.When
he
came
to
the
Polkingtons
'
house
he
found
it
empty
,
the
blinds
down
,
the
steps
uncleaned
,
and
bills
announcing
that
it
was
to
let
in
the
windows
.
He
stood
and
looked
at
it
in
the
grey
afternoon
,
and
for
a
moment
he
was
conscious
of
a
feeling
of
desolation
and
disappointment
which
was
almost
absurd
.
He
turned
away
and
began
to
make
inquiries
about
the
family
.
He
soon
learnt
all
that
was
commonly
known
.
They
had
been
gone
from
East
Street
some
little
time
now
;
they
must
have
left
before
the
box
containing
the
explosive
was
posted
.
Julia
had
sent
it
to
Aunt
Jane
's
lawyer
,
before
she
set
out
for
the
cottage
,
asking
him
to
dispatch
it
at
a
given
date
,
and
he
had
fulfilled
her
request
,
thinking
it
a
wedding
present
and
the
date
specified
one
near
the
impending
ceremony
.
This
,
of
course
,
Rawson-Clew
did
not
find
out
;
he
found
out
several
things
about
the
Polkingtons
though
,
their
debts
and
difficulties
,
their
sale
and
the
break
up
of
the
family
.
He
also
found
out
that
the
youngest
Miss
Polkington
was
married
and
the
second
,
and
now
only
remaining
one
,
had
come
home
before
the
break
up
.
As
to
where
the
family
were
now
,
that
was
not
quite
so
clear
;
Mrs.
Polkington
was
with
one
of
her
married
daughters
;
her
address
was
easily
obtainable
and
apparently
considered
all
that
any
one
could
require
,
and
quite
sufficient
to
cover
the
rest
of
the
family
.
Captain
Polkington
—
nobody
thought
much
about
him
—
when
they
did
,
it
was
generally
concluded
he
was
with
his
wife
.
As
for
Julia
,
she
must
have
got
a
situation
of
some
sort
—
unless
,
which
was
unlikely
,
she
was
with
her
parents
.
Rawson-Clew
took
Mrs.
Polkington
's
address
—
it
was
all
he
could
get
—
and
determined
to
write
to
her
.
It
did
occur
to
him
to
write
to
Julia
at
her
sister
's
house
and
request
that
his
letter
was
forwarded
;
but
he
did
not
do
so
;
he
was
not
at
all
sure
she
would
answer
;
he
wanted
to
see
her
face
to
face
this
time
.
He
wrote
to
Mrs.
Polkington
and
asked
her
for
Julia
's
address
,
introducing
himself
as
a
friend
met
in
Holland
,
and
explaining
his
reason
,
vaguely
to
be
connected
with
that
time
.
When
Mrs.
Polkington
received
the
letter
she
thought
it
over
a
little
;
then
she
showed
it
to
Violet
,
and
they
discussed
it
together
.
At
the
outset
they
made
a
mistake
;
they
only
knew
of
one
person
of
the
name
of
Rawson-Clew
—
the
Captain
's
young
acquaintance
;
he
had
certainly
gone
away
from
Marbridge
last
spring
and
so
in
point
of
time
could
have
met
Julia
in
Holland
,
only
it
was
not
likely
that
he
had
,
or
that
he
had
become
friendly
with
her
.
At
least
so
Violet
said
;
Mrs.
Polkington
,
who
knew
what
remarkable
things
herself
and
family
could
do
in
the
way
of
getting
to
know
people
,
was
inclined
to
think
differently
.
On
one
point
,
however
,
they
were
agreed
;
it
would
be
very
unpleasant
to
have
to
tell
one
in
the
position
of
Mr.
Rawson-Clew
about
Julia
's
present
proceedings
.
Giving
the
address
would
be
giving
the
information
,
or
something
like
it
—
one
would
have
to
explain
—
"
Miss
Julia
Snooks
,
White
's
Cottage
,
near
Halgrave
.
"
"
We
ca
n't
do
that
,
"
Violet
said
with
decision
.
"
I
might
say
I
would
forward
a
letter
,
perhaps
?
"
Mrs.
Polkington
suggested
.
But
Violet
did
not
think
that
would
do
either
.
"
Julia
would
answer
it
,
"
she
said
;
"
and
that
would
be
quite
as
bad
;
you
know
,
she
is
not
in
the
least
ashamed
of
herself
.
"
Mrs.
Polkington
did
know
it
.
"
I
believe
you
are
right
,
"
she
said
,
with
the
air
of
one
convinced
against
her
will
;
"
Julia
has
voluntarily
cut
herself
adrift
from
her
own
class
;
it
would
be
unpleasant
and
embarrassing
for
her
as
well
as
for
other
people
to
force
her
into
any
connection
with
it
again
;
I
do
n't
think
any
purpose
can
be
served
by
reopening
an
acquaintance
with
Mr.
Raw
son-Clew
,
we
did
not
know
him
at
Marbridge
"
—
she
never
forgot
that
his
circle
there
did
not
think
her
good
enough
to
know
.
"
I
cannot
imagine
that
it
would
be
advantageous
for
Julia
to
write
to
him
or
hear
from
him
under
the
present
circumstances
.
He
comes
of
a
Norfolk
family
,
too
(
Mrs.
Polkington
always
knew
about
people
's
families
even
when
she
did
not
know
them
personally
;
it
was
the
sort
of
information
that
interested
her
)
;
I
do
n't
know
what
part
of
the
county
his
people
belong
to
,
very
likely
nowhere
near
Julia
;
but
supposing
it
were
near
enough
for
him
to
know
from
the
address
what
kind
of
a
place
Julia
was
in
,
it
really
might
be
so
awkward
;
we
ought
to
be
very
careful
for
dear
Richard
's
sake
,
especially
seeing
his
connection
with
the
Palace
.
I
really
think
it
would
be
wiser
as
you
say
,
to
be
on
the
safe
side
.
"
So
she
kept
on
that
side
,
which
,
being
,
interpreted
meant
leaving
Rawson-Clew
's
information
much
where
it
was
before
.
She
wrote
very
nicely
,
somewhat
involved
,
not
at
all
baldly
;
but
reduced
to
plain
terms
her
letter
came
to
this
—
she
was
not
going
to
tell
Julia
's
address
or
anything
about
her
.
So
Rawson-Clew
read
it
,
and
very
angry
he
was
.
And
the
worst
of
all
was
that
on
the
same
night
that
he
received
this
letter
,
he
also
received
orders
to
go
at
once
to
Constantinople
.
He
had
no
time
for
anything
and
no
choice
but
to
go
and
leave
the
search
.
But
during
his
journey
across
Europe
an
idea
came
to
him
with
the
suddenness
of
an
inspiration
.
He
knew
what
Julia
had
done
—
she
had
"
retired
,
"
even
as
she
had
said
she
hoped
to
on
the
first
day
they
walked
together
.
She
had
retired
somewhere
from
shams
and
hypocrisy
,
from
society
and
her
family
;
possibly
even
she
had
adopted
the
corduroy
and
onions
part
of
the
ambition
;
if
so
,
that
would
ex
plain
her
mother
's
refusal
,
based
on
some
kind
of
pride
,
to
give
her
address
.
She
had
retired
,
and
she
had
taken
Johnny
Gillat
with
her
,
and
her
own
people
had
washed
their
hands
of
her
!
He
knew
now
what
to
look
for
when
he
should
come
back
.
He
might
not
be
back
for
two
months
or
even
three
,
but
when
he
did
come
he
would
be
able
to
find
Julia
and
talk
to
her
about
the
explosive
—
and
other
things
.
