’“Whatbetheylookingat？“IwhisperedtoUncleJob。
’“AchartoftheChannel，“saysthesergeantknowingaboutsuchthings。
’TheotherFrenchofficernowstoopedlikewise，andoverthemaptheyhadalongconsultation，astheypointedhereandthereonthepaper，andthenhitherandthitheratplacesalongtheshorebeneathus。I
noticedthatthemannerofoneofficerwasveryrespectfultowardtheother，whoseemedmuchhissuperior，thesecondinrankcallinghimbyasortoftitlethatIdidnotknowthesenseof。Theheadone，ontheotherhand，wasquitefamiliarwithhisfriend，andmorethanonceclappedhimontheshoulder。
’UncleJobhadwatchedaswellasI，butthoughthemaphadbeeninthelantern-light，theirfaceshadalwaysbeeninshade。Butwhentheyrosefromstoopingoverthechartthelightflashedupward，andfellsmartupononeof’em’sfeatures。NosoonerhadthishappenedthanUncleJobgasped，andsankdownasifhe’dbeeninafit。
’“Whatisit——whatisit，UncleJob？“saidI。
’“OgoodGod!“sayshe，underthestraw。
’“What？“saysI。
’“Boney!“hegroanedout。
’“Who？“saysI。
’“Bonaparty，“hesaid。“TheCorsicanogre。OthatIhadgotbutmynew-flintedfirelock，thattheremanshoulddie!ButIhaven’tgotmynew-flintedfirelock，andthattheremanmustlive。Solielow，asyouvalueyourlife!“
’Ididlielow，asyoumidsuppose。ButIcouldn’thelppeeping。
AndthenItoo，ladasIwas，knewthatitwasthefaceofBonaparte。
NotknowBoney？IshouldthinkIdidknowBoney。Ishouldhaveknownhimbyhalfthelighto’thatlantern。IfIhadseenapictureofhisfeaturesonce，Ihadseenitahundredtimes。Therewashisbullethead，hisshortneck，hisroundyallercheeksandchin，hisgloomyface，andhisgreatglowingeyes。Hetookoffhishattoblowhimselfabit，andtherewastheforelockinthemiddleofhisforehead，asinallthedraughtsofhim。Inmoving，hiscloakfellalittleopen，andIcouldseeforamomenthiswhite-frontedjacketandoneofhisepaulets。
’Butnoneofthislastedlong。Inaminuteheandhisgeneralhadrolledupthemap，shutthelantern，andturnedtogodowntowardtheshore。
’ThenUncleJobcametohimselfabit。“Slippedacrossinthenight-
timetoseehowtoputhismenashore，“hesaid。“Thelikeo’thatman’scoolnesseyeswillneveragainsee!Nephew，Imustactinthis，andimmediate，orEngland’slost!“
’Whentheywereoverthebrow，wecropeout，andwentsomelittlewaytolookafterthem。Half-waydowntheywerejoinedbytwoothers，andsixorsevenminutesbroughtthemtotheshore。Then，frombehindarock，aboatcameoutintotheweakmoonlightoftheCove，andtheyjumpedin；itputoffinstantly，andvanishedinafewminutesbetweenthetworocksthatstandatthemouthoftheCoveasweallknow。Weclimmedbacktowherewehadbeenbefore，andI
couldsee，alittlewayout，alargervessel，thoughstillnotverylarge。Thelittleboatdrewupalongside，wasmadefastatthesternasIsuppose，forthelargestsailedaway，andwesawnomore。
’MyuncleJobtoldhisofficersassoonashegotbacktocamp；butwhattheythoughtofitIneverheard——neitherdidhe。Boney’sarmynevercame，andagoodjobforme；fortheCovebelowmyfather’shousewaswherehemeanttoland，asthissecretvisitshowed。Wecoast-folkshouldhavebeencutdownoneandall，andIshouldnothavesatheretotellthistale。’
