All eyes were turned to the entrance as Stephen spoke, and the ancient-mannered conclave scrutinized him inquiringly. + 

вАЬWhy, вАЩtis our Stephen!вАЭ said his father, rising from his seat; and, still retaining the frothy mug in his left hand, he swung forward his right for a grasp. вАЬYour mother is expecting yeвБ†вАФthought you would have come afore dark. But youвАЩll wait and go home with me? I have all but done for the day, and was going directly.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, вАЩtis Master Stephy, sure enough. Glad to see you so soon again, Master Smith,вАЭ said Martin Cannister, chastening the gladness expressed in his words by a strict neutrality of countenance, in order to harmonize the feeling as much as possible with the solemnity of a family vault. + 

вАЬThe same to you, Martin; and you, William,вАЭ said Stephen, nodding around to the rest, who, having their mouths full of bread and cheese, were of necessity compelled to reply merely by compressing their eyes to friendly lines and wrinkles. + 

вАЬAnd who is dead?вАЭ Stephen repeated. + 

вАЬLady Luxellian, poor gentlewoman, as we all shall,вАЭ said the under-mason. вАЬAy, and we be going to enlarge the vault to make room for her.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhen did she die?вАЭ + 

вАЬEarly this morning,вАЭ his father replied, with an appearance of recurring to a chronic thought. вАЬYes, this morning. Martin hev been tolling ever since, almost. There, вАЩtwas expected. She was very limber.вАЭ + 

вАЬAy, poor soul, this morning,вАЭ resumed the under-mason, a marvellously old man, whose skin seemed so much too large for his body that it would not stay in position. вАЬShe must know by this time whether sheвАЩs to go up or down, poor woman.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat was her age?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot more than seven or eight and twenty by candlelight. But, Lord! by day вАЩa was forty if вАЩa were an hour.вАЭ + 

вАЬAy, nighttime or daytime makes a difference of twenty years to rich feymels,вАЭ observed Martin. + 

вАЬShe was one and thirty really,вАЭ said John Smith. вАЬI had it from them that know.вАЭ + 

вАЬNot more than that!вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩA looked very bad, poor lady. In faith, ye might say she was dead for years afore вАЩa would own it.вАЭ + 

вАЬAs my old father used to say, вАШdead, but wouldnвАЩt drop down.вАЩвАКвАЭ + 

вАЬI seed her, poor soul,вАЭ said a labourer from behind some removed coffins, вАЬonly but last ValentineвАЩs-day of all the world. вАЩA was arm in crook wiвАЩ my lord. I says to myself, вАШYou be ticketed Churchyard, my noble lady, although you donвАЩt dream onвАЩt.вАЩвАКвАЭ + 

вАЬI suppose my lord will write to all the other lords anointed in the nation, to let вАЩem know that she that was is now no more?вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩTis done and past. I see a bundle of letters go off an hour after the death. Sich wonderful black rims as they letters hadвБ†вАФhalf-an-inch wide, at the very least.вАЭ + 

вАЬToo much,вАЭ observed Martin. вАЬIn short, вАЩtis out of the question that a human being can be so mournful as black edges half-an-inch wide. IвАЩm sure people donвАЩt feel more than a very narrow border when they feels most of all.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd there are two little girls, are there not?вАЭ said Stephen. + 

вАЬNice clane little faces!вБ†вАФleft motherless now.вАЭ + 

вАЬThey used to come to Parson SwancourtвАЩs to play with Miss Elfride when I were there,вАЭ said William Worm. вАЬAh, they did soвАЩs!вАЭ The latter sentence was introduced to add the necessary melancholy to a remark which, intrinsically, could hardly be made to possess enough for the occasion. вАЬYes,вАЭ continued Worm, вАЬtheyвАЩd run upstairs, theyвАЩd run down; flitting about with her everywhere. Very fond of her, they were. Ah, well!вАЭ + 

вАЬFonder than ever they were of their mother, so вАЩtis said here and there,вАЭ added a labourer. + 

вАЬWell, you see, вАЩtis natural. Lady Luxellian stood aloof from вАЩem soвБ†вАФwas so drowsy-like, that they couldnвАЩt love her in the jolly-companion way children want to like folks. Only last winter I seed Miss Elfride talking to my lady and the two children, and Miss Elfride wiped their noses for emвАЩ so carefulвБ†вАФmy lady never once seeing that it wanted doing; and, naturally, children take to people thatвАЩs their best friend.вАЭ + 

