notonly
possible
but
sometimes
almost
necessary
to
her
and
hers
.
The
gulf
between
them
which
had
almost
seemed
bridged
in
the
early
summer
was
suddenly
opened
again
by
the
day
's
work
;
opened
beyond
all
passage
for
her
—
thief
,
and
daughter
of
a
thief
.
She
sat
on
the
doorstone
looking
out
with
unseeing
eyes
while
the
moon
rose
higher
and
the
light
grew
so
that
the
belts
of
shadow
melted
and
the
misty
land
was
all
silver
,
a
world
of
dreams
,
very
pure
and
still
.
But
neither
her
dreams
nor
her
thoughts
were
pure
and
still
;
they
were
full
of
passion
and
pain
,
longing
and
regret
and
shame
,
and
yet
an
underlying
hopeless
desire
that
all
could
be
known
and
understood
.
At
last
she
rose
and
went
in
.
The
pink
woolly
thing
Captain
Polkington
had
bought
her
lay
on
the
kitchen-table
,
half
out
of
its
paper
wrappings
,
a
silly
,
useless
thing
.
As
her
eyes
fell
on
it
they
grew
dim
and
hot
while
the
colour
crept
up
in
her
cheek
.
Her
father
had
bought
it
for
her
;
he
had
thought
to
please
her
with
the
foolish
thing
;
it
was
like
a
child
's
or
a
fool
's
gift
;
she
hated
herself
for
hating
it
.
But
he
had
deceived
himself
into
thinking
he
was
generous
to
make
it
with
his
illgotten
gains
;
he
had
salved
conscience
with
it
—
it
was
a
liar
's
gift
,
a
self-deceiver
's
,
a
thief
's
.
There
was
no
kindness
,
no
generosity
in
it
,
and
she
despised
him
—
and
he
was
her
father
!
She
picked
up
the
thing
,
paper
and
all
,
and
crammed
it
into
the
dying
fire
.
Then
suddenly
she
burst
into
tears
.
The
world
was
all
wrong
,
justice
was
wrong
and
suffering
was
wrong
and
mankind
wrong
,
all
was
wrong
and
inexplicable
and
pitiful
too
.
For
a
minute
she
sobbed
chokingly
,
then
she
forced
back
the
tears
with
the
angry
impatience
of
a
hurt
animal
,
and
fetching
a
sheet
of
paper
and
pencil
,
sat
down
to
write
.
He
was
her
father
and
he
was
a
man
with
a
warped
idea
of
honour
,
one
whose
self-respect
had
been
taken
away
;
it
was
too
late
to
teach
him
,
one
could
only
safeguard
him
now
.
Opportunity
did
not
make
thieves
of
such
as
her
,
but
it
did
of
such
as
him
,
and
she
had
left
the
opportunity
—
or
what
he
took
to
be
it
—
open
.
She
would
close
it
now
for
ever
;
she
would
be
rid
of
the
bulb
,
the
cause
of
so
much
trouble
.
So
she
wrote
hurriedly
,
a
mere
scrawl
,
while
the
passion
was
still
upon
her
,
and
her
eyes
were
still
dim
with
tears
—
"
Joost
,
if
you
have
ever
cared
for
me
,
take
back
the
daffodil
;
take
it
back
and
do
n't
ask
me
why
.
"
The
next
morning
Julia
posted
a
small
parcel
,
and
at
dinner
time
told
Johnny
and
her
father
that
she
had
sent
the
famous
daffodil
back
to
its
native
land
.
Johnny
looked
up
in
mild
surprise
;
he
had
been
to
the
outhouse
that
morning
to
see
if
the
bulbs
were
keeping
dry
.
"
Why
,
"
he
said
,
"
it
's
in
the
shed
!
"
"
No
,
it
is
not
,
"
Julia
answered
,
"
and
it
never
was
.
The
one
you
think
it
is
one
of
the
large
double
pale
ones
;
I
told
you
at
the
time
we
put
them
away
,
but
you
have
got
mixed
,
I
expect
.
"
"
Ah
,
yes
,
of
course
,
"
Mr.
Gillat
said
;
"
I
remember
now
;
of
course
,
I
remember
.
"
The
Captain
swallowed
something
,
but
contrived
to
keep
quiet
,
and
only
darted
a
glance
at
Johnny
,
the
muddler
,
whose
information
could
never
be
depended
on
.
When
the
meal
was
over
and
Mr.
Gillat
in
the
back
kitchen
,
Captain
Polkington
spoke
to
his
daughter
.
"
Julia
,
"
he
said
,
moistening
his
dry
lips
,
"
that
man
Cross
thought
it
was
the
streaked
daffodil
that
I
,
that
—
"
His
voice
tailed
away
,
but
Julia
only
said
,
"
Well
?
"
"
I
pledged
by
word
of
honour
that
it
was
the
true
one
.
"
Again
Julia
said
,
"
Well
?
"
"
What
is
to
be
done
?
"
the
Captain
asked
.
She
showed
no
signs
of
grasping
his
meaning
or
at
all
events
of
helping
him
out
.
He
burst
out
irritably
,
"
What
on
earth
have
you
sold
it
for
?
Nothing
would
induce
you
to
do
so
before
when
I
asked
you
to
;
now
,
all
at
once
you
have
taken
a
freak
and
parted
with
it
without
any
consideration
whatever
.
I
never
saw
anything
like
women
,
so
utterly
irrational
!
"
"
I
have
not
sold
it
,
"
Julia
told
him
;
"
only
sent
it
away
.
"
"
What
for
?
It
is
perfectly
absurd
!
I
suppose
you
can
get
it
back
?
You
must
get
it
back
.
"
Julia
asked
"
What
for
?
"
in
her
turn
.
The
Captain
enlightened
her
.
"
There
is
Cross
,
"
he
said
;
"
I
told
him
that
was
the
daffodil
,
and
it
is
not
.
Something
must
be
done
;
we
ca
n't
cheat
him
;
we
must
send
him
the
daffodil
,
or
else
refund
the
five
pounds
.
We
should
have
to
do
that
—
and
we
ca
n't
.
"
"
No
,
"
Julia
agreed
grimly
;
"
and
we
would
not
if
we
could
.
"
"
But
what
are
you
going
to
do
?
"
her
father
asked
.
"
Nothing
.
"
"
Nothing
!
But
I
pledged
my
word
!
You
do
n't
understand
,
I
am
in
honour
bound
.
"
Julia
forbore
to
make
and
comment
on
her
father
's
notion
of
honour
;
indeed
,
it
struck
her
as
almost
pathetic
in
its
grotesqueness
and
certainly
very
characteristic
of
the
Polkingtons
.
"
Cross
paid
five
pounds
for
the
streaked
daffodil
,
"
the
Captain
went
on
to
say
,
believing
that
he
was
stating
the
case
with
incontrovertible
plainness
,
"
and
if
he
does
not
have
the
true
bulb
he
must
have
the
money
back
;
otherwise
he
will
,
with
justice
,
say
he
has
been
cheated
,
for
I
guaranteed
the
thing
.
"
"
He
paid
five
pounds
for
a
speculation
,
"
Julia
said
;
"
your
guarantee
was
nothing
,
and
though
he
may
have
asked
for
it
,
it
was
just
a
form
and
did
not
count
one
way
or
the
other
.
He
knew
there
was
a
chance
that
you
had
come
by
the
true
bulb
somehow
and
so
had
it
to
sell
;
he
risked
five
pounds
on
that
—
and
lost
it
.
"
Captain
Polkington
looked
bewildered
.
"
He
paid
five
pounds
for
the
bulb
,
"
he
persisted
;
"
he
said
it
was
worth
no
more
to
him
.
