apole，andalife-buoykeptthereonpurposetosavepeoplewhotumbleintothedock。It’snotsoeasytogetawayfromlife’sbetrayalsasshethought。Howeveritdidnotcometothat。Hefollowedherwithhisquickglidingwalk。Mr。Smith！TheliberatedconvictdeBarralpassedoffthesolidearthforthelasttime，vanishedforever，andtherewasMr。Smithaddedtothatworldofwaterswhichharbourssomanyqueerfishes。Anoldgentlemaninasilkhat，dartingwaryglances。Hefollowed，becausemereexistencehasitsclaimswhichareobeyedmechanically。Ihavenodoubthepresentedarespectablefigure。Father-in-law。Nothingmorerespectable。Buthecarriedinhishearttheconfusedpainofdismayandaffection，ofinvoluntaryrepulsionandpity。Verymuchlikehisdaughter。Onlyinadditionhefeltafuriousjealousyofthemanhewasgoingtosee。
Aresidueofegoismremainsineveryaffection——evenpaternal。Andthismanintheseclusionofhisprisonhadthoughthimselfintosuchasenseofownershipofthatsinglehumanbeinghehadtothinkabout，asmaywellbeinconceivabletouswhohavenothadtoservealongandwickedlyunjustsentenceofpenalservitude。Shewaspositivelytheonlything，theonepointwherehisthoughtsfoundaresting-place，foryears。Shewastheonlyoutletforhisimagination。Hehadnotmuchofthatfacultytobesure，buttherewasinittheforceofconcentration。Hefeltoutraged，andperhapsitwasanabsurdityonhispart，butIventuretosuggestratherindegreethaninkind。Ihaveanotionthatnousual，normalfatherispleasedatpartingwithhisdaughter。No。Notevenwhenherationallyappreciates”Janebeingtakenoffhishands”orperhapsisabletoexultatanexcellentmatch。Atbottom，quitedeepdown，downinthedarkinsomecasesonlybydigging，thereistobefoundacertainrepugnance……Withmothersofcourseitisdifferent。Womenaremoreloyal，nottoeachother，buttotheircommonfemininitywhichtheybeholdtriumphantwithasecretandproudsatisfaction。
ThecircumstancesofthatmatchaddedtoMr。Smith’sindignation。
Andifhefollowedhisdaughterintothatship’scabinitwasasifintoahouseofdisgraceandonlybecausehewasstillbewilderedbythesuddennessofthething。Hiswill，solonglyingfallow，wasoverbornebyherdeterminationandbyavaguefearofthatregainedliberty。
YouwillbegladtohearthatAnthony，thoughhedidshirkthewelcomeonthequay，behavedadmirably，withthesimplicityofamanwhohasnosmallmeannessesandmakesnomeanreservations。Hiseyesdidnotflinchandhistonguedidnotfalter。Hewas，Ihaveitonthebestauthority，admirableinhisearnestness，inhissincerityandalsoinhisrestraint。Hewasperfect。NeverthelessthevitalforceofhisunknownindividualityaddressinghimsofamiliarlywasenoughtoflusterMr。Smith。Florasawherfathertremblinginallhisexiguouslength，thoughheheldhimselfstifferthaneverifthatwaspossible。Hemutteredalittleandatlastmanagedtoutter，notloudofcoursebutverydistinctly:”Iamhereunderprotest，”thecornersofhismouthsunkdisparagingly，hiseyesstony。”Iamhereunderprotest。Ihavebeenlockedupbyaconspiracy。I——”
Heraisedhishandstohisforehead——hissilkhatwasonthetablerimupwards；hehadputittherewithadespairinggestureashecamein——heraisedhishandstohisforehead。”Itseemstomeunfair。I——”Hebrokeoffagain。AnthonylookedatFlorawhostoodbythesideofherfather。”Well，sir，youwillsoongetusedtome。Surelyyouandshemusthavehadenoughofshore-peopleandtheirconfoundedhalf-and-halfwaystolastyoubothforalife-time。Aparticularlymercifullottheyaretoo。YouaskFlora。Iamalludingtomyownsister，herbestfriend，andnotabadwomaneitherastheygo。”