It
may
be
here
said
that
the
wonderful
explosive
did
not
do
what
was
expected
of
it
,
either
in
England
or
Holland
,
for
it
was
found
to
decompose
on
keeping
.
It
did
everything
else
that
was
boasted
of
it
,
but
no
one
succeeded
in
keeping
it
more
than
fifteen
months
,
an
irremediate
defect
in
an
explosive
for
military
purposes
.
This
,
of
course
,
was
not
discovered
at
first
,
and
the
honour
and
glory
of
obtaining
the
specimen
was
considerable
,
if
only
there
had
been
some
one
to
take
it
.
Rawson-Clew
did
not
consider
himself
the
person
.
CHAPTER
XVI
THE
SIMPLE
LIFE
Julia
was
collecting
fir-cones
.
All
around
her
the
land
lay
brown
and
still
;
dead
heather
,
and
sometimes
dead
bracken
,
a
shade
paler
,
and
,
more
rarely
,
gorse
bushes
,
nearly
brown
,
too
,
in
their
sober
winter
dress
.
It
was
almost
flat
,
a
wonderful
illimitable
place
,
very
remote
,
very
silent
,
unbroken
except
for
occasional
pine-trees
.
These
were
not
scattered
but
grew
in
clumps
,
miles
apart
,
though
looking
near
in
this
place
of
distances
,
and
also
in
a
belt
not
more
than
five
or
six
trees
wide
,
winding
mile
after
mile
like
a
black
band
over
the
plain
.
Julia
stood
on
the
edge
of
this
belt
now
,
gathering
the
dropped
cones
and
putting
them
into
a
sack
.
The
afternoon
was
advanced
and
already
it
was
beginning
to
grow
dark
among
the
trees
,
but
she
determined
not
to
go
till
she
had
got
all
she
could
carry
.
It
was
the
first
time
she
had
been
to
collect
cones
;
she
had
sent
her
father
once
and
Mr.
Gillat
once
.
They
had
taken
longer
and
gathered
less
than
she
,
but
it
was
not
on
that
account
that
she
had
gone
herself
to-day
.
Rather
it
was
because
she
wanted
to
go
to
the
dark
belt
of
trees
which
she
saw
every
day
from
her
window
,
and
because
she
wanted
to
go
right
out
into
the
wide
open
land
and
see
what
it
looked
like
and
feel
what
it
felt
like
.
And
when
she
got
there
she
found
it
,
like
the
Dunes
,
all
she
had
expected
and
more
.
At
last
she
had
her
sack
full
,
and
,
shouldering
it
,
carried
it
off
on
her
back
,
which
,
seeing
the
comfort
of
the
arrangement
,
must
be
the
way
Nature
intended
weights
to
be
carried
.
Clear
of
the
shadow
of
the
trees
it
was
lighter
;
the
grey
sky
held
the
light
long
;
twilight
seemed
to
creep
up
from
the
ground
rather
than
fall
from
above
,
as
if
darkness
were
an
earth-born
thing
that
gained
slowly
,
and
,
for
a
time
,
only
upon
the
brighter
gift
of
Heaven
.
It
was
quieter
,
too
,
out
here
,
for
under
the
pines
,
though
the
weather
was
still
,
there
was
a
breathing
moan
as
if
the
trees
sighed
incessantly
in
their
sleep
.
But
out
here
in
the
brown
land
it
was
very
quiet
;
the
air
light
and
dry
and
keen
,
with
the
flavour
of
the
not
distant
sea
mingled
with
the
smell
of
the
pines
and
the
dead
ferns
—
a
thing
to
stir
the
pulse
and
revive
the
memory
of
the
divine
inheritance
and
the
old
belief
that
man
is
but
a
little
lower
than
the
angels
,
related
to
the
infinite
and
god-like
.
White
's
Cottage
stood
where
the
heath-land
ceased
and
the
sand
began
.
There
was
much
sand
;
tradition
said
it
had
gradually
overwhelmed
a
village
that
lay
beyond
;
indeed
,
that
White
's
Cottage
was
the
last
and
most
distant
house
of
the
lost
place
.
Be
that
as
it
may
,
it
certainly
was
very
solitary
,
rather
far
from
the
village
of
Halgrave
,
with
no
road
leading
to
it
except
the
track
that
came
from
Halgrave
and
stopped
at
the
cottage
gate
—
there
was
nowhere
to
go
beyond
.
Dusk
had
almost
deepened
to
darkness
when
Julia
reached
the
house
;
it
gleamed
curiously
in
the
half
light
,
for
it
was
built
of
flints
,
for
the
most
part
grey
,
but
with
a
paler
one
here
and
there
catching
the
light
.
She
put
her
sack
of
cones
in
one
of
the
several
sheds
which
were
built
on
the
sides
of
the
cottage
,
and
which
,
being
of
the
same
flint
material
,
made
it
look
larger
than
it
was
.
Then
she
went
into
the
kitchen
.
Johnny
Gillat
was
there
before
her
;
he
had
been
busy
in
the
garden
all
the
afternoon
,
but
,
with
the
help
of
the
field-glasses
which
he
had
not
been
allowed
to
sell
,
he
had
descried
her
coming
across
the
open
land
.
As
soon
as
he
was
sure
of
her
,
and
while
she
was
still
a
good
way
off
,
he
hurried
away
his
tools
into
the
house
to
get
ready
.
He
wanted
it
all
to
look
to
her
as
it
had
to
him
on
the
day
when
he
came
back
from
cone-getting
—
the
fire
blazing
,
the
tea
ready
,
the
kitchen
snug
and
neat
;
very
unlike
the
dining-room
at
Marbridge
with
the
one
gas
jet
burning
and
"
Bouquet
"
alight
.
Of
course
Johnny
did
not
quite
succeed
;
he
never
did
in
matters
small
or
great
,
but
he
did
his
best
.
The
dinner
things
,
which
Captain
Polkington
was
to
have
washed
,
were
not
done
,
and
still
about
.
They
had
to
be
put
in
the
back
kitchen
,
and
Johnny
,
who
had
no
idea
of
saving
labour
,
took
so
long
carrying
them
away
,
that
he
hardly
had
time
to
set
the
tea
.
He
had
meant
to
make
some
toast
,
but
there
was
no
time
for
that
;
the
first
piece
of
bread
had
no
more
than
begun
to
get
warm
when
he
heard
Julia
's
step
outside
.
But
the
fire
was
blazing
nicely
,
and
that
was
the
chief
thing
;
even
though
the
putting
on
of
the
kettle
had
been
forgotten
.
When
Julia
came
in
and
saw
the
fire
and
crooked
tablecloth
and
hastily-arranged
cups
,
and
Johnny
's
beaming
face
,
she
exclaimed
,
"
How
cubby
it
looks
!
Why
,
you
have
got
the
tea
all
ready
,
and
"
—
sniffing
the
air
—
"
I
believe
you
are
making
toast
;
that
is
nice
!
"
Mr.
Gillat
beamed
;
then
he
caught
sight
of
the
kettle
standing
on
the
hearth
,
and
his
face
fell
.
But
Julia
put
it
on
the
fire
.
"
It
will
give
you
good
time
to
finish
the
toast
while
it
boils
,
"
she
said
;
"
toast
ought
not
to
be
hurried
,
you
know
;
yours
will
be
just
right
.
"
It
was
not
;
it
was
rather
smoky
when
it
came
to
be
eaten
,
the
fire
not
being
very
suitable
;
but
that
did
not
matter
;
Julia
declared
it
perfect
.
This
was
the
only
form
of
hypocrisy
she
practised
in
the
simple
life
;
possibly
,
if
she
thought
of
the
will
more
than
the
deed
,
it
was
really
not
such
great
hypocrisy
.
