Howards
End
Only
connect
by
E
.
M
.
Forster
Chapter
1
One
may
as
well
begin
with
Helen
's
letters
to
her
sister
.
Howards
End
,
Tuesday
.
Dearest
Meg
,
It
is
n't
going
to
be
what
we
expected
.
It
is
old
and
little
,
and
altogether
delightful
—
red
brick
.
We
can
scarcely
pack
in
as
it
is
,
and
the
dear
knows
what
will
happen
when
Paul
(
younger
son
)
arrives
tomorrow
.
From
hall
you
go
right
or
left
into
dining-room
or
drawing-room
.
Hall
itself
is
practically
a
room
.
You
open
another
door
in
it
,
and
there
are
the
stairs
going
up
in
a
sort
of
tunnel
to
the
first-floor
.
Three
bedrooms
in
a
row
there
,
and
three
attics
in
a
row
above
.
That
is
n't
all
the
house
really
,
but
it
's
all
that
one
notices
—
nine
windows
as
you
look
up
from
the
front
garden
.
Then
there
's
a
very
big
wych-elm
—
to
the
left
as
you
look
up
—
leaning
a
little
over
the
house
,
and
standing
on
the
boundary
between
the
garden
and
meadow
.
I
quite
love
that
tree
already
.
Also
ordinary
elms
,
oaks
—
no
nastier
than
ordinary
oaks
—
pear-trees
,
apple-trees
,
and
a
vine
.
No
silver
birches
,
though
.
However
,
I
must
get
on
to
my
host
and
hostess
.
I
only
wanted
to
show
that
it
is
n't
the
least
what
we
expected
.
Why
did
we
settle
that
their
house
would
be
all
gables
and
wiggles
,
and
their
garden
all
gamboge-coloured
paths
?
I
believe
simply
because
we
associate
them
with
expensive
hotels
—
Mrs.
Wilcox
trailing
in
beautiful
dresses
down
long
corridors
,
Mr.
Wilcox
bullying
porters
,
etc.
We
females
are
that
unjust
.
I
shall
be
back
Saturday
;
will
let
you
know
train
later
.
They
are
as
angry
as
I
am
that
you
did
not
come
too
;
really
Tibby
is
too
tiresome
,
he
starts
a
new
mortal
disease
every
month
.
How
could
he
have
got
hay
fever
in
London
?
and
even
if
he
could
,
it
seems
hard
that
you
should
give
up
a
visit
to
hear
a
schoolboy
sneeze
.
Tell
him
that
Charles
Wilcox
(
the
son
who
is
here
)
has
hay
fever
too
,
but
he
's
brave
,
and
gets
quite
cross
when
we
inquire
after
it
.
Men
like
the
Wilcoxes
would
do
Tibby
a
power
of
good
.
But
you
wo
n't
agree
,
and
I
'd
better
change
the
subject
.
This
long
letter
is
because
I
'm
writing
before
breakfast
.
Oh
,
the
beautiful
vine
leaves
!
The
house
is
covered
with
a
vine
.
I
looked
out
earlier
,
and
Mrs.
Wilcox
was
already
in
the
garden
.
She
evidently
loves
it
.
No
wonder
she
sometimes
looks
tired
.
She
was
watching
the
large
red
poppies
come
out
.
Then
she
walked
off
the
lawn
to
the
meadow
,
whose
corner
to
the
right
I
can
just
see
.
Trail
,
trail
,
went
her
long
dress
over
the
sopping
grass
,
and
she
came
back
with
her
hands
full
of
the
hay
that
was
cut
yesterday
—
I
suppose
for
rabbits
or
something
,
as
she
kept
on
smelling
it
.
The
air
here
is
delicious
.
Later
on
I
heard
the
noise
of
croquet
balls
,
and
looked
out
again
,
and
it
was
Charles
Wilcox
practising
;
they
are
keen
on
all
games
.
Presently
he
started
sneezing
and
had
to
stop
.
Then
I
hear
more
clicketing
,
and
it
is
Mr.
Wilcox
practising
,
and
then
,
'
a-tissue
,
a-tissue
'
:
he
has
to
stop
too
.
Then
Evie
comes
out
,
and
does
some
calisthenic
exercises
on
a
machine
that
is
tacked
on
to
a
greengage-tree
—
they
put
everything
to
use
—
and
then
she
says
'
a-tissue
,
'
and
in
she
goes
.
And
finally
Mrs.
Wilcox
reappears
,
trail
,
trail
,
still
smelling
hay
and
looking
at
the
flowers
.
I
inflict
all
this
on
you
because
once
you
said
that
life
is
sometimes
life
and
sometimes
only
a
drama
,
and
one
must
learn
to
distinguish
t'other
from
which
,
and
up
to
now
I
have
always
put
that
down
as
'
Meg
's
clever
nonsense
.
'
But
this
morning
,
it
really
does
seem
not
life
but
a
play
,
and
it
did
amuse
me
enormously
to
watch
the
W
's
.
Now
Mrs.
Wilcox
has
come
in
.
I
am
going
to
wear
[
omission
]
.
Last
night
Mrs.
Wilcox
wore
an
[
omission
]
,
and
Evie
[
omission
]
.
So
it
is
n't
exactly
a
go-as-you-please
place
,
and
if
you
shut
your
eyes
it
still
seems
the
wiggly
hotel
that
we
expected
.
Not
if
you
open
them
.
The
dog-roses
are
too
sweet
.
There
is
a
great
hedge
of
them
over
the
lawn
—
magnificently
tall
,
so
that
they
fall
down
in
garlands
,
and
nice
and
thin
at
the
bottom
,
so
that
you
can
see
ducks
through
it
and
a
cow
.
These
belong
to
the
farm
,
which
is
the
only
house
near
us
.
There
goes
the
breakfast
gong
.
Much
love
.
Modified
love
to
Tibby
.
Love
to
Aunt
Juley
;
how
good
of
her
to
come
and
keep
you
company
,
but
what
a
bore
.
Burn
this
.
Will
write
again
Thursday
.
Helen
Howards
End
,
Friday
.
Dearest
Meg
,
I
am
having
a
glorious
time
.
I
like
them
all
.
Mrs.
Wilcox
,
if
quieter
than
in
Germany
,
is
sweeter
than
ever
,
and
I
never
saw
anything
like
her
steady
unselfishness
,
and
the
best
of
it
is
that
the
others
do
not
take
advantage
of
her
.
They
are
the
very
happiest
,
jolliest
family
that
you
can
imagine
.
I
do
really
feel
that
we
are
making
friends
.
The
fun
of
it
is
that
they
think
me
a
noodle
,
and
say
so
—
at
least
Mr.
Wilcox
does
—
and
when
that
happens
,
and
one
does
n't
mind
,
it
's
a
pretty
sure
test
,
is
n't
it
?
He
says
the
most
horrid
things
about
women
's
suffrage
so
nicely
,
and
when
I
said
I
believed
in
equality
he
just
folded
his
arms
and
gave
me
such
a
setting
down
as
I
've
never
had
.
Meg
,
shall
we
ever
learn
to
talk
less
?
I
never
felt
so
ashamed
of
myself
in
my
life
.
I
could
n't
point
to
a
time
when
men
had
been
equal
,
nor
even
to
a
time
when
the
wish
to
be
equal
had
made
them
happier
in
other
ways
.
I
could
n't
say
a
word
.
I
had
just
picked
up
the
notion
that
equality
is
good
from
some
book
—
probably
from
poetry
,
or
you
.
Anyhow
,
it
's
been
knocked
into
pieces
,
and
,
like
all
people
who
are
really
strong
,
Mr.
Wilcox
did
it
without
hurting
me
.
On
the
other
hand
,
I
laugh
at
them
for
catching
hay
fever
.
