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H dd nt publiś hiz xpirịnsz vri wîdli upn hiz rtrn t Ñgḷnd; bt ɖe cd nt fel t bcm noun t a gd mni v hiz frendz, n amñ uɖrz t ɖ jntlmn hu at ɖt tîm prizîdd ovr an artḿziym at anɖr Yṇvrṣti. It wz t b xpctd ɖt ɖ stori śd mc a cnsidṛbl impreśn on ɖ mînd v a man huz voceśn le in lînz similr t Denistn’z, n ɖt h śd b īgr t cać at eni xpḷneśn v ɖ matr ẃć tndd t mc it sīm improbbl ɖt h śd evr b cōld upn t dīl wɖ so ajtetñ an imrjnsi. It wz, indd, smẃt cnsolñ t him t rflect ɖt h wz nt xpctd t aqîr enćnt mańscripts fr hiz insttyśn; ɖt wz ɖ biznis v ɖ Ślbrnịn Lîbrri. Ɖ oʈoṛtiz v ɖt insttyśn mt, f ɖe plizd, ransac obskr cornrz v ɖ Continnt fr sć matrz. H wz glad t b oblîjd at ɖ momnt t cnfîn hiz atnśn t inlarjñ ɖ olrdi unṣpást c’lex́n v Ñgliś topgraficl drw̃z n ingrevñz pzest bî hiz ḿziym. Yt, az it trnd ǎt, īvn a dpartmnt so homli n fmiłr az ɖs me hv its darc cornrz, n t wn v ɖz Mr. Wiłmz wz unixpctidli intṛdyst.

Ɖoz hu hv tecn īvn ɖ most liṃtd inṭrest in ɖ aqziśn v topgraficl picćrz r awer ɖt ɖr z wn Lundn dīlr huz ed z indispnsbl t ɖer rsrćz. Mr. J. W. Britnl publiśz at śort inṭvlz vri admṛbl caṭlogz v a larj n constntli ćenjñ stoc v ingrevñz, planz, n old scećz v manśnz, ćrćz, n tǎnz in Ñgḷnd n Wêlz. Ɖz caṭlogz wr, v cors, ɖ ABC v hiz subjict t Mr. Wiłmz: bt az hiz ḿziym olrdi cntend an inorṃs akḿleśn v topgraficl picćrz, h wz a reğlr, rɖr ɖn a copịs, bayr; n h rɖr lct t Mr. Britnl t fil p gaps in ɖ ranc n fîl v hiz c’lex́n ɖn t s’plî him wɖ reṛtiz.

Nǎ, in Febrri v last yir ɖr apird upn Mr. Wiłmz’z dsc at ɖ ḿziym a caṭlog fṛm Mr. Britnl’z emporịm, n acumṗniyñ it wz a tîpritn cḿṇceśn fṛm ɖ dīlr himslf. Ɖs latr ran az foloz:

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A parsl v eni cnd olwz arîvz a de lêtr ɖn y xpct it, n ɖt v Mr. Britnl pruvd, az I b’liv ɖ rît frêz gz, no xpśn t ɖ rūl. It wz dlivrd at ɖ ḿziym bî ɖ afṭnunpost v Saṭde, aftr Mr. Wiłmz hd left hiz wrc, n it wz acordñli bròt rnd t hiz rūmz in colij bî ɖ atndnt, in ordr ɖt h mt nt hv t wêt ovr Súnde bfr lcñ ʈru it n rtrnñ sć v ɖ contents az h dd nt pṛpoz t cīp. N hir h faund it ẃn h cem in t ti, wɖ a frend.

