Agreatfireroared。Therewasascentofcookedpastry。Hewasdue，atseveno’clock，buthewouldbelate。Thethreechildrenhadgone，tomeethim。Shewasalone。ButataquartertosevenMorelcame，inagain。Neitherwifenorhusbandspoke。Hesatinhisarmchair，quiteawkwardwithexcitement，andshequietlywentonwithherbaking。
Onlybythecarefulwayinwhichshedidthingscoulditbetold，howmuchmovedshewas。Theclocktickedon。
“Whattimedostsayhe’scoming？”Morelaskedforthefifthtime。
“Thetraingetsinathalf-pastsix，“sherepliedemphatically。
“Thenhe’llbehereattenpastseven。”
“Eh，blessyou，it’llbehourslateontheMidland，“
shesaidindifferently。Butshehoped，byexpectinghimlate，tobringhimearly。Morelwentdowntheentrytolookforhim。
Thenhecameback。
“Goodness，man！”shesaid。”You’relikeanill-sittinghen。”
“Hadnayoubetterbegettin’himsummatt’eatready？”
askedthefather。
“There’splentyoftime，“sheanswered。
“There’snotsomuchasIcanseeon，“heanswered，turningcrosslyinhischair。Shebegantoclearhertable。
Thekettlewassinging。Theywaitedandwaited。
MeantimethethreechildrenwereontheplatformatSethleyBridge，ontheMidlandmainline，twomilesfromhome。Theywaitedonehour。
Atraincame——hewasnotthere。Downthelinetheredandgreen，lightsshone。Itwasverydarkandverycold。
“AskhimiftheLondontrain’scome，“saidPaultoAnnie，whentheysawamaninatipcap。
“I’mnot，“saidAnnie。”Youbequiet——hemightsendusoff。”
ButPaulwasdyingforthemantoknowtheywereexpecting，someonebytheLondontrain：，itsoundedsogrand。Yethewasmuch，toomuchscaredofbroachinganyman，letaloneoneinapeakedcap，todaretoask。Thethreechildrencouldscarcelygointothe，waiting-roomforfearofbeingsentaway，andforfear，somethingshouldhappenwhilsttheywereofftheplatform。
Stilltheywaitedinthedarkandcold。
“It’sanhouran’ahalflate，“saidArthurpathetically。
“Well，“saidAnnie，“it’sChristmasEve。”
Theyallgrewsilent。Hewasn’tcoming。Theylooked，downthedarknessoftherailway。TherewasLondon！，Itseemed，theutter-mostofdistance。Theythoughtanythingmighthappen，ifonecamefromLondon。Theywerealltootroubledtotalk。
Cold，andunhappy，andsilent，theyhuddledtogetherontheplatform。
Atlast，aftermorethantwohours，theysawthelightsofan，enginepeeringround，awaydownthedarkness。Aporterranout。
Thechildrendrewbackwithbeatinghearts。Agreattrain，boundforManchester，drewup。Twodoorsopened，andfromone，ofthem，William。Theyflewtohim。Hehandedparcelstothem，cheerily，andimmediatelybegantoexplainthatthisgreattrainhad，stoppedforHISsakeatsuchasmallstationasSethleyBridge：
itwasnotbookedtostop。
Meanwhiletheparentsweregettinganxious。Thetablewasset，thechopwascooked，everythingwasready。Mrs。Morelputon，herblackapron。Shewaswearingherbestdress。Thenshesat，pretendingtoread。Theminuteswereatorturetoher。
“H’m！”saidMorel。”It’sanhouran’aha’ef。”
“Andthosechildrenwaiting！”shesaid。
“Th’traincannaha’comeinyet，“hesaid。
“Itellyou，onChristmasEvethey’reHOURSwrong。”
Theywerebothabitcrosswitheachother，sognawed，withanxiety。Theashtreemoanedoutsideinacold，rawwind。
AndallthatspaceofnightfromLondonhome！，Mrs。Morelsuffered。
Theslightclickoftheworksinsidetheclockirritatedher。
Itwasgettingsolate;itwasgettingunbearable。
Atlasttherewasasoundofvoices，andafootstepintheentry。
“Ha’shere！”criedMorel，jumpingup。
Thenhestoodback。Themotherranafewstepstowards，thedoorandwaited。Therewasarushandapatteroffeet，thedoorburstopen。Williamwasthere。HedroppedhisGladstone，bagandtookhismotherinhisarms。
“Mater！”hesaid。
“Myboy！”shecried。
Andfortwoseconds，nolonger，sheclaspedhimandkissedhim。
Thenshewithdrewandsaid，tryingtobequitenormal：
“Buthowlateyouare！”
“Aren’tI！”hecried，turningtohisfather。”Well，dad！”
Thetwomenshookhands。
“Well，mylad！”
Morel’seyeswerewet。
“Wethoughttha’dniverbecommin’，“hesaid。
“Oh，I’dcome！”exclaimedWilliam。
Thenthesonturnedroundtohismother。
“Butyoulookwell，“shesaidproudly，laughing。
“Well！”heexclaimed。”Ishouldthinkso——cominghome！”
Hewasafinefellow，big，straight，andfearless-looking。He，lookedroundattheevergreensandthekissingbunch，andthelittle，tartsthatlayintheirtinsonthehearth。
“Byjove！mother，it’snotdifferent！”hesaid，asifinrelief。
Everybodywasstillforasecond。Thenhesuddenlysprangforward，pickedatartfromthehearth，andpusheditwholeintohismouth。
“Well，didiveryouseesuchaparishoven！”thefatherexclaimed。
Hehadbroughtthemendlesspresents。Everypennyhehadhehad，spentonthem。Therewasasenseofluxuryoverflowinginthehouse。
Forhismothertherewasanumbrellawithgoldonthepalehandle。
Shekeptittoherdyingday，andwouldhavelostanythingrather，thanthat。Everybodyhadsomethinggorgeous，andbesides，therewere，poundsofunknownsweets：，Turkishdelight，crystallisedpineapple，andsuch-likethingswhich，thechildrenthought，onlythesplendour，ofLondoncouldprovide。AndPaulboastedofthesesweetsamong，hisfriends。
“Realpineapple，cutoffinslices，andthenturnedinto，crystal——fairgrand！”
Everybodywasmadwithhappinessinthefamily。Homewashome，andtheyloveditwithapassionoflove，whateverthesuffering，hadbeen。Therewereparties，therewererejoicings。Peoplecame，intoseeWilliam，toseewhatdifferenceLondonhadmadetohim。
Andtheyallfoundhim“suchagentleman，andSUCHafinefellow，myword“！
Whenhewentawayagainthechildrenretiredtovariousplaces，toweepalone。Morelwenttobedinmisery，andMrs。Morelfeltas，ifshewerenumbedbysomedrug，asifherfeelingswereparalysed。
Shelovedhimpassionately。
Hewasintheofficeofalawyerconnectedwithalarge，shippingfirm，andatthemidsummerhischiefofferedhimatrip，intheMediterraneanononeoftheboats，forquiteasmallcost。
Mrs。Morelwrote：，“Go，go，myboy。Youmayneverhaveachanceagain，andIshouldlovetothinkofyoucruisingthereintheMediterranean，almostbetterthantohaveyouathome。”，ButWilliamcamehomefor，hisfortnight’sholiday。NoteventheMediterranean，whichpulled，atallhisyoungman’sdesiretotravel，andathispoorman’swonder，attheglamoroussouth，couldtakehimawaywhenhemightcomehome。
Thatcompensatedhismotherformuch。
CHAPTERV
PAULLAUNCHESINTOLIFE
MORELwasratheraheedlessman，carelessofdanger。Sohehad，endlessaccidents。Now，whenMrs。Morelheardtherattleofanempty，coal-cartceaseatherentry-end，sheranintotheparlourtolook，expectingalmosttoseeherhusbandseatedinthewaggon，hisface，greyunderhisdirt，hisbodylimpandsickwithsomehurtorother。
Ifitwerehe，shewouldrunouttohelp。
