her。　　She　seemed　the　only　sensible　person　in　the
  town；　and　he　would　congratulate　himself　frankly
  before　her　face　on　having　secured　such　a　level…
  headed　wife　for　his　son。　　The　rest　of　the　town；　he
  confided　to　her　once；　in　a　fit　of　temper；　was　certainly
  queer。　　The　way　they　looked　at　youthe　way　they
  talked　to　you！　　He　had　never　got　on　with　any　one
  in　the　place。　　Didn't　like　the　people。　　He　would
  not　have　left　his　own　country　if　it　had　not　been
  clear　that　his　son　had　taken　a　fancy　to　Colebrook。
  She　humoured　him　in　silence；　listening　patiently
  by　the　fence；　crocheting　with　downcast　eyes。
  Blushes　came　with　difficulty　on　her　dead…white
  complexion；　under　the　negligently　twisted　opu…
  lence　of　mahogany…coloured　hair。　　Her　father　was
  frankly　carroty。
  She　had　a　full　figure；　a　tired；　unrefreshed　face。
  When　Captain　Hagberd　vaunted　the　necessity　and
  propriety　of　a　home　and　the　delights　of　one's　own
  fireside；　she　smiled　a　little；　with　her　lips　only。　　Her
  home　delights　had　been　confined　to　the　nursing　of
  her　father　during　the　ten　best　years　of　her　life。
  A　bestial　roaring　coming　out　of　an　upstairs　win…
  dow　would　interrupt　their　talk。　　She　would　begin
  at　once　to　roll　up　her　crochet…work　or　fold　her　sew…
  ing；　without　the　slightest　sign　of　haste。　　Mean…
  while　the　howls　and　roars　of　her　name　would　go　on；
  making　the　fishermen　strolling　upon　the　sea…wall
  on　the　other　side　of　the　road　turn　their　heads　to…
  wards　the　cottages。　　She　would　go　in　slowly　at　the
  front　door；　and　a　moment　afterwards　there　would
  fall　a　profound　silence。　　Presently　she　would　re…
  appear；　leading　by　the　hand　a　man；　gross　and　un…
  wieldy　like　a　hippopotamus；　with　a　bad…tempered；
  surly　face。
  He　was　a　widowed　boat…builder；　whom　blindness
  had　overtaken　years　before　in　the　full　flush　of　busi…
  ness。　　He　behaved　to　his　daughter　as　if　she　had
  been　responsible　for　its　incurable　character。　　He
  had　been　heard　to　bellow　at　the　top　of　his　voice；
  as　if　to　defy　Heaven；　that　he　did　not　care：　he　had
  made　enough　money　to　have　ham　and　eggs　for　his
  breakfast　every　morning。　　He　thanked　God　for　it；
  in　a　fiendish　tone　as　though　he　were　cursing。
  Captain　Hagberd　had　been　so　unfavourably　im…
  pressed　by　his　tenant；　that　once　he　told　Miss　Bes…
  sie；　〃He　is　a　very　extravagant　fellow；　my　dear。〃
  She　was　knitting　that　day；　finishing　a　pair　of
  socks　for　her　father；　who　expected　her　to　keep　up
  the　supply　dutifully。　　She　hated　knitting；　and；　as
  she　was　just　at　the　heel　part；　she　had　to　keep　her
  eyes　on　her　needles。
  〃Of　course　it　isn't　as　if　he　had　a　son　to　provide
  for；〃　Captain　Hagberd　went　on　a　little　vacantly。
  〃Girls；　of　course；　don't　require　so　muchh'm
  h'm。　　They　don't　run　away　from　home；　my　dear。〃
  〃No；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　quietly。
  Captain　Hagberd；　amongst　the　mounds　of
  turned…up　earth；　chuckled。　　With　his　maritime　rig；
  his　weather…beaten　face；　his　beard　of　Father　Nep…
  tune；　he　resembled　a　deposed　sea…god　who　had　ex…
  changed　the　trident　for　the　spade。
  〃And　he　must　look　upon　you　as　already　pro…
  vided　for；　in　a　manner。　　That's　the　best　of　it　with
  the　girls。　　The　husbands　。　。　。〃　　He　winked。　　Miss
  Bessie；　absorbed　in　her　knitting；　coloured　faintly。
  〃Bessie！　my　hat！〃　old　Carvil　bellowed　out　sud…
  denly。　　He　had　been　sitting　under　the　tree　mute
  and　motionless；　like　an　idol　of　some　remarkably
  monstrous　superstition。　　He　never　opened　his
  mouth　but　to　howl　for　her；　at　her；　sometimes　about
  her；　and　then　he　did　not　moderate　the　terms　of　his
  abuse。　　Her　system　was　never　to　answer　him　at　all；
  and　he　kept　up　his　shouting　till　he　got　attended　to
  till　she　shook　him　by　the　arm；　or　thrust　the
  mouthpiece　of　his　pipe　between　his　teeth。　　He　was
  one　of　the　few　blind　people　who　smoke。　　When　he
  felt　the　hat　being　put　on　his　head　he　stopped　his
  noise　at　once。　　Then　he　rose；　and　they　passed　to…
  gether　through　the　gate。
  He　weighed　heavily　on　her　arm。　　During　their
  slow；　toilful　walks　she　appeared　to　be　dragging
  with　her　for　a　penance　the　burden　of　that　infirm
  bulk。　　Usually　they　crossed　the　road　at　once　（the
