that ever blew about its
crumbling walls, saw once more the distant mountains, faint like
spectres, and the silent ships that came and vanished, and about our
feet the pleasant farm lands, and the grave, sweet river.

We had taken lodgings in the village: smaller now it seemed than
previously; but wonderful its sunny calm, after the turmoil of the
fierce dark streets. Mrs. Fursey was there still, but quite another than
the Mrs. Fursey of my remembrance, a still angular but cheery dame,
bent no longer on suppressing me, but rather on drawing me out before
admiring neighbours, as one saying: "The material was unpromising, as
you know. There were times when I almost despaired. But with
patience, and--may I say, a natural gift that way--you see what can
be accomplished!" And Anna, now a buxom wife and mother, with an
uncontrollable desire to fall upon and kiss me at most unexpected
moments, necessitating a never sleeping watchfulness on my part, and
a choosing of positions affording means of ready retreat. And old
Chumbley, still cobbling shoes in his tiny cave. On the bench before
him in a row they sat and watched him while he tapped and tapped and
hammered: pert little shoes piping "Be quick, be quick, we want to be
toddling. You seem to have no idea, my good man, how much toddling there
is to be done." Dapper boots, sighing: "Oh, please make haste, we are
waiting to dance and to strut. Jack walks in the lane, Jill waits by
the gate. Oh, deary, how slowly he taps." Stout sober boots, saying: "As
soon as you can, old friend. Remember we've work to do." Flat-footed old
boots, rusty and limp, mumbling: "We haven't much time, Mr. Chumbley.
Just a patch, that is all, we haven't much further to go." And old Joe,
still peddling his pack, with the help of the same old jokes. And Tom
Pinfold, still puzzled and scratching his head, the rejected fish still
hanging by its tail from his expostulating hand; one might almost have
imagined it the same fish. Grown-up folks had changed but little. Only
the foolish children had been playing tricks; parties I had left mere
sucking babes now swaggering in pinafore or knickerbocker; children I
had known now mincing it as men and women; such affectation annoyed me.

One afternoon--it was towards the close of the last week of our stay--my
mother and I had climbed, as was so often our wont, to the upper
platform of old Jacob's tower. My mother leant upon the parapet, her
eyes fixed dreamingly u