’O，well，thereberisks。Still……’
Theideagrewandmagnified，andthemother’sheartwascrushedandstifledbyit。EmmywasgrowingTOOpatronizing；itcouldnotbeborne。Shadrach’swifecouldnothelpnagginghimabouttheircomparativepoverty。Theyoungmen，amiableastheirfather，whenspokentoonthesubjectofavoyageofenterprise，werequitewillingtoembark；andthoughthey，liketheirfather，hadnogreatloveforthesea，theybecamequiteenthusiasticwhentheproposalwasdetailed。
Everythingnowhungupontheirmother’sassent。Shewithhelditlong，butatlastgavetheword：theyoungmenmightaccompanytheirfather。Shadrachwasunusuallycheerfulaboutit：Heavenhadpreservedhimhitherto，andhehadutteredhisthanks。Godwouldnotforsakethosewhowerefaithfultohim。
AllthattheJolliffespossessedintheworldwasputintotheenterprise。ThegrocerystockwaspareddowntotheleastthatpossiblycouldaffordabaresustenancetoJoannaduringtheabsence，whichwastolastthroughtheusual’New-f’nlandspell。’Howshewouldendurethewearytimeshehardlyknew，fortheboyshadbeenwithherformerly；butshenervedherselfforthetrial。
Theshipwasladenwithbootsandshoes，ready-madeclothing，fishing-tackle，butter，cheese，cordage，sailcloth，andmanyothercommodities；andwastobringbackoil，furs，skins，fish，cranberries，andwhatelsecametohand。Butmuchtradingtootherportswastobeundertakenbetweenthevoyagesoutandhomeward，andtherebymuchmoneymade。
ThebrigsailedonaMondaymorninginspring；butJoannadidnotwitnessitsdeparture。Shecouldnotbearthesightthatshehadbeenthemeansofbringingabout。Knowingthis，herhusbandtoldherovernightthattheyweretosailsometimebeforenoonnextdayhencewhen，awakeningatfivethenextmorning，sheheardthembustlingaboutdownstairs，shedidnothastentodescend，butlaytryingtonerveherselffortheparting，imaginingtheywouldleaveaboutnine，asherhusbandhaddoneonhispreviousvoyage。Whenshediddescendshebeheldwordschalkedupontheslopingfaceofthebureau；butnohusbandorsons。Inthehastily-scrawledlinesShadrachsaidtheyhadgoneoffthusnottopainherbyaleave-taking；andthesonshadchalkedunderhiswords：’Good-bye，mother!’
Sherushedtothequay，andlookeddowntheharbourtowardsthebluerimofthesea，butshecouldonlyseethemastsandbulgingsailsoftheJoanna；nohumanfigures。’’TisIhavesentthem!’shesaidwildly，andburstintotears。Inthehousethechalked’Good-bye’
nearlybrokeherheart。Butwhenshehadre-enteredthefrontroom，andlookedacrossatEmily’s，agleamoftriumphlitherthinfaceatheranticipatedreleasefromthethraldomofsubservience。
TodoEmilyLesterjustice，herassumptionofsuperioritywasmainlyafigmentofJoanna’sbrain。Thatthecircumstancesofthemerchant’swifeweremoreluxuriousthanJoanna’s，theformercouldnotconceal；thoughwheneverthetwomet，whichwasnotveryoftennow，Emilyendeavouredtosubduethedifferencebyeverymeansinherpower。
Thefirstsummerlapsedaway；andJoannameagrelymaintainedherselfbytheshop，whichnowconsistedoflittlemorethanawindowandacounter。Emilywas，intruth，heronlylargecustomer；andMrs。
Lester’skindlyreadinesstobuyanythingandeverythingwithoutquestioningthequalityhadastingofbitternessinit，foritwastheuncriticalattitudeofapatron，andalmostofadonor。Thelongdrearywintermovedon；thefaceofthebureauhadbeenturnedtothewalltoprotectthechalkedwordsoffarewell，forJoannacouldneverbringherselftorubthemout；andsheoftenglancedatthemwithweteyes。Emily’shandsomeboyscamehomefortheChristmasholidays；
theUniversitywastalkedofforthem；andstillJoannasubsistedasitwerewithheldbreath，likeapersonsubmerged。Onlyonesummermore，andthe’spell’wouldend。TowardsthecloseofthetimeEmilycalledonherquondamfriend。ShehadheardthatJoannabegantofeelanxious；shehadreceivednoletterfromhusbandorsonsforsomemonths。Emily’ssilksrustledarrogantlywhen，inresponsetoJoanna’salmostdumbinvitation，shesqueezedthroughtheopeningofthecounterandintotheparlourbehindtheshop。
’YOUareallsuccess，and_I_amalltheotherway!’saidJoanna。
’Butwhydoyouthinkso？’saidEmily。’Theyaretobringbackafortune，Ihear。’
’Ah!willtheycome？Thedoubtismorethanawomancanbear。Allthreeinoneship——thinkofthat!AndIhavenotheardofthemformonths!’