We
live
like
fighting-cocks
,
and
Charles
takes
us
out
every
day
in
the
motor
—
a
tomb
with
trees
in
it
,
a
hermit
's
house
,
a
wonderful
road
that
was
made
by
the
Kings
of
Mercia
—
tennis
—
a
cricket
match
—
bridge
—
and
at
night
we
squeeze
up
in
this
lovely
house
.
The
whole
clan
's
here
now
—
it
's
like
a
rabbit
warren
.
Evie
is
a
dear
.
They
want
me
to
stop
over
Sunday
—
I
suppose
it
wo
n't
matter
if
I
do
.
Marvellous
weather
and
the
view
's
marvellous
—
views
westward
to
the
high
ground
.
Thank
you
for
your
letter
.
Burn
this
.
Your
affectionate
Helen
Howards
End
,
Sunday
.
Dearest
,
dearest
Meg
,
—
I
do
not
know
what
you
will
say
:
Paul
and
I
are
in
love
—
the
younger
son
who
only
came
here
Wednesday
.
Chapter
2
Margaret
glanced
at
her
sister
's
note
and
pushed
it
over
the
breakfast-table
to
her
aunt
.
There
was
a
moment
's
hush
,
and
then
the
flood-gates
opened
.
"
I
can
tell
you
nothing
,
Aunt
Juley
.
I
know
no
more
than
you
do
.
We
met
—
we
only
met
the
father
and
mother
abroad
last
spring
.
I
know
so
little
that
I
did
n't
even
know
their
son
's
name
.
It
's
all
so
—
"
She
waved
her
hand
and
laughed
a
little
.
"
In
that
case
it
is
far
too
sudden
.
"
"
Who
knows
,
Aunt
Juley
,
who
knows
?
"
"
But
,
Margaret
dear
,
I
mean
we
must
n't
be
unpractical
now
that
we
've
come
to
facts
.
It
is
too
sudden
,
surely
.
"
"
Who
knows
!
"
"
But
Margaret
dear
—
"
"
I
'll
go
for
her
other
letters
,
"
said
Margaret
.
"
No
,
I
wo
n't
,
I
'll
finish
my
breakfast
.
In
fact
,
I
have
n't
them
.
We
met
the
Wilcoxes
on
an
awful
expedition
that
we
made
from
Heidelberg
to
Speyer
.
Helen
and
I
had
got
it
into
our
heads
that
there
was
a
grand
old
cathedral
at
Speyer
—
the
Archbishop
of
Speyer
was
one
of
the
seven
electors
—
you
know
—
'
Speyer
,
Maintz
,
and
Köln
.
'
Those
three
sees
once
commanded
the
Rhine
Valley
and
got
it
the
name
of
Priest
Street
.
"
"
I
still
feel
quite
uneasy
about
this
business
,
Margaret
.
"
"
The
train
crossed
by
a
bridge
of
boats
,
and
at
first
sight
it
looked
quite
fine
.
But
oh
,
in
five
minutes
we
had
seen
the
whole
thing
.
The
cathedral
had
been
ruined
,
absolutely
ruined
,
by
restoration
;
not
an
inch
left
of
the
original
structure
.
We
wasted
a
whole
day
,
and
came
across
the
Wilcoxes
as
we
were
eating
our
sandwiches
in
the
public
gardens
.
They
too
,
poor
things
,
had
been
taken
in
—
they
were
actually
stopping
at
Speyer
—
and
they
rather
liked
Helen
insisting
that
they
must
fly
with
us
to
Heidelberg
.
As
a
matter
of
fact
,
they
did
come
on
next
day
.
We
all
took
some
drives
together
.
They
knew
us
well
enough
to
ask
Helen
to
come
and
see
them
—
at
least
,
I
was
asked
too
,
but
Tibby
's
illness
prevented
me
,
so
last
Monday
she
went
alone
.
That
's
all
.
You
know
as
much
as
I
do
now
.
It
's
a
young
man
out
the
unknown
.
She
was
to
have
come
back
Saturday
,
but
put
off
till
Monday
,
perhaps
on
account
of
—
I
do
n't
know
.
She
broke
off
,
and
listened
to
the
sounds
of
a
London
morning
.
Their
house
was
in
Wickham
Place
,
and
fairly
quiet
,
for
a
lofty
promontory
of
buildings
separated
it
from
the
main
thoroughfare
.
One
had
the
sense
of
a
backwater
,
or
rather
of
an
estuary
,
whose
waters
flowed
in
from
the
invisible
sea
,
and
ebbed
into
a
profound
silence
while
the
waves
without
were
still
beating
.
Though
the
promontory
consisted
of
flats
—
expensive
,
with
cavernous
entrance
halls
,
full
of
concierges
and
palms
—
it
fulfilled
its
purpose
,
and
gained
for
the
older
houses
opposite
a
certain
measure
of
peace
.
These
,
too
,
would
be
swept
away
in
time
,
and
another
promontory
would
rise
upon
their
site
,
as
humanity
piled
itself
higher
and
higher
on
the
precious
soil
of
London
.
Mrs.
Munt
had
her
own
method
of
interpreting
her
nieces
.
She
decided
that
Margaret
was
a
little
hysterical
,
and
was
trying
to
gain
time
by
a
torrent
of
talk
.
Feeling
very
diplomatic
,
she
lamented
the
fate
of
Speyer
,
and
declared
that
never
,
never
should
she
be
so
misguided
as
to
visit
it
,
and
added
of
her
own
accord
that
the
principles
of
restoration
were
ill
understood
in
Germany
.
"
The
Germans
,
"
she
said
,
"
are
too
thorough
,
and
this
is
all
very
well
sometimes
,
but
at
other
times
it
does
not
do
.
"
"
Exactly
,
"
said
Margaret
;
"
Germans
are
too
thorough
.
"
And
her
eyes
began
to
shine
.
"
Of
course
I
regard
you
Schlegels
as
English
,
"
said
Mrs.
Munt
hastily
—
"
English
to
the
backbone
.
"
Margaret
leaned
forward
and
stroked
her
hand
.
"
And
that
reminds
me
—
Helen
's
letter
—
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
Aunt
Juley
,
I
am
thinking
all
right
about
Helen
's
letter
.
I
know
—
I
must
go
down
and
see
her
.
I
am
thinking
about
her
all
right
.
I
am
meaning
to
go
down
"
"
But
go
with
some
plan
,
"
said
Mrs.
Munt
,
admitting
into
her
kindly
voice
a
note
of
exasperation
.
"
Margaret
,
if
I
may
interfere
,
do
n't
be
taken
by
surprise
.
What
do
you
think
of
the
Wilcoxes
?
Are
they
our
sort
?
Are
they
likely
people
?
Could
they
appreciate
Helen
,
who
is
to
my
mind
a
very
special
sort
of
person
?
Do
they
care
about
Literature
and
Art
?
That
is
most
important
when
you
come
to
think
of
it
.
Literature
and
Art
.
Most
important
.
How
old
would
the
son
be
?
She
says
'
younger
son
.
'
Would
he
be
in
a
position
to
marry
?
Is
he
likely
to
make
Helen
happy
?
Did
you
gather
—
"
"
I
gathered
nothing
.
"
They
began
to
talk
at
once
.
"
Then
in
that
case
—
"
"
In
that
case
I
can
make
no
plans
,
do
n't
you
see
.
"
"
On
the
contrary
—
"
"
I
hate
plans
.
I
hate
lines
of
action
.
Helen
is
n't
a
baby
.
"
"
Then
in
that
case
,
my
dear
,
why
go
down
?
"
Margaret
was
silent
.
If
her
aunt
could
not
see
why
she
must
go
down
,
she
was
not
going
to
tell
her
.
She
was
not
going
to
say
"
I
love
my
dear
sister
;
I
must
be
near
her
at
this
crisis
of
her
life
.
