’Oh！itisgoodtohearyoumovingabout，’saidDick，rubbinghishands。
’Tellusallaboutyourbarsuccesses，Bessie，andthewayyoulivenow。’
’NevermindthatI’mquiterespectable，asyou’dseebylookingatme。
Youdon’tseemtolivetoowellWhatmadeyougoblindthatsudden？
Whyisn’tthereanyonetolookafteryou？’
Dickwastoothankfulforthesoundofhervoicetoresentthetoneofit。
’Iwascutacrosstheheadalongtimeago，andthatruinedmyeyes。
I
don’tsupposeanybodythinksitworthwhiletolookaftermeanymore。
Whyshouldthey？——andMrBeetonreallydoeseverythingIwant。’
’Don’tyouknowanygentlemenandladies，then，whileyouwas——well？’
’Afew，butIdon’tcaretohavethemlookingatme。’
’Isupposethat’swhyyou’vegrowedabeardTakeitoff，itdon’tbecomeyou。’
’Goodgracious，child，doyouimaginethatIthinkofwhatbecomesofmethesedays？’
’YououghtGetthattakenoffbeforeIcomehereagainIsupposeIcancome，can’tI？’
’I’dbeonlytoogratefulifyoudidIdon’tthinkItreatedyouverywellintheolddaysIusedtomakeyouangry。’
’Veryangry，youdid。’
’I’msorryforit，thenComeandseemewhenyoucanandasoftenasyoucanGodknows，thereisn’tasoulintheworldtotakethattroubleexceptyouandMrBeeton。’
’Alotoftroublehe’stakingandshetoo。’Thiswithatossofthehead。
’They’veletyoudoanyhowandtheyhaven’tdoneanythingforyou。
I’veonlytolookandseethatmuchI’llcome，andI’llbegladtocome，butyoumustgoandbeshaved，andyoumustgetsomeotherclothes——thoseonesaren’tfittobeseen。’
’Ihaveheapssomewhere，’hesaidhelplessly。
’IknowyouhaveTellMrBeetontogiveyouanewsuitandI’llbrushitandkeepitcleanYoumaybeasblindasabarn-door，MrHeldar，butitdoesn’texcuseyoulookinglikeasweep。’
’DoIlooklikeasweep，then？’
’Oh，I’msorryforyouI’mthatsorryforyou！’shecriedimpulsively，andtookDick’shandsMechanically，heloweredhisheadasiftokiss——shewastheonlywomanwhohadtakenpityonhim，andhewasnottooproudforalittlepitynowShestooduptogo。
’Nothingo’thatkindtillyoulookmorelikeagentlemanIt’squiteeasywhenyougetshaved，andsomeclothes。’
Hecouldhearherdrawingonherglovesandrosetosaygood-bye。
Shepassedbehindhim，kissedhimaudaciouslyonthebackoftheneck，andranawayasswiftlyasonthedaywhenshehaddestroyedtheMelancolia。
’TothinkofmekissingMrHeldar，’shesaidtoherself，’afterallhe’sdonetomeandall！Well，I’msorryforhim，andifhewasshavedhewouldn’tbesobadtolookat，butOhthemBeetons，howshamefulthey’vetreatedhim！IknowBeeton’swearinghisshirtonhisbackto-dayjustaswellasifI’daireditTo-morrow，I’llseeIwonderifhehasmuchofhisownItmightbeworthmorethanthebar——Iwouldn’thavetodoanywork——andjustasrespectableasifnooneknew。’
DickwasnotgratefultoBessieforherpartinggiftHewasacutelyconsciousofitinthenapeofhisneckthroughoutthenight，butitseemed，amongverymanyotherthings，toenforcethewisdomofgettingshaved。
Hewasshavedaccordinglyinthemorning，andfeltthebetterforitA
freshsuitofclothes，whitelinen，andtheknowledgethatsomeoneintheworldsaidthatshetookaninterestinhispersonalappearancemadehimcarryhimselfalmostupright；forthebrainwasrelievedforawhilefromthinkingofMaisie，who，underothercircumstances，mighthavegiventhatkissandamillionothers。
’Letusconsider，’saidhe，afterlunch’Thegirlcan’tcare，andit’satoss-upwhethershecomesagainornot，butifmoneycanbuyhertolookaftermesheshallbeboughtNobodyelseintheworldwouldtakethetrouble，andIcanmakeitworthherwhileShe’sachildofthegutterholdingbrevetrankasabarmaid；sosheshallhaveeverythingshewantsifshe’llonlycomeandtalkandlookafterme。’Herubbedhisnewlyshornchinandbegantoperplexhimselfwiththethoughtofhernotcoming’IsupposeIdidlookratherasweep，’hewenton’IhadnoreasontolookotherwiseIknewthingsdroppedonmyclothes，butitdidn’tmatterItwouldbecruelifshedidn’tcomeShemust。
