Chapter	O
1	O
One	O
may	O
as	O
well	O
begin	O
with	O
Helen	O
's	O
letters	O
to	O
her	O
sister	O
.	O

HOWARDS	O
END	O
,	O
TUESDAY	O
.	O

Dearest	O
Meg	O
,	O
It	O
is	O
n't	O
going	O
to	O
be	O
what	O
we	O
expected	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
old	O
and	O
little	O
,	O
and	O
altogether	O
delightful	O
--	O
red	O
brick	O
.	O

We	O
can	O
scarcely	O
pack	O
in	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
dear	O
knows	O
what	O
will	O
happen	O
when	O
Paul	O
(	O
younger	O
son	O
)	O
arrives	O
tomorrow	O
.	O

From	O
hall	O
you	O
go	O
right	O
or	O
left	O
into	O
dining-room	O
or	O
drawing-room	O
.	O

Hall	O
itself	O
is	O
practically	O
a	O
room	O
.	O

You	O
open	O
another	O
door	O
in	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
are	O
the	O
stairs	O
going	O
up	O
in	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
tunnel	O
to	O
the	O
first-floor	O
.	O

Three	O
bedrooms	O
in	O
a	O
row	O
there	O
,	O
and	O
three	O
attics	O
in	O
a	O
row	O
above	O
.	O

That	O
is	O
n't	O
all	O
the	O
house	O
really	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
all	O
that	O
one	O
notices	O
--	O
nine	O
windows	O
as	O
you	O
look	O
up	O
from	O
the	O
front	O
garden	O
.	O

Then	O
there	O
's	O
a	O
very	O
big	O
wych-elm	O
--	O
to	O
the	O
left	O
as	O
you	O
look	O
up	O
--	O
leaning	O
a	O
little	O
over	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
and	O
standing	O
on	O
the	O
boundary	O
between	O
the	O
garden	O
and	O
meadow	O
.	O

I	O
quite	O
love	O
that	O
tree	O
already	O
.	O

Also	O
ordinary	O
elms	O
,	O
oaks	O
--	O
no	O
nastier	O
than	O
ordinary	O
oaks	O
--	O
pear-trees	O
,	O
apple-trees	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
vine	O
.	O

No	O
silver	O
birches	O
,	O
though	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
I	O
must	O
get	O
on	O
to	O
my	O
host	O
and	O
hostess	O
.	O

I	O
only	O
wanted	O
to	O
show	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
n't	O
the	O
least	O
what	O
we	O
expected	O
.	O

Why	O
did	O
we	O
settle	O
that	O
their	O
house	O
would	O
be	O
all	O
gables	O
and	O
wiggles	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
garden	O
all	O
gamboge-coloured	O
paths	O
?	O

I	O
believe	O
simply	O
because	O
we	O
associate	O
them	O
with	O
expensive	O
hotels	O
--	O
Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
trailing	O
in	O
beautiful	O
dresses	O
down	O
long	O
corridors	O
,	O
Mr.	O
Wilcox	O
bullying	O
porters	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O

We	O
females	O
are	O
that	O
unjust	O
.	O

I	O
shall	O
be	O
back	O
Saturday	O
;	O
will	O
let	O
you	O
know	O
train	O
later	O
.	O

They	O
are	O
as	O
angry	O
as	O
I	O
am	O
that	O
you	O
did	O
not	O
come	O
too	O
;	O
really	O
Tibby	O
is	O
too	O
tiresome	O
,	O
he	O
starts	O
a	O
new	O
mortal	O
disease	O
every	O
month	O
.	O

How	O
could	O
he	O
have	O
got	O
hay	O
fever	O
in	O
London	O
?	O

and	O
even	O
if	O
he	O
could	O
,	O
it	O
seems	O
hard	O
that	O
you	O
should	O
give	O
up	O
a	O
visit	O
to	O
hear	O
a	O
schoolboy	O
sneeze	O
.	O

Tell	O
him	O
that	O
Charles	O
Wilcox	O
(	O
the	O
son	O
who	O
is	O
here	O
)	O
has	O
hay	O
fever	O
too	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
's	O
brave	O
,	O
and	O
gets	O
quite	O
cross	O
when	O
we	O
inquire	O
after	O
it	O
.	O