"
The
affections
are
more
reticent
than
the
passions
,
and
their
expression
more
subtle
.
If
she
herself
should
ever
fall
in
love
with
a
man
,
she
,
like
Helen
,
would
proclaim
it
from
the
house-tops
,
but
as
she
only
loved
a
sister
she
used
the
voiceless
language
of
sympathy
.
"
I
consider
you
odd
girls
,
"
continued
Mrs.
Munt
,
"
and
very
wonderful
girls
,
and
in
many
ways
far
older
than
your
years
.
But
—
you
wo
n't
be
offended
?
—
frankly
I
feel
you
are
not
up
to
this
business
.
It
requires
an
older
person
.
Dear
,
I
have
nothing
to
call
me
back
to
Swanage
.
"
She
spread
out
her
plump
arms
.
"
I
am
all
at
your
disposal
.
Let
me
go
down
to
this
house
whose
name
I
forget
instead
of
you
.
"
"
Aunt
Juley
"
—
she
jumped
up
and
kissed
her
—
"
I
must
,
must
go
to
Howards
End
myself
.
You
do
n't
exactly
understand
,
though
I
can
never
thank
you
properly
for
offering
.
"
"
I
do
understand
,
"
retorted
Mrs.
Munt
,
with
immense
confidence
.
"
I
go
down
in
no
spirit
of
interference
,
but
to
make
inquiries
.
Inquiries
are
necessary
.
Now
,
I
am
going
to
be
rude
.
You
would
say
the
wrong
thing
;
to
a
certainty
you
would
.
In
your
anxiety
for
Helen
's
happiness
you
would
offend
the
whole
of
these
Wilcoxes
by
asking
one
of
your
impetuous
questions
—
not
that
one
minds
offending
them
.
"
"
I
shall
ask
no
questions
.
I
have
it
in
Helen
's
writing
that
she
and
a
man
are
in
love
.
There
is
no
question
to
ask
as
long
as
she
keeps
to
that
.
All
the
rest
is
n't
worth
a
straw
.
A
long
engagement
if
you
like
,
but
inquiries
,
questions
,
plans
,
lines
of
action
—
no
,
Aunt
Juley
,
no.
"
Away
she
hurried
,
not
beautiful
,
not
supremely
brilliant
,
but
filled
with
something
that
took
the
place
of
both
qualities
—
something
best
described
as
a
profound
vivacity
,
a
continual
and
sincere
response
to
all
that
she
encountered
in
her
path
through
life
.
"
If
Helen
had
written
the
same
to
me
about
a
shop-assistant
or
a
penniless
clerk
—
"
"
Dear
Margaret
,
do
come
into
the
library
and
shut
the
door
.
Your
good
maids
are
dusting
the
banisters
.
"
"
—
or
if
she
had
wanted
to
marry
the
man
who
calls
for
Carter
Paterson
,
I
should
have
said
the
same
.
"
Then
,
with
one
of
those
turns
that
convinced
her
aunt
that
she
was
not
mad
really
and
convinced
observers
of
another
type
that
she
was
not
a
barren
theorist
,
she
added
:
"
Though
in
the
case
of
Carter
Paterson
I
should
want
it
to
be
a
very
long
engagement
indeed
,
I
must
say
.
"
"
I
should
think
so
,
"
said
Mrs.
Munt
;
"
and
,
indeed
,
I
can
scarcely
follow
you
.
Now
,
just
imagine
if
you
said
anything
of
that
sort
to
the
Wilcoxes
.
I
understand
it
,
but
most
good
people
would
think
you
mad
.
Imagine
how
disconcerting
for
Helen
!
What
is
wanted
is
a
person
who
will
go
slowly
,
slowly
in
this
business
,
and
see
how
things
are
and
where
they
are
likely
to
lead
to
.
"
Margaret
was
down
on
this
.
"
But
you
implied
just
now
that
the
engagement
must
be
broken
off
.
"
"
I
think
probably
it
must
;
but
slowly
.
"
"
Can
you
break
an
engagement
off
slowly
?
"
Her
eyes
lit
up
.
"
What
's
an
engagement
made
of
,
do
you
suppose
?
I
think
it
's
made
of
some
hard
stuff
,
that
may
snap
,
but
ca
n't
break
.
It
is
different
to
the
other
ties
of
life
.
They
stretch
or
bend
.
They
admit
of
degree
.
They
're
different
.
"
"
Exactly
so
.
But
wo
n't
you
let
me
just
run
down
to
Howards
House
,
and
save
you
all
the
discomfort
?
I
will
really
not
interfere
,
but
I
do
so
thoroughly
understand
the
kind
of
thing
you
Schlegels
want
that
one
quiet
look
round
will
be
enough
for
me
.
"
Margaret
again
thanked
her
,
again
kissed
her
,
and
then
ran
upstairs
to
see
her
brother
.
He
was
not
so
well
.
The
hay
fever
had
worried
him
a
good
deal
all
night
.
His
head
ached
,
his
eyes
were
wet
,
his
mucous
membrane
,
he
informed
her
,
was
in
a
most
unsatisfactory
condition
.
The
only
thing
that
made
life
worth
living
was
the
thought
of
Walter
Savage
Landor
,
from
whose
Imaginary
Conversations
she
had
promised
to
read
at
frequent
intervals
during
the
day
.
It
was
rather
difficult
.
Something
must
be
done
about
Helen
.
She
must
be
assured
that
it
is
not
a
criminal
offence
to
love
at
first
sight
.
A
telegram
to
this
effect
would
be
cold
and
cryptic
,
a
personal
visit
seemed
each
moment
more
impossible
.
Now
the
doctor
arrived
,
and
said
that
Tibby
was
quite
bad
.
Might
it
really
be
best
to
accept
Aunt
Juley
's
kind
offer
,
and
to
send
her
down
to
Howards
End
with
a
note
?
Certainly
Margaret
was
impulsive
.
She
did
swing
rapidly
from
one
decision
to
another
.
Running
downstairs
into
the
library
,
she
cried
—
"
Yes
,
I
have
changed
my
mind
;
I
do
wish
that
you
would
go
.
"
There
was
a
train
from
King
's
Cross
at
eleven
.
At
half-past
ten
Tibby
,
with
rare
self-effacement
,
fell
asleep
,
and
Margaret
was
able
to
drive
her
aunt
to
the
station
.
"
You
will
remember
,
Aunt
Juley
,
not
to
be
drawn
into
discussing
the
engagement
.
Give
my
letter
to
Helen
,
and
say
whatever
you
feel
yourself
,
but
do
keep
clear
of
the
relatives
.
We
have
scarcely
got
their
names
straight
yet
,
and
besides
,
that
sort
of
thing
is
so
uncivilized
and
wrong
.
"
So
uncivilized
?
"
queried
Mrs.
Munt
,
fearing
that
she
was
losing
the
point
of
some
brilliant
remark
.
"
Oh
,
I
used
an
affected
word
.
I
only
meant
would
you
please
only
talk
the
thing
over
with
Helen
.
"
"
Only
with
Helen
.
"
"
Because
—
"
But
it
was
no
moment
to
expound
the
personal
nature
of
love
.
Even
Margaret
shrank
from
it
,
and
contented
herself
with
stroking
her
good
aunt
's
hand
,
and
with
meditating
,
half
sensibly
and
half
poetically
,
on
the
journey
that
was
about
to
begin
from
King
's
Cross
.
Like
many
others
who
have
lived
long
in
a
great
capital
,
she
had
strong
feelings
about
the
various
railway
termini
.
They
are
our
gates
to
the
glorious
and
the
unknown
.
Through
them
we
pass
out
into
adventure
and
sunshine
,
to
them
alas
!
we
return
.
