第5章
Cythereawasanacquisition，andthegreetingwashearty。
"Goodafternoon！Oyes——MissGraye，fromMissAldclyffe"s。Ihaveseenyouatchurch，andIamsogladyouhavecalled！Comein。I
wonderifIhavechangeenoughtopaymysubscription。"Shespokegirlishly。
Adelaide，wheninthecompanyofayoungerwoman，alwayslevelledherselfdowntothatyoungerwoman"sagefromasenseofjusticetoherself——asif，thoughnotherownageatcommonlaw，itwasinequity。
"Itdoesn"tmatter。I"llcomeagain。"
"Yes，doatanytime；notonlyonthiserrand。Butyoumuststepinforaminute。Do。"
"Ihavebeenwantingtocomeforseveralweeks。"
"That"sright。Nowyoumustseemyhouse——lonely，isn"tit，forasingleperson？Peoplesaiditwasoddforayoungwomanlikemetokeeponahouse；butwhatdidIcare？Ifyouknewthepleasureoflockingupyourowndoor，withthesensationthatyoureignedsupremeinsideit，youwouldsayitwasworththeriskofbeingcalledodd。Mr。Springroveattendstomygardening，thedogattendstorobbers，andwheneverthereisasnakeortoadtokill，Janedoesit。"
"Hownice！Itisbetterthanlivinginatown。"
"Farbetter。Atownmakesacynicofme。"
Theremarkrecalled，somewhatstartlingly，toCytherea"smind，thatEdwardhadusedthoseverywordstoherselfoneeveningatBudmouth。
MissHintonopenedaninteriordoorandledhervisitorintoasmalldrawing-roomcommandingaviewofthecountryformiles。
Themissionarybusinesswassoonsettled；butthechatcontinued。
"Howlonelyitmustbehereatnight！"saidCytherea。"Aren"tyouafraid？"
"AtfirstIwas，slightly。ButIgotusedtothesolitude。Andyouknowasortofcommonsensewillcreepevenintotimidity。Isaytomyselfsometimesatnight，“IfIwereanybodybutaharmlesswoman，notworththetroubleofaworm"sghosttoappeartome，IshouldthinkthateverysoundIhearwasaspirit。“Butyoumustseeallovermyhouse。"
Cythereawashighlyinterestedinseeing。
"IsayyouMUSTdothis，andyouMUSTdothat，asifyouwereachild，"remarkedAdelaide。"Aprivilegedfriendofminetellsmethisuseoftheimperativecomesofbeingsoconstantlyinnobody"ssocietybutmyown。"
"Ah，yes。Isupposesheisright。"
Cythereacalledthefriend"she"byaruleofladylikepractice；forawoman"s"friend"isdelicatelyassumedbyanotherfriendtobeoftheirownsexintheabsenceofknowledgetothecontrary；justascatsarecalledshe"suntiltheyprovethemselveshe"s。
MissHintonlaughedmysteriously。
"Igetahumorousreproofforitnowandthen，Iassureyou，"shecontinued。
"“Humorousreproof：“that"snotfromawoman：whocanreprovehumorouslybutaman？"wasthegrooveofCytherea"sthoughtattheremark。"Yourbrotherreprovesyou，Iexpect，"saidthatinnocentyounglady。
"No，"saidMissHinton，withacandidair。""TisonlyaprofessionalmanIamacquaintedwith。"Shelookedoutofthewindow。
Womenarepersistentlyimitative。NosoonerdidathoughtflashthroughCytherea"smindthatthemanwasaloverthanshebecameaMissAldclyffeinamildform。
"Iimaginehe"salover，"shesaid。
MissHintonsmiledasmileofexperienceinthatline。
Fewwomen，iftaxedwithhavinganadmirer，aresofreefromvanityastodenytheimpeachment，evenifitisutterlyuntrue。Whenitdoeshappentobetrue，theylookpityinglyawayfromthepersonwhoissobenightedastohavegotnofurtherthansuspectingit。
"Therenow——MissHinton；youareengagedtobemarried！"saidCythereaaccusingly。
Adelaidenoddedherheadpractically。"Well，yes，Iam，"shesaid。
Theword"engaged"hadnosoonerpassedCytherea"slipsthanthesoundofit——themeresoundofherownlips——carriedhermindtothetimeandcircumstancesunderwhichMissAldclyffehadusedittowardsherself。Asickeningthoughtfollowed——basedbutonameresurmise；yetitspresencetookeveryotherideaawayfromCytherea"smind。MissHintonhadusedEdward"swordsabouttowns；shementionedMr。Springroveasattendingtohergarden。ItcouldnotbethatEdwardwastheman！thatMissAldclyffehadplannedtorevealherrivalthus！
"Areyougoingtobemarriedsoon？"sheinquired，withasteadinesstheresultofasortoffascination，butapparentlyofindifference。
"Notverysoon——still，soon。"
"Ah-ha！Inlessthanthreemonths？"saidCytherea。
"Two。"
Nowthatthesubjectwaswellinhand，Adelaidewantednomoreprompting。"Youwon"ttellanybodyifIshowyousomething？"shesaid，witheagermystery。
"Ono，nobody。Butdoesheliveinthisparish？"
"No。"
Nothingprovedyet。
"What"shisname？"saidCythereaflatly。Herbreathandhearthadbeguntheiroldtricks，andcameandwenthotly。MissHintoncouldnotseeherface。
"Whatdoyouthink？"saidMissHinton。
"George？"saidCytherea，withdeceitfulagony。
"No，"saidAdelaide。"Butnow，youshallseehimfirst；comehere；"
andsheledthewayupstairsintoherbedroom。There，standingonthedressingtableinalittleframe，wastheunconsciousportraitofEdwardSpringrove。
"Thereheis，"MissHintonsaid，andasilenceensued。
"Areyouveryfondofhim？"continuedthemiserableCythereaatlength。
"Yes，ofcourseIam，"hercompanionreplied，butinthetoneofonewho"livedinAbraham"sbosomalltheyear，"andwasthereforeuntouchedbysolemnthoughtatthefact。"He"smycousin——anativeofthisvillage。Wewereengagedbeforemyfather"sdeathleftmesolonely。Iwasonlytwenty，andamuchgreaterbellethanIamnow。Weknoweachotherthoroughly，asyoumayimagine。Igivehimalittlesermonizingnowandthen。"
"Why？"
"O，it"sonlyinfun。He"sverynaughtysometimes——notreally，youknow——buthewilllookatanyprettyfacewhenheseesit。"
Storingupthisstatementofhissusceptibilityasanotheritemtobemiserableuponwhenshehadtime，"Howdoyouknowthat？"
Cythereaasked，withaswellingheart。