ThecaptainoftheFerndalecheckedhimself。”LuckythingIwastheretostepin。Iwantyoutomakeyourselfathome，andbeforelong——”
ThefadedstareoftheGreatdeBarralsilencedAnthonybyitsinexpressivefixity。HesignalledwithhiseyestoFloratowardsthedoorofthestate-roomfittedspeciallytoreceiveMr。Smith，thefreeman。Sheseizedthefreeman’shatoffthetableandtookhimcaressinglyunderthearm。”Yes！Thisishome，comeandseeyourroom，papa！”
AnthonyhimselfthrewopenthedoorandFloratookcaretoshutitcarefullybehindherselfandherfather。”See，”shebeganbutdesistedbecauseitwasclearthathewouldlookatnoneofthecontrivancesforhiscomfort。Sheherselfhadhardlyseenthembefore。Hewaslookingonlyatthenewcarpetandshewaitedtillheshouldraisehiseyes。
Hedidn’tdothatbutspokeinhisusualvoice。”Sothisisyourhusband，that……AndIlockedup！””Papa，what’sthegoodofharpingonthat，”sheremonstratednolouder。”Heiskind。””Andyouwentand……marriedhimsothatheshouldbekindtome。
Isthatit？HowdidyouknowthatIwantedanybodytobekindtome？””Howstrangeyouare！”shesaidthoughtfully。”It’shardforamanwhohasgonethroughwhatIhavegonethroughtofeellikeotherpeople。Hasthatoccurredtoyou？……”Helookedupatlast……”Mrs。Anthony，Ican’tbearthesightofthefellow。”Shemethiseyeswithoutflinchingandheadded，”Youwanttogotohimnow。”Hismildautomaticmannerseemedtheeffectoftremendousself-restraint——andyetsherememberedhimalwayslikethat。Shefeltcoldallover。”Why，ofcourse，Imustgotohim，”shesaidwithaslightstart。
Hegnashedhisteethatherandshewentout。
Anthonyhadnotmovedfromthespot。Oneofhishandswasrestingonthetable。Shewentuptohim，stopped，thendeliberatelymovedstillcloser。”Thankyou，Roderick。””Youneedn’tthankme，”hemurmured。”It’sIwho……””No，perhapsIneedn’t。Youdowhatyoulike。Butyouaredoingitwell。”
Hesighedthenhardlyaboveawhisperbecausetheywerenearthestate-roomdoor，”Upset，eh？”
Shemadenosign，nosoundofanykind。Thethoroughfalsenessofthepositionweighedonthemboth。Buthewasthebraverofthetwo。”Idaresay。Atfirst。Didyouthinkoftellinghimyouwerehappy？””Heneveraskedme，”shesmiledfaintlyathim。Shewasdisappointedbyhisquietness。”IdidnotsaymorethanIwasabsolutelyobligedtosay——ofmyself。”Shewasbeginningtobeirritatedwiththismanalittle。”ItoldhimIhadbeenverylucky，”shesaidsuddenlydespondent，missingAnthony’smasterfulmanner，thatsomethingarbitraryandtenderwhich，afterthefirstscare，shehadaccustomedherselftolookforwardtowithpleasurableapprehension。Hewascontemplatingherratherblankly。
Shehadnottakenoffheroutdoorthings，hat，gloves。Shewaslikeacaller。Andshehadamovementsuggestingtheendofanotverysatisfactorybusinesscall。”Perhapsitwouldbejustaswellifwewentashore。Timeyet。”
Hegaveheraglimpseofhisunconstrainedselfinthelowvehement”Youdare！”whichsprangtohislipsandoutofthemwithamostmenacinginflexion。”Youdare……What’sthematternow？”
Theselastwordswereshotoutnotatherbutatsometargetbehindherback。LookingoverhershouldershesawthebaldheadwithblackbunchesofhairofthecongestedanddevotedFranklinhehadhiscapinhishandgazingsentimentallyfromthesaloondoorwaywithhislobstereyes。Hewasheardfromthedistanceinatoneofinjuredinnocencereportingthattheberthingmasterwasalongsideandthathewantedtomovetheshipintothebasinbeforethecrewcameonboard。
