HefoundthenthatthisnewsenseorGod-likepowerdetractedalittlefromtheexcitementsoftheMarketPlace，althoughtheflower-stallwasdazzlingwithflowers；therewasanewkindofpigthatlifteditstailandlowereditagainonthetoystall，andtheapple-womanwasasfataseverandhadthickclumpsofyellowbananashangingmostrichlyaroundherhead。TheyascendedtheHighStreetandreachedtheClose。Itwashalf-pastthree，andtheCathedralbellshadbeguntoringforevensong。AllthehousesintheClosewerepaintedwithapaleyellowlight；acrossthelonggreenCathedrallawnthinblackshadowslikethefingersofgiantspointedtotheCathedraldoor。Allwassosilentherethatthebellsdancedagainstthehousesandbackagain，theechoeslingeringinthehighelmsandminglingwiththeplacidcooingoftherooks。
“There’sMrs。Sampson，“saidJeremy。“AuntAmysaysshe’sawickedwoman。Doyouthinkshe’sawickedwoman，Nurse？“Hegazedatthestoutfigurewithinterest。IfheweretrulyGodhewouldturnherintoarabbit。Thisthoughtamusedhim，andhebegantolaugh。
“Younaughtyboy；nowcomealong，do，“saidtheJampot，whodistrustedlaughterinJerry。
“I’llringthebellswhenIgrowup，“hesaid，“andI’llringtheminthemiddleofthenight，sothateveryonewillhavetogotochurchwhentheydon’twantto。I’llbeabletodowhatIlikewhenIgrowup。“
“No，youwon’t，“saidHelen。“FatherandMothercan’tdowhattheylike。“
“Yestheycan，“saidJeremy。
“Notheycan’t，“answeredHelen，“ortheywould。“
“Sotheydo，“saidJeremy——“silly。“
“Sillyyourself，“saidHelenverycalmly，becausesheknewverywellthatshewasnotsilly。
“Now，children，stopit，do，“saidtheJampot。
Jeremy’ssenseofnewlyreceivedpowerreacheditsclimaxwhentheywalkedroundtheCloseandreachedthebackoftheCathedral。Iknowthatnow，bothforJeremyandme，thatprospecthasdwindledintoitspropergrown-upproportions，buthowcanaman，behecometothreescoreandtenandmore，everforgetthesize，thesplendour，thestupendousextravaganceofthatearlyvision？
Jeremysawthatdaytheoldfragmentofcastlewall，thegreenexpansefallinglikeasheetedwaterfallfromtheCathedralheights，thebluelineofriverflashingintheeveningsunbetweenthebare-
boughedtrees，thelongspacesofblackshadowspreadingslowlyoverthecolour，asthoughitwereallbeingrolledupandlaidawayforanotherday；thebrownfrostypathoftheRopeWalk，thefartherbankclimbingintofieldsandhedges，endingintheridgeofwood，blackagainstthegoldensky。Andallsostill！Asthechildrenstoodtheretheycouldcatchnestlings’faintcries，stirringsofdeadleavesandtwigs，asbirdsandbeastsmovedtotheirhomes；thecooingoftherooksabouttheblackbranchesseemedtopromisethatthisworldshouldbeforevertranquil，forevercloisteredandremoved；thesun，redandflamingabovethedarkwood，flungwhitemistshitherandthithertoveilitsdeparture。Thesilencedeepened，thelastlightflamedontheriveranddieduponthehill。
“Now，children，comealongdo，“saidtheJampotwhohadbeenheldinspiteofherself，andwouldpayforit，sheknew，inrheumatismto-
morrow。ItwasthenthatJeremy’sGod-flungsenseofpower，bornfromthatmomentearlyinthedaywhenhehadsatinthewickerchair，reacheditsclimax。Hestoodthere，hislegsapart，lookinguponthedarkeningworldandfeltthathecoulddoanything——
