第3章

Shereddenedsointenselyastopassthemildblushthatsufficestoheightenbeauty；sheputtheyellowleathergloveononehand，tookupthehookwiththeother，andsatdowndoggedlytoherworkwithoutturningherfacetohimagain。Heregardedherheadforamoment，wenttothedoor，andwithonelookbackather，departedonhiswayhomeward。

Martypursuedheroccupationforafewminutes，thensuddenlylayingdownthebill-hook，shejumpedupandwenttothebackoftheroom，wheresheopenedadoorwhichdisclosedastaircasesowhitelyscrubbedthatthegrainofthewoodwaswellnighsoddenawaybysuchcleansing。Atthetopshegentlyapproachedabedroom，andwithoutentering，said，“Father，doyouwantanything？”

Aweakvoiceinsideansweredinthenegative；adding，“Ishouldbeallrightbyto-morrowifitwerenotforthetree！”

“Thetreeagain——alwaysthetree！Oh，father，don’tworrysoaboutthat。Youknowitcandoyounoharm。”

“Whohaveyehadtalkingtoyedown-stairs？”

“AShertonmancalled——nothingtotroubleabout。”shesaid，soothingly。“Father。”shewenton，“canMrs。Charmondturnusoutofourhouseifshe’smindedto？”

“Turnusout？No。Nobodycanturnusouttillmypoorsoulisturnedoutofmybody。’Tislife-hold，likeAmbroseWinterborne’s。Butwhenmylifedrops’twillbehers——nottillthen。”Hiswordsonthissubjectsofarhadbeenrationalandfirmenough。Butnowhelapsedintohismoaningstrain：“Andthetreewilldoit——thattreewillsoonbethedeathofme。”

“Nonsense，youknowbetter。Howcanitbe？”Sherefrainedfromfurtherspeech，anddescendedtotheground-flooragain。

“ThankHeaven，then。”shesaidtoherself，“whatbelongstomeI

keep。”

Thelightsinthevillagewentout，houseafterhouse，tillthereonlyremainedtwointhedarkness。Oneofthesecamefromaresidenceonthehill-side，ofwhichthereisnothingtosayatpresent；theothershonefromthewindowofMartySouth。

Preciselythesameoutwardeffectwasproducedhere，however，byherrisingwhentheclockstrucktenandhangingupathickclothcurtain。Thedooritwasnecessarytokeepajarinhers，asinmostcottages，becauseofthesmoke；butsheobviatedtheeffectoftheribbonoflightthroughthechinkbyhangingaclothoverthatalso。Shewasoneofthosepeoplewho，iftheyhavetoworkharderthantheirneighbors，prefertokeepthenecessityasecretasfaraspossible；andbutfortheslightsoundsofwood-

splinteringwhichcamefromwithin，nowayfarerwouldhaveperceivedthatherethecottagerdidnotsleepaselsewhere。

Eleven，twelve，oneo’clockstruck；theheapofsparsgrewhigher，andthepileofchipsandendsmorebulky。Eventhelightonthehillhadnowbeenextinguished；butstillsheworkedon。Whenthetemperatureofthenightwithouthadfallensolowastomakeherchilly，sheopenedalargeblueumbrellatowardoffthedraughtfromthedoor。Thetwosovereignsconfrontedherfromthelooking-glassinsuchamannerastosuggestapairofjaundicedeyesonthewatchforanopportunity。Whenevershesighedforwearinesssheliftedhergazetowardsthem，butwithdrewitquickly，strokinghertresseswithherfingersforamoment，asiftoassureherselfthattheywerestillsecure。Whentheclockstruckthreeshearoseandtiedupthesparsshehadlastmadeinabundleresemblingthosethatlayagainstthewall。

Shewrappedroundheralongredwoollencravatandopenedthedoor。Thenightinallitsfulnessmetherflatlyonthethreshold，liketheverybrinkofanabsolutevoid，ortheantemundaneGinnung-GapbelievedinbyherTeutonforefathers。

Forhereyeswerefreshfromtheblaze，andheretherewasnostreet-lamporlanterntoformakindlytransitionbetweentheinnerglareandtheouterdark。Alingeringwindbroughttoherearthecreakingsoundoftwoover-crowdedbranchesintheneighboringwoodwhichwererubbingeachotherintowounds，andothervocalizedsorrowsofthetrees，togetherwiththescreechofowls，andtheflutteringtumbleofsomeawkwardwood-pigeonill-

balancedonitsroosting-bough。

Butthepupilsofheryoungeyessoonexpanded，andshecouldseewellenoughforherpurpose。Takingabundleofsparsundereacharm，andguidedbytheserratedlineoftree-topsagainstthesky，shewentsomehundredyardsormoredownthelanetillshereachedalongopenshed，carpetedaroundwiththedeadleavesthatlayabouteverywhere。Night，thatstrangepersonality，whichwithinwallsbringsominousintrospectivenessandself-distrust，butundertheopenskybanishessuchsubjectiveanxietiesastootrivialforthought，inspiredMartySouthwithalessperturbedandbriskermannernow。Shelaidthesparsonthegroundwithintheshedandreturnedformore，goingtoandfrotillherwholemanufacturedstockweredepositedhere。