Hiscaptaingrowled”Well，lethim，”andwavedawaytheulceratedandpatheticsoulbehindtheseprominenteyeswhichlingeredontheoffensivewomanwhilethematebackedoutslowly。AnthonyturnedtoFlora。”Youcouldnothavemeantit。Youareasstraightastheymakethem。””Iamtryingtobe。””Thendon’tjokeinthatway。Thinkofwhatwouldbecomeof——me。””Ohyes。Iforgot。No，Ididn’tmeanit。Itwasn’tajoke。Itwasforgetfulness。Youwouldn’thavebeenwronged。Icouldn’thavegone。I——Iamtootired。”
Hesawshewasswayingwhereshestoodandrestrainedhimselfviolentlyfromtakingherintohisarms，hisframetremblingwithfearasthoughhehadbeentemptedtoanactofunparalleledtreachery。Hesteppedasideandloweringhiseyespointedtothedoorofthestern-cabin。Itwasonlyaftershepassedbyhimthathelookedupandthushedidnotseetheangryglanceshegavehimbeforeshemovedon。Helookedafterher。Shetotteredslightlyjustbeforereachingthedoorandflungittobehindhernervously。
Anthony——hehadfeltthiscrashasifthedoorhadbeenslammedinsidehisverybreast——stoodforamomentwithoutmovingandthenshoutedforMrs。Brown。Thiswasthesteward’swife，hisluckyinspirationtomakeFloracomfortable。”Mrs。Brown！Mrs。Brown！”
Atlastsheappearedfromsomewhere。”Mrs。Anthonyhascomeonboard。Justgoneintothecabin。Hadn’tyoubetterseeifyoucanbeofanyassistance？””Yes，sir。”
Andagainhewasalonewiththesituationhehadcreatedinthehardihoodandinexperienceofhisheart。Hethoughthehadbettergoondeck。Infactheoughttohavebeentherebefore。Atanyrateitwouldbetheusualthingforhimtobeondeck。Butasoundofmutteringandoffaintthudssomewherenearbyarrestedhisattention。TheyproceededfromMr。Smith’sroom，heperceived。Itwasveryextraordinary。”He’stalkingtohimself，”hethought。”Heseemstobethumpingthebulkheadwithhisfists——orhishead。”
Anthony’seyesgrewbigwithwonderwhilehelistenedtothesenoises。HebecamesoattentivethathedidnotnoticeMrs。Browntillsheactuallystoppedbeforehimforamomenttosay:”Mrs。Anthonydoesn’twantanyassistance，sir。”
ThiswasyouunderstandthevoyagebeforeMr。Powell——youngPowellthen——joinedtheFerndale；chancehavingarrangedthatheshouldgethisstartinlifeinthatparticularshipofalltheshipsthenintheportofLondon。Themostunrestfulshipthateversailedoutofanyportonearth。Iamnotalludingtohersea-goingqualities。
Mr。Powelltellsmeshewasassteadyasachurch。Imeanunrestfulinthesense，forinstanceinwhichthisplanetofoursisunrestful——amatterofanuneasyatmospheredisturbedbypassions，jealousies，loves，hatesandthetroublesoftranscendentalgoodintentions，which，thoughethicallyvaluable，Ihavenodoubtcauseoftenmoreunhappinessthantheplotsofthemosteviltendency。
Forthosewhorefusetobelieveinchancehe，ImeanMr。Powell，musthavebeenobviouslypredestinedtoaddhisnativeingenuousnesstothesumofalltheotherscarriedbythehonestshipFerndale。
Hewastooingenuous。Everybodyonboardwas，exceptionbeingmadeofMr。Smithwho，however，wassimpleenoughinhisway，withthatterriblesimplicityofthefixedidea，forwhichthereisalsoanothernamemenpronouncewithdreadandaversion。HisfixedideawastosavehisgirlfromthemanwhohadpossessedhimselfofherIusethesewordsonpurposebecausetheimagetheysuggestwasclearlyinMr。Smith’smind，possessedhimselfunfairlyofherwhilehe，thefather，waslockedup。”Iwon’tresttillIhavegotyouawayfromthatman，”hewouldmurmurtoherafterlongperiodsofcontemplation。WeknowfromPowellhowheusedtositontheskylightnearthelongdeck-chaironwhichFlorawasreclining，gazingintoherfacefromabovewithanairofguardianshipandinvestigationatthesametime。