anything……
Atanyrate，therewasonethingthathecoulddo，disobeytheJampot。
“I’mnotcoming，“hesaid，“tillIchoose。“
“Youwickedboy！“shecried，hertemperrisingwiththeeveningchills，herdesireforacupofhottea，andanachinglongingforacomfortablechair。“Wheneveryone’sbeensogoodtoyouto-dayandthethingsyou’vebeengivenandall——why，it’sawickedshame。“
TheJampot，whowasawomanhappilywithoutimagination，sawanaughtysmallboyspoiledandneedingtheslipper。
Arook，takingalastlookattheworldbeforeretiringtorest，watchingfromhisleaflessbough，sawamortalspiritdefyingtheuniverse，andsympathisedwithit。
“Ishalltellyourmother，“saidtheJampot。“Nowcome，MasterJeremy，beagoodboy。“
“Oh，don’tbother，Nurse，“heansweredimpatiently。“You’resuchafuss。“
Sherealisedinthatmomentthathewassuddenlybeyondherpower，thathewouldneverbewithinitagain。Shehadnursedhimforeightyears，shehadlovedhiminherownway；she，dullperhapsinthewaysoftheworld，butwiseinthewaysofnurses，waysthatarebuiltupofsurrenderandsurrender，gavehim，thenandthere，tothelargerlife……
“Youmaybehaveasyoulike，MasterJeremy，“shesaid。“Itwon’tbeforlongthatI’llhavethedealingwithyou，praisebe。You’llbegoingtoschoolnextSeptember，andthenwe’llseewhat’llhappentoyourwickedpride。“
“School！“heturneduponher，hiseyeswideandstaring。
“School！“hestaredatthemall。
Theworldtumbledfromhim。Inhissoulwasaconfusionoftriumphanddismay，ofexcitementandloneliness，ofthesuddenfallingfromhimofalloldstandards，oldhorizons，ofprideandhumility……
HowlittlenowwastheVillagetohim。Helookedatthemtoseewhethertheycouldunderstand。Theycouldnot。
Veryquietlyhefollowedthemhome。Hisbirthdayhadachieveditsclimax……
CHAPTERII
THEFAMILYDOG
I
ThatwinterofJeremy’seighthbirthdaywasfamousforitssnow。
GlebeshirehasneveryieldedtothewishesofitschildreninthematterofsnowyChristmases，andPolchesterhasthereputationofmuggywarmthandfoggymists，butherewasayearwhentraditionswerefulfilledinthemostrecklessmanner，andallthe1892babiesweretreatedtoapresentofsnowonsofineascalethatcertainlyfortherestoftheirdaystheywillgoaboutsaying：“Ah，youshouldseethewintersweusedtohavewhenwewerechildren……“
ThesnowbeganontheverydayafterJeremy’sbirthday，comingdowndoubtfully，slowly，littlegreyflakesagainstagreysky，thensparklingwhite，thenvanishingflashesofmoistureonawet，unsympatheticsoil。Thatdaythesnowdidnotlie；andforaweekitdidnotcomeagain；thenwithawhirlitseizedtheland，andfortwodaysandnightsdidnotloosenitsgrip。Fromthenurserywindowsthechildrenwatchedit，theirnosesmakinglittleringsonthewindow-pane，theirdelightedeyessnatchingfascinatingglimpsesoffigurestossedthroughthestorm，cabsbeatingtheirway，therabbit-skinman，themilkman，thepostman，braveadventurersall，fighting，asitseemed，fortheirverylives。
Fortwodaysthechildrendidnotleavethehouse，andthenaturalresultofthatwasthatonthesecondafternoontemperswere，likesomanydogs，straining，tugging，pullingattheirchains。
