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the steep way to the hill crest and the Sandling Road, and over the line by that tree-embowered Junction, and athwart the wide fields towards Postlingā ā€”a little, black, marching figureā ā€”and so up the Downs and over the hills, whither he had never gone before.ā ā€Šā ā€¦

He came back long after dark, and Ann met him in the passage.

ā€œWhere you been, Artie?ā€ she asked, with a strained note in her voice.

ā€œI been walking and walkingā ā€”trying to tire myself out. All the time I been thinking what shall I do. Trying to fix something up all out of nothing.ā€

ā€œI didnā€™t know you meant to be out all this time.ā€

Kipps was gripped by compunction.ā ā€Šā ā€¦

ā€œI canā€™t think what we ought to do,ā€ he said, presently.

ā€œYou canā€™t do anything much, Artie, not till you hear from Mr. Bean.ā€

ā€œNo; I canā€™t do anything much. Thatā€™s jest it. And all this time I keep feelinā€™ if I donā€™t do something the top of my ā€™eadā€™ll bust.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ Been trying to make up advertisements ā€™arf the time I been outā ā€”ā€™bout finding a place, good salesman and stock-keeper, and good Manchester dresses, window-dressingā ā€”Lorā€™! Fancy that all beginning again!ā ā€Šā ā€¦ If you went to stay with Sid a bitā ā€”if I sent every penny I got to youā ā€”I dunno! I dunno!ā€

When they had gone to bed there was an elaborate attempt to get to sleep.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ In one of their great waking pauses Kipps remarked in a muffled tone: ā€œI didnā€™t mean to frighten you, Ann, being out so late. I kepā€™ on walking and walking, and someā€™ow it seemed to do me good. I went out to the ā€™illtop ever so far beyond Stanford, and sat there ever so long, and it seemed to make me better. Just looking over the marsh like, and seeing the sun set.ā€ā ā€Šā ā€¦

ā€œVery likely,ā€ said Ann, after a long interval, ā€œit isnā€™t so bad as you think it is, Artie.ā€

ā€œItā€™s bad,ā€ said Kipps.

ā€œVery likely, after all, it isnā€™t quite so bad. If thereā€™s only a littleā ā€”ā€

There came another long silence.

ā€œAnn,ā€ said Kipps in the quiet darkness.

ā€œYes,ā€ said Ann.

ā€œAnn,ā€ said Kipps, and stopped as though he had hastily shut a door upon speech.

ā€œI kepā€™ thinking,ā€ he said, trying again, ā€œI kepā€™ thinkingā ā€”after allā ā€”I been cross to you and a fool about thingsā ā€”about them cards, Ann; butā€ā ā€”his voice shook to piecesā ā€”ā€œwe ā€™ave been ā€™appy, Annā ā€Šā ā€¦ someā€™owā ā€Šā ā€¦ togever.ā€

And with that he and then she fell into a passion of weeping. They clung very tightly togetherā ā€”closer than they had been since ever the first brightness of their married days turned to the grey of common life again.

All the disaster in the world could not prevent their going to sleep at last with their poor little troubled heads close together on one pillow. There was nothing more to be done, there was nothing more to be thought; Time might go on with his mischiefs, but for a little while at least they still had one another.

Kipps returned from his second interview with Mr. Bean in a state of strange excitement. He let himself in with his latchkey and slammed the door. ā€œAnn!ā€ he shouted, in an unusual note; ā€œAnn!ā€

Ann replied distantly.

ā€œSomething to tell you,ā€ said Kipps; ā€œsomething noo!ā€

Ann appeared apprehensive from the kitchen.

ā€œAnn,ā€ he said, going before her into the little dining-room, for his news was too dignified for the passage, ā€œvery likely, Ann, oā€™ Bean says, we shall ā€™aveā ā€”ā€ He decided to prolong the suspense. ā€œGuess!ā€

ā€œI canā€™t, Artie.ā€

ā€œThink of a lot of money!ā€

ā€œA ā€™undred pounds pā€™raps?ā€

He spoke with immense deliberation. ā€œOver a fousand pounds!ā€

Ann stared and said nothing, only went a shade whiter.

ā€œOver, he said. Aā€™most certainly over.ā€

He shut the dining-room door and came forward hastily, for Ann, it was clear, meant to take this mitigation of their disaster with a complete abandonment of her self-control. She came near flopping; she fell into his arms.

ā€œArtie,ā€ she got to at last and began to weep, clinging tightly to him.

ā€œPretty near certain,ā€ said Kipps, holding her. ā€œA fousand pounds!ā€

ā€œI said, Artie,ā€ she wailed on his shoulder with the note of accumulated wrongs, ā€œvery likely it wasnā€™t so bad.ā€ā ā€Šā ā€¦

ā€œThereā€™s things,ā€ he said, when presently he came to particulars, ā€œā€Šā€™e couldnā€™t touch. The noo place! Itā€™s freehold and paid for, and with the bit of building on it, thereā€™s five or six ā€™undred pound pā€™rapsā ā€”say worf free ā€™undred, for safety. We canā€™t be sold up to finish it, like we thought. Oā€™ Bean says we can very likely sell it and get money. ā€™E says you often get a chance to sell a ā€™ouse lessen ā€™arf done, ā€™specially freeā€™old. Very likely, ā€™e say. Then thereā€™s Hughenden. Hughenden ā€™asnā€™t been mortgaged not for more than ā€™arf its value. Thereā€™s a ā€™undred or so to be got on that, and the furniture and the rent for the summer still coming in. ā€™E says thereā€™s very likely other things. A fousand pounds, thatā€™s what ā€™e said. ā€™E said it might even be more.ā€ā ā€Šā ā€¦

They were sitting now at the table.

ā€œIt alters everything,ā€ said Ann.

ā€œI been thinking that, Ann, all the way ā€™ome. I came in the motor car. First ride Iā€™ve ā€™ad since the smash. We neednā€™t send off Gwendolen, leastways not till after. You know. We neednā€™t turn out of ā€™ereā ā€”not for a long time. What we been doing for the oā€™ people we can go on doing aā€™most as much. And your mother!ā ā€Šā ā€¦ I wanted to ā€™oller coming along. I pretty near run coming down the road by the hotel.ā€

ā€œOh, I am glad we can stop ā€™ere and be comfortable a bit,ā€ said Ann. ā€œI am glad for that.ā€

ā€œI pretty near told the driver on the motorā ā€”only ā€™e was the sort wonā€™t talk.ā ā€Šā ā€¦ You see, Ann, weā€™ll be able to start a shop, weā€™ll be able to get into something like. All about our ā€™aving to go back to places and that; all that doesnā€™t matter any more.ā€

For a while they abandoned themselves to ejaculating transports. Then they fell talking to shape an idea to themselves of the new prospect that opened before them.

ā€œWe must start a sort of shop,ā€ said Kipps,

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