Itisalmostimpossibletosayifheeverhadconsideredtheeventrationally。TheavatarofdeBarralintoMr。Smithhadnotbeeneffectedwithoutashock——thatmuchonemustrecognize。Itmaybethatitdroveallpracticalconsiderationsoutofhismind，makingroomforawfulandprecisevisionswhichnothingcoulddislodgeafterwards。
Anditmighthavebeenthetenacity，theunintelligenttenacity，ofthemanwhohadpersistedinthrowingmillionsofotherpeople’sthriftintotheLoneValleyRailway，theLabradorDocks，theSpottedLeopardCopperMine，andothergrotesquespeculationsexposedduringthefamousdeBarraltrial，amongstmurmursofastonishmentmingledwithburstsoflaughter。ForitisintheCourtsofLawthatComedyfindsitslastrefugeinourdeadlyseriousworld。Astotearsandlamentations，thesewerenotheardintheaugustprecinctsofcomedy，becausetheywereindulgedinprivatelyinseveralthousandhomes，where，withafinedramaticeffect，hungerhadtakentheplaceofThrift。
Buttherewasoneatleastwhodidnotlaughincourt。Thatpersonwastheaccused。ThenotoriousdeBarraldidnotlaughbecausehewasindignant。Hewasimpervioustowords，tofacts，toinferences。
Itwouldhavebeenimpossibletomakehimseehisguiltorhisfolly——eitherbyevidenceorargument——ifanybodyhadtriedtoargue。
NeitherdidhisdaughterFloratrytoarguewithhim。Thecrueltyofherpositionwassogreat，itscomplicationssothorny，ifImayexpressmyselfso，thatapassiveattitudewasyetherbestrefuge——
asithadbeenbeforeherofsomanywomen。
Forthatsortofinertiainwomanisalwaysenigmaticandthereforemenacing。Itmakesonepause。Awomanmaybeafool，asleepyfool，anagitatedfool，atooawfullynoxiousfool，andshemayevenbesimplystupid。Butsheisneverdense。She’snevermadeofwoodthroughandthroughassomemenare。Thereisinwomanalways，somewhere，aspring。Whatevermendon’tknowaboutwomenanditmaybealotoritmaybeverylittlemenandevenfathersdoknowthatmuch。Andthatiswhysomanymenareafraidofthem。
Mr。SmithIbelievewasafraidofhisdaughter’squietnessthoughofcourseheinterpreteditinhisownway。
Hewould，asMr。Powelldepicts，sitontheskylightandbendoverthereclininggirl，wonderingwhattherewasbehindthelostgazeunderthedarkenedeyelidsinthestilleyes。Hewouldlookandlookandthenhewouldsay，whisperrather，itdidn’ttakemuchforhisvoicetodroptoamerebreath——hewoulddeclare，transferringhisfadedstaretothehorizon，thathewouldneverresttillhehad”gotherawayfromthatman。””Youdon’tknowwhatyouaresaying，papa。”
Shewouldtrynottoshowherweariness，thenervousstrainofthesetwomen’santagonismaroundherpersonwhichwasthecauseofherlanguidattitudes。Forasamatteroffacttheseaagreedwithher。
AslikelyasnotAnthonywouldbewalkingontheothersideofthedeck。Thestrainwasmakinghimrestless。Hecouldn’tsitstillanywhere。Hehadtriedshuttinghimselfupinhiscabin；butthatwasnogood。Hewouldjumpuptorushondeckandtramp，trampupanddownthatpooptillhefeltreadytodrop，withoutbeingabletoweardowntheagitationofhissoul，generousindeed，butweightedbyitsenvelopeofbloodandmuscleandbone；handicappedbythebraincreatingpreciseimagesandeverlastinglyspeculating，speculating——lookingoutforsigns，watchingforsymptoms。
AndMr。Smithwithaslightbackwardjerkofhissmallheadatthefootstepsontheothersideoftheskylightwouldinsistinhisawful，hopelesslygentlevoicethatheknewverywellwhathewassaying。Hadn’tshegivenherselftothatmanwhilehewaslockedup。”Helpless，injail，withnoonetothinkof，nothingtolookforwardto，butmydaughter。AndthenwhentheyletmeoutatlastIfindhergone——foritamountstothis。Sold。Becauseyou’vesoldyourself；youknowyouhave。”