In
Paddington
all
Cornwall
is
latent
and
the
remoter
west
;
down
the
inclines
of
Liverpool
Street
lie
fenlands
and
the
illimitable
Broads
;
Scotland
is
through
the
pylons
of
Euston
;
Wessex
behind
the
poised
chaos
of
Waterloo
.
Italians
realize
this
,
as
is
natural
;
those
of
them
who
are
so
unfortunate
as
to
serve
as
waiters
in
Berlin
call
the
Anhalt
Bahnhof
the
Stazione
d'Italia
,
because
by
it
they
must
return
to
their
homes
.
And
he
is
a
chilly
Londoner
who
does
not
endow
his
stations
with
some
personality
,
and
extend
to
them
,
however
shyly
,
the
emotions
of
fear
and
love
.
To
Margaret
—
I
hope
that
it
will
not
set
the
reader
against
her
—
the
station
of
King
's
Cross
had
always
suggested
Infinity
.
Its
very
situation
—
withdrawn
a
little
behind
the
facile
splendours
of
St.
Pancras
—
implied
a
comment
on
the
materialism
of
life
.
Those
two
great
arches
,
colourless
,
indifferent
,
shouldering
between
them
an
unlovely
clock
,
were
fit
portals
for
some
eternal
adventure
,
whose
issue
might
be
prosperous
,
but
would
certainly
not
be
expressed
in
the
ordinary
language
of
prosperity
.
If
you
think
this
ridiculous
,
remember
that
it
is
not
Margaret
who
is
telling
you
about
it
;
and
let
me
hasten
to
add
that
they
were
in
plenty
of
time
for
the
train
;
that
Mrs.
Munt
,
though
she
took
a
second-class
ticket
,
was
put
by
the
guard
into
a
first
(
only
two
seconds
on
the
train
,
one
smoking
and
the
other
babies
—
one
cannot
be
expected
to
travel
with
babies
)
;
and
that
Margaret
,
on
her
return
to
Wickham
Place
,
was
confronted
with
the
following
telegram
:
All
over
.
Wish
I
had
never
written
.
Tell
no
one
.
—
Helen
But
Aunt
Juley
was
gone
—
gone
irrevocably
,
and
no
power
on
earth
could
stop
her
.
Chapter
3
Most
complacently
did
Mrs.
Munt
rehearse
her
mission
.
Her
nieces
were
independent
young
women
,
and
it
was
not
often
that
she
was
able
to
help
them
.
Emily
's
daughters
had
never
been
quite
like
other
girls
.
They
had
been
left
motherless
when
Tibby
was
born
,
when
Helen
was
five
and
Margaret
herself
but
thirteen
.
It
was
before
the
passing
of
the
Deceased
Wife
's
Sister
Bill
,
so
Mrs.
Munt
could
without
impropriety
offer
to
go
and
keep
house
at
Wickham
Place
.
But
her
brother-in-law
,
who
was
peculiar
and
a
German
,
had
referred
the
question
to
Margaret
,
who
with
the
crudity
of
youth
had
answered
,
"
No
,
they
could
manage
much
better
alone
.
"
Five
years
later
Mr.
Schlegel
had
died
too
,
and
Mrs.
Munt
had
repeated
her
offer
.
Margaret
,
crude
no
longer
,
had
been
grateful
and
extremely
nice
,
but
the
substance
of
her
answer
had
been
the
same
.
"
I
must
not
interfere
a
third
time
,
"
thought
Mrs.
Munt
.
However
,
of
course
she
did
.
She
learnt
,
to
her
horror
,
that
Margaret
,
now
of
age
,
was
taking
her
money
out
of
the
old
safe
investments
and
putting
it
into
Foreign
Things
,
which
always
smash
.
Silence
would
have
been
criminal
.
Her
own
fortune
was
invested
in
Home
Rails
,
and
most
ardently
did
she
beg
her
niece
to
imitate
her
.
"
Then
we
should
be
together
,
dear
.
"
Margaret
,
out
of
politeness
,
invested
a
few
hundreds
in
the
Nottingham
and
Derby
Railway
,
and
though
the
Foreign
Things
did
admirably
and
the
Nottingham
and
Derby
declined
with
the
steady
dignity
of
which
only
Home
Rails
are
capable
,
Mrs.
Munt
never
ceased
to
rejoice
,
and
to
say
,
"
I
did
manage
that
,
at
all
events
.
When
the
smash
comes
poor
Margaret
will
have
a
nest-egg
to
fall
back
upon
.
"
This
year
Helen
came
of
age
,
and
exactly
the
same
thing
happened
in
Helen
's
case
;
she
also
would
shift
her
money
out
of
Consols
,
but
she
,
too
,
almost
without
being
pressed
,
consecrated
a
fraction
of
it
to
the
Nottingham
and
Derby
Railway
.
So
far
so
good
,
but
in
social
matters
their
aunt
had
accomplished
nothing
.
Sooner
or
later
the
girls
would
enter
on
the
process
known
as
throwing
themselves
away
,
and
if
they
had
delayed
hitherto
,
it
was
only
that
they
might
throw
themselves
more
vehemently
in
the
future
.
They
saw
too
many
people
at
Wickham
Place
—
unshaven
musicians
,
an
actress
even
,
German
cousins
(
one
knows
what
foreigners
are
)
,
acquaintances
picked
up
at
Continental
hotels
(
one
knows
what
they
are
too
)
.
It
was
interesting
,
and
down
at
Swanage
no
one
appreciated
culture
more
than
Mrs.
Munt
;
but
it
was
dangerous
,
and
disaster
was
bound
to
come
.
How
right
she
was
,
and
how
lucky
to
be
on
the
spot
when
the
disaster
came
!
The
train
sped
northward
,
under
innumerable
tunnels
.
It
was
only
an
hour
's
journey
,
but
Mrs.
Munt
had
to
raise
and
lower
the
window
again
and
again
.
She
passed
through
the
South
Welwyn
Tunnel
,
saw
light
for
a
moment
,
and
entered
the
North
Welwyn
Tunnel
,
of
tragic
fame
.
She
traversed
the
immense
viaduct
,
whose
arches
span
untroubled
meadows
and
the
dreamy
flow
of
Tewin
Water
.
She
skirted
the
parks
of
politicians
.
At
times
the
Great
North
Road
accompanied
her
,
more
suggestive
of
infinity
than
any
railway
,
awakening
,
after
a
nap
of
a
hundred
years
,
to
such
life
as
is
conferred
by
the
stench
of
motor-cars
,
and
to
such
culture
as
is
implied
by
the
advertisements
of
antibilious
pills
.
To
history
,
to
tragedy
,
to
the
past
,
to
the
future
,
Mrs.
Munt
remained
equally
indifferent
;
hers
but
to
concentrate
on
the
end
of
her
journey
,
and
to
rescue
poor
Helen
from
this
dreadful
mess
.
The
station
for
Howards
End
was
at
Hilton
,
one
of
the
large
villages
that
are
strung
so
frequently
along
the
North
Road
,
and
that
owe
their
size
to
the
traffic
of
coaching
and
pre-coaching
days
.
Being
near
London
,
it
had
not
shared
in
the
rural
decay
,
and
its
long
High
Street
had
budded
out
right
and
left
into
residential
estates
.
For
about
a
mile
a
series
of
tiled
and
slated
houses
passed
before
Mrs.
Munt
's
inattentive
eyes
,
a
series
broken
at
one
point
by
six
Danish
tumuli
that
stood
shoulder
to
shoulder
along
the
highroad
,
tombs
of
soldiers
.
Beyond
these
tumuli
habitations
thickened
,
and
the
train
came
to
a
standstill
in
a
tangle
that
was
almost
a
town
.
The
station
,
like
the
scenery
,
like
Helen
's
letters
,
struck
an
indeterminate
note
.