вАЬBe as вАЩtwill, the woman is dead and gone, and we must make a place for her,вАЭ said John. вАЬCome, lads, drink up your ale, and weвАЩll just rid this corner, so as to have all clear for beginning at the wall, as soon as вАЩtis light tomorrow.вАЭ + 

Stephen then asked where Lady Luxellian was to lie. + 

вАЬHere,вАЭ said his father. вАЬWe are going to set back this wall and make a recess; and вАЩtis enough for us to do before the funeral. When my lordвАЩs mother died, she said, вАШJohn, the place must be enlarged before another can be put in.вАЩ But вАЩa never expected вАЩtwould be wanted so soon. Better move Lord George first, I suppose, Simeon?вАЭ + 

He pointed with his foot to a heavy coffin, covered with what had originally been red velvet, the colour of which could only just be distinguished now. + 

вАЬJust as ye think best, Master John,вАЭ replied the shrivelled mason. вАЬAh, poor Lord George!вАЭ he continued, looking contemplatively at the huge coffin; вАЬhe and I were as bitter enemies once as any could be when one is a lord and tвАЩother only a mortal man. Poor fellow! HeвАЩd clap his hand upon my shoulder and cuss me as familial and neighbourly as if heвАЩd been a common chap. Ay, вАЩa cussed me up hill and вАЩa cussed me down; and then вАЩa would rave out again, and the goold clamps of his fine new teeth would glisten in the sun like fetters of brass, while I, being a small man and poor, was fain to say nothing at all. Such a strappen fine gentleman as he was too! Yes, I rather liked en sometimes. But once now and then, when I looked at his towering height, IвАЩd think in my inside, вАШWhat a weight youвАЩll be, my lord, for our arms to lower under the aisle of Endelstow Church some day!вАЩвАКвАЭ + 

вАЬAnd was he?вАЭ inquired a young labourer. + 

вАЬHe was. He was five hundredweight if вАЩa were a pound. What with his lead, and his oak, and his handles, and his one thing and tвАЩotherвАЭвБ†вАФhere the ancient man slapped his hand upon the cover with a force that caused a rattle among the bones insideвБ†вАФвАЬhe half broke my back when I took his feet to lower en down the steps there. вАШAh,вАЩ saith I to John thereвБ†вАФdidnвАЩt I, John?вБ†вАФвАШthat ever one manвАЩs glory should be such a weight upon another man!вАЩ But there, I liked my lord George sometimes.вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩTis a strange thought,вАЭ said another, вАЬthat while they be all here under one roof, a snug united family oвАЩ Luxellians, they be really scattered miles away from one another in the form of good sheep and wicked goats, isnвАЩt it?вАЭ + 

вАЬTrue; вАЩtis a thought to look at.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd that one, if heвАЩs gone upward, donвАЩt know what his wife is doing no more than the man in the moon if sheвАЩs gone downward. And that some unfortunate one in the hot place is a-hollering across to a lucky one up in the clouds, and quite forgetting their bodies be boxed close together all the time.вАЭ + 

вАЬAy, вАЩtis a thought to look at, too, that I can say вАШHullo!вАЩ close to fiery Lord George, and вАЩa canвАЩt hear me.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd that I be eating my onion close to dainty Lady JaneвАЩs nose, and she canвАЩt smell me.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat do вАЩem put all their heads one way for?вАЭ inquired a young man. + 

вАЬBecause вАЩtis churchyard law, you simple. The law of the living is, that a man shall be upright and downright, and the law of the dead is, that a man shall be east and west. Every state of society have its laws.вАЭ + 

вАЬWe must break the law wiвАЩ a few of the poor souls, however. Come, buckle to,вАЭ said the master-mason. + 

And they set to work anew. + 

The order of interment could be distinctly traced by observing the appearance of the coffins as they lay piled around. On those which had been standing there but a generation or two the trappings still remained. Those of an earlier period showed bare wood, with a few tattered rags dangling therefrom. Earlier still, the wood lay in fragments on the floor of the niche, and the coffin consisted of naked lead alone; whilst in the case of the very oldest, even the lead was bulging and cracking in pieces, revealing to the curious eye a heap of dust within. The shields upon many were quite loose, and removable by the hand, their lustreless surfaces still indistinctly exhibiting the name and title of the deceased. + 