Men	O
like	O
the	O
Wilcoxes	O
would	O
do	O
Tibby	O
a	O
power	O
of	O
good	O
.	O

But	O
you	O
wo	O
n't	O
agree	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
'd	O
better	O
change	O
the	O
subject	O
.	O

This	O
long	O
letter	O
is	O
because	O
I	O
'm	O
writing	EVENT
before	O
breakfast	O
.	O

Oh	O
,	O
the	O
beautiful	O
vine	O
leaves	O
!	O

The	O
house	O
is	O
covered	O
with	O
a	O
vine	O
.	O

I	O
looked	EVENT
out	O
earlier	O
,	O
and	O
Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
was	O
already	O
in	O
the	O
garden	O
.	O

She	O
evidently	O
loves	O
it	O
.	O

No	O
wonder	O
she	O
sometimes	O
looks	O
tired	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
watching	EVENT
the	O
large	O
red	O
poppies	O
come	EVENT
out	O
.	O

Then	O
she	O
walked	EVENT
off	O
the	O
lawn	O
to	O
the	O
meadow	O
,	O
whose	O
corner	O
to	O
the	O
right	O
I	O
can	O
just	O
see	EVENT
.	O

Trail	O
,	O
trail	O
,	O
went	EVENT
her	O
long	O
dress	O
over	O
the	O
sopping	O
grass	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
came	EVENT
back	O
with	O
her	O
hands	O
full	O
of	O
the	O
hay	O
that	O
was	O
cut	EVENT
yesterday	O
--	O
I	O
suppose	O
for	O
rabbits	O
or	O
something	O
,	O
as	O
she	O
kept	O
on	O
smelling	EVENT
it	O
.	O

The	O
air	O
here	O
is	O
delicious	O
.	O

Later	O
on	O
I	O
heard	EVENT
the	O
noise	EVENT
of	O
croquet	O
balls	O
,	O
and	O
looked	EVENT
out	O
again	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
Charles	O
Wilcox	O
practising	EVENT
;	O
they	O
are	O
keen	O
on	O
all	O
games	O
.	O

Presently	O
he	O
started	O
sneezing	EVENT
and	O
had	O
to	O
stop	EVENT
.	O

Then	O
I	O
hear	EVENT
more	O
clicketing	EVENT
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
Mr.	O
Wilcox	O
practising	EVENT
,	O
and	O
then	O
,	O
'	O
a-tissue	O
,	O
a-tissue	O
'	O
:	O
he	O
has	O
to	O
stop	EVENT
too	O
.	O

Then	O
Evie	O
comes	EVENT
out	O
,	O
and	O
does	O
some	O
calisthenic	O
exercises	EVENT
on	O
a	O
machine	O
that	O
is	O
tacked	O
on	O
to	O
a	O
greengage-tree	O
--	O
they	O
put	O
everything	O
to	O
use	O
--	O
and	O
then	O
she	O
says	EVENT
'	O
a-tissue	O
,	O
'	O
and	O
in	O
she	O
goes	EVENT
.	O

And	O
finally	O
Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
reappears	EVENT
,	O
trail	O
,	O
trail	O
,	O
still	O
smelling	EVENT
hay	O
and	O
looking	EVENT
at	O
the	O
flowers	O
.	O

I	O
inflict	EVENT
all	O
this	O
on	O
you	O
because	O
once	O
you	O
said	EVENT
that	O
life	O
is	O
sometimes	O
life	O
and	O
sometimes	O
only	O
a	O
drama	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
must	O
learn	O
to	O
distinguish	O
t	O
'	O
other	O
from	O
which	O
,	O
and	O
up	O
to	O
now	O
I	O
have	O
always	O
put	O
that	O
down	O
as	O
'	O
Meg	O
's	O
clever	O
nonsense	O
.	O
'	O

But	O
this	O
morning	O
,	O
it	O
really	O
does	O
seem	O
not	O
life	O
but	O
a	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
did	O
amuse	EVENT
me	O
enormously	O
to	O
watch	EVENT
the	O
W	O
's	O
.	O

Now	O
Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
has	O
come	EVENT
in	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
wear	O
[	O
omission	O
]	O
.	O

Last	O
night	O
Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
wore	O
an	O
[	O
omission	O
]	O
,	O
and	O
Evie	O
[	O
omission	O
]	O
.	O