At
all
events
she
practised
it
;
she
did
not
think
truth
so
beautiful
that
frail
daily
life
must
be
the
better
for
its
undiluted
and
uncompromising
application
to
all
poor
little
tender
efforts
.
During
tea
the
great
subject
of
conversation
was
the
hen
house
.
The
last
occupant
of
the
cottage
had
kept
hens
and
all
the
out-buildings
were
in
good
repair
;
however
,
a
recent
gale
had
loosened
part
of
the
roof
of
this
one
,
and
Captain
Polkington
had
been
mending
it
.
There
had
not
been
much
to
do
;
the
Captain
could
not
do
a
great
deal
;
his
faculties
of
work
—
if
he
ever
had
any
—
had
atrophied
for
want
of
use
.
Still
,
he
thought
he
had
done
a
good
day
's
work
,
and
,
as
a
consequence
,
was
important
and
inclined
to
be
exacting
.
That
is
the
reason
why
he
had
neglected
the
dinner
things
;
he
felt
that
a
man
who
had
done
all
he
had
was
entitled
to
some
rest
and
consideration
.
Julia
did
not
mind
in
the
least
;
if
he
was
happy
and
contented
,
that
was
all
she
wished
;
she
never
reckoned
his
help
as
one
of
the
assets
of
the
household
.
For
that
matter
,
she
had
not
reckoned
Mr.
Gillat
's
of
much
value
either
,
but
there
she
found
she
was
a
little
mistaken
.
Johnny
was
very
slow
and
very
laborious
and
really
ingenious
in
finding
a
wrong
way
of
doing
things
even
when
she
thought
she
had
left
him
no
choice
,
but
he
was
very
painstaking
and
persevering
.
He
would
do
anything
he
was
told
,
and
he
took
the
greatest
pleasure
in
doing
it
.
Whether
it
was
digging
in
the
garden
,
or
feeding
the
pigs
,
or
collecting
firewood
,
or
setting
the
table
for
meals
,
he
was
certain
to
do
everything
to
the
best
of
his
ability
,
and
was
perfectly
happy
if
she
would
employ
him
.
There
can
be
no
doubt
that
the
coming
to
White
's
Cottage
began
a
time
of
real
hap
piness
to
Mr.
Gillat
;
possibly
the
happiest
since
his
wealthy
boyhood
when
he
spent
lavishly
and
indiscriminately
on
anybody
and
everybody
.
The
Captain
was
less
happy
;
his
satisfaction
was
of
an
intermittent
order
.
His
discontent
did
not
take
the
form
of
wishing
to
go
back
to
Marbridge
or
to
join
his
wife
,
only
in
feeling
oppressed
and
misunderstood
,
and
wishing
occasionally
that
he
had
not
been
born
or
had
been
born
rich
—
and
of
course
remained
so
all
his
life
.
He
was
dissatisfied
that
evening
when
the
contentment
begotten
of
his
work
had
worn
off
;
he
wanted
to
go
to
the
market
town
to-morrow
.
Julia
was
going
to
get
several
necessaries
for
the
household
;
he
considered
that
he
ought
to
go
too
,
but
she
would
not
take
him
.
"
You
will
have
a
great
deal
to
carry
,
"
he
protested
.
"
Yes
,
"
Julia
agreed
;
"
but
I
shall
manage
it
.
"
"
It
is
not
fit
for
you
to
go
about
alone
,
"
her
father
urged
.
She
forebore
to
smile
,
though
the
novelty
,
not
to
say
tardiness
of
the
idea
amused
her
;
she
only
said
,
"
It
would
take
you
and
Johnny
too
long
to
walk
into
the
town
;
we
ca
n't
afford
to
spend
too
long
on
the
way
,
and
we
ca
n't
afford
a
cart
to
take
us
.
"
The
Captain
was
not
convinced
;
he
never
was
by
any
one
's
logic
but
his
own
;
perhaps
because
his
own
was
totally
different
to
all
other
kinds
,
including
the
painful
logic
of
facts
.
He
sighed
deeply
.
"
It
is
a
strange
,
a
humiliating
condition
of
things
,
"
he
observed
to
Mr.
Gillat
,
"
when
a
father
has
to
ask
his
daughter
's
permission
to
go
into
town
.
"
Johnny
rubbed
the
side
of
his
chair
thoughtfully
,
then
a
bright
idea
occurred
to
him
.
"
Ah
,
but
,
"
he
said
,
"
gentlemen
always
have
to
ask
ladies
'
permission
before
they
can
accompany
them
anywhere
—
especially
when
it
is
the
lady
of
the
house
.
"
A
wise
man
might
not
perhaps
have
said
this
last
,
but
Johnny
did
,
and
as
it
happened
,
it
did
not
much
matter
;
before
the
Captain
could
answer
,
Julia
rose
from
the
table
and
began
to
clear
away
.
Sundry
household
jobs
had
to
be
done
in
the
evening
;
some
were
always
left
till
then
;
in
these
short
dark
days
it
was
advisable
to
use
the
light
for
work
out
of
doors
.
At
last
,
however
,
all
was
done
,
and
Julia
began
to
arrange
for
to-morrow
.
The
Captain
was
sulky
and
sure
that
he
would
have
rheumatism
and
so
not
be
able
to
go
out
.
His
daughter
did
not
seem
to
be
greatly
troubled
;
she
told
him
of
some
easy
work
in
the
house
he
could
do
,
or
if
he
liked
and
felt
able
,
he
would
perhaps
go
and
get
more
fir-cones
;
there
were
plenty
,
and
they
saved
other
fuel
.
The
Captain
replied
that
he
was
not
in
the
habit
of
taking
orders
from
his
children
.
Johnny
looked
unhappy
;
he
did
not
like
these
ruffles
to
the
tranquil
life
;
it
always
pained
him
for
any
one
to
be
dissatisfied
,
with
reason
or
without
it
.
When
Julia
turned
to
him
he
was
even
more
ready
than
usual
to
take
orders
;
he
would
have
done
anything
she
told
him
from
sweeping
the
copper
flue
to
calling
upon
the
rector
,
but
secretly
he
hoped
she
would
give
him
work
in
the
garden
.
The
garden
was
of
considerable
size
,
and
,
by
some
freak
of
nature
,
of
fairly
good
soil
,
though
the
field
and
most
of
the
surrounding
land
was
very
poor
.
They
had
all
worked
hard
in
this
plot
ever
since
their
coming
;
there
was
not
much
more
to
be
done
,
or
at
least
not
much
planting
,
which
was
what
Mr.
Gillat
liked
.
However
,
there
had
been
no
sharp
frosts
yet
and
Julia
,
who
knew
his
tastes
,
thought
she
could
find
something
to
please
him
.
She
called
him
to
the
back
kitchen
and
between
them
they
brought
from
there
a
wooden
case
,
the
contents
of
which
she
began
to
sort
over
to
find
an
occupation
suitable
to
him
.
The
box
was
getting
rather
empty
now
,
but
there
was
still
something
in
it
,
bulbs
and
seeds
and
printed
directions
,
and
a
strange
mixed
smell
of
greyish-brown
paper
and
buckwheat
husks
and
the
indescribable
smell
of
Dutch
barns
.
It
had
come
from
Holland
,
from
the
Van
Heigens
;
it
was
Mijnheer
's
present
to
the
disgraced
companion
who
had
been
so
summarily
dismissed
.
When
Julia
went
to
the
cottage
,
it
occurred
to
her
to
write
to
Mijnheer
and
tell
him
where
she
was
,
and
how
she
meant
to
live
a
harmless
horticultural
life
.