Overhead the groins and concavities of the arches curved in all directions, dropping low towards the walls, where the height was no more than sufficient to enable a person to stand upright. + 

The body of George the fourteenth baron, together with two or three others, all of more recent date than the great bulk of coffins piled there, had, for want of room, been placed at the end of the vault on tressels, and not in niches like the others. These it was necessary to remove, to form behind them the chamber in which they were ultimately to be deposited. Stephen, finding the place and proceedings in keeping with the sombre colours of his mind, waited there still. + 

вАЬSimeon, I suppose you can mind poor Lady Elfride, and how she ran away with the actor?вАЭ said John Smith, after awhile. вАЬI think it fell upon the time my father was sexton here. Let us seeвБ†вАФwhere is she?вАЭ + 

вАЬHere somewhere,вАЭ returned Simeon, looking round him. + 

вАЬWhy, IвАЩve got my arms round the very gentlewoman at this moment.вАЭ He lowered the end of the coffin he was holding, wiped his face, and throwing a morsel of rotten wood upon another as an indicator, continued: вАЬThatвАЩs her husband there. They was as fair a couple as you should see anywhere round about; and a good-hearted pair likewise. Ay, I can mind it, though I was but a chiel at the time. She fell in love with this young man of hers, and their banns were asked in some church in London; and the old lord her father actually heard вАЩem asked the three times, and didnвАЩt notice her name, being gabbled on wiвАЩ a host of others. When she had married she told her father, and вАЩa fleed into a monstrous rage, and said she shouldnвАЩ hae a farthing. Lady Elfride said she didnвАЩt think of wishing it; if heвАЩd forgie her вАЩtwas all she asked, and as for a living, she was content to play plays with her husband. This frightened the old lord, and вАЩa gieвАЩd вАЩem a house to live in, and a great garden, and a little field or two, and a carriage, and a good few guineas. Well, the poor thing died at her first gossiping, and her husbandвБ†вАФwho was as tenderhearted a man as ever eat meat, and would have died for herвБ†вАФwent wild in his mind, and broke his heart (so вАЩtwas said). Anyhow, they were buried the same dayвБ†вАФfather and motherвБ†вАФbut the baby lived. Ay, my lordвАЩs family made much of that man then, and put him here with his wife, and there in the corner the man is now. The Sunday after there was a funeral sermon: the text was, вАШOr ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken;вАЩ and when вАЩtwas preaching the men drew their hands across their eyes several times, and every woman cried out loud.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd what became of the baby?вАЭ said Stephen, who had frequently heard portions of the story. + 

вАЬShe was brought up by her grandmother, and a pretty maid she were. And she must needs run away with the curateвБ†вАФParson Swancourt that is now. Then her grandmother died, and the title and everything went away to another branch of the family altogether. Parson Swancourt wasted a good deal of his wifeвАЩs money, and she left him Miss Elfride. That trick of running away seems to be handed down in families, like craziness or gout. And they two women be alike as peas.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhich two?вАЭ + 

вАЬLady Elfride and young Miss thatвАЩs alive now. The same hair and eyes: but Miss ElfrideвАЩs mother was darker a good deal.вАЭ + 

вАЬLifeвАЩs a strangle bubble, ye see,вАЭ said William Worm musingly. вАЬFor if the LordвАЩs anointment had descended upon women instead of men, Miss Elfride would be Lord LuxellianвБ†вАФLady, I mane. But as it is, the blood is run out, and sheвАЩs nothing to the Luxellian family by law, whatever she may be by gospel.вАЭ + 

вАЬI used to fancy,вАЭ said Simeon, вАЬwhen I seed Miss Elfride hugging the little ladyships, that there was a likeness; but I suppose вАЩtwas only my dream, for years must have altered the old family shape.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd now weвАЩll move these two, and home-along,вАЭ interposed John Smith, reviving, as became a master, the spirit of labour, which had showed unmistakable signs of being nearly vanquished by the spirit of chat. вАЬThe flagon of ale we donвАЩt want weвАЩll let bide here till tomorrow; none of the poor souls will touch it вАЩa bвАЩlieve.вАЭ + 

So the eveningвАЩs work was concluded, and the party drew from the abode of the quiet dead, closing the old iron door, and shooting the lock loudly into the huge copper stapleвБ†вАФan incongruous act of imprisonment towards those who had no dreams of escape. + 