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other　Charles　would　appear；　and　he　strove　to　arrange　in　his　mind　the　wise　and　unanswerable　word　with　which　he　would　defend　himself；　but　his　thoughts　slipped　just　as　the　firelight　slipped　and　the　floors　with　the　old　threadbare　carpet。

Then　suddenly　the　hall　door　opened　with　a　jangle；　there　were　steps　in　the　hall；　and　Old　Timmie　Carthewe　the　sexton　appeared　in　the　dining…room。　He　had　a　goat's　face　and　a　body　like　a　hairpin。

〃Rector's　not　been　to　service；〃　he　said。　〃There's　Miss　Dunnett　and　Mrs。　Giles　and　the　two　Miss　Backshaws。　I'm　feared　he's　forgotten。〃

Maggie　started　up。　Instantly　to　her　mind　came　the　memory　of　that　fancied　sound　from　her　father's　room。　She　listened　now；　her　head　raised；　and　the　two　men；　their　eyes　bleared　but　their　noses　sniffing　as　though　they　were　dogs；　listened　also。　There　were　certain　sounds；　clocks　ticking；　the　bough　scraping　on　the　wall；　a　cart's　echo　on　the　frozen　road；　the　maid　singing　far　in　the　depths　of　the　house。　Maggie　nodded　her　head。

〃I'll　go　and　see；〃　she　said。

She　went　into　the　hall　and　stood　again　listening。　Then　she　called；　〃Father！　Father！〃　but　there　was　no　answer。　She　had　never　in　all　her　life　been　frightened　by　anything　and　she　was　not　frightened　now；　nevertheless；　as　she　went　up　the　stairs；　she　looked　behind　her　to　see　whether　any　one　followed　her。

She　called　again　〃Father！〃　then　went　to　his　door；　pushed　it　open；　and　looked　in。　The　room　was　cold　with　a　faint　scent　of　tallow　candle　and　damp。

In　the　twilight　she　saw　her　father's　body　lying　like　a　shadow　stretched　right　across　the　floor；　with　the　grey　dirty　fingers　of　one　hand　clenched。

After　that　events　followed　swiftly。　Maggie　herself　had　no　time　nor　opportunity　for　any　personal　emotion　save　a　dumb　kind　of　wonder　that　she　did　not　feel　more。　But　she　saw　all　〃through　a　glass　darkly。〃　There　had　been　first　that　moment　when　the　sexton　and　Uncle　Mathew；　still　like　dogs　sniffing；　had　peered　with　their　eyes　through　her　father's　door。　Then　there　had　been　the　summoning　of　Dr。　Bubbage　from　the　village；　his　self…importance；　his　continual　〃I　warned　him。　I　warned　him。　He　can't　say　I　didn't　warn　him；〃　and　then　（very　dim　and　far　away）　〃Thank　you；　Miss　Cardinal。　I　think　I　will　have　a　glass　if　you　don't　mind。〃　There　had　been　cook　crying　in　the　kitchen　（her　red　roses　intended　for　Sunday　must　now　be　postponed）　and　the　maid　sniffing　in　the　hall。　There　had　been　Uncle　Mathew；　muddled　and　confused；　but　clinging　to　his　one　idea　that　〃the　best　thing　you　can　do；　my　dear；　is　to　send　for　your　Aunt　Anne。〃　There　had　been　the　telegram　dispatched　to　Aunt　Anne；　and　then　after　that　the　house　had　seemed　quite　filled　with　peopleladies　who　hadwished　to　know　whether　they　could　help　her　in　any　way　and　even　the　village　butcher　who　was　there　for　no　reason　but　stood　in　the　hall　rubbing　his　hands　on　his　thighs　and　sniffing。　All　these　persons　Maggie　surveyed　through　a　mist。　She　was　calm　and　collected　and　empty　of　all　personality；　Maggie　Cardinal；　the　real　Maggie　Cardinal；　was　away　on　a　visit　somewhere　and　would　not　be　back　for　a　time　or　two。

