Bessie at the fence

Only Bessie knows the latest change: for Hagberd, Harry's return is now 'to-morrow'. He talks to her over the fence in a fatherly way, and winks, hinting that she will marry Harry when he comes.

Strangely, though he was a sailor, Hagberd hated the sea. He was a coaster who never went far from land, and he gave up the sea as soon as his wife inherited a house. He believes Harry, too, has had enough of it.

Everything he does is for to-morrow. He digs his garden but plants nothing. He fills the second cottage with furniture that no one may see, ready for Harry. He starves himself to save money, and keeps advertising in the newspapers for his son.

Once, Bessie doubted him aloud, and he looked so horrified that she never tried again. Now she humours him, half believing him, and blushes at his hints about the wedding.

In all their years of talk, there is always a fence or a railing between them: a sign of the distance between people even when they seem close.