AboutayearafterWilliamwenttoLondon，andjustafterPaul，hadleftschool，beforehegotwork，Mrs。Morelwasupstairsandher，sonwaspaintinginthekitchen——hewasverycleverwithhisbrush——when，therecameaknockatthedoor。Crosslyheputdownhisbrushtogo。
Atthesamemomenthismotheropenedawindowupstairsandlookeddown。
Apit-ladinhisdirtstoodonthethreshold。
“IsthisWalterMorel’s？”heasked。
“Yes，“saidMrs。Morel。”Whatisit？”
Butshehadguessedalready。
“Yourmester’sgothurt，“hesaid。
“Eh，dearme！”sheexclaimed。”It’sawonderifhehadn’t，lad。
Andwhat’shedonethistime？”
“Idon’tknowforsure，butit’s’islegsomewhere。Theyta’ein’
’imterth’’ospital。”
“Goodgraciousme！”sheexclaimed。”Eh，dear，whataoneheis！
There’snotfiveminutesofpeace，I’llbehangedifthereis！
Histhumb’snearlybetter，andnow——Didyouseehim？”
“Iseedhimatth’bottom。An’Iseed’embring’imupin，atub，an’’eworinadeadfaint。Butheshoutedlikeanythink，whenDoctorFraserexaminedhimi’th’lampcabin——an’cossedan’
swore，an’saidas’eworgoin’tobeta’enwhoam——’eworn’tgoin’
terth’’ospital。”
Theboyfalteredtoanend。
“HeWOULDwanttocomehome，sothatIcanhaveallthebother。
Thankyou，mylad。Eh，dear，ifI’mnotsick——sickandsurfeited，Iam！”
Shecamedownstairs。Paulhadmechanicallyresumedhispainting。
“Anditmustbeprettybadifthey’vetakenhimtothehospital，“
shewenton。”ButwhataCARELESScreatureheis！，OTHERmendon’t，havealltheseaccidents。Yes，heWOULDwanttoputalltheburden，onme。Eh，dear，justasweWEREgettingeasyabitatlast。
Putthosethingsaway，there’snotimetobepaintingnow。Whattime，isthereatrain？，IknowIs’llhavetogotrailingtoKeston。
Is’llhavetoleavethatbedroom。”
“Icanfinishit，“saidPaul。
“Youneedn’t。Ishallcatchtheseveno’clockback，Ishouldthink。Oh，myblessedheart，thefussandcommotion，he’llmake！，AndthosegranitesettsatTinderHill——hemight，wellcallthemkidneypebbles——they’lljolthimalmosttobits。
Iwonderwhytheycan’tmendthem，thestatethey’rein，an’
allthemenasgoacrossinthatambulance。You’dthinkthey’d，haveahospitalhere。Themenboughttheground，and，mysirs，there’dbeaccidentsenoughtokeepitgoing。Butno，theymust，trailthemtenmilesinaslowambulancetoNottingham。It’sa，cryingshame！，Oh，andthefusshe’llmake！，Iknowhewill！
Iwonderwho’swithhim。Barker，Is’dthink。Poorbeggar，he’llwishhimselfanywhererather。Buthe’lllookafterhim，Iknow。
Nowthere’snotellinghowlonghe’llbestuckinthathospital——and，WON’Thehateit！，Butifit’sonlyhislegit’snotsobad。”
Allthetimeshewasgettingready。Hurriedlytakingoffher，bodice，shecrouchedattheboiler，whilethewaterranslowlyintoherlading-can。
“Iwishthisboilerwasatthebottomofthesea！”sheexclaimed，wrigglingthehandleimpatiently。Shehadveryhandsome，strongarms，rathersurprisingonasmallishwoman。
Paulclearedaway，putonthekettle，andsetthetable。
“Thereisn’tatraintillfour-twenty，“hesaid。
“You’vetimeenough。”
“Ohno，Ihaven’t！”shecried，blinkingathimoverthetowel，asshewipedherface。
“Yes，youhave。Youmustdrinkacupofteaatanyrate。
ShouldIcomewithyoutoKeston？”
“Comewithme？，Whatfor，Ishouldliketoknow？，Now，whathave，Itotakehim？，Eh，dear！，Hiscleanshirt——andit’sablessingit，ISclean。Butithadbetterbeaired。Andstockings——hewon’twant，them——andatowel，Isuppose;andhandkerchiefs。Nowwhatelse？”
“Acomb，aknifeandforkandspoon，“saidPaul。Hisfather，hadbeeninthehospitalbefore。
“Goodnessknowswhatsortofstatehisfeetwerein，“
continuedMrs。Morel，asshecombedherlongbrownhair，thatwas，fineassilk，andwastouchednowwithgrey。”He’sveryparticular，towashhimselftothewaist，butbelowhethinksdoesn’tmatter。
Butthere，Isupposetheyseeplentylikeit。”
Paulhadlaidthetable。Hecuthismotheroneortwopieces，ofverythinbreadandbutter。
“Hereyouare，“hesaid，puttinghercupofteainherplace。
“Ican’tbebothered！”sheexclaimedcrossly。
“Well，you’vegotto，sothere，nowit’sputoutready，“
heinsisted。
Soshesatdownandsippedhertea，andatealittle，insilence。
Shewasthinking。
Inafewminutesshewasgone，towalkthetwoandahalfmiles，toKestonStation。Allthethingsshewastakinghimshehadinher，bulgingstringbag。Paulwatchedhergouptheroadbetweenthe，hedges——alittle，quick-steppingfigure，andhisheartachedforher，thatshewasthrustforwardagainintopainandtrouble。Andshe，trippingsoquicklyinheranxiety，feltatthebackofherher，son’sheartwaitingonher，felthimbearingwhatpartoftheburden，hecould，evensupportingher。Andwhenshewasatthehospital，shethought：，“ItWILLupsetthatladwhenItellhimhowbaditis。
I’dbetterbecareful。”，Andwhenshewastrudginghomeagain，shefelthewascomingtoshareherburden。
“Isitbad？”askedPaul，assoonassheenteredthehouse。
“It’sbadenough，“shereplied。
“What？”
Shesighedandsatdown，undoingherbonnet-strings。Herson，watchedherfaceasitwaslifted，andhersmall，work-hardenedhands，fingeringatthebowunderherchin。
“Well，“sheanswered，“it’snotreallydangerous，butthenurse，saysit’sadreadfulsmash。Yousee，agreatpieceofrockfell，onhisleg——here——andit’sacompoundfracture。Therearepieces，ofbonestickingthrough——“
“Ugh——howhorrid！”exclaimedthechildren。
“And，“shecontinued，“ofcoursehesayshe’sgoingtodie——it，wouldn’tbehimifhedidn’t。’I’mdonefor，mylass！’hesaid，lookingatme。’Don’tbesosilly，’Isaidtohim。’You’renotgoing，todieofabrokenleg，howeverbadlyit’ssmashed。’，’Is’llniver，comeoutof’erebutinawoodenbox，’hegroaned。’Well，’Isaid，’ifyouwantthemtocarryyouintothegardeninawoodenbox，whenyou’rebetter，I’venodoubttheywill。’，’Ifwethinkit’s，goodforhim，’saidtheSister。She’sanawfullyniceSister，butratherstrict。”
Mrs。Moreltookoffherbonnet。Thechildrenwaitedinsilence。
“Ofcourse，heISbad，“shecontinued，“andhewillbe。
It’sagreatshock，andhe’slostalotofblood;and，ofcourse，itISaverydangeroussmash。It’snotatallsurethatitwillmend，soeasily。Andthenthere’sthefeverandthemortification——ifittook，badwayshe’dquicklybegone。Butthere，he’saclean-bloodedman，withwonderfulhealingflesh，andsoIseenoreasonwhyitSHOULD
takebadways。Ofcoursethere’sawound——“
Shewaspalenowwithemotionandanxiety。Thethreechildren，realisedthatitwasverybadfortheirfather，andthehouse，wassilent，anxious。
“Buthealwaysgetsbetter，“saidPaulafterawhile。
“That’swhatItellhim，“saidthemother。
Everybodymovedaboutinsilence。
“Andhereallylookednearlydonefor，“shesaid。”Butthe，Sistersaysthatisthepain。”
Annietookawayhermother’scoatandbonnet。
“AndhelookedatmewhenIcameaway！，Isaid：，’Is’ll，havetogonow，Walter，becauseofthetrain——andthechildren。’