Maisiecameonce，andthatwasenoughforherShewasquiterightShehadsomethingtoworkforThiscreaturehasonlybeer-handlestopull，unlessshehasdeludedsomeyoungmanintokeepingcompanywithher。
Fancybeingcheatedforthesakeofacounter-jumper！We’refallingprettylow。’
Somethingcriedaloudwithinhim：——ThiswillhurtmorethananythingthathasgonebeforeItwillrecallandremindandsuggestandtantalise，andintheenddriveyoumad。
’Iknowit，Iknowit！’Dickcried，clenchinghishandsdespairingly；
’but，goodheavens！isapoorblindbeggarnevertogetanythingoutofhislifeexceptthreemealsadayandagreasywaistcoat？Iwishshe’dcome。’
Earlyintheafternoontimeshecame，becausetherewasnoyoungmaninherlifejustthen，andshethoughtofmaterialadvantageswhichwouldallowhertobeidlefortherestofherdays。
’Ishouldn’thaveknownyou，’shesaidapprovingly’Youlookasyouusedtolook——agentlemanthatwasproudofhimself。’
’Don’tyouthinkIdeserveanotherkiss，then？’saidDick，flushingalittle。
’Maybe——butyouwon’tgetityetSitdownandlet’sseewhatIcandoforyouI’mcertainsureMrBeetoncheatsyou，nowthatyoucan’tgothroughthehousekeepingbookseverymonthIsn’tthattrue？’
’You’dbettercomeandhousekeepformethen，Bessie。’
’Couldn’tdoitinthesechambers——youknowthataswellasIdo。’
’Iknow，butwemightgosomewhereelse，ifyouthoughtitworthyourwhile。’
’I’dtrytolookafteryou，anyhow；butIshouldn’tcaretohavetoworkforbothofus。’Thiswastentative。
Dicklaughed。
’DoyourememberwhereIusedtokeepmybank-book？’saidhe。
’TorptookittobebalancedjustbeforehewentawayLookandsee。’
’Itwasgenerallyunderthetobacco-jarAh！’
’Well？’
’Oh！Fourthousandtwohundredandtenpoundsnineshillingsandapenny！Ohmy！’
’YoucanhavethepennyThat’snotbadforoneyear’sworkIsthatandahundredandtwentypoundsayeargoodenough？’
Theidlenessandtheprettyclotheswerealmostwithinherreachnow，butshemust，bybeinghousewifely，showthatshedeservedthem。
’Yes；butyou’dhavetomove，andifwetookaninventory，Ithinkwe’dfindthatMrBeetonhasbeenprigginglittlethingsoutoftheroomshereandthereTheydon’tlookasfullastheyused。’
’Nevermind，we’lllethimhavethemTheonlythingI’mparticularlyanxioustotakeawayisthatpictureIusedyoufor——whenyouusedtoswearatmeWe’llpulloutofthisplace，Bess，andgetawayasfaraseverwecan。’
’Ohyes，’shesaiduneasily。
’Idon’tknowwhereIcangotogetawayfrommyself，butI’lltry，andyoushallhavealltheprettyfrocksthatyoucareforYou’lllikethat。
Givemethatkissnow，BessYegods！it’sgoodtoputone’sarmroundawoman’swaistagain。’
ThencamethefulfilmentoftheprophecywithinthebrainIfhisarmwerethusroundMaisie’swaistandakisshadjustbeengivenandtakenbetweenthem，——whythenHepressedthegirlmorecloselytohimselfbecausethepainwhippedhimShewaswonderinghowtoexplainalittleaccidenttotheMelancoliaAtanyrate，ifthismanreallydesiredthesolaceofhercompany——andcertainlyhewouldrelapseintohisoriginalsloughifshewithdrewit——hewouldnotbemorethanjustalittlevexed。
Itwouldbedelightfulatleasttoseewhatwouldhappen，andbyherteachingsitwasgoodforamantostandincertainaweofhiscompanion。
Shelaughednervously，andslippedoutofhisreach。
’Ishouldn’tworritaboutthatpictureifIwasyou，’shebegan，inthehopeofturninghisattention。
’It’satthebackofallmycanvasessomewhereFindit，Bess；youknowitaswellasIdo。’
’Iknow——but——’
’Butwhat？You’vewitenoughtomanagethesaleofittoadealer。
