adam. We seem to be at
cross-purposes. I was speaking of--of a thing it pains me to mention;
and you say how much he loved--"

"Dirt, sir, dirt. It was his only weakness. Oh, my darling Charles, my
blessed, blessed Charley! Sometimes I used to drive him almost to his
end about it; but I never thought his end would come; I assure you I
never did, sir. But now I shall leave everything as he would like to see
it--every table and every chair, that he could write his name on it. And
his favorite pipe with the bottom in it. That is what he must love to
see, if the Lord allows him to look down. Only the children mustn't see
it, for the sake of bad example."

"Mrs. Carroway, I agree with you most strictly. Children must be taught
clean ways, even while they revere their father. You should see my
daughter Arabella, ma'am. She regards me with perfect devotion. Why?
Because I never let her do the things that I myself do. It is the only
true principle of government for a nation, a parish, a household. How
beautifully you have trained pretty Geraldine! I fear that you scarcely
could spare her for a month, in the spring, and perhaps Tommy after his
measles; but a visit to York would do them good, and establish their
expanding minds, ma'am."

"Mr. Mordacks, I know not where we may be then. But anything that you
desire is a law to us."

"Well said! Beautifully said! But I trust, my dear madam, that you will
be here. Indeed, it would never do for you to go away. Or rather, I
should put it thus--for the purposes of justice, and for other reasons
also, it is most important that you should not leave this place. At
least you will promise me that, I hope? Unless, of course, unless you
find the memories too painful. And even so, you might find comfort in
some inland house, not far."

"Many people might not like to stop," the widow answered, simply; "but
to me it would be a worse pain to go away. I sit, in the evening, by
the window here. Whenever there is light enough to show the sea, and
the beach is fit for landing on, it seems to my eyes that I can see
the boat, with my husband standing up in it. He had a majestic way of
standing, with one leg more up than the other, sir, through one of his
daring exploits; and whenever I see him, he is just like that; and the
little children in the kitchen peep and say, 'Here's daddy coming at
last; we can tell by mammy's eyes;' and the bigger ones say, 'Hush! You
might know better.' And I look agai