She
had
come
to
think
that
perhaps
she
ought
to
tell
him
;
she
knew
how
her
own
words
,
about
the
way
they
were
thrusting
a
sinner
down
,
would
stay
with
him
and
his
wife
.
They
would
quite
likely
grow
in
the
slow
mind
of
the
old
man
until
he
became
uneasy
and
unhappy
about
her
,
and
blamed
himself
for
her
undoing
.
At
the
time
that
she
spoke
she
wasted
the
words
to
so
grow
and
germinate
;
but
now
,
looking
back
,
she
could
think
differently
;
after
all
the
Van
Heigens
had
only
done
what
they
thought
right
,
and
she
had
done
what
she
knew
to
be
at
least
open
to
doubt
.
And
they
had
not
thrust
her
down
;
it
would
take
considerably
more
than
that
to
do
anything
of
the
sort
;
they
had
allowed
her
an
opportunity
which
she
had
used
to
achieve
a
great
success
.
And
now
that
it
was
achieved
and
she
had
left
it
all
behind
and
was
settled
to
the
simple
life
—
her
vague
ambition
—
her
heart
went
out
to
the
simple
folk
who
had
first
shown
her
that
it
might
be
good
;
who
had
been
kind
to
her
when
there
was
nothing
to
gain
,
who
had
made
her
ashamed
.
So
she
wrote
to
Mijnheer
and
told
him
that
she
had
fared
well
,
and
found
another
situation
in
Holland
after
leaving
his
service
.
Also
that
she
had
now
left
it
and
,
having
inherited
a
little
property
,
had
come
to
live
in
a
country
cottage
with
her
father
.
She
further
said
that
she
meant
to
imitate
the
Dutch
and
do
her
own
house-work
and
also
grow
things
,
vegetables
especially
,
in
her
garden
.
And
Mijnheer
,
when
he
got
the
letter
,
was
delighted
;
so
,
too
,
was
Mevrouw
;
Joost
said
nothing
.
They
read
the
letter
two
or
three
times
,
showed
it
to
the
Snieders
(
including
Denah
)
and
to
the
Dutch
girl
who
now
filled
Julia
's
situation
—
more
or
less
.
They
talked
over
it
a
great
deal
and
over
Julia
too
;
they
remembered
every
detail
about
her
,
her
good
points
and
her
great
fall
.
They
were
as
delighted
as
they
could
be
to
hear
that
she
was
well
and
happy
and
apparently
,
good
.
Mijnheer
especially
was
pleased
to
hear
that
she
was
with
her
father
—
he
did
not
know
that
gentleman
—
he
was
sure
she
would
be
well
looked
after
with
him
,
and
that
,
so
he
said
,
was
what
she
wanted
.
So
,
contrary
to
their
theory
,
but
not
out
of
accord
with
their
practice
,
they
forgave
the
sin
for
the
sake
of
the
sinner
,
and
Mijnheer
ordered
to
be
packed
,
seeds
and
bulbs
and
plants
for
Julia
's
garden
.
He
selected
them
himself
,
flowers
as
well
as
vegetables
,
sorts
which
he
thought
most
suitable
;
and
he
ordered
Joost
to
stick
to
the
bags
strips
cut
out
of
catalogues
where
,
in
stiff
Dutch-English
,
directions
are
given
as
to
how
to
grow
everything
that
can
be
grown
.
And
if
Joost
put
in
some
sorts
not
included
in
his
father
's
list
,
and
failed
to
tell
the
good
man
about
it
,
it
was
no
doubt
all
owing
to
his
having
at
one
time
associated
with
the
dishonest
Julia
.
The
packing
and
dispatching
of
the
box
gave
great
pleasure
to
the
Van
Heigens
;
but
the
receiving
and
un
packing
gave
even
greater
pleasure
when
at
last
it
reached
Miss
Snooks
at
White
's
Cottage
.
Julia
had
not
told
Mijnheer
why
she
was
Miss
Snooks
now
and
he
,
after
grave
consideration
,
decided
that
it
must
be
because
of
the
legacy
,
and
in
fulfilment
of
some
obscure
English
law
of
property
.
Having
so
decided
,
he
addressed
the
case
in
good
faith
,
and
advised
her
of
its
departure
.
Julia
and
Mr.
Gillat
planted
the
things
that
came
in
the
box
;
Julia
planted
most
,
but
Mr.
Gillat
enjoyed
it
even
when
he
was
only
looking
on
.
There
was
one
bulb
she
set
when
he
was
not
there
to
look
on
,
but
it
did
not
come
with
the
others
.
She
chose
a
spot
that
best
fulfilled
the
conditions
described
in
the
directions
for
growing
daffodils
and
there
,
late
one
afternoon
,
she
planted
the
bulb
that
she
had
brought
with
her
from
the
Van
Heigens
.
Afterwards
she
marked
the
place
round
and
told
Johnny
and
her
father
there
was
a
choice
flower
there
which
was
not
to
be
touched
.
Julia
went
to
the
market
town
as
she
had
arranged
.
Mr.
Gillat
worked
in
the
garden
;
Captain
Polkington
watched
him
for
a
little
and
then
went
out
,
after
spending
,
as
he
always
did
,
some
time
getting
ready
.
He
took
a
basket
with
him
;
he
thought
of
collecting
fir-cones
and
he
objected
to
the
sack
,
though
it
held
a
vast
deal
more
;
he
felt
carrying
it
to
be
derogatory
to
a
soldier
and
a
gentleman
.
It
is
true
he
did
not
get
fir-cones
that
day
,
but
he
really
meant
to
when
he
started
.
Julia
,
in
the
meantime
,
did
her
shopping
,
and
,
having
loaded
herself
with
as
much
as
she
could
carry
—
more
than
most
people
could
except
those
Continental
maids
and
mistresses
who
do
their
own
marketing
,
she
started
for
home
.
It
was
a
long
walk
—
a
long
way
to
Halgrave
and
a
good
bit
beyond
that
to
the
cottage
.
She
did
not
expect
to
reach
the
village
till
dusk
,
but
she
thought
very
probably
she
would
find
her
father
or
Mr.
Gillat
there
;
she
had
suggested
that
one
or
both
of
them
should
come
to
meet
her
and
help
carry
the
parcels
the
rest
of
the
way
.
Johnny
fell
in
with
the
suggestion
;
she
saw
him
through
the
twilight
before
she
reached
the
village
.
Her
father
,
she
concluded
,
was
still
sulky
at
her
refusal
to
have
his
company
earlier
and
so
would
not
come
now
.
"
I
suppose
father
would
not
come
?
"
she
said
,
as
she
and
Mr.
Gillat
walked
on
after
a
readjustment
of
the
burden
.
"
Oh
,
no
,
"
Johnny
answered
;
"
it
was
not
that
;
I
'm
sure
he
would
have
come
if
he
had
been
in
when
I
started
,
but
he
was
not
back
then
.
"
"
Not
back
?
"
Julia
repeated
.
"
Why
,
where
has
he
gone
?
"
"
Well
,
"
Johnny
replied
slowly
,
"
he
said
he
was
going
to
get
fir-cones
,
but
I
'm
not
sure
,
I
did
n't
see
him
go
across
the
heath
.
Still
,
I
dare
say
he
went
—
he
took
a
basket
,
so
I
think
he
must
have
gone
.
"
Julia
apparently
did
not
find
this
very
conclusive
evidence
.
"
There
is
not
anywhere
much
about
here
where
he
can
go
,
"
she
said
;
much
less
as
if
she
were
stating
a
fact
than
as
if
she
were
reviewing
likely
and
unlikely
places
.
"
There
is
only
the
one
road
,
and
that
goes
to
Halgrave
,
and
there
is
nowhere
for
him
there
.