WewholistenedtooldSelbythatnighthavebeenfamiliarwithhissimplegrave-stoneforthesetenyearspast。Thankstotheincredulityoftheagehistalehasbeenseldomrepeated。ButifanythingshortofthedirecttestimonyofhisowneyescouldpersuadeanauditorthatBonapartehadexaminedtheseshoresforhimselfwithaviewtoapracticablelanding-place，itwouldhavebeenSolomonSelby’smannerofnarratingtheadventurewhichbefellhimonthedown。
ItisaSaturdayafternoonofblueandyellowautumntime，andthesceneistheHighStreetofawell-knownmarket-town。Alargecarrier’svanstandsinthequadrangularfore-courtoftheWhiteHartInn，uponthesidesofitsspacioustiltbeingpainted，inweather-
beatenletters：’Burthen，CarriertoLongpuddle。’Thesevans，sonumeroushereabout，arearespectable，ifsomewhatlumbering，classofconveyance，muchresortedtobydecenttravellersnotoverstockedwithmoney，thebetteramongthemroughlycorrespondingtotheoldFrenchdiligences。
Thepresentoneistimedtoleavethetownatfourintheafternoonprecisely，anditisnowhalf-pastthreebytheclockintheturretatthetopofthestreet。Inafewsecondserrand-boysfromtheshopsbegintoarrivewithpackages，whichtheyflingintothevehicle，andturnawaywhistling，andcareforthepackagesnomore。
Attwentyminutestofouranelderlywomanplacesherbasketupontheshafts，slowlymounts，takesupaseatinside，andfoldsherhandsandherlips。Shehassecuredhercornerforthejourney，thoughthereisasyetnosignofahorsebeingputin，norofacarrier。
Atthethree-quarters，twootherwomenarrive，inwhomthefirstrecognizesthepostmistressofUpperLongpuddleandtheregistrar’swife，theyrecognizingherastheagedgroceressofthesamevillage。
AtfiveminutestothehourthereapproachMr。Profitt，theschoolmaster，inasoftfelthat，andChristopherTwink，themaster-
thatcher；andasthehourstrikesthererapidlydropintheparishclerkandhiswife，theseedsmanandhisagedfather，theregistrar；
alsoMr。Day，theworld-ignoredlocallandscape-painter，anelderlymanwhoresidesinhisnativeplace，andhasneversoldapictureoutsideit，thoughhispretensionstoarthavebeennoblysupportedbyhisfellow-villagers，whoseconfidenceinhisgeniushasbeenasremarkableastheouterneglectofit，leadingthemtobuyhispaintingssoextensivelyatthepriceofafewshillingseach，itistruethateverydwellingintheparishexhibitsthreeorfourofthoseadmiredproductionsonitswalls。
Burthen，thecarrier，isbythistimeseenbustlingroundthevehicle；thehorsesareputin，theproprietorarrangesthereinsandspringsupintohisseatasifhewereusedtoit——whichheis。
’Iseverybodyhere？’heaskspreparatorilyoverhisshouldertothepassengerswithin。
Asthosewhowerenottheredidnotreplyinthenegativethemusterwasassumedtobecomplete，andafterafewhitchesandhindrancesthevanwithitshumanfreightwasgotunderway。Itjoggedonataneasypacetillitreachedthebridgewhichformedthelastoutpostofthetown。Thecarrierpulledupsuddenly。
’Blessmysoul!’hesaid，’I’veforgotthecurate!’
