Thenheplacidlydismissedthematter，andwentonwithhisdailyaffairs。BythistimeEllaathomehadcometoadetermination。
Mrs。Hooper，insendingthehairandphotograph，hadinformedherofthedayofthefuneral；andasthemorningandnoonworeonanoverpoweringwishtoknowwheretheywerelayinghimtookpossessionofthesympatheticwoman。Caringverylittlenowwhatherhusbandoranyoneelsemightthinkofhereccentricities；shewroteMarchmillabriefnote，statingthatshewascalledawayfortheafternoonandevening，butwouldreturnonthefollowingmorning。
Thissheleftonhisdesk，andhavinggiventhesameinformationtotheservants，wentoutofthehouseonfoot。
WhenMr。Marchmillreachedhomeearlyintheafternoontheservantslookedanxious。Thenursetookhimprivatelyaside，andhintedthathermistress’ssadnessduringthepastfewdayshadbeensuchthatshefearedshehadgoneouttodrownherself。Marchmillreflected。
Uponthewholehethoughtthatshehadnotdonethat。Withoutsayingwhitherhewasboundhealsostartedoff，tellingthemnottositupforhim。Hedrovetotherailway-station，andtookaticketforSolentsea。
Itwasdarkwhenhereachedtheplace，thoughhehadcomebyafasttrain，andheknewthatifhiswifehadprecededhimthitheritcouldonlyhavebeenbyaslowertrain，arrivingnotagreatwhilebeforehisown。TheseasonatSolentseawasnowpast:theparadewasgloomy，andtheflyswerefewandcheap。HeaskedthewaytotheCemetery，andsoonreachedit。Thegatewaslocked，butthekeeperlethimin，declaring，however，thattherewasnobodywithintheprecincts。Althoughitwasnotlate，theautumnaldarknesshadnowbecomeintense；andhefoundsomedifficultyinkeepingtotheserpentinepathwhichledtothequarterwhere，asthemanhadtoldhim，theoneortwointermentsforthedayhadtakenplace。Hesteppeduponthegrass，and，stumblingoversomepegs，stoopednowandthentodiscernifpossibleafigureagainstthesky。
Hecouldseenone；butlightingonaspotwherethesoilwastrodden，beheldacrouchingobjectbesideanewlymadegrave。Sheheardhim，andsprangup。
’Ell，howsillythisis！’hesaidindignantly。’Runningawayfromhome——Ineverheardsuchathing！OfcourseIamnotjealousofthisunfortunateman；butitistooridiculousthatyou，amarriedwomanwiththreechildrenandafourthcoming，shouldgolosingyourheadlikethisoveradeadlover！……Doyouknowyouwerelockedin？Youmightnothavebeenabletogetoutallnight。’
Shedidnotanswer。
’Ihopeitdidn’tgofarbetweenyouandhim，foryourownsake。’
’Don’tinsultme，Will。’
’Mind，Iwon’thaveanymoreofthissortofthing；doyouhear？’
’Verywell，’shesaid。
Hedrewherarmwithinhisown，andconductedheroutoftheCemetery。Itwasimpossibletogetbackthatnight；andnotwishingtoberecognizedintheirpresentsorrycondition，hetookhertoamiserablelittlecoffee-houseclosetothestation，whencetheydepartedearlyinthemorning，travellingalmostwithoutspeaking，underthesensethatitwasoneofthosedrearysituationsoccurringinmarriedlifewhichwordscouldnotmend，andreachingtheirowndooratnoon。
Themonthspassed，andneitherofthetwaineverventuredtostartaconversationuponthisepisode。Ellaseemedtobeonlytoofrequentlyinasadandlistlessmood，whichmightalmosthavebeencalledpining。Thetimewasapproachingwhenshewouldhavetoundergothestressofchildbirthforafourthtime，andthatapparentlydidnottendtoraiseherspirits。
’Idon’tthinkIshallgetoveritthistime！’shesaidoneday。
’Pooh！whatchildishforeboding！Whyshouldn’titbeaswellnowasever？’
Sheshookherhead。’IfeelalmostsureIamgoingtodie；andI
shouldbeglad，ifitwerenotforNelly，andFrank，andTiny。’
’Andme！’
’You’llsoonfindsomebodytofillmyplace，’shemurmured，withasadsmile。’Andyou’llhaveaperfectrightto；Iassureyouofthat。’
’Ell，youarenotthinkingstillaboutthat——poeticalfriendofyours？’
Sheneitheradmittednordeniedthecharge。’Iamnotgoingtogetovermyillnessthistime，’shereiterated。’SomethingtellsmeI
shan’t。’
Thisviewofthingswasratherabadbeginning，asitusuallyis；
and，infact，sixweekslater，inthemonthofMay，shewaslyinginherroom，pulselessandbloodless，withhardlystrengthenoughlefttofollowuponefeeblebreathwithanother，theinfantforwhoseunnecessarylifeshewasslowlypartingwithherownbeingfatandwell。JustbeforeherdeathshespoketoMarchmillsoftly:-
’Will，Iwanttoconfesstoyoutheentirecircumstancesofthat——
aboutyouknowwhat——thattimewevisitedSolentsea。Ican’ttellwhatpossessedme——howIcouldforgetyouso，myhusband！ButIhadgotintoamorbidstate:Ithoughtyouhadbeenunkind；thatyouhadneglectedme；thatyouweren’tuptomyintellectuallevel，whilehewas，andfaraboveit。Iwantedafullerappreciator，perhaps，ratherthananotherlover——’
Shecouldgetnofurtherthenforveryexhaustion；andshewentoffinsuddencollapseafewhourslater，withouthavingsaidanythingmoretoherhusbandonthesubjectofherloveforthepoet。
WilliamMarchmill，intruth，likemosthusbandsofseveralyears’