Into
which
country
will
it
lead
,
England
or
Suburbia
?
It
was
new
,
it
had
island
platforms
and
a
subway
,
and
the
superficial
comfort
exacted
by
business
men
.
But
it
held
hints
of
local
life
,
personal
intercourse
,
as
even
Mrs.
Munt
was
to
discover
.
"
I
want
a
house
,
"
she
confided
to
the
ticket
boy
.
"
Its
name
is
Howards
Lodge
.
Do
you
know
where
it
is
?
"
"
Mr.
Wilcox
!
"
the
boy
called
.
A
young
man
in
front
of
them
turned
round
.
"
She
's
wanting
Howards
End
.
"
There
was
nothing
for
it
but
to
go
forward
,
though
Mrs.
Munt
was
too
much
agitated
even
to
stare
at
the
stranger
.
But
remembering
that
there
were
two
brothers
,
she
had
the
sense
to
say
to
him
,
"
Excuse
me
asking
,
but
are
you
the
younger
Mr.
Wilcox
or
the
elder
?
"
"
The
younger
.
Can
I
do
anything
for
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
well
"
—
she
controlled
herself
with
difficulty
.
"
Really
.
Are
you
?
I
—
"
She
moved
away
from
the
ticket
boy
and
lowered
her
voice
.
"
I
am
Miss
Schlegels
aunt
.
I
ought
to
introduce
myself
,
ought
n't
I
?
My
name
is
Mrs.
Munt
.
"
She
was
conscious
that
he
raised
his
cap
and
said
quite
coolly
,
"
Oh
,
rather
;
Miss
Schlegel
is
stopping
with
us
.
Did
you
want
to
see
her
?
"
"
Possibly
—
"
"
I
'll
call
you
a
cab
.
No
;
wait
a
mo
—
"
He
thought
.
"
Our
motor
's
here
.
I
'll
run
you
up
in
it
.
"
"
That
is
very
kind
—
"
"
Not
at
all
,
if
you
'll
just
wait
till
they
bring
out
a
parcel
from
the
office
.
This
way
.
"
"
My
niece
is
not
with
you
by
any
chance
?
"
"
No
;
I
came
over
with
my
father
.
He
has
gone
on
north
in
your
train
.
You
'll
see
Miss
Schlegel
at
lunch
.
You
're
coming
up
to
lunch
,
I
hope
?
"
"
I
should
like
to
come
up
,
"
said
Mrs.
Munt
,
not
committing
herself
to
nourishment
until
she
had
studied
Helen
's
lover
a
little
more
.
He
seemed
a
gentleman
,
but
had
so
rattled
her
round
that
her
powers
of
observation
were
numbed
.
She
glanced
at
him
stealthily
.
To
a
feminine
eye
there
was
nothing
amiss
in
the
sharp
depressions
at
the
corners
of
his
mouth
,
nor
in
the
rather
box-like
construction
of
his
forehead
.
He
was
dark
,
clean-shaven
and
seemed
accustomed
to
command
.
"
In
front
or
behind
?
Which
do
you
prefer
?
It
may
be
windy
in
front
.
"
"
In
front
if
I
may
;
then
we
can
talk
.
"
"
But
excuse
me
one
moment
—
I
ca
n't
think
what
they
're
doing
with
that
parcel
.
"
He
strode
into
the
booking-office
and
called
with
a
new
voice
:
"
Hi
!
hi
,
you
there
!
Are
you
going
to
keep
me
waiting
all
day
?
Parcel
for
Wilcox
,
Howards
End
.
Just
look
sharp
!
"
Emerging
,
he
said
in
quieter
tones
:
"
This
station
's
abominably
organized
;
if
I
had
my
way
,
the
whole
lot
of
'
em
should
get
the
sack
.
May
I
help
you
in
?
"
"
This
is
very
good
of
you
,
"
said
Mrs.
Munt
,
as
she
settled
herself
into
a
luxurious
cavern
of
red
leather
,
and
suffered
her
person
to
be
padded
with
rugs
and
shawls
.
She
was
more
civil
than
she
had
intended
,
but
really
this
young
man
was
very
kind
.
Moreover
,
she
was
a
little
afraid
of
him
:
his
self-possession
was
extraordinary
.
"
Very
good
indeed
,
"
she
repeated
,
adding
:
"
It
is
just
what
I
should
have
wished
.
"
"
Very
good
of
you
to
say
so
,
"
he
replied
,
with
a
slight
look
of
surprise
,
which
,
like
most
slight
looks
,
escaped
Mrs.
Munt
's
attention
.
"
I
was
just
tooling
my
father
over
to
catch
the
down
train
.
"
"
You
see
,
we
heard
from
Helen
this
morning
.
"
Young
Wilcox
was
pouring
in
petrol
,
starting
his
engine
,
and
performing
other
actions
with
which
this
story
has
no
concern
.
The
great
car
began
to
rock
,
and
the
form
of
Mrs.
Munt
,
trying
to
explain
things
,
sprang
agreeably
up
and
down
among
the
red
cushions
.
"
The
mater
will
be
very
glad
to
see
you
,
"
he
mumbled
.
"
Hi
!
I
say
.
Parcel
for
Howards
End
.
Bring
it
out
.
Hi
!
"
A
bearded
porter
emerged
with
the
parcel
in
one
hand
and
an
entry
book
in
the
other
.
With
the
gathering
whir
of
the
motor
these
ejaculations
mingled
:
"
Sign
,
must
I
?
Why
the
—
should
I
sign
after
all
this
bother
?
Not
even
got
a
pencil
on
you
?
Remember
next
time
I
report
you
to
the
station-master
.
My
time
's
of
value
,
though
yours
may
n't
be
.
Here
"
—
here
being
a
tip
.
"
Extremely
sorry
,
Mrs.
Munt
.
"
"
Not
at
all
,
Mr.
Wilcox
.
"
"
And
do
you
object
to
going
through
the
village
?
It
is
rather
a
longer
spin
,
but
I
have
one
or
two
commissions
.
"
"
I
should
love
going
through
the
village
.
Naturally
I
am
very
anxious
to
talk
things
over
with
you
.
"
As
she
said
this
she
felt
ashamed
,
for
she
was
disobeying
Margaret
's
instructions
.
Only
disobeying
them
in
the
letter
,
surely
.
Margaret
had
only
warned
her
against
discussing
the
incident
with
outsiders
.
Surely
it
was
not
"
uncivilized
or
wrong
"
to
discuss
it
with
the
young
man
himself
,
since
chance
had
thrown
them
together
.
A
reticent
fellow
,
he
made
no
reply
.
Mounting
by
her
side
,
he
put
on
gloves
and
spectacles
,
and
off
they
drove
,
the
bearded
porter
—
life
is
a
mysterious
business
—
looking
after
them
with
admiration
.
The
wind
was
in
their
faces
down
the
station
road
,
blowing
the
dust
into
Mrs.
Munt
's
eyes
.
But
as
soon
as
they
turned
into
the
Great
North
Road
she
opened
fire
.
"
You
can
well
imagine
,
"
she
said
,
"
that
the
news
was
a
great
shock
to
us
.
"
"
What
news
?
"
"
Mr.
Wilcox
,
"
she
said
frankly
.
"
Margaret
has
told
me
everything
—
everything
.
I
have
seen
Helen
's
letter
.
"
He
could
not
look
her
in
the
face
,
as
his
eyes
were
fixed
on
his
work
;
he
was
travelling
as
quickly
as
he
dared
down
the
High
Street
.
But
he
inclined
his
head
in
her
direction
,
and
said
,
"
I
beg
your
pardon
;
I
did
n't
catch
.
"
"
About
Helen
.
Helen
,
of
course
.
