hat in the meantime if he would oblige
them with the funds necessary for bringing to perfection a certain
entirely novel description of Pump, the happiest results would ensue to
mankind.

Mr Meagles and his family, under these combined discouragements, had
begun reluctantly to give up Tattycoram as irrecoverable, when the new
and active firm of Doyce and Clennam, in their private capacities,
went down on a Saturday to stay at the cottage until Monday. The senior
partner took the coach, and the junior partner took his walking-stick.

A tranquil summer sunset shone upon him as he approached the end of
his walk, and passed through the meadows by the river side. He had
that sense of peace, and of being lightened of a weight of care, which
country quiet awakens in the breasts of dwellers in towns. Everything
within his view was lovely and placid. The rich foliage of the trees,
the luxuriant grass diversified with wild flowers, the little green
islands in the river, the beds of rushes, the water-lilies floating on
the surface of the stream, the distant voices in boats borne musically
towards him on the ripple of the water and the evening air, were all
expressive of rest. In the occasional leap of a fish, or dip of an oar,
or twittering of a bird not yet at roost, or distant barking of a dog,
or lowing of a cow--in all such sounds, there was the prevailing breath
of rest, which seemed to encompass him in every scent that sweetened
the fragrant air. The long lines of red and gold in the sky, and the
glorious track of the descending sun, were all divinely calm. Upon the
purple tree-tops far away, and on the green height near at hand up which
the shades were slowly creeping, there was an equal hush. Between the
real landscape and its shadow in the water, there was no division; both
were so untroubled and clear, and, while so fraught with solemn mystery
of life and death, so hopefully reassuring to the gazer's soothed heart,
because so tenderly and mercifully beautiful.

Clennam had stopped, not for the first time by many times, to look about
him and suffer what he saw to sink into his soul, as the shadows, looked
at, seemed to sink deeper and deeper into the water. He was slowly
resuming his way, when he saw a figure in the path before him which he
had, perhaps, already associated with the evening and its impressions.

Minnie was there, alone. She had some roses in her hand, and seemed to
have stood still on seeing him, waitin