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Wireless Sensor
Networks
 Wireless Sensor
Networks
Deployment Strategies for
Outdoor Monitoring

Fadi Al-Turjman
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data

Names: Al-Turjman, Fadi, author.

Title: Wireless sensor networks: deployment strategies for outdoor
monitoring / Fadi Al-Turjman.
Description: Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, a CRC title, part of the Taylor &
Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, the academic
division of T&F Informa, plc, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017040978 | ISBN 9780815375814 (hb : acid-free paper) |
ISBN 9781351207034 (e)
Subjects: LCSH: Wireless sensor networks. | Environmental monitoring.
Classification: LCC TK7872.D48 A3953 2017 | DDC 006.2/5--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017040978

Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at

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 This book is dedicated to my beloved parents, my mother and
my father, to honor their major support and encouragement
over the course of my entire life. In this way, I wish to
express maybe a little part of my great gratitude to them.
My mother, Lama, thank you very much for the tender care
you have been always providing. Your delicious morning
sandwiches’ taste in the cold winter is still in my mouth.
Great mother, words can never express the deepest gratitude I have
for you. You have been there for me my whole life and I love you so
much for it. I mostly admire and love you for the person YOU are.
My father, Ferzat, completed his BSc and MSc degrees in
mathematics at Damascus University, Damascus, Syria, in 1974.
He spent his entire life teaching not only math but also ethics.
Throughout his career, Mr. Al-Turjman has made significant
contributions in multiple areas of the education system. He
received several academic honors for his outstanding teaching,
including the Prince of Kuwait Prize for Excellence in Teaching
twice, in 2000 and 2010. Indeed, he is a brilliant teacher and
scientific communicator. I owe him a lot, and I believe his
support was a key factor in any achievement I have ever made.
Thank you very much great father for your sincere love.
I love you always,
Your son,
Fadi Al-Turjman
Contents

P r e fa c e xi
Author xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Contributions 2
1.2 Book Outline 4
References 6

Chapter 2 D e p l oy m e n t o f W i r e l e s s S e n s o r
N e t wo rks i n O u t d o o r E n vi ro n m e n t
Monitoring: A n Overvie w 7
2.1  esired Network Properties in OEM
D 8
2.1.1 Connectivity 8
2.1.2 Fault-Tolerance 9
2.1.3 Lifetime 10
2.2 R andom vs. Deterministic WSNs Deployment 11
2.2.1 R andom Deployment 12
2.2.2 Deterministic (Grid-Based) Deployment 12
2.3 Summary 16
References 18

Chapter 3 E f f i c i e n t D e p l oy m e n t o f W i r e l e s s
S e n s o r N e t w o r k s Ta r g e t i n g E n v i r o n m e n t
M o n i t o r i n g A pp l i c at i o n s 21
3.1 R
 elated Work 25
3.2 S ystem Models and Problem Definition 27
3.2.1 Network Model and Placement Problem 28

vii
viii C o n t en t s

3.2.2 Cost and Communication Models 30

3.2.3 Lifetime Model 31
3.3 Deployment Strategy 38
3.3.1 First Phase of the O3DwLC Strategy 39
3.3.2 Second Phase of the O3DwLC Strategy 42
3.4 Performance Evaluation 52
3.4.1 Simulation Model 53
3.4.2 Simulation Results 54
3.5 Conclusion 59
References 60

Chapter 4 O p t i m i z e d R e l ay P l a c e m e n t f o r W i r e l e s s
S e n s o r N e t w o r k s F e d e r at i o n i n
E n v i r o n m e n ta l A pp l i c at i o n s 63
4.1 R
 elated Work 66
4.2 O ptimized WSN Federation 67
4.2.1 Definitions and Assumptions 67
4.2.2 Deployment Strategy 68
4.2.2.1 G
 rid-Based ORP (GORP) 68
4.2.2.2 Th
 e General Non-Grid (ORP) 74
4.3 Performance Evaluation 75
4.3.1 Simulation Environment 75
4.3.2 Performance Metrics and Parameters 75
4.3.3 Baseline Approaches 77
4.3.4 Simulation Model 78
4.3.5 Simulation Results 78
4.4 Conclusion 82
References 82

Chapter 5 To wa r d s A u g m e n t i n g F e d e r at e d W i r e l e s s
85
S e n s o r N e t w o r ks i n F o r e s t ry A pp l i cat i o n s
5.1  ackground and Related Work
B 87
5.2 System Model 88
5.2.1 Problem Definition 88
5.2.2 Communication Model 89
5.2.3 Network Model 90
5.2.4 Grid Model 91
5.3 Fixing Augmented Network Damage Intelligently
(FADI): The Approach92
5.4 Performance Evaluation 99
5.4.1 Performance Metrics and Parameters 100
5.4.2 Baseline Approaches 100
5.4.3 Simulation Setup and Results 101
5.5 Conclusion 104
References 105
 C o n t en t s ix

Chapter 6 O p t i m i z e d H e x a g o n - B a s e d D e p l oy m e n t f o r
L a r g e -S c a l e U bi q u i t o u s S e n s o r N e t w o r k s 107
6.1 Related Work 109
6.2 System Models 111
6.2.1 N  etwork Model 111
6.2.2 E  nergy Consumption Model 112
6.2.3 C  ommunication Model 112
6.2.4 Cost Model 113
6.2.4.1 Relay Node 113
6.2.4.2 C  ognitive Node 114
6.2.5 Problem Definition 116
6.3 The O2D Deployment Strategy 117
6.4 Case Study 125
6.5 Simulation Results and Discussion 128
6.5.1 Simulation Setup 131
6.5.2 Evaluation of the Square-Based Grid 131
6.5.2.1 N  ode Reliability (NR) 132
6.5.2.2 I nstantaneous Throughput (IT) 132
6.5.2.3 Delay 132
6.5.3 Evaluation of the Hexagon-Based Grid 134
6.5.3.1 I nstantaneous Throughput (IT) 135
6.5.3.2 N  ode Reliability (NR) 136
6.6 Conclusions 138
References 139

Chapter 7 To wa r d s P r o l o n g e d L i f e t i m e f o r
D e p l oy e d W i r e l e s s S e n s o r N e t w o r k s in

Outdoor Environment Monitoring 143

7.1 R
 elated Work 145
7.1.1 Contributions 149
7.2 S ystem Models 150
7.2.1 Communication Model 151
7.2.2 Network Model 151
7.2.3 Lifetime and Energy Models 153
7.3 Deployment Strategy 154
7.3.1 First Phase of the O3D Strategy 155
7.3.2 Second Phase of the O3D Strategy 158
7.4 Lifetime Theoretical Analysis 166
7.5 P erformance Evaluation and Discussion 168
7.5.1 Simulation Model 169
7.5.2 Simulation Results 169
7.6 Conclusions 175
References 176
x C o n t en t s

Chapter 8 Pat h P l a n n i n g f o r M o bi l e D ata

C o l l e c t o r s i n Fu t u r e C i t i e s 181
8.1 Related work 184
8.2 System Models 185
8.2.1 N  etwork Model 186
8.2.2 Energy Model 187
8.2.3 Communication Model 187
8.3 Hybrid Genetic-based Path Planning (HGPP)
Approach187
8.3.1 Chromosome Representation 188
8.3.2 Initial Population Creation 188
8.3.3 Path Planning 188
8.4 Performance Evaluation 190
8.4.1 Experimental Setup 190
8.4.2 Performance Metrics and Parameters 190
8.4.3 Simulation Results 191
8.5 Conclusions 197
References 199

Chapter 9 C on clusions and Fu t u r e D i r e c t i o n s 201

9.1 Summary 202
9.2 Future Work 203
Index 205
Preface

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) overcome the difficulties of other

monitoring systems because they require no human attendance on
site, provide real time interaction with events, and maintain efficient
cost and power operations. However, further efficiencies are required
especially in the case of Outdoor Environment Monitoring (OEM)
applications due to their harsh operational conditions, huge targeted
areas, limited energy budgets, and required three-dimensional (3-D)
setups. A fundamental issue in defeating these practical challenges is
the deployment planning of the WSNs. The deployment plan is a key
factor of many intrinsic properties of OEM networks, summarized
in connectivity, lifetime, fault-tolerance, and cost-effectiveness. In
this book, we investigate the problem of WSNs’ deployments which
address these properties in order to overcome the unique challenges
and circumstances in OEM applications.

xi
x ii P refac e

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Author

Fadi Al-Turjman  is an associate professor at

Middle East Technical University Northern
Cyprus Campus, Turkey. He received his PhD
degree in computing science from Queen’s
University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in
2011. He is a leading authority in the areas of
­smart/­cognitive, wireless, and mobile networks’
architectures, protocols, deployments, and per-
formance evaluation. His record spans more
than 150 publications in journals, conferences, patents, books, and
book chapters, in addition to numerous keynotes and plenary talks
at flagship venues. He has received several recognitions and best
papers’ awards at top international conferences and led a number
of international symposia and workshops in flagship ComSoc con-
ferences. He is serving as the lead guest editor in several journals,
including the IET Wireless Sensor Systems, Sensors (Multidisciplinary
Digital Publishing Institute), IEEE Access, and Wireless Communication
and Mobile Computing (Wiley). He is also the general workshops
chair for the IEEE International Conference on Local Computer
Networks (LCN ’17). Recently, he has published his book entitled
Cognitive Sensors & IoT: Architecture, Deployment, and Data Delivery

x iii
xiv Au t h o r

with Taylor & Francis Group, CRC Press, New York. Since 2007, he
has been working on international wireless sensor networks projects
related to remote monitoring, as well as Smart Cities-related deploy-
ments and data delivery protocols using integrated RFID–sensor
networks.
 1
I ntroducti on

