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ness。　　He　behaved　to　his　daughter　as　if　she　had



been　responsible　for　its　incurable　character。　　He



had　been　heard　to　bellow　at　the　top　of　his　voice；



as　if　to　defy　Heaven；　that　he　did　not　care：　he　had



made　enough　money　to　have　ham　and　eggs　for　his



breakfast　every　morning。　　He　thanked　God　for　it；



in　a　fiendish　tone　as　though　he　were　cursing。







Captain　Hagberd　had　been　so　unfavourably　im…



pressed　by　his　tenant；　that　once　he　told　Miss　Bes…



sie；　〃He　is　a　very　extravagant　fellow；　my　dear。〃







She　was　knitting　that　day；　finishing　a　pair　of



socks　for　her　father；　who　expected　her　to　keep　up



the　supply　dutifully。　　She　hated　knitting；　and；　as



she　was　just　at　the　heel　part；　she　had　to　keep　her



eyes　on　her　needles。







〃Of　course　it　isn't　as　if　he　had　a　son　to　provide



for；〃　Captain　Hagberd　went　on　a　little　vacantly。



〃Girls；　of　course；　don't　require　so　muchh'm



h'm。　　They　don't　run　away　from　home；　my　dear。〃







〃No；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　quietly。







Captain　Hagberd；　amongst　the　mounds　of



turned…up　earth；　chuckled。　　With　his　maritime　rig；



his　weather…beaten　face；　his　beard　of　Father　Nep…



tune；　he　resembled　a　deposed　sea…god　who　had　ex…



changed　the　trident　for　the　spade。







〃And　he　must　look　upon　you　as　already　pro…



vided　for；　in　a　manner。　　That's　the　best　of　it　with



the　girls。　　The　husbands　。　。　。〃　　He　winked。　　Miss



Bessie；　absorbed　in　her　knitting；　coloured　faintly。







〃Bessie！　my　hat！〃　old　Carvil　bellowed　out　sud…



denly。　　He　had　been　sitting　under　the　tree　mute



and　motionless；　like　an　idol　of　some　remarkably



monstrous　superstition。　　He　never　opened　his



mouth　but　to　howl　for　her；　at　her；　sometimes　about



her；　and　then　he　did　not　moderate　the　terms　of　his



abuse。　　Her　system　was　never　to　answer　him　at　all；



and　he　kept　up　his　shouting　till　he　got　attended　to



till　she　shook　him　by　the　arm；　or　thrust　the



mouthpiece　of　his　pipe　between　his　teeth。　　He　was



one　of　the　few　blind　people　who　smoke。　　When　he



felt　the　hat　being　put　on　his　head　he　stopped　his



noise　at　once。　　Then　he　rose；　and　they　passed　to…



gether　through　the　gate。







He　weighed　heavily　on　her　arm。　　During　their



slow；　toilful　walks　she　appeared　to　be　dragging



with　her　for　a　penance　the　burden　of　that　infirm



bulk。　　Usually　they　crossed　the　road　at　once　（the



cottages　stood　in　the　fields　near　the　harbour；　two



hundred　yards　away　from　the　end　of　the　street）；



and　for　a　long；　long　time　they　would　remain　in



view；　ascending　imperceptibly　the　flight　of　wooden



steps　that　led　to　the　top　of　the　sea…wall。　　It　ran



on　from　east　to　west；　shutting　out　the　Channel　like



a　neglected　railway　embankment；　on　which　no　train



had　ever　rolled　within　memory　of　man。　　Groups



of　sturdy　fishermen　would　emerge　upon　the　sky；



walk　along　for　a　bit；　and　sink　without　haste。　　Their



brown　nets；　like　the　cobwebs　of　gigantic　spiders；



lay　on　the　shabby　grass　of　the　slope；　and；　looking



up　from　the　end　of　the　street；　the　people　of　the



town　would　recognise　the　two　Carvils　by　the　creep…



ing　slowness　of　their　gait。　　Captain　Hagberd；　pot…



tering　aimlessly　about　his　cottages；　would　raise　his



head　to　see　how　they　got　on　in　their　promenade。







He　advertised　still　in　the　Sunday　papers　for



Harry　Hagberd。　　These　sheets　were　read　in　for…



eign　parts　to　the　end　of　the　world；　he　informed　Bes…



sie。　　At　the　same　time　he　seemed　to　think　that　his



son　was　in　Englandso　near　to　Colebrook　that　he



would　of　course　turn　up　〃to…morrow。〃　　Bessie；



without　committing　herself　to　that　opinion　in　so



many　words；　argued　that　in　that　case　the　expense



of　advertising　was　unnecessary；　Captain　Hagberd



had　better　spend　that　weekly　half…crown　on　him…



self。　　She　declared　she　did　not　know　what　he　lived



on。　　Her　argumentation　would　puzzle　him　and　cast



him　down　for　a　time。　　〃They　all　do　it；〃　he　pointed



out。　　There　was　a　whole　column　devoted　to　appeals



after　missing　relatives。　　He　would　bring　the　news…



paper　to　show　her。　　He　and　his　wife　had　advertised



for　years；　only　she　was　an　impatient　woman。　　The



news　from　Colebrook　had　arrived　the　very　day　after



her　funeral；　if　she　had　not　been　so　impatient　she



might　have　been　here　now；　with　no　more　than　one



day　more　to　wait。　　〃You　are　not　an　impatient



woman；　my　dear。〃







〃I've　no　patience　with　you　sometimes；〃　she



would　say。







If　he　still　advertised　for　his　son　he　did　not　offer



rewards　for　information　any　more；　for；　with　the



muddled　lucidity　of　a　mental　derangement　he　had



reasoned　himself　into　a　conviction　as　clear　as　day…



light　that　he　had　already　attained　all　that　could　be



