вАЬI canвАЩt think whatвАЩs coming to these St.¬†LaunceвАЩs people at all at all.вАЭ + 

вАЬWith their вАШHow-dвАЩye-doвАЩs,вАЩ do you mean?вАЭ + 

вАЬAy, with their вАШHow-dвАЩye-doвАЩs,вАЩ and shaking of hands, asking me in, and tender inquiries for you, John.вАЭ + 

These words formed part of a conversation between John Smith and his wife on a Saturday evening in the spring which followed KnightвАЩs departure from England. Stephen had long since returned to India; and the persevering couple themselves had migrated from Lord LuxellianвАЩs park at Endelstow to a comfortable roadside dwelling about a mile out of St.¬†LaunceвАЩs, where John had opened a small stone and slate yard in his own name. + 

вАЬWhen we came here six months ago,вАЭ continued Mrs.¬†Smith, вАЬthough I had paid ready money so many years in the town, my friskier shopkeepers would only speak over the counter. Meet вАЩem in the street half-an-hour after, and theyвАЩd treat me with staring ignorance of my face.вАЭ + 

вАЬLook through ye as through a glass winder?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, the brazen ones would. The quiet and cool ones would glance over the top of my head, past my side, over my shoulder, but never meet my eye. The gentle-modest would turn their faces south if I were coming east, flit down a passage if I were about to halve the pavement with them. There was the spruce young bookseller would play the same tricks; the butcherвАЩs daughters; the upholstererвАЩs young men. Hand in glove when doing business out of sight with you; but caring nothing for aвАЩ old woman when playing the genteel away from all signs of their trade.вАЭ + 

вАЬTrue enough, Maria.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, today вАЩtis all different. IвАЩd no sooner got to market than Mrs.¬†Joakes rushed up to me in the eyes of the town and said, вАШMy dear Mrs.¬†Smith, now you must be tired with your walk! Come in and have some lunch! I insist upon it; knowing you so many years as I have! DonвАЩt you remember when we used to go looking for owlsвАЩ feathers together in the Castle ruins?вАЩ ThereвАЩs no knowing what you may need, so I answered the woman civilly. I hadnвАЩt got to the corner before that thriving young lawyer, Sweet, whoвАЩs quite the dandy, ran after me out of breath. вАШMrs.¬†Smith,вАЩ he says, вАШexcuse my rudeness, but thereвАЩs a bramble on the tail of your dress, which youвАЩve dragged in from the country; allow me to pull it off for you.вАЩ If youвАЩll believe me, this was in the very front of the Town Hall. WhatвАЩs the meaning of such sudden love for aвАЩ old woman?вАЭ + 

вАЬCanвАЩt say; unless вАЩtis repentance.вАЭ + 

вАЬRepentance! was there ever such a fool as you, John? Did anybody ever repent with money inвАЩs pocket and fifty years to live?вАЭ + 

вАЬNow, IвАЩve been thinking too,вАЭ said John, passing over the query as hardly pertinent, вАЬthat IвАЩve had more loving-kindness from folks today than I ever have before since we moved here. Why, old Alderman Tope walked out to the middle of the street where I was, to shake hands with meвБ†вАФso вАЩa did. Having on my working clothes, I thought вАЩtwas odd. Ay, and there was young Werrington.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhoвАЩs he?вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy, the man in Hill Street, who plays and sells flutes, trumpets, and fiddles, and grand pehanners. He was talking to Egloskerry, that very small bachelor-man with money in the funds. I was going by, IвАЩm sure, without thinking or expecting a nod from men of that glib kidney when in my working clothesвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬYou always will go poking into town in your working clothes. Beg you to change how I will, вАЩtis no use.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, however, I was in my working clothes. Werrington saw me. вАШAh, Mr.¬†Smith! a fine morning; excellent weather for building,вАЩ says he, out as loud and friendly as if IвАЩd met him in some deep hollow, where he could get nobody else to speak to at all. вАЩTwas odd: for Werrington is one of the very ringleaders of the fast class.вАЭ + 

At that moment a tap came to the door. The door was immediately opened by Mrs.¬†Smith in person. + 

вАЬYouвАЩll excuse us, IвАЩm sure, Mrs.¬†Smith, but this beautiful spring weather was too much for us. Yes, and we could stay in no longer; and I took Mrs.¬†Trewen upon my arm directly weвАЩd had a cup of tea, and out we came. And seeing your beautiful crocuses in such a bloom, weвАЩve taken the liberty to enter. WeвАЩll step round the garden, if you donвАЩt mind.вАЭ + 

вАЬNot at all,вАЭ said Mrs.¬†Smith; and they walked round the garden. She lifted her hands in amazement directly their backs were turned. вАЬGoodness send us grace!вАЭ + 