"
"
Very
likely
not
,
if
he
could
get
it
for
that
,
"
Julia
said
;
"
but
if
he
could
have
been
sure
of
it
,
it
would
have
been
worth
two
hundred
pounds
.
"
"
Two
hundred
!
"
Captain
Polkington
gasped
,
turning
rather
white
.
Julia
nodded
.
"
With
my
guarantee
,
"
she
said
.
"
You
had
not
got
that
;
I
suppose
you
let
him
see
it
when
you
wrote
first
so
he
knew
that
,
though
you
might
have
the
real
bulb
,
you
were
not
in
a
position
to
sell
it
well
.
"
The
Captain
flushed
as
suddenly
as
he
had
paled
.
"
You
think
he
thought
I
had
not
come
by
it
honestly
,
that
I
had
no
right
in
my
daughter
's
affairs
?
"
"
I
do
n't
see
it
matters
what
he
thought
,
"
Julia
answered
,
taking
up
the
dishes
.
"
He
risked
his
money
,
and
lost
it
,
knowing
very
well
what
he
did
;
he
does
not
mind
doing
business
in
that
way
;
I
do
n't
admire
it
myself
,
but
I
guessed
he
would
do
it
when
I
first
made
his
acquaintance
.
"
"
You
—
—
"
the
Captain
said
.
"
I
have
nothing
to
do
with
it
,
and
shall
have
nothing
.
"
"
But
the
money
must
be
paid
;
it
is
a
debt
of
honour
;
I
must
clear
myself
.
"
Julia
shrugged
her
shoulders
.
"
You
do
not
wish
me
cleared
?
"
her
father
demanded
haughtily
.
"
Paying
the
five
pounds
would
not
clear
you
,
"
she
said
;
"
neither
that
nor
anything
else
.
No
,
I
am
not
going
to
pay
it
;
I
do
n't
feel
any
obligation
in
the
matter
.
If
Mr.
Cross
goes
in
for
those
sort
of
dealings
he
must
put
up
with
the
consequence
,
and
I
am
afraid
you
must
,
too
.
"
And
with
that
she
went
away
.
This
was
the
last
reference
that
was
made
to
the
sale
of
the
daffodil
and
the
expedition
to
town
;
after
that
the
matter
was
left
out
of
conversation
and
Julia
behaved
as
if
it
had
never
existed
.
But
Captain
Polkington
was
very
unhappy
;
he
could
not
get
over
the
affair
and
his
own
failure
;
he
brooded
over
it
in
silence
,
feeling
and
resenting
that
he
could
not
speak
to
either
Johnny
or
Julia
,
they
being
quite
unable
to
understand
his
emotions
.
Once
or
twice
he
raged
weakly
against
Cross
,
who
had
given
him
five
pounds
when
he
had
asked
twenty
for
a
thing
worth
two
hundred
;
who
had
doubted
his
word
,
who
had
behaved
as
if
he
were
a
common
thief
—
who
would
,
doubtless
,
think
him
one
.
More
often
his
indignation
burnt
up
against
Julia
who
would
do
nothing
to
remedy
this
last
catastrophe
,
and
clear
him
and
reinstate
his
honour
in
the
eyes
of
this
man
and
himself
.
Most
often
of
all
his
quarrel
was
with
fate
,
and
then
his
anger
broke
down
into
self-pity
as
he
thought
of
all
the
troubles
that
were
crowding
about
his
later
years
;
of
his
lost
reputation
,
his
lack
of
sympathy
and
comprehension
;
the
failure
of
all
his
plans
and
hopes
,
the
poverty
and
feeble
health
that
oppressed
him
.
In
these
gloomy
days
he
had
one
ray
of
comfort
only
;
it
lay
in
the
purchase
he
had
made
on
that
day
that
he
went
shopping
.
That
whisky
was
the
solitary
thing
in
the
day
's
adventure
about
which
Julia
had
not
heard
;
everything
else
she
had
been
told
,
but
somehow
that
had
escaped
.
One
reason
of
this
,
no
doubt
,
lay
in
the
fact
that
Captain
Polkington
had
not
brought
his
purchase
home
with
him
that
evening
.
He
had
meant
to
;
when
the
carrier
set
him
and
his
property
down
just
outside
Halgrave
,
he
had
fully
meant
to
carry
it
to
the
cottage
.
But
he
found
it
so
heavy
and
cumbersome
in
his
weak
and
dejected
state
that
he
had
to
give
it
up
.
So
he
found
a
suitable
hiding-place
in
the
deep
overgrown
ditch
beside
the
road
,
and
,
thrusting
it
as
much
out
of
sight
as
he
could
,
left
it
there
and
went
home
unburdened
.
He
meant
to
tell
Julia
and
Johnny
about
it
,
they
of
course
were
to
have
shared
,
and
one
or
both
of
them
would
go
with
him
to
fetch
it
home
in
the
morning
.
But
he
did
not
tell
them
;
it
did
not
seem
suitable
at
first
;
they
,
each
in
a
different
way
,
were
too
unsympathetic
about
the
expedition
to
town
;
he
determined
to
wait
for
a
fitting
opportunity
.
The
opportunity
did
not
come
;
but
in
course
of
time
the
whisky
was
moved
and
gave
comfort
of
sorts
during
the
autumn
days
to
the
Captain
's
drooping
spirits
,
if
it
had
a
less
beneficial
effect
on
his
failing
health
.
In
the
meantime
the
daffodil
,
"
The
Good
Comrade
,
"
had
gone
back
to
its
native
land
,
and
with
it
an
appeal
,
written
in
English
,
badly
written
,
scrawled
almost
—
but
not
likely
to
be
refused
.
Joost
read
it
through
once
,
twice
,
more
times
than
that
;
it
said
little
,
only
,
take
back
the
bulb
and
ask
no
questions
,
yet
he
felt
he
had
been
honoured
by
Julia
's
confidence
.
The
very
style
and
haste
of
the
letter
seemed
an
honour
to
him
;
it
showed
him
she
had
need
and
had
turned
to
him
in
it
.
Of
course
he
would
do
as
she
asked
;
he
would
have
done
things
far
harder
than
that
.
He
folded
the
slip
of
paper
and
put
it
away
where
he
kept
some
few
treasures
,
and
for
a
time
he
put
with
it
the
bulb
she
had
sent
;
and
sometimes
when
he
went
to
bed
of
a
night
—
he
had
no
other
free
time
—
he
took
both
out
and
looked
at
them
.
But
"
The
Good
Comrade
"
did
not
remain
locked
away
from
the
light
of
day
.
Joost
was
a
sentimentalist
,
it
is
true
,
and
the
bulb
had
come
from
Julia
,
winged
by
an
appeal
from
her
.
But
he
was
also
a
bulb
grower
,
and
he
was
that
before
he
was
anything
else
and
afterwards
too
,
and
the
daffodil
was
a
marvel
of
nature
,
a
novelty
,
a
thing
beyond
words
to
a
connoisseur
.
The
lover
asked
that
the
token
should
be
kept
hidden
from
the
eyes
of
men
;
but
the
grower
cried
that
the
flower
should
be
given
to
the
light
of
heaven
and
should
grow
and
bloom
accord
ing
to
Nature
's
plan
.
For
days
the
lover
was
uppermost
and
the
old
pain
back
.
But
in
time
the
bitter-sweet
madness
died
down
again
and
,
in
the
atmosphere
which
was
saturated
with
the
beloved
work
,
the
old
love
,
the
first
and
last
and
soundly
abiding
one
,
reasserted
itself
.