’Butthetimeisnotup。Youshouldnotmeetmisfortunehalf-way。’
’Nothingwillrepaymeforthegriefoftheirabsence!’
’Thenwhydidyouletthemgo？Youweredoingfairlywell。’
’Imadethemgo!’shesaid，turningvehementlyuponEmily。’AndI’lltellyouwhy!Icouldnotbearthatweshouldbeonlymuddlingon，andyousorichandthriving!NowIhavetoldyou，andyoumayhatemeifyouwill!’
’Ishallneverhateyou，Joanna。’
Andsheprovedthetruthofherwordsafterwards。Theendofautumncame，andthebrigshouldhavebeeninport；butnothingliketheJoannaappearedinthechannelbetweenthesands。Itwasnowreallytimetobeuneasy。JoannaJolliffesatbythefire，andeverygustofwindcausedheracoldthrill。Shehadalwaysfearedanddetestedthesea；toheritwasatreacherous，restless，slimycreature，gloryinginthegriefsofwomen。’Still，’shesaid，’theyMUST
come!’
SherecalledtohermindthatShadrachhadsaidbeforestartingthatiftheyreturnedsafeandsound，withsuccesscrowningtheirenterprise，hewouldgoashehadgoneafterhisshipwreck，andkneelwithhissonsinthechurch，andoffersincerethanksfortheirdeliverance。Shewenttochurchregularlymorningandafternoon，andsatinthemostforwardpew，nearestthechancel-step。Hereyesweremostlyfixedonthatstep，whereShadrachhadkneltinthebloomofhisyoungmanhood：sheknewtoaninchthespotwhichhiskneeshadpressedtwentywintersbefore；hisoutlineashehadknelt，hishatonthestepbesidehim。Godwasgood。Surelyherhusbandmustkneelthereagain：asononeachsideashehadsaid；Georgejusthere，Jimjustthere。Bylongwatchingthespotassheworshippeditbecameasifshesawthethreereturnedonestherekneeling；thetwoslimoutlinesofherboys，themorebulkyformbetweenthem；theirhandsclasped，theirheadsshapedagainsttheeasternwall。Thefancygrewalmosttoanhallucination：shecouldneverturnherworneyestothestepwithoutseeingthemthere。
Neverthelesstheydidnotcome。Heavenwasmerciful，butitwasnotyetpleasedtorelievehersoul。Thiswasherpurgationforthesinofmakingthemtheslavesofherambition。Butitbecamemorethanpurgationsoon，andhermoodapproacheddespair。Monthshadpassedsincethebrighadbeendue，butithadnotreturned。
Joannawasalwayshearingorseeingevidencesoftheirarrival。Whenonthehillbehindtheport，whenceaviewoftheopenChannelcouldbeobtained，shefeltsurethatalittlespeckonthehorizon，breakingtheeternallylevelwasteofwaterssouthward，wasthetruckoftheJoana’smainmast。Orwhenindoors，ashoutorexcitementofanykindatthecorneroftheTownCellar，wheretheHighStreetjoinedtheQuay，causedhertospringtoherfeetandcry：’’Tisthey!’