"
"
No
,
oh
,
no
,
"
Johnny
said
;
"
there
really
is
nowhere
there
.
"
"
There
is
the
'
Dog
and
Pheasant
,
'
"
Julia
went
on
meditatively
,
"
but
he
would
not
get
anything
he
cared
about
there
.
"
"
No
,
"
Mr.
Gillat
said
decidedly
;
"
besides
he
would
not
go
there
,
he
would
not
sit
in
a
small
country
public
house
and
—
er
—
and
—
sit
there
—
and
so
on
—
he
would
not
think
of
going
to
such
a
place
.
It
is
one
thing
when
you
are
out
in
the
country
for
a
day
's
fishing
or
something
,
to
have
a
glass
of
ale
and
a
piece
of
bread
and
cheese
at
an
inn
,
but
the
other
is
quite
different
;
he
would
n't
do
that
—
oh
,
no.
To
sit
in
a
little
bar
and
—
"
"
Booze
,
"
Julia
concluded
for
him
.
"
Johnny
,
you
are
always
a
wonder
to
me
;
how
you
have
contrived
to
live
so
long
and
yet
to
keep
your
belief
in
man
unspotted
from
the
world
beats
me
.
"
Johnny
looked
uncomfortable
and
a
little
puzzled
.
"
Well
,
but
your
father
—
"
he
began
.
"
My
father
is
a
man
,
"
Julia
interrupted
,
"
and
I
would
not
undertake
to
say
a
man
would
not
do
anything
—
on
occasions
—
or
a
woman
either
,
for
the
matter
of
that
.
There
is
a
beast
in
most
men
,
and
an
archangel
in
lots
,
and
a
snob
,
and
a
prig
,
and
a
dormant
hero
,
and
an
embryo
poet
.
There
are
great
possibilities
in
men
;
you
have
to
watch
and
see
which
is
coming
out
top
and
back
that
,
and
then
half
the
time
you
are
wrong
.
Of
course
,
at
father
's
age
,
possibilities
are
getting
over
;
one
or
two
things
have
come
top
and
stay
there
.
"
Mr.
Gillat
opened
the
cottage
door
and
,
not
answering
these
distressing
generalities
,
fell
back
on
his
one
fact
.
"
Look
,
"
he
said
,
pointing
to
an
empty
peg
,
"
he
must
have
gone
after
fir-cones
;
you
see
the
basket
has
gone
;
he
took
it
with
him
;
I
am
sure
he
would
not
have
taken
it
to
the
'
Dog
.
'
"
"
I
believe
their
whisky
is
very
bad
,
"
Julia
said
,
and
seemed
to
think
more
of
that
than
the
argument
of
the
basket
.
"
I
'll
give
him
another
hour
before
I
set
out
to
look
for
him
.
"
She
gave
him
the
hour
and
then
,
in
spite
of
Mr.
Gillat
's
entreaties
to
be
allowed
to
go
in
her
place
,
set
out
for
Halgrave
.
But
she
did
not
have
to
go
all
the
way
,
for
she
met
her
father
coming
back
.
And
she
early
discovered
that
,
if
he
had
not
been
to
the
"
Dog
and
Pheasant
,
"
he
had
been
somewhere
else
where
he
could
get
whisky
.
They
walked
home
together
,
and
she
made
neither
comments
nor
inquiries
;
she
did
not
consider
that
evening
a
suitable
time
.
The
Captain
was
only
a
little
muddled
and
,
as
has
been
before
said
,
a
very
little
alcohol
was
sufficient
to
do
that
;
he
was
quite
clear
enough
to
be
a
good
deal
relieved
by
his
daughter
's
behaviour
,
and
even
thought
that
she
noticed
nothing
amiss
.
Indeed
,
by
the
morning
,
he
had
himself
almost
come
to
think
there
was
nothing
to
notice
.
But
alas
,
for
the
Captain
!
He
had
never
learnt
to
beware
of
those
deceptive
people
who
bide
their
time
and
bring
into
domestic
life
the
diplomatic
policy
of
speaking
on
suitable
occasions
only
.
He
came
down-stairs
that
morning
very
well
pleased
with
himself
;
he
felt
that
he
had
vindicated
the
rights
of
man
yesterday
;
this
conclusion
was
arrived
at
by
a
rather
circuitous
route
,
but
it
was
gratifying
;
it
was
also
gratifying
to
think
that
he
had
been
able
to
enjoy
himself
without
being
found
out
.
But
Julia
soon
set
him
right
on
this
last
point
;
she
did
not
reproach
him
or
,
as
Mrs.
Polkington
would
have
done
,
point
out
the
disgrace
he
would
bring
upon
them
;
she
only
told
him
that
it
must
not
occur
again
.
She
also
explained
that
,
while
he
lived
in
her
house
,
she
had
a
right
to
dictate
in
these
matters
and
,
what
was
more
,
she
was
going
to
do
so
.
At
this
the
Captain
was
really
hurt
;
his
feeling
for
dignity
was
very
sensitive
,
though
given
to
manifesting
itself
in
unusual
ways
.
"
Am
I
to
be
dependent
for
the
rest
of
my
days
?
"
he
asked
.
Julia
did
not
answer
;
she
thought
it
highly
probable
.
"
Am
I
to
be
dictated
to
at
every
turn
?
"
he
went
on
.
Julia
did
answer
.
"
No
,
"
she
said
;
"
I
do
n't
think
there
will
be
any
need
for
that
.
"
Captain
Polkington
paid
no
attention
to
the
answer
;
he
was
standing
before
the
kitchen
fire
,
apostrophising
things
in
general
rather
than
asking
questions
.
"
Are
my
goings
out
and
comings
in
to
be
limited
by
my
daughter
?
Am
I
to
ask
her
permission
before
I
accept
hospitality
or
make
friends
?
"
"
Friends
?
"
said
Julia
.
"
Then
it
was
not
'
The
Dog
and
Pheasant
'
you
went
to
,
yesterday
?
I
thought
not
.
"
"
Then
you
thought
wrong
,
"
her
father
retorted
incautiously
;
"
I
did
go
there
.
"
"
To
begin
with
,
"
Julia
suggested
;
"
but
you
came
across
some
one
,
and
went
on
—
is
that
it
?
"
The
Captain
denied
it
,
but
he
had
not
his
wife
's
and
daughters
'
gifts
;
his
lies
were
always
of
the
cowardly
and
uninspired
kind
that
seldom
serve
any
purpose
.
Julia
did
not
believe
him
,
and
set
to
work
cross
questioning
him
so
that
soon
she
knew
what
she
wanted
.
It
seemed
that
her
surmise
was
correct
;
he
had
met
some
one
at
the
"
Dog
and
Pheasant
"
;
a
veterinary
surgeon
who
had
come
there
to
doctor
a
horse
.
They
had
struck
up
an
acquaintance
—
the
Captain
had
the
family
gift
for
that
—
and
the
surgeon
had
asked
him
to
come
to
his
house
on
the
other
side
of
Halgrave
.
When
the
information
reached
this
point
Julia
said
suavely
,
but
with
meaning
:
"
Perhaps
you
had
better
not
go
there
again
.
"
"
I
shall
certainly
go
when
I
choose
,
"
Captain
Polkington
retorted
;
"
I
should
like
to
know
what
is
to
prevent
me
and
why
I
should
not
?
"
Julia
remembered
his
dignity
.
"
Shall
we
say
because
it
is
too
far
?
"
she
suggested
.
After
that
she
dismissed
the
subject
;
she
did
not
see
any
need
to
pursue
it
further
;
her
father
knew
her
wishes
—
commands
,
perhaps
,
he
called
them
—
all
that
was
left
for
her
to
do
was
to
see
that
he
could
not
help
fulfilling
them
,
and
that
was
not
to
be
done
by
much
talking
any
more
than
by
little
.