Thiserectionwasthewagon-houseofthechiefmanofbusinesshereabout，Mr。GeorgeMelbury，thetimber，bark，andcopse-waremerchantforwhomMarty’sfatherdidworkofthissortbythepiece。Itformedoneofthemanyramblingout-houseswhichsurroundedhisdwelling，anequallyirregularblockofbuilding，whoseimmensechimneyscouldjustbediscernedevennow。Thefourhugewagonsundertheshedwerebuiltonthoseancientlineswhoseproportionshavebeenoustedbymodernpatterns，theirshapesbulgingandcurvingatthebaseandendslikeTrafalgarline-of-

battleships，withwhichvenerablehulks，indeed，thesevehiclesevidencedaconstructedspiritcuriouslyinharmony。Onewasladenwithsheep-cribs，anotherwithhurdles，anotherwithashpoles，andthefourth，atthefootofwhichshehadplacedherthatching-sparswashalffullofsimilarbundles。

Shewaspausingamomentwiththateasefulsenseofaccomplishmentwhichfollowsworkdonethathasbeenahardstruggleinthedoing，whensheheardawoman’svoiceontheothersideofthehedgesay，anxiously，“George！”Inamomentthenamewasrepeated，with“Docomeindoors！Whatareyoudoingthere？”

Thecart-houseadjoinedthegarden，andbeforeMartyhadmovedshesawenterthelatterfromthetimber-merchant’sbackdooranelderlywomanshelteringacandlewithherhand，thelightfromwhichcastamovingthorn-patternofshadeonMarty’sface。Itsrayssoonfelluponamanwhoseclotheswereroughlythrownon，standinginadvanceofthespeaker。Hewasathin，slightlystoopingfigure，withasmallnervousmouthandafacecleanlyshaven；andhewalkedalongthepathwithhiseyesbentontheground。InthepairMartySouthrecognizedheremployerMelburyandhiswife。ShewasthesecondMrs。Melbury，thefirsthavingdiedshortlyafterthebirthofthetimber-merchant’sonlychild。

“’Tisnousetostayinbed。”hesaid，assoonasshecameuptowherehewaspacingrestlesslyabout。“Ican’tsleep——Ikeepthinkingofthings，andworryingaboutthegirl，tillI’mquiteinafeverofanxiety。”Hewentontosaythathecouldnotthinkwhy“she(Martyknewhewasspeakingofhisdaughter)didnotanswerhisletter。Shemustbeill——shemust，certainly。”hesaid。

“No，no。’Tisallright，George。”saidhiswife；andsheassuredhimthatsuchthingsalwaysdidappearsogloomyinthenight-

time，ifpeopleallowedtheirmindstorunonthem；thatwhenmorningcameitwasseenthatsuchfearswerenothingbutshadows。

“GraceisaswellasyouorI。”shedeclared。

Buthepersistedthatshedidnotseeall——thatshedidnotseeasmuchashe。Hisdaughter’snotwritingwasonlyonepartofhisworry。Onaccountofherhewasanxiousconcerningmoneyaffairs，whichhewouldneveralarmhismindaboutotherwise。Thereasonhegavewasthat，asshehadnobodytodependuponforaprovisionbuthimself，hewishedher，whenhewasgone，tobesecurelyoutofriskofpoverty。

TothisMrs。MelburyrepliedthatGracewouldbesuretomarrywell，andthathenceahundredpoundsmoreorlessfromhimwouldnotmakemuchdifference。

Herhusbandsaidthatthatwaswhatshe，Mrs。Melbury，naturallythought；butthereshewaswrong，andinthatlaythesourceofhistrouble。“Ihaveaplaninmyheadabouther。”hesaid；“andaccordingtomyplanshewon’tmarryarichman。”

“Aplanforhernottomarrywell？”saidhiswife，surprised。

“Well，inonesenseitisthat。”repliedMelbury。“Itisaplanforhertomarryaparticularperson，andashehasnotsomuchmoneyasshemightexpect，itmightbecalledasyoucallit。I

maynotbeabletocarryitout；andevenifIdo，itmaynotbeagoodthingforher。IwanthertomarryGilesWinterborne。”

Hiscompanionrepeatedthename。“Well，itisallright。”shesaid，presently。“Headorestheverygroundshewalkson；onlyhe’sclose，andwon’tshowitmuch。”

MartySouthappearedstartled，andcouldnottearherselfaway。

Yes，thetimber-merchantasserted，heknewthatwellenough。

Winterbornehadbeeninterestedinhisdaughterforyears；thatwaswhathadledhimintothenotionoftheirunion。Andheknewthatsheusedtohavenoobjectiontohim。Butitwasnotanydifficultyaboutthatwhichembarrassedhim。Itwasthat，sincehehadeducatedhersowell，andsolong，andsofarabovethelevelofdaughtersthereabout，itwas“wastingher“togivehertoamanofnohigherstandingthantheyoungmaninquestion。

“That’swhatIhavebeenthinking。”saidMrs。Melbury。

“Well，then，Lucy，nowyou’vehitit。”answeredthetimber-

merchant，withfeeling。“Thereliesmytrouble。Ivowedtolethermarryhim，andtomakeherasvaluableasIcouldtohimbyschoolingherasmanyyearsandasthoroughlyaspossible。Imeantokeepmyvow。ImadeitbecauseIdidhisfatheraterriblewrong；anditwasaweightonmyconscienceeversincethattimetillthisschemeofmakingamendsoccurredtomethroughseeingthatGileslikedher。”

“Wrongedhisfather？”askedMrs。Melbury。

“Yes，grievouslywrongedhim。”saidherhusband。

“Well，don’tthinkofitto-night。”sheurged。“Comeindoors。”