So	O
it	O
is	O
n't	O
exactly	O
a	O
go-as-you-please	O
place	O
,	O
and	O
if	O
you	O
shut	O
your	O
eyes	O
it	O
still	O
seems	O
the	O
wiggly	O
hotel	O
that	O
we	O
expected	O
.	O

Not	O
if	O
you	O
open	O
them	O
.	O

The	O
dog-roses	O
are	O
too	O
sweet	O
.	O

There	O
is	O
a	O
great	O
hedge	O
of	O
them	O
over	O
the	O
lawn	O
--	O
magnificently	O
tall	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
fall	O
down	O
in	O
garlands	O
,	O
and	O
nice	O
and	O
thin	O
at	O
the	O
bottom	O
,	O
so	O
that	O
you	O
can	O
see	O
ducks	O
through	O
it	O
and	O
a	O
cow	O
.	O

These	O
belong	O
to	O
the	O
farm	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
the	O
only	O
house	O
near	O
us	O
.	O

There	O
goes	O
the	O
breakfast	O
gong	EVENT
.	O

Much	O
love	O
.	O

Modified	O
love	O
to	O
Tibby	O
.	O

Love	O
to	O
Aunt	O
Juley	O
;	O
how	O
good	O
of	O
her	O
to	O
come	EVENT
and	O
keep	EVENT
you	O
company	O
,	O
but	O
what	O
a	O
bore	O
.	O

Burn	O
this	O
.	O

Will	O
write	O
again	O
Thursday	O
.	O

Helen	O
HOWARDS	O
END	O
,	O
FRIDAY	O
.	O

Dearest	O
Meg	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
having	O
a	O
glorious	O
time	O
.	O

I	O
like	O
them	O
all	O
.	O

Mrs.	O
Wilcox	O
,	O
if	O
quieter	O
than	O
in	O
Germany	O
,	O
is	O
sweeter	O
than	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
never	O
saw	O
anything	O
like	O
her	O
steady	O
unselfishness	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
it	O
is	O
that	O
the	O
others	O
do	O
not	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
her	O
.	O

They	O
are	O
the	O
very	O
happiest	O
,	O
jolliest	O
family	O
that	O
you	O
can	O
imagine	O
.	O

I	O
do	O
really	O
feel	O
that	O
we	O
are	O
making	O
friends	O
.	O

The	O
fun	O
of	O
it	O
is	O
that	O
they	O
think	O
me	O
a	O
noodle	O
,	O
and	O
say	O
so	O
--	O
at	O
least	O
Mr.	O
Wilcox	O
does	O
--	O
and	O
when	O
that	O
happens	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
does	O
n't	O
mind	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
pretty	O
sure	O
test	O
,	O
is	O
n't	O
it	O
?	O

He	O
says	O
the	O
most	O
horrid	O
things	O
about	O
women	O
's	O
suffrage	O
so	O
nicely	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
I	O
said	EVENT
I	O
believed	O
in	O
equality	O
he	O
just	O
folded	EVENT
his	O
arms	O
and	O
gave	O
me	O
such	O
a	O
setting	EVENT
down	O
as	O
I	O
've	O
never	O
had	O
.	O

Meg	O
,	O
shall	O
we	O
ever	O
learn	O
to	O
talk	O
less	O
?	O

I	O
never	O
felt	O
so	O
ashamed	O
of	O
myself	O
in	O
my	O
life	O
.	O

I	O
could	O
n't	O
point	O
to	O
a	O
time	O
when	O
men	O
had	O
been	O
equal	O
,	O
nor	O
even	O
to	O
a	O
time	O
when	O
the	O
wish	O
to	O
be	O
equal	O
had	O
made	O
them	O
happier	O
in	O
other	O
ways	O
.	O

I	O
could	O
n't	O
say	O
a	O
word	O
.	O

I	O
had	O
just	O
picked	EVENT
up	O
the	O
notion	O
that	O
equality	O
is	O
good	O
from	O
some	O
book	O
--	O
probably	O
from	O
poetry	O
,	O
or	O
you	O
.	O

Anyhow	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
been	O
knocked	EVENT
into	O
pieces	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
like	O
all	O
people	O
who	O
are	O
really	O
strong	O
,	O
Mr.	O
Wilcox	O
did	EVENT
it	O
without	O
hurting	O
me	O
.	O

On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
I	O
laugh	O
at	O
them	O
for	O
catching	O
hay	O
fever	O
.	O