So
she
made
no
further
comments
on
his
doings
and
,
to
change
the
subject
,
told
him
she
had
bought
some
whisky
in
the
town
yesterday
and
he
had
better
open
the
bottle
at
dinner
time
.
The
Captain
stared
for
a
moment
,
but
quickly
recovered
from
his
astonishment
,
though
not
because
he
recognised
that
a
little
whisky
at
home
was
part
of
a
judicious
system
.
He
merely
thought
that
his
daughter
was
going
to
treat
him
properly
after
all
,
and
in
spite
of
what
had
been
lately
said
.
This
idea
was
a
little
modified
when
he
found
that
,
though
he
drank
the
whisky
,
Julia
kept
the
bottle
under
lock
and
key
.
It
also
seemed
that
she
found
a
way
of
enforcing
her
wishes
,
or
at
least
preventing
frequent
transgressions
of
them
,
although
,
of
course
,
she
was
prepared
for
occasional
mishaps
.
There
really
was
nothing
at
the
"
Dog
and
Pheasant
"
that
the
Captain
could
put
up
with
even
if
he
had
not
been
always
very
short
of
money
—
absurdly
short
even
of
coppers
—
and
Julia
saw
that
he
was
short
.
There
remained
nothing
for
him
but
the
hospitality
of
acquaintances
,
and
they
did
not
abound
in
Halgrave
,
the
only
place
within
reach
;
also
,
as
he
declared
,
they
were
a
stingy
lot
.
The
next
time
he
called
upon
his
new
friend
,
the
veterinary
surgeon
,
he
was
at
a
loss
to
understand
this
;
it
was
unlike
his
previous
experience
of
the
man
and
most
disagreeably
surprising
;
he
could
not
think
why
it
should
happen
.
But
then
he
had
not
seen
Julia
set
out
for
Halgrave
on
the
afternoon
of
the
same
day
that
she
explained
things
to
him
.
She
had
on
all
her
best
clothes
,
even
her
best
boots
,
in
spite
of
the
bad
roads
.
She
looked
trim
and
dainty
as
a
Frenchwoman
,
but
there
was
something
about
her
which
suggested
business
.
There
are
,
no
doubt
,
advantages
attached
to
the
simple
life
.
It
is
decidedly
easier
to
deal
with
your
drawback
when
you
do
not
have
to
pretend
it
has
no
existence
.
You
can
enlist
help
from
outside
if
you
can
go
boldly
to
veterinary
surgeons
and
others
,
and
say
that
whisky
is
your
father
's
weakness
,
and
would
they
please
oblige
and
gratify
you
by
not
offering
him
any
.
CHAPTER
XVII
.
NARCISSUS
TRIANDRUS
STRIATUM
,
THE
GOOD
COMRADE
The
winter
wore
away
;
a
very
long
winter
,
and
a
very
cold
one
to
those
at
the
cottage
who
were
used
to
the
mild
west
country
.
But
at
last
spring
came
;
late
and
with
bitter
winds
and
showers
of
sleet
,
but
none
the
less
wonderful
,
especially
as
one
had
to
look
to
see
the
tentative
signs
of
its
coming
.
March
in
Marbridge
used
to
mean
violets
and
daffodils
,
tender
green
shoots
and
balmy
middays
.
March
here
means
days
of
pale
clean
light
and
great
sweeping
wind
which
chased
grey
clouds
across
a
steely
sky
,
and
stirred
the
lust
for
fight
and
freedom
in
men
's
minds
and
set
them
longing
to
be
up
and
away
and
at
battle
with
the
world
or
the
elements
.
This
restlessness
,
which
those
who
have
lost
it
call
divine
,
took
possession
of
Julia
that
springtime
,
and
a
dissatisfaction
with
the
simple
life
and
its
narrow
limits
beset
her
.
Surely
,
she
found
herself
asking
,
this
was
not
the
end
of
all
things
—
this
cottage
to
be
the
limit
of
her
life
and
ambitions
;
her
work
to
grow
cabbages
and
eat
them
,
to
keep
her
father
in
the
paths
of
temperance
and
sobriety
,
and
to
make
Johnny
's
closing
days
happy
?
The
March
winds
spoke
vaguely
of
other
things
;
they
whispered
of
the
life
she
had
put
from
her
;
the
big
,
wide
,
moving
,
thinking
,
feeling
life
which
would
have
been
living
indeed
.
Worse
,
they
whispered
of
the
man
who
had
offered
it
to
her
,
the
man
whom
her
heart
told
her
she
would
have
made
friend
and
comrade
if
only
circumstances
had
allowed
him
to
make
her
wife
.
But
she
thrust
these
thoughts
from
her
;
she
had
no
choice
,
she
never
had
a
choice
;
now
less
if
possible
than
before
,
there
was
no
heart-aching
decision
to
make
.
The
work
she
had
taken
up
could
not
be
put
down
;
she
must
go
on
even
if
voices
stronger
and
more
real
than
these
wind
ones
called
her
out
.
One
day
the
crocuses
which
Mijnheer
had
sent
came
into
flower
;
Julia
thought
she
had
never
seen
anything
so
beautiful
as
the
little
purple
and
golden
cups
,
partly
because
they
had
been
sent
in
kindness
of
heart
,
partly
,
no
doubt
,
because
she
had
grown
them
herself
,
and
she
had
never
grown
a
flower
which
had
its
root
in
the
inarticulate
joy
of
all
things
at
the
first
flowering
of
dead
brown
earth
and
monotonous
lifeless
days
.
The
next
event
in
her
calendar
,
and
Johnny
's
,
was
the
blooming
of
the
fruit
trees
.
She
had
seen
hillside
orchards
in
the
west
country
break
into
a
foam
of
flower
—
a
sight
perhaps
as
beautiful
as
any
England
has
to
show
.
But
,
to
her
mind
,
it
did
not
compare
with
the
sparse
white
bloom
which
lay
like
a
first
hoar
frost
on
her
crooked
trees
and
showed
cold
and
delicate
against
the
pale
blue
sky
.
After
that
,
nearly
every
day
,
there
was
something
fresh
and
interesting
for
Mr.
Gillat
and
Julia
,
so
that
the
March
wind
was
forgotten
,
except
in
the
ill-effect
on
Captain
Polkington
with
whom
it
had
disagreed
a
good
deal
,
both
in
health
and
temper
.
That
spring
,
as
indeed
every
spring
,
there
was
a
flower
show
in
London
at
the
Temple
Gardens
.
The
things
exhibited
were
principally
bulb
flowers
,
ixias
,
iris
,
narcissus
and
the
like
;
the
event
was
interesting
to
growers
,
both
professional
and
amateur
.
Joost
Van
Heigen
came
over
from
Holland
to
attend
;
he
was
sent
by
his
father
in
a
purely
business
capacity
,
but
of
course
he
was
expected
,
and
himself
expected
,
to
enjoy
it
,
too
;
there
would
be
many
novelties
exhibited
and
many
beautiful
flowers
in
which
he
would
feel
the
sober
appreciative
pleasure
of
the
connoisseur
.
He
came
to
England
some
days
before
the
show
;
he
had
,
besides
attending
that
,
to
see
some
important
customers
on
business
,
also
one
or
two
English
growers
.
Now
,
certain
districts
of
Norfolk
are
very
well
suited
to
the
cultivation
of
bulbs
,
so
it
is
not
surprising
that
Joost
's
business
took
him
there
.