Withhisroundunmovedface，alotoffinewhitehairwavinginthewind-eddiesofthespanker，hisglancelevelledovertheseaheseemedtobeaddressingtheuniverseacrossherrecliningform。Shewouldprotestsometimes。”Iwishyouwouldnottalklikethis，papa。Youareonlytormentingme，andtormentingyourself。””Yes，Iamtormentedenough，”headmittedmeaningly。Butitwasnottalkingaboutitthattormentedhim。Itwasthinkingofit。Andtositandlookatitwasworseforhimthanitpossiblycouldhavebeenforhertogoandgiveherselfup，badasthatmusthavebeen。”Forofcourseyousuffered。Don’ttellmeyoudidn’t？Youmusthave。”
Shehadrenouncedverysoonallattemptsatprotests。Itwasuseless。Itmighthavemadethingsworse；andshedidnotwanttoquarrelwithherfather，theonlyhumanbeingthatreallycaredforher，absolutely，evidently，completely——totheend。Therewasinhimnopity，nogenerosity，nothingwhateverofthesefinethings——
itwasforher，forherveryownselfsuchasitwas，thatthishumanbeingcared。Thiscertitudewouldhavemadeherputupwithworsetorments。For，ofcourse，shetoowasbeingtormented。Shefeltalsohelpless，asifthewholeenterprisehadbeentoomuchforher。Thisisthesortofconvictionwhichmakesforquietude。Shewasbecomingafatalist。
Whatmusthavebeenratherappallingwerethenecessitiesofdailylife，theintercourseofcurrenttrifles。Thatnaturallyhadtogoon。Theywishedgoodmorningtoeachother，theysatdowntogethertomeals——andIbelievetherewouldbeagameofcardsnowandthenintheevening，especiallyatfirst。Whatfrightenedhermostwastheduplicityofherfather，atleastwhatlookedlikeduplicity，whensherememberedhispersistent，insistentwhispersondeck。
Howeverherfatherwasataciturnpersonasfarbackasshecouldrememberhimbest——ontheParade。Itwasshewhochattered，nevertroublingherselftodiscoverwhetherhewaspleasedordispleased。
Andnowshecouldn’tfathomhisthoughts。Neitherdidshechattertohim。Anthonywithaforcedfriendlysmileasiffrozentohislipsseemedonlytoothankfulatnotbeingmadetospeak。Mr。SmithsometimesforgothimselfwhilestudyinghishandsolongthatFlorahadtorecallhimtohimselfbyamurmured”Papa——yourlead。”Thenheapologizedbyafaintasifinwardejaculation”Begyourpardon，Captain。”NaturallysheaddressedAnthonyasRoderickandheaddressedherasFlora。Thiswasalltheactingthatwasnecessarytojudgefromthewincingtwitchoftheoldman’smouthateveryuttered”Flora。”Onhearingtherare”Rodericks”hehadsometimesascornfulgrimaceasfaintandfadedandcolourlessashiswholestiffpersonality。
Hewouldbethefirsttoretire。Hewasnotinfirm。Withhimtoothelifeonboardshipseemedtoagree；butfromasenseofduty，ofaffection，ortoplacatehishiddenfury，hisdaughteralwaysaccompaniedhimtohisstate-room”tomakehimcomfortable。”Shelightedhislamp，helpedhimintohisdressing-gownorgothimabookfromabookcasefittedinthere——butthislastrarely，becauseMr。Smithusedtodeclare”Iamnoreader”withsomethinglikeprideinhislowtones。Veryoftenafterkissinghergood-nightontheforeheadhewouldtreathertosomesuchfretfulremark:”It’slikebeinginjail——’ponmyword。Isupposethatmanisouttherewaitingforyou。Headjailer！Ough！”
Shewouldsmilevaguely；murmuraconciliatory”Howabsurd。”Butonce，outofpatience，shesaidquitesharply”Leaveoff。Ithurtsme。Onewouldthinkyouhateme。””Itisn’tyouIhate，”hewentonmonotonouslybreathingather。”No，itisn’tyou。ButifIsawthatyoulovedthatmanIthinkI
couldhateyoutoo。”
Thatwordstruckstraightatherheart。”Youwouldn’tbethefirstthen，”shemutteredbitterly。Buthewasbusywithhisfixedideaandutteredanawfullyequable”Butyoudon’t！Unfortunategirl！”