We	O
live	O
like	O
fighting-cocks	O
,	O
and	O
Charles	O
takes	O
us	O
out	O
every	O
day	O
in	O
the	O
motor	O
--	O
a	O
tomb	O
with	O
trees	O
in	O
it	O
,	O
a	O
hermit	O
's	O
house	O
,	O
a	O
wonderful	O
road	O
that	O
was	O
made	O
by	O
the	O
Kings	O
of	O
Mercia	O
--	O
tennis	O
--	O
a	O
cricket	O
match	O
--	O
bridge	O
--	O
and	O
at	O
night	O
we	O
squeeze	O
up	O
in	O
this	O
lovely	O
house	O
.	O

The	O
whole	O
clan	O
's	O
here	O
now	O
--	O
it	O
's	O
like	O
a	O
rabbit	O
warren	O
.	O

Evie	O
is	O
a	O
dear	O
.	O

They	O
want	O
me	O
to	O
stop	O
over	O
Sunday	O
--	O
I	O
suppose	O
it	O
wo	O
n't	O
matter	O
if	O
I	O
do	O
.	O

Marvellous	O
weather	O
and	O
the	O
view	O
's	O
marvellous	O
--	O
views	O
westward	O
to	O
the	O
high	O
ground	O
.	O

Thank	O
you	O
for	O
your	O
letter	O
.	O

Burn	O
this	O
.	O

Your	O
affectionate	O
Helen	O
HOWARDS	O
END	O
,	O
SUNDAY	O
.	O

Dearest	O
,	O
dearest	O
Meg	O
,	O
--	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
know	O
what	O
you	O
will	O
say	O
:	O
Paul	O
and	O
I	O
are	O
in	O
love	O
--	O
the	O
younger	O
son	O
who	O
only	O
came	O
here	O
Wednesday	O
.	O

Chapter	O
2	O
Margaret	O
glanced	EVENT
at	O
her	O
sister	O
's	O
note	O
and	O
pushed	EVENT
it	O
over	O
the	O
breakfast-table	O
to	O
her	O
aunt	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
moment	O
's	O
hush	EVENT
,	O
and	O
then	O
the	O
flood-gates	O
opened	EVENT
.	O

"	O
I	O
can	O
tell	O
you	O
nothing	O
,	O
Aunt	O
Juley	O
.	O

I	O
know	O
no	O
more	O
than	O
you	O
do	O
.	O

We	O
met	EVENT
--	O
we	O
only	O
met	EVENT
the	O
father	O
and	O
mother	O
abroad	O
last	O
spring	O
.	O

I	O
know	O
so	O
little	O
that	O
I	O
did	O
n't	O
even	O
know	O
their	O
son	O
's	O
name	O
.	O

It	O
's	O
all	O
so	O
--	O
"	O
She	O
waved	EVENT
her	O
hand	O
and	O
laughed	EVENT
a	O
little	O
.	O

"	O
In	O
that	O
case	O
it	O
is	O
far	O
too	O
sudden	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
Who	O
knows	O
,	O
Aunt	O
Juley	O
,	O
who	O
knows	O
?	O
"	O

"	O
But	O
,	O
Margaret	O
dear	O
,	O
I	O
mean	O
we	O
must	O
n't	O
be	O
unpractical	O
now	O
that	O
we	O
've	O
come	EVENT
to	O
facts	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
too	O
sudden	O
,	O
surely	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
Who	O
knows	O
!	O
"	O

"	O
But	O
Margaret	O
dear	O
--	O
"	O
"	O
I	O
'll	O
go	O
for	O
her	O
other	O
letters	O
,	O
"	O
said	EVENT
Margaret	O
.	O

"	O
No	O
,	O
I	O
wo	O
n't	O
,	O
I	O
'll	O
finish	O
my	O
breakfast	O
.	O

In	O
fact	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
n't	O
them	O
.	O

We	O
met	EVENT
the	O
Wilcoxes	O
on	O
an	O
awful	O
expedition	EVENT
that	O
we	O
made	O
from	O
Heidelberg	O
to	O
Speyer	O
.	O

Helen	O
and	O
I	O
had	O
got	O
it	O
into	O
our	O
heads	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
grand	O
old	O
cathedral	O
at	O
Speyer	O
--	O
the	O
Archbishop	O
of	O
Speyer	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
seven	O
electors	O
--	O
you	O
know	O
--	O
'	O
Speyer	O
,	O
Maintz	O
,	O
and	O
Koln	O
.	O
'	O

