Thewinterandthespringhadpassed，andthehousewascomplete。
ItwasafinemorningintheearlypartofJune，andBarnet，thoughnotinthehabitofrisingearly，hadtakenalongwalkbeforebreakfast；returningbywayofthenewbuilding。Asufficientlyexcitingcauseofhisrestlessnessto-daymighthavebeentheintelligencewhichhadreachedhimthenightbefore，thatLucySavilewasgoingtoIndiaafterall，andnotwithstandingtherepresentationsofherfriendsthatsuchajourneywasunadvisableinmanywaysforanunpractisedgirl，unlesssomemoredefiniteadvantagelayattheendofitthanshecouldshowtobethecase。
Barnet’swalkuptheslopetothebuildingbetrayedthathewasinadissatisfiedmood。Hehardlysawthatthedewytimeofdaylentanunusualfreshnesstothebushesandtreeswhichhadsorecentlyputontheirsummerhabitofheavyleafage，andmadehisnewly-laidlawnlookaswellestablishedasanoldmanorialmeadow。Thehousehadbeensoadroitlyplacedbetweensixtallelmswhichweregrowingonthesitebeforehand，thattheyseemedlikerealancestraltrees；andtherooks，youngandold，cawedmelodiouslytotheirvisitor。
Thedoorwasnotlocked，andheentered。Noworkmenappearedtobepresent，andhewalkedfromsunnywindowtosunnywindowoftheemptyrooms，withasenseofseclusionwhichmighthavebeenverypleasantbutfortheantecedentknowledgethathisalmostpaternalcareofLucySavilewastobethrownawaybyherwilfulness。
Footstepsechoedthroughanadjoiningroom；andbendinghiseyesinthatdirection，heperceivedMr。Jones，thearchitect。Hehadcometolookoverthebuildingbeforegivingthecontractorhisfinalcertificate。Theywalkedoverthehousetogether。Everythingwasfinishedexceptthepapering:therewerethelatestimprovementsoftheperiodinbell-hanging，ventilating，smoke-jacks，fire-grates，andFrenchwindows。Thebusinesswassoonended，andJones，havingdirectedBarnet’sattentiontoarollofwall-paperpatternswhichlayonabenchforhischoice，wasleavingtokeepanotherengagement，whenBarnetsaid，’IsthetombfinishedyetforMrs。
Downe？’
’Well——yes:itisatlast，’saidthearchitect，comingbackandspeakingasifhewereinamoodtomakeaconfidence。’Ihavehadnoendoftroubleinthematter，and，totellthetruth，Iamheartilygladitisover。’
Barnetexpressedhissurprise。’IthoughtpoorDownehadgivenupthoseextravagantnotionsofhis？thenhehasgonebacktothealtarandcanopyafterall？Well，heistobeexcused，poorfellow！’
’Ono——hehasnotatallgonebacktothem——quitethereverse，’
Joneshastenedtosay。’Hehassoreduceddesignafterdesign，thatthewholethinghasbeennothingbutwastelabourforme；tillintheendithasbecomeacommonheadstone，whichamasonputupinhalfaday。’
’Acommonheadstone？’saidBarnet。
’Yes。Iheldoutforsometimefortheadditionofafootstoneatleast。Buthesaid，“Ono——hecouldn’taffordit。“’
’Ah，well——hisfamilyisgrowingup，poorfellow，andhisexpensesaregettingserious。’
’Yes，exactly，’saidJones，asifthesubjectwerenoneofhis。AndagaindirectingBarnet’sattentiontothewall-papers，thebustlingarchitectlefthimtokeepsomeotherengagement。
’Acommonheadstone，’murmuredBarnet，leftagaintohimself。Hemusedaminuteortwo，andnextbeganlookingoverandselectingfromthepatterns；buthadnotlongbeenengagedintheworkwhenheheardanotherfootsteponthegravelwithout，andsomebodyentertheopenporch。
Barnetwenttothedoor——itwashismanservantinsearchofhim。
’Ihavebeentryingforsometimetofindyou，sir，’hesaid。’Thisletterhascomebythepost，anditismarkedimmediate。Andthere’sthisonefromMr。Downe，whocalledjustnowwantingtoseeyou。’Hesearchedhispocketforthesecond。
Barnettookthefirstletter——ithadablackborder，andboretheLondonpostmark。Itwasnotinhiswife’shandwriting，orinthatofanypersonheknew；butconjecturesoonceasedashereadthepage，whereinhewasbrieflyinformedthatMrs。Barnethaddiedsuddenlyonthepreviousday，atthefurnishedvillashehadoccupiednearLondon。
Barnetlookedvaguelyroundtheemptyhall，attheblankwalls，outofthedoorway。Drawingalongpalpitatingbreath，andwitheyesdowncast，heturnedandclimbedthestairsslowly，likeamanwhodoubtedtheirstability。Thefactofhiswifehaving，asitwere，diedoncealready，andlivedonagain，hadentirelydislodgedthepossibilityofheractualdeathfromhisconjecture。Hewenttothelanding，leantoverthebalusters，andafterareverie，ofwhosedurationhehadbutthefaintestnotion，turnedtothewindowandstretchedhisgazetothecottagefurtherdowntheroad，whichwasvisiblefromhislanding，andfromwhichLucystillwalkedtothesolicitor’shousebyacrosspath。Thefaintwordsthatcamefromhismovinglipsweresimply，’Atlast！’
