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fused to come downstairs till the madman was off
the premises； Amy Foster； far from within the dark
kitchen； watched through the open back door； and
he obeyed the signs that were made to him to the
best of his ability。 But Smith was full of mistrust。
'Mind； sir！ It may be all his cunning；' he cried
repeatedly in a tone of warning。 When Mr。
Swaffer started the mare； the deplorable being sit…
ting humbly by his side； through weakness； nearly
fell out over the back of the high two…wheeled cart。
Swaffer took him straight home。 And it is then
that I come upon the scene。
〃I was called in by the simple process of the old
man beckoning to me with his forefinger over the
gate of his house as I happened to be driving past。
I got down； of course。
〃'I've got something here；' he mumbled； lead…
ing the way to an outhouse at a little distance from
his other farm…buildings。
〃It was there that I saw him first； in a long low
room taken upon the space of that sort of coach…
house。 It was bare and whitewashed； with a small
square aperture glazed with one cracked； dusty
pane at its further end。 He was lying on his back
upon a straw pallet； they had given him a couple
of horse…blankets； and he seemed to have spent the
remainder of his strength in the exertion of clean…
ing himself。 He was almost speechless； his quick
breathing under the blankets pulled up to his chin；
his glittering； restless black eyes reminded me of a
wild bird caught in a snare。 While I was examining
him； old Swaffer stood silently by the door； passing
the tips of his fingers along his shaven upper lip。
I gave some directions； promised to send a bottle of
medicine； and naturally made some inquiries。
〃'Smith caught him in the stackyard at New
Barns；' said the old chap in his deliberate； unmoved
manner； and as if the other had been indeed a sort
of wild animal。 'That's how I came by him。
Quite a curiosity； isn't he？ Now tell me； doctor
you've been all over the worlddon't you think
that's a bit of a Hindoo we've got hold of here。'
〃I was greatly surprised。 His long black hair
scattered over the straw bolster contrasted with the
olive pallor of his face。 It occurred to me he might
be a Basque。 It didn't necessarily follow that he
should understand Spanish； but I tried him with
the few words I know； and also with some French。
The whispered sounds I caught by bending my ear
to his lips puzzled me utterly。 That afternoon the
young ladies from the Rectory （one of them read
Goethe with a dictionary； and the other had strug…
gled with Dante for years）； coming to see Miss
Swaffer； tried their German and Italian on him
from the doorway。 They retreated； just the least
bit scared by the flood of passionate speech which；
turning on his pallet； he let out at them。 They ad…
mitted that the sound was pleasant； soft； musical
but； in conjunction with his looks perhaps； it was
startlingso excitable； so utterly unlike anything
one had ever heard。 The village boys climbed up
the bank to have a peep through the little square
aperture。 Everybody was wondering what Mr。
Swaffer would do with him。
〃He simply kept him。
〃Swaffer would be called eccentric were he not
so much respected。 They will tell you that Mr。
Swaffer sits up as late as ten o'clock at night to
read books； and they will tell you also that he can
write a cheque for two hundred pounds without
thinking twice about it。 He himself would tell
you that the Swaffers had owned land between
this and Darnford for these three hundred years。
He must be eighty…five to…day； but he does not look
a bit older than when I first came here。 He is a
great breeder of sheep； and deals extensively in cat…
tle。 He attends market days for miles around in
every sort of weather； and drives sitting bowed low
over the reins； his lank grey hair curling over the
collar of his warm coat； and with a green plaid rug
round his legs。 The calmness of advanced age
gives a solemnity to his manner。 He is clean…
shaved； his lips are thin and sensitive； something
rigid and monarchal in the set of his features lends
a certain elevation to the character of his face。 He
has been known to drive miles in the rain to see a
new kind of rose in somebody's garden； or a mon…
strous cabbage grown by a cottager。 He loves to
hear tell of or to be shown something that he calls
'outlandish。' Perhaps it was just that outlandish…
ness of the man which influenced old Swaffer。 Per…
haps it was only an inexplicable caprice。 All I
know is that at the end of three weeks I caught
sight of Smith's lunatic digging in Swaffer's kitch…
en garden。 They had found out he could use a
spade。 He dug barefooted。
〃His black hair flowed over his shoulders。 I
suppose it was Swaffer who had given him the
striped old cotton shirt； but he wore still the na…
tional brown cloth trousers （in which he had been
washed ashore） fitting to the leg almost like
tights； was belted with a broad leathern belt stud…
ded with little brass discs； and had never yet ven…
tured into the village。 The land he looked upon
seemed to him kept neatly； like the grounds round
a landowner's house； the size of the cart…horses
struck him with astonishment； the roads resembled
garden walks； and the aspect of the people； espe…
cially on Sundays； spoke of opulence。 He won…
dered what made them so hardhearted and their
children so bold。 He got his food at the back door；
carried it in both hands carefully to his outhouse；
and； sitting alone on his pallet； would make the sign
of the cross before he began。 Beside the same pal…
let； kneeling in the early darkness of the short days；
he recited aloud the Lord's Prayer before he slept。
Whenever he saw old Swaffer he would bow with
veneration from the waist； and stand erect while
the old man； with his fingers over his upper lip； sur…
veyed him silently。 He bowed also to Miss Swaffer；
who kept house frugally for her fathera broad…
shouldered； big…boned woman of forty…five； with
the pocket of her dress full of keys； and a grey；
steady eye。 She was Churchas people said
（while her father was one of the trustees of the
Baptist Chapel）and wore a little steel cross at
her waist。 She dressed severely in black； in mem…
ory of one of the innumerable Bradleys of the
neighbourhood； to whom she had been engaged
some twenty…five years agoa