  cottages　stood　in　the　fields　near　the　harbour；　two
  hundred　yards　away　from　the　end　of　the　street）；
  and　for　a　long；　long　time　they　would　remain　in
  view；　ascending　imperceptibly　the　flight　of　wooden
  steps　that　led　to　the　top　of　the　sea…wall。　　It　ran
  on　from　east　to　west；　shutting　out　the　Channel　like
  a　neglected　railway　embankment；　on　which　no　train
  had　ever　rolled　within　memory　of　man。　　Groups
  of　sturdy　fishermen　would　emerge　upon　the　sky；
  walk　along　for　a　bit；　and　sink　without　haste。　　Their
  brown　nets；　like　the　cobwebs　of　gigantic　spiders；
  lay　on　the　shabby　grass　of　the　slope；　and；　looking
  up　from　the　end　of　the　street；　the　people　of　the
  town　would　recognise　the　two　Carvils　by　the　creep…
  ing　slowness　of　their　gait。　　Captain　Hagberd；　pot…
  tering　aimlessly　about　his　cottages；　would　raise　his
  head　to　see　how　they　got　on　in　their　promenade。
  He　advertised　still　in　the　Sunday　papers　for
  Harry　Hagberd。　　These　sheets　were　read　in　for…
  eign　parts　to　the　end　of　the　world；　he　informed　Bes…
  sie。　　At　the　same　time　he　seemed　to　think　that　his
  son　was　in　Englandso　near　to　Colebrook　that　he
  would　of　course　turn　up　〃to…morrow。〃　　Bessie；
  without　committing　herself　to　that　opinion　in　so
  many　words；　argued　that　in　that　case　the　expense
  of　advertising　was　unnecessary；　Captain　Hagberd
  had　better　spend　that　weekly　half…crown　on　him…
  self。　　She　declared　she　did　not　know　what　he　lived
  on。　　Her　argumentation　would　puzzle　him　and　cast
  him　down　for　a　time。　　〃They　all　do　it；〃　he　pointed
  out。　　There　was　a　whole　column　devoted　to　appeals
  after　missing　relatives。　　He　would　bring　the　news…
  paper　to　show　her。　　He　and　his　wife　had　advertised
  for　years；　only　she　was　an　impatient　woman。　　The
  news　from　Colebrook　had　arrived　the　very　day　after
  her　funeral；　if　she　had　not　been　so　impatient　she
  might　have　been　here　now；　with　no　more　than　one
  day　more　to　wait。　　〃You　are　not　an　impatient
  woman；　my　dear。〃
  〃I've　no　patience　with　you　sometimes；〃　she
  would　say。
  If　he　still　advertised　for　his　son　he　did　not　offer
  rewards　for　information　any　more；　for；　with　the
  muddled　lucidity　of　a　mental　derangement　he　had
  reasoned　himself　into　a　conviction　as　clear　as　day…
  light　that　he　had　already　attained　all　that　could　be
  expected　in　that　way。　　What　more　could　he　want？
  Colebrook　was　the　place；　and　there　was　no　need　to
  ask　for　more。　　Miss　Carvil　praised　him　for　his　good
  sense；　and　he　was　soothed　by　the　part　she　took　in
  his　hope；　which　had　become　his　delusion；　in　that
  idea　which　blinded　his　mind　to　truth　and　probabil…
  ity；　just　as　the　other　old　man　in　the　other　cottage
  had　been　made　blind；　by　another　disease；　to　the
  light　and　beauty　of　the　world。
  But　anything　he　could　interpret　as　a　doubt
  any　coldness　of　assent；　or　even　a　simple　inattention
  to　the　development　of　his　projects　of　a　home　with
  his　returned　son　and　his　son's　wifewould　irritate
  him　into　flings　and　jerks　and　wicked　side　glances。
  He　would　dash　his　spade　into　the　ground　and　walk
  to　and　fro　before　it。　　Miss　Bessie　called　it　his　tan…
  trums。　　She　shook　her　finger　at　him。　　Then；　when
  she　came　out　again；　after　he　had　parted　with　her
  in　anger；　he　would　watch　out　of　the　corner　of　his
  eyes　for　the　least　sign　of　encouragement　to　ap…
  proach　the　iron　railings　and　resume　his　fatherly
  and　patronising　relations。
  For　all　their　intimacy；　which　had　lasted　some
  years　now；　they　had　never　talked　without　a　fence
  or　a　railing　between　them。　　He　described　to　her　all
  the　splendours　accumulated　for　the　setting…up　of
  their　housekeeping；　but　had　never　invited　her　to　an
  inspection。　　No　human　eye　was　to　behold　them　till
  Harry　had　his　first　look。　　In　fact；　nobody　had　ever
  been　inside　his　cottage；　he　did　his　own　housework；
  and　he　guarded　his　son's　privilege　so　jealously　that
  the　small　objects　of　domestic　use　he　bought　some…
  times　in　the　town　were　smuggled　rapidly　across　the
  front　garden　under　his　canvas　coat。　　Then；　coming
  out；　he　would　remark　apologetically；　〃It　was　only
  a　small　kettle；　my　dear。〃
  And；　if　not　too　tired　with　her　drudgery；　or　wor…
  ried　beyond　endurance　by　her　father；　she　woul