Andhelookedatme。Itseemshard。”
Paultookuphisbrushagainandwentonpainting。Arthurwent，outsideforsomecoal。Anniesatlookingdismal。AndMrs。Morel，inherlittlerocking-chairthatherhusbandhadmadeforher，whenthefirstbabywascoming，remainedmotionless，brooding。
Shewasgrieved，andbitterlysorryforthemanwhowashurtsomuch。
Butstill，inherheartofhearts，wheretheloveshouldhaveburned，therewasablank。Now，whenallherwoman’spitywasrousedtoits，fullextent，whenshewouldhaveslavedherselftodeathtonurse，himandtosavehim，whenshewouldhavetakenthepainherself，ifshecould，somewherefarawayinsideher，shefeltindifferent，tohimandtohissuffering。Ithurthermostofall，thisfailure，tolovehim，evenwhenherousedherstrongemotions。Shebrooded，awhile。
“Andthere，“shesaidsuddenly，“whenI’dgothalfwaytoKeston，IfoundI’dcomeoutinmyworkingboots——andLOOKatthem。”
TheywereanoldpairofPaul’s，brownandrubbedthroughat，thetoes。”Ididn’tknowwhattodowithmyself，forshame，“
sheadded。
Inthemorning，whenAnnieandArthurwereatschool，Mrs。Morel，talkedagaintoherson，whowashelpingherwithherhousework。
“IfoundBarkeratthehospital。Hedidlookbad，poorlittlefellow！，’Well，’Isaidtohim，’whatsortofa，journeydidyouhavewithhim？’，’Dunnaaxme，missis！’hesaid。
’Ay，’Isaid，’Iknowwhathe’dbe。’，’ButitWORbadforhim，Mrs。Morel，itWORthat！’hesaid。’Iknow，’Isaid。’Ativryjolt，Ithoughtmy’eartwouldha’flowncleanouto’mymouth，’hesaid。
’An’thescream’egivessometimes！，Missis，notforafortunewould，Igothroughwi’itagain。’，’Icanquiteunderstandit，’Isaid。
’It’sanastyjob，though，’hesaid，’an’oneas’llbealong，whileaforeit’srightagain。’，’I’mafraiditwill，’Isaid。
IlikeMr。Barker——IDOlikehim。There’ssomethingsomanly，abouthim。”
Paulresumedhistasksilently。
“Andofcourse，“Mrs。Morelcontinued，“foramanlikeyourfather，thehospitalIShard。HeCAN’Tunderstandrulesandregulations。
Andhewon’tletanybodyelsetouchhim，notifhecanhelpit。
Whenhesmashedthemusclesofhisthigh，andithadtobedressed，fourtimesaday，WOULDheletanybodybutmeorhismotherdoit？
Hewouldn’t。So，ofcourse，he’llsufferintherewiththenurses。
AndIdidn’tlikeleavinghim。I’msure，whenIkissedhiman’cameaway，itseemedashame。”
Soshetalkedtoherson，almostasifshewerethinking，aloudtohim，andhetookitinasbesthecould，bysharingher，troubletolightenit。Andintheendshesharedalmosteverything，withhimwithoutknowing。
Morelhadaverybadtime。Foraweekhewasina，criticalcondition。Thenhebegantomend。Andthen，knowinghe，wasgoingtogetbetter，thewholefamilysighedwithrelief，andproceededtolivehappily。
TheywerenotbadlyoffwhilstMorelwasinthehospital。
Therewerefourteenshillingsaweekfromthepit，tenshillings，fromthesickclub，andfiveshillingsfromtheDisabilityFund;
andtheneveryweekthebuttieshadsomethingforMrs。Morel——five，orsevenshillings——sothatshewasquitewelltodo。Andwhilst，Morelwasprogressingfavourablyinthehospital，thefamilywas，extraordinarilyhappyandpeaceful。OnSaturdaysandWednesdays，Mrs。MorelwenttoNottinghamtoseeherhusband。Thenshealways，broughtbacksomelittlething：，asmalltubeofpaintsforPaul，orsomethickpaper;acoupleofpostcardsforAnnie，thatthewhole，familyrejoicedoverfordaysbeforethegirlwasallowedtosend，themaway;orafret-sawforArthur，orabitofprettywood。
Shedescribedheradventuresintothebigshopswithjoy。
Soonthefolkinthepicture-shopknewher，andknewaboutPaul。
Thegirlinthebook-shoptookakeeninterestinher。Mrs。Morel，wasfullofinformationwhenshegothomefromNottingham。Thethree，satroundtillbed-time，listening，puttingin，arguing。ThenPaul，oftenrakedthefire。
“I’mthemaninthehousenow，“heusedtosaytohismother，withjoy。Theylearnedhowperfectlypeacefulthehomecouldbe。
Andtheyalmostregretted——thoughnoneofthemwouldhaveownedto，suchcallousness——thattheirfatherwassooncomingback。
Paulwasnowfourteen，andwaslookingforwork。Hewasa，rathersmallandratherfinely-madeboy，withdarkbrownhairand，lightblueeyes。Hisfacehadalreadylostitsyouthfulchubbiness，andwasbecomingsomewhatlikeWilliam’s——rough-featured，almost，rugged——anditwasextraordinarilymobile。Usuallyhelooked，asifhesawthings，wasfulloflife，andwarm;thenhissmile，likehismother’s，camesuddenlyandwasverylovable;andthen，whentherewasanycloginhissoul’squickrunning，hisfacewent，stupidandugly。Hewasthesortofboythatbecomesaclown，andaloutassoonasheisnotunderstood，orfeelshimself，heldcheap;and，again，isadorableatthefirsttouchofwarmth。
Hesufferedverymuchfromthefirstcontactwithanything。
Whenhewasseven，thestartingschoolhadbeenanightmareanda，torturetohim。Butafterwardshelikedit。Andnowthathefelt，hehadtogooutintolife，hewentthroughagoniesofshrinking，self-consciousness。Hewasquiteacleverpainterforaboyofhisyears，andheknewsomeFrenchandGermanandmathematicsthatMr。Heaton，hadtaughthim。Butnothinghehadwasofanycommercialvalue。
Hewasnotstrongenoughforheavymanualwork，hismothersaid。
Hedidnotcareformakingthingswithhishands，preferredracingabout，ormakingexcursionsintothecountry，orreading，orpainting。
“Whatdoyouwanttobe？”hismotherasked。
“Anything。”
“Thatisnoanswer，“saidMrs。Morel。
Butitwasquitetruthfullytheonlyanswerhecouldgive。
Hisambition，asfarasthisworld’sgearwent，wasquietlytoearn，histhirtyorthirty-fiveshillingsaweeksomewherenearhome，andthen，whenhisfatherdied，haveacottagewithhismother，paintandgooutasheliked，andlivehappyeverafter。Thatwashis，programmeasfarasdoingthingswent。Buthewasproudwithinhimself，measuringpeopleagainsthimself，andplacingthem，inexorably。Andhe，thoughtthatPERHAPShemightalsomakeapainter，therealthing。
Butthatheleftalone。
“Then，“saidhismother，“youmustlookinthepaper，fortheadvertisements。”
Helookedather。Itseemedtohimabitterhumiliation，andananguishtogothrough。Buthesaidnothing。Whenhegotup，inthemorning，hiswholebeingwasknottedupoverthisonethought：
“I’vegottogoandlookforadvertisementsforajob。”
Itstoodinfrontofthemorning，thatthought，killingall，joyandevenlife，forhim。Hisheartfeltlikeatightknot。
Andthen，atteno’clock，hesetoff。Hewassupposedtobe，aqueer，quietchild。Goingupthesunnystreetofthelittletown，hefeltasifallthefolkhemetsaidtothemselves：，“He’sgoing，totheCo-op。reading-roomtolookinthepapersforaplace。
