203.Chapter Eighteen（4）

inthevalleywhichseparatedthehog’sbackfromthesandyhillonwhichthelighthousestood，puttenhamwasamodestlittlevillageninestorieshigh，withsilos，apoultryfarm，andasmallvitamin-dfactory。ontheothersideofthelighthouse，towardsthesouth，thegroundfellawayinlongslopesofheathertoachainofponds。

beyondthem，abovetheinterveningwoods，rosethefourteen-storytowerofelstead。diminthehazyenglishair，hindheadandselborneinvitedtheeyeintoablueromanticdistance。butitwasnotalonethedistancethathadattractedthesavagetohislighthouse；thenearwasasseductiveasthefar。thewoods，theopenstretchesofheatherandyellowgorse，theclumpsofscotchfirs，theshiningpondswiththeiroverhangingbirchtrees，theirwaterlilies，theirbedsofrushes–thesewerebeautifuland，toaneyeaccustomedtotheariditiesoftheamericandesert，astonishing。andthenthesolitude！wholedayspassedduringwhichheneversawahumanbeing。thelighthousewasonlyaquarterofanhour’sflightfromthecharing-ttower；butthehillsofmalpaiswerehardlymoredesertedthanthissurreyheath。thecrowdsthatdailyleftlondon，leftitonlytoplayelectro-magneticgolfortennis。puttenhampossessednolinks；thenearestriemann-surfaceswereatguildford。flowersandalandscapeweretheonlyattractionshere。andso，astherewasnogoodreasonforcoming，nobodycame。duringthefirstdaysthesavagelivedaloneandundisturbed。