"Well，youknowhowthingsdocometowomen"sears。HeusedtoliveatBudmouthasanassistant-architect，andIfoundoutthatayounggiddythingofagirlwholivestheresomewheretookhisfancyforadayortwo。ButIdon"tfeeljealousatall——ourengagementissomatter-of-factthatneitherofuscanbejealous。Anditwasamereflirtation——shewastoosillyforhim。He"sfondofrowing，andkindlygaveheranairingforaneveningortwo。I"llwarranttheytalkedthemostunmitigatedrubbishunderthesun——allshallownessandpastime，justaseverythingisatwateringplaces——neitherofthemcaringabitfortheother——shegigglinglikeagooseallthetime——"
Concentratedessenceofwomanpervadedtheroomratherthanair。
"SheDIDN"T！anditWASN"Tshallowness！"Cythereaburstout，withbrimmingeyes。""Twasdeepdeceitononeside，andentireconfidenceontheother——yes，itwas！"Thepent-upemotionhadswollenandswolleninsidetheyoungthingtillthedamcouldnolongerembayit。Theinstantthewordswereoutshewouldhavegivenworldstohavebeenabletorecallthem。
"Doyouknowher——orhim？"saidMissHinton，startingwithsuspicionatthewarmthshown。
Thetworivalshadnowlosttheirpersonalityquite。Therewasthesamekeenbrightnessofeye，thesamemovementofthemouth，thesamemindinboth，astheylookeddoubtinglyandexcitedlyateachother。Asisinvariablythecasewithwomenwhenamantheycareforisthesubjectofanexcitementamongthem，thesituationabstractedthedifferenceswhichdistinguishedthemasindividuals，andleftonlythepropertiescommontothemasatomsofasex。
Cythereacaughtatthechanceaffordedherofnotbetrayingherself。
"Yes，Iknowher，"shesaid。
"Well，"saidMissHinton，"Iamreallyvexedifmyspeakingsolightlyofanyfriendofyourshashurtyourfeelings，but——"
"O，nevermind，"Cythereareturned；"itdoesn"tmatter，MissHinton。
IthinkImustleaveyounow。Ihavetocallatotherplaces。Yes——
Imustgo。"
MissHinton，inaperplexedstateofmind，showedhervisitorpolitelydownstairstothedoor。HereCythereabadeherahurriedadieu，andflitteddownthegardenintothelane。
Sheperseveredinherdutieswithawaywardpleasureingivingherselfmisery，aswasherwont。Mr。Springrove"snamewasnextonthelist，andsheturnedtowardshisdwelling，theThreeTrantersInn。
3。FOURTOFIVEP。M。
ThecottagesalongCarrifordvillagestreetwerenotsoclosebutthatononesideorotheroftheroadwasalwaysahedgeofhawthornorprivet，overorthroughwhichcouldbeseengardensororchardsrichwithproduce。Itwasaboutthemiddleoftheearlyapple-
harvest，andtheladentreeswereshakenatintervalsbythegatherers；thesoftpatteringofthefallingcropuponthegrassygroundbeingdiversifiedbytheloudrattleofvagrantonesuponarail，hencoop，basket，orlean-toroof，orupontheroundedandstoopingbacksofthecollectors——mostlychildren，whowouldhavecriedbitterlyatreceivingsuchasmartblowfromanyotherquarter，butsmilinglyassumedittobebutfuninapples。
TheThreeTrantersInn，amany-gabled，mediaevalbuilding，constructedalmostentirelyoftimber，plaster，andthatch，stoodclosetothelineoftheroadside，almostoppositethechurchyard，andwasconnectedwitharowofcottagesontheleftbythatchedoutbuildings。Itwasanuncommonlycharacteristicandhandsomespecimenofthegenuineroadsideinnofbygonetimes；andstandingononeofthegreathighwaysinthispartofEngland，hadinitstimebeenthesceneofasmuchofwhatisnowlookeduponastheromanticandgenialexperienceofstage-coachtravellingasanyhalting-placeinthecountry。Therailwayhadabsorbedthewholestreamoftrafficwhichformerlyflowedthroughthevillageandalongbytheancientdooroftheinn，reducingtheempty-handedlandlord，whousedonlytofarmafewfieldsatthebackofthehouse，tothenecessityofekingouthisattenuatedincomebyincreasingtheextentofhisagriculturalbusinessifhewouldstillmaintainhissocialstanding。Nexttothegeneralstillnesspervadingthespot，thelonglineofoutbuildingsadjoiningthehousewasthemoststrikingandsaddeningwitnesstothepassed-awayfortunesoftheThreeTrantersInn。Itwasthebulkoftheoriginalstabling，andwhereoncethehoofsoftwo-scorehorseshaddailyrattledoverthestonyyard，toandfromthestallswithin，thickgrassnowgrew，whilstthelineofroofs——oncesostraight——overthedecayedstalls，hadsunkintovasthollowstilltheyseemedlikethecheeksoftoothlessage。
Onagreenplotattheotherendofthebuildinggrewtwoorthreelarge，wide-spreadingelm-trees，fromwhichthesignwassuspended——
representingthethreemencalledtranters(irregularcarriers)，standingsidebyside，andexactlyaliketoahair"s-breadth，thegrainofthewoodandjointsoftheboardsbeingvisiblethroughthethinpaintdepictingtheirforms，whichwerestillfurtherdisfiguredbyredstainsrunningdownwardsfromtherustynailsabove。
Underthetreesnowstoodacider-millandpress，anduponthespotshelteredbytheboughsweregatheredMr。Springrovehimself，hismen，theparishclerk，twoorthreeothermen，grindersandsupernumeraries，awomanwithaninfantinherarms，aflockofpigeons，andsomelittleboyswithstrawsintheirmouths，endeavouring，wheneverthemen"sbackswereturned，togetasipofthesweetjuiceissuingfromthevat。
EdwardSpringrovetheelder，thelandlord，nowmoreparticularlyafarmer，andfortwomonthsintheyearacider-maker，wasanemployeroflabouroftheoldschool，whoworkedhimselfamonghismen。Hewasnowengagedinpackingthepomaceintohorsehairbagswitharammer，andGadWeedy，hisman，wasoccupiedinshovellingupmorefromatubathisside。Theshovelshonelikesilverfromtheactionofthejuice，andeverandanon，initsmotiontoandfro，caughttheraysofthedecliningsunandreflectedtheminbristlingstarsoflight。
Mr。SpringrovehadbeentooyoungamanwhenthepristinedaysoftheThreeTrantershaddepartedforevertohavemuchofthehostleftinhimnow。Hewasapoetwitharoughskin：onewhosesturdinesswasmoretheresultofexternalcircumstancesthanofintrinsicnature。Tookindlyconstitutedtobeveryprovident，hewasyetnotimprudent。Hehadaquiethumorousnessofdisposition，notoutofkeepingwithafrequentmelancholy，thegeneralexpressionofhiscountenancebeingoneofabstraction。LikeWaltWhitmanhefeltashisyearsincreased——