Hecan’tgetajob。Isupposehe’slivingonhismother。”，Thenhe，creptupthestonestairsbehindthedraperyshopattheCo-op。，andpeepedinthereading-room。Usuallyoneortwomenwerethere，eitherold，uselessfellows，orcolliers“ontheclub“。Soheentered，fullofshrinkingandsufferingwhentheylookedup，seatedhimselfat，thetable，andpretendedtoscanthenews。Heknewtheywouldthink：
“Whatdoesaladofthirteenwantinareading-roomwithanewspaper？”
andhesuffered。
Thenhelookedwistfullyoutofthewindow。Alreadyhewas，aprisonerofindustrialism。Largesunflowersstaredoverthe，oldredwallofthegardenopposite，lookingintheirjollyway，downonthewomenwhowerehurryingwithsomethingfordinner。
Thevalleywasfullofcorn，brighteninginthesun。Twocollieries，amongthefields，wavedtheirsmallwhiteplumesofsteam。Faroff，onthehillswerethewoodsofAnnesley，darkandfascinating。
Alreadyhisheartwentdown。Hewasbeingtakenintobondage。
Hisfreedominthebelovedhomevalleywasgoingnow。
Thebrewers’waggonscamerollingupfromKestonwithenormous，barrels，fouraside，likebeansinaburstbean-pod。Thewaggoner，thronedaloft，rollingmassivelyinhisseat，wasnotsomuch，belowPaul’seye。Theman’shair，onhissmall，bullethead，wasbleachedalmostwhitebythesun，andonhisthickredarms，rockingidlyonhissackapron，thewhitehairsglistened。
Hisredfaceshoneandwasalmostasleepwithsunshine。Thehorses，handsomeandbrown，wentonbythemselves，lookingbyfarthemasters，oftheshow。
Paulwishedhewerestupid。”Iwish，“hethoughttohimself，“Iwasfatlikehim，andlikeadoginthesun。IwishIwasapig，andabrewer’swaggoner。”
Then，theroombeingatlastempty，hewouldhastilycopy，anadvertisementonascrapofpaper，thenanother，andslip，outinimmenserelief。Hismotherwouldscanoverhiscopies。
“Yes，“shesaid，“youmaytry。”
Williamhadwrittenoutaletterofapplication，couchedin，admirablebusinesslanguage，whichPaulcopied，withvariations。
Theboy’shandwritingwasexecrable，sothatWilliam，whodidall，thingswell，gotintoafeverofimpatience。
Theelderbrotherwasbecomingquiteswanky。InLondonhefound，thathecouldassociatewithmenfarabovehisBestwoodfriends，instation。Someoftheclerksintheofficehadstudiedforthelaw，andweremoreorlessgoingthroughakindofapprenticeship。
Williamalwaysmadefriendsamongmenwhereverhewent，hewassojolly。
Thereforehewassoonvisitingandstayinginhousesofmenwho，inBestwood，wouldhavelookeddownontheunapproachablebankmanager，andwouldmerelyhavecalledindifferentlyontheRector。Sohebegan，tofancyhimselfasagreatgun。Hewas，indeed，rathersurprised，attheeasewithwhichhebecameagentleman。
Hismotherwasglad，heseemedsopleased。Andhislodging，inWalthamstowwassodreary。Butnowthereseemedtocomeakind，offeverintotheyoungman’sletters。Hewasunsettledbyall，thechange，hedidnotstandfirmonhisownfeet，butseemedtospin，rathergiddilyonthequickcurrentofthenewlife。Hismotherwas，anxiousforhim。Shecouldfeelhimlosinghimself。Hehaddanced，andgonetothetheatre，boatedontheriver，beenoutwithfriends;
andsheknewhesatupafterwardsinhiscoldbedroomgrindingaway，atLatin，becauseheintendedtogetoninhisoffice，andinthe，lawasmuchashecould。Heneversenthismotheranymoneynow。
Itwasalltaken，thelittlehehad，forhisownlife。Andshe，didnotwantany，exceptsometimes，whenshewasinatightcorner，andwhentenshillingswouldhavesavedhermuchworry。Shestill，dreamedofWilliam，andofwhathewoulddo，withherselfbehindhim。
Neverforaminutewouldsheadmittoherselfhowheavyandanxious，herheartwasbecauseofhim。
Alsohetalkedagooddealnowofagirlhehadmetatadance，ahandsomebrunette，quiteyoung，andalady，afterwhomthemen，wererunningthickandfast。
“Iwonderifyouwouldrun，myboy，“hismotherwrote，tohim，“unlessyousawalltheothermenchasinghertoo。
Youfeelsafeenoughandvainenoughinacrowd。Buttakecare，andseehowyoufeelwhenyoufindyourselfalone，andintriumph。”
Williamresentedthesethings，andcontinuedthechase。Hehad，takenthegirlontheriver。”Ifyousawher，mother，youwould，knowhowIfeel。Tallandelegant，withtheclearestofclear，transparentolivecomplexions，hairasblackasjet，andsuch，greyeyes——bright，mocking，likelightsonwateratnight。
Itisallverywelltobeabitsatiricaltillyouseeher。
AndshedressesaswellasanywomaninLondon。Itellyou，yoursondoesn’thalfputhisheadupwhenshegoeswalkingdown，Piccadillywithhim。”
Mrs。Morelwondered，inherheart，ifhersondidnotgo，walkingdownPiccadillywithanelegantfigureandfineclothes，ratherthanwithawomanwhowasneartohim。Butshecongratulated，himinherdoubtfulfashion。And，asshestoodoverthewashing-tub，themotherbroodedoverherson。Shesawhimsaddledwithan，elegantandexpensivewife，earninglittlemoney，draggingalong，andgettingdraggledinsomesmall，uglyhouseinasuburb。
“Butthere，“shetoldherself，“Iamverylikelyasilly——meeting，troublehalfway。”，Nevertheless，theloadofanxietyscarcelyever，leftherheart，lestWilliamshoulddothewrongthingbyhimself。
Presently，PaulwasbiddencalluponThomasJordan，ManufacturerofSurgicalAppliances，at21，SpanielRow，Nottingham。
Mrs。Morelwasalljoy。
“There，yousee！”shecried，hereyesshining。”You’veonly，writtenfourletters，andthethirdisanswered。You’relucky，myboy，asIalwayssaidyouwere。”
Paullookedatthepictureofawoodenleg，adornedwithelastic，stockingsandotherappliances，thatfiguredonMr。Jordan’snotepaper，andhefeltalarmed。Hehadnotknownthatelasticstockingsexisted。
Andheseemedtofeelthebusinessworld，withitsregulatedsystem，ofvalues，anditsimpersonality，andhedreadedit。Itseemed，monstrousalsothatabusinesscouldberunonwoodenlegs。
MotherandsonsetofftogetheroneTuesdaymorning。
ItwasAugustandblazinghot。Paulwalkedwithsomethingscrewedup，tightinsidehim。Hewouldhavesufferedmuchphysicalpainrather，thanthisunreasonablesufferingatbeingexposedtostrangers，tobeacceptedorrejected。Yethechatteredawaywithhismother。
Hewouldneverhaveconfessedtoherhowhesufferedoverthesethings，andsheonlypartlyguessed。Shewasgay，likeasweetheart。
Shestoodinfrontoftheticket-officeatBestwood，andPaulwatched，hertakefromherpursethemoneyforthetickets。
Ashesawherhandsintheiroldblackkidglovesgetting，thesilveroutofthewornpurse，hisheartcontractedwithpain，ofloveofher。
Shewasquiteexcited，andquitegay。Hesufferedbecauseshe，WOULDtalkaloudinpresenceoftheothertravellers。
“Nowlookatthatsillycow！”shesaid，“careeringround，asifitthoughtitwasacircus。”
“It’smostlikelyabottfly，“hesaidverylow。
“Awhat？”sheaskedbrightlyandunashamed。
