CHAPTER XV. THE WALK

ansactedherbusiness,andtellherifanyonepassed.Butalas!therewasnoonevisiblebesidesthevillagers,exceptJaneandSusanGreencomingdownthesinglestreet,apparentlyreturningfromawalk. “Stupidthings!”mutteredshe,asshecameoutafterhavingconcludedherbargain.“Whycouldn’ttheyhavetheirdoltofabrotherwiththem?evenhewouldbebetterthannothing.” Shegreetedthem,however,withacheerfulsmile,andprotestationsofpleasureatthehappymeetingequaltotheirown.Theyplacedthemselvesoneoneachsideofher,andallthreewalkedawaychattingandlaughingasyoungladiesdowhentheygettogether,iftheybebutontolerablyintimateterms.ButI,feelingmyselftobeonetoomany,leftthemtotheirmerrimentandlaggedbehind,asusualonsuchoccasions:IhadnorelishforwalkingbesideMissGreenorMissSusanlikeonedeafanddumb,whocouldneitherspeaknorbespokento. ButthistimeIwasnotlongalone.Itstruckme,first,asveryodd,thatjustasIwasthinkingaboutMr.Westonheshouldcomeupandaccostmebutafterwards,onduereflection,Ithoughttherewasnothingoddaboutit,unlessitwerethefactofhisspeakingtomeforonsuchamorningandsonearhisownabode,itwasnaturalenoughthatheshouldbeaboutandasformythinkingofhim,Ihadbeendoingthat,withlittleintermission,eversincewesetoutonourjourneysotherewasnothingremarkableinthat. “Youarealoneagain,MissGrey,”saidhe. “Yes.” “Whatkindofpeoplearethoseladies—theMissesGreen?” “Ireallydon’tknow.” “That’sstrange—whenyoulivesonearandseethemsooften!” “Well,Isupposetheyarelively,good-temperedgirlsbutIimagineyoumustknowthembetterthanIdo,yourself,forIneverexchangedawordwitheitherofthem.” “Indeed?Theydon’tstrikemeasbeingparticularlyreserved.” “Verylikelytheyarenotsotopeopleoftheirownclassbuttheyconsiderthemselvesasmovinginquiteadifferentspherefromme!” Hemadenoreplytothis:butafterashortpause,hesaid,—“Isupposeit’sthesethings,MissGrey,thatmakeyouthinkyoucouldnotlivewithoutahome?” “Notexactly.ThefactisIamtoosociallydisposedtobeabletolivecontentedlywithoutafriendandastheonlyfriendsIhave,oramlikelytohave,areathome,ifit—orrather,iftheyweregone—IwillnotsayIcouldnotlive—butIwouldrathernotliveinsuchadesolateworld.” “Butwhydoyousaytheonlyfriendsyouarelikelytohave?Areyousounsociablethatyoucannotmakefriends?” “No,butInevermadeoneyetandinmypresentpositionthereisnopossibilityofdoingso,orevenofformingacommonacquaint