Wireless networking and advanced sensing technology have enabled

the development of low-cost and power-efficient Wireless Sensor
Networks (WSNs) which can be used in various domains such as
health care, home intelligence, and Outdoor Environment Monitoring
(OEM). Devices in WSNs, called Sensor Nodes (SNs), are used to
sense certain properties of the surrounding environment, including
physical/chemical properties, and transmit the sensed data to a central
unit, called a Base Station (BS), either periodically or on demand.
According to different application requirements, a WSN may consist
of just a few or as many as thousands of wireless nodes, operating in
a collaborative and coherent manner for a few days or several years to
fulfill a specific task [1].
Currently, WSNs are proving to be a promising wireless monitor-
ing technology in various OEM applications. In OEM applications,
sensor nodes are assumed to monitor and report the status of the sur-
rounding outdoor environments, as in air pollution, forest fire, and
flood detection applications [2,3]. The wide use of WSNs in OEM is
due to their enormous potential benefits and advantages. The direct
and continuous existence of WSNs surrounding the monitored phe-
nomena allows them to provide localized measurements and detailed
information that is hard to obtain through traditional instrumenta-
tion (i.e., traditional sensors). For example, the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [4,5], a traditional instrument,
was launched to provide forest fire surveillance by capturing satel-
lite images and processing them every 1–2 days, which is too late for
the forest to survive. In contrast, in Reference [2], a WSN is used to
provide real time interaction with forest fires due to the cooperative
efforts of sensor nodes. Another example is the redwood tree appli-
cation in Reference [6]. The entire surrounding of the redwood tree
is known to have substantial variations in temperature and moisture

1
2 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

along its length (~70 m). In order to study these variations, a winch
near the top is needed to carry a set of weather monitoring instru-
ments with a very long serial cable connected to a battery powered
data logger at the tree base. However, a few small nodes constructing
the WSN were able to collect the targeted data wirelessly at different
scales and resolutions.
Measuring natural species with a WSN can also enable long term
data collection at scales and resolutions that are difficult, if not impos-
sible, to obtain otherwise. Moreover, due to the local computing and
networking capabilities of WSNs, sensor nodes can be reprogrammed
to do different tasks after deployment on site, based on changes in
the conditions of the WSN itself and the targeted phenomena [1].
Therefore, laboratories can be extended to the monitored site where
no human intervention is required, and real time interaction can be
provided remotely.
Nonetheless, deploying* WSNs in OEM is challenging and needs
further investigation due to harsh operational conditions, vast mon-
itored areas, limited energy budgets, and required 3-D setups. For
instance, most of the proposed OEM applications [2,3,6–9] are applied
in harsh and large-scale areas, such as forests and river surfaces, and
experience bad channel conditions as well as great chances of node
failures and damages. Furthermore, some applications required more
complicated deployment planning when 3-D setups [3,6,8,10], and
long lifetime periods [2,6,9] are required. Therefore, we investigate
efficient deployment plans to address these challenges and fill the lit-
erature gap in this critical research direction. In the following sub-
sections, OEM deployment challenges and motivations behind this
work are detailed. And major research contributions are reviewed in
addition to outlining the remaining contents of this book.

1.1 Contributions

This work aims primarily at optimizing the WSN deployment in

OEM applications by exploiting static/mobile RNs in grid-based
deployments. We study the optimization problem when SNs’ posi-
tions are known in advance and static RNs are utilized. Afterward, we
* Deployment is the process of identifying numbers and positions of the utilized
nodes (devices) in the WSN.
 In t r o d u c ti o n 3

examine a more complicated scenario where SNs’ positions are anony-

mous and a hybrid of static and mobile RNs are in use. Accordingly,
we present novel deployment schemes (strategies) to place the set of
RNs/SNs on any grid model in these scenarios. The main contribu-
tions of this book are summarized as follows:

1. Generally, SNs/RNs can be placed on any vertex of the 3-D

grid which results in a huge search space in large-scale appli-
cations, such as an OEM. Thus, this leads to extreme com-
plexity in repositioning extra static or mobile RNs during the
run time. We overcome this challenge by finding a subset of a
relatively small number of grid vertices for these RNs without
affecting the solution optimality.
2. Assuming prepositioned SNs and static RNs only, we con-
sider them along with their communication links as a graph
to mathematically represent their connectivity property. And
thus, we formulate a solid mathematical optimization problem
that has the aforementioned limited search space and aims at
maximizing the network connectivity while maintaining cost
and lifetime constraints.
3. Key to our contribution is also the use of proper cost and
communication models in addition to a revised definition
for the network lifetime, which is more appropriate in OEM
applications.
4. Assuming the mobility feature in a subset of the available
RNs, we also prolong the network lifetime. We mathemati-
cally formulate this problem as an Integer Linear Program
(ILP) and provide a two-phase solution for it. We consider
an effective power level metric at the objective function of
the ILP, which is the minimum node residual energy along
with the total consumed energy. This consideration results
in more influential movement for the mobile RNs, and thus
more equilibrium in the traffic load is achieved.
5. We derive an upper bound for the maximum network life-
time under idealistic operational conditions in OEM. The
proposed two-phase solution shows significant improvements
in terms of the network lifetime in comparison to this upper
bound.
4 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

6. We investigate mobile vs. static grid-based deployments in

order to overcome harsh operational conditions in OEM
applications while considering hexagon and square grid
shapes for these deployment solutions.
7. Genetic-based solutions, as well as solid mathematical opti-
mization, have been exploited in significant OEM applica-
tions such as the emerging Smart City project.
In summary, this book provides guidelines for device deployment of
typical heterogeneous WSNs in OEM applications.

1.2 Book Outline

The rest of this book is organized as follows. Chapter 2 highlights

relevant background and related work in the literature. In Chapter 3,
we introduce a novel 3-D deployment strategy, called Optimized 3-D
Grid deployment with Lifetime Constraint (O3DwLC), for relay
nodes in environmental applications. The strategy optimizes network
connectivity while guaranteeing specific network lifetime and limited
cost. Key to our contribution is a very limited search space for the
optimization problem in addition to a revised definition for network
lifetime, which is more appropriate in environment monitoring. The
effectiveness of our strategy is validated through extensive simulations
and comparisons, assuming practical considerations of signal propa-
gation and connectivity. In Chapter 4, we propose two Optimized
Relay Placement (ORP) strategies with the objective of federating
disjoint WSN sectors with the maximum connectivity under a cost
constraint on the total number of RNs to be deployed. The perfor-
mance of the proposed approach is validated and assessed through
extensive simulations and comparisons assuming practical consid-
erations in outdoor environments. In Chapter 5, we propose a 3-D
grid-based deployment for relay nodes in which the relays are effi-
ciently placed on grid vertices. We present a novel approach, named
Fixing Augmented network Damage Intelligently (FADI), based on
a minimum spanning tree construction to reconnect the disjointed
WSN sectors. The performance of the proposed approach is validated
and assessed through extensive simulations; comparisons with two
mainstream approaches are presented. Our protocol outperforms the
 In t r o d u c ti o n 5

related work in terms of the average relay node count and distribution,
the scalability of the federated WSNs in large scale applications, and
the robustness of the topologies formed. We elaborate further on this
strategy in Chapter 6 where the hexagonal virtual grid is assumed
instead of the square one. We propose the use of cognitive nodes
(CNs) in the underlying sensor network to provide intelligent infor-
mation processing and knowledge-based services to the end users. We
identify tools and techniques to implement the cognitive functionality
and formulate a strategy for the deployment of CNs in the underlying
sensor network to ensure a high probability of successful data recep-
tion among communicating nodes. From MATLAB® simulations, we
were able to verify that in a network with randomly deployed sensor
nodes, CNs can be strategically deployed at predetermined positions,
to deliver application-aware data that satisfies the end user’s qual-
ity of information requirements, even at high application payloads.
Chapter 7 proposes a 3-D grid-based deployment for heterogeneous
WSNs (consisting of SNs, RNs, and MRNs). The problem is cast
as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) optimization problem
with the objective of maximizing the network lifetime while main-
taining certain levels of fault-tolerance and cost efficiency. Moreover,
an Upper Bound (UB) on the deployed WSN lifetime, given that
there are no unexpected node/link failures, has been driven. Based on
practical/harsh experimental settings in OEM, intensive simulations
show that the proposed grid-based deployment scheme can achieve an
average of 97% of the expected UB.
Additionally, a typical scenario has been discussed and analyzed in
smart cities while considering genetic based approaches in Chapter 8.
In this chapter, we study the path planning problem for these DCs
while optimizing their counts and their total traveled distances. As
the total collected load on a given DC route cannot exceed its stor-
age capacity, it is important to decide on the size of the exchanged
data packets (images, videos, etc.) and the sequence of the targeted
data sources to be visited. We propose a hybrid heuristic approach for
public data delivery in smart city settings. In this approach, public
vehicles are utilized as DCs that read/collect data from numerously
distributed Access Points (APs) and relay it back to a central process-
ing base station in the city. We also introduce a cost-based fitness
function for DCs election in the smart city paradigm. Our cost-based
6 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

function considers resource limitations in terms of DCs’ count, stor-

age capacity and energy consumption. Extensive simulations are per-
formed; results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in
comparison to other heuristic approaches with respect to total trav-
eled distances and overall time complexity. Finally, Chapter 9 con-
cludes the book and provides directions for future work.

References
1. I. Akyildiz, W. Su, Y. Sankarasubramaniam, and E. Cayirci, A survey
on sensor networks, IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 40, no. 8,
pp. 102–114, 2002.
2. M. Hefeeda, Forest fire modeling and early detection uses wireless
sensor networks, School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University,
Vancouver, BC, Technical Report TR-2007-08, August 2007.
3. F. Al-Turjman, Information-centric sensor networks for cognitive IoT:
An overview, Annals of Telecommunications, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 3–18,
2017.
4. G. Guo and M. Zhou, Using MODIS land surface temperature to eval-
uate forest fire risk of Northeast China, IEEE Geoscience and Remote
Sensing Letters, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 98–100, 2004.
5. NASA, MODIS—Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.
http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/, 2009.
6. G. Tolle, J. Polastre, R. Szewczyk, and D. Culler, A macroscope in the
redwoods, In Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Embedded Networked
Sensor Systems (SenSys), San Diego, CA, 2005, pp. 51–63.
7. J. Cox, MIT’s tree-powered wireless network, Network World. www.
networkworld.com/community/node/33278, 2009.
8. A. Singh, M. Batalin, V. Chen, M. Stealey, B. Jordan, J. Fisher,
T. Harmon, M. Hansen, and W. Kaiser, Autonomous robotic sensing
experiments at San Joaquin river. In Proceedings of the IEEE International
Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Rome, Italy, 2007,
pp. 4987–4993.
9. B. Son, Y. Her, and J. Kim, A design and implementation of forest-
fires surveillance system based on wireless sensor networks for South
Korea mountains, International Journal of Computer Science and Network
Security (IJCSNS), vol. 6, no. 9, pp. 124–130, 2006.
10. J. Thelen, D. Goense, and K. Langendoen, Radio wave propagation
in potato fields, In Proceedings of the Workshop on Wireless Network
Measurements, Riva del Garda, Italy, April 2005.
 2
D eployment o f W ireles s
S enso r N e t works in
O utd o o r E n v ironment
M onitorin g
An Overview