"Iforeseetoomuch；itmeansmorethanIthought。"
Onthepresentoccasionheworegaitersandaleathernapron，andworkedwithhisshirt-sleevesrolledupbeyondhiselbows，disclosingsolidandfleshyratherthanmusculararms。Theywerestainedbythecider，andtwoorthreebrownapple-pipsfromthepomacehewashandlingweretobeseenstickingonthemhereandthere。
TheotherprominentfigurewasthatofRichardCrickett，theparishclerk，akindofBowdlerizedrake，whoateonlyasmuchasawoman，andhadtherheumatisminhislefthand。Theremainderofthegroup，brown-facedpeasants，woresmock-frocksembroideredontheshoulderswithheartsanddiamonds，andweregirtroundtheirmiddlewithastrap，anotherbeingwornroundtherightwrist。
"Andhaveyouseenthesteward，Mr。Springrove？"saidtheclerk。
"Justaglimpseofhim；but"twasjustenoughtoshowmethathe"snothereforlong。"
"Whymidthatbe？"
"He"llneverstandthevagariesofthefemalefigureholdenthereins——nothe。"
"Shed"payenwell，"saidagrinder；"andmoney"smoney。"
"Ah——"tis：verymuchso，"theclerkreplied。
"Yes，yes，naibourCrickett，"saidSpringrove，"butshe"llvleeinapassion——allthefatwillbeinthefire——andthere"sanendo"t……Yes，sheisaone，"continuedthefarmer，resting，raisinghiseyes，andreadingthefeaturesofadistantapple。
"Sheis，"saidGad，restingtoo(itiswonderfulhowpromptajourneymanisinfollowinghismaster"sinitiativetorest)andreflectivelyregardingthegroundinfrontofhim。
"True：aoneisshe，"theclerkchimedin，shakinghisheadominously。
"Shehassuchatemper，"saidthefarmer，"andissowilfultoo。
Youmayaswelltrytostopafootpathasstopherwhenshehastakenanythingintoherhead。I"dassoongrindlittlegreencrabsalldayaslivewi"her。"
""Tisatempershehev，"tis，"theclerkreplied，"thoughIbeaservantoftheChurchthatsayit。Butsheisn"tgoentofleeinapassionthistime。"
Theaudiencewaitedforthecontinuationofthespeech，asiftheyknewfromexperiencetheexactdistanceoffitlayinthefuture。
Theclerkswallowednothingasifitwereagreatdeal，andthenwenton，"There"ssome"atbetween"em：markmywords，naibours——
there"ssome"atbetween"em。"
"D"yemeanit？"
"Id"knowit。HecamelastSaturday，didn"the？"
""Adid，truly，"saidGadWeedy，atthesametimetakinganapplefromthehopperofthemill，eatingapiece，andflingingbacktheremaindertobegroundupforcider。
"Hewenttochurcha-Sunday，"saidtheclerkagain。
""Adid。"
"Andshekepthereyeuponenalltheservice，herfaceflickerenbetweenredandwhite，butneverstoppenateither。"
Mr。Springrovenodded，andwenttothepress。
"Well，"saidtheclerk，"youdon"tcallherthekindo"womantomakemistakesinjusttrottenthroughtheweeklyserviceo"God？
Why，asaruleshe"sasrightasIbemyself。"
Mr。Springrovenoddedagain，andgaveatwisttothescrewofthepress，followedinthemovementbyGadattheotherside；thetwogrindersexpressingbylooksofthegreatestconcernthat，ifMissAldclyffewereasrightatchurchastheclerk，shemustberightindeed。
"Yes，asrightintheserviceo"GodasIbemyself，"repeatedtheclerk。"ButlastSunday，whenwewereinthetenthcommandment，saysshe，“Inclineourheartstokeepthislaw，“saysshe，when"twas“Lawsinourhearts，webeseechThee，“allthechurchthrough。
HereyewasuponHIM——shewasquitelost——“Heartstokeepthislaw，“
saysshe；shewasnomorethanamereshadderatthattenthtime——amereshadder。Youmi"tha"mouthedacrosstoher“LawsinourheartswebeseechThee，“fiftytimesover——she"dneverha"noticedye。She"sinlovewi"theman，that"swhatsheis。"
"Thenshe"sabiggerstunpollthanItookherfor，"saidMr。
Springrove。"Why，she"soldenoughtobehismother。"
"Therow"llbebetweenherandthatyoungCurlywig，you"llsee。Shewon"truntheriskofthatprettyfacebe-ennear。"
"ClerkCrickett，Id"fancyyoud"knoweverythingabouteverybody，"
saidGad。
"Wellso"s，"saidtheclerkmodestly。"Idoknowalittle。Itcomestome。"
"AndId"knowwherefrom。"
"Ah。"
"Thatwifeo"thine。She"sanentertainenwoman，nottospeakdisrespectful。"
"Sheis：andawinnenone。Lookatthehusbandsshe"vehad——Godblessher！"
"Iwonderyoucouldstandthirdinthatlist，ClerkCrickett，"saidMr。Springrove。
"Well，"thasbeenapowero"marveltomyselfoftentimes。Yes，matrimonydobeginwi"“Dearlybeloved，“andendswi"“Amazement，“
astheprayer-booksays。ButwhatcouldIdo，naibourSpringrove？
"Twasordainedtobe。WelldoIcalltomindwhatyourpoorladysaidtomewhenIhadjustmarried。“Ah，Mr。Crickett，“saysshe，“yourwifewillsoonsettleyouasshedidherothertwo：here"saglasso"rum，forIshan"tseeyourpoorfacethistimenextyear。“
Iswalleredtherum，calledagainnextyear，andsaid，“Mrs。
Springrove，yougavemeaglasso"rumlastyearbecauseIwasgoingtodie——hereIbealivestill，yousee。““Wellsaid，clerk！Here"stwoglassesforyounow，then，“saysshe。“Thankyou，mem，“I
said，andswalleredtherum。Well，dangmyoldsides，nextyearI
thoughtI"dcallagainandgetthree。AndcallIdid。Butshewouldn"tgivemeadropo"thecommonest。“No，clerk，“saysshe，“youbetootoughforawoman"spity。“……Ah，poorsoul，"twastrueenough！HerebeI，thatwasexpectedtodie，aliveandhardasanail，yousee，andthere"sshemouldereninhergrave。"
"Iusedtothink"twasyourwife"sfatenottohavealivenhusbandwhenIzid"emdieoffso，"saidGad。
"Fate？Blessthysimplicity，so"twasherfate；butshestruggledtohaveone，andwould，anddid。Fate"snothenbesideawoman"sschemen！"
"Isuppose，then，thatFateisaHe，likeus，andtheLord，andtheresto""emupabovethere，"saidGad，liftinghiseyestothesky。
"Hullo！Here"stheyoungwomancomenthatwewerea-talkenaboutby-now，"saidagrinder，suddenlyinterrupting。"She"scomenuphere，asIbealive！"
ThetwogrindersstoodandregardedCythereaasifshehadbeenashiptackingintoaharbour，nearlystoppingthemillintheirnewinterest。
"Stylishaccoutrementsabouttheheadandshoulders，tomythinken，"