Ɖ onli îtm wɖ ẃć I am cnsrnd wz ɖ rɖr larj, blac-fremd metsotint v ẃć I hv olrdi qotd ɖ śort dscripśn gvn in Mr. Britnl’z caṭlog. Sm mor dītelz v it wl hv t b gvn, ɖo I canot hop t pt bfr y ɖ lc v ɖ picćr az clirli az it z preznt t mî ǒn î. Vri nirli ɖ xact dyplic̣t v it me b sìn in a gd mni old ínparlrz, or in ɖ paṣjz v undistrbd cuntrimanśnz at ɖ preznt momnt. It wz a rɖr indifṛnt metsotint, n an indifṛnt metsotint z, phps, ɖ wrst form v ingrevñ noun. It prizntd a fl-fes vy v a nt vri larj mánrhǎs v ɖ last snćri, wɖ ʈri roz v plen saśt windoz wɖ rusṭcetd mesnri abt ɖm, a paṛpit wɖ bōlz or vāzz at ɖ anglz, n a smōl portico in ɖ sntr. On îɖr sîd wr triz, n in frunt a cnsidṛbl xpans v lōn. Ɖ lejnd A. W. F. sculpsit wz ingrevd on ɖ naro marjin; n ɖr wz no frɖr inscripśn. Ɖ hol ʈñ gev ɖ impreśn ɖt it wz ɖ wrc v an aṃćr. Ẃt in ɖ wrld Mr. Britnl cd mīn bî afixñ ɖ prîs v £2 2ś. t sć an objict wz mor ɖn Mr. Wiłmz cd imajin. H trnd it ovr wɖ a gd dīl v cntmt; upn ɖ bac wz a pepr lebl, ɖ left-hand haf v ẃć hd bn torn of. Ol ɖt rmend wr ɖ endz v tū lînz v raitñ; ɖ frst hd ɖ letrz—ñli Hōl; ɖ secnd,—six.

It wd, phps, b jst wrʈẃl t îdnṭfî ɖ ples reprizntd, ẃć h cd īẓli d wɖ ɖ hlp v a gaẓtir, n ɖen h wd snd it bac t Mr. Britnl, wɖ sm rmarcs rflectñ upn ɖ jujmnt v ɖt jntlmn.

H lîtd ɖ candlz, fr it wz nǎ darc, md ɖ ti, n s’plaid ɖ frend wɖ hūm h hd bn pleyñ golf (fr I b’liv ɖ oʈoṛtiz v ɖ Yṇvrṣti I rait v indulj in ɖt psyt bî we v rīlaxeśn); n ti wz tecn t ɖ acumṗnimnt v a dscuśn ẃć golfñprsnz cn imajin fr ɖmslvz, bt ẃć ɖ conśienśs raitr hz no rît t inflict upn eni non-golfñprsnz.

Ɖ cncluźn arîvd at wz ɖt srtn strocs mt hv bn betr, n ɖt in srtn imrjnsiz nɖr pleyr hd xpirịnst ɖt amǎnt v luc ẃć a hymn biyñ hz a rît t xpct. It wz nǎ ɖt ɖ frend—let s cōl him Pṛfesr Bncs—tc p ɖ fremd ingrevñ n sd:

‘Ẃt’s ɖs ples, Wiłmz?’

‘Jst ẃt I am gwñ t trî t fînd ǎt,’ sd Wiłmz, gwñ t ɖ ślf fr a gaẓtir. ‘Lc at ɖ bac. Smʈñli Hōl, îɖr in Susix or Esix. Haf ɖ nem’z gn, y si. Y d’nt hapn t nǒ it, I s’poz?’

‘It’s fṛm ɖt man Britnl, I s’poz, z’nt it?’ sd Bncs. ‘Z it fr ɖ ḿziym?’

‘Wel, I ʈnc I śd bai it f ɖ prîs wz fîv śilñz,’ sd Wiłmz; ‘bt fr sm unrʈli rīzn h wonts tū giniz fr it. I c’nt cnsiv ẃ. It’s a rećid ingrevñ, n ɖr r’nt īvn eni figrz t gv it lîf.’