Deployment planning is of the utmost importance in the context of

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) as it decides the available resources
and their configuration for system setup. This in turn plays a key role
in the network performance. A significant amount of research has
been made to enhance the network performance during its opera-
tional time by optimizing data routing and Medium Access Control
(MAC) protocols [1]. Nevertheless, even with the best suit of routing
and MAC protocols, a designed sensor network cannot achieve the
targeted performance level unless it has been appropriately configured
in advance. For example, if the installed devices are insufficient or if
there are architecture deficiencies due to an ineffective deployment
plan, the connectivity between the deployed nodes and the system
lifetime will be degraded, in addition to causing nonoperational net-
works in some critical situations like flood and fire detection [2,3].
Accordingly, recent efforts are moving toward enhancing the net-
work performance by optimizing the network deployment planning.
Several network properties, considered as deployment objectives and
constraints, have led to a rich research field. Using the categorization
criteria adopted in Reference [4], we classify the technical approaches
of WSN deployment into two groups, random deployment and deter-
ministic (grid-based) deployment. In random deployment, nodes are
arbitrarily scattered and are managed in an ad hoc manner. In con-
trast, in the grid-based deployment, nodes are placed according to
virtual grid vertices which leads to more efficiency in terms of the

7
8 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

targeted network properties. The shortcomings of these approaches

will be pointed out where appropriate in the following sections.

2.1 Desired Network Properties in OEM

Due to aforementioned challenges and characteristics, we will dis-

cuss the most important properties in the Outdoor Environment
Monitoring (OEM) deployment planning, namely connectivity, fault-
tolerance, and network (system) lifetime.

2.1.1 Connectivity

Connectivity is defined as the ability of the deployed nodes to stay

connected with the Base Station (BS) to satisfy the targeted applica-
tion objectives [5]. As previously mentioned, nodes and communica-
tion links in OEM are subject to several risks. Therefore, the deployed
network connectivity is essential to ensure that the sensed data is deliv-
ered correctly to the BS for processing. In the context of WSNs, con-
nectivity could be presented as k-connectivity. k-connectivity has two
different meanings, namely, k-path connectivity and k-link connec-
tivity. k-path connectivity means that there are k independent paths
between the deployed nodes and the BS, while the k-link connectivity
means that each node is directly connected to k neighboring nodes.
In fact, a WSN could be disconnected even if k-link connectivity is
satisfied. However, when k > 1, the network can tolerate some node
and link failures. At the same time, the higher degree of connectivity
improves communication availability among the deployed nodes. In
the literature, some OEM deployments, such as the one in Reference
[6], support k-path connectivity while others support k-link connec-
tivity for more reliable and longer lasting networks, as in References
[7–9]. In fact, it may not be necessary to maintain k-connectivity
between all nodes, but only among the nodes which form the network
backbone, which we call irredundant (critical) nodes.
In general, connectivity problems can be repaired after their
occurrence either by using extra redundant nodes or by utilizing the
node mobility feature. Node redundancy [10] is used to overcome
disconnected networks. Redundant nodes, which are not being used
for communication or sensing, are turned off. When the network
 D E P L OY M EN T O F WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS 9

becomes disconnected, one or more of the redundant nodes is turned

on to resume the network connectivity. In Reference [11], the low-
est number of redundant nodes are added to a disconnected static
network, so that the network remains connected. In addition, over-
lapping clusters of sensor nodes are used to enhance the network con-
nectivity in Reference [12]. In Reference [13], a distributed recovery
algorithm is developed to address k-link connectivity requirements,
where k is equal to 1 and 2. The idea is to identify the least set of nodes
that should be repositioned in order to reestablish a particular level of
connectivity. A shortcoming of such techniques is the requirement
for extra nodes regardless of their roles, types, and physical positions,
which may not be cost-effective in environment monitoring applica-
tions. Also, when some redundant nodes fail, it may no longer be
possible to repair the network connectivity.
Meanwhile, node mobility can also be used to maintain network
connectivity. Typically, mobile nodes are relocated after deploy-
ment to carry data between disconnected partitions of the network
[14]. Providing radio connectivity using mobile nodes while consid-
ering ongoing missions, traveling distance, and message exchange
complexity has also been considered recently in Reference [13].
However, relocating nodes without considering grid connectivity
properties and characteristics can have severe effects on the direc-
tion of movement and the choice of the most appropriate node to
be moved.
Although the above techniques can aid with repairing connectiv-
ity problems, they do not address the sources of these problems. In
this book, we present a radically different approach toward addressing
connectivity problems and complementing the work of the aforemen-
tioned techniques. We address the properties of grid connectivity in
practice and under realistic scenarios, such as inaccurate positioning
and communications irregularity. Thus, more efficient connectivity
planning and maintenance can be achieved.

2.1.2 Fault-Tolerance

Due to the harsh operational conditions where OEM sensor networks

are deployed, WSNs are susceptible to unpredictable events such as
hardware failures, power leakage, physical damage, environmental
10 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

interference, etc. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that WSNs are also fault-
tolerant. As mentioned before, the sources of failure in OEM can
occur because of either node or link failures. These failures are char-
acterized by the Probability of Node Failure (PNF) and Probability
of Disconnected Nodes (PDN) to indicate the harshness level of the
monitored environment.
Three scenarios are considered in the deployed networks to be fault-
tolerant: fault detection, fault diagnosis, and fault recovery [15]. There
are many techniques for fault detection and diagnosis in the literature;
they are classified into self-diagnosis, group detection, and hierar-
chal detection [16]. On the other hand, few fault recovery techniques
are addressed in the literature. They can be classified into node and
link recovery techniques. These recovery techniques assure the ability
of the deployed network to stay operational and fulfill the assigned
task in the presence of a set of nonfunctional nodes/links, so that
sensed and carried data can be recovered. Although both node and
link failures are important to be tolerated together, some deployments
have considered only node failure recovery such as [9], while others
have considered only the link failure recovery as in Reference [17],
which weakens the deployed network performance. Compared to the
complexity of considering a single type of these recovery techniques,
it is trivial to consider both of them in one deployment technique
by employing redundant nodes and maximizing the communication
connectivity.

2.1.3 Lifetime

As for the system lifetime, it is the most challenging problem in any

OEM deployment as the utilized nodes are energy constrained, and
deployed networks are sometimes required to work for longer inter-
vals measured in years [18,19]. In addition, it is undesirable to revisit
harsh environments, such as those targeted by the OEM applications,
simply for node replacement or recharging. Accordingly, accurate life-
time prediction in the early deployment planning stages is required.
There are two types of lifetime predictions in the literature: node and
network lifetime predictions. Node lifetime can be measured in sev-
eral ways. For example, it can be measured based on the number of
cycles over which the data is collected, on the cumulative active time
 D E P L OY M EN T O F WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS 11

of the node before it is depleted, or on the cumulative traffic volume

of the node before its energy is depleted. However, all of the afore-
mentioned measuring methods require accurate energy consumption
models which consider the effects of surrounding environments for
more realistic and practical predictions. This issue is addressed in
our research. In fact, nodes in WSNs consume power in three main
domains: sensing, communication, and data processing. Because
the majority of power consumed per node is used in communica-
tion, related work in literature has concentrated on proposing energy
consumption models for receiving and transmitting wireless signals.
Network lifetime has several definitions in the literature. One of the
most common states that, “it is the time until the first node death
occurs” [20]. Such a definition may not be suitable if we are monitor-
ing, for example, the forest temperature or humidity as long as we
are still receiving the same information from other nodes in the same
area. Similarly, the definition, which says that “it is the time until
the last node death occurs”, can serve as an upper bound of other
definitions. Thus, both of these definitions are unrealistic for OEM
applications. Another way to define lifetime relies on the percent-
age of nodes alive [20]. But choosing such a percentage threshold is
usually arbitrary in the literature and does not reflect the application
requirements. In addition, being alive does not mean that the node
is still connected to the sink node (or BS). Yet another approach to
evaluate network lifetime is in terms of connectivity and network par-
titions [21]. These definitions still do not satisfy OEM applications.
For instance, if a set of nodes is destroyed because of the movement of
an animal or a falling tree in the monitored site, the network can still
be considered functional as long as some other nodes are still alive and
connected to the BS. Accordingly, redundant nodes and links must be
used in such applications. In order to take into consideration node/
link redundancy, an OEM specific lifetime definition is proposed in
this book.

2.2 Random vs. Deterministic WSNs Deployment

In the literature, deployments targeting network properties men-

tioned above are mainly classified into two categories: random vs.
deterministic (grid-based) deployments.
12 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

2.2.1 Random Deployment

In random deployments, nodes can be placed randomly to reduce the

deployment cost, or based on a weighted random deployment plan-
ning, they can be placed where the distributed nodes’ density is not
uniform in the monitored areas. For instance, K. Xu et al. [22] studied
the random RN deployment in a 2-D plane. The authors proposed an
efficient network lifetime maximization deployment when the RNs
are directly communicating with the BS. In this study, it was estab-
lished that different energy consumption rates at different distances
from the BS render uniform RN deployment, thus being a poor can-
didate for network lifetime extension. Alternatively, a weighted ran-
dom deployment is proposed. In this random deployment, the density
of RN deployment increases as the distance to the BS increases, and
thus distant RNs can split the traffic among themselves. This in turn
extends the average RN lifetime. We note that some attempts have
been made toward the 3-D deployment as well. For example, authors
in Reference [23] consider the implications of sensing and communica-
tion ranges on the network connectivity in random 3-D deployments.
In Reference [24], the authors proposed a distributed algorithm that
achieves k-connectivity in homogenous WSNs randomly deployed in
the 3-D space. Simply, the idea is to adapt the nodes’ transmission
power until either the distance separating two consecutive neighbors
is greater than a specific threshold or the maximal power is reached.
However, this method is not cost-effective due to hardware complex-
ity required to adapt the transmission ranges, which is not worthy in
OEM applications. In addition, adapting the transmission range to
reach farther distances would increase the energy consumption, and
hence degrade the network lifetime.