saidtheclerk。"Sheenencurls，andplentyo"em。"
"Ifthere"sonekindofpridemoreexcusablethananotherinayoungwoman，"tisbeingproudofherhair，"saidMr。Springrove。
"Dearman！——thepridethereisonlyasmallpieceo"thewhole。I
warrantnow，thoughshecanshowsuchafigure，sheha"n"tasticko"furnituretocallherown。"
"Come，ClerkCrickett，letthemaidbeamaidwhilesheisamaid，"
saidFarmerSpringrovechivalrously。
"O，"repliedtheservantoftheChurch；"I"venothentosayagainstit——Ono：
"“Thechimney-sweeper"sdaughterSueAsIhavehearddeclare，O，Althoughshe"sneithersocknorshoeWillcurlanddeckherhair，O。“"
Cythereawasratherdisconcertedatfindingthatthegradualcessationofthechoppingofthemillwasonheraccount，andstillmorewhenshesawallthecider-makers"eyesfixeduponherexceptMr。Springrove"s，whosenaturaldelicacyrestrainedhim。Shenearedtheplotofgrass，butinsteadofadvancingfurther，hesitatedonitsborder。
Mr。Springroveperceivedherembarrassment，whichwasrelievedwhenshesawhisold-establishedfigurecomingacrosstoher，wipinghishandsinhisapron。
"Iknowyourerrand，missie，"hesaid，"andamgladtoseeyou，andattendtoit。I"llstepindoors。"
"IfyouarebusyIaminnohurryforaminuteortwo，"saidCytherea。
"Thenifsobeyoureallywouldn"tmind，we"llwringdownthislastfillingtoletitdrainallnight？"
"Notatall。Iliketoseeyou。"
"Weareonlyjustgrindingdowntheearlypickthongsandgriffins，"
continuedthefarmer，inahalf-apologetictonefordetainingbyhiscider-makinganywell-dressedwoman。"Theyrotasblackasachimney-crookifwekeep"emtilltheregularsturnin。"Ashespokehewentbacktothepress，Cythereakeepingathiselbow。
"I"mlaterthanIshouldhavebeenbyrights，"hecontinued，takingupaleverforpropellingthescrew，andbeckoningtothementocomeforward。"Thetruthis，mysonEdwardhadpromisedtocometo-
day，andImadepreparations；butinsteadofhimcomesaletter：
“London，Septembertheeighteenth，DearFather，“sayshe，andwentontotellmehecouldn"t。Itthrewmeoutabit。"
"Ofcourse，"saidCytherea。
"He"sgotaplace"ab"lieve？"saidtheclerk，drawingnear。
"No，poormortalfellow，no。Hetriedforthisonehere，youknow，butcouldn"tmanagetogetit。Idon"tknowtherightso"thematter，butwilly-nillytheywouldn"thavehimforsteward。Nowmates，forminline。"
Springrove，theclerk，thegrinders，andGad，allrangedthemselvesbehindtheleverofthescrew，andwalkedroundlikesoldierswheeling。
"Themanthattheoldqueanhevgotisamanyoucanhardlygetuponyourtonguetogainsay，bythelooko"en，"rejoinedClerkCrickett。
"Oneo"thempeoplethatcancontrivetobethoughtnoworseo"forstealenahorsethananothermanforlookenoverhedgeaten，"saidagrinder。
"Well，he"sallthereassteward，andisquitethegentleman——nodoubtaboutthat。"
"SowouldmyTedha"been，forthemattero"that，"thefarmersaid。
"That"strue："awould，sir。"
"Isaid，I"llgiveTedagoodeducationifitdocostmemyeyes，andIwouldhavedoneit。"
"Ay，thatyouwouldso，"saidthechorusofassistantssolemnly。
"Buthetooktobooksanddrawingnaturally，andcostverylittle；
andasawind-upthewomenfolkhatchedupamatchbetweenhimandhiscousin。"
"When"stheweddentobe，Mr。Springrove？"
"Uncertain——butsoon，Isuppose。Edward，yousee，candoanythingprettynearly，andyetcan"tgetastraightforwardliving。IwishsometimesIhadkepthimhere，andletprofessionsgo。Buthewassuchaoneforthepencil。"
Hedroppedtheleverinthehedge，andturnedtohisvisitor。
"Nowthen，missie，ifyou"llcomeindoors，please。"
GadWeedylookedwithaplacidcriticismatCythereaasshewithdrewwiththefarmer。
"Icouldtellbythetongueo"herthatshedidn"ttakeherdegreesinourcounty，"hesaidinanundertone。
"Therailwayshaveleftyoulonelyhere，"sheobserved，whentheywereindoors。
Savethewitheredoldflies，whichwerequitetamefromthesolitude，notabeingwasinthehouse。Nobodyseemedtohaveentereditsincethelastpassengerhadbeencalledouttomountthelaststage-coachthathadrunby。
"Yes，theInnandIseemalmostapairoffossils，"thefarmerreplied，lookingattheroomandthenathimself。
"O，Mr。Springrove，"saidCytherea，suddenlyrecollectingherself；
"IammuchobligedtoyouforrecommendingmetoMissAldclyffe。"
Shebegantowarmtowardstheoldman；therewasinhimagentlenessofdispositionwhichremindedherofherownfather。
"Recommending？Notatall，miss。Ted——that"smyson——Tedsaidafellow-draughtsmanofhishadasisterwhowantedtobedoingsomethingintheworld，andImentionedittothehousekeeper，that"sall。Ay，Imissmysonverymuch。"
Shekeptherbacktothewindowthathemightnotseeherrisingcolour。
"Yes，"hecontinued，"sometimesIcan"thelpfeelinguneasyabouthim。Youknow，heseemsnotmadeforatownlifeexactly：hegetsveryqueeroveritsometimes，Ithink。Perhapshe"llbebetterwhenhe"smarriedtoAdelaide。"
Ahalf-impatientfeelingaroseinher，likethatwhichpossessesasickpersonwhenhehearsarecently-struckhourstruckagainbyaslowclock。Shehadlivedfurtheron。
"Everythingdependsuponwhetherhelovesher，"shesaidtremulously。
"Heusedto——hedoesn"tshowitsomuchnow；butthat"sbecausehe"solder。Yousee，itwasseveralyearsagotheyfirstwalkedtogetherasyoungmanandyoungwoman。She"salteredtoofromwhatshewaswhenhefirstcourtedher。"
"How，sir？"
"O，she"smoresensiblebyhalf。Whenheusedtowritetohershe"dcreepupthelaneandlookbackoverhershoulder，andslideouttheletter，andreadawordandstandinthoughtlookingatthehillsandseeingnone。Thenthecuckoowouldcry——awaytheletterwouldslip，andshe"dstartwi"frightatthemerebird，andhavearedskinbeforethequickestmanamongyecouldsay，“Bloodrushup。“"
Hecameforwardwiththemoneyanddroppeditintoherhand。HisthoughtswerestillwithEdward，andheabsentlytookherlittlefingersinhisashesaid，earnestlyandingenuously——