Theythoughtawhile。Hewassensibleallthetimeofhaving，heroppositehim。Suddenlytheireyesmet，andshesmiledto，him——arare，intimatesmile，beautifulwithbrightnessandlove。
Theneachlookedoutofthewindow。
Thesixteenslowmilesofrailwayjourneypassed。Themother，andsonwalkeddownStationStreet，feelingtheexcitementoflovers，havinganadventuretogether。InCarringtonStreettheystopped，tohangovertheparapetandlookatthebargesonthecanalbelow。
“It’sjustlikeVenice，“hesaid，seeingthesunshine，onthewaterthatlaybetweenhighfactorywalls。
“Perhaps，“sheanswered，smiling。
Theyenjoyedtheshopsimmensely。
“Nowyouseethatblouse，“shewouldsay，“wouldn’tthatjust，suitourAnnie？，Andforone-and-eleven-three。Isn’tthatcheap？”
“Andmadeofneedleworkaswell，“hesaid。
“Yes。”
Theyhadplentyoftime，sotheydidnothurry。Thetown，wasstrangeanddelightfultothem。Buttheboywastiedupinside，inaknotofapprehension。HedreadedtheinterviewwithThomasJordan。
Itwasnearlyeleveno’clockbySt。Peter’sChurch。
TheyturnedupanarrowstreetthatledtotheCastle。Itwas，gloomyandold-fashioned，havinglowdarkshopsanddarkgreenhouse，doorswithbrassknockers，andyellow-ochreddoorstepsprojecting，ontothepavement;thenanotheroldshopwhosesmallwindowlooked，likeacunning，half-shuteye。Motherandsonwentcautiously，lookingeverywherefor“ThomasJordanandSon“。Itwaslikehunting，insomewildplace。Theywereontiptoeofexcitement。
Suddenlytheyspiedabig，darkarchway，inwhichwerenames，ofvariousfirms，ThomasJordanamongthem。
“Hereitis！”saidMrs。Morel。”ButnowWHEREisit？”
Theylookedround。Ononesidewasaqueer，dark，cardboardfactory，ontheotheraCommercialHotel。
“It’suptheentry，“saidPaul。
Andtheyventuredunderthearchway，asintothejaws，ofthedragon。Theyemergedintoawideyard，likeawell，withbuildingsallround。Itwaslitteredwithstrawandboxes，andcardboard。Thesunshineactuallycaughtonecratewhosestraw，wasstreamingontotheyardlikegold。Butelsewheretheplace，waslikeapit。Therewereseveraldoors，andtwoflightsofsteps。
Straightinfront，onadirtyglassdooratthetopofastaircase，loomedtheominouswords“ThomasJordanandSon——SurgicalAppliances。”
Mrs。Morelwentfirst，hersonfollowedher。CharlesImountedhis，scaffoldwithalighterheartthanhadPaulMorelashefollowedhis，motherupthedirtystepstothedirtydoor。
Shepushedopenthedoor，andstoodinpleasedsurprise。Infront，ofherwasabigwarehouse，withcreamypaperparcelseverywhere，andclerks，withtheirshirt-sleevesrolledback，weregoingabout，inanat-homesortofway。Thelightwassubdued，theglossycream，parcelsseemedluminous，thecounterswereofdarkbrownwood。
Allwasquietandveryhomely。Mrs。Moreltooktwostepsforward，thenwaited。Paulstoodbehindher。ShehadonherSunday，bonnetandablackveil;heworeaboy’sbroadwhitecollaranda，Norfolksuit。
Oneoftheclerkslookedup。Hewasthinandtall，witha，smallface。Hiswayoflookingwasalert。Thenheglancedround，totheotherendoftheroom，wherewasaglassoffice。Andthen，hecameforward。Hedidnotsayanything，butleanedinagentle，inquiringfashiontowardsMrs。Morel。
“CanIseeMr。Jordan？”sheasked。
“I’llfetchhim，“answeredtheyoungman。
Hewentdowntotheglassoffice。Ared-faced，white-whiskered，oldmanlookedup。HeremindedPaulofapomeraniandog。
Thenthesamelittlemancameuptheroom。Hehadshortlegs，wasratherstout，andworeanalpacajacket。So，withoneearup，asitwere，hecamestoutlyandinquiringlydowntheroom。
“Good-morning！”hesaid，hesitatingbeforeMrs。Morel，indoubtastowhethershewereacustomerornot。
“Good-morning。Icamewithmyson，PaulMorel。Youaskedhim，tocallthismorning。”
“Comethisway，“saidMr。Jordan，inarathersnappylittle，mannerintendedtobebusinesslike。
Theyfollowedthemanufacturerintoagrubbylittleroom，upholsteredinblackAmericanleather，glossywiththerubbingof，manycustomers。Onthetablewasapileoftrusses，yellowwash-leather，hoopstangledtogether。Theylookednewandliving。Paulsniffedthe，odourofnewwash-leather。Hewonderedwhatthethingswere。Bythis，timehewassomuchstunnedthatheonlynoticedtheoutsidethings。
“Sitdown！”saidMr。Jordan，irritablypointingMrs。Morel，toahorse-hairchair。Shesatontheedgeinanuncertainfashion。
Thenthelittleoldmanfidgetedandfoundapaper。
“Didyouwritethisletter？”hesnapped，thrustingwhatPaul，recognisedashisownnotepaperinfrontofhim。
“Yes，“heanswered。
Atthatmomenthewasoccupiedintwoways：，first，infeeling，guiltyfortellingalie，sinceWilliamhadcomposedtheletter;
second，inwonderingwhyhisletterseemedsostrangeanddifferent，inthefat，redhandoftheman，fromwhatithadbeenwhenitlay，onthekitchentable。Itwaslikepartofhimself，goneastray。
Heresentedthewaythemanheldit。
“Wheredidyoulearntowrite？”saidtheoldmancrossly。
Paulmerelylookedathimshamedly，anddidnotanswer。
“HeISabadwriter，“putinMrs。Morelapologetically。
Thenshepushedupherveil。Paulhatedherfornotbeingprouder，withthiscommonlittleman，andhelovedherfaceclearoftheveil。
“AndyousayyouknowFrench？”inquiredthelittleman，stillsharply。
“Yes，“saidPaul。
“Whatschooldidyougoto？”
“TheBoard-school。”
“Anddidyoulearnitthere？”
“No——I——“Theboywentcrimsonandgotnofarther。
“Hisgodfathergavehimlessons，“saidMrs。Morel，halfpleading，andratherdistant。
Mr。Jordanhesitated。Then，inhisirritablemanner——healways，seemedtokeephishandsreadyforaction——hepulledanothersheetof，paperfromhispocket，unfoldedit。Thepapermadeacracklingnoise。
HehandedittoPaul。
“Readthat，“hesaid。
ItwasanoteinFrench，inthin，flimsyforeignhandwriting，thattheboycouldnotdecipher。Hestaredblanklyatthepaper。
“’Monsieur，’“hebegan;thenhelookedingreatconfusion，atMr。Jordan。”It’sthe——it’sthe——“
Hewantedtosay“handwriting“buthiswitswouldnolongerwork，evensufficientlytosupplyhimwiththeword。Feelinganutterfool，andhatingMr。Jordan，heturneddesperatelytothepaperagain。
“’Sir，——Pleasesendme’——er——er——Ican’ttellthe——er——’two，pairs——grisfilbas——greythreadstockings’——er——er——’sans——without’——
er——Ican’ttellthewords——er——’doigts——fingers’——er——Ican’ttellthe——“
Hewantedtosay“handwriting“butthewordstillrefused，tocome。Seeinghimstuck，Mr。Jordansnatchedthepaperfromhim。
“’Pleasesendbyreturntwopairsgreythreadstockings，withoutTOES。’“
“Well，“flashedPaul，“’doigts’means’fingers’——aswell——as，arule——“
Thelittlemanlookedathim。Hedidnotknowwhether“doigts“
meant“fingers“;heknewthatforallHISpurposesitmeant“toes“。
“Fingerstostockings！”hesnapped。
“Well，itDOESmeanfingers，“theboypersisted。
Hehatedthelittleman，whomadesuchaclodofhim。