2.2.2 Deterministic (Grid-Based) Deployment

Proposals described above are suitable for applications which are not
interested in the exact node positioning. In contrast, some propos-
als have advocated deploying nodes exactly on specific predefined
locations, called grid vertices. These locations are optimized in
terms of the aforementioned network properties and the feasibil-
ity of the location itself in reality (e.g., non-reachable locations are
 D E P L OY M EN T O F WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS 13

not feasible for node deployment). Due to the interest posed by

OEM applications in the exact physical positioning of sensor and
relay nodes, this type of deployment (i.e., grid-based deployment)
serves this purpose more appropriately, and hence is adopted in our
work. Moreover, coupling this type of deployment with guaranteed
multipath routing can significantly enhance the network lifetime
and fault-tolerance chances, in addition to repairing network con-
nectivity problems.
In the literature, two categories of approaches have been pursued
to enhance these three main properties (i.e., network lifetime, con-
nectivity, and fault-tolerance): (1) populating additional (redundant)
nodes, and (2) employing mobile nodes. The approach presented in
Reference [13] counters faulty sensor nodes by repositioning mobile
pre-identified spare sensors from different parts of the network. The
most appropriate candidate spare node is the closest one. In order to
detect the closest spare to the faulty sensor, a grid-based approach
is proposed. The targeted region is divided into cells. Each cell has
a head advertising available spare nodes in its cell or requesting the
spare ones for it. Once the spares are located, they are moved to the
cell of failure without affecting the data traffic and the network topol-
ogy. However, assuming that the closest node will always be moved
to recover the faulty ones will rapidly deplete their batteries unless a
load balance constraint is added.
W. Alsalih et al. [33] proposed a deterministic deployment for
data gathering using a mobile node, called a data collector (DC). In
this deployment, a mobile data collector moves along a predefined
track through the sensing field. SNs whose transmission ranges
overlap with this track are called relay nodes (RNs). In addition to
forwarding their own measurements to the data collector, the RNs
collect the measurements of neighboring SNs whose transmission
ranges do not overlap with the track. It was shown that employ-
ing mobile data collectors can extend the network lifetime in com-
parison to conventional WSNs employing static nodes only. In fact,
the concept of mobile nodes, or data collectors, was used earlier
in References [25,26]. These references assumed the existence of a
number of predefined locations where data collectors can be placed.
The network lifetime was divided into equal length time periods,
called rounds (a more rigorous definition of a round will be given
14 WIREL E S S SENS O R NE T W O RKS

subsequently in this book), and data collectors are moved to new

locations at the beginning of each round. In Reference [25], the
problem of finding the optimal locations for the mobile nodes was
formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) problem
whose objective is minimizing the total consumed energy during a
round. It was also shown that the identified optimal locations were
optimal when the objective was to minimize the maximum energy
spent by a single SN. However, these two objective functions are
not suitable for the placement of mobile nodes since the optimal
solutions will not change over the time, i.e., the maximum or total
energy spent per round might not change; hence, locations of data
collectors (mobile nodes) will not be changed. In contrast, a heu-
ristic mobile node placement scheme that considers nodes’ residual
energy was proposed in Reference [26]. The locations of data col-
lectors were chosen according to local information only. In other
words, the decision of whether or not a mobile node is placed at a
given location is made based on the residual energy of SNs that are
one hop away from that location. Consequently, the locations calcu-
lated may be far from optimal.
Even so, assuming all nodes are able to move may not be valid
in a number of OEM applications. It is more appropriate if a sub-
set of the deployed nodes is assumed to have the mobility feature, or
more static nodes are populated to repair connectivity (by recovering
faulty nodes) and prolong the network lifetime. In an earlier work
[27], we proposed an Integer Linear Program (ILP) that assumes a
number of the deployed nodes have the ability to change their loca-
tions during the network operational time. This deployment strategy
enforces the minimal energy consumption while maintaining connec-
tivity requirements, fault-tolerant constraints, and cost-effectiveness.
A key parameter in formulating the deployment problem is limiting
the 3-D search space to a finite set of points by using grid models. The
performance of the proposed strategy is validated through extensive
simulations. Network lifetime enhancements of up to 50% have been
achieved as compared to other deployment schemes under practical
settings in OEM applications.
Unlike the previous references, the authors in Reference [28]
proposed an algorithm to achieve fault-tolerant and long lasting
WSNs by populating static nodes which have at least two disjointed
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
 ‘You’ve made a mistake; only one liqueur brandy—and here’s
another mistake, I ordered two portions of potatoes, not three; I do
wish to God you’d be careful!’ When Brockett felt cross he always felt
mean. ‘Correct this at once, it’s disgusting!’ he said rudely. Stephen
sighed, and hearing her Brockett looked up unabashed: ‘Well, why
pay for what we’ve not ordered?’ Then he suddenly found his temper
again and left a very large tip for the waiter.

There is nothing more difficult to attain to than the art of being a

perfect guide. Such an art, indeed, requires a real artist, one who
has a keen perception for contrasts, and an eye for the large effects
rather than for details, above all one possessed of imagination; and
Brockett, when he chose, could be such a guide.
Having waved the professional guides to one side, he himself
took them through a part of the palace, and his mind re-peopled the
place for Stephen so that she seemed to see the glory of the
dancers led by the youthful Roi Soleil; seemed to hear the rhythm of
the throbbing violins, and the throb of the rhythmic dancing feet as
they beat down the length of the Galerie des Glaces; seemed to see
those other mysterious dancers who followed step by step, in the
long line of mirrors. But most skilfully of all did he recreate for her
the image of the luckless queen who came after; as though for some
reason this unhappy woman must appeal in a personal way to
Stephen. And true it was that the small, humble rooms which the
queen had chosen out of all that vast palace, moved Stephen
profoundly—so desolate they seemed, so full of unhappy thoughts
and emotions that were even now only half forgotten.
Brockett pointed to the simple garniture on the mantelpiece of
the little salon, then he looked at Stephen: ‘Madame de Lamballe
gave those to the queen,’ he murmured softly.
She nodded, only vaguely apprehending his meaning.
 Presently they followed him out into the gardens and stood
looking across the Tapis Vert that stretches its quarter mile of
greenness towards a straight, lovely line of water.
Brockett said, very low, so that Puddle should not hear him:
‘Those two would often come here at sunset. Sometimes they were
rowed along the canal in the sunset—can’t you imagine it, Stephen?
They must often have felt pretty miserable, poor souls; sick to death
of the subterfuge and pretences. Don’t you ever get tired of that sort
of thing? My God, I do!’ But she did not answer, for now there was
no mistaking his meaning.
Last of all he took them to the Temple d’Amour, where it rests
amid the great silence of the years that have long lain upon the
dead hearts of its lovers; and from there to the Hameau, built by the
queen for a whim—the tactless and foolish whim of a tactless and
foolish but loving woman—by the queen who must play at being a
peasant, at a time when her downtrodden peasants were starving.
The cottages were badly in need of repair; a melancholy spot it
looked, this Hameau, in spite of the birds that sang in its trees and
the golden glint of the afternoon sunshine.
On the drive back to Paris they were all very silent. Puddle was
feeling too tired to talk, and Stephen was oppressed by a sense of
sadness—the vast and rather beautiful sadness that may come to us
when we have looked upon beauty, the sadness that aches in the
heart of Versailles. Brockett was content to sit opposite Stephen on
the hard little let-down seat of her motor. He might have been
comfortable next to the driver, but instead he preferred to sit
opposite Stephen, and he too was silent, surreptitiously watching the
expression of her face in the gathering twilight.
When he left them he said with his cold little smile: ‘To-morrow,
before you’ve forgotten Versailles, I want you to come to the
Conciergerie. It’s very enlightening—cause and effect.’
At that moment Stephen disliked him intensely. All the same he
had stirred her imagination.
 3

