lk of love to-day."

"Why not? It is a general holiday."

She did not reply. Vilbert's arm stole round her waist, which act
could be performed unobserved in the crowd. An arch expression
overspread Arabella's face at the feel of the arm, but she kept her
eyes on the river as if she did not know of the embrace.

The crowd surged, pushing Arabella and her friends sometimes nearly
into the river, and she would have laughed heartily at the horse-play
that succeeded, if the imprint on her mind's eye of a pale,
statuesque countenance she had lately gazed upon had not sobered her
a little.

The fun on the water reached the acme of excitement; there were
immersions, there were shouts: the race was lost and won, the pink
and blue and yellow ladies retired from the barges, and the people
who had watched began to move.

"Well--it's been awfully good," cried Arabella. "But I think I must
get back to my poor man. Father is there, so far as I know; but I
had better get back."

"What's your hurry?"

"Well, I must go... Dear, dear, this is awkward!"

At the narrow gangway where the people ascended from the riverside
path to the bridge the crowd was literally jammed into one hot
mass--Arabella and Vilbert with the rest; and here they remained
motionless, Arabella exclaiming, "Dear, dear!" more and more
impatiently; for it had just occurred to her mind that if Jude were
discovered to have died alone an inquest might be deemed necessary.

"What a fidget you are, my love," said the physician, who, being
pressed close against her by the throng, had no need of personal
effort for contact. "Just as well have patience: there's no getting
away yet!"

It was nearly ten minutes before the wedged multitude moved
sufficiently to let them pass through. As soon as she got up
into the street Arabella hastened on, forbidding the physician to
accompany her further that day. She did not go straight to her
house; but to the abode of a woman who performed the last necessary
offices for the poorer dead; where she knocked.

"My husband has just gone, poor soul," she said. "Can you come and
lay him out?"

Arabella waited a few minutes; and the two women went along, elbowing
their way through the stream of fashionable people pouring out of
Cardinal meadow, and being nearly knocked down by the carriages.

"I must call at the sexton's about the bell, too," said Arabella.
"It is just round here, isn't it? I'll meet you at my door."