WomenhagglemuchbetterthanmenItmightbeamatterofeightorninehundredpoundsto——tousIsimplydidn’tliketothinkaboutitforalongtimeItwasmixedupwithmylifeso——Butwe’llcoverupourtracksandgetridofeverything，eh？Makeafreshstartfromthebeginning，Bess。’
Thenshebegantorepentverymuchindeed，becausesheknewthevalueofmoneyStill，itwasprobablethattheblindmanwasoverestimatingthevalueofhisworkGentlemen，sheknew，wereabsurdlyparticularabouttheirthingsShegiggledasanervoushousemaidgiggleswhenshetriestoexplainthebreakageofapipe。
’I’mverysorry，butyourememberIwas——IwasangrywithyoubeforeMrTorpenhowwentaway？’
’Youwereveryangry，child；andonmywordIthinkyouhadsomerighttobe。’
’ThenI——butaren’tyousureMrTorpenhowdidn’ttellyou？’
’Tellmewhat？Goodgracious，whatareyoumakingsuchafussaboutwhenyoumightjustaswellbegivingmeanotherkiss？’
Hewasbeginningtolearn，notforthefirsttimeinhisexperience，thatkissingisacumulativepoisonThemoreyougetofit，themoreyouwant。
Bessiegavethekisspromptly，whispering，asshedidso，’IwassoangryI
rubbedoutthatpicturewiththeturpentineYouaren’tangry，areyou？’
’What？Saythatagain。’Theman’shandhadclosedonherwrist。
’Irubbeditoutwithturpsandtheknife，’falteredBessie’Ithoughtyou’donlyhavetodoitoveragainYoudiddoitoveragain，didn’tyou？
Oh，letgoofmywrist；you’rehurtingme。’
’Isn’tthereanythingleftofthething？’
’N’nothingthatlookslikeanythingI’msorry——Ididn’tknowyou’dtakeonaboutit；IonlymeanttodoitinfunYouaren’tgoingtohitme？’
’Hityou！No！Let’sthink。’
Hedidnotrelaxhisholduponherwristbutstoodstaringatthecarpet。
Thenheshookhisheadasayoungsteershakesitwhenthelashofthestock-whipcrosshisnosewarnshimbacktothepathontotheshamblesthathewouldescapeForweekshehadforcedhimselfnottothinkoftheMelancolia，becauseshewasapartofhisdeadlifeWithBessie’sreturnandcertainnewprospectsthathaddevelopedthemselves，theMelancolia——lovelierinhisimaginationthanshehadeverbeenoncanvas——reappearedByheraidhemighthaveprocuredmormoneywherewithtoamuseBessandtoforgetMaisie，aswellasanothertasteofanalmostforgottensuccessNow，thankstoaviciouslittlehousemaid’sfolly，therewasnothingtolookfor——noteventhehopethathemightsomedaytakeanabidinginterestinthehousemaidWorstofall，hehadbeenmadetoappearridiculousinMaisie’seyesAwomanwillforgivethemanwhohasruinedherlife’sworksolongashegivesherlove；amanmayforgivethosewhoruintheloveofhislife，buthewillneverforgivethedestructionofhiswork。
’Tck——tck——tck，’saidDickbetweenhisteeth，andthenlaughedsoftly’It’sanomen，Bessie，and——agoodmanythingsconsidered，itservesmerightfordoingwhatIhavedoneByJove！thataccountsforMaisie’srunningawayShemusthavethoughtmeperfectlymad——smallblametoher！Thewholepictureruined，isn’titso？Whatmadeyoudoit？’
’BecauseIwasthatangryI’mnotangrynow——I’mawfulsorry。’
’Iwonder——Itdoesn’tmatter，anyhowI’mtoblameformakingthemistake。’
’Whatmistake？’
’Somethingyouwouldn’tunderstand，dearGreatheavens！tothinkthatalittlepieceofdirtlikeyoucouldthrowmeoutofstride！’DickwastalkingtohimselfasBessietriedtoshakeoffhisgriponherwrist。
’Iain’tapieceofdirt，andyoushouldn’tcallmeso！Ididit’causeI
hatedyou，andI’monlysorrynow’causeyou’re——’causeyou’re——’
’Exactly——becauseI’mblindThere’snotingliketactinlittlethings。’
BessiebegantosobShedidnotlikebeingshackledagainstherwill；shewasafraidoftheblindfaceandthelookuponit，andwassorrytoothathergreatrevengehadonlymadeDicklaugh。
’Don’tcry，’hesaid，andtookherintohisarms’Youonlydidwhatyouthoughtright。’