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to Adam he looked uneasy and turned the conversation。 I suppose
the love…making doesn’t run smooth； or perhaps Adam hangs back
till he’s in a better position。 He has independence of spirit enough
for two men—rather an excess of pride； if anything。”
“That would be a capital match for Adam。 He would slip into
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old Burge’s shoes and make a fine thing of that building business；
I’ll answer for him。 I should like to see him well settled in this
parish； he would be ready then to act as my grand…vizier when I
wanted one。 We could plan no end of repairs and improvements
together。 I’ve never seen the girl； though； I think—at least I’ve
never looked at her。”
“Look at her next Sunday at church—she sits with her father
on the left of the reading…desk。 You needn’t look quite so much at
Hetty Sorrel then。 When I’ve made up my mind that I can’t afford
to buy a tempting dog； I take no notice of him； because if he took a
strong fancy to me and looked lovingly at me； the struggle between
arithmetic and inclination might become unpleasantly severe。 I
pique myself on my wisdom there； Arthur； and as an old fellow to
whom wisdom had become cheap； I bestow it upon you。”
“Thank you。 It may stand me in good stead some day though I
don’t know that I have any present use for it。 Bless me！ How the
brook has overflowed。 Suppose we have a canter； now we’re at the
bottom of the hill。”
That is the great advantage of dialogue on horseback； it can be
merged any minute into a trot or a canter； and one might have
escaped from Socrates himself in the saddle。 The two friends were
free from the necessity of further conversation till they pulled up
in the lane behind Adam’s cottage。
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Chapter X
Dinah Visits Lisbeth
t five o’clock Lisbeth came downstairs with a large key in
Aher hand： it was the key of the chamber where her
husband lay dead。 Throughout the day； except in her
occasional outbursts of wailing grief； she had been in incessant
movement； performing the initial duties to her dead with the awe
and exactitude that belong to religious rites。 She had brought out
her little store of bleached linen； which she had for long years kept
in reserve for this supreme use。 It seemed but yesterday—that
time so many midsummers ago； when she had told Thias where
this linen lay； that he might be sure and reach it out for her when
she died； for she was the elder of the two。 Then there had been the
work of cleansing to the strictest purity every object in the sacred
chamber； and of removing from it every trace of common daily
occupation。 The small window； which had hitherto freely let in the
frosty moonlight or the warm summer sunrise on the working
man’s slumber； must now be darkened with a fair white sheet； for
this was the sleep which is as sacred under the bare rafters as in
ceiled houses。 Lisbeth had even mended a long…neglected and
unnoticeable rent in the checkered bit of bed…curtain； for the
moments were few and precious now in which she would be able
to do the smallest office of respect or love for the still corpse； to
which in all her thoughts she attributed some consciousness。 Our
dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them： they can
be injured by us； they can be wounded； they know all our
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penitence； all our aching sense that their place is empty； all the
kisses we bestow on the smallest relic of their presence。 And the
aged peasant woman most of all believes that her dead are
conscious。 Decent burial was what Lisbeth had been thinking of
for herself through years of thrift； with an indistinct expectation
that she should know when she was being carried to the
churchyard； followed by her husband and her sons； and now she
felt as if the greatest work of her life were to be done in seeing that
Thias was buried decently before her—under the white thorn；
where once； in a dream； she had thought she lay in the coffin； yet
all the while saw the sunshine above and smelt the white blossoms
that were so thick upon the thorn the Sunday she went to be
churched after Adam was born。
But now she had done everything that could be done to…day in
the chamber of death—had done it all herself； with some aid from
her sons in lifting； for she would let no one be fetched to help her
from the village； not being fond of female neighbours generally；
and her favourite Dolly； the old housekeeper at Mr。 Burge’s； who
had come to condole with her in the morning as soon as she heard
of Thias’s death； was too dim…sighted to be of much use。 She had
locked the door； and now held the key in her hand； as she threw
herself wearily into a chair that stood out of its place in the middle
of the house floor； where in ordinary times she would never have
consented to sit。 The kitchen had had none of her attention that
day； it was soiled with the tread of muddy shoes and untidy with
clothes and other objects out of place。 But what at another time
would have been intolerable to Lisbeth’s habits of order and
cleanliness seemed to her now just what should be： it was right
that things should look strange and disordered and wretched； now
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the old man had come to his end in that sad way； the kitchen
ought not to look as if nothing had happened。 Adam； overcome
with the agitations and exertions of the day after his night of hard
work； had fallen asleep on a