‘It’s nt wrʈ tū giniz, I śd ʈnc,’ sd Bncs; ‘bt I d’nt ʈnc it’s so badli dn. Ɖ mūnlît sīmz rɖr gd t m; n I śd hv ʈt ɖr wr figrz, or at līst a figr, jst on ɖ éj in frunt.’

‘Let’s lc,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘Wel, it’s tru ɖ lît z rɖr clevrli gvn. Ẃr’z yr figr? Ǒ, yes! Jst ɖ hed, in ɖ vri frunt v ɖ picćr.’

N indd ɖr wz—hardli mor ɖn a blac blot on ɖ xtrim éj v ɖ ingrevñ—ɖ hed v a man or wmn, a gd dīl mufld p, ɖ bac trnd t ɖ spectetr, n lcñ twdz ɖ hǎs.

Wiłmz hd nt notist it bfr.

‘Stl,’ h sd, ‘ɖo it’s a clevrr ʈñ ɖn I ʈt, I c’nt spend tū giniz v ḿziym̦uni on a picćr v a ples I d’nt nǒ.’

Pṛfesr Bncs hd hiz wrc t d, n sn wnt; n vri nirli p t Hōl tîm Wiłmz wz ingejd in a ven atmt t îdnṭfî ɖ subjict v hiz picćr. ‘F ɖ vǎl bfr ɖ ñ hd onli bn left, it wd hv bn īzi inuf,’ h ʈt; ‘bt az it z, ɖ nem me b enʈñ fṛm Gstñli t Lañli, n ɖr r mni mor nemz endñ lîc ɖs ɖn I ʈt; n ɖs rotn bc hz no indx v trṃneśnz.’

Hōl in Mr. Wiłmz’z colij wz at sevn. It nīd nt b dwelt upn; ɖ les so az h met ɖr colīgz hu hd bn pleyñ golf jrñ ɖ afṭnun, n wrdz wɖ ẃć w hv no cnsrn wr frīli bandid acrs ɖ tebl—mirli golfñ wrdz, I wd hesn t xplen.

I s’poz an aur or mor t hv bn spent in ẃt z cōld comn-rūm aftr dinr. Lêtr in ɖ īvnñ sm fy rtîrd t Wiłmz’z rūmz, n I hv litl dǎt ɖt ẃist wz pleid n tbaco smoct. Jrñ a lul in ɖz oṗreśnz Wiłmz pict p ɖ metsotint fṛm ɖ tebl wɖt lcñ at it, n handd it t a prsn mîldli inṭrestd in art, telñ him ẃr it hd cm fṛm, n ɖ uɖr ptiklrz ẃć w olrdi nǒ.

Ɖ jntlmn tc it cerlisli, lct at it, ɖen sd, in a ton v sm inṭrest:

‘It’s riyli a vri gd pìs v wrc, Wiłmz; it hz qt a fīlñ v ɖ r’mantic pirịd. Ɖ lît z admṛbli manijd, it sīmz t m, n ɖ figr, ɖo it’s rɖr tù gṛtesc, z smhǎ vri impresiv.’

‘Yes, z’nt it?’ sd Wiłmz, hu wz jst ɖen bizi gvñ ẃisci n soda t uɖrz v ɖ cumṗni, n wz unebl t cm acrs ɖ rūm t lc at ɖ vy agn.

It wz bî ɖs tîm rɖr lêt in ɖ īvnñ, n ɖ vizitrz wr on ɖ muv. Aftr ɖe wnt Wiłmz wz oblîjd t rait a letr or tū n clir p sm od bits v wrc. At last, sm tîm past midnît, h wz dspozd t trn in, n h pt ǎt hiz lamp aftr lîtñ hiz bedrūm candl. Ɖ picćr le fes upwdz on ɖ tebl ẃr ɖ last man hu lct at it hd pt it, n it còt hiz î az h trnd ɖ lamp dǎn. Ẃt h sw md him vri nirli drop ɖ candl on ɖ flor, n h dclerz nǎ f h hd bn left in ɖ darc at ɖt momnt h wd hv hd a fit. Bt, az ɖt dd nt hapn, h wz ebl t pt dǎn ɖ lît on ɖ tebl n tec a gd lc at ɖ picćr. It wz indybitbl—rancli imposbl, no dǎt, bt abṣlutli srtn. In ɖ midl v ɖ lōn in frunt v ɖ uņoun hǎs ɖr wz a figr ẃr no figr hd bn at fîv o’cloc ɖt afṭnun. It wz crōlñ on ol forz twdz ɖ hǎs, n it wz mufld in a strenj blac garmnt wɖ a ẃît cros on ɖ bac.

