Mr。Twycottknewperfectlywellthathehadcommittedsocialsuicidebythisstep，despiteSophy’sspotlesscharacter，andhehadtakenhismeasuresaccordingly。AnexchangeoflivingshadbeenarrangedwithanacquaintancewhowasincumbentofachurchinthesouthofLondon，andassoonaspossiblethecoupleremovedthither，abandoningtheirprettycountryhome，withtreesandshrubsandglebe，foranarrow，dustyhouseinalong，straightstreet，andtheirfinepealofbellsforthewretchedestone-tonguedclangourthatevertorturedmortalears。Itwasallonheraccount。Theywere，however，awayfromeveryonewhohadknownherformerposition；
andalsounderlessobservationfromwithoutthantheywouldhavehadtoputupwithinanycountryparish。
Sophythewomanwasascharmingapartnerasamancouldpossess，thoughSophytheladyhadherdeficiencies。Sheshowedanaturalaptitudeforlittledomesticrefinements，sofarasrelatedtothingsandmanners；butinwhatiscalledcultureshewaslessintuitive。
Shehadnowbeenmarriedmorethanfourteenyears，andherhusbandhadtakenmuchtroublewithhereducation；butshestillheldconfusedideasontheuseof’was’and’were，’whichdidnotbegetarespectforheramongthefewacquaintancesshemade。Hergreatgriefinthisrelationwasthatheronlychild，onwhoseeducationnoexpensehadbeenandwouldbespared，wasnowoldenoughtoperceivethesedeficienciesinhismother，andnotonlytoseethembuttofeelirritatedattheirexistence。
Thusshelivedoninthecity，andwastedhoursinbraidingherbeautifulhair，tillheronceapplecheekswanedtopinkoftheveryfaintest。Herfoothadneverregaineditsnaturalstrengthaftertheaccident，andshewasmostlyobligedtoavoidwalkingaltogether。
HerhusbandhadgrowntolikeLondonforitsfreedomanditsdomesticprivacy；buthewastwentyyearshisSophy’ssenior，andhadlatterlybeenseizedwithaseriousillness。Onthisday，however，hehadseemedtobewellenoughtojustifyheraccompanyinghersonRandolphtotheconcert。
Thenexttimewegetaglimpseofheriswhensheappearsinthemournfulattireofawidow。
Mr。Twycotthadneverrallied，andnowlayinawell-packedcemeterytothesouthofthegreatcity，where，ifallthedeaditcontainedhadstooderectandalive，notonewouldhaveknownhimorrecognizedhisname。Theboyhaddutifullyfollowedhimtothegrave，andwasnowagainatschool。
ThroughoutthesechangesSophyhadbeentreatedlikethechildshewasinnaturethoughnotinyears。Shewasleftwithnocontroloveranythingthathadbeenherhusband’sbeyondhermodestpersonalincome。Inhisanxietylestherinexperienceshouldbeoverreachedhehadsafeguardedwithtrusteesallhepossiblycould。Thecompletionoftheboy’scourseatthepublicschool，tobefollowedinduetimebyOxfordandordination，hadbeenallprevisionedandarranged，andshereallyhadnothingtooccupyherintheworldbuttoeatanddrink，andmakeabusinessofindolence，andgoonweavingandcoilingthenut-brownhair，merelykeepingahomeopenforthesonwheneverhecametoherduringvacations。
Foreseeinghisprobabledeceaselongyearsbeforeher，herhusbandinhislifetimehadpurchasedforheruseasemi-detachedvillainthesamelong，straightroadwhereonthechurchandparsonagefaced，whichwastobehersaslongasshechosetoliveinit。Hereshenowresided，lookingoutuponthefragmentoflawninfront，andthroughtherailingsattheever-flowingtraffic；or，bendingforwardoverthewindow-sillonthefirstfloor，stretchinghereyesfarupanddownthevistaofsootytrees，hazyair，anddrabhouse-facades，alongwhichechoedthenoisescommontoasuburbanmainthoroughfare。
Somehow，herboy，withhisaristocraticschool-knowledge，hisgrammars，andhisaversions，waslosingthosewideinfantinesympathies，extendingasfarastothesunandmoonthemselves，withwhichhe，likeotherchildren，hadbeenborn，andwhichhismother，achildofnatureherself，hadlovedinhim；hewasreducingtheircompasstoapopulationofafewthousandwealthyandtitledpeople，themereveneerofathousandmillionorsoofotherswhodidnotinteresthimatall。Hedriftedfurtherandfurtherawayfromher。
Sophy’smilieubeingasuburbofminortradesmenandunder-clerks，andheralmostonlycompanionsthetwoservantsofherownhouse，itwasnotsurprisingthatafterherhusband’sdeathshesoonlostthelittleartificialtastesshehadacquiredfromhim，andbecame——inherson’seyes——amotherwhosemistakesandoriginitwashispainfullotasagentlemantoblushfor。Asyethewasfarfrombeingmanenough——ifheeverwouldbe——toratethesesinsofhersattheirtrueinfinitesimalvaluebesidetheyearningfondnessthatwelledupandremainedpennedinherhearttillitshouldbemorefullyacceptedbyhim，orbysomeotherpersonorthing。Ifhehadlivedathomewithherhewouldhavehadallofit；butheseemedtorequiresoverylittleinpresentcircumstances，anditremainedstored。
