Alreadyhermindwasbusywithbenevolentplansforherfriends，orratherwithonemagnificentplan——whichwassimpletoo——
theywerealltogetmarried——atonce——directlyshegotback。
Marriage，marriagethatwastherightthing，theonlything，thesolutionrequiredbyeveryonesheknew，andagreatpartofhermeditationswasspentintracingeveryinstanceofdiscomfort，loneliness，ill-health，unsatisfiedambition，restlessness，eccentricity，takingthingsupanddroppingthemagain，publicspeaking，andphilanthropicactivityonthepartofmenandparticularlyonthepartofwomentothefactthattheywantedtomarry，weretryingtomarry，andhadnotsucceededingettingmarried。
If，asshewasboundtoown，thesesymptomssometimespersistedaftermarriage，shecouldonlyascribethemtotheunhappylawofnaturewhichdecreedthattherewasonlyoneArthurVenning，andonlyoneSusanwhocouldmarryhim。Hertheory，ofcourse，hadthemeritofbeingfullysupportedbyherowncase。Shehadbeenvaguelyuncomfortableathomefortwoorthreeyearsnow，andavoyagelikethiswithherselfisholdaunt，whopaidherfarebuttreatedherasservantandcompanioninone，wastypicalofthekindofthingpeopleexpectedofher。Directlyshebecameengaged，Mrs。Paleybehavedwithinstinctiverespect，positivelyprotestedwhenSusanasusualkneltdowntolacehershoes，andappearedreallygratefulforanhourofSusan’scompanywhereshehadbeenusedtoexacttwoorthreeasherright。Shethereforeforesawalifeoffargreatercomfortthanshehadbeenusedto，andthechangehadalreadyproducedagreatincreaseofwarmthinherfeelingstowardsotherpeople。
ItwascloseontwentyyearsnowsinceMrs。Paleyhadbeenabletolaceherownshoesoreventoseethem，thedisappearanceofherfeethavingcoincidedmoreorlessaccuratelywiththedeathofherhusband，amanofbusiness，soonafterwhicheventMrs。Paleybegantogrowstout。Shewasaselfish，independentoldwoman，possessedofaconsiderableincome，whichshespentupontheupkeepofahousethatneededsevenservantsandacharwomaninLancasterGate，andanotherwithagardenandcarriage-horsesinSurrey。
Susan’sengagementrelievedheroftheonegreatanxietyofherlife——
thathersonChristophershould“entanglehimself“withhiscousin。
Nowthatthisfamiliarsourceofinterestwasremoved，shefeltalittlelowandinclinedtoseemoreinSusanthansheusedto。
Shehaddecidedtogiveheraveryhandsomeweddingpresent，achequefortwohundred，twohundredandfifty，orpossibly，conceivably——
itdependedupontheunder-gardenerandHuths’billfordoingupthedrawing-room——threehundredpoundssterling。
Shewasthinkingofthisveryquestion，revolvingthefigures，asshesatinherwheeledchairwithatablespreadwithcardsbyherside。ThePatiencehadsomehowgotintoamuddle，andshedidnotliketocallforSusantohelpher，asSusanseemedtobebusywithArthur。
“She’severyrighttoexpectahandsomepresentfromme，ofcourse，“
shethought，lookingvaguelyattheleopardonitshindlegs，“andI’venodoubtshedoes！Moneygoesalongwaywitheveryone。
Theyoungareveryselfish。IfIweretodie，nobodywouldmissmebutDakyns，andshe’llbeconsoledbythewill！However，I’vegotnoreasontocomplain……Icanstillenjoymyself。I’mnotaburdentoany-one……Ilikeagreatmanythingsagooddeal，inspiteofmylegs。“
Beingslightlydepressed，however，shewentontothinkoftheonlypeopleshehadknownwhohadnotseemedtoheratallselfishorfondofmoney，whohadseemedtohersomehowratherfinerthanthegeneralrun；peopleshewillinglyacknowledged，whowerefinerthanshewas。Therewereonlytwoofthem。Onewasherbrother，whohadbeendrownedbeforehereyes，theotherwasagirl，hergreatestfriend，whohaddiedingivingbirthtoherfirstchild。
Thesethingshadhappenedsomefiftyyearsago。
“Theyoughtnottohavedied，“shethought。“However，theydid——