And
,
seeing
that
he
had
a
Bradshaw
and
a
good
map
,
and
had
,
moreover
,
six
months
ago
addressed
Julia
's
box
of
bulbs
to
her
nearest
railway
town
,
it
is
not
surprising
that
he
found
the
whereabouts
of
the
town
of
Halgrave
.
It
was
on
Saturday
night
when
he
found
it
on
the
map
;
he
was
sitting
in
the
coffee-room
of
a
temperance
hotel
at
the
time
.
He
had
done
business
for
the
day
,
and
,
seeing
that
the
English
do
not
care
about
working
on
Sundays
,
he
would
probably
have
to-morrow
as
well
as
to-night
free
.
Julia
's
town
was
close
—
a
short
railway
journey
,
then
a
walk
to
Halgrave
,
and
then
one
would
be
at
her
home
—
it
would
be
a
pleasant
way
of
spending
the
morning
of
a
spring
Sunday
.
He
thought
about
it
a
little
;
he
had
no
invitation
to
go
and
see
Julia
,
and
he
did
not
like
going
anywhere
without
an
invitation
or
an
express
reason
.
She
might
not
want
to
see
him
,
or
it
might
put
out
her
domestic
arrangements
if
he
came
;
he
knew
domestic
arrangements
were
subject
to
such
disturbances
.
He
hesitated
some
time
,
though
it
must
be
admitted
that
the
fact
that
he
had
asked
her
to
marry
him
and
been
refused
did
not
come
much
into
his
consideration
.
He
had
not
altered
his
mind
about
that
proposal
,
and
he
did
not
imagine
she
had
altered
hers
;
his
devotion
and
her
indifference
were
definite
settled
facts
which
would
remain
as
long
as
either
of
them
remained
,
but
there
was
nothing
em
barrassing
in
them
to
him
.
At
last
he
decided
that
he
would
go
,
and
it
was
the
blue
daffodil
which
decided
him
.
He
had
never
heard
what
Julia
had
done
with
the
bulb
he
had
given
her
.
It
was
only
reasonable
to
think
she
had
sold
it
,
seeing
it
was
for
the
sake
of
money
she
had
wanted
it
,
but
no
whisper
of
any
such
thing
had
reached
him
or
his
father
.
He
longed
to
know
about
it
,
to
hear
the
name
of
the
man
who
had
his
treasure
;
for
whom
,
in
all
probability
,
it
was
blooming
now
.
It
was
some
connoisseur
he
was
nearly
certain
;
Julia
would
not
have
sold
it
to
another
grower
.
He
had
not
lain
any
such
condition
on
her
,
but
she
would
not
have
done
that
;
she
knew
too
well
what
it
meant
to
him
;
he
never
doubted
her
in
that
matter
,
his
faith
was
of
too
simple
a
kind
.
Still
he
determined
to
go
and
see
her
,
partly
that
he
might
hear
the
name
of
the
man
who
bought
the
blue
daffodil
,
partly
because
he
wanted
to
and
remembered
that
Julia
,
in
the
old
days
,
did
not
seem
of
the
kind
to
be
upset
by
unexpected
visitors
and
similar
small
domestic
accidents
.
It
was
a
hot-dinner
Sunday
at
the
cottage
.
These
occurred
alternately
;
on
the
in
between
Sundays
Julia
,
supported
by
Johnny
and
the
Captain
,
went
to
church
.
On
those
sacred
to
hot
dinners
she
stayed
at
home
and
did
the
cooking
,
the
Captain
staying
with
her
.
Mr.
Gillat
used
to
also
in
the
winter
,
but
lately
,
during
the
spring
,
he
had
been
induced
to
teach
in
the
Sunday
school
,
and
now
went
every
Sunday
to
the
village
,
first
to
teach
and
afterwards
to
conduct
his
class
to
church
.
It
was
Mr.
Stevens
,
the
Rector
of
Halgrave
,
who
had
made
this
surprising
suggestion
to
Mr.
Gillat
.
He
,
good
man
,
had
in
the
course
of
time
been
to
see
his
parishioners
at
the
remote
cottage
,
grinding
along
the
deep
sandy
road
on
his
heavy
old
tricycle
;
but
it
was
not
during
the
visit
that
he
thought
of
Johnny
as
a
teacher
;
it
was
when
he
made
further
acquaintance
with
him
at
Halgrave
.
Johnny
was
the
member
of
the
party
who
went
most
often
to
the
village
shop
;
he
liked
the
expedition
,
it
gave
him
a
feeling
of
importance
;
he
also
liked
gossiping
with
the
woman
who
kept
the
shop
,
and
he
dearly
loved
meeting
the
village
children
.
On
one
of
these
occasions
,
when
Johnny
was
engaged
in
making
peace
between
two
little
girls
—
little
girls
were
his
specialty
—
the
rector
met
him
and
it
was
then
it
occurred
to
him
that
Mr.
Gillat
might
help
in
the
school
.
It
was
not
much
of
an
honour
,
the
school
was
in
rather
a
bad
way
just
now
,
and
boasted
no
other
teachers
than
the
rector
and
a
raspy-tempered
girl
of
sixteen
,
but
Johnny
was
much
flattered
.
He
thought
he
ought
to
refuse
;
he
was
quite
sure
he
could
not
teach
;
the
idea
of
his
doing
so
was
certainly
new
and
strange
;
he
was
also
sure
he
was
not
virtuous
enough
.
But
in
the
end
he
was
persuaded
to
try
;
Julia
told
him
that
he
might
hear
the
catechism
with
an
open
book
,
choose
the
Bible
tales
he
was
surest
of
,
to
read
and
explain
,
and
have
his
class
of
little
girls
to
tea
very
often
.
So
it
came
about
that
Mr.
Gillat
set
out
Sunday
after
Sunday
to
school
,
and
if
his
reading
and
expounding
of
the
Scriptures
was
less
in
accord
with
modern
light
than
the
traditions
that
held
in
the
childhood
of
the
nation
,
no
one
minded
;
the
children
at
Halgrave
were
not
painfully
sharp
,
and
they
soon
got
to
love
Mr.
Gillat
with
a
friendly
lemon-droppish
love
which
was
not
critical
.
Captain
Polkington
did
not
approve
of
the
Sunday-school
teaching
,
especially
on
those
days
when
he
had
to
clean
the
knives
.
The
Sunday
when
Joost
Van
Heigen
came
was
one
of
these
.
The
Captain
watched
Mr.
Gillat
's
preparations
with
a
disgusted
face
;
at
last
he
remarked
,
"
I
wonder
if
you
think
you
do
any
good
by
this
nonsense
?
"
Johnny
,
who
had
got
as
far
as
the
doorstep
,
stopped
and
considered
rather
as
if
the
idea
had
just
occurred
to
him
.
"
There
must
be
teachers
,
"
he
said
at
length
,
looking
round
at
the
open
landscape
;
"
and
there
are
n't
many
about
.
"
"
You
are
a
fine
teacher
!
"
the
Captain
sneered
.
Mr.
Gillat
rubbed
his
finger
along
the
edge
of
the
Bible
he
carried
.
"
I
was
wild
,
"
he
confessed
;
"
yes
,
I
was
,
I
do
n't
think
—
but
then
the
rector
said
—
and
Julia
—
"
His
meaning
was
rather
obscure
,
but
possibly
the
Captain
followed
it
although
he
did
cut
him
short
by
saying
,
"
I
should
never
have
expected
it
of
you
;
if
any
one
had
told
me
that
you
,
one
of
us
,
would
take
to
this
sort
of
thing
,
I
would
not
have
believed
it
.
I
mean
,
if
they
had
told
me
in
the
old
days
,
before
things
were
changed
and
broken
up
,
when
we
were
still
alive
and
things
moved
at
a
pace
—
when
a
man
knew
if
he
were
alive
or
dead
and
whether
it
was
night
or
morning
.