""TissoseldomIgetagentlewomantospeaktothatIcan"thelpspeakingtoyou，MissGraye，onmyfearsforEdward；Isometimesamafraidthathe"llnevergeton——thathe"lldiepooranddespisedundertheworstmentalconditions，akeensenseofhavingbeenpassedintheracebymenwhosebrainsarenothingtohisown，allthroughhisseeingtoofarintothings——beingdiscontentedwithmake-shifts——thinkingo"perfectioninthings，andthensickenedthatthere"snosuchthingasperfection。Ishan"tbesorrytoseehimmarry，sinceitmaysettlehimdownanddohimgood……Ay，we"llhopeforthebest。"
Heletgoherhandandaccompaniedhertothedoorsaying，"Ifyoushouldcaretowalkthiswayandtalktoanoldmanoncenowandthen，itwillbeagreatdelighttohim，MissGraye。Good-eveningtoye……Ahlook！athunderstormisbrewing——bequickhome。OrshallIstepupwithyou？"
"No，thankyou，Mr。Springrove。Goodevening，"shesaidinalowvoice，andhurriedaway。Onethoughtstillpossessedher；Edwardhadtrifledwithherlove。
4。FIVETOSIXP。M。
Shefollowedtheroadintoaboweroftrees，overhangingitsodenselythatthepassappearedlikearabbit"sburrow，andpresentlyreachedasideentrancetothepark。Thecloudsrosemorerapidlythanthefarmerhadanticipated：thesheepmovedinatrail，andcomplainedincoherently。Lividgreyshades，likethoseofthemodernFrenchpainters，madeamysteryoftheremoteanddarkpartsofthevista，andseemedtoinsistuponasuspensionofbreath。
Beforeshewashalf-wayacrosstheparkthethunderrumbleddistinctly。
Thedirectioninwhichshehadtogowouldtakeherclosebytheoldmanor-house。Theairwasperfectlystill，andbetweeneachlowrumbleofthethunderbehindshecouldheartheroarofthewaterfallbeforeher，andthecreakoftheengineamongthebusheshardbyit。Hurryingon，withagrowingdreadofthegloomandoftheapproachingstorm，shedrewneartheOldHouse，nowrisingbeforeheragainstthedarkfoliageandskyintonesofstrangewhiteness。
Ontheflightofsteps，whichdescendedfromaterraceinfronttothelevelofthepark，stoodaman。Heappeared，partlyfromthereliefthepositiongavetohisfigure，andpartlyfromfact，tobeoftoweringheight。Hewasdarkinoutline，andwaslookingatthesky，withhishandsbehindhim。
ItwasnecessaryforCythereatopassdirectlyacrossthelineofhisfront。Shefeltsoreluctanttodothis，thatshewasabouttoturnunderthetreesoutofthepathandenteritagainatapointbeyondtheOldHouse；buthehadseenher，andshecameonmechanically，unconsciouslyavertingherfacealittle，anddroppingherglancetotheground。
Hereyesunswervinglylingeredalongthepathuntiltheyfelluponanotherpathbranchinginarightlinefromthepathshewaspursuing。ItcamefromthestepsoftheOldHouse。"Iamexactlyoppositehimnow，"shethought，"andhiseyesaregoingthroughme。"
Aclearmasculinevoicesaid，atthesameinstant——
"Areyouafraid？"
She，interpretinghisquestionbyherfeelingsatthemoment，assumedhimselftobetheobjectoffear，ifany。"Idon"tthinkI
am，"shestammered。
Heseemedtoknowthatshethoughtinthatsense。
"Ofthethunder，Imean，"hesaid；"notofmyself。"
Shemustturntohimnow。"Ithinkitisgoingtorain，"sheremarkedforthesakeofsayingsomething。
Hecouldnotconcealhissurpriseandadmirationofherfaceandbearing。Hesaidcourteously，"ItmaypossiblynotrainbeforeyoureachtheHouse，ifyouaregoingthere？"
"Yes，Iam，"
"MayIwalkupwithyou？Itislonelyunderthetrees。"
"No。"Fearinghiscourtesyarosefromabeliefthathewasaddressingawomanofhigherstationthanwashers，sheadded，"IamMissAldclyffe"scompanion。Idon"tmindtheloneliness。"
"O，MissAldclyffe"scompanion。Thenwillyoubekindenoughtotakeasubscriptiontoher？ShesenttomethisafternoontoaskmetobecomeasubscribertoherSociety，andIwasout。OfcourseI"llsubscribeifshewishesit。ItakeagreatinterestintheSociety。"
"MissAldclyffewillbegladtohearthat，Iknow。"
"Yes；letmesee——whatSocietydidshesayitwas？IamafraidI
haven"tenoughmoneyinmypocket，andyetitwouldbeasatisfactiontohertohavepracticalproofofmywillingness。I"llgetit，andbeoutinoneminute。"
Heenteredthehouseandwasathersideagainwithinthetimehehadnamed。"Thisisit，"hesaidpleasantly。
Sheheldupherhand。Thesofttipsofhisfingersbrushedthepalmofhergloveasheplacedthemoneywithinit。Shewonderedwhyhisfingersshouldhavetouchedher。
"Ithinkafterall，"hecontinued，"thattherainisuponus，andwilldrenchyoubeforeyoureachtheHouse。Yes：seethere。"
Hepointedtoaroundwetspotaslargeasanasturtiumleaf，whichhadsuddenlyappeareduponthewhitesurfaceofthestep。
"Youhadbettercomeintotheporch。Itisnotnearlynightyet。
Thecloudsmakeitseemlaterthanitreallyis。"
Heavydropsofrain，followedimmediatelybyaforkedflashoflightningandsharprattlingthundercompelledher，willinglyorno，toaccepthisinvitation。Sheascendedthesteps，stoodbesidehimjustwithintheporch，andforthefirsttimeobtainedaseriesofshortviewsofhisperson，astheywaitedthereinsilence。
Hewasanextremelyhandsomeman，well-formed，andwell-dressed，ofanagewhichseemedtobetwoorthreeyearslessthanthirty。Themoststrikingpointinhisappearancewasthewonderful，almostpreternatural，clearnessofhiscomplexion。Therewasnotablemishorspeckofanykindtomarthesmoothnessofitssurfaceorthebeautyofitshue。Next，hisforeheadwassquareandbroad，hisbrowsstraightandfirm，hiseyespenetratingandclear。Bycollectingtheroundofexpressionstheygaveforth，apersonwhotheorizedonsuchmatterswouldhaveimbibedthenotionthattheirownerwasofanaturetokickagainstthepricks；thelastmanintheworldtoputupwithapositionbecauseitseemedtobehisdestinytodoso；onewhotookuponhimselftoresistfatewiththevindictivedeterminationofaTheomachist。Eyesandforeheadbothwouldhaveexpressedkeennessofintellecttooseverelytobepleasing，hadtheirforcenotbeencounteractedbythelinesandtoneofthelips。Thesewerefullandluscioustoasurprisingdegree，possessingawoman-likesoftnessofcurve，andarubyrednesssointense，astotestifystronglytomuchsusceptibilityofheartwherefemininebeautywasconcerned——asusceptibilitythatmightrequirealltheballastofbrainwithwhichhehadpreviouslybeencreditedtoconfinewithinreasonablechannels。