andweselfisholdcreaturesgoon。“Thetearscametohereyes；
shefeltagenuineregretforthem，akindofrespectfortheiryouthandbeauty，andakindofshameforherself；butthetearsdidnotfall；
andsheopenedoneofthoseinnumerablenovelswhichsheusedtopronouncegoodorbad，orprettymiddling，orreallywonderful。
“Ican’tthinkhowpeoplecometoimaginesuchthings，“shewouldsay，takingoffherspectaclesandlookingupwiththeoldfadedeyes，thatwerebecomingringedwithwhite。
JustbehindthestuffedleopardMr。ElliotwasplayingchesswithMr。Pepper。Hewasbeingdefeated，naturally，forMr。Pepperscarcelytookhiseyesofftheboard，andMr。Elliotkeptleaningbackinhischairandthrowingoutremarkstoagentlemanwhohadonlyarrivedthenightbefore，atallhandsomeman，withaheadresemblingtheheadofanintellectualram。Afterafewremarksofageneralnaturehadpassed，theywerediscoveringthattheyknewsomeofthesamepeople，asindeedhadbeenobviousfromtheirappearancedirectlytheysaweachother。
“Ahyes，oldTruefit，“saidMr。Elliot。“HehasasonatOxford。
I’veoftenstayedwiththem。It’salovelyoldJacobeanhouse。
SomeexquisiteGreuzes——oneortwoDutchpictureswhichtheoldboykeptinthecellars。Thentherewerestacksuponstacksofprints。Oh，thedirtinthathouse！Hewasamiser，youknow。
TheboymarriedadaughterofLordPinwells。Iknowthemtoo。
Thecollectingmaniatendstoruninfamilies。Thischapcollectsbuckles——men’sshoe-bucklestheymustbe，inusebetweentheyears1580and1660；thedatesmayn’tberight，butfact’sasIsay。
Yourtruecollectoralwayshassomeunaccountablefadofthatkind。
Onotherpointshe’saslevel-headedasabreederofshorthorns，whichiswhathehappenstobe。ThenthePinwells，asyouprobablyknow，havetheirshareofeccentricitytoo。LadyMaud，forinstance——“
hewasinterruptedherebythenecessityofconsideringhismove，——“LadyMaudhasahorrorofcatsandclergymen，andpeoplewithbigfrontteeth。I’veheardhershoutacrossatable，’Keepyourmouthshut，MissSmith；they’reasyellowascarrots！’
acrossatable，mindyou。Tomeshe’salwaysbeencivilityitself。
Shedabblesinliterature，likestocollectafewofusinherdrawing-room，butmentionaclergyman，abishopeven，nay，theArchbishophimself，andshegobbleslikeaturkey-cock。I’vebeentoldit’safamilyfeud——somethingtodowithanancestorinthereignofCharlestheFirst。Yes，“hecontinued，sufferingcheckaftercheck，“Ialwaysliketoknowsomethingofthegrandmothersofourfashionableyoungmen。Inmyopiniontheypreserveallthatweadmireintheeighteenthcentury，withtheadvantage，inthemajorityofcases，thattheyarepersonallyclean。NotthatonewouldinsultoldLadyBarboroughbycallingherclean。Howoftend’youthink，Hilda，“hecalledouttohiswife，“herladyshiptakesabath？“
“Ishouldhardlyliketosay，Hugh，“Mrs。Elliottittered，“butwearingpucevelvet，asshedoesevenonthehottestAugustday，itsomehowdoesn’tshow。“
“Pepper，youhaveme，“saidMr。Elliot。“MychessisevenworsethanIremembered。“Heacceptedhisdefeatwithgreatequanimity，becausehereallywishedtotalk。
HedrewhischairbesideMr。WilfridFlushing，thenewcomer。
“Aretheseatallinyourline？“heasked，pointingatacaseinfrontofthem，wherehighlypolishedcrosses，jewels，andbitsofembroidery，theworkofthenatives，weredisplayedtotemptvisitors。
“Shams，allofthem，“saidMr。Flushingbriefly。“Thisrug，now，isn’tatallbad。“Hestoppedandpickedupapieceoftherugattheirfeet。“Notold，ofcourse，butthedesignisquiteintherighttradition。Alice，lendmeyourbrooch。
Seethedifferencebetweentheoldworkandthenew。“
Alady，whowasreadingwithgreatconcentration，unfastenedherbroochandgaveittoherhusbandwithoutlookingathimoracknowledgingthetentativebowwhichMr。Elliotwasdesirousofgivingher。
