第8章

WhilesheregardedhimhesuddenlyliftedhiseyesinadirectionawayfromMarty，hisfacesimultaneouslykindlingwithrecognitionandsurprise。Shefollowedhisgaze，andsawwalkingacrosstohimaflexibleyoungcreatureinwhomsheperceivedthefeaturesofhershehadknownasMissGraceMelbury，butnowlookingglorifiedandrefinedaboveherformerlevel。Winterborne，beingfixedtothespotbyhisapple-tree，couldnotadvancetomeether；heheldouthissparehandwithhishatinit，andwithsomeembarrassmentbeheldhercomingontiptoethroughthemudtothemiddleofthesquarewherehestood。

MissMelbury’sarrivalsoearlywas，asMartycouldsee，unexpectedbyGiles，whichaccountedforhisnotbeingreadytoreceiveher。Indeed，herfatherhadnamedfiveo’clockasherprobabletime，forwhichreasonthathourhadbeenloomingoutallthedayinhisforwardperspective，likeanimportantedificeonaplain。Nowhereshewascome，heknewnothow，andhisarrangedwelcomestultified。

Hisfacebecamegloomyathernecessityforsteppingintotheroad，andmorestillatthelittlelookofembarrassmentwhichappearedonhersathavingtoperformthemeetingwithhimunderanapple-treetenfeethighinthemiddleofthemarket-place。

Havinghadoccasiontotakeoffthenewglovesshehadboughttocomehomein，sheheldouttohimahandgraduatingfrompinkatthetipsofthefingerstowhiteatthepalm；andthereceptionformedascene，withthetreeovertheirheads，whichwasnotbyanymeansanordinaryoneinShertonAbbasstreets。

Nevertheless，thegreetingonherlooksandlipswasofarestrainedtype，whichperhapswasnotunnatural。FortrueitwasthatGilesWinterborne，well-attiredandwell-manneredashewasforayeoman，lookedroughbesideher。Ithadsometimesdimlyoccurredtohim，inhisruminatingsilenceatLittleHintock，thatexternalphenomena——suchasthelownessorheightorcolorofahat，thefoldofacoat，themakeofaboot，orthechanceattitudeoroccupationofalimbattheinstantofview——mayhaveagreatinfluenceuponfeminineopinionofaman’sworth——sofrequentlyfoundedonnon-essentials；butacertaincausticityofmentaltonetowardshimselfandtheworldingeneralhadpreventedto-day，asalways，anyenthusiasticactiononthestrengthofthatreflection；andhermomentaryinstinctofreserveatfirstsightofhimwasthepenaltyhepaidforhislaxness。

Hegaveawaythetreetoaby-stander，assoonashecouldfindonewhowouldacceptthecumbersomegift，andthetwainmovedontowardstheinnatwhichhehadputup。MartymadeasiftostepforwardforthepleasureofbeingrecognizedbyMissMelbury；butabruptlycheckingherself，sheglidedbehindacarrier’svan，saying，dryly，“No；Ibaintwantedthere。”andcriticallyregardedWinterborne’scompanion。

ItwouldhavebeenverydifficulttodescribeGraceMelburywithprecision，eithernoworatanytime。Nay，fromthehighestpointofview，topreciselydescribeahumanbeing，thefocusofauniverse——howimpossible！But，apartfromtranscendentalism，thereneverprobablylivedapersonwhowasinherselfmorecompletelyareductioadabsurdumofattemptstoappraiseawoman，evenexternally，byitemsoffaceandfigure。Speakinggenerally，itmaybesaidthatshewassometimesbeautiful，atothertimesnotbeautiful，accordingtothestateofherhealthandspirits。

Insimplecorporealpresentmentshewasofafairandclearcomplexion，ratherpalethanpink，sliminbuildandelasticinmovement。Herlookexpressedatendencytowaitforothers’

thoughtsbeforeutteringherown；possiblyalsotowaitforothers’deedsbeforeherowndoing。Inhersmall，delicatemouth，whichhadperhapshardlysettleddowntoitsmaturedcurves，therewasagentlenessthatmighthindersufficientself-assertionforherowngood。Shehadwell-formedeyebrowswhich，hadherportraitbeenpainted，wouldprobablyhavebeendoneinProut’sorVandykebrown。

Therewasnothingremarkableinherdressjustnow，beyondanaturalfitnessandastylethatwasrecentforthestreetsofSherton。But，indeed，haditbeenthereverse，andquitestriking，itwouldhavemeantjustaslittle。Fortherecanbehardlyanythinglessconnectedwithawoman’spersonalitythandraperywhichshehasneitherdesigned，manufactured，cut，sewed，orevenseen，exceptbyaglanceofapprovalwhentoldthatsuchandsuchashapeandcolormustbehadbecauseithasbeendecidedbyothersasimperativeatthatparticulartime。

Whatpeople，therefore，sawofherinacursoryviewwasverylittle；intruth，mainlysomethingthatwasnotshe。Thewomanherselfwasashadowy，conjecturalcreaturewhohadlittletodowiththeoutlinespresentedtoShertoneyes；ashapeinthegloom，whosetruedescriptioncouldonlybeapproximatedbyputtingtogetheramovementnowandaglancethen，inthatpatientandlong-continuedattentivenesswhichnothingbutwatchfulloving-

kindnessevertroublestogive。

Therewasalittledelayintheirsettingoutfromthetown，andMartySouthtookadvantageofittohastenforward，withtheviewofescapingthemontheway，lesttheyshouldfeelcompelledtospoiltheirtete-a-tetebyaskinghertoride。Shewalkedfast，andone-thirdofthejourneywasdone，andtheeveningrapidlydarkening，beforesheperceivedanysignofthembehindher。