I d nt nǒ ẃt z ɖ îdiyl cors t psy in a sićueśn v ɖs cnd, I cn onli tel y ẃt Mr. Wiłmz dd. H tc ɖ picćr bî wn cornr n carid it acrs ɖ pasij t a secnd set v rūmz ẃć h pzest. Ɖr h loct it p in a dror, sportd ɖ dorz v bʈ sets v rūmz, n rtîrd t bed; bt frst h rout ǎt n sînd an acǎnt v ɖ xtrordnri ćenj ẃć ɖ picćr hd unḍgn sins it hd cm intu hiz pześn.

Slīp viẓtd him rɖr lêt; bt it wz cnsolñ t rflect ɖt ɖ bhevyr v ɖ picćr dd nt dpnd upn hiz ǒn uns’portd tstiṃni. Evidntli ɖ man hu hd lct at it ɖ nît bfr hd sìn smʈñ v ɖ sem cnd az h hd, uɖ̇wz h mt hv bn tmtd t ʈnc ɖt smʈñ grevli roñ wz haṗnñ îɖr t hiz îz or hiz mînd. Ɖs posbiḷti biyñ forćṇtli pricludd, tū matrz awêtd him on ɖ moro. H mst tec stoc v ɖ picćr vri cerf̣li, n cōl in a witnis fr ɖ prṗs, n h mst mc a dtrmind ef̣t t aṣten ẃt hǎs it wz ɖt wz reprizntd. H wd ɖrfr asc hiz nebr Nizbit t brecfst wɖ him, n h wd subsiqntli spend a mornñ ovr ɖ gaẓtir.

Nizbit wz disingejd, n arîvd abt 9.20. Hiz host wz nt qt drest, I am sori t se, īvn at ɖs lêt aur. Jrñ brecfst nʈñ wz sd abt ɖ metsotint bî Wiłmz, sev ɖt h hd a picćr on ẃć h wśt fr Nizbit’s opińn. Bt ɖoz hu r fmiłr wɖ yṇvrṣtilîf cn picćr fr ɖmslvz ɖ wîd n dlîtfl renj v subjicts ovr ẃć ɖ convseśn v tū Feloz v Canṭbri Colij z lîcli t xtnd jrñ a Súnde mornñ brecfst. Hardli a topic wz left unćalinjd, fṛm golf t lōntenis. Yt I am baund t se ɖt Wiłmz wz rɖr dstrōt; fr hiz inṭrest naćṛli sntrd in ɖt vri strenj picćr ẃć wz nǎ rpozñ, fes dǎnwdz, in ɖ dror in ɖ rūm oṗzit.

Ɖ mornñpîp wz at last lîtd, n ɖ momnt hd arîvd fr ẃć h lct. Wɖ vri cnsidṛbl—olmst treḿḷs—xîtmnt h ran acrs, unloct ɖ dror, n, xtractñ ɖ picćr—stl fes dǎnwdz—ran bac, n pt it intu Nizbit’s handz.

‘Nǎ,’ h sd, ‘Nizbit, I wont y t tel m xacli ẃt y si in ɖt picćr. Dscrîb it, f y d’nt mînd, rɖr mînytli. I’l tel y ẃ aftwdz.’