"
"
Yes
,
yes
,
"
Johnny
said
,
but
not
altogether
as
if
he
regretted
the
passing
of
those
golden
days
;
"
things
were
different
then
;
we
did
n't
think
of
it
then
.
"
"
Teaching
in
the
Sunday
school
?
"
the
Captain
asked
.
"
Not
quite
!
And
if
we
had
,
we
should
n't
have
thought
of
coming
to
it
even
when
we
had
got
old
and
foolish
.
"
Johnny
looked
uncomfortable
and
unhappy
;
then
a
bright
idea
occurred
to
him
.
"
There
was
n't
a
Sunday
school
there
,
"
he
said
.
"
You
remember
the
hill
station
?
"
Just
then
Julia
called
from
the
house
,
"
Father
,
I
believe
we
might
have
a
dish
of
turnip
tops
if
you
would
get
them
.
Johnny
,
you
will
be
late
if
you
do
n't
start
soon
.
"
Johnny
promptly
started
,
and
the
Captain
,
less
promptly
,
sauntered
away
to
find
a
basket
for
the
turnip
tops
,
muttering
the
while
something
about
people
whose
religion
took
the
form
of
going
out
and
leaving
others
to
do
the
work
.
But
by
the
time
Joost
Van
Heigen
arrived
,
the
Captain
was
quite
amiable
again
.
He
had
had
a
quiet
morning
with
nothing
to
do
after
the
turnip
tops
were
brought
in
and
the
knives
cleaned
,
and
Johnny
had
had
a
long
tiring
walk
home
from
church
in
a
hot
sun
and
a
high
wind
,
which
Captain
Polkington
felt
to
be
a
just
dispensation
of
Providence
to
reward
those
who
stopped
at
home
and
cleaned
knives
.
Joost
arrived
not
long
after
Mr.
Gillat
;
Julia
heard
the
gate
click
as
she
was
taking
the
meat
from
before
the
fire
.
"
Who
is
that
,
Johnny
?
"
she
asked
.
Johnny
,
who
had
just
come
down-stairs
after
taking
off
his
Sunday
coat
,
looked
out
of
the
window
.
"
I
do
n't
know
,
"
he
said
;
"
a
young
man
.
"
Julia
,
having
deposited
the
joint
on
the
dish
,
went
to
the
kitchen
door
.
"
Put
the
meat
where
it
will
keep
hot
,
"
she
said
to
Johnny
;
"
I
expect
it
's
some
one
who
thinks
the
last
people
live
here
still
;
fortunately
there
is
enough
dinner
.
"
She
pushed
open
the
unlatched
door
and
saw
the
visitor
going
round
to
the
front
.
"
Joost
!
"
she
exclaimed
.
"
Why
,
Joost
,
is
it
really
you
?
"
She
ran
down
the
garden
path
after
him
and
he
,
turning
just
before
he
reached
the
front
door
,
stopped
.
"
Good-morning
,
miss
,
"
he
said
solemnly
,
removing
his
hat
with
a
sweep
.
"
I
hope
I
see
you
well
.
I
do
not
inconvenience
you
—
you
are
perhaps
engaged
?
"
"
Come
in
,
"
Julia
answered
;
"
I
am
glad
to
see
you
!
"
There
was
no
mistaking
the
sincerity
of
her
tone
;
Joost
's
solemn
face
relaxed
a
little
.
"
You
are
not
occupied
?
"
he
said
;
"
I
do
not
disturb
you
?
"
"
Yes
,
occupied
in
dishing
up
the
dinner
,
"
Julia
said
,
"
which
is
just
the
best
of
all
times
for
you
to
have
come
.
Johnny
!
"
she
called
;
"
Johnny
,
Joost
is
here
.
"
Mr.
Gillat
,
who
had
been
carefully
placing
the
dish
where
the
cinders
would
fall
into
it
,
came
to
the
door
.
"
This
is
Mr.
Gillat
,
a
very
old
friend
of
mine
,
"
Julia
explained
,
and
Joost
bowed
deeply
,
offering
his
hand
and
saying
,
"
I
hope
that
you
are
well
,
sir
.
"
Whereupon
Mr.
Gillat
impressed
,
imitated
him
as
nearly
as
he
could
,
and
Julia
looked
away
.
They
had
dinner
in
the
kitchen
on
Sundays
as
well
as
week
days
,
they
made
no
difference
to-day
.
Joost
looked
round
him
once
or
twice
;
he
had
never
seen
a
place
like
this
.
It
was
the
front
kitchen
;
the
cooking
and
most
of
the
house-work
was
done
in
the
back
one
,
a
big
barn-like
place
with
doors
in
all
corners
.
The
front
one
was
half
a
kitchen
and
half
a
sitting-room
,
warm-coloured
,
with
red-tiled
floor
and
low
ceiling
,
heavily
cross-beamed
and
hung
with
herbs
and
a
couple
of
hams
,
in
great
contrast
to
the
whiteness
of
the
kitchen
at
the
bulb
farm
.
There
were
brass
and
copper
pots
and
pans
such
as
he
knew
,
but
they
reflected
an
open
fire
,
a
dirty
extravagance
unknown
to
Mevrouw
.
Joost
glanced
at
the
fire
,
and
it
is
to
be
feared
that
he
was
at
heart
a
traitor
to
his
native
customs
.
Then
he
looked
at
the
open
window
where
the
sunshine
streamed
in
—
as
was
never
permitted
in
Holland
—
and
he
wondered
if
it
really
spoilt
things
very
much
,
and
,
being
a
florist
,
thought
it
certainly
would
spoil
the
tulips
in
the
mug
that
stood
on
the
wide
sill
.
During
dinner
they
spoke
English
for
the
sake
of
the
Captain
and
Mr.
Gillat
;
Joost
spoke
well
,
if
slowly
,
with
a
careful
and
accurate
precision
.
He
also
observed
much
,
both
of
outside
things
,
as
the
fact
that
Johnny
and
the
Captain
cleared
the
table
while
Julia
sat
still
,
con
trary
to
Dutch
custom
.
And
also
of
things
less
on
the
surface
—
as
that
Julia
was
head
of
the
household
and
that
Captain
Polkington
was
not
the
impressive
and
authoritative
person
Mijnheer
seemed
to
think
.
Concerning
this
last
fact
he
made
no
remark
when
,
on
his
return
home
,
he
described
the
ways
and
customs
of
Julia
's
cottage
to
his
parents
.
The
description
served
Mevrouw
at
least
,
as
representative
of
all
English
households
ever
afterwards
.
When
dinner
was
done
and
everything
cleared
up
,
or
rather
Julia
's
part
,
she
took
Joost
into
the
garden
.
"
Now
,
"
she
said
in
Dutch
,
"
let
us
come
out
and
talk
and
look
at
things
.
"
They
went
out
and
he
began
to
admire
her
orderly
garden
and
to
tell
her
why
this
plant
had
done
well
and
that
one
had
failed
.
He
did
not
speak
of
the
blue
daffodil
,
he
thought
he
could
better
ask
about
that
a
little
later
.
She
did
not
speak
of
it
either
by
name
;
he
and
it
were
so
inseparably
connected
in
her
mind
.
"
Come
along
,
"
she
said
,
when
he
stopped
to
look
into
a
tulip
to
see
if
its
centre
was
as
truly
black
as
it
should
have
been
.
"
Come
and
see
it
.
"
He
followed
her
obediently
,
but
asked
what
it
was
he
was
to
see
.
"
The
blue
daffodil
,
of
course
,
"
she
said
.
He
stopped
dead
.
"
You
have
got
it
here