Then，whileascendingahill，shedimlysawtheirvehicledrawingnearthelowestpartoftheincline，theirheadsslightlybenttowardseachother；drawntogether，nodoubt，bytheirsouls，astheheadsofapairofhorseswellinhandaredrawninbytherein。Shewalkedstillfaster。

Butbetweentheseandherselftherewasacarriage，apparentlyabrougham，cominginthesamedirection，withlightedlamps。Whenitovertookher——whichwasnotsoon，onaccountofherpace——thescenewasmuchdarker，andthelightsglaredinhereyessufficientlytohidethedetailsoftheequipage。

ItoccurredtoMartythatshemighttakeholdbehindthiscarriageandsokeepalongwithit，tosaveherselfthemortificationofbeingovertakenandpickedupforpity’ssakebythecomingpair。

Accordingly，asthecarriagedrewabreastofherinclimbingthelongascent，shewalkedclosetothewheels，theraysofthenearestlamppenetratingherverypores。Shehadonlyjustdroppedbehindwhenthecarriagestopped，andtohersurprisethecoachmanaskedher，overhisshoulder，ifshewouldride。Whatmadethequestionmoresurprisingwasthatitcameinobediencetoanorderfromtheinteriorofthevehicle。

Martygladlyassented，forshewasweary，veryweary，afterworkingallnightandkeepingafootallday。Shemountedbesidethecoachman，wonderingwhythisgood-fortunehadhappenedtoher。

Hewasratheragreatmaninaspect，andshedidnotliketoinquireofhimforsometime。

Atlastshesaid，“Whohasbeensokindastoaskmetoride？”

“Mrs。Charmond。”repliedherstatuesquecompanion。

Martywasstirredatthename，socloselyconnectedwithherlastnight’sexperiences。“Isthishercarriage？”shewhispered。

“Yes；she’sinside。”

Martyreflected，andperceivedthatMrs。Charmondmusthaverecognizedherploddingupthehillundertheblazeofthelamp；

recognized，probably，herstubblypoll(sinceshehadkeptawayherface)，andthoughtthatthosestubblesweretheresultofherowndesire。

MartySouthwasnotsoveryfarwrong。Insidethecarriageapairofbrighteyeslookedfromaripelyhandsomeface，andthoughbehindthosebrighteyeswasamindofunfathomedmysteries，beneaththemtherebeataheartcapableofquickextemporewarmth——

aheartwhichcould，indeed，bepassionatelyandimprudentlywarmoncertainoccasions。Atpresent，afterrecognizingthegirl，shehadactedonamereimpulse，possiblyfeelinggratifiedatthedenudedappearancewhichsignifiedthesuccessofheragentinobtainingwhatshehadrequired。

“’Tiswonderfulthatsheshouldaskye。”observedthemagisterialcoachman，presently。“Ihaveneverknownherdoitbefore，forasaruleshetakesnointerestinthevillagefolkatall。”

Martysaidnomore，butoccasionallyturnedherheadtoseeifshecouldgetaglimpseoftheOlympiancreaturewhoasthecoachmanhadtrulyobserved，hardlyeverdescendedfromhercloudsintotheTempeoftheparishioners。Butshecoulddiscernnothingofthelady。ShealsolookedforMissMelburyandWinterborne。ThenoseoftheirhorsesometimescamequitenearthebackofMrs。

Charmond’scarriage。Buttheyneverattemptedtopassittillthelatterconveyanceturnedtowardstheparkgate，whentheyspedby。

Herethecarriagedrewupthatthegatemightbeopened，andinthemomentarysilenceMartyheardagentleoralsound，softasabreeze。

“What’sthat？”shewhispered。

“Mis’essyawning。”

“Whyshouldsheyawn？”

“Oh，becauseshe’sbeenusedtosuchwonderfullygoodlife，andfindsitdullhere。She’llsoonbeoffagainonaccountofit。”

“Sorichandsopowerful，andyettoyawn！”thegirlmurmured。

“Thenthingsdon’tfaywithsheanymorethanwithwe！”

Martynowalighted；thelampagainshoneuponher，andasthecarriagerolledon，asoftvoicesaidtoherfromtheinterior，“Good-night。”

“Good-night，ma’am。”saidMarty。Butshehadnotbeenabletoseethewomanwhobegansogreatlytointeresther——thesecondpersonofherownsexwhohadoperatedstronglyonhermindthatday。

Meanwhile，WinterborneandGraceMelburyhadalsoundergonetheirlittleexperiencesofthesamehomewardjourney。

Ashedroveoffwithheroutofthetowntheglancesofpeoplefelluponthem，theyoungerthinkingthatMr。Winterbornewasinapleasantplace，andwonderinginwhatrelationhestoodtowardsher。Winterbornehimselfwasunconsciousofthis。Occupiedsolelywiththeideaofhavingherincharge，hedidnotnoticemuchwithoutwardeye，neitherobservinghowshewasdressed，northeeffectofthepicturetheytogethercomposedinthelandscape。

Theirconversationwasinbriefestphraseforsometime，Gracebeingsomewhatdisconcerted，throughnothavingunderstoodtilltheywereabouttostartthatGileswastobehersoleconductorinplaceofherfather。Whentheywereintheopencountryhespoke。

“Don’tBrownley’sfarm-buildingslookstrangetoyou，nowtheyhavebeenmovedbodilyfromthehollowwheretheoldonesstoodtothetopofthehill？”