In the weeks that followed, Brockett showed Stephen just as much of

Paris as he wished her to see, and this principally consisted of the
tourist’s Paris. Into less simple pastures he would guide her later on,
always provided that his interest lasted. For the present, however, he
considered it wiser to tread delicately like Agag. The thought of this
girl had begun to obsess him to a very unusual extent. He who had
prided himself on his skill in ferreting out other people’s secrets, was
completely baffled by this youthful abnormal. That she was
abnormal he had no doubt whatever, but what he was keenly
anxious to find out was just how her own abnormality struck her—he
felt pretty sure that she worried about it. And he genuinely liked her.
Unscrupulous he might be in his vivisection of men and women;
cynical too when it came to his pleasures, himself an invert, secretly
hating the world which he knew hated him in secret; and yet in his
way he felt sorry for Stephen, and this amazed him, for Jonathan
Brockett had long ago, as he thought, done with pity. But his pity
was a very poor thing at best, it would never defend and never
protect her; it would always go down before any new whim, and his
whim at the moment was to keep her in Paris.
All unwittingly Stephen played into his hands, while having no
illusions about him. He represented a welcome distraction that
helped her to keep her thoughts off England. And because under
Brockett’s skilful guidance she developed a fondness for the beautiful
city, she felt very tolerant of him at moments, almost grateful she
felt, grateful too towards Paris. And Puddle also felt grateful.
The strain of the sudden complete rupture with Morton had told
on the faithful little grey woman. She would scarcely have known
how to counsel Stephen had the girl come to her and asked for her
counsel. Sometimes she would lie awake now at nights thinking of
that ageing and unhappy mother in the great silent house, and then
would come pity, the old pity that had come in the past for Anna—
she would pity until she remembered Stephen. Then Puddle would
try to think very calmly, to keep the brave heart that had never failed
her, to keep her strong faith in Stephen’s future—only now there
were days when she felt almost old, when she realized that indeed
she was ageing. When Anna would write her a calm, friendly letter,
but with never so much as a mention of Stephen, she would feel
afraid, yes, afraid of this woman, and at moments almost afraid of
Stephen. For none might know from those guarded letters what
emotions lay in the heart of their writer; and none might know from
Stephen’s set face when she recognized the writing, what lay in her
heart. She would turn away, asking no questions about Morton.
Oh, yes, Puddle felt old and actually frightened, both of which
sensations she deeply resented; so being what she was, an
indomitable fighter, she thrust out her chin and ordered a tonic. She
struggled along through the labyrinths of Paris beside the untiring
Stephen and Brockett; through the galleries of the Luxembourg and
the Louvre; up the Eiffel Tower—in a lift, thank heaven; down the
Rue de la Paix, up the hill to Montmartre—sometimes in the car but
quite often on foot, for Brockett wished Stephen to learn her Paris—
and as likely as not, ending up with rich food that disagreed badly
with the tired Puddle. In the restaurants people would stare at
Stephen, and although the girl would pretend not to notice, Puddle
would know that in spite of her calm, Stephen was inwardly feeling
resentful, was inwardly feeling embarrassed and awkward. And then
because she was tired, Puddle too would feel awkward when she
noticed those people staring.
Sometimes Puddle must really give up and rest, in spite of the
aggressive chin and the tonic. Then all alone in the Paris hotel, she
would suddenly grow very homesick for England—absurd of course
and yet there it was, she would feel the sharp tug of England. At
such moments she would long for ridiculous things; a penny bun in
the train at Dover; the good red faces of English porters—the old
ones with little stubby side-whiskers; Harrods Stores; a properly
upholstered arm-chair; bacon and eggs; the sea front at Brighton.
All alone and via these ridiculous things, Puddle would feel the sharp
tug of England.
 And one evening her weary mind must switch back to the earliest
days of her friendship with Stephen. What a lifetime ago it seemed
since the days when a lanky colt of a girl of fourteen had been licked
into shape in the schoolroom at Morton. She could hear her own
words: ‘You’ve forgotten something, Stephen; the books can’t walk
to the bookcase, but you can, so suppose that you take them with
you,’ and then: ‘Even my brain won’t stand your complete lack of
method.’ Stephen fourteen—that was twelve years ago. In those
years she, Puddle, had grown very tired, tired with trying to see
some way out, some way of escape, of fulfilment for Stephen. And
always they seemed to be toiling, they two, down an endless road
that had no turning; she an ageing woman herself unfulfilled;
Stephen still young and as yet still courageous—but the day would
come when her youth would fail, and her courage, because of that
endless toiling.
She thought of Brockett, Jonathan Brockett, surely an unworthy
companion for Stephen; a thoroughly vicious and cynical man, a
dangerous one too because he was brilliant. Yet she, Puddle, was
actually grateful to this man; so dire were their straits that she was
grateful to Brockett. Then came the remembrance of that other man,
of Martin Hallam—she had had such high hopes. He had been very
simple and honest and good—Puddle felt that there was much to be
said for goodness. But for such as Stephen men like Martin Hallam
could seldom exist; as friends they would fail her, while she in her
turn would fail them as lover. Then what remained? Jonathan
Brockett? Like to like. No, no, an intolerable thought! Such a thought
as that was an outrage on Stephen. Stephen was honourable and
courageous; she was steadfast in friendship and selfless in loving;
intolerable to think that her only companions must be men and
women like Jonathan Brockett—and yet—after all what else? What
remained? Loneliness, or worse still, far worse because it so deeply
degraded the spirit, a life of perpetual subterfuge, of guarded
opinions and guarded actions, of lies of omission if not of speech, of
becoming an accomplice in the world’s injustice by maintaining at all
times a judicious silence, making and keeping the friends one
respected, on false pretences, because if they knew they would turn
aside, even the friends one respected.
Puddle abruptly controlled her thoughts; this was no way to be
helpful to Stephen. Sufficient unto the day was the evil thereof.
Getting up she went into her bedroom where she bathed her face
and tidied her hair.
‘I look scarcely human,’ she thought ruefully, as she stared at her
own reflection in the glass; and indeed at that moment she looked
more than her age.

It was not until nearly the middle of July that Brockett took Stephen
to Valérie Seymour’s. Valérie had been away for some time, and was
even now only passing through Paris en route for her villa at St.
Tropez.
As they drove to her apartment on the Quai Voltaire, Brockett
began to extol their hostess, praising her wit, her literary talent. She
wrote delicate satires and charming sketches of Greek mœurs—the
latter were very outspoken, but then Valérie’s life was very
outspoken—she was, said Brockett, a kind of pioneer who would
probably go down to history. Most of her sketches were written in
French, for among other things Valérie was bilingual; she was also
quite rich, an American uncle had had the foresight to leave her his
fortune; she was also quite young, being just over thirty, and
according to Brockett, good-looking. She lived her life in great
calmness of spirit, for nothing worried and few things distressed her.
She was firmly convinced that in this ugly age one should strive to
the top of one’s bent after beauty. But Stephen might find her a bit
of a free lance, she was libre penseuse when it came to the heart;
her love affairs would fill quite three volumes, even after they had
been expurgated. Great men had loved her, great writers had written
about her, one had died, it was said, because she refused him, but
Valérie was not attracted to men—yet as Stephen would see if she
went to her parties, she had many devoted friends among men. In
this respect she was almost unique, being what she was, for men
did not resent her. But then of course all intelligent people realized
that she was a creature apart, as would Stephen the moment she
met her.
Brockett babbled away, and as he did so his voice took on the
effeminate timbre that Stephen always hated and dreaded: ‘Oh, my
dear!’ he exclaimed with a high little laugh, ‘I’m so excited about this
meeting of yours, I’ve a feeling it may be momentous. What fun!’
And his soft, white hands grew restless, making their foolish
gestures.
She looked at him coldly, wondering the while how she could
tolerate this young man—why indeed, she chose to endure him.

The first thing that struck Stephen about Valérie’s flat was its large
and rather splendid disorder. There was something blissfully
unkempt about it, as though its mistress were too much engrossed
in other affairs to control its behaviour. Nothing was quite where it
ought to have been, and much was where it ought not to have been,
while over the whole lay a faint layer of dust—even over the
spacious salon. The odour of somebody’s Oriental scent was
mingling with the odour of tuberoses in a sixteenth century chalice.
On a divan, whose truly regal proportions occupied the best part of a
shadowy alcove, lay a box of Fuller’s peppermint creams and a lute,
but the strings of the lute were broken.
Valérie came forward with a smile of welcome. She was not
beautiful nor was she imposing, but her limbs were very perfectly
proportioned, which gave her a fictitious look of tallness. She moved
well, with the quiet and unconscious grace that sprang from those
perfect proportions. Her face was humorous, placid and worldly; her
eyes very kind, very blue, very lustrous. She was dressed all in
white, and a large white fox skin was clasped round her slender and
shapely shoulders. For the rest she had masses of thick fair hair,
which was busily ridding itself of its hairpins; one could see at a
glance that it hated restraint, like the flat it was in rather splendid
disorder.
She said: ‘I’m so delighted to meet you at last, Miss Gordon, do
come and sit down. And please smoke if you want to,’ she added
quickly, glancing at Stephen’s tell-tale fingers.
Brockett said: ‘Positively, this is too splendid! I feel that you’re
going to be wonderful friends.’
Stephen thought: ‘So this is Valérie Seymour.’
No sooner were they seated than Brockett began to ply their
hostess with personal questions. The mood that had incubated in
the motor was now becoming extremely aggressive, so that he
fidgeted about on his chair, making his little inadequate gestures.
‘Darling, you’re looking perfectly lovely! But do tell me, what have
you done with Polinska? Have you drowned her in the blue grotto at
Capri? I hope so, my dear, she was such a bore and so dirty! Do tell
me about Polinska. How did she behave when you got her to Capri?
Did she bite anybody before you drowned her? I always felt
frightened; I loathe being bitten!’
Valérie frowned: ‘I believe she’s quite well.’
‘Then you have drowned her, darling!’ shrilled Brockett.
And now he was launched on a torrent of gossip about people of
whom Stephen had never even heard: ‘Pat’s been deserted—have
you heard that, darling? Do you think she’ll take the veil or cocaine
or something? One never quite knows what may happen next with
such an emotional temperament, does one? Arabella’s skipped off to
the Lido with Jane Grigg. The Grigg’s just come into pots and pots of
money, so I hope they’ll be deliriously happy and silly while it lasts—
I mean the money. . . . Oh, and have you heard about Rachel
Morris? They say. . . .’ He flowed on and on like a brook in spring
flood, while Valérie yawned and looked bored, making monosyllabic
answers.
 And Stephen as she sat there and smoked in silence, thought
grimly: ‘This is all being said because of me. Brockett wants to let
me see that he knows what I am, and he wants to let Valérie
Seymour know too—I suppose this is making me welcome.’ She
hardly knew whether to feel outraged or relieved that here, at least,
was no need for pretences.
But after a while she began to fancy that Valérie’s eyes had
become appraising. They were weighing her up and secretly
approving the result, she fancied. A slow anger possessed her.
Valérie Seymour was secretly approving, not because her guest was
a decent human being with a will to work, with a well-trained brain,
with what might some day become a fine talent, but rather because
she was seeing before her all the outward stigmata of the abnormal
—verily the wounds of One nailed to a cross—that was why Valérie
sat there approving.
And then, as though these bitter thoughts had reached her,
Valérie suddenly smiled at Stephen. Turning her back on the
chattering Brockett, she started to talk to her guest quite gravely
about her work, about books in general, about life in general; and as
she did so Stephen began to understand better the charm that many
had found in this woman; a charm that lay less in physical attraction
than in a great courtesy and understanding, a great will to please, a
great impulse towards beauty in all its forms—yes, therein lay her
charm. And as they talked on it dawned upon Stephen that here was
no mere libertine in love’s garden, but rather a creature born out of
her epoch, a pagan chained to an age that was Christian, one who
would surely say with Pierre Louÿs: ‘Le monde moderne succombe
sous un envahissement de laideur.’ And she thought that she
discerned in those luminous eyes, the pale yet ardent light of the
fanatic.
Presently Valérie Seymour asked her how long she would be
remaining in Paris.
And Stephen answered: ‘I’m going to live here,’ feeling surprised
at the words as she said them, for not until now had she made this
decision.
Valérie seemed pleased: ‘If you want a house, I know of one in
the Rue Jacob; it’s a tumbledown place, but it’s got a fine garden.
Why not go and see it? You might go to-morrow. Of course you’ll
have to live on this side, the Rive Gauche is the only possible Paris.’
‘I should like to see the old house,’ said Stephen.
So Valérie went to the telephone there and then and proceeded
to call up the landlord. The appointment was made for eleven the
next morning. ‘It’s rather a sad old house,’ she warned, ‘no one has
troubled to make it a home for some time, but you’ll alter all that if
you take it, because I suppose you’ll make it your home.’
Stephen flushed: ‘My home’s in England,’ she said quickly, for her
thoughts had instantly flown back to Morton.
But Valérie answered: ‘One may have two homes—many homes.
Be courteous to our lovely Paris and give it the privilege of being
your second home—it will feel very honoured, Miss Gordon.’ She
sometimes made little ceremonious speeches like this, and coming
from her, they sounded strangely old-fashioned.
Brockett, rather subdued and distinctly pensive as sometimes
happened if Valérie had snubbed him, complained of a pain above
his right eye: ‘I must take some phenacetin,’ he said sadly, ‘I’m
always getting this curious pain above my right eye—do you think
it’s the sinus?’ He was very intolerant of all pain.
His hostess sent for the phenacetin, and Brockett gulped down a
couple of tablets: ‘Valérie doesn’t love me any more,’ he sighed, with
a woebegone look at Stephen. ‘I do call it hard, but it’s always what
happens when I introduce my best friends to each other—they
foregather at once and leave me in the cold; but then, thank
heaven, I’m very forgiving.’
They laughed and Valérie made him get on to the divan where he
promptly lay down on the lute.
 ‘Oh God!’ he moaned, ‘now I’ve injured my spine—I’m so badly
upholstered.’ Then he started to strum on the one sound string of
the lute.
Valérie went over to her untidy desk and began to write out a list
of addresses: ‘These may be useful to you, Miss Gordon.’
‘Stephen!’ exclaimed Brockett, ‘Call the poor woman Stephen!’
‘May I?’
Stephen acquiesced: ‘Yes, please do.’
‘Very well then, I’m Valérie. Is that a bargain?’
‘The bargain is sealed,’ announced Brockett. With extraordinary
skill he was managing to strum ‘O Sole Mio’ on the single string,
when he suddenly stopped: ‘I knew there was something—your
fencing, Stephen, you’ve forgotten your fencing. We meant to ask
Valérie for Buisson’s address; they say he’s the finest master in
Europe.’
Valérie looked up: ‘Does Stephen fence, then?’
‘Does she fence! She’s a marvellous, champion fencer.’
‘He’s never seen me fence,’ explained Stephen, ‘and I’m never
likely to be a champion.’
‘Don’t you believe her, she’s trying to be modest. I’ve heard that
she fences quite as finely as she writes,’ he insisted. And somehow
Stephen felt touched, Brockett was trying to show off her talents.
Presently she offered him a lift in the car, but he shook his head:
‘No, thank you, dear one, I’m staying.’ So she wished them good-
bye; but as she left them she heard Brockett murmuring to Valérie
Seymour, and she felt pretty sure that she caught her own name.
 6