The
daffodil
must
bloom
,
the
little
brown
bulb
must
go
back
to
the
brown
earth
,
the
strange
flower
must
unfold
itself
to
the
sun
and
wind
and
rain
.
So
he
went
to
his
father
.
"
My
father
,
"
he
said
,
and
it
is
to
be
feared
he
had
learnt
something
of
guile
from
the
source
of
his
bitter-sweet
madness
.
"
My
father
,
I
have
heard
from
Miss
Julia
;
she
would
wish
us
to
have
the
narcissus
'
The
Good
Comrade
.
'
"
Mijnheer
was
pleased
.
"
That
is
as
it
should
be
,
"
he
said
;
he
had
felt
strongly
about
the
gift
of
the
bulb
in
the
first
instance
,
but
that
was
an
affair
over
and
done
with
long
ago
between
him
and
his
son
.
He
did
not
reopen
it
now
,
he
was
only
gratified
to
think
there
was
a
likelihood
of
the
daffodil
coming
back
to
its
birthplace
,
where
it
certainly
ought
to
be
.
"
How
much
does
Miss
Julia
ask
for
it
?
"
he
inquired
.
"
Nothing
,
"
Joost
answered
;
"
she
does
not
wish
to
sell
it
;
she
wishes
to
give
it
back
.
"
"
But
,
but
!
"
Mijnheer
exclaimed
,
pushing
up
his
spectacles
in
astonishment
;
he
knew
the
value
of
the
thing
and
the
offers
that
must
have
been
made
for
it
;
this
way
was
not
at
all
his
notion
of
doing
business
;
also
he
found
it
hard
to
reconcile
with
the
Julia
he
remembered
.
He
recollected
talk
he
had
had
with
her
when
she
had
proved
herself
an
apt
pupil
in
trade
and
trade
dealings
,
and
shown
,
not
only
a
very
good
comprehension
of
such
things
,
but
also
an
eye
to
the
main
chance
.
"
This
is
nonsense
,
"
he
said
;
"
it
is
not
business
.
"
Joost
looked
distressed
.
"
I
gave
her
the
bulb
,
"
he
ventured
;
"
she
does
not
want
to
sell
me
back
my
present
.
"
Mijnheer
did
not
recognise
any
such
distinction
in
business
transactions
,
and
for
a
little
it
looked
as
if
"
The
Good
Comrade
"
would
be
sent
wandering
again
,
sacrificed
to
his
old-fashioned
notions
of
integrity
.
Joost
should
not
have
it
unless
he
paid
for
it
,
he
said
so
with
decision
.
He
himself
would
buy
it
if
Joost
would
not
,
and
if
she
would
not
sell
it
to
him
then
neither
of
them
should
have
it
.
And
Joost
could
not
,
even
if
he
would
,
explain
why
and
how
the
paying
was
so
difficult
.
He
used
all
the
arguments
he
could
;
indeed
,
for
one
of
his
nature
,
he
spoke
with
considerable
diplomacy
.
"
Supposing
,
"
he
said
at
last
,
"
that
it
was
only
a
sport
,
and
that
next
year
it
reverts
and
is
blue
as
are
the
others
,
the
parent
bulbs
?
Miss
Julia
thinks
of
that
—
she
would
not
like
to
be
paid
for
it
now
in
case
of
such
a
thing
,
will
you
not
at
least
wait
until
the
spring
?
She
has
given
nothing
for
it
herself
;
it
is
not
as
if
she
had
sunk
money
and
wants
an
immediate
return
.
"
Mijnheer
did
not
consider
that
made
any
difference
and
he
said
so
,
reading
his
son
a
lecture
on
business
morality
according
to
his
standard
,
of
a
very
severe
order
.
Joost
listened
with
meekness
to
the
entirely
undeserved
reproof
for
meanness
and
dishonourable
views
;
then
the
old
man
announced
finally
what
he
should
do
.
He
should
write
to
Julia
and
offer
her
a
smallish
sum
down
in
case
the
bulb
proved
to
be
of
no
great
worth
,
and
a
promise
of
a
proportional
percentage
afterwards
if
it
proved
valuable
.
This
idea
pleased
him
very
well
;
it
satisfied
his
notions
of
integrity
and
fair
dealing
and
also
his
thrifty
soul
,
which
found
trying
the
otherwise
unavoidable
duty
of
paying
a
long
price
for
what
had
been
freely
given
.
From
this
Joost
could
not
move
him
,
so
there
was
nothing
for
him
to
do
but
write
distressfully
to
Julia
and
explain
and
apologise
.
CHAPTER
XXII
THE
LINE
OF
LEAST
RESISTANCE
Julia
was
at
work
in
the
kitchen
;
it
was
ten
o'clock
on
a
November
morning
and
she
was
busy
;
Captain
Polkington
had
had
breakfast
up-stairs
,
he
often
did
now
,
and
it
delayed
the
morning
's
work
.
Mr.
Gillat
brought
in
two
letters
which
the
postman
had
left
;
both
were
for
Julia
,
but
she
had
not
time
to
read
them
now
,
so
she
put
them
down
on
the
table
;
they
would
keep
;
she
did
not
feel
greatly
interested
to
know
what
was
inside
them
.
Things
did
not
interest
her
as
they
used
;
in
some
imperceptible
way
she
had
aged
;
some
of
the
elasticity
and
youth
was
gone
,
perhaps
because
hope
was
gone
.
It
had
been
dying
all
the
summer
,
ever
since
the
day
when
she
crouched
behind
the
chopping-block
;
but
gently
and
gradually
,
as
the
year
dies
,
with
some
beauties
unknown
in
early
days
and
little
recurrent
spurts
of
hope
and
youth
,
like
the
flowers
that
bloom
into
winter
's
lap
.
But
it
was
dead
now
;
there
had
come
to
her
,
as
it
were
,
a
sudden
frost
,
and
,
as
befalls
in
the
years
,
too
,
the
late
blooming
flowers
,
the
coloured
leaves
,
the
last
beautiful
clinging
remnants
of
life
withered
all
at
once
and
fell
away
.
It
was
unreasonable
,
perhaps
,
that
the
Captain
's
theft
of
the
daffodil
and
what
arose
from
it
should
have
had
this
result
;
but
then
it
was
possibly
unreasonable
that
hope
and
youth
should
have
had
any
autumn
at
all
and
not
died
right
off
when
she
said
"
No
"
and
meant
it
that
after
noon
in
the
early
summer
.
But
then
the
mind
of
man
—
and
woman
—
is
unreasonable
.
It
was
nearly
half-an-hour
later
when
Julia
picked
up
the
letters
;
both
were
from
Holland
;
one
,
she
fancied
,
was
from
Mijnheer
,
one
from
his
son
.
She
opened
the
latter
first
;
she
rather
wondered
what
Joost
could
have
to
write
about
;
he
had
acknowledged
the
receipt
of
the
daffodil
bulb
long
ago
.
The
matter
was
soon
explained
;
the
letter
was
as
formal
and
precise
as
ever
,
but
the
emotion
that
dictated
it
,
the
distress
and
regret
,
was
quite
clear
to
Julia
in
spite
of
the
primness
of
expression
.
Clear
,
too
,
to
her
were
the
conflicting
feelings
that
lay
behind
the
lover
's
contrition
for
what
he
feared
was
abuse
of
his
mistress
's
trust
,
and
the
grower
's
desire
that
the
treasured
token
should
be
resolved
into
,
what
it
was
,
a
wonderful
bulb
,
a
triumph
of
the
horticulturist
.
Julia
smiled
a
little
sadly
as
she
read
;
not
that
she
regretted
the
existence
of
the
grower
with
the
lover
;
she
was
glad
to
see
it
and
to
know
that
it
was
triumphing
.