Those	O
three	O
sees	O
once	O
commanded	O
the	O
Rhine	O
Valley	O
and	O
got	O
it	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
Priest	O
Street	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
I	O
still	O
feel	O
quite	O
uneasy	O
about	O
this	O
business	O
,	O
Margaret	O
.	O
"	O

"	O
The	O
train	O
crossed	EVENT
by	O
a	O
bridge	O
of	O
boats	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
first	O
sight	EVENT
it	O
looked	O
quite	O
fine	O
.	O

But	O
oh	O
,	O
in	O
five	O
minutes	O
we	O
had	O
seen	EVENT
the	O
whole	O
thing	O
.	O

The	O
cathedral	O
had	O
been	O
ruined	EVENT
,	O
absolutely	O
ruined	EVENT
,	O
by	O
restoration	EVENT
;	O
not	O
an	O
inch	O
left	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
structure	O
.	O

We	O
wasted	EVENT
a	O
whole	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
came	EVENT
across	O
the	O
Wilcoxes	O
as	O
we	O
were	O
eating	EVENT
our	O
sandwiches	O
in	O
the	O
public	O
gardens	O
.	O

They	O
too	O
,	O
poor	O
things	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
taken	EVENT
in	O
--	O
they	O
were	O
actually	O
stopping	EVENT
at	O
Speyer	O
--	O
and	O
they	O
rather	O
liked	EVENT
Helen	O
insisting	EVENT
that	O
they	O
must	O
fly	O
with	O
us	O
to	O
Heidelberg	O
.	O

As	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
fact	O
,	O
they	O
did	O
come	EVENT
on	O
next	O
day	O
.	O

We	O
all	O
took	O
some	O
drives	O
together	O
.	O

They	O
knew	O
us	O
well	O
enough	O
to	O
ask	EVENT
Helen	O
to	O
come	O
and	O
see	O
them	O
--	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
I	O
was	O
asked	EVENT
too	O
,	O
but	O
Tibby	O
's	O
illness	O
prevented	EVENT
me	O
,	O
so	O
last	O
Monday	O
she	O
went	EVENT
alone	O
.	O

That	O
's	O
all	O
.	O

You	O
know	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
I	O
do	O
now	O
.	O

It	O
's	O
a	O
young	O
man	O
out	O
the	O
unknown	O
.	O

She	O
was	O
to	O
have	O
come	O
back	O
Saturday	O
,	O
but	O
put	EVENT
off	O
till	O
Monday	O
,	O
perhaps	O
on	O
account	O
of	O
--	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
know	O
.	O

She	O
broke	EVENT
off	O
,	O
and	O
listened	EVENT
to	O
the	O
sounds	EVENT
of	O
a	O
London	O
morning	O
.	O

Their	O
house	O
was	O
in	O
Wickham	O
Place	O
,	O
and	O
fairly	O
quiet	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
lofty	O
promontory	O
of	O
buildings	O
separated	O
it	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
thoroughfare	O
.	O

One	O
had	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
a	O
backwater	O
,	O
or	O
rather	O
of	O
an	O
estuary	O
,	O
whose	O
waters	O
flowed	O
in	O
from	O
the	O
invisible	O
sea	O
,	O
and	O
ebbed	O
into	O
a	O
profound	O
silence	O
while	O
the	O
waves	O
without	O
were	O
still	O
beating	O
.	O

Though	O
the	O
promontory	O
consisted	O
of	O
flats	O
--	O
expensive	O
,	O
with	O
cavernous	O
entrance	O
halls	O
,	O
full	O
of	O
concierges	O
and	O
palms	O
--	O
it	O
fulfilled	O
its	O
purpose	O
,	O
and	O
gained	O
for	O
the	O
older	O
houses	O
opposite	O
a	O
certain	O
measure	O
of	O
peace	O
.	O

These	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
would	O
be	O
swept	O
away	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
another	O
promontory	O
would	O
rise	O
upon	O
their	O
site	O
,	O
as	O
humanity	O
piled	O
itself	O
higher	O
and	O
higher	O
on	O
the	O
precious	O
soil	O
of	O
London	O
.	O