It’sthewallorsomething。“
Hecamedownfromthechairyawning。
“Jim’snice，“heconfidedtoher。“He’sgoingtotakemerattingoneday！“
“I’mgoing，“Marysaidagain，andwaited。
Jeremycoloured，lookedasthoughhewouldsaysomething，then，insilence，presentedaverygrimycheek。“Good-night，“hesaid，withanairofintenserelief。
“Good-night，“shesaid，kissinghim。
Sheclosedthedoorbehindher。Sheknewthattheworsthadhappened。Hehadpassedaway，utterlybeyondhercompany，herworld，herinterests。Shecreptalongtoherroom，andthere，withadeterminationandastrengthrareinachildsoyoungandsoundisciplined，facedherloneliness。
CHAPTERXI
THEMERRY-GO-ROUND
I
Theholidayswereover。TheColeswereoncemorebackinPolchester，andthemostexcitingperiodofJeremy’slifehadbegun。Soatanyratehefeltit。Itmightbethatinlateryearstherewouldbenewexcitingevents，lion-hunting，forinstance，orawar，orthetrackingofniggersintheheartofAfrica——hewouldbereadyforthemwhentheycame——buttheselastweeksbeforehisfirstdepartureforschoolofferedhimtheprospectofthefirstrealindependenceofhislife。Therecouldneverbeanythingquitelikethatagain。
Nevertheless，schoolseemedstillalongwaydistant。Itwasonlyhismanlinessthathewasrealisingandacertainimpatienceandrestlessnessthatunderlayeverythingthathedid。
SeptemberandOctoberareoftenverylovelymonthsinPolchester；
autumnseemstocometherewithagreaterwarmthandrichnessthanitdoeselsewhere。AlongallthereachesofthePol，rightdowntothesea，theleavesofthewoodshungwithariotousmagnificencethatisgloriousinitsrecklessness。Thewatersofthatsilentriveraresostill，soglassy，thatthebanksofgoldandflamingredarereflectedinalltheirrichestcolourdownintotheveryheartofthestream，anditisonlywhenafishjumpsoratwigfallsfromtheoverhangingtreesthatthemirrorisbrokenandthecoloursflashintoripplesandshadowsofwhiteandgrey。TheuttersilenceofallthisworldmakestheCathedraltownsleepy，sluggish，forgottenofallmen。AstheautumncomesitseemstodrowseawayintowintertothetuneofitsCathedralbells，tothescentofitsburningleavesandthesoftstepsofitsCanonsandclergy。Thereiseveryautumnhereaclericalconference，andlongbeforetheappointedweekbegins，andlongafteritislawfullyconcluded，clergymen，strangeclergymenwithsoftblackhats，takethetownfortheirown，gazeintoMartinthepastry-cook’s，sitintheduskoftheCathedrallisteningtotheorgan；walk，theirheadsinair，theirarmsfoldedbehindtheirbacks，straightupOrangeStreetasthoughtheywerescalingHeavenitself；stoplittlechildren，pattheirheads，andgivethempennies；standoutsidePoole’sbookshopanddelveinthe2d。boxforthumb-markedsermons；standgazinginlearnedfashionatthegreatWestDoor，investigatingthesaintsandapostlesportrayedthereon；hurryintheirbesthatsandcoatsalongtheClosetosomeladies’tea-party，orpasswithsolemnandanxiousmienintothepalaceoftheBishophimself。
AllthesethingsbelongtoautumninPolchester，asJeremyverywellknew，buttheeventthatmarksthetruebeginningoftheseason，theonlywaybywhichyoumaysurelyknowthatsummerisoverandautumniscomeisPauper’sFair。
Thisfamousfairhasbeen，fromtimeimmemorial，anotedeventinGlebeshirelife。Evennow，whenfairshaveyieldedtocinematographsasattractionsforthepeople，Pauper’sFairgivesitsannualexcitement。ThirtyyearsagoitwasthegreatesteventoftheyearinPolchester。Allourfinepeople，ofcourse，dislikeditextremely。Itdisturbedthetownfordays，thetownrockedinthearmsofcrowdsofdrunkensailors，thetowngavesheltertogipsiesandroguesandscoundrels，thetown，thedecent，amiable，happytownactuallyforaweekorsoseemedtoinvitetheworldoftheblazingfireandthedancingclown。Nowonderthatourfinepeopleshuddered。Onlytheotherday——Ispeaknowofthesemoderntimes——