Helen
is
a
very
exceptional
person
—
I
am
sure
you
will
let
me
say
this
,
feeling
towards
her
as
you
do
—
indeed
,
all
the
Schlegels
are
exceptional
.
I
come
in
no
spirit
of
interference
,
but
it
was
a
great
shock
.
"
They
drew
up
opposite
a
draper
's
.
Without
replying
,
he
turned
round
in
his
seat
,
and
contemplated
the
cloud
of
dust
that
they
had
raised
in
their
passage
through
the
village
.
It
was
settling
again
,
but
not
all
into
the
road
from
which
he
had
taken
it
.
Some
of
it
had
percolated
through
the
open
windows
,
some
had
whitened
the
roses
and
gooseberries
of
the
wayside
gardens
,
while
a
certain
proportion
had
entered
the
lungs
of
the
villagers
.
"
I
wonder
when
they
'll
learn
wisdom
and
tar
the
roads
,
"
was
his
comment
.
Then
a
man
ran
out
of
the
draper
's
with
a
roll
of
oilcloth
,
and
off
they
went
again
.
"
Margaret
could
not
come
herself
,
on
account
of
poor
Tibby
,
so
I
am
here
to
represent
her
and
to
have
a
good
talk
.
"
"
I
'm
sorry
to
be
so
dense
,
"
said
the
young
man
,
again
drawing
up
outside
a
shop
.
"
But
I
still
have
n't
quite
understood
.
"
"
Helen
,
Mr.
Wilcox
—
my
niece
and
you
.
"
He
pushed
up
his
goggles
and
gazed
at
her
,
absolutely
bewildered
.
Horror
smote
her
to
the
heart
,
for
even
she
began
to
suspect
that
they
were
at
cross-purposes
,
and
that
she
had
commenced
her
mission
by
some
hideous
blunder
.
"
Miss
Schlegel
and
myself
.
"
he
asked
,
compressing
his
lips
.
"
I
trust
there
has
been
no
misunderstanding
,
"
quavered
Mrs.
Munt
.
"
Her
letter
certainly
read
that
way
.
"
"
What
way
?
"
"
That
you
and
she
—
"
She
paused
,
then
drooped
her
eyelids
.
"
I
think
I
catch
your
meaning
,
"
he
said
stickily
.
"
What
an
extraordinary
mistake
!
"
"
Then
you
did
n't
the
least
—
"
she
stammered
,
getting
blood-red
in
the
face
,
and
wishing
she
had
never
been
born
.
"
Scarcely
,
as
I
am
already
engaged
to
another
lady
.
"
There
was
a
moment
's
silence
,
and
then
he
caught
his
breath
and
exploded
with
,
"
Oh
,
good
God
!
Do
n't
tell
me
it
's
some
silliness
of
Paul
's
.
"
"
But
you
are
Paul
.
"
"
I
'm
not
.
"
"
Then
why
did
you
say
so
at
the
station
?
"
"
I
said
nothing
of
the
sort
.
"
"
I
beg
your
pardon
,
you
did
.
"
"
I
beg
your
pardon
,
I
did
not
.
My
name
is
Charles
.
"
"
Younger
"
may
mean
son
as
opposed
to
father
,
or
second
brother
as
opposed
to
first
.
There
is
much
to
be
said
for
either
view
,
and
later
on
they
said
it
.
But
they
had
other
questions
before
them
now
.
"
Do
you
mean
to
tell
me
that
Paul
—
"
But
she
did
not
like
his
voice
.
He
sounded
as
if
he
was
talking
to
a
porter
,
and
,
certain
that
he
had
deceived
her
at
the
station
,
she
too
grew
angry
.
"
Do
you
mean
to
tell
me
that
Paul
and
your
niece
—
"
Mrs.
Munt
—
such
is
human
nature
—
determined
that
she
would
champion
the
lovers
.
She
was
not
going
to
be
bullied
by
a
severe
young
man
.
"
Yes
,
they
care
for
one
another
very
much
indeed
,
"
she
said
.
"
I
dare
say
they
will
tell
you
about
it
by-and-by
.
We
heard
this
morning
.
"
And
Charles
clenched
his
fist
and
cried
,
"
The
idiot
,
the
idiot
,
the
little
fool
!
"
Mrs.
Munt
tried
to
divest
herself
of
her
rugs
.
"
If
that
is
your
attitude
,
Mr.
Wilcox
,
I
prefer
to
walk
.
"
"
I
beg
you
will
do
no
such
thing
.
I
'll
take
you
up
this
moment
to
the
house
.
Let
me
tell
you
the
thing
's
impossible
,
and
must
be
stopped
.
"
Mrs.
Munt
did
not
often
lose
her
temper
,
and
when
she
did
it
was
only
to
protect
those
whom
she
loved
.
On
this
occasion
she
blazed
out
.
"
I
quite
agree
,
sir
.
The
thing
is
impossible
,
and
I
will
come
up
and
stop
it
.
My
niece
is
a
very
exceptional
person
,
and
I
am
not
inclined
to
sit
still
while
she
throws
herself
away
on
those
who
will
not
appreciate
her
.
"
Charles
worked
his
jaws
.
"
Considering
she
has
only
known
your
brother
since
Wednesday
,
and
only
met
your
father
and
mother
at
a
stray
hotel
—
"
"
Could
you
possibly
lower
your
voice
?
The
shopman
will
overhear
.
"
"
Esprit
de
classe
"
—
if
one
may
coin
the
phrase
—
was
strong
in
Mrs.
Munt
.
She
sat
quivering
while
a
member
of
the
lower
orders
deposited
a
metal
funnel
,
a
saucepan
,
and
a
garden
squirt
beside
the
roll
of
oilcloth
.
"
Right
behind
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
"
And
the
lower
orders
vanished
in
a
cloud
of
dust
.
"
I
warn
you
:
Paul
has
n't
a
penny
;
it
's
useless
.
"
"
No
need
to
warn
us
,
Mr.
Wilcox
,
I
assure
you
.
The
warning
is
all
the
other
way
.
My
niece
has
been
very
foolish
,
and
I
shall
give
her
a
good
scolding
and
take
her
back
to
London
with
me
.
"
"
He
has
to
make
his
way
out
in
Nigeria
.
He
could
n't
think
of
marrying
for
years
and
when
he
does
it
must
be
a
woman
who
can
stand
the
climate
,
and
is
in
other
ways
—
Why
has
n't
he
told
us
?
Of
course
he
's
ashamed
.
He
knows
he
's
been
a
fool
.
And
so
he
has
—
a
damned
fool
.
"
She
grew
furious
.
"
Whereas
Miss
Schlegel
has
lost
no
time
in
publishing
the
news
.
"
"
If
I
were
a
man
,
Mr.
Wilcox
,
for
that
last
remark
I
'd
box
your
ears
.
You
're
not
fit
to
clean
my
niece
's
boots
,
to
sit
in
the
same
room
with
her
,
and
you
dare
—
you
actually
dare
—
I
decline
to
argue
with
such
a
person
.
"
"
All
I
know
is
,
she
's
spread
the
thing
and
he
has
n't
,
and
my
father
's
away
and
I
—
"
"
And
all
that
I
know
is
—
"
"
Might
I
finish
my
sentence
,
please
?
"
"
No.
"
Charles
clenched
his
teeth
and
sent
the
motor
swerving
all
over
the
lane
.
She
screamed
.
So
they
played
the
game
of
Capping
Families
,
a
round
of
which
is
always
played
when
love
would
unite
two
members
of
our
race
.
But
they
played
it
with
unusual
vigour
,
stating
in
so
many
words
that
Schlegels
were
better
than
Wilcoxes
,
Wilcoxes
better
than
Schlegels
.
They
flung
decency
aside
.
The
man
was
young
,
the
woman
deeply
stirred
;
in
both
a
vein
of
coarseness
was
latent
.