Hismannerwasratherelegantthangood：hisspeechwell-finishedandunconstrained。
Thepauseintheirdiscourse，whichhadbeencausedbythepealofthunderwasunbrokenbyeitherforaminuteortwo，duringwhichtheearsofbothseemedtobeabsentlyfollowingthelowroarofthewaterfallasitbecamegraduallyrivalledbytheincreasingrushofrainuponthetreesandherbageofthegrove。Afterhershortlooksathim，Cythereahadturnedherheadtowardstheavenueforawhile，andnow，glancingbackagainforaninstant，shediscoveredthathiseyeswereengagedinasteady，thoughdelicate，regardofherfaceandform。
Atthismoment，byreasonofthenarrownessoftheporch，theirdressestouched，andremainedincontact。
Hisclothesaresomethingexteriortoeveryman；buttoawomanherdressispartofherbody。Itsmotionsareallpresenttoherintelligenceifnottohereyes；nomanknowshowhiscoat-tailsswing。Bytheslightesthyperboleitmaybesaidthatherdresshassensation。CreasebuttheveryUltimaThuleoffringeorflounce，andithurtsherasmuchaspinchingher。Delicateantennae，orfeelers，bristleoneveryoutlyingfrill。Gototheuppermost：sheisthere；treadonthelowest：thefaircreatureistherealmostbeforeyou。
Thusthetouchofclothes，whichwasnothingtoManston，sentathrillthroughCytherea，seeing，moreover，thathewasofthenatureofamysteriousstranger。Shelookedoutagainatthestorm，butstillfelthim。Atlasttoescapethesensationshemovedaway，thoughbysodoingitwasnecessarytoadvancealittleintotherain。
"Look，therainiscomingintotheporchuponyou，"hesaid。"Stepinsidethedoor。"
Cythereahesitated。
"Perfectlysafe，Iassureyou，"headded，laughing，andholdingthedooropen。"YoushallseewhatastateofdisorganizationIamin——
boxesonboxes，furniture，straw，crockery，ineveryformoftransposition。Anoldwomanisinthebackquarterssomewhere，beginningtoputthingstorights……Youknowtheinsideofthehouse，Idaresay？"
"Ihaveneverbeenin。"
"Owell，comealong。Here，yousee，theyhavemadeadoorthrough，here，theyhaveputapartitiondividingtheoldhallintotwo，onepartisnowmyparlour；theretheyhaveputaplasterceiling，hidingtheoldchestnut-carvedroofbecauseitwastoohighandwouldhavebeenchillyforme；yousee，beingtheoriginalhall，itwasopenrightuptothetop，andherethelordofthemanorandhisretainersusedtomeetandbemerrybythelightfromthemonstrousfirewhichshoneoutfromthatmonstrousfire-place，nownarrowedtoamerenothingformygrate，thoughyoucanseetheoldoutlinestill。IalmostwishIcouldhavehaditinitsoriginalstate。"
"Withmoreromanceandlesscomfort。"
"Yes，exactly。Well，perhapsthewishisnotdeep-seated。Youwillseehowthethingsaretumbledinanyhow，packing-casesandall。
Theonlypieceofornamentalfurnitureyetunpackedisthisone。"
"Anorgan？"
"Yes，anorgan。Imadeitmyself，exceptthepipes。Iopenedthecasethisafternoontocommencesoothingmyselfatonce。Itisnotaverylargeone，butquitebigenoughforaprivatehouse。Youplay，Idaresay？"
"Thepiano。Iamnotatallusedtoanorgan。"
"Youwouldsoonacquirethetouchforanorgan，thoughitwouldspoilyourtouchforthepiano。Notthatthatmattersagreatdeal。
Apianoisn"tmuchasaninstrument。"
"Itisthefashiontosaysonow。Ithinkitisquitegoodenough。"
"Thatisn"taltogetherarightsentimentaboutthingsbeinggoodenough。"
"No——no。WhatImeanis，thatthemenwhodespisepianosdoitasarulefromtheirteeth，merelyforfashion"ssake，becausecleverermenhavesaiditbeforethem——notfromtheexperienceoftheirears。"
NowCythereaallatoncebrokeintoablushattheconsciousnessofagreatsnubshehadbeenguiltyofinhereagernesstoexplainherself。Hecharitablyexpressedbyalookthathedidnotintheleastmindherblunder，ifitwereone；andthisattitudeforcedhimintoapositionofmentalsuperioritywhichvexedher。
"Iplayformyprivateamusementonly，"hesaid。"Ihaveneverlearnedscientifically。AllIknowiswhatItaughtmyself。"
Thethunder，lightning，andrainhadnowincreasedtoaterrificforce。Theclouds，fromwhichdarts，forks，zigzags，andballsoffirecontinuallysprang，didnotappeartobemorethanahundredyardsabovetheirheads，andeverynowandthenaflashandapealmadegapsinthesteward"sdescriptions。Hewenttowardstheorgan，inthemidstofavolleywhichseemedtoshaketheagedhousefromfoundationstochimney。
"Youarenotgoingtoplaynow，areyou？"saidCythereauneasily。
"Oyes。Whynotnow？"hesaid。"Youcan"tgohome，andthereforewemayaswellbeamused，ifyoudon"tmindsittingonthisbox。
ThefewchairsIhaveunpackedareintheotherroom。"
Withoutwaitingtoseewhethershesatdownornot，heturnedtotheorganandbeganextemporizingaharmonywhichmeanderedthrougheveryvarietyofexpressionofwhichtheinstrumentwascapable。
Presentlyheceasedandbegansearchingforsomemusic-book。
"Whatasplendidflash！"hesaid，asthelightningagainshoneinthroughthemullionedwindow，which，ofaproportiontosuitthewholeextentoftheoriginalhall，wasmuchtoolargeforthepresentroom。Thethunderpealedagain。Cytherea，inspiteofherself，wasfrightened，notonlyattheweather，butatthegeneralunearthlyweirdnesswhichseemedtosurroundherthere。
"IwishI——thelightningwasn"tsobright。Doyouthinkitwilllastlong？"shesaidtimidly。
"Itcan"tlastmuchlonger，"hemurmured，withoutturning，runninghisfingersagainoverthekeys。"Butthisisnothing，"hecontinued，suddenlystoppingandregardingher。"Itseemsbrighterbecauseofthedeepshadowunderthosetreesyonder。Don"tmindit；
nowlookatme——lookinmyface——now。"