expected　in　that　way。　　What　more　could　he　want？



Colebrook　was　the　place；　and　there　was　no　need　to



ask　for　more。　　Miss　Carvil　praised　him　for　his　good



sense；　and　he　was　soothed　by　the　part　she　took　in



his　hope；　which　had　become　his　delusion；　in　that



idea　which　blinded　his　mind　to　truth　and　probabil…



ity；　just　as　the　other　old　man　in　the　other　cottage



had　been　made　blind；　by　another　disease；　to　the



light　and　beauty　of　the　world。







But　anything　he　could　interpret　as　a　doubt



any　coldness　of　assent；　or　even　a　simple　inattention



to　the　development　of　his　projects　of　a　home　with



his　returned　son　and　his　son's　wifewould　irritate



him　into　flings　and　jerks　and　wicked　side　glances。



He　would　dash　his　spade　into　the　ground　and　walk



to　and　fro　before　it。　　Miss　Bessie　called　it　his　tan…



trums。　　She　shook　her　finger　at　him。　　Then；　when



she　came　out　again；　after　he　had　parted　with　her



in　anger；　he　would　watch　out　of　the　corner　of　his



eyes　for　the　least　sign　of　encouragement　to　ap…



proach　the　iron　railings　and　resume　his　fatherly



and　patronising　relations。







For　all　their　intimacy；　which　had　lasted　some



years　now；　they　had　never　talked　without　a　fence



or　a　railing　between　them。　　He　described　to　her　all



the　splendours　accumulated　for　the　setting…up　of



their　housekeeping；　but　had　never　invited　her　to　an



inspection。　　No　human　eye　was　to　behold　them　till



Harry　had　his　first　look。　　In　fact；　nobody　had　ever



been　inside　his　cottage；　he　did　his　own　housework；



and　he　guarded　his　son's　privilege　so　jealously　that



the　small　objects　of　domestic　use　he　bought　some…



times　in　the　town　were　smuggled　rapidly　across　the



front　garden　under　his　canvas　coat。　　Then；　coming



out；　he　would　remark　apologetically；　〃It　was　only



a　small　kettle；　my　dear。〃







And；　if　not　too　tired　with　her　drudgery；　or　wor…



ried　beyond　endurance　by　her　father；　she　would



laugh　at　him　with　a　blush；　and　say：　〃That's　all



right；　Captain　Hagberd；　I　am　not　impatient。〃







〃Well；　my　dear；　you　haven't　long　to　wait　now；〃



he　would　answer　with　a　sudden　bashfulness；　and



looking　uneasily；　as　though　he　had　suspected　that



there　was　something　wrong　somewhere。







Every　Monday　she　paid　him　his　rent　over　the



railings。　　He　clutched　the　shillings　greedily。　　He



grudged　every　penny　he　had　to　spend　on　his　main…



tenance；　and　when　he　left　her　to　make　his　purchases



his　bearing　changed　as　soon　as　he　got　into　the



street。　　Away　from　the　sanction　of　her　pity；　he　felt



himself　exposed　without　defence。　　He　brushed　the



walls　with　his　shoulder。　　He　mistrusted　the　queer…



ness　of　the　people；　yet；　by　then；　even　the　town



children　had　left　off　calling　after　him；　and　the



tradesmen　served　him　without　a　word。　　The　slight…



est　allusion　to　his　clothing　had　the　power　to　puzzle



and　frighten　especially；　as　if　it　were　something



utterly　unwarranted　and　incomprehensible。







In　the　autumn；　the　driving　rain　drummed　on　his



sailcloth　suit　saturated　almost　to　the　stiffness　of



sheet…iron；　with　its　surface　flowing　with　water。



When　the　weather　was　too　bad；　he　retreated　under



the　tiny　porch；　and；　standing　close　against　the



door；　looked　at　his　spade　left　planted　in　the　middle



of　the　yard。　　The　ground　was　so　much　dug　up　all



over；　that　as　the　season　advanced　it　turned　to　a



quagmire。　　When　it　froze　hard；　he　was　disconso…



late。　　What　would　Harry　say？　　And　as　he　could



not　have　so　much　of　Bessie's　company　at　that　time



of　the　year；　the　roars　of　old　Carvil；　that　came　muf…



fled　through　the　closed　windows；　calling　her　in…



doors；　exasperated　him　greatly。







〃Why　don't　that　extravagant　fellow　get　you　a



servant？〃　he　asked　impatiently　one　mild　after…



noon。　　She　had　thrown　something　over　her　head　to



run　out　for　a　while。







〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　pale　Bessie；　wearily；



staring　away　with　her　heavy…lidded；　grey；　and　un…



expectant　glance。　　There　were　always　smudgy



shadows　under　her　eyes；　and　she　did　not　seem　able



to　see　any　change　or　any　end　to　her　life。







〃You　wait　till　you　get　married；　my　dear；〃　said



her　only　friend；　drawing　closer　to　the　fence。



〃Harry　will　get　you　one。〃







His　hopeful　craze　seemed　to　mock　her　own　want



of　hope　with　so　bitter　an　aptness　that　in　her　ner…



vous　irritation　she　could　have　screamed　at　him　out…



right。　　But　she　only　said　in　self…mockery；　and



speaking　to　him　as　though　he　had　been　sane；



〃Why；　Captain　Hagberd；　your　son　may　not　even



want　to　look　at　me。〃







He　flung　his　head　back　and　laughed　his　throaty



affected　cackle　of　anger。







〃What！　　That　boy？　　Not　want　to　look　at　the



only　sensible　girl　for　miles　around？