theBishoptriedtostopthewholebusiness。HewrotetotheGlebeshireMorningNews，urgingthatPauper’sFair，inthesedaysofenlightenmentandculture，cannotbutberegrettedbyallthosewhohavethehealthyprogressofourdearcountryatheart。Well，youwouldbeamazedatthestormthathisprotestraised。PeoplewrotefromallovertheCounty，andtherewereultimatelylettersfrompatrioticGlebeshirecitizensinNewZealandandSouthAfrica。AndinPolchesteritself！Everyone——eventhosewhohadshudderedmostatthefair’siniquities——wasindignant。Giveupthefair！OneofthefewsignsleftofthatjollyOldEnglandwhosesentimentischerishedbyus，whosefragmentsneverthelesswesoreadilystampupon。No，thefairmustremainandwillremain，Ihavenodoubt，untiltheveryendofournationalchapter。
Nowadaysithasshed，verylargely，Iamafraid，thecharacterthatitgloriouslymaintainedthirtyyearsago。ThenitwasreallyaninvasionbytheseafaringelementoftheCounty。Allthelittlecountryportsandharbourspouredouttheirfishermenandsailors，whocamewalking，driving，singing，laughing，swearing；theyfilledthestreets，andwentpeering，likethewildestofancientPicts，intothemysteriousbeautiesoftheCathedral，andlateatnight，whenthetownshouldhaveslept，arminarmtheywentroaringpastthedarkwindows，singingtheirsongs，stampingtheirfeet，andeveryonceandagainringingadecentdoor-bellfortheiramusement。
Itwasveryseldomthatanyharmwasdone。Onceaseriousfirebrokeoutamongsttheoldwoodenhousesdownontheriver，andsomeofthemwereburnttotheground，afatethatnoonedeplored；onceasailorwasmurderedinadrunkensquabbleat“TheDogandPilchard，“
thewildestoftheriversidehostelries；andonceaCanonwascaughtandstrippedandduckedinthewatersofthePolbyamobwhoresentedhisgentleappealsthattheyshouldtrytopreferlemonadetogin；buttheseweretheonlythreecatastrophesinallthehistoryofthefair。
Duringthefairweekthetownsniffedofthesea——oflobsterandseaweedandtarandbrine——andallthetalesoftheseathathaveeverbeentoldbymanweretoldduringthesedaysinPolchester。
Thedecentpeoplekepttheirdoorslocked，theirchildrenathome，andtheirvaluablesinthefamilysafe。NoupperclasschildinPolchestersomuchassawtheoutsideofagipsyvan。TheDean’sErnestwasaccustomedtoboastthathehadoncebeengivenaridebyagipsyonadonkey，whenhisnursewasnotlooking，butnoonecreditedthestory，andthedetailswithwhichhesupporteditwerefeebleandunconvincing。ThePolchesterchildreningeneralweretoldthat“theywouldbestolenbythegipsiesiftheyweren’tcareful，“and，althoughsomeoftheminextrememomentsofrebellionanddepressionfeltthatthelifeofadventurethusofferedtothem，might，afterall，bemoreagreeablethanthedrearyrealismoftheirnaturaldays，thewarningmaybesaidtohavebeeneffective。
NofamilyinPolchesterwasguardedmorecarefullyinthismatterofthePauper’sFairthantheColefamily。Mr。Colehadanabsolutehorrorofthefair。Sailorsandgipsiesweretohimthesignandsealofutterdamnation，andalthoughhetried，asaChristianclergyman，tobelievethattheydeservedpitybecauseofthedisadvantagesunderwhichtheyhadfromthefirstlaboured，heconfessedtohisintimatefriendsthathesawverylittlehopeforthemeitherinthisworldorthenext。Jeremy，HelenandMarywere，duringFairWeek，keptseverelywithindoors；theirexercisehadtobetakenintheColegarden，andthefarthestthattheypokedtheirnosesintothetownwastheirvisittoSt。John’sonSundaymorning。