standing，waslittledisturbedbyretrospectivejealousies，andhadnotshowntheleastanxietytopressherforconfessionsconcerningamandeadandgonebeyondanypowerofinconveniencinghimmore。
Butwhenshehadbeenburiedacoupleofyearsitchancedonedaythat，inturningoversomeforgottenpapersthathewishedtodestroybeforehissecondwifeenteredthehouse，helightedonalockofhairinanenvelope，withthephotographofthedeceasedpoet，adatebeingwrittenonthebackinhislatewife’shand。ItwasthatofthetimetheyspentatSolentsea。
Marchmilllookedlongandmusinglyatthehairandportrait，forsomethingstruckhim。Fetchingthelittleboywhohadbeenthedeathofhismother，nowanoisytoddler，hetookhimonhisknee，heldthelockofhairagainstthechild’shead，andsetupthephotographonthetablebehind，sothathecouldcloselycomparethefeatureseachcountenancepresented。Therewereundoubtedlystrongtracesofresemblance；thedreamyandpeculiarexpressionofthepoet’sfacesat，asthetransmittedidea，uponthechild’s，andthehairwasofthesamehue。
’I’mdamnedifIdidn’tthinkso！’murmuredMarchmill。’ThensheDIDplaymefalsewiththatfellowatthelodgings！Letmesee:
thedates——thesecondweekinAugust……thethirdweekinMay……Yes……yes……Getaway，youpoorlittlebrat！Youarenothingtome！’
AmongthefewfeaturesofagriculturalEnglandwhichretainanappearancebutlittlemodifiedbythelapseofcenturies，maybereckonedthehigh，grassyandfurzydowns，coombs，orewe-leases，astheyareindifferentlycalled，thatfillalargeareaofcertaincountiesinthesouthandsouth-west。Ifanymarkofhumanoccupationismetwithhereon，itusuallytakestheformofthesolitarycottageofsomeshepherd。
Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown，andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow。Inspiteofitsloneliness，however，thespot，byactualmeasurement，wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town。Yetthataffecteditlittle。Fivemilesofirregularupland，duringthelonginimicalseasons，withtheirsleets，snows，rains，andmists，affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar；muchless，infairweather，topleasethatlessrepellenttribe，thepoets，philosophers，artists，andotherswho’conceiveandmeditateofpleasantthings。’
Someoldearthencamporbarrow，someclumpoftrees，atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings。But，inthepresentcase，suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded。HigherCrowstairs，asthehousewascalled，stoodquitedetachedandundefended。Theonlyreasonforitsprecisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby，whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears。Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides。But，thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow，andtherainhithardwheneveritfell，thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground。Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows，andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere。Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure，theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessinconveniencedby’wuzzesandflames’hoarsesandphlegmsthanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley。
ThenightofMarch28，182-，waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration。Thelevelrainstormsmotewalls，slopes，andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy。Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds；whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas。Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet，andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall。Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmoremisplaced。Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglorificationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl。
Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall，andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling。A
glanceintotheapartmentateighto’clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresultedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather。
Thecallingofitsinhabitantwasproclaimedbyanumberofhighly-
polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace，thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpicturesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair。
Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles，havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem，incandlesticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days，holy-days，andfamilyfeasts。
Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom，twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece。Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant。Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty。