Atlengthhesaid，’IsoldMr。Watkinsstillalive？’inavoicewhichhadacuriousyouthfulcadenceinitevennow。
’Myfatherisdead，sir，’saidtheyoungman。
’Ah，Iamsorrytohearit，’saidthestranger。’ButitissomanyyearssinceIlastvisitedthistownthatIcouldhardlyexpectitshouldbeotherwise。’Afterashortsilencehecontinued——’AndisthefirmofBarnet，Browse，andCompanystillinexistence？——theyusedtobelargeflax-merchantsandtwine-spinnershere？’
’Thefirmisstillgoingon，sir，buttheyhavedroppedthenameofBarnet。Ibelievethatwasasortoffancyname——atleast，IneverknewofanylivingBarnet。’TisnowBrowseandCo。’
’AnddoesAndrewJonesstillkeeponasarchitect？’
’He’sdead，sir。’
’AndtheVicarofSt。Mary’s——Mr。Melrose？’
’He’sbeendeadagreatmanyyears。’
’Dearme！’Hepausedyetlonger，andclearedhisvoice。’IsMr。
Downe，thesolicitor，stillinpractice？’
’No，sir，he’sdead。Hediedaboutsevenyearsago。’
Hereitwasalongersilencestill；andanattentiveobserverwouldhavenoticedthatthepaperinthestranger’shandincreaseditsimperceptibletremortoavisibleshake。Thatgray-hairedgentlemannoticedithimself，andrestedthepaperonthecounter。’IsMRS。
Downestillalive？’heasked，closinghislipsfirmlyassoonasthewordswereoutofhismouth，anddroppinghiseyes。
’Yes，sir，she’saliveandwell。She’slivingattheoldplace。’
’InEastStreet？’
’Ono；atChateauRingdale。Ibelieveithasbeeninthefamilyforsomegenerations。’
’Sheliveswithherchildren，perhaps？’
’No；shehasnochildrenofherown。ThereweresomeMissDownes；I
thinktheywereMr。Downe’sdaughtersbyaformerwife；buttheyaremarriedandlivinginotherpartsofthetown。Mrs。Downelivesalone。’
’Quitealone？’
’Yes，sir；quitealone。’
Thenewly-arrivedgentlemanwentbacktothehotelanddined；afterwhichhemadesomechangeinhisdress，shavedbackhisbeardtothefashionthathadprevailedtwentyyearsearlier，whenhewasyoungandinteresting，andoncemoreemerging，benthisstepsinthedirectionoftheharbour-road。Justbeforegettingtothepointwherethepavementceasedandthehousesisolatedthemselves，heovertookashambling，stooping，unshavenman，whoatfirstsightappearedlikeaprofessionaltramp，hisshouldershavingaperceptiblegreasinessastheypassedunderthegaslight。Eachpedestrianmomentarilyturnedandregardedtheother，andthetramp-
likegentlemanstartedback。
’Good——why——isthatMr。Barnet？’TisMr。Barnet，surely！’
’Yes；andyouareCharlson？’
’Yes——ah——younoticemyappearance。TheFateshaveratherill-usedme。By-the-bye，thatfiftypounds。Ineverpaidit，didI？……
ButIwasnotungrateful！’Herethestoopingmanlaidonehandemphaticallyonthepalmoftheother。’Igaveyouachance，Mr。
GeorgeBarnet，whichmanymenwouldhavethoughtfullvaluereceived——thechancetomarryyourLucy。Asfarastheworldwasconcerned，yourwifewasaDROWNEDWOMAN，hey？’
’Heavenforbidallthat，Charlson！’
’Well，well，’twasawrongwayofshowinggratitude，Isuppose。Andnowadropofsomethingtodrinkforoldacquaintance’sake！AndMr。Barnet，she’sagainfree——there’sachancenowifyoucareforit——ha，ha！’Andthespeakerpushedhistongueintohishollowcheekandslantedhiseyeintheoldfashion。
’Iknowall，’saidBarnetquickly；andslippingasmallpresentintothehandsoftheneedy，saddeningman，hesteppedaheadandwassoonintheoutskirtsofthetown。
Hereachedtheharbour-road，andpausedbeforetheentrancetoawell-knownhouse。Itwassohighlybosomedintreesandshrubsplantedsincetheerectionofthebuildingthatonewouldscarcelyhaverecognizedthespotasthatwhichhadbeenamereneglectedslopetillchosenasasiteforadwelling。Heopenedtheswing-
gate，closeditnoiselessly，andgentlymovedintothesemicirculardrive，whichremainedexactlyasithadbeenmarkedoutbyBarnetonthemorningwhenLucySavileranintothankhimforprocuringherthepostofgovernesstoDowne’schildren。Butthegrowthoftreesandbusheswhichrevealeditselfateverystepwasbeyondallexpectation；sun-proofandmoon-proofbowersvaultedthewalks，andthewallsofthehousewereuniformlybeardedwithcreepingplantsashighasthefirst-floorwindows。
Afterlingeringforafewminutesintheduskofthebendingboughs，thevisitorrangthedoor-bell，andontheservantappearing，heannouncedhimselfas’anoldfriendofMrs。Downe’s。’
Thehallwaslighted，butnotbrightly，thegasbeingturnedlow，asifvisitorswererare。Therewasastagnationinthedwelling；itseemedtobewaiting。Coulditreallybewaitingforhim？ThepartitionswhichhadbeenprobedbyBarnet’swalking-stickwhenthemortarwasgreen，werenowquitebrownwiththeantiquityoftheirvarnish，andtheornamentalwoodworkofthestaircase，whichhadglistenedwithapaleyellownewnesswhenfirsterected，wasnowofarichwine-colour。Duringtheservant’sabsencethefollowingcolloquycouldbedimlyheardthroughthenearlycloseddoorofthedrawing-room。
’Hedidn’tgivehisname？’
’Heonlysaid“anoldfriend，“ma’am。’
’Whatkindofgentlemanishe？’
’Astaidishgentleman，withgrayhair。’
Thevoiceofthesecondspeakerseemedtoaffectthelistenergreatly。Afterapause，theladysaid，’Verywell，Iwillseehim。’
AndthestrangerwasshowninfacetofacewiththeLucywhohadoncebeenLucySavile。Theroundcheekofthatformerlyyoungladyhad，ofcourse，alarminglyflatteneditscurveinhermodernrepresentative；apervasivegraynessoverspreadheroncedarkbrownhair，likemorningrimeonheather。Thepartingdownthemiddlewaswideandjagged；onceithadbeenathinwhiteline，anarrowcrevicebetweentwohighbanksofshade。Buttherewasstillenoughlefttoformahandsomeknobbehind，andsomecurlsbeneathinwroughtwithafewhairslikesilverwireswereverybecoming。Inhereyestheonlymodificationwasthattheiroriginallymildrectitudeofexpressionhadbecomealittlemorestringentthanheretofore。Yetshewasstillgirlish——agirlwhohadbeengratuitouslyweightedbydestinywithaburdenoffive-and-fortyyearsinsteadofherpropertwenty。
’Lucy，don’tyouknowme？’hesaid，whentheservanthadclosedthedoor。
’IknewyoutheinstantIsawyou！’shereturnedcheerfully。’I
don’tknowwhy，butIalwaysthoughtyouwouldcomebacktoyouroldtownagain。’
Shegavehimherhand，andthentheysatdown。’Theysaidyouweredead，’continuedLucy，’butIneverthoughtso。Weshouldhaveheardofitforcertainifyouhadbeen。’
’Itisaverylongtimesincewemet。’
’Yes；whatyoumusthaveseen，Mr。Barnet，inalltheserovingyears，incomparisonwithwhatIhaveseeninthisquietplace！’
Herfacegrewmoreserious。’Youknowmyhusbandhasbeendeadalongtime？Iamalonelyoldwomannow，consideringwhatIhavebeen；thoughMr。Downe’sdaughters——allmarried——managetokeepmeprettycheerful。’
’AndIamalonelyoldman，andhavebeenanytimethesetwentyyears。’
’Butwherehaveyoukeptyourself？Andwhydidyougooffsomysteriously？’
’Well，Lucy，IhavekeptmyselfalittleinAmerica，andalittleinAustralia，alittleinIndia，alittleattheCape，andsoon；I
havenotstayedinanyplaceforalongtime，asitseemstome，andyetmorethantwentyyearshaveflown。Butwhenpeoplegettomyagetwoyearsgolikeone！——Yoursecondquestion，whydidIgoawaysomysteriously，issurelynotnecessary。Youguessedwhy，didn’tyou？’
’No，Ineveronceguessed，’shesaidsimply；’nordidCharles，nordidanybodyasfarasIknow。’
’Well，indeed！Nowthinkitoveragain，andthenlookatme，andsayifyoucan’tguess？’
Shelookedhiminthefacewithaninquiringsmile。’Surelynotbecauseofme？’shesaid，pausingatthecommencementofsurprise。
Barnetnodded，andsmiledagain；buthissmilewassadderthanhers。
’BecauseImarriedCharles？’sheasked。