Butitwasnot。ThevisionaryformsknelteverySundayafternoononthechancel-step，butnotthereal。Hershophad，asitwere，eatenitselfhollow。Intheapathywhichhadresultedfromherlonelinessandgriefshehadceasedtotakeinthesmallestsupplies，andthushadsentawayherlastcustomer。
InthisstraitEmilyLestertriedbyeverymeansinherpowertoaidtheafflictedwoman；butshemetwithconstantrepulses。
’Idon’tlikeyou!Ican’tbeartoseeyou!’JoannawouldwhisperhoarselywhenEmilycametoherandmadeadvances。
’ButIwanttohelpandsootheyou，Joanna，’Emilywouldsay。
’Youarealady，witharichhusbandandfinesons!Whatcanyouwantwithabereavedcronelikeme!’
’Joanna，Iwantthis：Iwantyoutocomeandliveinmyhouse，andnotstayaloneinthisdismalplaceanylonger。’
’Andsupposetheycomeanddon’tfindmeathome？Youwishtoseparatemeandmine!No，I’llstayhere。Idon’tlikeyou，andI
can’tthankyou，whateverkindnessyoudome!’
However，astimewentonJoannacouldnotaffordtopaytherentoftheshopandhousewithoutanincome。ShewasassuredthatallhopeofthereturnofShadrachandhissonswasvain，andshereluctantlyconsentedtoaccepttheasylumoftheLesters’house。Hereshewasallottedaroomofherownonthesecondfloor，andwentandcameasshechose，withoutcontactwiththefamily。Herhairgreyedandwhitened，deeplineschanneledherforehead，andherformgrewgauntandstooping。Butshestillexpectedthelostones，andwhenshemetEmilyonthestaircaseshewouldsaymorosely：’Iknowwhyyou’vegotmehere!They’llcome，andbedisappointedatnotfindingmeathome，andperhapsgoawayagain；andthenyou’llberevengedformytakingShadrachawayfrom’ee!’
EmilyLesterborethesereproachesfromthegrief-strickensoul。Shewassure——allthepeopleofHavenpoolweresure——thatShadrachandhissonscouldnotreturn。Foryearsthevesselhadbeengivenupaslost。
Nevertheless，whenawakenedatnightbyanynoise，Joannawouldrisefrombedandglanceattheshopoppositebythelightfromtheflickeringlamp，tomakesureitwasnotthey。
ItwasadampanddarkDecembernight，sixyearsafterthedepartureofthebrigJoanna。Thewindwasfromthesea，andbroughtupafishymistwhichmoppedthefacelikemoistflannel。Joannahadprayedherusualprayerfortheabsentoneswithmorefervourandconfidencethanshehadfeltformonths，andhadfallenasleepabouteleven。Itmusthavebeenbetweenoneandtwowhenshesuddenlystartedup。Shehadcertainlyheardstepsinthestreet，andthevoicesofShadrachandhersonscallingatthedoorofthegroceryshop。Shesprangoutofbed，and，hardlyknowingwhatclothingshedraggedonherself；hasteneddownEmily’slargeandcarpetedstaircase，putthecandleonthehall-table，unfastenedtheboltsandchain，andsteppedintothestreet。Themist，blowingupthestreetfromtheQuay，hinderedherseeingtheshop，althoughitwassonear；
butshehadcrossedtoitinamoment。Howwasit？Nobodystoodthere。Thewretchedwomanwalkedwildlyupanddownwithherbarefeet——therewasnotasoul。Shereturnedandknockedwithallhermightatthedoorwhichhadoncebeenherown——theymighthavebeenadmittedforthenight，unwillingtodisturbhertillthemorning。
Itwasnottillseveralminuteshadelapsedthattheyoungmanwhonowkepttheshoplookedoutofanupperwindow，andsawtheskeletonofsomethinghumanstandingbelowhalf-dressed。
’Hasanybodycome？’askedtheform。
’O，Mrs。Jolliffe，Ididn’tknowitwasyou，’saidtheyoungmankindly，forhewasawarehowherbaselessexpectationsmovedher。
’No；nobodyhascome。’