But
the
whole
affair
seemed
so
far
off
,
so
unimportant
,
so
almost
childish
.
She
did
not
care
who
knew
he
had
the
daffodil
,
or
whether
it
bloomed
or
rotted
.
In
these
days
,
when
her
self-apportioned
burden
was
beginning
to
press
heavily
upon
her
shoulders
,
such
things
did
not
seem
to
matter
.
She
had
a
sense
almost
of
disloyalty
in
feeling
how
little
it
mattered
to
her
when
it
appeared
to
be
so
much
to
this
loyal
friend
.
Captain
Polkington
had
of
late
had
several
sudden
attacks
of
a
faintness
which
more
often
than
not
amounted
to
unconsciousness
.
"
Heart
,
"
the
doctor
had
said
when
he
was
summoned
after
the
first
one
;
he
had
not
regarded
them
as
very
dangerous
,
that
is
to
say
not
likely
to
prove
fatal
at
any
moment
if
properly
treated
at
the
time
.
He
had
given
instructions
as
to
suitable
treatment
,
emphasis
ing
the
fact
that
the
patient
ought
never
to
be
long
out
of
ear-shot
of
some
one
,
as
the
attacks
required
immediate
remedy
.
He
forbade
excitement
and
much
exertion
,
orders
easy
to
fulfil
in
this
case
,
and
also
stimulants
of
all
sorts
,
an
order
not
quite
so
easy
.
Captain
Polkington
was
much
displeased
about
this
last
;
he
said
it
plainly
showed
the
doctor
a
fool
who
did
not
know
his
business
;
stimulant
,
as
every
one
knew
,
being
the
first
necessity
for
a
weak
heart
.
Julia
pointed
out
that
that
must
vary
with
the
constitution
,
nature
and
disease
;
she
also
recalled
the
fact
that
alcohol
never
had
suited
her
father
.
He
was
naturally
not
convinced
by
her
logic
,
and
so
was
decidedly
sulky
;
even
in
time
,
by
dint
of
dwelling
upon
the
subject
,
came
to
regard
the
treatment
as
a
conspiracy
to
annoy
him
.
Julia
regretted
this
but
did
not
think
it
mattered
very
much
,
seeing
that
she
had
the
keys
;
but
then
she
did
not
know
of
that
purchase
made
in
the
town
.
The
Captain
,
rebelling
against
the
doctor
's
order
,
hugged
himself
as
he
thought
of
it
and
of
the
comparatively
sparing
use
he
had
made
of
it
so
far
—
for
fear
of
being
found
out
.
There
was
no
need
of
him
to
die
by
inches
while
he
had
that
store
of
life
and
comfort
;
so
he
told
himself
,
and
secretly
made
use
of
it
,
with
anything
but
good
result
.
Julia
,
marking
the
disimprovement
in
his
health
,
thought
it
was
the
natural
course
and
saved
him
all
work
,
carrying
out
the
doctor
's
instructions
more
carefully
than
ever
.
The
hidden
whisky
remained
unknown
to
her
,
for
although
in
the
larger
affairs
of
duplicity
and
diplomacy
she
easily
outmatched
her
father
,
in
matters
requiring
small
cunning
he
was
much
nearer
her
equal
.
In
this
one
he
showed
almost
preternatural
skill
;
his
whole
heart
was
in
it
,
and
his
wits
,
where
it
was
concerned
,
were
sharpened
above
the
average
;
he
clung
to
his
secret
as
a
man
clings
to
his
one
chance
of
life
,
made
only
the
more
pertinacious
by
the
contrary
advice
he
had
received
.
But
on
that
November
morning
,
after
Julia
had
brought
her
father
round
by
the
proper
remedies
,
she
began
to
have
suspicions
.
They
were
not
founded
on
anything
definite
;
she
could
not
imagine
how
he
should
have
got
stimulant
,
and
his
condition
hardly
justified
her
in
suspecting
it
,
yet
she
did
.
And
Captain
Polkington
knew
by
experience
that
that
was
enough
to
prove
unpleasant
;
it
did
not
matter
much
at
which
end
Julia
got
hold
of
his
affairs
,
she
had
a
knack
of
arriving
at
the
middle
before
he
was
at
all
ready
for
her
.
He
resented
what
she
said
to
him
that
morning
very
much
indeed
.
He
denied
everything
and
defended
himself
well
;
although
he
was
in
fear
all
the
time
that
some
unwary
word
or
unwise
denial
should
betray
him
to
his
cross-examiner
who
,
being
herself
no
mean
expert
in
the
double-dealing
arts
,
could
frequently
learn
as
much
from
a
lie
as
from
the
truth
.
In
the
end
,
what
between
anxiety
and
annoyance
,
he
lost
control
of
his
temper
and
from
peevish
irritability
broke
out
suddenly
into
a
fit
of
weak
ungovernable
rage
.
Julia
was
obliged
at
once
to
desist
,
seeing
with
regret
that
she
had
transgressed
one
of
the
doctor
's
rules
and
excited
the
patient
very
much
indeed
.
She
left
him
to
recover
control
of
himself
and
went
to
look
for
Mr.
Gillat
.
"
Johnny
,
"
she
said
,
when
she
found
him
.
"
I
believe
father
has
got
whisky
.
I
do
n't
know
where
,
but
I
shall
have
to
find
out
;
you
must
help
me
.
"
Johnny
professed
his
willingness
,
looking
puzzled
and
unhappy
;
he
looked
so
at
times
,
again
now
,
for
even
he
had
begun
to
discern
a
shadow
coming
on
the
life
which
for
a
year
had
been
so
happy
to
him
.
"
You
will
have
to
keep
a
watch
on
father
,
"
Julia
said
.
"
He
wo
n't
do
much
while
I
am
watching
;
he
will
wait
till
he
is
alone
with
you
.
Do
n't
try
to
prevent
him
;
that
is
no
good
;
just
watch
and
tell
me
.
"
Mr.
Gillat
said
he
would
,
though
he
did
not
like
the
job
,
and
certainly
was
ill-fitted
for
it
.
Julia
knew
that
,
but
knew
also
that
to
discover
anything
she
must
depend
a
good
deal
upon
him
,
unless
she
could
by
searching
light
upon
the
store
of
spirit
which
she
could
not
help
thinking
her
father
had
in
or
near
the
house
.
She
determined
to
make
a
systematic
search
;
but
before
she
did
so
she
found
time
to
open
Mijnheer
's
letter
.
It
was
rather
a
long
letter
and
very
neat
.
It
set
forth
in
formal
Dutch
the
old
man
's
ideas
concerning
the
daffodil
bulb
and
his
offer
regarding
it
.
It
should
be
kept
,
he
said
,
if
it
was
paid
for
,
not
otherwise
.
Something
now
,
she
was
to
name
her
terms
,
while
it
was
still
uncertain
whether
its
flower
would
be
blue
or
streaked
or
even
common
yellow
—
more
later
,
in
accordance
with
the
flowering
and
the
profits
likely
to
arise
.
So
Julia
read
and
sat
staring
.
An
offer
for
"
The
Good
Comrade
.
"
Money
from
the
people
to
whom
it
had
always
practically
belonged
in
her
estimation
.
She
could
not
take
it
from
them
,
it
was
impossible
;
the
thing
was
virtually
their
own
!
But
if
she
did
not
.
She
re-read
Joost
's
letter
with
its
protestations
,
and
Mijnheer
's
with
its
offer
—
if
she
did
not
,
the
little
brown
bulb
would
be
sent
back
to
her
.