Mr。Jordanlookedatthepale，stupid，defiantboy，thenatthemother，whosatquietandwiththatpeculiarshut-offlookofthepoor，whohavetodependonthefavourofothers。
“Andwhencouldhecome？”heasked。
“Well，“saidMrs。Morel，“assoonasyouwish。Hehasfinished，schoolnow。”
“HewouldliveinBestwood？”
“Yes;buthecouldbein——atthestation——atquartertoeight。”
“H’m！”
ItendedbyPaul’sbeingengagedasjuniorspiralclerkateight，shillingsaweek。Theboydidnotopenhismouthtosayanother，word，afterhavinginsistedthat“doigts“meant“fingers“。He，followedhismotherdownthestairs。Shelookedathimwithher，brightblueeyesfullofloveandjoy。
“Ithinkyou’lllikeit，“shesaid。
“’Doigts’doesmean’fingers’，mother，anditwasthewriting。
Icouldn’treadthewriting。”
“Nevermind，myboy。I’msurehe’llbeallright，andyou，won’tseemuchofhim。Wasn’tthatfirstyoungfellownice？
I’msureyou’lllikethem。”
“Butwasn’tMr。Jordancommon，mother？，Doesheownitall？”
“Isupposehewasaworkmanwhohasgoton，“shesaid。
“Youmustn’tmindpeoplesomuch。They’renotbeingdisagreeable，toYOU——it’stheirway。Youalwaysthinkpeoplearemeaningthings，foryou。Buttheydon’t。”
Itwasverysunny。Overthebigdesolatespaceofthemarket-place，theblueskyshimmered，andthegranitecobblesofthepavingglistened。
ShopsdowntheLongRowweredeepinobscurity，andtheshadowwasfull，ofcolour。Justwherethehorsetramstrundledacrossthemarket，wasarowoffruitstalls，withfruitblazinginthesun——apples，andpilesofreddishoranges，smallgreen-gageplumsandbananas。
Therewasawarmscentoffruitasmotherandsonpassed。
Graduallyhisfeelingofignominyandofragesank。
“Whereshouldwegofordinner？”askedthemother。
Itwasfelttobearecklessextravagance。Paulhadonly，beeninaneating-houseonceortwiceinhislife，andthenonly，tohaveacupofteaandabun。MostofthepeopleofBestwood，consideredthatteaandbread-and-butter，andperhapspottedbeef，wasalltheycouldaffordtoeatinNottingham。Realcookeddinner，wasconsideredgreatextravagance。Paulfeltratherguilty。
Theyfoundaplacethatlookedquitecheap。ButwhenMrs。Morel，scannedthebilloffare，herheartwasheavy，thingsweresodear。
Sosheorderedkidney-piesandpotatoesasthecheapestavailabledish。
“Weoughtn’ttohavecomehere，mother，“saidPaul。
“Nevermind，“shesaid。”Wewon’tcomeagain。”
Sheinsistedonhishavingasmallcurranttart，becausehe，likedsweets。
“Idon’twantit，mother，“hepleaded。
“Yes，“sheinsisted;“you’llhaveit。”
Andshelookedroundforthewaitress。Butthewaitress，wasbusy，andMrs。Moreldidnotliketobotherherthen。
Sothemotherandsonwaitedforthegirl’spleasure，whilstshe，flirtedamongthemen。
“Brazenhussy！”saidMrs。MoreltoPaul。”Looknow，she’stakingthatmanHISpudding，andhecamelongafterus。”
“Itdoesn’tmatter，mother，“saidPaul。
Mrs。Morelwasangry。Butshewastoopoor，andherorders，weretoomeagre，sothatshehadnotthecouragetoinsistonher，rightsjustthen。Theywaitedandwaited。
“Shouldwego，mother？”hesaid。
ThenMrs。Morelstoodup。Thegirlwaspassingnear。
“Willyoubringonecurranttart？”saidMrs。Morelclearly。
Thegirllookedroundinsolently。
“Directly，“shesaid。
“Wehavewaitedquitelongenough，“saidMrs。Morel。
Inamomentthegirlcamebackwiththetart。Mrs。Morel，askedcoldlyforthebill。Paulwantedtosinkthroughthefloor。
Hemarvelledathismother’shardness。Heknewthatonlyyears，ofbattlinghadtaughthertoinsistevensolittleonherrights。
Sheshrankasmuchashe。
“It’sthelasttimeIgoTHEREforanything！”shedeclared，whentheywereoutsidetheplace，thankfultobeclear。
“We’llgo，“shesaid，“andlookatKeep’sandBoot’s，andone，ortwoplaces，shallwe？”
Theyhaddiscussionsoverthepictures，andMrs。Morel，wantedtobuyhimalittlesablebrushthatbehankeredafter。
Butthisindulgenceherefused。Hestoodinfrontofmilliners’
shopsanddrapers’shopsalmostbored，butcontentforherto，beinterested。Theywanderedon。
“Now，justlookatthoseblackgrapes！”shesaid。”Theymake，yourmouthwater。I’vewantedsomeofthoseforyears，butIs’ll，havetowaitabitbeforeIgetthem。”
Thensherejoicedintheflorists，standinginthedoorwaysniffing。
“Oh！oh！，Isn’titsimplylovely！”
Paulsaw，inthedarknessoftheshop，anelegantyounglady，inblackpeeringoverthecountercuriously。
“They’relookingatyou，“hesaid，tryingtodrawhismotheraway。
“Butwhatisit？”sheexclaimed，refusingtobemoved。
“Stocks！”heanswered，sniffinghastily。”Look，there’s，atubful。”
“Sothereis——redandwhite。Butreally，Ineverknew，stockstosmelllikeit！”And，tohisgreatrelief，shemoved，outofthedoorway，butonlytostandinfrontofthewindow。
“Paul！”shecriedtohim，whowastryingtogetoutof，sightoftheelegantyoungladyinblack——theshop-girl。“Paul！
Justlookhere！”
Hecamereluctantlyback。
“Now，justlookatthatfuchsia！”sheexclaimed，pointing。
“H’m！”Hemadeacurious，interestedsound。”You’dthink，everysecondastheflowerswasgoingtofalloff，theyhang，sobigan’heavy。”
“Andsuchanabundance！”shecried。
“Andthewaytheydropdownwardswiththeirthreadsandknots！”
“Yes！”sheexclaimed。”Lovely！”
“Iwonderwho’llbuyit！”hesaid。
“Iwonder！”sheanswered。”Notus。”
“Itwoulddieinourparlour。”
“Yes，beastlycold，sunlesshole;itkillseverybitofaplant，youputin，andthekitchenchokesthemtodeath。”
Theyboughtafewthings，andsetofftowardsthestation。
Lookingupthecanal，throughthedarkpassofthebuildings，theysawtheCastleonitsbluffofbrown，green-bushedrock，inapositivemiracleofdelicatesunshine。
“Won’titbeniceformetocomeoutatdinner-times？”saidPaul。
“Icangoallroundhereandseeeverything。Is’llloveit。”
“Youwill，“assentedhismother。
Hehadspentaperfectafternoonwithhismother。Theyarrived，homeinthemellowevening，happy，andglowing，andtired。
Inthemorninghefilledintheformforhisseason-ticket，andtookittothestation。Whenhegotback，hismotherwasjust，beginningtowashthefloor。Hesatcroucheduponthesofa。
“Hesaysit’llbehereonSaturday，“hesaid。
“Andhowmuchwillitbe？”
“Aboutonepoundeleven，“hesaid。
Shewentonwashingherfloorinsilence。
“Isitalot？”heasked。
“It’snomorethanIthought，“sheanswered。
“An’Is’llearneightshillingsaweek，“hesaid。
Shedidnotanswer，butwentonwithherwork。Atlastshesaid：
“ThatWilliampromisedme，whenhewenttoLondon，ashe’dgive，meapoundamonth。Hehasgivenmetenshillings——twice;andnowI
knowhehasn’tafarthingifIaskedhim。NotthatIwantit。
Onlyjustnowyou’dthinkhemightbeabletohelpwiththisticket，whichI’dneverexpected。”
“Heearnsalot，“saidPaul。
“Heearnsahundredandthirtypounds。Butthey’reallalike。
They’relargeinpromises，butit’spreciouslittlefulfilment，youget。”
