his last jest at my appearance, which had
been uttered by a good-tempered, jovial clergyman, who was passing by on
his way to the town church. I did my best to laugh and banter in return,
but it was like a bear dancing with a sore head. I felt gloomy and
uncomfortable. A change had come over me since I left home, for my
return was by no means an unmixed pleasure.

As I was proceeding along the quay, with a train of sympathizing
attendants, a man, who was driving a large cart piled with packages in
cases, as if they had come in from England by the steamer, touched his
hat to me, and stopped the horse. It was in order to inform me that he
was conveying furniture which we--that is, Julia and I--had ordered, up
to our new house, the windows of which I could see glistening in the
morning sun. My spirits did not rise, even at this cheerful information.
I looked coldly at the cases, bade the man go on, and shook off my train
by taking an abrupt turn up a flight of steps, leading directly into the
Haute Rue.

I had chosen instinctively the nearest by-way homeward, but, once in the
Haute Rue, I did not pursue it. I turned again upon a sudden thought
toward the Market Square, to see if I could pick up any dainties to
tempt the delicate appetite of my Sark patient. Every step I took
brought me into contact with some friend or acquaintance, whom I would
have avoided gladly. The market was sure to be full of them, for the
ladies of Guernsey, like Frenchwomen, would be there in shoals, with
their maidservants behind them to carry their purchases. Yet I turned
toward it, as I said, braving both congratulations and curiosity, to
see what I could buy for Tardif's "mam'zelle."

The square had all the peculiar animation of an early market where
ladies do their own bargaining. As I had known beforehand, most of my
acquaintances were there; for in Guernsey the feminine element
predominates terribly, and most of my acquaintances were ladies. The
peasant-women behind the stalls also knew me. Most of them nodded to me
as I strolled slowly through the crowd, but they were much too busy to
suspend their purchases in order to catechise me just then, being sure
of me at a future time. I had not done badly in choosing the busiest
street for my way home.

But as I left the Market Square I came suddenly upon Julia, face to
face. It had all the effect of a shock upon me. Like many other women,
she seldom looked well out-of-doors. The prevailing fa