Mijnheer
,
now
that
he
knew
of
its
coming
,
would
insist
on
its
return
unless
it
were
paid
for
;
and
Joost
,
she
knew
very
well
,
would
not
deceive
his
father
and
keep
it
secretly
,
or
defy
his
father
and
keep
it
openly
;
the
money
or
the
bulb
she
must
have
.
And
the
bulb
she
could
not
,
would
not
have
again
;
so
the
money
,
unearned
,
distasteful
,
having
a
not
too
pleasant
savour
,
must
be
hers
.
At
last
,
in
this
way
,
without
her
contriv
ance
,
against
her
will
,
there
had
come
a
way
to
pay
the
debt
of
honour
!
She
sat
down
and
wrote
to
Mijnheer
and
named
her
price
.
Thirty
pounds
she
asked
for
,
no
more
in
the
future
,
no
less
now
;
that
was
the
only
price
she
could
take
for
"
The
Good
Comrade
,
"
it
was
the
sum
Rawson-Clew
had
paid
to
his
cousin
two
years
ago
.
Johnny
posted
the
letter
that
afternoon
while
Julia
began
her
search
for
her
father
's
hidden
whisky
.
All
the
afternoon
Captain
Polkington
sat
in
the
easy-chair
,
watching
her
contemptuously
when
she
was
in
sight
and
moving
uneasily
when
she
was
not
.
He
did
not
think
she
would
find
anything
,
at
least
not
at
once
,
though
he
was
afraid
she
would
if
she
kept
on
long
enough
and
he
left
his
treasure
in
its
present
hiding-place
.
It
would
not
last
so
much
longer
—
he
dared
not
contemplate
the
time
when
it
should
all
be
gone
;
it
was
characteristic
of
him
that
he
was
easily
able
to
avoid
doing
so
.
The
principal
thought
in
his
mind
was
a
determination
that
it
should
not
be
found
while
any
remained
.
That
could
not
and
should
not
happen
;
the
last
little
which
he
had
carefully
hoarded
,
which
he
had
stinted
and
deprived
himself
to
save
—
to
have
that
taken
away
,
to
be
robbed
of
that
—
the
tears
gathered
in
his
eyes
at
the
pathos
of
the
thought
.
But
the
whisky
was
not
found
that
day
,
and
the
Captain
,
who
slept
but
badly
at
this
time
,
lay
awake
long
in
the
night
planning
how
and
when
he
could
move
it
to
a
place
of
safety
further
away
from
the
house
.
He
would
have
gone
down
then
and
there
,
in
spite
of
the
fact
that
it
was
a
blustering
night
of
wind
and
rain
and
he
not
fitted
to
go
out
in
such
weather
,
but
he
was
afraid
of
Julia
.
She
was
certain
to
hear
and
follow
;
she
had
almost
an
animal
's
alertness
when
once
she
was
on
the
trail
of
anything
.
So
he
lay
and
planned
and
waited
,
hoping
that
a
chance
would
come
during
the
next
day
.
It
did
not
.
Julia
was
at
home
all
day
and
,
as
she
had
foreseen
,
he
made
no
move
while
she
was
about
.
But
the
following
morning
she
had
to
go
to
Halgrave
about
the
killing
of
a
pig
;
Johnny
was
hardly
equal
to
making
the
necessary
arrangements
and
certainly
could
not
do
so
good
as
she
.
Accordingly
,
she
went
herself
,
not
very
reluctantly
,
for
she
was
nearly
certain
her
father
would
make
an
effort
to
get
at
his
whisky
,
if
he
had
any
,
as
soon
as
her
back
was
turned
,
and
so
give
Johnny
a
chance
of
finding
out
about
it
.
Of
course
it
was
quite
likely
that
Johnny
,
being
Johnny
,
would
miss
the
chance
,
but
he
might
not
,
and
even
if
he
did
they
would
not
be
much
worse
off
than
before
.
So
she
thought
as
she
started
,
leaving
the
Captain
,
who
was
still
in
bed
,
with
a
very
vague
idea
as
to
when
she
would
be
back
.
He
was
a
good
deal
annoyed
by
this
vagueness
;
it
meant
he
would
have
to
hurry
,
a
thing
he
hated
and
did
very
badly
;
and
,
perhaps
,
entirely
without
reason
,
too
,
for
she
might
be
three
hours
gone
;
though
,
equally
of
course
,
only
two
,
or
perhaps
—
she
was
capable
of
anything
unpleasant
and
unexpected
—
only
one
.
He
began
to
dress
as
quickly
as
he
could
;
but
,
owing
to
long
habit
of
doing
it
as
slowly
as
he
could
so
as
to
postpone
more
arduous
tasks
,
that
was
not
very
fast
.
He
wished
he
had
known
sooner
that
Julia
was
going
to
Halgrave
,
he
would
have
begun
getting
up
before
this
;
he
would
even
have
got
to
breakfast
if
only
she
had
let
him
know
;
so
he
fumed
to
himself
as
he
shuffled
about
,
dropping
things
with
his
shaking
fingers
.
At
last
he
was
dressed
and
came
down-stairs
to
find
Johnny
,
pink
and
apologetic
as
he
used
to
be
in
the
Marbridge
days
,
laboriously
doing
odd
jobs
which
did
not
need
doing
.
There
was
not
a
detective
lost
in
Mr.
Gillat
,
he
had
not
the
making
of
a
sleuth-hound
in
him
;
or
even
a
watch-dog
,
except
,
perhaps
,
of
that
well-meaning
kind
which
gets
itself
perennially
kicked
for
incessant
and
incurable
tail
wagging
at
inopportune
times
.
The
half-hour
which
followed
Captain
Polkington
's
coming
down-stairs
was
a
trying
one
.
The
Captain
went
to
the
back
door
to
look
out
;
Mr.
Gillat
followed
him
,
though
scarcely
like
his
shadow
;
he
was
not
inconspicuous
,
and
neither
he
nor
his
motive
were
easy
to
overlook
.
The
Captain
said
something
approbious
about
the
weather
and
the
high
wind
and
occasional
heavy
swishes
of
rain
;
then
he
went
to
the
sitting-room
which
lay
behind
the
kitchen
,
and
near
to
the
front
door
.
Johnny
followed
him
,
and
the
Captain
faced
round
on
him
,
irritably
demanding
what
the
devil
he
wanted
.
"
To
—
to
see
if
the
register
is
shut
,
"
Mr.
Gillat
said
,
beaming
at
his
own
deep
diplomacy
and
the
brilliancy
of
the
idea
which
had
come
to
him
—
rather
tardily
,
it
is
true
,
still
in
time
to
pass
muster
.
The
Captain
flung
himself
into
a
chair
with
a
sigh
of
irritation
.
"
It
is
a
funny
thing
I
ca
n't
be
let
alone
a
moment
,
"
he
said
.
"
I
came
in
here
for
a
little
quiet
and
coolness
,
I
did
n't
want
you
dodging
after
me
.
"
"
No
,
"
Johnny
agreed
amiably
;
"
no
,
of
course
not
.
"
Then
,
after
a
long
pause
,
as
if
he
had
just
made
sure
of
the
fact
,
"
It
is
cool
in
here
.
"
It
was
,
very
;
it
might
even
have
been
called
cold
and
raw
,
for
there
had
not
been
a
fire
there
for
days
,
but
the
Captain
did
not
move
,
and
Johnny
,
stooping
by
the
fire-place
,
examined
the
register
of
the
chimney
,
fondly
believing
in
his
own
impenetrable
deceptiveness
.
"
I
ca
n't
help
thinking
it
ought
to
be
shut
,
"
he
observed
,
looking
thoughtfully
up
the
chimney
;
"
the
rain
will
come
down
;
it
might
rain
a
good
deal
if
the
wind
were
to
drop
.
