Year: 1878




time this youngster goes, he-but l must
begin at the beginning.


The way of our bank at Clarendon
was just this. We had several branches
at distant places-small towns, you un-
derstand, where there was not enough
business done to pay for keeping a clerk
constantly on the spot; so we only had
an office, and only opened it on market
days, once a week.


One ofus used to go over in the morn
ing and return at night. The railway
helped us to three of these journeys, but
the fourth, to Meresdene, had to be
made by gig. The place lay fifteen
miles off, in the very bosom of tho downs.
had to do the days business at Meres-
dene, but beyond bitter winds, snow and
rain, nothing ever befel me, as I have
said, for twenty years. In the summer
it was pleasant drive in winter, of
course, in bad weather, it was an un-
pleasant one-that was all the impress
sion it ever made upon me. Young
Chase, however, never seemed to fancy
it; from the first, when it was talked
about for him to do, he did not like the
idea. He told me so, and | laughed at
him. l said, "Oh you won't mind it;
after a bit you'll think nothing of it, no
more than | do" You understand, he
was not used to the country; he had
been born and bred in London, and they
drafted him from our chief office there.
down here, for the sake of his health.
He had been ailing long while; the
doctors said he ought to live out of town;
and, being trusty servant, and liked
by our manager, an exchange was ar
ranged.


He had been at Clarendon about six
months, and did not seem much the bet
ter for the change. He was tall and
muscular. but thin, pale-faced, large
eyed fellow, always fond of reading
Shakespeare and the like, and had a
dreamy, absent kind of way with him at
times; and was particularly fond, in his
leisure, of wandering over our downs
with his book. He often used to talk
to me about them, saying how beautiful
they were, and that no sort of country
that he had ever been in had impressed
him so much. l am afraid I.did not
greatly sympathize with him tho downs
had never been anything to me Indeed,
| don't know that ever gave them a
thought, till he used to speak about
them, and yet L have lived hard by
them nearly all my life.


Well, as was saying, he had been
with US six months, and it was Just
about the beginning of November, when
| was attacked by rheumatism. They
said if did not take care 1 should be
laid up, and that l must not expose my
self through the coming cold weather.
This led to young Chase's having to do
my work at Meresdene. So l drove him
over one week to show him the road and
the way the work was done, that he
might be able to take my place the fol-
lowing week and for the rest of the win
ter.


Now it was when this was settled that
he first seemed to shirk the job. He
/ told me that he had been constantly
| dreaming about the downs, and as he
seemed to say, one particular part Of
! them. Mind you, he had never seen the


place. didn't know there was such 9
place really but he said he had dream
f of it over and over again, and it always
made him uncomfortable. 1t was deer
! chalk-cutting, he said, past which the
D road wound up the side of hill from


one of the bottoms or valleys. In sor
9 Of way he described the place to me
d but, bless your heart, never paid am
= heed to it; didn't recognize it as an,
g place l knew; and it was only whel
s driving him over to Meresdene, that


found out what he meant.


a We were exactly halfway on ou
e journey, and had turned on to what ar
y known as the Whiteways; that is, sew
y y eral narrow chalk tracks which show u
h very while across the turf, and run sid
by side with the road for some distance
le as it descends the steep hill past grea
g chalk cutting. This, perhaps, is tn
y most solitary and exposed part of th


drive, and lies on one of the highes
;r ridges of the downs. There is no habi
N tation for good mile on either hand


Dene's Gate turnpike, at the bottom {
ID the hill, being the nearest; and whe
y, =, we came to the beginning of the descer
10 where we could see down into the valle
r there's splendid view, mind yol
he there-he almost frightened the life OF
of me by suddenly jumping up from hi


seat and exclaiming: 'There /! there
- ~ is that's the place; that's the ver
. place I've seen hundred times befor
r; in my dreams | have seen it ever
he night for month past !"


DC Sure enough, the road passes Il
- chalk-cutting, but I had never though
n anything of that, and it never occurre