Exceptononefamousoccasion。TheFairWeekofJeremy’sfifthyearsawhimwrithingunderaterribleattackoftoothache，whichbecame，aftertwoagonisednights，suchatormentanddistresstothewholehouseholdthathehadtobeconveyedtothehouseofMr。Pilter，whohadhistorture-chamberatNo。3MarketSquare。ItistruethatJeremywasconveyedthitherinacab，andthathispainandhisdarkenedwindowspreventedhimfromseeingverymuchofthegayworld；nevertheless，inspiteoftheJampot，whoguardedhimlikeadragon，hecaughtaglimpseofflags，agleamingbrassbandandaPunchandJudyshow，andheheardthetrumpetsandthedrum，andtheshoutsofexcitedlittleboys，andtheblowingofthePunchandJudypipes，andhesmeltroastingchestnuts，badtobacco，andbeerandgin。Hereturned，youngashewas，andreducedtoacorpse-likeconditionbytheroughbutkindlyintentionedservicesofMr。
Pilter，withthepictureofahysterical，abandonedworldclearlyimprinteduponhisbrain。
“Iwanttogo，“hesaidtotheJampot。
“Youcan’t，“saidshe。
“IwillwhenI’msix，“saidhe。
“Youwon’t，“saidshe。
“IwillwhenI’mseven，“saidhe。
“Youwon’t，“saidshe。
“IwillwhenI’meight，“heanswered。
“Oh，giveover，do，MasterJeremy，“saidshe。Andnowhewaseight，verynearlynine，andgoingtoschoolinafortnight。Thereseemedtobeatouchofdestinyabouthisprophecy。
II
Hehadnointentionofdisobedience。Hadhebeenoncedefinitelytoldbysomeoneinauthoritythathewasnottogotothefairhewouldnothavedreamtofgoing。Hehadnointentionofdisobedience——
buthehadreturnedfromtheCowFarmholidayinastrangeconditionofmind。
Hehadfoundtherethissummermorefreedomthanhehadbeeneverallowedinhislifebefore，andithadbeenfreedomthathadcome，notsomuchfromanychangeofrules，butratherfromhisownattitudetothefamily——simplyhehadwantedtodocertainthings，andhehaddonethemandthefamilyhadstoodaside。Hebegantobeawarethathehadonlytopushandthingsgaveway——adangerousknowledge，anditscomingmarksaperiodinone’slife。
Heseemed，too，duringthissummer，tohavelefthissistersdefinitelybehindhimandtostandmuchmorealonethanhehaddonebefore。TheonlypersoninhisworldwhomhefeltthathewouldliketoknowbetterwasUncleSamuel，andthatargued，onhispart，acertaintendencytowardsrebellionandindividuality。HewasnolongerrudetoAunt’Amy，althoughhehatedherjustashehadalwaysdone。Shedidnotseemanylongeraquestionthatmattered。
Hisattitudetohiswholefamilynowwasindependent。
Indeed，hewas，inreality，nowbeginningtolivehisindependentlife。Hewasperhapsveryyoungtobesentofftoschoolbyhimself，althoughinthosedaysforaboyofeighttobeplungedwithoutanyhelpbutafriendlywordofwarningintothestormyseasofprivateschoollifewascommonenough——nevertheless，hisfather，consciousthatthechild’slifehadbeenhithertospentalmostentirelyamongwomen，senthimeverymorningduringtheselastweeksathomedowntotheCurateofSt。Martin’s-in-the-MarkettolearnafewwordsofLatin，aneasysumortwo，andtherudimentsofspelling。Thisyoungcurate，theRev。WilfredSomerset，recentlyofEmmanuelCollege，Cambridge，hadbuttwoideasinhishead——thenoblegameofcricketandthejollyqualitiesofMr。Surtees’snovels。Hewasstoutandstrong，red-faced，andthickintheleg，alwayssmokingalargoblack-lookingpipe，andwearingtrousersveryshortandtight。HedidnotstrikeJeremywithfear，buthewas，nevertheless，aninfluence。Jeremy，apparently，amusedhimintensely。Hewouldroarwithlaughteratnothingatall，smackhisthighandshout，“Goodforyou，young’un，“whateverthatmightmean，andJeremy，gazingathim，athispipeandhistrousers，likinghimrather，butnotsufficientlyinawetobereallyimpressed，wouldaskhimquestionsthatseemedtohimperfectlysimpleandnatural，butthat，nevertheless，amusedtheRev。Wilfredsofundamentallythathewasunabletogivethemanintelligibleanswer。