"
"
The
wind
is
not
going
to
drop
for
hours
,
"
the
Captain
snapped
;
"
it
is
getting
higher
.
"
A
great
gust
rumbled
in
the
chimney
as
he
spoke
,
and
flung
itself
with
the
thud
of
a
palpable
body
against
the
window-pane
.
Mr.
Gillat
heard
it
;
he
could
not
well
do
otherwise
.
"
Still
,
"
he
said
,
"
it
might
rain
;
one
never
knows
.
"
He
took
hold
of
the
register
with
the
tongs
and
tried
to
shut
it
.
It
was
obstinate
,
and
he
pulled
this
way
and
that
,
working
in
his
usual
laborious
and
conscientious
way
.
At
last
it
slipped
and
he
managed
to
get
it
jammed
crossways
.
Thus
he
had
to
leave
it
,
for
Captain
Polkington
,
apparently
cool
enough
now
,
wandered
back
into
the
kitchen
.
Mr.
Gillat
,
of
course
,
followed
and
arranged
and
rearranged
pots
on
the
stove
till
the
Captain
said
he
had
left
his
handkerchief
up-stairs
.
Stairs
were
trying
to
his
heart
,
so
Johnny
had
to
go
for
it
.
Up
he
went
as
fast
as
he
could
,
and
came
down
again
almost
faster
,
for
he
tumbled
on
the
second
step
and
slipped
the
rest
of
the
way
with
considerable
noise
and
bumping
.
After
that
Captain
Polkington
gave
up
his
efforts
to
get
rid
of
his
guard
and
resigned
himself
to
fate
.
At
least
,
so
thought
Mr.
Gillat
,
who
no
amount
of
experience
could
instruct
in
the
guilt
of
the
human
race
in
general
and
the
Polkingtons
in
particular
.
The
first
hour
of
Julia
's
absence
had
passed
when
Johnny
went
into
the
back
kitchen
to
clean
knives
.
He
left
the
door
between
the
rooms
open
,
but
from
habit
more
than
from
any
thought
of
keeping
an
eye
on
his
charge
.
They
had
been
talking
in
the
ordinary
way
for
some
time
now
,
the
Captain
sitting
so
peacefully
by
the
fire
that
Mr.
Gillat
had
begun
to
forget
he
was
supposed
to
watch
.
And
really
it
would
seem
he
was
justified
,
for
the
Captain
,
of
his
own
accord
,
left
the
easy-chair
and
followed
him
into
the
back
kitchen
,
standing
watching
the
knife-cleaning
.
He
had
been
talking
of
old
times
,
recalling
far
back
incidents
regretfully
;
he
continued
to
do
so
as
he
watched
Johnny
at
work
until
he
was
interrupted
by
a
loud
sizzling
in
the
kitchen
.
"
Hullo
!
"
he
said
,
"
there
's
a
pot
boiling
over
!
"
and
he
made
as
if
he
would
go
to
it
but
half
stopped
.
"
It
is
the
big
one
,
"
he
said
,
"
perhaps
you
had
better
take
it
off
;
I
'm
not
good
at
lifting
weights
now-a-days
.
"
"
No
,
no
!
"
Johnny
said
hastily
;
"
do
n't
you
do
it
,
you
leave
it
to
me
,
"
and
he
hurried
into
the
kitchen
to
take
from
the
fire
a
pot
which
,
had
he
only
remembered
it
,
had
not
been
so
near
the
blaze
when
he
left
it
.
"
It
is
too
heavy
for
you
,
"
he
went
on
as
he
lifted
it
;
"
I
do
n't
know
what
is
inside
,
only
water
,
I
think
;
it
will
be
all
right
here
by
the
side
.
"
A
gust
of
wind
swept
round
the
kitchen
,
fluttering
the
herbs
which
hung
from
the
ceiling
and
blowing
the
dust
and
flame
from
the
front
of
the
fire
.
"
Dear
,
dear
!
"
Mr.
Gillat
exclaimed
as
he
drew
back
,
"
What
a
wind
!
"
Then
,
as
he
caught
the
whisper
and
whistle
of
the
leafless
things
which
whisper
to
one
another
out
of
doors
even
in
the
dead
winter
time
,
he
realised
that
the
outer
door
must
be
open
.
"
Shut
it
!
"
he
said
.
"
The
latch
is
so
old
,
it
is
beginning
to
get
worn
out
,
and
the
wind
is
so
strong
,
too
.
Let
me
see
if
I
can
shut
it
.
"
He
went
to
the
back
kitchen
for
that
purpose
and
found
that
he
was
talking
to
empty
air
,
the
Captain
was
gone
.
In
great
consternation
he
went
out
after
his
charge
.
He
had
not
had
a
minute
's
start
;
he
could
not
have
got
far
,
not
much
more
than
round
the
corner
of
the
house
.
So
thought
Mr.
Gillat
,
and
started
round
the
nearest
corner
after
him
.
Julia
would
not
have
done
that
;
with
the
instinct
of
the
wild
animal
and
the
rogue
for
cover
,
and
for
the
value
of
the
obvious
in
concealment
,
she
would
have
looked
by
the
water
butt
first
.
It
was
not
a
hiding-place
;
the
bush
beside
did
not
half
conceal
Captain
Polkington
,
yet
he
stood
dark
and
unobtrusive
against
it
and
so
close
to
the
door
that
in
looking
out
for
him
one
naturally
looked
beyond
him
.
As
Johnny
went
round
one
side
of
the
house
the
Captain
left
the
meagre
shelter
of
the
butt
and
went
round
the
other
,
bent
now
on
finding
some
better
hiding-place
till
it
should
be
safe
for
him
to
go
to
his
precious
store
.
And
seeing
that
he
was
braced
by
an
insatiable
whisky
thirst
and
so
possessed
by
one
idea
that
he
had
almost
a
madman
's
cunning
in
achieving
his
purpose
,
it
is
not
wonderful
that
he
succeeded
.
While
Johnny
hastily
searched
the
out-buildings
he
lay
hid
.
And
when
at
last
Mr.
Gillat
went
back
to
the
house
,
being
convinced
that
his
charge
must
have
gone
back
before
him
,
he
,
nerved
and
strengthened
by
a
dose
of
the
precious
spirit
,
carefully
climbed
over
the
garden
wall
,
carrying
with
him
all
that
was
left
of
his
store
.
It
was
rather
heavy
,
and
the
rising
wind
was
strong
,
but
he
was
strong
,
too
,
and
he
bore
more
strength
with
him
.
He
could
carry
a
weight
and
fight
with
the
wind
if
he
wanted
to
;
his
heart
was
well
enough
when
it
was
properly
treated
.
And
it
should
be
properly
treated
as
long
as
he
had
his
comfort
,
his
precious
medicine
safe
and
in
a
place
where
prying
hands
could
not
touch
it
.
Julia
came
home
from
Halgrave
later
than
she
expected
,
but
the
wind
had
increased
to
a
gale
,
so
that
walking
along
the
exposed
road
had
been
no
easy
matter
.
Johnny
by
this
time
was
almost
desperate
with
alarm
,
for
Captain
Polkington
had
not
come
back
and
,
in
spite
of
a
continuous
search
in
likely
and
unlikely
places
,
he
had
not
been
able
to
find
any
trace
of
him
or
his
whisky
.
It
is
true
his
search
was
not
very
systematic
at
the
best
of
times
;
it
is
not
likely
to
have
been
now
;
as
his
alarm
increased
,
it
grew
worse
,
until
,
by
the
time
Julia
came
in
,
it
had
become
little
more
than
a
repeated
looking
in
the
same
unlikely
places
and
an
incessant
toiling
up
and
down-stairs
and
across
the
garden
in
the
howling
wind
.