Shelookedathimsteadilyforatimethensaid”Good-night，papa。”
AsamatteroffactAnthonyveryseldomwaitedforheraloneatthetablewiththescatteredcards，glasses，water-jug，bottlesandsoon。HetooknomoreopportunitiestobealonewithherthanwasabsolutelynecessaryfortheedificationofMrs。Brown。Excellent，faithfulwoman；thewifeofhisstillmoreexcellentandfaithfulsteward。AndFlorawishedalltheseexcellentpeople，devotedtoAnthony，shewishedthemallfurther；andespeciallythenice，pleasant-spokenMrs。Brownwithherbeady，mobileeyesandher”Yescertainly，ma’am，”whichseemedtohertohaveamockingsound。Andsothisshorttrip——totheWesternIslandsonly——cametoanend。ItwassoshortthatwhenyoungPowelljoinedtheFerndalebyamemorablestrokeofchance，nomorethansevenmonthshadelapsedsincethe——letussaytheliberationoftheconvictdeBarralandhisavatarintoMr。Smith。
ForthetimetheshipwasloadinginLondonAnthonytookacottagenearalittlecountrystationinEssex，tohouseMr。SmithandMr。
Smith’sdaughter。Itwasaltogetherhisidea。HowfaritwasnecessaryforMr。SmithtoseekruralretreatIdon’tknow。Perhapstosomeextentitwasajudiciousarrangement。ThereweresomeobligationsincumbentontheliberateddeBarralinconnectionwithreportinghimselftothepoliceIimaginewhichMr。Smithwasnotanxioustoperform。DeBarralhadtovanish；thetheorywasthatdeBarralhadvanished，andithadtobeupheld。PoorFloralikedthecountry，evenifthespothadnothingmoretorecommenditthanitsretiredcharacter。
NowandthenCaptainAnthonyrandown；butasthestationwasarealwaysideone，withnoearlymorningtrainsup，hecouldneverstayformorethantheafternoon。Itappearedthathemustsleepintownsoastobeearlyonboardhisship。TheweatherwasmagnificentandwheneverthecaptainoftheFerndalewasseenonabrilliantafternooncomingdowntheroadMr。Smithwouldseizehisstickandtoddleoffforasolitarywalk。Butwhetherhewouldgettiredorbecauseitgavehimsomesatisfactiontosee”thatman”goaway——orforsomecunningreasonofhisown，hewasalwaysbackbeforethehourofAnthony’sdeparture。Onapproachingthecottagehewouldseegenerally”thatman”lyingonthegrassintheorchardatsomedistancefromhisdaughterseatedinachairbroughtoutofthecottage’slivingroom。InvariablyMr。Smithmadestraightforthemandasinvariablyhadthefeelingthathisapproachwasnotdisturbingaveryintimateconversation。Hesatwiththem，throughasilenthourorso，andthenitwouldbetimeforAnthonytogo。
Mr。Smith，perhapsfromdiscretion，wouldcasuallyvanishaminuteorsobefore，andthenwatchthroughthediamondpanesofanupstairsroom”thatman”takealingeringlookoutsidethegateattheinvisibleFlora，lifthishat，likeacaller，andgooffdowntheroad。ThenonlyMr。Smithwouldjoinhisdaughteragain。
Thesewerethebadmomentsforher。Notalways，ofcourse，butfrequently。ItwasnothingextraordinarytohearMr。Smithbegingentlywithsomeobservationlikethis:”Thatmanisgettingtiredofyou。”
HewouldneverpronounceAnthony’sname。Itwasalways”thatman。”
Generallyshewouldremainmutewithwideopeneyesgazingatnothingbetweenthegnarledfruittrees。Once，however，shegotupandwalkedintothecottage。Mr。Smithfollowedhercarryingthechair。HebangeditdownresolutelyandinthatsmoothinexpressivetonesomanyearsusedtobendeagerlytocatchwhenitcamefromtheGreatdeBarralhesaid:”Let’sgetaway。”
Shehadthestrengthofmindnottospinround。Onthecontraryshewentontoashabbybitofamirroronthewall。Inthegreenishglassherownfacelookedfarofflikethelividfaceofadrownedcorpseatthebottomofapool。Shelaughedfaintly。”Itellyouthatman’sgetting——””Papa，”sheinterruptedhim。”Ihavenoillusionsastomyself。Ithashappenedtomebeforebut——”