Their
quarrel
was
no
more
surprising
than
are
most
quarrels
—
inevitable
at
the
time
,
incredible
afterwards
.
But
it
was
more
than
usually
futile
.
A
few
minutes
,
and
they
were
enlightened
.
The
motor
drew
up
at
Howards
End
,
and
Helen
,
looking
very
pale
,
ran
out
to
meet
her
aunt
.
"
Aunt
Juley
,
I
have
just
had
a
telegram
from
Margaret
;
I
—
I
meant
to
stop
your
coming
.
It
is
n't
—
it
's
over
.
"
The
climax
was
too
much
for
Mrs.
Munt
.
She
burst
into
tears
.
"
Aunt
Juley
dear
,
do
n't
.
Do
n't
let
them
know
I
've
been
so
silly
.
It
was
n't
anything
.
Do
bear
up
for
my
sake
.
"
"
Paul
,
"
cried
Charles
Wilcox
,
pulling
his
gloves
off
.
"
Do
n't
let
them
know
.
They
are
never
to
know
.
"
"
Oh
,
my
darling
Helen
—
"
"
Paul
!
Paul
!
"
A
very
young
man
came
out
of
the
house
.
"
Paul
,
is
there
any
truth
in
this
?
"
"
I
did
n't
—
I
do
n't
—
"
"
Yes
or
no
,
man
;
plain
question
,
plain
answer
.
Did
or
did
n't
Miss
Schlegel
—
"
"
Charles
dear
,
"
said
a
voice
from
the
garden
.
"
Charles
,
dear
Charles
,
one
does
n't
ask
plain
questions
.
There
are
n't
such
things
.
"
They
were
all
silent
.
It
was
Mrs.
Wilcox
.
She
approached
just
as
Helen
's
letter
had
described
her
,
trailing
noiselessly
over
the
lawn
,
and
there
was
actually
a
wisp
of
hay
in
her
hands
.
She
seemed
to
belong
not
to
the
young
people
and
their
motor
,
but
to
the
house
,
and
to
the
tree
that
overshadowed
it
.
One
knew
that
she
worshipped
the
past
,
and
that
the
instinctive
wisdom
the
past
can
alone
bestow
had
descended
upon
her
—
that
wisdom
to
which
we
give
the
clumsy
name
of
aristocracy
.
High
born
she
might
not
be
.
But
assuredly
she
cared
about
her
ancestors
,
and
let
them
help
her
.
When
she
saw
Charles
angry
,
Paul
frightened
,
and
Mrs.
Munt
in
tears
,
she
heard
her
ancestors
say
,
"
Separate
those
human
beings
who
will
hurt
each
other
most
.
The
rest
can
wait
.
"
So
she
did
not
ask
questions
.
Still
less
did
she
pretend
that
nothing
had
happened
,
as
a
competent
society
hostess
would
have
done
.
She
said
,
"
Miss
Schlegel
,
would
you
take
your
aunt
up
to
your
room
or
to
my
room
,
whichever
you
think
best
.
Paul
,
do
find
Evie
,
and
tell
her
lunch
for
six
,
but
I
'm
not
sure
whether
we
shall
all
be
downstairs
for
it
.
"
And
when
they
had
obeyed
her
,
she
turned
to
her
elder
son
,
who
still
stood
in
the
throbbing
stinking
car
,
and
smiled
at
him
with
tenderness
,
and
without
a
word
,
turned
away
from
him
towards
her
flowers
.
"
Mother
,
"
he
called
,
"
are
you
aware
that
Paul
has
been
playing
the
fool
again
?
"
"
It
's
all
right
,
dear
.
They
have
broken
off
the
engagement
.
"
"
Engagement
—
!
"
"
They
do
not
love
any
longer
,
if
you
prefer
it
put
that
way
,
"
said
Mrs.
Wilcox
,
stooping
down
to
smell
a
rose
.
Chapter
4
Helen
and
her
aunt
returned
to
Wickham
Place
in
a
state
of
collapse
,
and
for
a
little
time
Margaret
had
three
invalids
on
her
hands
.
Mrs.
Munt
soon
recovered
.
She
possessed
to
a
remarkable
degree
the
power
of
distorting
the
past
,
and
before
many
days
were
over
she
had
forgotten
the
part
played
by
her
own
imprudence
in
the
catastrophe
.
Even
at
the
crisis
she
had
cried
,
"
Thank
goodness
,
poor
Margaret
is
saved
this
!
"
which
during
the
journey
to
London
evolved
into
,
"
It
had
to
be
gone
through
by
someone
,
"
which
in
its
turn
ripened
into
the
permanent
form
of
"
The
one
time
I
really
did
help
Emily
's
girls
was
over
the
Wilcox
business
.
"
But
Helen
was
a
more
serious
patient
.
New
ideas
had
burst
upon
her
like
a
thunder
clap
,
and
by
them
and
by
her
reverberations
she
had
been
stunned
.
The
truth
was
that
she
had
fallen
in
love
,
not
with
an
individual
,
but
with
a
family
.
Before
Paul
arrived
she
had
,
as
it
were
,
been
tuned
up
into
his
key
.
The
energy
of
the
Wilcoxes
had
fascinated
her
,
had
created
new
images
of
beauty
in
her
responsive
mind
.
To
be
all
day
with
them
in
the
open
air
,
to
sleep
at
night
under
their
roof
,
had
seemed
the
supreme
joy
of
life
,
and
had
led
to
that
abandonment
of
personality
that
is
a
possible
prelude
to
love
.
She
had
liked
giving
in
to
Mr.
Wilcox
,
or
Evie
,
or
Charles
;
she
had
liked
being
told
that
her
notions
of
life
were
sheltered
or
academic
;
that
Equality
was
nonsense
,
Votes
for
Women
nonsense
,
Socialism
nonsense
,
Art
and
Literature
,
except
when
conducive
to
strengthening
the
character
,
nonsense
.
One
by
one
the
Schlegel
fetiches
had
been
overthrown
,
and
,
though
professing
to
defend
them
,
she
had
rejoiced
.
When
Mr.
Wilcox
said
that
one
sound
man
of
business
did
more
good
to
the
world
than
a
dozen
of
your
social
reformers
,
she
had
swallowed
the
curious
assertion
without
a
gasp
,
and
had
leant
back
luxuriously
among
the
cushions
of
his
motor-car
.
When
Charles
said
,
"
Why
be
so
polite
to
servants
?
they
do
n't
understand
it
,
"
she
had
not
given
the
Schlegel
retort
of
,
"
If
they
do
n't
understand
it
,
I
do
.
"
No
;
she
had
vowed
to
be
less
polite
to
servants
in
the
future
.
"
I
am
swathed
in
cant
,
"
she
thought
,
"
and
it
is
good
for
me
to
be
stripped
of
it
.
"
And
all
that
she
thought
or
did
or
breathed
was
a
quiet
preparation
for
Paul
.
Paul
was
inevitable
.
Charles
was
taken
up
with
another
girl
,
Mr.
Wilcox
was
so
old
,
Evie
so
young
,
Mrs.
Wilcox
so
different
.
Round
the
absent
brother
she
began
to
throw
the
halo
of
Romance
,
to
irradiate
him
with
all
the
splendour
of
those
happy
days
,
to
feel
that
in
him
she
should
draw
nearest
to
the
robust
ideal
.
He
and
she
were
about
the
same
age
,
Evie
said
.
Most
people
thought
Paul
handsomer
than
his
brother
.
He
was
certainly
a
better
shot
,
though
not
so
good
at
golf
.
And
when
Paul
appeared
,
flushed
with
the
triumph
of
getting
through
an
examination
,
and
ready
to
flirt
with
any
pretty
girl
,
Helen
met
him
halfway
,
or
more
than
halfway
,
and
turned
towards
him
on
the
Sunday
evening
.