His
account
of
the
Captain
's
vanishing
was
much
obscured
by
self-condemnation
and
anxiety
,
still
she
managed
to
make
it
out
and
she
did
not
at
first
think
so
very
seriously
of
it
.
She
concluded
from
it
that
her
father
had
succeeded
in
getting
at
his
whisky
and
Johnny
had
failed
to
prevent
him
or
find
out
the
whereabouts
of
the
store
—
a
not
very
astonishing
occurrence
.
The
fact
that
the
Captain
had
not
returned
or
shown
himself
for
so
long
was
surprising
and
to
be
regretted
,
seeing
the
badness
of
the
weather
.
But
it
was
not
inexplicable
;
he
might
be
anxious
to
demonstrate
his
freedom
,
or
,
by
frightening
them
,
to
pay
them
out
for
the
watch
lately
kept
on
him
;
or
—
and
this
was
the
one
serious
aspect
of
the
matter
—
he
might
have
taken
more
of
the
spirit
than
he
could
stand
in
his
weak
state
and
be
too
stupid
and
muddled
to
come
back
alone
.
Julia
reassured
Johnny
as
well
as
she
could
,
and
then
,
accompanied
by
him
,
set
to
work
to
search
thoroughly
the
house
,
garden
and
out-buildings
.
It
was
dinner
time
before
they
had
finished
.
Julia
came
to
the
doorway
of
the
bulb
shed
uneasy
and
perplexed
.
"
It
is
clear
he
is
not
here
,
"
she
said
,
and
turned
to
fasten
the
door
.
A
gust
of
wind
tore
it
from
her
hand
,
flinging
it
back
noisily
.
She
caught
it
again
and
secured
it
.
"
It
is
dinner
time
,
"
she
said
;
"
come
along
indoors
,
there
is
no
reason
why
you
should
go
hungry
because
father
chooses
to
.
"
Johnny
followed
her
to
the
house
.
When
they
were
indoors
he
said
,
"
Do
you
think
—
you
do
n't
think
he
has
had
an
attack
?
—
that
he
is
lying
unconscious
somewhere
?
"
That
was
precisely
what
Julia
was
beginning
to
think
;
there
seemed
no
other
possible
explanation
.
Johnny
read
her
mind
in
her
face
and
was
overwhelmed
with
the
sense
of
his
own
shortcomings
and
their
possible
consequences
.
"
It
is
not
your
fault
,
"
Julia
assured
him
;
"
you
might
as
well
say
it
is
father
's
for
being
so
foolish
and
obstinate
about
his
whisky
—
a
great
deal
better
and
more
truly
say
it
is
mine
for
leaving
you
,
and
for
driving
him
into
this
corner
,
for
not
having
managed
the
whole
thing
better
.
"
Johnny
,
though
a
little
relieved
that
she
did
not
think
him
to
blame
,
was
not
comforted
.
"
Let
us
go
and
find
him
,
"
he
said
;
"
we
must
find
him
;
never
mind
about
dinner
—
we
must
go
and
look
for
him
—
though
I
do
n't
know
where
.
"
"
We
must
look
beyond
the
garden
,
"
Julia
said
;
"
he
must
have
got
further
than
we
first
thought
—
but
I
do
n't
see
how
he
can
be
far
in
this
weather
.
Cut
some
cheese
and
bread
;
we
can
eat
it
as
we
go
along
.
"
In
a
little
while
they
set
out
together
,
Julia
taking
restoratives
with
her
,
though
she
was
also
careful
to
leave
some
on
the
kitchen-table
in
case
Captain
Polkington
should
make
his
way
back
and
feel
in
need
of
them
in
her
absence
.
Outside
the
garden
wall
one
felt
the
force
of
the
wind
more
fully
,
and
realised
how
impossible
it
was
that
the
Captain
should
have
gone
far
.
Julia
stood
a
moment
by
the
gate
.
Before
her
lay
the
road
to
Halgrave
;
her
father
might
have
gone
down
it
a
little
way
;
but
if
he
had
he
must
have
turned
off
and
sought
conceal
ment
somewhere
for
she
had
seen
no
sign
of
any
one
when
she
came
home
.
To
the
left
stretched
the
heath-land
,
brown
and
bare
,
to
the
belt
of
wildly
tossing
pines
;
it
was
hard
to
imagine
her
father
choosing
that
way
.
To
the
right
lay
the
sandhills
,
a
place
of
unsteady
outline
,
earth
and
sky
alike
pale
and
blurred
as
the
north-west
wind
fled
seawards
,
lifting
and
whirling
the
fine
particles
till
the
air
seemed
full
of
them
;
it
was
impossible
to
think
of
any
one
choosing
that
way
.
"
We
will
go
down
the
road
to
begin
with
,
"
Julia
said
,
and
started
.
All
through
the
early
part
of
the
afternoon
they
searched
;
sometimes
stopped
for
a
moment
by
a
gust
of
wind
;
Julia
caught
and
whirled
,
Johnny
brought
to
a
panting
standstill
.
But
on
again
directly
,
struggling
down
the
road
,
looking
in
ditches
and
behind
scant
bushes
,
leaving
the
track
first
on
the
right
hand
then
on
the
left
,
searching
in
likely
and
unlikely
places
.
But
always
with
the
same
result
,
there
was
no
sign
of
the
missing
man
.
At
last
,
when
they
had
reached
a
greater
distance
than
it
was
possible
to
imagine
the
Captain
could
have
gone
,
they
turned
towards
the
house
across
the
heath
.
It
was
difficult
to
think
of
the
Captain
going
that
way
,
seeing
he
would
have
been
walking
in
the
teeth
of
the
wind
,
but
it
almost
seemed
he
must
have
done
it
.
The
short
day
was
already
beginning
to
close
in
when
they
reached
the
belt
of
pines
.
It
had
grown
much
colder
;
one
could
almost
believe
there
would
be
frost
in
the
air
by
and
by
.
The
wind
was
lulling
a
little
;
it
still
roared
with
strange
rushings
and
half-demented
tearings
at
the
tree-tops
,
almost
like
some
great
spirit
prisoned
there
,
but
it
had
spent
its
first
strength
.
The
rain
clouds
were
going
,
too
;
already
in
places
the
sky
was
swept
clear
so
that
a
pale
light
gleamed
behind
the
trees
.
Julia
stood
in
the
vibrant
shelter
of
the
pines
,
pushing
back
her
hair
;
she
was
bareheaded
;
a
hat
had
been
an
impossible
superfluity
when
she
started
out
.
"
Johnny
,
"
she
said
,
"
we
have
come
too
far
;
father
could
not
have
got
to
the
trees
in
such
weather
as
it
was
when
he
started
;
we
must
go
back
.
I
expect
he
is
somewhere
nearer
home
;
we
have
not
half
searched
the
possible
radius
yet
.
"
Johnny
said
"
Yes
.
"
He
was
dog-tired
,
so
tired
that
his
anxiety
was
now
little
more
than
dull
despair
animated
by
an
unquestioning
determination
to
continue
the
search
.
He
would
have
done
so
somehow
,
and
with
his
flagging
energies
been
more
hindrance
than
help
,
had
not
Julia
prevented
him
;
as
they
neared
the
house
,
now
almost
merged
in
the
dusk
,
she
said
—
"
I
am
going
to
fetch
a
lantern
;
the
moon
will
be
up
soon
,
but
until
then
I
shall
want
a
light
.