“Hespendsoverfiftyshillingsaweekonhimself，“saidPaul。
“AndIkeepthishouseonlessthanthirty，“shereplied;
“andamsupposedtofindmoneyforextras。Buttheydon’tcare，abouthelpingyou，oncethey’vegone。He’dratherspenditon，thatdressed-upcreature。”
“Sheshouldhaveherownmoneyifshe’ssogrand，“saidPaul。
“Sheshould，butshehasn’t。Iaskedhim。AndIknowhe，doesn’tbuyheragoldbanglefornothing。Iwonderwhoeverbought，MEagoldbangle。”
Williamwassucceedingwithhis“Gipsy“ashecalledher。
Heaskedthegirl——hernamewasLouisaLilyDenysWestern——fora，photographtosendtohismother。Thephotocame——ahandsomebrunette，takeninprofile，smirkingslightly——and，itmightbe，quitenaked，foronthephotographnotascrapofclothingwastobeseen，onlyanakedbust。
“Yes，“wroteMrs。Moreltoherson，“thephotographof，Louieisverystriking，andIcanseeshemustbeattractive。
Butdoyouthink，myboy，itwasverygoodtasteofagirlto，giveheryoungmanthatphototosendtohismother——thefirst？
Certainlytheshouldersarebeautiful，asyousay。ButIhardly，expectedtoseesomuchofthematthefirstview。”
Morelfoundthephotographstandingonthechiffonierin，theparlour。Hecameoutwithitbetweenhisthickthumbandfinger。
“Whodostreckonthisis？”heaskedofhiswife。
“It’sthegirlourWilliamisgoingwith，“repliedMrs。Morel。
“H’m！’Er’sabrightspark，fromth’lookon’er，an’
oneaswunnadohimowermuchgoodneither。Whoisshe？”
“HernameisLouisaLilyDenysWestern。”
“An’comeagainto-morrer！”exclaimedtheminer。”An’is’er，anactress？”
“Sheisnot。She’ssupposedtobealady。”
“I’llbet！”heexclaimed，stillstaringatthephoto。”Alady，isshe？，An’howmuchdoesshereckonterkeepupthissorto’
gameon？”
“Onnothing。Sheliveswithanoldaunt，whomshehates，andtakeswhatbitofmoney’sgivenher。”
“H’m！”saidMorel，layingdownthephotograph。”Thenhe’s，afooltoha’ta’enupwi’suchaoneasthat。”
“DearMater，“Williamreplied。”I’msorryyoudidn’tlike，thephotograph。ItneveroccurredtomewhenIsentit，thatyou，mightn’tthinkitdecent。However，ItoldGypthatitdidn’tquite，suityourprimandpropernotions，soshe’sgoingtosendyouanother，thatIhopewillpleaseyoubetter。She’salwaysbeingphotographed;
infact，thephotographersaskheriftheymaytakeherfornothing。”
Presentlythenewphotographcame，withalittlesillynote，fromthegirl。Thistimetheyoungladywasseeninablacksatin，eveningbodice，cutsquare，withlittlepuffsleeves，andblack，lacehangingdownherbeautifularms。
“Iwonderifsheeverwearsanythingexcepteveningclothes，“
saidMrs。Morelsarcastically。”I’msureIoughttobeimpressed。”
“Youaredisagreeable，mother，“saidPaul。”Ithinkthefirst，onewithbareshouldersislovely。”
“Doyou？”answeredhismother。”Well，Idon’t。”
OntheMondaymorningtheboygotupatsixtostartwork。
Hehadtheseason-ticket，whichhadcostsuchbitterness，inhis，waistcoatpocket。Heloveditwithitsbarsofyellowacross。
Hismotherpackedhisdinnerinasmall，shut-upbasket，andheset，offataquartertoseventocatchthe7。15train。Mrs。Morelcame，totheentry-endtoseehimoff。
Itwasaperfectmorning。Fromtheashtreetheslender，greenfruitsthatthechildrencall“pigeons“weretwinklinggaily，downonalittlebreeze，intothefrontgardensofthehouses。
Thevalleywasfullofalustrousdarkhaze，throughwhichtheripe，cornshimmered，andinwhichthesteamfromMintonpitmeltedswiftly。
Puffsofwindcame。PaullookedoverthehighwoodsofAldersley，wherethecountrygleamed，andhomehadneverpulledathim，sopowerfully。
“Good-morning，mother，“hesaid，smiling，butfeelingveryunhappy。
“Good-morning，“sherepliedcheerfullyandtenderly。
Shestoodinherwhiteapronontheopenroad，watchinghim，ashecrossedthefield。Hehadasmall，compactbodythatlooked，fulloflife。Shefelt，asshesawhimtrudgingoverthefield，thatwherehedeterminedtogohewouldget。ShethoughtofWilliam。
Hewouldhaveleapedthefenceinsteadofgoingroundthestile。
HewasawayinLondon，doingwell。PaulwouldbeworkinginNottingham。
Nowshehadtwosonsintheworld。Shecouldthinkoftwoplaces，greatcentresofindustry，andfeelthatshehadputamanintoeach，ofthem，thatthesemenwouldworkoutwhatSHEwanted;theywere，derivedfromher，theywereofher，andtheirworksalsowouldbehers。
AllthemorninglongshethoughtofPaul。
Ateighto’clockheclimbedthedismalstairsofJordan’s，SurgicalApplianceFactory，andstoodhelplesslyagainstthefirst，greatparcel-rack，waitingforsomebodytopickhimup。Theplace，wasstillnotawake。Overthecountersweregreatdustsheets。
Twomenonlyhadarrived，andwereheardtalkinginacorner，astheytookofftheircoatsandrolleduptheirshirt-sleeves。It，wastenpasteight。Evidentlytherewasnorushofpunctuality。
Paullistenedtothevoicesofthetwoclerks。Thenheheard，someonecough，andsawintheofficeattheendoftheroomanold，decayingclerk，inaroundsmoking-capofblackvelvetembroidered，withredandgreen，openingletters。Hewaitedandwaited。
Oneofthejuniorclerkswenttotheoldman，greetedhim，cheerilyandloudly。Evidentlytheold“chief“wasdeaf。
Thentheyoungfellowcamestridingimportantlydowntohiscounter。
HespiedPaul。
“Hello！”hesaid。”Youthenewlad？”
“Yes，“saidPaul。
“H’m！What’syourname？”
“PaulMorel。”
“PaulMorel？，Allright，youcomeonroundhere。”
Paulfollowedhimroundtherectangleofcounters。Theroom，wassecondstorey。Ithadagreatholeinthemiddleofthefloor，fencedaswithawallofcounters，anddownthiswideshaft，theliftswent，andthelightforthebottomstorey。Alsothere，wasacorrespondingbig，oblongholeintheceiling，andone，couldseeabove，overthefenceofthetopfloor，somemachinery;
andrightawayoverheadwastheglassroof，andalllightforthe，threestoreyscamedownwards，gettingdimmer，sothatitwasalways，nightonthegroundfloorandrathergloomyonthesecondfloor。
Thefactorywasthetopfloor，thewarehousethesecond，thestorehouse，thegroundfloor。Itwasaninsanitary，ancientplace。
Paulwasledroundtoaverydarkcorner。
“Thisisthe’Spiral’corner，“saidtheclerk。”You’reSpiral，withPappleworth。He’syourboss，buthe’snotcomeyet。Hedoesn’t，getheretillhalf-pasteight。Soyoucanfetchtheletters，ifyoulike，fromMr。Mellingdownthere。”
Theyoungmanpointedtotheoldclerkintheoffice。
“Allright，“saidPaul。
“Here’sapegtohangyourcapon。Hereareyourentryledgers。
Mr。Pappleworthwon’tbelong。”
Andthethinyoungmanstalkedawaywithlong，busystrides，overthehollowwoodenfloor。
AfteraminuteortwoPaulwentdownandstoodinthedoor，oftheglassoffice。Theoldclerkinthesmoking-caplooked，downovertherimofhisspectacles。