Ifshehadlistened，shemighthavebeenamusedbythereferencetooldLadyBarborough，hergreat-aunt，but，obliviousofhersurroundings，shewentonreading。
Theclock，whichhadbeenwheezingforsomeminuteslikeanoldmanpreparingtocough，nowstrucknine。Thesoundslightlydisturbedcertainsomnolentmerchants，governmentofficials，andmenofindependentmeanswhowerelyingbackintheirchairs，chatting，smoking，ruminatingabouttheiraffairs，withtheireyeshalfshut；theyraisedtheirlidsforaninstantatthesoundandthenclosedthemagain。Theyhadtheappearanceofcrocodilessofullygorgedbytheirlastmealthatthefutureoftheworldgivesthemnoanxietywhatever。Theonlydisturbanceintheplacidbrightroomwascausedbyalargemothwhichshotfromlighttolight，whizzingoverelaborateheadsofhair，andcausingseveralyoungwomentoraisetheirhandsnervouslyandexclaim，“Someoneoughttokillit！“
Absorbedintheirownthoughts，HewetandHirsthadnotspokenforalongtime。
Whentheclockstruck，Hirstsaid:
“Ah，thecreaturesbegintostir……“Hewatchedthemraisethemselves，lookaboutthem，andsettledownagain。
“WhatIabhormostofall，“heconcluded，“isthefemalebreast。
ImaginebeingVenningandhavingtogetintobedwithSusan！
Butthereallyrepulsivethingisthattheyfeelnothingatall——
aboutwhatIdowhenIhaveahotbath。They’regross，they’reabsurd，they’reutterlyintolerable！“
Sosaying，anddrawingnoreplyfromHewet，heproceededtothinkabouthimself，aboutscience，aboutCambridge，abouttheBar，aboutHelenandwhatshethoughtofhim，until，beingverytired，hewasnoddingofftosleep。
SuddenlyHewetwokehimup。
“Howd’youknowwhatyoufeel，Hirst？“
“Areyouinlove？“askedHirst。Heputinhiseyeglass。
“Don’tbeafool，“saidHewet。
“Well，I’llsitdownandthinkaboutit，“saidHirst。“Onereallyoughtto。Ifthesepeoplewouldonlythinkaboutthings，theworldwouldbeafarbetterplaceforusalltolivein。
Areyoutryingtothink？“
ThatwasexactlywhatHewethadbeendoingforthelasthalf-hour，buthedidnotfindHirstsympatheticatthemoment。
“Ishallgoforawalk，“hesaid。
“Rememberweweren’tinbedlastnight，“saidHirstwithaprodigiousyawn。
Hewetroseandstretchedhimself。
“Iwanttogoandgetabreathofair，“hesaid。
Anunusualfeelinghadbeenbotheringhimalltheeveningandforbiddinghimtosettleintoanyonetrainofthought。Itwaspreciselyasifhehadbeeninthemiddleofatalkwhichinterestedhimprofoundlywhensomeonecameupandinterruptedhim。Hecouldnotfinishthetalk，andthelongerhesattherethemorehewantedtofinishit。
AsthetalkthathadbeeninterruptedwasatalkwithRachel，hehadtoaskhimselfwhyhefeltthis，andwhyhewantedtogoontalkingtoher。Hirstwouldmerelysaythathewasinlovewithher。
Buthewasnotinlovewithher。Didlovebegininthatway，withthewishtogoontalking？No。Italwaysbeganinhiscasewithdefinitephysicalsensations，andthesewerenowabsent，hedidnotevenfindherphysicallyattractive。Therewassomething，ofcourse，unusualabouther——shewasyoung，inexperienced，andinquisitive，theyhadbeenmoreopenwitheachotherthanwasusuallypossible。
Healwaysfoundgirlsinterestingtotalkto，andsurelytheseweregoodreasonswhyheshouldwishtogoontalkingtoher；
andlastnight，whatwiththecrowdandtheconfusion，hehadonlybeenabletobegintotalktoher。Whatwasshedoingnow？
Lyingonasofaandlookingattheceiling，perhaps。Hecouldimagineherdoingthat，andHeleninanarm-chair，withherhandsonthearmofit，so——lookingaheadofher，withhergreatbigeyes——
ohno，they’dbetalking，ofcourse，aboutthedance。ButsupposeRachelwasgoingawayinadayortwo，supposethiswastheendofhervisit，andherfatherhadarrivedinoneofthesteamersanchoredinthebay，——itwasintolerabletoknowsolittle。
Thereforeheexclaimed，“Howd’youknowwhatyoufeel，Hirst？“tostophimselffromthinking。