r satisfaction, without
in any way diminishing her sorrow and proper feeling. It is
conceivable she would have found satisfaction in being shipwrecked in
aristocratic company, without at the same time, suffering less than
she ought to suffer.

After the funeral they returned to the cottage and had a repast of
Julia's providing, eminently suitable to the occasion. Everything was
eminently suitable, every one's behaviour, every one's clothes; Mr.
Frazer's grave face, the banker's jerky manner--the manner of a man
concerned with the world's money market and ill at ease in the
intrusive presence of death. Mrs. Polkington's voice, face, feelings,
sayings, everything. Julia's own behaviour was perfect, though all the
time she saw how it looked as plainly as if she had been another and
disinterested person, and once or twice she had an hysterical desire
to applaud a good stroke of her mother's or prompt a backward speech
of her uncle's. Mr. Gillat, of course, did nothing suitable; he never
did. He kept up a preternaturally cheerful appearance during the meal,
stopping his mouth with large corks of bread, answering "Ah, yes, yes,
just so," indiscriminately whenever he was spoken to, and starting
three separate conversations on the weather on his own account. As
soon as the table was cleared, he fled into the back kitchen, shut
himself in with the dishes, and was seen no more. The others remained
in the sitting-room and talked things over, arranging plans for the
future and for the immediate present. And when the time came and the
conveyance was brought to the gate, they set out on the homeward
journey together. Johnny did not come out of the kitchen to say
good-bye; only Julia came to the gate.

Mr. Ponsonby was going back home; Mr. Frazer and Mrs. Polkington were
going with him to spend the night in town and go on westwards the next
morning. Mr. Frazer was anxious to get back to his parish, and Mrs.
Polkington to her daughter, who was expecting her first baby shortly.
It was this expected event which prevented the young rector from
asking Julia to stay with him and Violet until such time as she and
her mother could settle somewhere together. It was this same event
which prevented Mrs. Polkington from remaining at White's Cottage and
sharing Julia's solitude until their plans were settled. All this was
explained to Julia in the best Polkington manner and she seemed quite
satisfied with the explanation. Mr. Ponsonby had to be