I
am
just
coming
in
to
get
it
,
then
I
shall
go
out
again
;
but
you
must
stop
at
home
;
father
may
come
back
,
and
if
he
found
us
both
out
after
dark
he
would
think
something
was
wrong
and
start
to
look
for
us
;
then
we
should
be
worse
off
than
ever
.
"
Johnny
said
"
Yes
"
;
but
suggested
,
"
I
think
we
'd
better
look
round
about
the
house
once
more
.
I
think
I
'll
take
a
light
and
look
round
again
.
"
Julia
did
not
think
it
would
be
much
use
;
however
she
consented
,
though
she
had
to
go
with
Johnny
;
she
did
not
trust
him
with
a
lantern
among
the
out-buildings
.
They
looked
round
once
more
,
in
the
sheds
and
in
the
dark
garden
;
afterwards
they
went
out
and
looked
beyond
the
wall
all
round
,
on
the
side
where
the
heather
grew
and
also
on
the
side
where
the
loose
sand
came
close
.
It
took
time
;
Johnny
was
too
tired
to
move
quickly
or
even
to
understand
quickly
what
was
said
to
him
.
At
last
Julia
stopped
and
spoke
decisively
.
"
You
had
better
go
in
now
,
"
she
said
;
"
it
wo
n't
do
for
us
both
to
be
out
any
longer
;
one
of
us
must
go
in
,
and
I
think
it
had
better
be
you
.
Make
a
good
fire
,
see
that
there
is
plenty
of
hot
water
and
get
something
to
eat
so
as
to
be
ready
to
do
things
when
I
come
back
.
"
Johnny
acquiesced
and
Julia
,
having
watched
him
into
the
house
,
took
up
her
lantern
and
set
out
in
the
direction
of
the
sandhills
.
It
was
her
last
resource
;
it
did
not
seem
to
her
likely
that
her
father
could
have
gone
there
;
at
the
best
of
times
he
disliked
the
place
,
finding
it
very
tiring
.
Still
,
with
the
wind
behind
him
as
it
would
have
been
this
morning
,
it
is
possible
he
would
have
found
it
the
easiest
way
—
if
he
could
have
managed
to
forget
what
the
coming
back
would
be
.
At
all
events
she
determined
to
try
it
,
so
she
set
out
for
the
waste
.
By
this
time
the
moon
was
rising
,
and
,
in
spite
of
the
driving
clouds
which
had
not
all
dispersed
,
at
times
it
shone
clear
.
Beneath
it
the
stretch
of
sand
lay
pale
and
desolate
,
a
new-formed
landscape
of
fresh
contours
,
loosely-piled
hills
and
shallow
scooped
hollows
shaped
by
to-day
's
wind
.
An
easy
place
for
a
man
to
miss
his
way
with
a
gale
blowing
and
the
sand
dancing
blinding
reels
.
A
hard
place
for
a
man
to
travel
far
when
he
had
to
face
the
wind
;
a
strong
man
would
have
found
it
very
tiring
,
a
weak
man
might
well
have
given
it
up
,
driven
to
waiting
for
a
lull
in
the
weather
.
As
for
a
man
in
the
Captain
's
health
—
when
Julia
thought
of
it
she
hurried
on
,
although
she
knew
if
her
father
had
to-day
,
as
he
had
all
through
his
life
,
followed
the
line
of
least
resistance
,
the
chances
were
that
her
help
would
be
of
little
avail
to
him
now
.
She
carried
her
lantern
low
,
looking
carefully
for
foot
prints
;
soon
,
however
,
she
put
it
out
;
she
would
do
better
without
in
the
increasing
moon-light
.
But
she
found
no
prints
;
after
all
,
as
she
remembered
,
she
was
hardly
likely
to
;
the
wind
and
blowing
sand
would
have
obliterated
them
.
Over
the
first
level
of
sand
she
went
to
the
nearest
rise
without
seeing
anything
;
up
to
that
and
down
the
following
hollow
,
looking
in
every
curve
and
indentation
,
still
without
seeing
anything
.
Then
she
began
to
climb
the
next
rise
.
The
moon
was
struggling
through
a
long
cloud
,
one
moment
eclipsed
,
the
next
shining
with
a
half
radiance
which
made
the
landscape
unevenly
black
and
white
.
For
a
second
it
looked
out
clear
,
and
the
sand
showed
like
silver
,
tear-spotted
with
ink
in
the
hollows
;
then
the
cloud
swept
up
and
all
turned
to
a
level
grey
.
She
had
climbed
to
the
top
of
a
rise
by
now
,
sinking
deep
and
noiseless
into
the
soft
sand
.
It
was
too
dark
to
see
what
was
below
;
all
was
shadow
,
black
shadow
—
or
was
it
a
blackness
more
substantial
than
shadow
?
The
cloud
passed
from
off
the
moon
's
face
,
the
light
shone
out
once
more
,
turning
the
sand
to
silver
.
All
the
great
empty
space
,
where
the
dying
wind
still
throbbed
,
was
white
silver
,
except
down
in
the
hollow
where
,
black
and
still
,
lay
the
man
who
had
followed
the
line
of
least
resistance
.
CHAPTER
XXIII
PAYMENT
AND
RECEIPT
On
the
day
of
Captain
Polkington
's
funeral
,
a
letter
was
brought
to
White
's
Cottage
.
Julia
herself
took
it
in
,
and
when
she
saw
that
it
was
from
Holland
she
asked
the
postman
to
wait
a
minute
as
she
would
be
glad
if
he
would
post
a
letter
for
her
.
He
sat
down
,
nothing
loth
;
the
cottage
was
the
last
place
on
his
round
and
he
never
minded
a
rest
there
.
He
waited
while
Julia
went
up-stairs
with
her
letter
.
She
opened
it
before
she
got
to
her
room
and
barely
read
the
contents
;
there
was
enclosed
a
cheque
for
thirty
pounds
,
the
price
of
"
The
Good
Comrade
.
"
It
had
come
,
then
,
at
last
,
this
money
for
which
she
had
been
waiting
two
years
—
but
too
late
.
The
man
in
whose
name
she
would
have
paid
the
debt
lay
dead
.
She
had
planned
to
clear
him
without
his
knowledge
,
reinstate
him
in
the
good
opinion
of
his
debtor
without
letting
her
hand
be
seen
;
and
she
could
not
,
for
he
was
dead
,
and
there
was
no
hand
but
hers
,
and
no
name
to
clear
.
It
was
not
a
week
too
late
,
yet
so
much
,
so
bitterly
much
.
Too
late
for
her
cherished
plan
,
too
late
for
any
of
the
things
she
had
hoped
,
too
late
for
triumph
,
or
joy
,
or
satisfaction
;
too
late
to
demonstrate
the
once
hoped
for
equality
;
too
late
for
the
fulfilling
of
anything
but
a
dogged
purpose
.
For
a
moment
she
looked
at
the
cheque
,
feeling
the
irony
which
had
sent
her
the
means
of
paying
his
debt
now
that
her
father
lay
in
his
coffin
,
indifferent
to
his
good
name
and
his
honour
;
unable
,
alike
,
to
clear
or
be
cleared
,
to
wrong
or
be
wronged
;
removed
by
kindly
death
from
the
scope
of
earthly
judgment
,
even
the
just
thoughts
of
one
who
had
suffered
on
his
account
.
She
put
down
the
cheque
and
pencilled
some
hasty
words
—
"
In
payment
of
Captain
Polkington
's
debt
(
to
Mr.
Rawson-Clew
)
discharged
by
Hubert
Farquhar
Rawson-Clew
on
the
—
November
19
—
"
So
she
wrote
,
then
she
put
the
slip
with
the
cheque
in
an
envelope
and
addressed
it
to
the
London
club
where
the
explosive
had
been
sent
.
"
It
will