‘Wel,’ sd Nizbit, ‘I hv hir a vy v a cuntrihǎs—Ñgliś, I prizym—bî mūnlît.’

‘Mūnlît? Y’r śr v ɖt?’

‘Srtnli. Ɖ mūn apirz t b on ɖ wen, f y wś fr dītelz, n ɖr r clǎdz in ɖ scî.’

‘Ol rît. G on. I’l swer,’ add Wiłmz in an asd, ‘ɖr wz no mūn ẃn I sw it frst.’

‘Wel, ɖr’z nt mć mor t b sd,’ Nizbit cntinyd. ‘Ɖ hǎs hz wn—tū—ʈri roz v windoz, fîv in ć ro, xpt at ɖ botm, ẃr ɖr’z a porć instd v ɖ midl wn, n—’

‘Bt ẃt abt figrz?’ sd Wiłmz, wɖ marct inṭrest.

‘Ɖr r’nt eni,’ sd Nizbit; ‘bt—’

‘Ẃt! No figr on ɖ gras in frunt?’

‘Nt a ʈñ.’

‘Y’l swer t ɖt?’

‘Srtnli I wl. Bt ɖr’z jst wn uɖr ʈñ.’

‘Ẃt?’

‘Ẃ, wn v ɖ windoz on ɖ grǎndflor—left v ɖ dor—z opn.’

‘Z it riyli so? Mî gdnis! h mst hv got in,’ sd Wiłmz, wɖ gret xîtmnt; n h hurid t ɖ bac v ɖ sofa on ẃć Nizbit wz sitñ, n, caćñ ɖ picćr fṛm him, veṛfaid ɖ matr fr himslf.

It wz qt tru. Ɖr wz no figr, n ɖr wz ɖ opn windo. Wiłmz, aftr a momnt v spīćlis s’prîz, wnt t ɖ raitñtebl n scribld fr a śort tîm. Ɖen h bròt tū peprz t Nizbit, n asct him frst t sîn wn—it wz hiz ǒn dscripśn v ɖ picćr, ẃć y hv jst hŕd—n ɖen t rīd ɖ uɖr ẃć wz Wiłmz’z stetmnt ritn ɖ nît bfr.

‘Ẃt cn it ol mīn?’ sd Nizbit.

‘Xacli,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘Wel, wn ʈñ I mst d—or ʈri ʈñz, nǎ I ʈnc v it. I mst fînd ǎt fṛm Garwŭd’—ɖs wz hiz last nît’s vizitr—‘ẃt h sw, n ɖen I mst gt ɖ ʈñ foṭgraft bfr it gz frɖr, n ɖen I mst fînd ǎt ẃt ɖ ples z.’

‘I cn d ɖ foṭgrafñ mslf,’ sd Nizbit, ‘n I wl. Bt, y nǒ, it lcs vri mć az f w wr asistñ at ɖ wrcñ ǎt v a traɉdi smẃr. Ɖ qsćn z, hz it hapnd olrdi, or z it gwñ t cm of? Y mst fînd ǎt ẃt ɖ ples z. Yes,’ h sd, lcñ at ɖ picćr agn, ‘I xpct y’r rît: h hz got in. N f I d’nt mstec, ɖr’l b ɖ devl t pe in wn v ɖ rūmz upsterz.’

‘I’l tel y ẃt,’ sd Wiłmz: ‘I’l tec ɖ picćr acrs t old Grīn’ (ɖs wz ɖ sīńr Felo v ɖ Colij, hu hd bn Brsr fr mni yirz). ‘It’s qt lîcli h’l nǒ it. W hv proṗti in Esix n Susix, n h mst hv bn ovr ɖ tū cǎntiz a lot in hiz tîm.’

‘Qt lîcli h wl,’ sd Nizbit; ‘bt jst let m tec mî foṭgraf frst. Bt lc hir, I rɖr ʈnc Grīn z’nt p tde. H wz’nt in Hōl last nît, n I ʈnc I hŕd him se h wz gwñ dǎn fr ɖ Súnde.’