Allwhocoulddosogazedfromthelittlebackwindowofthevan，butthecuratewasnotinsight。
’NowIwonderwherethattheremanis？’continuedthecarrier。
’Poorman，heoughttohavealivingathistimeoflife。’
’Andheoughttobepunctual，’saidthecarrier。’“Fouro’clocksharpismytimeforstarting，“Isaidto’en。Andhesaid，“I’llbethere。“Nowhe’snothere，andasaseriousoldchurch-ministerheoughttobeasgoodashisword。PerhapsMr。Flaxtonknows，beinginthesamelineoflife？’Heturnedtotheparishclerk。
’Iwastalkinganimmensedealwithhim，that’strue，halfanhourago，’repliedthatecclesiastic，asoneofwhomitwasnoerroneoussuppositionthatheshouldbeonintimatetermswithanotherofthecloth。’Buthedidn’tsayhewouldbelate。’
Thediscussionwascutoffbytheappearanceroundthecornerofthevanofraysfromthecurate’sspectacles，followedhastilybyhisfaceandafewwhitewhiskers，andtheswingingtailsofhislonggauntcoat。Nobodyreproachedhim，seeinghowhewasreproachinghimself；andheenteredbreathlesslyandtookhisseat。
’Nowbeweallhere？’saidthecarrieragain。Theystartedasecondtime，andmovedontilltheywereaboutthreehundredyardsoutofthetown，andhadnearlyreachedthesecondbridge，behindwhich，aseverynativeremembers，theroadtakesaturnandtravellersbythishighwaydisappearfinallyfromtheviewofgazingburghers。
’Well，asI’malive!’criedthepostmistressfromtheinterioroftheconveyance，peeringthroughthelittlesquareback-windowalongtheroadtownward。
’What？’saidthecarrier。
’Amanhailingus!’
Anothersuddenstoppage。’Somebodyelse？’thecarrierasked。
’Ay，sure!’Allwaitedsilently，whilethosewhocouldgazeoutdidso。
’Now，whocanthatbe？’Burthencontinued。’Ijustputittoye，neighbours，cananymankeeptimewithsuchhindrances？Bain’twefulla’ready？Whointheworldcanthemanbe？’
’He’sasortofgentleman，’saidtheschoolmaster，hispositioncommandingtheroadmorecomfortablythanthatofhiscomrades。
Thestranger，whohadbeenholdinguphisumbrellatoattracttheirnotice，waswalkingforwardleisurelyenough，nowthathefound，bytheirstopping，thatithadbeensecured。Hisclothesweredecidedlynotofalocalcut，thoughitwasdifficulttopointoutanyparticularmarkofdifference。Inhislefthandhecarriedasmallleathertravellingbag。Assoonashehadovertakenthevanheglancedattheinscriptiononitsside，asiftoassurehimselfthathehadhailedtherightconveyance，andaskediftheyhadroom。
Thecarrierrepliedthatthoughtheywereprettywellladenhesupposedtheycouldcarryonemore，whereuponthestrangermounted，andtooktheseatclearedforhimwithin。Andthenthehorsesmadeanothermove，thistimeforgood，andswungalongwiththeirburdenoffourteensoulsalltold。
’Youbain’toneoftheseparts，sir？’saidthecarrier。’IcouldtellthatasfarasIcouldsee’ee。’
’Yes，Iamoneoftheseparts，’saidthestranger。
’Oh？H’m。’
Thesilencewhichfollowedseemedtoimplyadoubtofthetruthofthenew-comer’sassertion。’IwasspeakingofUpperLongpuddlemoreparticular，’continuedthecarrierhardily，’andIthinkIknowmostfacesofthatvalley。’
’IwasbornatLongpuddle，andnursedatLongpuddle，andmyfatherandgrandfatherbeforeme，’saidthepassengerquietly。
’Why，tobesure，’saidtheagedgroceressinthebackground，’itisn’tJohnLackland’sson——never——itcan’tbe——hewhowenttoforeignpartsfive-and-thirtyyearsagowithhiswifeandfamily？Yet——whatdoIhear？——that’shisfather’svoice!’
’That’stheman，’repliedthestranger。’JohnLacklandwasmyfather，andIamJohnLackland’sson。Five-and-thirtyyearsago，whenIwasaboyofeleven，myparentsemigratedacrosstheseas，takingmeandmysisterwiththem。Kytes’sboyTonywastheonewhodroveusandourbelongingstoCasterbridgeonthemorningweleft；
andhiswasthelastLongpuddlefaceIsaw。Wesailedthesameweekacrosstheocean，andtherewe’vebeeneversince，andthereI’veleftthoseIwentwith——allthree。’
’Aliveordead？’