Hehadfacedthewindow，lookingfixedlyattheskywithhisdarkstrongeyes。Sheseemedcompelledtodoasshewasbidden，andlookedinthetoo-delicatelybeautifulface。
Theflashcame；buthedidnotturnorblink，keepinghiseyesfixedasfirmlyasbefore。"There，"hesaid，turningtoher，"that"sthewaytolookatlightning。"
"O，itmighthaveblindedyou！"sheexclaimed。
"Nonsense——notlightningofthissort——Ishouldn"thavestaredatitiftherehadbeendanger。Itisonlysheet-lightningnow。Now，willyouhaveanotherpiece？Somethingfromanoratoriothistime？"
"No，thankyou——Idon"twanttohearitwhilstitthundersso。"Buthehadbegunwithoutheedingheranswer，andshestoodmotionlessagain，marvellingatthewonderfulindifferencetoallexternalcircumstancewhichwasnowevincedbyhiscompleteabsorptioninthemusicbeforehim。
"Whydoyouplaysuchsaddeningchords？"shesaid，whenhenextpaused。
"H"m——becauseIlikethem，Isuppose，"saidhelightly。"Don"tyoulikesadimpressionssometimes？"
"Yes，sometimes，perhaps。"
"Whenyouarefulloftrouble。"
"Yes。"
"Well，whyshouldn"tIwhenIamfulloftrouble？"
"Areyoutroubled？"
"Iamtroubled。"Hesaidthisthoughtfullyandabruptly——soabruptlythatshedidnotpushthedialoguefurther。
Henowplayedmorepowerfully。Cythereahadneverheardmusicinthecompletenessoffullorchestralpower，andthetonesoftheorgan，whichreverberatedwithconsiderableeffectinthecomparativelysmallspaceoftheroom，heightenedbytheelementalstrifeoflightandsoundoutside，movedhertoadegreeoutofproportiontotheactualpowerofthemerenotes，practisedaswasthehandthatproducedthem。Thevaryingstrains——nowloud，nowsoft；simple，complicated，weird，touching，grand，boisterous，subdued；eachphasedistinct，yetmodulatingintothenextwithagracefulandeasyflow——shookandbenthertothemselves，asagushingbrookshakesandbendsashadowcastacrossitssurface。
Thepowerofthemusicdidnotshowitselfsomuchbyattractingherattentiontothesubjectofthepiece，asbytakingupanddevelopingasitslibrettothepoemofherownlifeandsoul，shiftingherdeedsandintentionsfromthehandsofherjudgmentandholdingtheminitsown。
Shewasswayedintoemotionalopinionsconcerningthestrangemanbeforeher；newimpulsesofthoughtcamewithnewharmonies，andenteredintoherwithagnawingthrill。Adreadfulflashoflightningthen，andthethundercloseuponit。Shefoundherselfinvoluntarilyshrinkingupbesidehim，andlookingwithpartedlipsathisface。
Heturnedhiseyesandsawheremotion，whichgreatlyincreasedtheidealelementinherexpressiveface。Shewasinthestateinwhichwoman"sinstincttoconcealhaslostitspoweroverherimpulsetotell；andhesawit。Bendinghishandsomefaceoverhertillhislipsalmosttouchedherear，hemurmured，withoutbreakingtheharmonies——
"Doyouverymuchlikethispiece？"
"Verymuchindeed，"shesaid。
"Icouldseeyouwereaffectedbyit。Iwillcopyitforyou。"
"Thankyoumuch。"
"IwillbringittotheHousetoyouto-morrow。WhoshallIaskfor？"
"O，notforme。Don"tbringit，"shesaidhastily。"Ishouldn"tlikeyouto。"
"Letmesee——to-morroweveningatsevenorafewminutespastI
shallbepassingthewaterfallonmywayhome。Icouldconvenientlygiveityouthere，andIshouldlikeyoutohaveit。"
HemodulatedintothePastoralSymphony，stilllookinginhereyes。
"Verywell，"shesaid，togetridofthelook。
Thestormhadbythistimeconsiderablydecreasedinviolence，andinsevenortenminutestheskypartiallycleared，thecloudsaroundthewesternhorizonbecominglightedupwiththeraysofthesinkingsun。
Cythereadrewalongbreathofrelief，andpreparedtogoaway。Shewasfullofadistressingsensethatherdetentionintheoldmanor-
house，andtheacquaintanceshipithadsetonfoot，wasnotathingshewished。Itwassuchafoolishthingtohavebeenexcitedanddraggedintofranknessbythewilesofastranger。
"Allowmetocomewithyou，"hesaid，accompanyinghertothedoor，andagainshowingbyhisbehaviourhowmuchhewasimpressedwithher。Hisinfluenceoverherhadvanishedwiththemusicalchords，andsheturnedherbackuponhim。"MayIcome？"herepeated。
"No，no。Thedistanceisnotaquarterofamile——itisreallynotnecessary，thankyou，"shesaidquietly。Andwishinghimgood-
evening，withoutmeetinghiseyes，shewentdownthesteps，leavinghimstandingatthedoor。
"O，howisitthatmanhassofascinatedme？"wasallshecouldthink。Herownself，asshehadsatspell-boundbeforehim，wasallshecouldsee。Hergaitwasconstrained，fromtheknowledgethathiseyeswereuponheruntilshehadpassedthehollowbythewaterfall，andbyascendingtherisehadbecomehiddenfromhisviewbytheboughsoftheoverhangingtrees。
5。SIXTOSEVENP。M。
Thewetshiningroadthrewthewesternglareintohereyeswithaninvidiouslustrewhichrenderedtherestlessnessofhermoodmorewearying。Herthoughtsflewfromideatoideawithoutaskingfortheslightestlinkofconnectionbetweenoneandanother。OnemomentshewasfullofthewildmusicandstirringscenewithManston——thenext，Edward"simagerosebeforeherlikeashadowyghost。ThenManston"sblackeyesseemedpiercingheragain，andtherecklessvoluptuousmouthappearedbendingtothecurvesofhisspecialwords。Whatcouldbethosetroublestowhichhehadalluded？PerhapsMissAldclyffewasatthebottomofthem。Sadatheartshepacedon：herlifewasbewilderingher。
OncomingintoMissAldclyffe"spresenceCythereatoldheroftheincident，notwithoutafearthatshewouldburstintooneofherungovernablefitsoftemperatlearningCytherea"sslightdeparturefromtheprogramme。But，strangelytoCytherea，MissAldclyffelookeddelighted。Theusualcross-examinationfollowed。
"Andsoyouwerewithhimallthattime？"saidthelady，withassumedseverity。
"Yes，Iwas。"
"IdidnottellyoutocallattheOldHousetwice。"
"Ididn"tcall，asIhavesaid。Hemademecomeintotheporch。"
"Whatremarksdidhemake，doyousay？"
"ThatthelightningwasnotsobadasIthought。"