‘Ɖt’s tru, tù,’ sd Wiłmz; ‘I nǒ h’z gn t Braitn. Wel, f y’l foṭgraf it nǎ, I’l g acrs t Garwŭd n gt hiz stetmnt, n y cīp an î on it ẃl I’m gn. I’m bginñ t ʈnc tū giniz z nt a vri xorbtnt prîs fr it nǎ.’

In a śort tîm h hd rtrnd, n bròt Mr. Garwŭd wɖ him. Garwŭd’z stetmnt wz t ɖ ifct ɖt ɖ figr, ẃn h hd sìn it, wz clir v ɖ éj v ɖ picćr, bt hd nt got far acrs ɖ lōn. H rmembrd a ẃît marc on ɖ bac v its dreṗri, bt cd nt hv bn śr it wz a cros. A dokmnt t ɖs ifct wz ɖen drwn p n sînd, n Nizbit pṛsidd t foṭgraf ɖ picćr.

‘Nǎ ẃt d y mīn t d?’ h sd. ‘R y gwñ t sit n woć it ol de?’

‘Wel, no, I ʈnc nt,’ sd Wiłmz. ‘I rɖr imajin w’r mnt t si ɖ hol ʈñ. Y si, btwn ɖ tîm I sw it last nît n ɖs mornñ ɖr wz tîm fr lots v ʈñz t hapn, bt ɖ crīćr onli got intu ɖ hǎs. It cd īẓli hv got ʈru its biznis in ɖ tîm n gn t its ǒn ples agn; bt ɖ fact v ɖ windo biyñ opn, I ʈnc, mst mīn ɖt it’s in ɖr nǎ. So I fīl qt īzi abt līvñ it. N bsdz, I hv a cnd v îdīa ɖt it wd’nt ćenj mć, f at ol, in ɖ dêtîm. W mt g ǎt fr a wōc ɖs afṭnun, n cm in t ti, or ẃnvr it gts darc. I śl līv it ǎt on ɖ tebl hir, n sport ɖ dor. Mî scip cn gt in, bt nwn els.’

Ɖ ʈri agrìd ɖt ɖs wd b a gd plan; n, frɖr, ɖt f ɖe spent ɖ afṭnun tgɖr ɖe wd b les lîcli t tōc abt ɖ biznis t uɖr ppl; fr eni rūmr v sć a trnzax́n az wz gwñ on wd brñ ɖ hol v ɖ Fasmaṭlojicl Ssayti abt ɖer irz.

W me gv ɖm a respît untl fîv o’cloc.

At or nir ɖt aur ɖ ʈri wr enṭrñ Wiłmz’z sterces. Ɖe wr at frst slîtli anoid t si ɖt ɖ dor v hiz rūmz wz unsportd; bt in a momnt it wz rmembrd ɖt on Súnde ɖ scips cem fr ordrz an aur or so rlịr ɖn on wīcdez. Hvr, a s’prîz wz awêtñ ɖm. Ɖ frst ʈñ ɖe sw wz ɖ picćr līnñ p agnst a pîl v bcs on ɖ tebl, az it hd bn left, n ɖ nxt ʈñ wz Wiłmz’z scip, sītd on a ćer oṗzit, gezñ at it wɖ undisgîzd horr. Hǎ wz ɖs? Mr. Filćr (ɖ nem z nt mî ǒn invnśn) wz a srvnt v cnsidṛbl standñ, n set ɖ standd v eticét t ol hiz ǒn colij n t sevṛl neḅrñ wnz, n nʈñ cd b mor ełn t hiz practis ɖn t b faund sitñ on hiz mastr’z ćer, or apirñ t tec eni ptiklr notis v hiz mastr’z frnićr or picćrz. Indd, h sīmd t fīl ɖs himslf. H startd vayḷntli ẃn ɖ ʈri men wr in ɖ rūm, n got p wɖ a marct ef̣t. Ɖen h sd:

‘I asc yr pardn, sr, fr tecñ sć a frīdm az t set dǎn.’