Then　suddenly　as　the　house　had　filled　so　suddenly　it　emptied。　Maggie　found　that　she　was　desperately　tired。　She　went　to　bed　and　slept　instantly。　On　waking　next　morning　she　was　aware　that　it　was　a　most　beautiful　winter's　day　and　that　there　was　something　strange　in　the　air。　There　came　to　her　then　very　slowly　a　sense　of　her　father。　She　saw　him　on　the　one　side；　persistently　as　she　had　found　him　in　his　room；　strange；　shapeless；　with　a　crumpled　face　and　a　dirty　beard　that　seemed　to　be　more　dead　than　the　rest　of　him。　On　the　other　side　she　saw　him　as　she　had　found　him　in　the　first　days　of　her　consciousness　of　the　world。

He　must　have　been　〃jolly〃　then；　large　and　strong；　laughing　often；　tossing　her；　she　remembered；　to　the　ceiling；　his　beard　jet…black　and　his　eyebrows　bushy　and　overhanging。　Once　that　vigour；　afterwards　this　horror。　She　shook　away　from　her　last　vision　of　him　but　it　returned　again　and　again；　hanging　about　her　over　her　shoulder　like　an　ill…omened　messenger。　And　all　the　life　between　seemed　to　be　suddenly　wiped　away　as　a　sponge　wipes　figures　off　a　slate。　After　the　death　of　her　mother　she　had　made　the　best　of　her　circumstances。　There　had　been　many　days　when　life　had　been　unpleasant；　and　in　the　last　year；　as　his　miserliness　had　grown　upon　him；　his　ill…temper　at　any　fancied　extravagance　had　been　almost　that　of　an　insane　man；　but　Maggie　knew　very　little　of　the　affairs　of　other　men　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　every　one　had　some　disadvantage　with　which　to　grapple。　She　did　not　pretend　to　care　for　her　father；　she　was　very　lonely　because　the　villagers　hated　him；　but　she　had　always　made　the　best　of　everything　because　she　had　never　had　an　intimate　friend　to　tell　her　that　that　was　a　foolish　thing　to　do。

It　was　indeed　marvellous　how　isolated　her　life　had　been；　she　knew　simply　nothing　about　the　world　at　all。

She　could　not　pretend　that　she　was　sorry　that　her　father　had　died；　and　yet　she　missed　him　because　she　knew　very　well　that　she　was　now　no　one's　business；　that　she　was　utterly　and　absolutely　alone　in　the　universe。　It　might　be　said　that　she　could　not　be　utterly　alone　when　she　had　her　Uncle　Mathew；　but；　although　she　was　ignorant　of　life；　she　knew　her　Uncle　Mathew　。　。　。　Nevertheless；　he　did　something　to　remove　the　sharp　alarm　of　her　sudden　isolation。　Upon　the　day　after　her　father's　death　he　was　at　his　very　best；　his　kindest；　and　most　gentle。　He　was　rather　pathetic；　having　drunk　nothing　out　of　respect　to　the　occasion；　he　felt；　somewhere　deep　down　in　him；　a　persistent　exaltation　that　his　brother　Charles　was　dead；　but　he　knew　that　it　was　not　decent　to　allow　this　feeling　to　conquer　him　and　he　was　truly　anxious　to　protect　and　comfort　his　niece　so　well　as　he　was　able。　Early　in　the　afternoon　he　suggested　that　they　should　go　for　a　walk。　Everything　necessary　had　been　done。　An　answer　to　their　telegram　had　been　received　from　his　sister　Anne　that　she　could　not　leave　London　until　that　night　but　would　arrive　at　Clinton　St。　Mary　station　at　half…past　nine　to…morrow　morning。　That　would　be　in　good　time　for　the　funeral；　a　ceremony　that　was　to　be　conducted　by　the　Rev。　Tom　Trefusis；　the　sporting　vicar　of　Cator　Hill；　the　neighbouring　parish。

The　house　now　was　empty　and　silent。　They　must　escape　from　that　figure；　now　decent；　clean；　and　solemn；　lying　upon　the　bed　upstairs。　Mathew　took　his　niece　by　the　hand　and　said：