Hervoicefailinghersuddenlyherfatherstruckinwithquiteanunwontedanimation。”Let’smakearushforit，then。”
Havingmasteredbothherfrightandherbitterness，sheturnedround，satdownandallowedherastonishmenttobeseen。Mr。Smithsatdowntoo，hiskneestogetherandbentatrightangles，histhinlegsparalleltoeachotherandhishandsrestingonthearmsofthewoodenarm-chair。Hishairhadgrownlong，hisheadwassetstiffly，therewassomethingfatuouslyvenerableinhisaspect。”Youcan’tcareforhim。Don’ttellme。Iunderstandyourmotive。
AndIhavecalledyouanunfortunategirl。Youarethatasmuchasifyouhadgoneonthestreets。Yes。Don’tinterruptme，Flora。I
waseverlastinglybeinginterruptedatthetrialandIcan’tstanditanymore。Iwon’tbeinterruptedbymyownchild。AndwhenI
thinkthatitisontheverydaybeforetheyletmeoutthatyou……”
HehadwormedthisfactoutofherbythattimebecauseFlorahadgottiredofevadingthequestion。Hehadbeenverymuchstruckanddistressed。Wasthatthetrustshehadinhim？Wasthataproofofconfidenceandlove？Theverydaybefore！Nevergivenhimevenhalfachance。Itwasasatthetrial。Theynevergavehimachance。Theywouldnotgivehimtime。Andtherewashisowndaughteractingexactlyashisbitterestenemieshaddone。Notgivinghimtime！
Themonotonyofthatsubduedvoicenearlylulledherdismaytosleep。Shelistenedtotheunavoidablethingshewassaying。”Butwhatinducedthatmantomarryyou？Ofcoursehe’sagentleman。Onecanseethat。Andthatmakesitworse。Gentlemendon’tunderstandanythingaboutcityaffairs——finance。Why！——thepeoplewhostartedthecryaftermewereafirmofgentlemen。Thecounsel，thejudge——allgentlemen——quiteoutofit！Nonotionof……Andthenhe’sasailortoo。Justaskipper——””Mygrandfatherwasnothingelse，”sheinterrupted。Andhemadeanangulargestureofimpatience。”Yes。Butwhatdoesasillysailorknowofbusiness？Nothing。Noconception。HecanhavenoideaofwhatitmeanstobethedaughterofMr。deBarral——evenafterhisenemieshadsmashedhim。Whatonearthinducedhim——”
Shemadeamovementbecausethelevelvoicewasgettingonhernerves。Andhepaused，butonlytogoonagaininthesametonewiththeremark:”Ofcourseyouarepretty。Andthat’swhyyouarelost——likemanyotherpoorgirls。Unfortunateisthewordforyou。”
Shesaid:”Itmaybe。Perhapsitistherightword；butlisten，papa。Imeantobehonest。”
Hebegantoexhalemorespeeches。”Justthesortofmantogettiredandthenleaveyouandgooffwithhisbeastlyship。Andanywayyoucanneverbehappywithhim。
Lookathisface。Iwanttosaveyou。YouseeIwasnotperhapsaverygoodhusbandtoyourpoormother。Shewouldhavedonebettertohaveleftmelongbeforeshedied。Ihavebeenthinkingitallover。Iwon’thaveyouunhappy。”
Heranhiseyesoverherwithanattentionwhichwassurprisinglynoticeable。Thensaid，”H’m！Yes。Let’sclearoutbeforeitistoolate。Quietly，youandI。”
Shesaidasifinspiredandwiththatcalmnesswhichdespairoftengives:”Thereisnomoneytogoawaywith，papa。”
Heroseupstraighteninghimselfasthoughhewereahingedfigure。
Shesaiddecisively:”Andofcourseyouwouldn’tthinkofdesertingme，papa？””Ofcoursenot，”soundedhissubduedtone。Andhelefther，glidingawaywithhiswalkwhichMr。Powelldescribedtomeasbeingaslevelandwaryashisvoice。Hewalkedasifhewerecarryingaglassfullofwateronhishead。
FloranaturallysaidnothingtoAnthonyofthatedifyingconversation。Hisgenerositymighthavetakenalarmatitandshedidnotwanttobeleftbehindtomanageherfatheralone。Andmoreovershewastoohonest。Shewouldbehonestatwhatevercost。