“Good-morning，“hesaid，kindlyandimpressively。”Youwant，thelettersfortheSpiraldepartment，Thomas？”
Paulresentedbeingcalled“Thomas“。Buthetooktheletters，andreturnedtohisdarkplace，wherethecountermadeanangle，wherethegreatparcel-rackcametoanend，andwherethere，werethreedoorsinthecorner。Hesatonahighstoolandread，theletters——thosewhosehandwritingwasnottoodifficult。
Theyranasfollows：
“Willyoupleasesendmeatonceapairoflady’ssilkspiral，thigh-hose，withoutfeet，suchasIhadfromyoulastyear;
length，thightoknee，etc。”，Or，“MajorChamberlainwishes，torepeathispreviousorderforasilknon-elasticsuspensorybandage。”
Manyoftheseletters，someoftheminFrenchorNorwegian，wereagreatpuzzletotheboy。Hesatonhisstoolnervouslyawaiting，thearrivalofhis“boss“。Hesufferedtorturesofshynesswhen，athalf-pasteight，thefactorygirlsforupstairstroopedpasthim。
Mr。Papplewortharrived，chewingachlorodynegum，atabout，twentytonine，whenalltheothermenwereatwork。Hewasathin，sallowmanwitharednose，quick，staccato，andsmartlybut，stifflydressed。Hewasaboutthirty-sixyearsold。Therewas，somethingrather“doggy“rathersmart，rather’cuteandshrewd，andsomethingwarm，andsomethingslightlycontemptibleabouthim。
“Youmynewlad？”hesaid。
Paulstoodupandsaidhewas。
“Fetchedtheletters？”
Mr。Pappleworthgaveachewtohisgum。
“Yes。”
“Copied’em？”
“No。”
“Well，comeonthen，let’slookslippy。Changedyourcoat？”
“No。”
“Youwanttobringanoldcoatandleaveithere。”，Hepronounced，thelastwordswiththechlorodynegumbetweenhissideteeth。
Hevanishedintothedarknessbehindthegreatparcel-rack，reappearedcoatless，turningupasmartstripedshirt-cuffover，athinandhairyarm。Thenheslippedintohiscoat。Paulnoticed，howthinhewas，andthathistrouserswereinfoldsbehind。
Heseizedastool，draggeditbesidetheboy’s，andsatdown。
“Sitdown，“hesaid。
Paultookaseat。
Mr。Pappleworthwasveryclosetohim。Themanseized，theletters，snatchedalongentry-bookoutofarackinfront，ofhim，flungitopen，seizedapen，andsaid：
“Nowlookhere。Youwanttocopytheselettersinhere。”
Hesniffedtwice，gaveaquickchewathisgum，staredfixedlyat，aletter，thenwentverystillandabsorbed，andwrotetheentryrapidly，inabeautifulflourishinghand。HeglancedquicklyatPaul。
“Seethat？”
“Yes。”
“Thinkyoucandoitallright？”
“Yes。”
“Allrightthen，let’sseeyou。”
Hesprangoffhisstool。Paultookapen。Mr。Pappleworth，disappeared。Paulratherlikedcopyingtheletters，buthewroteslowly，laboriously，andexceedinglybadly。Hewasdoingthefourthletter，andfeelingquitebusyandhappy，whenMr。Pappleworthreappeared。
“Nowthen，how’r’yergettingon？，Done’em？”
Heleanedovertheboy’sshoulder，chewing，andsmelling，ofchlorodyne。
“Strikemybob，lad，butyou’reabeautifulwriter！”
heexclaimedsatirically。”Ne’ermind，howmanyh’yerdone？
Onlythree！，I’d’aeaten’em。Geton，mylad，an’putnumbers，on’em。Here，look！，Geton！”
Paulgroundawayattheletters，whilstMr。Pappleworthfussed，overvariousjobs。Suddenlytheboystartedasashrillwhistle，soundednearhisear。Mr。Pappleworthcame，tookaplugoutofapipe，andsaid，inanamazinglycrossandbossyvoice：
“Yes？”
Paulheardafaintvoice，likeawoman’s，outofthemouthof，thetube。Hegazedinwonder，neverhavingseenaspeaking-tubebefore。
“Well，“saidMr。Pappleworthdisagreeablyintothetube，“you’dbettergetsomeofyourbackworkdone，then。”
Againthewoman’stinyvoicewasheard，soundingprettyandcross。
“I’venottimetostandherewhileyoutalk，“saidMr。Pappleworth，andhepushedtheplugintothetube。
“Come，mylad，“hesaidimploringlytoPaul，“there’sPolly，cryingoutforthemorders。Can’tyoubuckupabit？，Here，comeout！”
Hetookthebook，toPaul’simmensechagrin，andbegan，thecopyinghimself。Heworkedquicklyandwell。Thisdone，heseizedsomestripsoflongyellowpaper，aboutthreeincheswide，andmadeouttheday’sordersforthework-girls。
“You’dbetterwatchme，“hesaidtoPaul，workingallthe，whilerapidly。Paulwatchedtheweirdlittledrawingsoflegs，andthighs，andankles，withthestrokesacrossandthenumbers，andthefewbriefdirectionswhichhischiefmadeupontheyellowpaper。
ThenMr。Pappleworthfinishedandjumpedup。
“Comeonwithme，“hesaid，andtheyellowpapersflying，inhishands，hedashedthroughadooranddownsomestairs，intothebasementwherethegaswasburning。Theycrossedthecold，dampstoreroom，thenalong，drearyroomwithalongtableontrestles，intoasmaller，cosyapartment，notveryhigh，whichhadbeen，builtontothemainbuilding。Inthisroomasmallwomanwith，aredsergeblouse，andherblackhairdoneontopofherhead，waswaitinglikeaproudlittlebantam。
“Herey’are！”saidPappleworth。
“Ithinkitis’hereyouare’！”exclaimedPolly。”Thegirls，havebeenherenearlyhalfanhourwaiting。Justthinkofthe，timewasted！”
“YOUthinkofgettingyourworkdoneandnottalkingsomuch，“
saidMr。Pappleworth。”Youcouldha’beenfinishingoff。”
“YouknowquitewellwefinishedeverythingoffonSaturday！”
criedPony，flyingathim，herdarkeyesflashing。
“Tu-tu-tu-tu-terterter！”hemocked。”Here’syournewlad。
Don’truinhimasyoudidthelast。”
“Aswedidthelast！”repeatedPolly。”Yes，WEdoalot，ofruining，wedo。Myword，aladwouldTAKEsomeruiningafter，he’dbeenwithyou。”
“It’stimeforworknow，notfortalk，“saidMr。Pappleworth，severelyandcoldly。
“Itwastimeforworksometimeback，“saidPolly，marchingaway，withherheadintheair。Shewasanerectlittlebodyofforty。
Inthatroomweretworoundspiralmachinesonthebenchunder，thewindow。Throughtheinnerdoorwaywasanotherlongerroom，withsixmoremachines。Alittlegroupofgirls，nicelydressed，inwhiteaprons，stoodtalkingtogether。
“Haveyounothingelsetodobuttalk？”saidMr。Pappleworth。
“Onlywaitforyou，“saidonehandsomegirl，laughing。
“Well，geton，geton，“hesaid。”Comeon，mylad。
You’llknowyourroaddownhereagain。”
AndPaulranupstairsafterhischief。Hewasgivensome，checkingandinvoicingtodo。Hestoodatthedesk，labouringinhis，execrablehandwriting。PresentlyMr。Jordancamestruttingdownfrom，theglassofficeandstoodbehindhim，totheboy’sgreatdiscomfort。
Suddenlyaredandfatfingerwasthrustontheformhewasfillingin。
“MR。J。A。Bates，Esquire！”exclaimedthecrossvoicejust，behindhisear。
Paullookedat“Mr。J。A。Bates，Esquire“inhisownvilewriting，andwonderedwhatwasthematternow。
“Didn’ttheyteachyouanybetterTHANthatwhiletheywereatit？
Ifyouput’Mr。’youdon’tputEsquire’-amancan’tbebothatonce。”
Theboyregrettedhistoo-muchgenerosityindisposing，ofhonours，hesitated，andwithtremblingfingers，scratchedout，the“Mr。”ThenallatonceMr。Jordansnatchedawaytheinvoice。