‘Nt at ol, Roḅt,’ inṭpozd Mr. Wiłmz. ‘I wz mīnñ t asc y sm tîm ẃt y ʈt v ɖt picćr.’

‘Wel, sr, v cors I d’nt set p mî opińn agnst yrz, bt it e’nt ɖ pictur I śd ’añ ẃr mî litl grl cd si it, sr.’

‘Wd’nt y, Roḅt? Ẃ nt?’

‘No, sr. Ẃ, ɖ pōr ćîld, I rec̣lect wns ś si a Dor Bîbl, wɖ picćrz nt ’af ẃt ɖt z, n w ’ad t set p wɖ hr ʈri or for nîts aftwdz, f y’l b’liv m; n f ś wz t ceć a sît v ɖs scelintn hir, or ẃtvr it z, cariyñ of ɖ pōr bebi, ś wd b in a tecñ. Y nǒ ’ǎ it z wɖ ćildṛn; ’ǎ nrviś ɖe git wɖ a litl ʈñ n ol. Bt ẃt I śd se, it d’nt sīm a rît pictr t b leyñ abt, sr, nt ẃr enwn ɖt’s laybl t b startld cd cm on it. Śd y b wontñ enʈñ ɖs īvnñ, sr? Ʈanc y, sr.’

Wɖ ɖz wrdz ɖ xḷnt man wnt t cntiny ɖ rǎnd v hiz mastrz, n y me b śr ɖ jntlṃn hūm h left lost no tîm in gaɖ̇rñ rnd ɖ ingrevñ. Ɖr wz ɖ hǎs, az bfr undr ɖ wenñ mūn n ɖ driftñ clǎdz. Ɖ windo ɖt hd bn opn wz śut, n ɖ figr wz wns mor on ɖ lōn: bt nt ɖs tîm crōlñ cōśsli on handz n niz. Nǎ it wz irect n stepñ swiftli, wɖ loñ strîdz, twdz ɖ frunt v ɖ picćr. Ɖ mūn wz bhnd it, n ɖ blac dreṗri huñ dǎn ovr its fes so ɖt onli hints v ɖt cd b sìn, n ẃt wz viẓbl md ɖ spectetrz pṛfǎndli ʈancfl ɖt ɖe cd si no mor ɖn a ẃît domlîc fōrhed n a fy straġlñ herz. Ɖ hed wz bnt dǎn, n ɖ armz wr tîtli claspt ovr an objict ẃć cd b dimli sìn n îdnṭfaid az a ćîld, ẃɖr ded or livñ it wz nt poṣbl t se. Ɖ legz v ɖ apiṛns alon cd b plenli dsrnd, n ɖe wr hoṛbli ʈin.

Fṛm fîv t sevn ɖ ʈri cmpańnz sat n woćt ɖ picćr bî trnz. Bt it nvr ćenjd. Ɖe agrìd at last ɖt it wd b sef t līv it, n ɖt ɖe wd rtrn aftr Hōl n awêt frɖr dveḷpmnts.

Ẃn ɖe asmbld agn, at ɖ rliist poṣbl momnt, ɖ ingrevñ wz ɖr, bt ɖ figr wz gn, n ɖ hǎs wz qayt undr ɖ mūnbīmz. Ɖr wz nʈñ fr it bt t spend ɖ īvnñ ovr gaẓtirz n gîd-bcs. Wiłmz wz ɖ luci wn at last, n phps h dzrvd it. At 11.30 p.m. h réd fṛm Muri’z Gîd t Esix ɖ folowñ lînz:

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‘Z ɖr eni cnd v xpḷneśn v ɖ figr, Grīn?’ wz ɖ qsćn ẃć Wiłmz naćṛli asct.