вАЬWho be they?вАЭ said her husband. + 

вАЬActually Mr.¬†Trewen, the bank-manager, and his wife.вАЭ + 

John Smith, staggered in mind, went out of doors and looked over the garden gate, to collect his ideas. He had not been there two minutes when wheels were heard, and a carriage and pair rolled along the road. A distinguished-looking lady, with the demeanour of a duchess, reclined within. When opposite SmithвАЩs gate she turned her head, and instantly commanded the coachman to stop. + 

вАЬAh, Mr.¬†Smith, I am glad to see you looking so well. I could not help stopping a moment to congratulate you and Mrs.¬†Smith upon the happiness you must enjoy. Joseph, you may drive on.вАЭ + 

And the carriage rolled away towards St.¬†LaunceвАЩs. + 

Out rushed Mrs.¬†Smith from behind a laurel-bush, where she had stood pondering. + 

вАЬJust going to touch my hat to her,вАЭ said John; вАЬjust for all the world as I would have to poor Lady Luxellian years ago.вАЭ + 

вАЬLord! who is she?вАЭ + 

вАЬThe public-house womanвБ†вАФwhatвАЩs her name? Mrs.вБ†вАФMrs.вБ†вАФat the Falcon.вАЭ + 

вАЬPublic-house woman. The clumsiness of the Smith family! You might say the landlady of the Falcon Hotel, since we are in for politeness. The people are ridiculous enough, but give them their due.вАЭ + 

The possibility is that Mrs.¬†Smith was getting mollified, in spite of herself, by these remarkably friendly phenomena among the people of St.¬†LaunceвАЩs. And in justice to them it was quite desirable that she should do so. The interest which the unpractised ones of this town expressed so grotesquely was genuine of its kind, and equal in intrinsic worth to the more polished smiles of larger communities. + 

By this time Mr.¬†and Mrs.¬†Trewen were returning from the garden. + 

вАЬIвАЩll ask вАЩem flat,вАЭ whispered John to his wife. вАЬIвАЩll say, вАШWe be in a fogвБ†вАФyouвАЩll excuse my asking a question, Mr.¬†and Mrs.¬†Trewen. How is it you all be so friendly today?вАЩ Hey? вАЩTwould sound right and sensible, wouldnвАЩt it?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot a word! Good mercy, when will the man have manners!вАЭ + 

вАЬIt must be a proud moment for you, I am sure, Mr.¬†and Mrs.¬†Smith, to have a son so celebrated,вАЭ said the bank-manager advancing. + 

вАЬAh, вАЩtis StephenвБ†вАФI knew it!вАЭ said Mrs.¬†Smith triumphantly to herself. + 

вАЬWe donвАЩt know particulars,вАЭ said John. + 

вАЬNot know!вАЭ + 

вАЬNo.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy, вАЩtis all over town. Our worthy Mayor alluded to it in a speech at the dinner last night of the Every-Man-his-own-Maker Club.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd what about Stephen?вАЭ urged Mrs.¬†Smith. + 

вАЬWhy, your son has been f√™ted by deputy-governors and Parsee princes and nobody-knows-who in India; is hand in glove with nabobs, and is to design a large palace, and cathedral, and hospitals, colleges, halls, and fortifications, by the general consent of the ruling powers, Christian and Pagan alike.вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩTwas sure to come to the boy,вАЭ said Mr.¬†Smith unassumingly. + 

вАЬвАКвАЩTis in yesterdayвАЩs St.¬†LaunceвАЩs Chronicle; and our worthy Mayor in the chair introduced the subject into his speech last night in a masterly manner.вАЭ + 

вАЬвАКвАЩTwas very good of the worthy Mayor in the chair IвАЩm sure,вАЭ said StephenвАЩs mother. вАЬI hope the boy will have the sense to keep what heвАЩs got; but as for men, they are a simple sex. Some woman will hook him.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, Mr.¬†and Mrs.¬†Smith, the evening closes in, and we must be going; and remember this, that every Saturday when you come in to market, you are to make our house as your own. There will be always a teacup and saucer for you, as you know there has been for months, though you may have forgotten it. IвАЩm a plain-speaking woman, and what I say I mean.вАЭ + 

When the visitors were gone, and the sun had set, and the moonвАЩs rays were just beginning to assert themselves upon the walls of the dwelling, John Smith and his wife sat down to the newspaper they had hastily procured from the town. And when the reading was done, they considered how best to meet the new social requirements settling upon them, which Mrs.¬†Smith considered could be done by new furniture and house enlargement alone. + 

вАЬAnd, John, mind one thing,вАЭ she said in conclusion. вАЬIn writing to Stephen, never by any means mention the name of Elfride Swancourt again. WeвАЩve left the place, and know no more about her except by hearsay. He seems to be getting free of her, and glad am I for it. It was a cloudy hour for him when he first set eyes upon the girl. That familyвАЩs been no good to him, first or last; so let them keep their blood to themselves if they want to. He thinks of her, I know, but not so hopelessly. So donвАЩt try to know anything about her, and we canвАЩt answer his questions. She may die out of his mind then.вАЭ + 

вАЬThat shall be it,вАЭ said John. + 