‘Well, what did you think of Miss Seymour?’ inquired Puddle, when
Stephen got back about twenty minutes later.
Stephen hesitated: ‘I’m not perfectly certain. She was very
friendly, but I couldn’t help feeling that she liked me because she
thought me—oh, well, because she thought me what I am, Puddle.
But I may have been wrong—she was awfully friendly. Brockett was
at his very worst though, poor devil! His environment seemed to go
to his head.’ She sank down wearily on to a chair: ‘Oh, Puddle,
Puddle, it’s a hell of a business.’
Puddle nodded.
Then Stephen said rather abruptly: ‘All the same, we’re going to
live here in Paris. We’re going to look at a house to-morrow, an old
house with a garden in the Rue Jacob.’
For a moment Puddle hesitated, then she said: ‘There’s only one
thing against it. Do you think you’ll ever be happy in a city? You’re
so fond of the life that belongs to the country.’
Stephen shook her head: ‘That’s all past now, my dear; there’s
no country for me away from Morton. But in Paris I might make
some sort of a home, I could work here—and then of course there
are people. . . .’
Something started to hammer in Puddle’s brain: ‘Like to like! Like
to like! Like to like!’ it hammered.

CHAPTER 32

S tephenbought the house in the Rue Jacob, because as she

walked through the dim, grey archway that led from the street to
the cobbled courtyard, and saw the deserted house standing before
her, she knew at once that there she would live. This will happen
sometimes, we instinctively feel in sympathy with certain dwellings.
The courtyard was sunny and surrounded by walls. On the right
of this courtyard some iron gates led into the spacious, untidy
garden, and woefully neglected though this garden had been, the
trees that it still possessed were fine ones. A marble fountain long
since choked with weeds, stood in the centre of what had been a
lawn. In the farthest corner of the garden some hand had erected a
semi-circular temple, but that had been a long time ago, and now
the temple was all but ruined.
The house itself would need endless repairs, but its rooms were
of careful and restful proportions. A fine room with a window that
opened on the garden, would be Stephen’s study; she could write
there in quiet; on the other side of the stone-paved hall was a
smaller but comfortable salle à manger; while past the stone
staircase a little round room in a turret would be Puddle’s particular
sanctum. Above there were bedrooms enough and to spare; there
was also the space for a couple of bathrooms. The day after Stephen
had seen this house, she had written agreeing to purchase.
Valérie rang up before leaving Paris to inquire how Stephen had
liked the old house, and when she heard that she had actually
bought it, she expressed herself as being delighted.
‘We’ll be quite close neighbours now,’ she remarked, ‘but I’m not
going to bother you until you evince, not even when I get back in
the autumn. I know you’ll be literally snowed under with workmen
for months, you poor dear, I feel sorry for you. But when you can,
do let me come and see you—meanwhile if I can help you at all. . . .’
And she gave her address at St. Tropez.
And now for the first time since leaving Morton, Stephen turned
her mind to the making of a home. Through Brockett she found a
young architect who seemed anxious to carry out all her instructions.
He was one of those very rare architects who refrain from thrusting
their views on their clients. So into the ancient, deserted house in
the Rue Jacob streamed an army of workmen, and they hammered
and scraped and raised clouds of dust from early morning, all day
until evening—smoking harsh caporal as they joked or quarrelled or
idled or spat or hummed snatches of song. And amazingly soon,
wherever one trod one seemed to be treading on wet cement or on
dry, gritty heaps of brick dust and rubble, so that Puddle would
complain that she spoilt all her shoes, while Stephen would emerge
with her neat blue serge shoulders quite grey, and with even her
hair thickly powdered.
Sometimes the architect would come to the hotel in the evening
and then would ensue long discussions. Bending over the little
mahogany table, he and Stephen would study the plans intently, for
she wished to preserve the spirit of the place intact, despite
alterations. She decided to have an Empire study with grey walls and
curtains of Empire green, for she loved the great roomy writing
tables that had come into being with the first Napoleon. The walls of
the salle à manger should be white and the curtains brown, while
Puddle’s round sanctum in its turret should have walls and paintwork
of yellow, to give the illusion of sunshine. And so absorbed did
Stephen become in these things, that she scarcely had time to notice
Jonathan Brockett’s abrupt departure for a mountain top in the
Austrian Tyrol. Having suddenly come to the end of his finances, he
must hasten to write a couple of plays that could be produced in
London that winter. He sent her three or four picture postcards of
glaciers, after which she heard nothing more from him.
At the end of August, when the work was well under way, she
and Puddle fared forth in the motor to visit divers villages and
towns, in quest of old furniture, and Stephen was surprised to find
how much she enjoyed it. She would catch herself whistling as she
drove her car, and when they got back to some humble auberge in
the evening, she would want to eat a large supper. Every morning
she diligently swung her dumb-bells; she was getting into condition
for fencing. She had not fenced at all since leaving Morton, having
been too much engrossed in her work while in London; but now she
was going to fence before Buisson, so she diligently swung her
dumb-bells. During these two months of holiday-making she grew
fond of the wide-eyed, fruitful French country, even as she had
grown fond of Paris. She would never love it as she loved the hills
and the stretching valleys surrounding Morton, for that love was
somehow a part of her being, but she gave to this France, that
would give her a home, a quiet and very sincere affection. Her heart
grew more grateful with every mile, for hers was above all a grateful
nature.
They returned to Paris at the end of October. And now came the
selecting of carpets and curtains; of fascinating blankets from the
Magasin de Blanc—blankets craftily dyed to match any bedroom; of
fine linen, and other expensive things, including the copper batterie
de cuisine, which latter, however, was left to Puddle. At last the army
of workmen departed, its place being taken by a Breton ménage—
brown-faced folk, strong-limbed and capable looking—a mother,
father and daughter. Pierre, the butler, had been a fisherman once,
but the sea with its hardships had prematurely aged him. He had
now been in service for several years, having contracted rheumatic
fever which had weakened his heart and made him unfit for the
strenuous life of a fisher. Pauline, his wife, was considerably younger,
and she it was who would reign in the kitchen, while their daughter
Adèle, a girl of eighteen, would help both her parents and look after
the housework.
Adèle was as happy as a blackbird in springtime; she would often
seem just on the verge of chirping. But Pauline had stood and
watched the great storms gather over the sea while her men were
out fishing; her father had lost his life through the sea as had also a
brother, so Pauline smiled seldom. Dour she was, with a predilection
for dwelling in detail on people’s misfortunes. As for Pierre, he was
stolid, kind and pious, with the eyes of a man who has looked on
vast spaces. His grey stubbly hair was cut short to his head en
brosse, and he had an ungainly figure. When he walked he straddled
a little as though he could never believe in a house without motion.
He liked Stephen at once, which was very propitious, for one cannot
buy the good-will of a Breton.
 Thus gradually chaos gave place to order, and on the morning of
her twenty-seventh birthday, on Christmas Eve, Stephen moved into
her home in the Rue Jacob on the old Rive Gauche, there to start
her new life in Paris.