ItcouldnotbedeniedthatJeremyhadbeentiresometoeveryonesincetheafternoonwhenhehadheardthenewsofhisgoingtoschoolnextSeptember。Ithadseemedtohimatremendousevent，theBeginningoftheEnd。Totheothers，wholivedintheimmediatepresent，itwasacrisissoremoteasscarcelytocountatall。Marywouldhavelikedtobesentimentalaboutit，butfromthisshewassternlyprevented。Therewasthennothingmoretobesaid……
Jeremywassuddenlyisolatedfromthemall。Hisdestinywaspeculiar。Theyweregirls，hewasaboy。Theyunderstoodneitherhisfearsnorhisambitions；heneededterriblyacompanion。Thesnow，shuttingthemin，laughedattheirstrugglesagainstmonotony。Thenurseryclockstruckthreeandtheyrealisedthattwowholehoursmustpassbeforethenextmeal。Mary，hernoseredfrompressingonthewindow-pane，hereyesgazingthroughherhugespectacleswistfullyatJeremy，longedtosuggestthatsheshouldreadaloudtohim。Sheknewthathehatedit；shepretendedtoherselfthatshedidnotknow。
JeremystareddesperatelyatHelenwhowassitting，dignifiedandcollected，inthewickerchairhemmingaminutehandkerchief。
“WemightplayPirates，“Jeremysaidwithalittlecough，thebettertosecureherattention。Therewasnoanswer。
“Orthere’sthehutinthewood——ifanyonelikesitbetter，“headdedpolitely。Hedidnotknowwhatwasthematter。HadtheJampotnottoldhimaboutschoolhewouldatthisverymomentbeplayingmosthappilywithhisvillage。Itspreadouttherebeforehimonthenurseryfloor，theNoahfamilyengageduponteaintheorchard，thebutcherstaringwithfixedgazefromthedoorofhisshop，threecowsandasheepabsorbedinthearchitectureofthechurch。
Hesighed，thensaidagain：“PerhapsPirateswouldbebetter。“
StillHelendidnotreply。Heabandonedtheattemptedcontrolofhispassions。
“It’sveryrude，“hesaid，“nottoanswerwhengentlemenspeaktoyou。“
“Idon’tseeanygentlemen，“answeredHelenquietly，withoutraisinghereyes，whichwas，assheknew，aprovokinghabit。
“Yes，youdo，“almostscreamedJeremy。“I’mone。“
“You’renot，“continuedHelen；“you’reonlyeight。GentlemenmustbeovertwentylikeFatherorMr。Jellybrand。“
“IhateMr。JellybrandandIhateyou，“repliedJeremy。
“Idon’tcare，“saidHelen。
“Yes，youdo，“saidJeremy，thensuddenly，asthoughevenagoodquarrelwerenotworthwhileonthisheavilyburdenedafternoon，hesaidgently：“YoumightplayPirates，Helen。YoucanbeSirRoger。“
“I’vegotthistofinish。“
“It’sadirtyoldthing，“continuedJeremy，pursuinganargument，“andit’llbedirtiersoon，andtheJampotsaysyoudoallthestitcheswrong。IwishIwasatschool。“
“Iwishyouwere，“saidHelen。
Therewasapauseafterthis。Jeremywentsadlybacktohiswindow-
seat。Maryfeltthathermomenthadarrived。Sniffing，aswasherhabitwhenshewantedsomethingverybadly，shesaidinavoicethatwaslittlemorethanawhisper：
“Itwouldbefun，wouldn’tit，perhapsifIreadsomething，Jeremy？“
Jeremywasagentleman，althoughhewasonlyeight。Helookedatherandsawbehindthespectacleseyesbeseechinghispermission。
“Well，itwouldn’tbemuchfun，“hesaid，“butit’sallbeastlythisafternoon，anyway。“
“CanIsitonthewindowtoo？“askedMary。
“Nottooclose，becauseitticklesmyear，butyoucanifyoulike。“
Shehurriedacrosstothebookshelf。“There’s’Stumps’and’RagsandTatters，’and’EngeltheFearless，’and’HerrBaby’and’Alice’and-