He
had
been
talking
of
his
approaching
exile
in
Nigeria
,
and
he
should
have
continued
to
talk
of
it
,
and
allowed
their
guest
to
recover
.
But
the
heave
of
her
bosom
flattered
him
.
Passion
was
possible
,
and
he
became
passionate
.
Deep
down
in
him
something
whispered
,
"
This
girl
would
let
you
kiss
her
;
you
might
not
have
such
a
chance
again
.
"
That
was
"
how
it
happened
,
"
or
,
rather
,
how
Helen
described
it
to
her
sister
,
using
words
even
more
unsympathetic
than
my
own
.
But
the
poetry
of
that
kiss
,
the
wonder
of
it
,
the
magic
that
there
was
in
life
for
hours
after
it
—
who
can
describe
that
?
It
is
so
easy
for
an
Englishman
to
sneer
at
these
chance
collisions
of
human
beings
.
To
the
insular
cynic
and
the
insular
moralist
they
offer
an
equal
opportunity
.
It
is
so
easy
to
talk
of
"
passing
emotion
,
"
and
how
to
forget
how
vivid
the
emotion
was
ere
it
passed
.
Our
impulse
to
sneer
,
to
forget
,
is
at
root
a
good
one
.
We
recognize
that
emotion
is
not
enough
,
and
that
men
and
women
are
personalities
capable
of
sustained
relations
,
not
mere
opportunities
for
an
electrical
discharge
.
Yet
we
rate
the
impulse
too
highly
.
We
do
not
admit
that
by
collisions
of
this
trivial
sort
the
doors
of
heaven
may
be
shaken
open
.
To
Helen
,
at
all
events
,
her
life
was
to
bring
nothing
more
intense
than
the
embrace
of
this
boy
who
played
no
part
in
it
.
He
had
drawn
her
out
of
the
house
,
where
there
was
danger
of
surprise
and
light
;
he
had
led
her
by
a
path
he
knew
,
until
they
stood
under
the
column
of
the
vast
wych-elm
.
A
man
in
the
darkness
,
he
had
whispered
"
I
love
you
"
when
she
was
desiring
love
.
In
time
his
slender
personality
faded
,
the
scene
that
he
had
evoked
endured
.
In
all
the
variable
years
that
followed
she
never
saw
the
like
of
it
again
.
"
I
understand
,
"
said
Margaret
—
"
at
least
,
I
understand
as
much
as
ever
is
understood
of
these
things
.
Tell
me
now
what
happened
on
the
Monday
morning
.
"
"
It
was
over
at
once
.
"
"
How
,
Helen
?
"
"
I
was
still
happy
while
I
dressed
,
but
as
I
came
downstairs
I
got
nervous
,
and
when
I
went
into
the
dining-room
I
knew
it
was
no
good
.
There
was
Evie
—
I
ca
n't
explain
—
managing
the
tea-urn
,
and
Mr.
Wilcox
reading
the
Times
.
"
"
Was
Paul
there
?
"
"
Yes
;
and
Charles
was
talking
to
him
about
Stocks
and
Shares
,
and
he
looked
frightened
.
"
By
slight
indications
the
sisters
could
convey
much
to
each
other
.
Margaret
saw
horror
latent
in
the
scene
,
and
Helen
's
next
remark
did
not
surprise
her
.
"
Somehow
,
when
that
kind
of
man
looks
frightened
it
is
too
awful
.
It
is
all
right
for
us
to
be
frightened
,
or
for
men
of
another
sort
—
father
,
for
instance
;
but
for
men
like
that
!
When
I
saw
all
the
others
so
placid
,
and
Paul
mad
with
terror
in
case
I
said
the
wrong
thing
,
I
felt
for
a
moment
that
the
whole
Wilcox
family
was
a
fraud
,
just
a
wall
of
newspapers
and
motor-cars
and
golf-clubs
,
and
that
if
it
fell
I
should
find
nothing
behind
it
but
panic
and
emptiness
.
"
"
I
do
n't
think
that
.
The
Wilcoxes
struck
me
as
being
genuine
people
,
particularly
the
wife
.
"
"
No
,
I
do
n't
really
think
that
.
But
Paul
was
so
broad-shouldered
;
all
kinds
of
extraordinary
things
made
it
worse
,
and
I
knew
that
it
would
never
do
—
never
.
I
said
to
him
after
breakfast
,
when
the
others
were
practising
strokes
,
'
We
rather
lost
our
heads
,
'
and
he
looked
better
at
once
,
though
frightfully
ashamed
.
He
began
a
speech
about
having
no
money
to
marry
on
,
but
it
hurt
him
to
make
it
,
and
I
—
stopped
him
.
Then
he
said
,
'
I
must
beg
your
pardon
over
this
,
Miss
Schlegel
;
I
ca
n't
think
what
came
over
me
last
night
.
'
And
I
said
,
'
Nor
what
over
me
;
never
mind
.
'
And
then
we
parted
—
at
least
,
until
I
remembered
that
I
had
written
straight
off
to
tell
you
the
night
before
,
and
that
frightened
him
again
.
I
asked
him
to
send
a
telegram
for
me
,
for
he
knew
you
would
be
coming
or
something
;
and
he
tried
to
get
hold
of
the
motor
,
but
Charles
and
Mr.
Wilcox
wanted
it
to
go
to
the
station
;
and
Charles
offered
to
send
the
telegram
for
me
,
and
then
I
had
to
say
that
the
telegram
was
of
no
consequence
,
for
Paul
said
Charles
might
read
it
,
and
though
I
wrote
it
out
several
times
,
he
always
said
people
would
suspect
something
.
He
took
it
himself
at
last
,
pretending
that
he
must
walk
down
to
get
cartridges
,
and
,
what
with
one
thing
and
the
other
,
it
was
not
handed
in
at
the
Post
Office
until
too
late
.
It
was
the
most
terrible
morning
.
Paul
disliked
me
more
and
more
,
and
Evie
talked
cricket
averages
till
I
nearly
screamed
.
I
cannot
think
how
I
stood
her
all
the
other
days
.
At
last
Charles
and
his
father
started
for
the
station
,
and
then
came
your
telegram
warning
me
that
Aunt
Juley
was
coming
by
that
train
,
and
Paul
—
oh
,
rather
horrible
—
said
that
I
had
muddled
it
.
But
Mrs.
Wilcox
knew
.
"
"
Knew
what
?
"
"
Everything
;
though
we
neither
of
us
told
her
a
word
,
and
had
known
all
along
,
I
think
.
"
"
Oh
,
she
must
have
overheard
you
.
"
"
I
suppose
so
,
but
it
seemed
wonderful
.
When
Charles
and
Aunt
Juley
drove
up
,
calling
each
other
names
,
Mrs.
Wilcox
stepped
in
from
the
garden
and
made
everything
less
terrible
.
Ugh
!
but
it
has
been
a
disgusting
business
.
To
think
that
—
"
She
sighed
.
"
To
think
that
because
you
and
a
young
man
meet
for
a
moment
,
there
must
be
all
these
telegrams
and
anger
,
"
supplied
Margaret
.
Helen
nodded
.
"
I
've
often
thought
about
it
,
Helen
.
It
's
one
of
the
most
interesting
things
in
the
world
.
The
truth
is
that
there
is
a
great
outer
life
that
you
and
I
have
never
touched
—
a
life
in
which
telegrams
and
anger
count
.
Personal
relations
,
that
we
think
supreme
,
are
not
supreme
there
.
There
love
means
marriage
settlements
,
death
,
death
duties
.
So
far
I
'm
clear
.
But
here
my
difficulty
.
This
outer
life
,
though
obviously
horrid
,
often
seems
the
real
one
—
there
's
grit
in
it
.
It
does
breed
character
.