All alone in the brown and white salle à manger, Stephen and Puddle
ate their Christmas dinner. And Puddle had bought a small Christmas
tree and had trimmed it, then hung it with coloured candles. A little
wax Christ-child bent downwards and sideways from His branch, as
though He were looking for His presents—only now there were not
any presents. Rather clumsily Stephen lit the candles as soon as the
daylight had almost faded. Then she and Puddle stood and stared at
the tree, but in silence, because they must both remember. But
Pierre, who like all who have known the sea, was a child at heart,
broke into loud exclamations. ‘Oh, comme c’est beau, l’arbre de
Noël!’ he exclaimed, and he fetched the dour Pauline along from the
kitchen, and she too exclaimed; then they both fetched Adèle and
they all three exclaimed: ‘Comme c’est beau, l’arbre de Noël!’ So,
that after all the little wax Christ-child did not very much miss His
presents.
That evening Pauline’s two brothers arrived—they were Poilus
stationed just outside Paris—and they brought along with them
another young man, one Jean, who was ardently courting Adèle.
Very soon came the sound of singing and laughter from the kitchen,
and when Stephen went up to her bedroom to look for a book, there
was Adèle quite flushed and with very bright eyes because of this
Jean—in great haste she turned down the bed and then flew on the
wings of love back to the kitchen.
But Stephen went slowly downstairs to her study where Puddle
was sitting in front of the fire, and she thought that Puddle sat there
as though tired; her hands were quite idle, and after a moment
Stephen noticed that she was dozing. Very quietly Stephen opened
her book, unwilling to rouse the little grey woman who looked so
small in the huge leather chair, and whose head kept guiltily
nodding. But the book seemed scarcely worth troubling to read, so
that presently Stephen laid it aside and sat staring into the flickering
logs that hummed and burnt blue because it was frosty. On the
Malvern Hills there would probably be snow; deep snow might be
capping the Worcestershire Beacon. The air up at British Camp
would be sweet with the smell of winter and open spaces—little
lights would be glinting far down in the valley. At Morton the lakes
would be still and frozen, so Peter the swan would be feeling friendly
—in winter he had always fed from her hand—he must be old now,
the swan called Peter. Coup! C-o-u-p! and Peter waddling towards
her. He, who was all gliding grace on the water, would come
awkwardly waddling towards her hand for the chunk of dry bread
that she held in her fingers. Jean with his Adèle along in the kitchen
—a nice-looking boy he was, Stephen had seen him—they were
young, and both were exceedingly happy, for their parents
approved, so some day they would marry. Then children would
come, too many, no doubt, for Jean’s slender purse, and yet in this
life one must pay for one’s pleasures—they would pay with their
children, and this appeared perfectly fair to Stephen. She thought
that it seemed a long time ago since she herself had been a small
child, romping about on the floor with her father, bothering Williams
down at the stables, dressing up as young Nelson and posing for
Collins who had sometimes been cross to young Nelson. She was
nearly thirty, and what had she done? Written one good novel and
one very bad one, with few mediocre short stories thrown in. Oh,
well, she was going to start writing again quite soon—she had an
idea for a novel. But she sighed, and Puddle woke up with a start.
‘Is that you, my dear? Have I been asleep?’
‘Only for a very few minutes, Puddle.’
Puddle glanced at the new gold watch on her wrist; it had been a
Christmas present from Stephen. ‘It’s past ten o’clock—I think I’ll
turn in.’
 ‘Do. Why not? I hope Adèle’s filled your hot water bottle; she’s
rather light-headed over her Jean.’
‘Never mind, I can fill it myself,’ smiled Puddle.
She went, and Stephen sat on by the fire with her eyes half
closed and her lips set firmly. She must put away all these thoughts
of the past and compel herself to think of the future. This brooding
over things that were past was all wrong; it was futile, weak-kneed
and morbid. She had her work, work that cried out to be done, but
no more unworthy books must be written. She must show that being
the thing she was, she could climb to success over all opposition,
could climb to success in spite of a world that was trying its best to
get her under. Her mouth grew hard; her sensitive lips that belonged
by rights to the dreamer, the lover, took on a resentful and bitter line
which changed her whole face and made it less comely. At that
moment the striking likeness of her father appeared to have faded
out of her face.
Yes, it was trying to get her under, this world with its mighty self-
satisfaction, with its smug rules of conduct, all made to be broken by
those who strutted and preened themselves on being what they
considered normal. They trod on the necks of those thousands of
others who, for God knew what reason, were not made as they
were; they prided themselves on their indignation, on what they
proclaimed as their righteous judgments. They sinned grossly; even
vilely at times, like lustful beasts—but yet they were normal! And the
vilest of them could point a finger of scorn at her, and be loudly
applauded.
‘God damn them to hell!’ she muttered.
Along in the kitchen there was singing again. The young men’s
voices rose tuneful and happy, and with them blended Adèle’s young
voice, very sexless as yet, like the voice of a choirboy. Stephen got
up and opened the door, then she stood quite still and listened
intently. The singing soothed her over-strained nerves as it flowed
from the hearts of these simple people. For she did not begrudge
them their happiness; she did not resent young Jean with his Adèle,
or Pierre who had done a man’s work in his time, or Pauline who
was often aggressively female. Bitter she had grown in these years
since Morton, but not bitter enough to resent the simple. And then
as she listened they suddenly stopped for a little before they
resumed their singing, and when they resumed it the tune was sad
with the sadness that dwells in the souls of most men, above all in
the patient soul of the peasant.
 ‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Ma Doué?’

She could hear the soft Breton words quite clearly.

‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Pour nous dire la Messe?’
‘Quand la nuit sera bien tombée
Je tiendrai ma promesse.’

‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,

Ma Doué,
Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Sans nappe de fine toile?’
‘Notre Doux Seigneur poserai
Sur un morceau de voile.’

‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,

Ma Doué,
Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Sans chandelle et sans cierge?’
‘Les astres seront allumés
Par Madame la Vierge.’

‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,

Ma Doué,
Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Sans orgue résonnante?’
‘Jésus touchera le clavier
Des vagues mugissantes.’

‘Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,

Ma Doué,
Mais comment ferez vous, l’Abbé,
Si l’Ennemi nous trouble?’
‘Une seule fois je vous bénirai,
Les Bleus bénirai double!’
 es eus bé a doub e
Closing the study door behind her, Stephen thoughtfully climbed the
stairs to her bedroom.

CHAPTER 33

W ith the New Year came flowers from Valérie Seymour, and a
little letter of New Year’s greeting. Then she paid a rather
ceremonious call and was entertained by Puddle and Stephen.
Before leaving she invited them both to luncheon, but Stephen
refused on the plea of her work.
‘I’m hard at it again.’
At this Valérie smiled. ‘Very well then, à bientôt. You know where
to find me, ring up when you’re free, which I hope will be soon.’
After which she took her departure.
But Stephen was not to see her again for a very considerable
time, as it happened. Valérie was also a busy woman—there are
other affairs beside the writing of novels.
Brockett was in London on account of his plays. He wrote
seldom, though when he did so he was cordial, affectionate even;
but now he was busy with success, and with gathering in the
shekels. He had not lost interest in Stephen again, only just at the
moment she did not fit in with his brilliant and affluent scheme of
existence.
So once more she and Puddle settled down together to a life that
was strangely devoid of people, a life of almost complete isolation,
and Puddle could not make up her mind whether she felt relieved or
regretful. For herself she cared nothing, her anxious thoughts were
as always centred in Stephen. However, Stephen appeared quite
contented—she was launched on her book and was pleased with her
writing. Paris inspired her to do good work, and as recreation she
now had her fencing—twice every week she now fenced with
Buisson, that severe but incomparable master.
Buisson had been very rude at first: ‘Hideous, affreux,
horriblement English!’ he had shouted, quite outraged by Stephen’s
style. All the same he took a great interest in her. ‘You write books;
what a pity! I could make you a fine fencer. You have the man’s
muscles, and the long, graceful lunge when you do not remember
that you are a Briton and become—what you say? ah, mais oui, self-
conscious. I wish that I had find you out sooner—however, your
muscles are young still, pliant.’ And one day he said: ‘Let me feel the
muscles,’ then proceeded to pass his hand down her thighs and
across her strong loins: ‘Tiens, tiens!’ he murmured.
After this he would sometimes look at her gravely with a puzzled
expression; but she did not resent him, nor his rudeness, nor his
technical interest in her muscles. Indeed, she liked the cross little
man with his bristling black beard and his peppery temper, and when
he remarked à propos of nothing: ‘We are all great imbeciles about
nature. We make our own rules and call them la nature; we say she
do this, she do that—imbeciles! She do what she please and then
make the long nose.’ Stephen felt neither shy nor resentful.
These lessons were a great relaxation from work, and thanks to
them her health grew much better. Her body, accustomed to severe
exercise, had resented the sedentary life in London. Now, however,
she began to take care of her health, walking for a couple of hours
in the Bois every day, or exploring the tall, narrow streets that lay
near her home in the Quarter. The sky would look bright at the end
of such streets by contrast, as though it were seen through a tunnel.
Sometimes she would stand gazing into the shops of the wider and
more prosperous Rue des Saints Pères; the old furniture shops; the
crucifix shop with its dozens of crucified Christs in the window—so
many crucified ivory Christs! She would think that one must surely
exist for every sin committed in Paris. Or perhaps she would make
her way over the river, crossing by the Pont des Arts. And one
morning, arrived at the Rue des Petits Champs, what must she
suddenly do but discover the Passage Choiseul, by just stepping
inside for shelter, because it had started raining.
Oh, the lure of the Passage Choiseul, the queer, rather gawky
attraction of it. Surely the most hideous place in all Paris, with its
roof of stark wooden ribs and glass panes—the roof that looks like
the vertebral column of some prehistoric monster. The chocolate
smell of the patisserie—the big one where people go who have
money. The humbler, student smell of Lavrut, where one’s grey
rubber bands are sold by the gramme and are known as: ‘Bracelets
de caoutchouc.’ Where one buys première qualité blotting paper of a
deep ruddy tint and the stiffness of cardboard, and thin but inspiring
manuscript books bound in black, with mottled, shiny blue borders.
Where pencils and pens are found in their legions, of all makes, all
shapes, all colours, all prices; while outside on the trustful trays in
the Passage, lives Gomme Onyx, masquerading as marble, and as
likely to rub a hole in your paper. For those who prefer the reading
of books to the writing of them, there is always Lemerre with his
splendid display of yellow bindings. And for those undisturbed by
imagination, the taxidermist’s shop is quite near the corner—they
can stare at a sad and moth-eaten flamingo, two squirrels, three
parrots and a dusty canary. Some are tempted by the cheap
corduroy at the draper’s, where it stands in great rolls as though it
were carpet. Some pass on to the little stamp merchant, while a few
dauntless souls even enter the chemist’s—that shamelessly
anatomical chemist’s, whose wares do not figure in school manuals
on the practical uses of rubber.
And up and down this Passage Choiseul, pass innumerable idle or
busy people, bringing in mud and rain in the winter, bringing in dust
and heat in the summer, bringing in God knows how many thoughts,
some part of which cannot escape with their owners. The very air of
the Passage seems heavy with all these imprisoned thoughts.
Stephen’s thoughts got themselves entrapped with the others,
but hers, at the moment, were those of a schoolgirl, for her eye had
suddenly lit on Lavrut, drawn thereto by the trays of ornate india-
rubber. And once inside, she could not resist the ‘Bracelets de
caoutchouc,’ or the blotting paper as red as a rose, or the
manuscript books with the mottled blue borders. Growing reckless,
she gave an enormous order for the simple reason that these things
looked different. In the end she actually carried away one of those
inspiring manuscript books, and then got herself driven home by a
taxi, in order the sooner to fill it.