Shewouldnotbethefirsttospeak。Never。Andthethoughtcameintoherhead:”Iamindeedanunfortunatecreature！”
ItwasbythemerestcoincidencethatAnthonycomingfortheafternoontwodayslaterhadatalkwithMr。Smithintheorchard。
Floraforsomereasonorotherhadleftthemforamoment；andAnthonytookthatopportunitytobefrankwithMr。Smith。Hesaid:”Itseemstome，sir，thatyouthinkFlorahasnotdoneverywellforherself。Well，astothatIcan’tsayanything。AllIwantyoutoknowisthatIhavetriedtodotherightthing。”Andthenheexplainedthathehadwilledeverythinghewaspossessedoftoher。”Shedidn’ttellyou，Isuppose？”
Mr。Smithshookhisheadslightly。AndAnthony，tryingtobefriendly，wasjustsayingthatheproposedtokeeptheshipawayfromhomeforatleasttwoyears。”Ithink，sir，thatfromeverypointofviewitwouldbebest，”whenFloracamebackandtheconversation，cutshortinthatdirection，languishedanddied。
Laterintheevening，afterAnthonyhadbeengoneforhours，onthepointofseparatingforthenight，Mr。Smithremarkedsuddenlytohisdaughterafteralongperiodofbrooding:”Awillisnothing。Onetearsitup。Onemakesanother。”Thenafterreflectingforaminuteheaddedunemotionally:”Onetellsliesaboutit。”
Flora，patient，steeledagainsteveryhurtandeverydisgusttothepointofwonderingatherself，said:”Youpushyourdislikeof——of——
Rodericktoofar，papa。Youhavenoregardforme。Youhurtme。”
He，aseverinexpressivetothepointofterrifyinghersometimesbythecontrastofhisplacidityandhiswords，turnedawayfromherapairoffadedeyes。”Iwonderhowfaryourdislikegoes，”hebegan。”Hisverynamesticksinyourthroat。I’venoticedit。Ithurtsme。Whatdoyouthinkofthat？Youmightrememberthatyouarenottheonlypersonthat’shurtbyyourfolly，byyourhastiness，byyourrecklessness。”
Hebroughtbackhiseyestoherface。”Andtheverydaybeforetheyweregoingtoletmeout。”Hisfeeblevoicefailedhimaltogether，thenarrowcompressedlipsonlytremblingforatimebeforeheaddedwiththatextraordinaryequanimityoftone，”Icallitsinful。”
Floramadenoanswer。Shejudgeditsimpler，kinderandcertainlysafertolethimtalkhimselfout。This，Mr。Smith，beingnaturallytaciturn，nevertookverylongtodo。Andwemustnotimaginethatthissortofthingwentonallthetime。Shehadafewgooddaysinthatcottage。TheabsenceofAnthonywasareliefandhisvisitswerepleasurable。Shewasquieter。Hewasquietertoo。Shewasalmostsorrywhenthetimetojointheshiparrived。Itwasamomentofanguish，ofexcitement；theyarrivedatthedockintheeveningandFloraafter”makingherfathercomfortable”accordingtoestablishedusagelingeredinthestate-roomlongenoughtonoticethathewassurprised。Shecaughthispaleeyesobservingherquitestonily。Thenshewentoutafteracheerygood-night。
ContrarytoherhopesshefoundAnthonyyetinthesaloon。Sittinginhisarm-chairattheheadofthetablehewaspickingupsomebusinesspaperswhichheputhastilyinhisbreastpocketandgotup。Heaskedherifherday，travellinguptotownandthendoingsomeshopping，hadtiredher。Sheshookherhead。Thenhewantedtoknowinahalf-jocularwayhowshefeltaboutgoingaway，andforalongvoyagethistime。”DoesitmatterhowIfeel？”sheaskedinatonethatcastagloomoverhisface。Heansweredwithrepressedviolencewhichshedidnotexpect:”No，itdoesnotmatter，becauseIcannotgowithoutyou。I’vetoldyou……Youknowit。Youdon’tthinkIcould。””IassureyouIhaven’ttheslightestwishtoevademyobligations，”
shesaidsteadily。”EvenifIcould。EvenifIdared，evenifI
hadtodieforit！”