Then，almostinvoluntarily，Barnetfelldownonhiskneesandmurmuredsomeincoherentwordsofthanksgiving。Surelyhisvirtueinrestoringhiswifetolifehadbeenrewarded！But，asiftheimpulsestruckuneasilyonhisconscience，hequicklyrose，brushedthedustfromhistrousersandsethimselftothinkofhisnextmovements。HecouldnotstartforLondonforsomehours；andashehadnopreparationstomakethatcouldnotbemadeinhalf-an-hour，hemechanicallydescendedandresumedhisoccupationofturningoverthewall-papers。Theyhadallgotbrighterforhim，thosepapers。
Itwasallchanged——whowouldsitintheroomsthattheyweretoline？HewentontomuseuponLucy’sconductinsofrequentlycomingtothehousewiththechildren；heroccasionalblushinspeakingtohim；herevidentinterestinhim。Whatwomancaninthelongrunavoidbeinginterestedinamanwhomsheknowstobedevotedtoher？Ifhumansolicitationcouldevereffectanything，thereshouldbenogoingtoIndiaforLucynow。Allthepaperspreviouslychosenseemedwrongintheirshades，andhebeganfromthebeginningtochooseagain。
Whileenteringonthetaskheheardaforced’Ahem！’fromwithouttheporch，evidentlyutteredtoattracthisattention，andfootstepsagainadvancingtothedoor。Hisman，whomhehadquiteforgotteninhismentalturmoil，wasstillwaitingthere。
’Ibegyourpardon，sir，’themansaidfromroundthedoorway；’buthere’sthenotefromMr。Downethatyoudidn’ttake。Hecalledjustafteryouwentout，andashecouldn’twait，hewrotethisonyourstudy-table。’
Hehandedintheletter——noblack-borderedonenow，butapractical-
lookingnoteinthewell-knownwritingofthesolicitor。
’DEARBARNET’——itran——’PerhapsyouwillbepreparedfortheinformationIamabouttogive——thatLucySavileandmyselfaregoingtobemarriedthismorning。Ihavehithertosaidnothingastomyintentiontoanyofmyfriends，forreasonswhichIamsureyouwillfullyappreciate。ThecrisishasbeenbroughtaboutbyherexpressingherintentiontojoinherbrotherinIndia。IthendiscoveredthatIcouldnotdowithouther。
’Itistobequiteaprivatewedding；butitismyparticularwishthatyoucomedownherequietlyatten，andgotochurchwithus；itwilladdgreatlytothepleasureIshallexperienceintheceremony，and，Ibelieve，toLucy’salso。Ihavecalledonyouveryearlytomaketherequest，inthebeliefthatIshouldfindyouathome；butyouarebeforehandwithmeinyourearlyrising——Yourssincerely，C。Downe。’
’NeedIwait，sir？’saidtheservantafteradeadsilence。
’Thatwilldo，William。Noanswer，’saidBarnetcalmly。
WhenthemanhadgoneBarnetre-readtheletter。Turningeventuallytothewall-papers，whichhehadbeenatsuchpainstoselect，hedeliberatelytorethemintohalvesandquarters，andthrewthemintotheemptyfireplace。Thenhewentoutofthehouse；lockedthedoor，andstoodinthefrontawhile。Insteadofreturningintothetown，hewentdowntheharbour-roadandthoughtfullylingeredaboutbythesea，nearthespotwherethebodyofDowne’slatewifehadbeenfoundandbroughtashore。
Barnetwasamanwitharichcapacityformisery，andthereisnodoubtthatheexercisedittoitsfullestextentnow。Theeventsthathad，asitwere，dashedthemselvestogetherintoonehalf-hourofthisdayshowedthatcuriousrefinementofcrueltyintheirarrangementwhichoftenproceedsfromthebosomofthewhimsicalgodatothertimesknownasblindCircumstance。Thathisfewminutesofhope，betweenthereadingofthefirstandsecondletters，hadcarriedhimtoextraordinaryheightsofrapturewasprovedbytheimmensityofhissufferingnow。Thesunblazingintohisfacewouldhaveshownaclosewatcherthatahorizontalline，whichhehadnevernoticedbefore，butwhichwasnevertobegonethereafter，wassomehowgraduallyformingitselfinthesmoothofhisforehead。Hiseyes，ofalighthazel，hadacuriouslookwhichcanonlybedescribedbythewordbruised；thesorrowthatlookedfromthembeinglargelymixedwiththesurpriseofamantakenunawares。
Thesecondaryparticularsofhispresentposition，too，wereoddenough，thoughforsometimetheyappearedtoengagelittleofhisattention。Notasoulinthetownknew，asyet，ofhiswife’sdeath；andhealmostowedDownethekindnessofnotpublishingittillthedaywasover:theconjuncture，takenwiththatwhichhadaccompaniedthedeathofMrs。Downe，beingsosingularastobequitesufficienttodarkenthepleasureoftheimpressionablesolicitortoacruelextent，ifmadeknowntohim。ButasBarnetcouldnotsetoutonhisjourneytoLondon，wherehiswifelay，forsomehourstherebeingatthisdatenorailwaywithinadistanceofmanymiles，nogreatreasonexistedwhyheshouldleavethetown。
ImpulseinallitsformscharacterizedBarnet，andwhenheheardthedistantclockstrikethehouroftenhisfeetbegantocarryhimuptheharbour-roadwiththemannerofamanwhomustdosomethingtobringhimselftolife。HepassedLucySavile’soldhouse，hisownnewone，andcameinviewofthechurch。Nowhegaveaperceptiblestart，andhismechanicalconditionwentaway。Beforethechurch-