That spring, in the foyer of the Comédie Francaise, Stephen

stumbled across a link with the past in the person of a middle-aged
woman. The woman was stout and wore pince-nez; her sparse
brown hair was already greying; her face, which was long, had a
double chin, and that face seemed vaguely familiar to Stephen. Then
suddenly Stephen’s two hands were seized and held fast in those of
the middle-aged woman, while a voice grown loud with delight and
emotion was saying:
‘Mais oui, c’est ma petite Stévenne!’
Back came a picture of the schoolroom at Morton, with a
battered red book on its ink-stained table—the Bibliothèque Rose
—‘Les Petites Filles Modèles,’ ‘Les Bons Enfants,’ and Mademoiselle
Duphot.
Stephen said: ‘To think—after all these years!’
‘Ah, quelle joie! Quelle joie!’ babbled Mademoiselle Duphot.
And now Stephen was being embraced on both cheeks, then held
at arm’s length for a better inspection. ‘But how tall, how strong you
are, ma petite Stévenne. You remember what I say, that we meet in
Paris? I say when I go, “But you come to Paris when you grow up
bigger, my poor little baby!” I keep looking and looking, but I
knowed you at once. I say, “Oui certainement, that is ma petite
Stévenne, no one ’ave such another face what I love, it could only
belong to Stévenne,” I say. And now voilà! I am correct and I find
you.’
Stephen released herself firmly but gently, replying in French to
calm Mademoiselle, whose linguistic struggles increased every
moment.
‘I’m living in Paris altogether,’ she told her; ‘you must come and
see me—come to dinner to-morrow; 35, Rue Jacob.’ Then she
introduced Puddle who had been an amused spectator.
The two ex-guardians of Stephen’s young mind shook hands with
each other very politely, and they made such a strangely contrasted
couple that Stephen must smile to see them together. The one was
so small, so quiet and so English; the other so portly, so tearful, so
French in her generous, if somewhat embarrassing emotion.
As Mademoiselle regained her composure, Stephen was able to
observe her more closely, and she saw that her face was excessively
childish—a fact which she, when a child, had not noticed. It was
more the face of a foal than a horse—an innocent, new-born foal.
Mademoiselle said rather wistfully: ‘I will dine with much pleasure
to-morrow evening, but when will you come and see me in my
home? It is in the Avenue de la Grande Armée, a small apartment,
very small but so pretty—it is pleasant to have one’s treasures
around one. The bon Dieu has been very good to me, Stévenne, for
my Aunt Clothilde left me a little money when she died; it has
proved a great consolation.’
‘I’ll come very soon,’ promised Stephen.
Then Mademoiselle spoke at great length of her aunt, and of
Maman who had also passed on into glory; Maman, who had had
her chicken on Sunday right up to the very last moment, Dieu merci!
Even when her teeth had grown loose in the gums, Maman had
asked for her chicken on Sunday. But alas, the poor sister who once
made little bags out of beads for the shops in the Rue de la Paix,
and who had such a cruel and improvident husband—the poor sister
had now become totally blind, and therefore dependent on
Mademoiselle Duphot. So after all Mademoiselle Duphot still worked,
giving lessons in French to the resident English; and sometimes she
taught the American children who were visiting Paris with their
parents. But then it was really far better to work; one might grow
too fat if one remained idle.
She beamed at Stephen with her gentle brown eyes. ‘They are
not as you were, ma chère petite Stévenne, not clever and full of
intelligence, no; and at times I almost despair of their accent.
However, I am not at all to be pitied, thanks to Aunt Clothilde and
the good little saints who surely inspired her to leave me that
money.’
When Stephen and Puddle returned to their stalls, Mademoiselle
climbed to a humbler seat somewhere under the roof, and as she
departed she waved her plump hand at Stephen.
Stephen said: ‘She’s so changed that I didn’t know her just at
first, or else perhaps I’d forgotten. I felt terribly guilty, because after
you came I don’t think I ever answered her letters. It’s thirteen
years since she left. . . .’
Puddle nodded. ‘Yes, it’s thirteen years since I took her place and
forced you to tidy that abominable schoolroom!’ And she laughed.
‘All the same, I like her,’ said Puddle.

Mademoiselle Duphot admired the house in the Rue Jacob, and she ate
very largely of the rich and excellent dinner. Quite regardless of her
increasing proportions, she seemed drawn to all those things that
were fattening.
‘I cannot resist,’ she remarked with a smile, as she reached for
her fifth marron glacé.
They talked of Paris, of its beauty, its charm. Then Mademoiselle
spoke yet again of her Maman and of Aunt Clothilde who had left
them the money, and of Julie, her blind sister.
 But after the meal she quite suddenly blushed. ‘Oh, Stévenne, I
have never inquired for your parents! What must you think of such
great impoliteness? I lose my head the moment I see you and grow
selfish—I want you to know about me and my Maman; I babble
about my affairs. What must you think of such great impoliteness?
How is that kind and handsome Sir Philip? And your mother, my
dear, how is Lady Anna?’
And now it was Stephen’s turn to grow red. ‘My father died. . . .’
She hesitated, then finished abruptly, ‘I don’t live with my mother
any more, I don’t live at Morton.’
Mademoiselle gasped. ‘You no longer live . . .’ she began, then
something in Stephen’s face warned her kind but bewildered guest
not to question. ‘I am deeply grieved to hear of your father’s death,
my dear,’ she said very gently.
Stephen answered: ‘Yes—I shall always miss him.’
There ensued a long, rather painful silence, during which
Mademoiselle Duphot felt awkward. What had happened between
the mother and daughter? It was all very strange, very
disconcerting. And Stephen, why was she exiled from Morton? But
Mademoiselle could not cope with these problems, she knew only
that she wanted Stephen to be happy, and her kind brown eyes
grew anxious, for she did not feel certain that Stephen was happy.
Yet she dared not ask for an explanation, so instead she clumsily
changed the subject.
‘When will you both come to tea with me, Stévenne?’
‘We’ll come to-morrow if you like.’ Stephen told her.
Mademoiselle Duphot left rather early; and all the way home to
her apartment her mind felt exercised about Stephen.
She thought: ‘She was always a strange little child, but so dear. I
remember her when she was little, riding her pony astride like a boy;
and how proud he would seem, that handsome Sir Philip—they
would look more like father and son, those two. And now—is she not
still a little bit strange?’
But these thoughts led her nowhere, for Mademoiselle Duphot
was quite unacquainted with the bypaths of nature. Her innocent
mind was untutored and trustful; she believed in the legend of Adam
and Eve, and no careless mistakes had been made in their garden!

The apartment in the Avenue de la Grande Armée was as tidy as

Valérie’s had been untidy. From the miniature kitchen to the
miniature salon, everything shone as though recently polished, for
here in spite of restricted finances, no dust was allowed to harbour.
Mademoiselle Duphot beamed on her guests as she herself
opened the door to admit them. ‘For me this is very real joy,’ she
declared. Then she introduced them to her sister Julie, whose eyes
were hidden behind dark glasses.
The salon was literally stuffed with what Mademoiselle had
described as her ‘treasures.’ On its tables were innumerable useless
objects which appeared for the most part, to be mementoes.
Coloured prints of Bouguereaus hung on the walls, while the chairs
were upholstered in a species of velvet so hard as to be rather
slippery to sit on, yet that when it was touched felt rough to the
fingers. The woodwork of these inhospitable chairs had been coated
with varnish until it looked sticky. Over the little inadequate fireplace
smiled a portrait of Maman when she was quite young. Maman,
dressed in tartan for some strange reason, but in tartan that had
never hob-nobbed with the Highlands—a present this portrait had
been from a cousin who had wished to become an artist.
Julie extended a white, groping hand. She was like her sister only
very much thinner, and her face had the closed rather blank
expression that is sometimes associated with blindness.
 ‘Which is Stévenne?’ she inquired in an anxious voice; ‘I have
heard so much about Stévenne!’
Stephen said: ‘Here I am,’ and she grasped the hand, pitiful of
this woman’s affliction.
But Julie smiled broadly. ‘Yes, I know it is you from the feel,’—she
had started to stroke Stephen’s coat-sleeve—‘my eyes have gone
into my fingers these days. It is strange, but I seem to see through
my fingers.’ Then she turned and found Puddle whom she also
stroked. ‘And now I know both of you,’ declared Julie.
The tea when it came was that straw-coloured liquid which may
even now be met with in Paris.
‘English tea bought especially for you, my Stévenne,’ remarked
Mademoiselle proudly. ‘We drink only coffee, but I said to my sister,
Stévenne likes the good tea, and so, no doubt, does Mademoiselle
Puddle. At four o’clock they will not want coffee—you observe how
well I remember your England!’
However, the cakes proved worthy of France, and Mademoiselle
ate them as though she enjoyed them. Julie ate very little and did
not talk much. She just sat there and listened, quietly smiling; and
while she listened she crocheted lace as though, as she said, she
could see through her fingers. Then Mademoiselle Duphot explained
how it was that those delicate hands had become so skilful,
replacing the eyes which their ceaseless labour had robbed of the
blessèd privilege of sight—explained so simply yet with such
conviction, that Stephen must marvel to hear her.
‘It is all our little Thérèse,’ she told Stephen. ‘You have heard of
her? No? Ah, but what a pity! Our Thérèse was a nun at the Carmel
at Lisieux, and she said: “I will let fall a shower of roses when I die.”
She died not so long ago, but already her Cause has been presented
at Rome by the Very Reverend Father Rodrigo! That is very
wonderful, is it not, Stévenne? But she does not wait to become a
saint; ah, but no, she is young and therefore impatient. She cannot
wait, she has started already to do miracles for all those who ask
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