"Averyimportantremark，that。Didhe——"sheturnedherglancefulluponthegirl，andeyeinghersearchingly，said——
"DidhesayanythingaboutME？"
"Nothing，"saidCytherea，returninghergazecalmly，"exceptthatI
wastogiveyouthesubscription。"
"Youarequitesure？"
"Quite。"
"Ibelieveyou。Didhesayanythingstrikingorstrangeabouthimself？"
"Onlyonething——thathewastroubled，"
"Troubled！"
Aftersayingtheword，MissAldclyfferelapsedintosilence。Suchbehaviourasthishadended，onmostpreviousoccasions，byhermakingaconfession，andCythereaexpectedonenow。Butforonceshewasmistaken，nothingmorewassaid。
WhenshehadreturnedtoherroomshesatdownandpennedafarewelllettertoEdwardSpringrove，aslittleableasanyotherexcitableandbrimmingyoungwomanofnineteentofeelthatthewisestandonlydignifiedcourseatthatjuncturewastodonothingatall。
Shetoldhimthat，toherpainfulsurprise，shehadlearntthathisengagementtoanotherwomanwasamatterofnotoriety。Sheinsistedthatallhonourbadehimmarryhisearlylove——awomanfarbetterthanherunworthyself，whoonlydeservedtobeforgotten，andbeggedhimtorememberthathewasnottoseeherfaceagain。SheupbraidedhimforlevityandcrueltyinmeetinghersofrequentlyatBudmouth，andaboveallinstealingthekissfromherlipsonthelasteveningofthewaterexcursions。"Inever，nevercanforgetit！"shesaid，andthenfeltasensationofhavingdoneherduty，ostensiblypersuadingherselfthatherreproachesandcommandswereofsuchaforcethatnomantowhomtheywereutteredcouldeverapproachhermore。
Yetitwasallunconsciouslysaidinwordswhichbetrayedalingeringtendernessofloveateveryunguardedturn。LikeBeatriceaccusingDantefromthechariot，tryasshemighttoplaythesuperiorbeingwhocontemnedsuchmereeye-sensuousness，shebetrayedateverypointaprettywoman"sjealousyofarival，andcovertlygaveheroldloverhintsforexcusinghimselfateachfreshindictment。
Thisdone，Cytherea，stillinapracticalmood，upbraidedherselfwithweaknessinallowingastrangerlikeMr。Manstontoinfluenceherashehaddonethatevening。Whatrightonearthhadhetosuggestsosuddenlythatshemightmeethimatthewaterfalltoreceivehismusic？Shewouldhavegivenmuchtobeabletoannihilatetheascendencyhehadobtainedoverherduringthatextraordinaryintervalofmelodioussound。Notbeingabletoendurethenotionofhislivingaminutelongerinthebeliefhewasthenholding，shetookherpenandwrotetohimalso：——
"KNAPWATERHOUSE
September20th。
"IfindIcannotmeetyouatseveno"clockbythewaterfallasI
promised。TheemotionIfeltmademeforgetfulofrealities。
"C。GRAYE。"
Agreatstatesmanthinksseveraltimes，andacts；ayoungladyacts，andthinksseveraltimes。When，afewminuteslater，shesawthepostmancarryoffthebagcontainingoneoftheletters，andamessengerwiththeother，she，forthefirsttime，askedherselfthequestionwhethershehadactedverywiselyinwritingtoeitherofthetwomenwhohadsoinfluencedher。
IX。THEEVENTSOFTENWEEKS
1。FROMSEPTEMBERTHETWENTY-FIRSTTOTHEMIDDLEOFNOVEMBER
TheforemostfigurewithinCytherea"shorizon，exclusiveoftheinmatesofKnapwaterHouse，wasnowthesteward，Mr。Manston。Itwasimpossiblethattheyshouldlivewithinaquarterofamileofeachother，beengagedinthesameservice，andattendthesamechurch，withoutmeetingatsomespotoranother，twiceorthriceaweek。OnSundays，inherpew，whenbychancesheturnedherhead，Cythereafoundhiseyeswaitingdesirouslyforaglimpseofhers，and，atfirstmorestrangely，theeyesofMissAldclyffefurtivelyrestingonhim。OncomingoutofchurchhefrequentlywalkedbesideCythereatillshereachedthegateatwhichresidentsintheHouseturnedintotheshrubbery。Bydegreesaconjecturegrewtoacertainty。Sheknewthathelovedher。
Butastrangefactwasconnectedwiththedevelopmentofhislove。
Hewaspalpablymakingthestrongesteffortstosubdue，oratleasttohide，theweakness，andasitsometimesseemed，ratherfromhisownconsciencethanfromsurroundingeyes。Henceshefoundthatnotoneofhisencounterswithherwasanythingmorethantheresultofpureaccident。Hemadenoadvanceswhatever：withoutavoidingher，heneversoughther：thewordshehadwhisperedattheirfirstinterviewnowprovedthemselvestobequiteasmuchtheresultofunguardedimpulseaswasheranswer。Somethingheldhimback，boundhisimpulsedown，butshesawthatitwasneitherprideofhisperson，norfearthatshewouldrefusehim——acoursesheunhesitatinglyresolvedtotakeshouldhethinkfittodeclarehimself。Shewasinterestedinhimandhismarvellousbeauty，asshemighthavebeeninsomefascinatingpantherorleopard——forsomeundefinablereasonsheshrankfromhim，evenwhilstsheadmired。
Thekeynoteofhernature，awarm"precipitanceofsoul，"asColeridgehappilywritesit，whichManstonhadsodirectlypounceduponattheirveryfirstinterview，gavehernowatremuloussenseofbeinginsomewayinhispower。
Thestateofmindwas，onthewhole，adangerousoneforayoungandinexperiencedwoman；andperhapsthecircumstancewhich，morethananyother，ledhertocherishEdward"simagenow，wasthathehadtakennonoticeofthereceiptofherletter，statingthatshediscardedhim。Itwasplainthen，shesaid，thathedidnotcaredeeplyforher，andshethereuponcouldnotquiteleaveoffcaringdeeplyforhim：——
"Ingeniummulierum，Noluntubivelis，ubinoliscupiuntultro。"
ThemonthofOctoberpassed，andNovemberbeganitscourse。TheinhabitantsofthevillageofCarrifordgrewwearyofsupposingthatMissAldclyffewasgoingtomarryhersteward。Newwhispersaroseandbecameverydistinct(thoughtheydidnotreachMissAldclyffe"sears)totheeffectthatthestewardwasdeeplyinlovewithCythereaGraye。Indeed，thefactbecamesoobviousthattherewasnothinglefttosayaboutitexceptthattheirmarriagewouldbeanexcellentoneforboth；——forherinpointofcomfort——andforhiminpointoflove。