Herlifebecameinsupportablydreary；shecouldnottakewalks，andhadnointerestingoingfordrives，or，indeed，intravellinganywhere。Nearlytwoyearspassedwithoutanevent，andstillshelookedonthatsuburbanroad，thinkingofthevillageinwhichshehadbeenborn，andwhithershewouldhavegoneback——Ohowgladly!——
eventoworkinthefields。
Takingnoexercise，sheoftencouldnotsleep，andwouldriseinthenightorearlymorningandlookoutuponthethenvacantthoroughfare，wherethelampsstoodlikesentinelswaitingforsomeprocessiontogoby。Anapproximationtosuchaprocessionwasindeedmadeearlyeverymorningaboutoneo’clock，whenthecountryvehiclespassedupwithloadsofvegetablesforCoventGardenmarket。
Sheoftensawthemcreepingalongatthissilentandduskyhour——
waggonafterwaggon，bearinggreenbastionsofcabbagesnoddingtotheirfall，yetneverfalling，wallsofbasketsenclosingmassesofbeansandpeas，pyramidsofsnow-whiteturnips，swayinghowdahsofmixedproduce——creepingalongbehindagednight-horses，whoseemedeverpatientlywonderingbetweentheirhollowcoughswhytheyhadalwaystoworkatthatstillhourwhenallothersentientcreatureswereprivilegedtorest。Wrappedinacloak，itwassoothingtowatchandsympathizewiththemwhendepressionandnervousnesshinderedsleep，andtoseehowthefreshgreen-stuffbrightenedtolifeasitcameoppositethelamp，andhowthesweatinganimalssteamedandshonewiththeirmilesoftravel。
Theyhadaninterest，almostacharm，forSophy，thesesemiruralpeopleandvehiclesmovinginanurbanatmosphere，leadingalifequitedistinctfromthatofthedaytimetoilersonthesameroad。
Onemorningamanwhoaccompaniedawaggon-loadofpotatoesgazedratherhardatthehouse-frontsashepassed，andwithacuriousemotionshethoughthisformwasfamiliartoher。Shelookedoutforhimagain。Hisbeinganold-fashionedconveyance，withayellowfront，itwaseasilyrecognizable，andonthethirdnightaftershesawitasecondtime。Themanalongsidewas，asshehadfancied，SamHobson，formerlygardeneratGaymead，whowouldatonetimehavemarriedher。
Shehadoccasionallythoughtofhim，andwonderediflifeinacottagewithhimwouldnothavebeenahappierlotthanthelifeshehadaccepted。Shehadnotthoughtofhimpassionately，buthernowdismalsituationlentaninteresttohisresurrection——atenderinterestwhichitisimpossibletoexaggerate。Shewentbacktobed，andbeganthinking。Whendidthesemarket-gardeners，whotravelleduptotownsoregularlyatoneortwointhemorning，comeback？Shedimlyrecollectedseeingtheiremptywaggons，hardlynoticeableamidtheordinaryday-traffic，passingdownatsomehourbeforenoon。
ItwasonlyApril，butthatmorning，afterbreakfast，shehadthewindowopened，andsatlookingout，thefeeblesunshiningfulluponher。Sheaffectedtosew，buthereyesneverleftthestreet。
Betweentenandeleventhedesiredwaggon，nowunladen，reappearedonitsreturnjourney。ButSamwasnotlookingroundhimthen，anddroveoninareverie。
’Sam!’criedshe。
Turningwithastart，hisfacelightedup。Hecalledtohimalittleboytoholdthehorse，alighted，andcameandstoodunderherwindow。
’Ican’tcomedowneasily，Sam，orIwould!’shesaid。’DidyouknowIlivedhere？’
’Well，Mrs。Twycott，Iknewyoulivedalongheresomewhere。Ihaveoftenlookedoutfor’ee。’
Hebrieflyexplainedhisownpresenceonthescene。HehadlongsincegivenuphisgardeninginthevillagenearAldbrickham，andwasnowmanageratamarket-gardener’sonthesouthsideofLondon，itbeingpartofhisdutytogouptoCoventGardenwithwaggon-loadsofproducetwoorthreetimesaweek。Inanswertohercuriousinquiry，headmittedthathehadcometothisparticulardistrictbecausehehadseenintheAldbrickhampaper，ayearortwobefore，theannouncementofthedeathinSouthLondonoftheaforetimevicarofGaymead，whichhadrevivedaninterestinherdwelling-placethathecouldnotextinguish，leadinghimtohoveraboutthelocalitytillhispresentposthadbeensecured。
TheyspokeoftheirnativevillageindearoldNorthWessex，thespotsinwhichtheyhadplayedtogetheraschildren。Shetriedtofeelthatshewasadignifiedpersonagenow，thatshemustnotbetooconfidentialwithSam。Butshecouldnotkeepitup，andthetearshanginginhereyeswereindicatedinhervoice。
’Youarenothappy，Mrs。Twycott，I’mafraid？’hesaid。
’O，ofcoursenot!Ilostmyhusbandonlytheyearbeforelast。’
’Ah!Imeantinanotherway。You’dliketobehomeagain？’
’Thisismyhome——forlife。Thehousebelongstome。ButI
understand’——Sheletitoutthen。’Yes，Sam。Ilongforhome——OUR
home!ISHOULDliketobethere，andneverleaveit，anddiethere。’
Butsherememberedherself。’That’sonlyamomentaryfeeling。I
haveason，youknow，adearboy。He’satschoolnow。’
’Somewherehandy，Isuppose？Iseethere’slotson’emalongthisroad。’
’Ono!Notinoneofthesewretchedholes!Atapublicschool——oneofthemostdistinguishedinEngland。’
’Chok’itall!ofcourse!Iforget，ma’am，thatyou’vebeenaladyforsomanyyears。’
’No，Iamnotalady，’shesaidsadly。’Inevershallbe。Buthe’sagentleman，andthat——makesit——Ohowdifficultforme!’