‘I d’nt nǒ, I’m śr, Wiłmz. Ẃt yst t b sd in ɖ ples ẃn I frst ń it, ẃć wz bfr I cem p hir, wz jst ɖs: old Fransis wz olwz vri mć dǎn on ɖz poćñfeloz, n ẃnvr h got a ćans h yst t gt a man hūm h sspctd v it trnd of ɖ istet, n bî dgriz h got rid v ɖm ol bt wn. Sqîrz cd d a lot v ʈñz ɖen ɖt ɖe der’nt ʈnc v nǎ. Wel, ɖs man ɖt wz left wz ẃt y fînd priti ofn in ɖt cuntri—ɖ last rmenz v a vri old faṃli. I b’liv ɖe wr Lordz v ɖ Mánr at wn tîm. I rec̣lect jst ɖ sem ʈñ in mî ǒn pariś.’

‘Ẃt, lîc ɖ man in Tés o’ ɖ Drḅvilz?’ Wiłmz pt in.

‘Yes, I der se; it’s nt a bc I cd evr rīd mslf. Bt ɖs felo cd śo a ro v tūmz in ɖ ćrć ɖr ɖt b’loñd t hiz ansestrz, n ol ɖt wnt t sǎr him a bit; bt Fransis, ɖe sd, cd nvr gt at him—h olwz cept jst on ɖ rît sîd v ɖ lw—untl wn nît ɖ cīprz faund him at it in a wŭd rît at ɖ end v ɖ istet. I cd śo y ɖ ples nǎ; it marćz wɖ sm land ɖt yst t b’loñ t an uncl v mîn. N y cn imajin ɖr wz a rǎ; n ɖs man Gōdi (ɖt wz ɖ nem, t b śr—Gōdi; I ʈt I śd gt it—Gōdi), h wz unluci inuf, pur ćap! t śūt a cīpr. Wel, ɖt wz ẃt Fransis wontd, n grand jriz—y nǒ ẃt ɖe wd hv bn ɖen—n pur Gōdi wz struñ p in dubl-qc tîm; n I’v bn śoun ɖ ples h wz berid in, on ɖ norʈ sîd v ɖ ćrć—y nǒ ɖ we in ɖt part v ɖ wrld: enwn ɖt’s bn hañd or md awe wɖ ɖmslvz, ɖe beri ɖm ɖt sîd. N ɖ îdīa wz ɖt sm frend v Gōdi’z—nt a rleśn, bcz h hd nn, pur devl! h wz ɖ last v hiz lîn: cnd v spes ultima gentis—mst hv pland t gt hold v Fransis’z bô n pt an end t hiz lîn, tù. I d’nt nǒ—it’s rɖr an ǎt-v-ɖ-we ʈñ fr an Esix poćr t ʈnc v—bt, y nǒ, I śd se nǎ it lcs mor az f old Gōdi hd manijd ɖ job himslf. Bu! I het t ʈnc v it! hv sm ẃisci, Wiłmz!’

Ɖ facts wr cḿṇcetd bî Wiłmz t Denistn, n bî him t a mixt cumṗni, v ẃć I wz wn, n ɖ Sadysiyn Pṛfesr v Ofioḷji anɖr. I am sori t se ɖt ɖ latr ẃn, asct ẃt h ʈt v it, onli rmarct: ‘Ǒ, ɖoz Brijf̣d ppl wl se enʈñ’—a sntimnt ẃć met wɖ ɖ rspśn it dzrvd.

I hv onli t ad ɖt ɖ picćr z nǎ in ɖ Aślịn Ḿziym; ɖt it hz bn trītd wɖ a vy t dscuṿrñ ẃɖr simṗʈetic ñc hz bn yzd in it, bt wɖt ifct; ɖt Mr. Britnl ń nʈñ v it sev ɖt h wz śr it wz uncomn; n ɖt, ɖo cerf̣li woćt, it hz nvr bn noun t ćenj agn.

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