〃My　dear；　a　little　fresh　air　is　the　thing　for　both　of　us。　It　will　cheer　you　up。〃

So　they　went　out　for　a　walk　together。　Maggie　knew；　with　a　deep　and　intimate　experience；　every　lane　and　road　within　twenty　miles'　radius　of　St。　Dreot's；　There　was　the　high…road　that　went　through　Gator　Hill　to　Clinton　and　then　to　Polwint；　here　were　the　paths　across　the　fields　to　Lucent；　the　lanes　that　led　to　the　valley　of　the　Lisp；　all　the　paths　like　spiders'　webs　through　Rothin　Wood；　from　whose　curve　you　could　see　Polchester；　grey　and　white；　with　its　red…brown　roofs　and　the　spires　of　the　Cathedral　thrusting　like　pointing　fingers　into　the　heaven。　It　was　the　Polchester　View　that　she　chose　to…day；　but　as　they　started　through　the　deep　lanes　down　the　St。　Dreot's　hill　she　was　startled　and　disturbed　by　the　strange　aspect　which　everything　wore　to　her。　She　had　not　as　yet　realised　the　great　shock　her　father's　death　had　been；　she　was　exhausted；　spiritually　and　physically；　in　spite　of　the　deep　sleep　of　the　night　before。　The　form　and　shape　of　the　world　was　a　little　strained　and　fantastic；　the　colours　uncertain；　now　vivid；　now　vanishing；　the　familiar　trees；　hedges；　clouds；　screens；　as　it　were；　concealing　some　scene　that　was　being　played　behind　them。　But　beyond　and　above　all　other　sensations　she　was　conscious　of　her　liberty。　She　struggled　against　this；　she　should　be　conscious；　before　everything；　of　her　father's　loss。　But　she　was　not。　It　meant　to　her　at　present　not　so　much　the　loss　of　a　familiar　figure　as　the　sudden　juggling；　by　an　outside　future；　of　all　the　regular　incidents　and　scenes　of　her　daily　life；　as　at　a　pantomime　one　sees　by　a　transformation　of　the　scenery；　the　tables；　the　chairs；　and　pictures　the　walls　dance　to　an　unexpected　jig。　She　was　free；　free；　freealone　but　free。　What　form　her　life　would　take　she　did　not　know；　what　troubles　and　sorrows　in　the　future　there　might　be　she　did　not　careto…morrow　her　life　would　begin。

Although　unsentimental　she　was　tender…hearted　and　affectionate；　but　now；　for　many　years；　her　life　with　her　father　had　been　a　daily　battle　of　ever…increasing　anger　and　bitterness。　It　may　be　that　once　he　had　loved　her；　that　had　been　in　those　days　when　she　was　not　old　enough　to　love　him　。　。　。　since　she　had　known　him　he　had　loved　only　money。　She　would　have　loved　him　had　he　allowed　her；　and　because　he　did　not　she　bore　him　no　grudge。　She　had　always　regarded　her　life；　sterile　and　unprofitable　as　it　was；　with　humour　until　now　when；　like　a　discarded　dress；　it　had　slipped　behind　her。　She　did　not　see　it；　even　now；　with　bitterness；　there　was　no　bitterness　for　anything　in　her　character。

As　they　walked　Uncle　Mathew　was　considering　her　for　the　first　time。　On　the　other　occasions　when　he　had　stayed　in　his　brother's　house　he　had　been　greatly　occupied　with　his　own　plansrequests　for　money　（invariably　refused）　schemes　for　making　money；　plots　to　frighten　his　brother　out　of　one　or　other　of　his　possessions。　He　had　been　frankly　predatory；　and　that　plain；　quiet　girl　his　niece　had　been　pleasant　company　but　no　more。　Now　she　was　suddenly　of　the　first　importance。　She　would　in　all　probability　inherit　a　considerable　sum。　How　much　there　might　be　in　that　black　box　under　the　bed　one　could　not　say；　but　surely　you　could　not　be　so　relentless　a　miser　for　so　long　a　period　without　accumulating　a　very　agreeable　amount。　Did　the　girl　realise　that　she　would；　perhaps；　be　rich？　Uncle　Mathew　licked　his　lips　with　his　tongue。　So　quiet　and　self…possessed　was　she　that　you　could　not　tell　what　she　was　thinking。　Were　she　only　pretty　she　might　marry　anybody。　As　it　was；　with　that　figure　。　。　。　But　she　was　a　good　girl。　Uncle　Mathew　felt　kind　and　tender…hearted　towards　her。　He　would　advise　her　about　life　of　which　he　had　had　a　very　considerable　experience；　and　of　which；　of　course；　she　knew　nothing。　His　heart　was　warm；　although　it　would　have　been　warmer　still　had　he　been　able　to　drink　a　glass　of　something　before