第11章

Kaleidoscopicdreamsofaweirdalchemist-surgeon，GrammerOliver’sskeleton，andthefaceofGilesWinterborne，broughtGraceMelburytothemorningofthenextday。Itwasfine。A

northwindwasblowing——thatnotunacceptablecompromisebetweentheatmosphericcutleryoftheeasternblastandthespongygalesofthewestquarter。Shelookedfromherwindowinthedirectionofthelightofthepreviousevening，andcouldjustdiscernthroughthetreestheshapeofthesurgeon’shouse。Somehow，inthebroad，practicaldaylight，thatunknownandlonelygentlemanseemedtobeshornofmuchoftheinterestwhichhadinvestedhispersonalityandpursuitsinthehoursofdarkness，andasGrace’sdressingproceededhefadedfromhermind。

Meanwhile，Winterborne，thoughhalfassuredofherfather’sfavor，wasrenderedalittlerestlessbyMissMelbury’sbehavior。

Despitehisdryself-control，hecouldnothelplookingcontinuallyfromhisowndoortowardsthetimber-merchant’s，intheprobabilityofsomebody’semergencetherefrom。Hisattentionwasatlengthjustifiedbytheappearanceoftwofigures，thatofMr。Melburyhimself，andGracebesidehim。Theysteppedoutinadirectiontowardsthedensestquarterofthewood，andWinterbornewalkedcontemplativelybehindthem，tillallthreeweresoonunderthetrees。

Althoughthetimeofbareboughshadnowsetin，therewereshelteredhollowsamidtheHintockplantationsandcopsesinwhichamoretardyleave-takingthanonwindysummitswastherulewiththefoliage。Thiscausedhereandthereanapparentmixtureoftheseasons；sothatinsomeofthedellsthattheypassedbyholly-berriesinfullredwerefoundgrowingbesideoakandhazelwhoseleaveswereasyetnotfarremovedfromgreen，andbrambleswhoseverdurewasrichanddeepasinthemonthofAugust。ToGracethesewell-knownpeculiaritieswereasanoldpaintingrestored。

Nowcouldbebeheldthatchangefromthehandsometothecuriouswhichthefeaturesofawoodundergoattheingressofthewintermonths。Anglesweretakingtheplaceofcurves，andreticulationsofsurfaces——achangeconstitutingasuddenlapsefromtheornatetotheprimitiveonNature’scanvas，andcomparabletoaretrogressivestepfromtheartofanadvancedschoolofpaintingtothatofthePacificIslander。

Winterbornefollowed，andkepthiseyeuponthetwofiguresastheythreadedtheirwaythroughthesesylvanphenomena。Mr。

Melbury’slonglegs，andgaitersdrawnintotheboneattheankles，hisslightstoop，hishabitofgettinglostinthoughtandarousinghimselfwithanexclamationof“Hah！”accompaniedwithanupwardjerkofthehead，composedapersonagerecognizablebyhisneighborsasfarashecouldbeseen。Itseemedasifthesquirrelsandbirdsknewhim。Oneoftheformerwouldoccasionallyrunfromthepathtohidebehindthearmofsometree，whichthelittleanimalcarefullyedgedroundparipassuwithMelburyandhisdaughtersmovementonward，assumingamockmanner，asthoughheweresaying，“Ho，ho；youareonlyatimber-

merchant，andcarrynogun！”

Theywentnoiselesslyovermatsofstarrymoss，rustledthroughinterspersedtractsofleaves，skirtedtrunkswithspreadingroots，whosemossedrindsmadethemlikehandswearinggreengloves；elbowedoldelmsandasheswithgreatforks，inwhichstoodpoolsofwaterthatoverflowedonrainydays，andrandowntheirstemsingreencascades。Onoldertreesstillthanthese，hugelobesoffungigrewlikelungs。Here，aseverywhere，theUnfulfilledIntention，whichmakeslifewhatitis，wasasobviousasitcouldbeamongthedepravedcrowdsofacityslum。Theleafwasdeformed，thecurvewascrippled，thetaperwasinterrupted；

thelicheneatthevigorofthestalk，andtheivyslowlystrangledtodeaththepromisingsapling。

Theydivedamidbeechesunderwhichnothinggrew，theyoungerboughsstillretainingtheirhecticleaves，thatrustledinthebreezewithasoundalmostmetallic，likethesheet-ironfoliageofthefabledJarnvidwood。SomeflecksofwhiteinGrace’sdraperyhadenabledGilestokeepherandherfatherinviewtillthistime；butnowhelostsightofthem，andwasobligedtofollowbyear——nodifficultmatter，foronthelineoftheircourseeverywood-pigeonrosefromitsperchwithacontinuedclash，dashingitswingsagainstthebrancheswithwellnighforceenoughtobreakeveryquill。Bytakingthetrackofthisnoisehesooncametoastile。

Wasitworthwhiletogofarther？Heexaminedthedoughysoilatthefootofthestile，andsawamongthelargesole-and-heeltracksanimpressionofaslighterkindfromabootthatwasobviouslynotlocal，forWinterborneknewallthecobblers’

patternsinthatdistrict，becausetheywereveryfewtoknow。

Themud-picturewasenoughtomakehimswinghimselfoverandproceed。

Thecharacterofthewoodlandnowchanged。Thebasesofthesmallertreeswerenibbledbarebyrabbits，andatdiverspointsheapsoffresh-madechips，andthenewly-cutstoolofatree，staredwhitethroughtheundergrowth。Therehadbeenalargefalloftimberthisyear，whichexplainedthemeaningofsomesoundsthatsoonreachedhim。

Avoicewasshoutingintermittentlyinasortofhumanbark，whichremindedGilesthattherewasasaleoftreesandfagotsthatveryday。Melburywouldnaturallybepresent。ThereuponWinterbornerememberedthathehimselfwantedafewfagots，andentereduponthescene。

Alargegroupofbuyersstoodroundtheauctioneer，orfollowedhimwhen，betweenhispauses，hewanderedonfromonelotofplantationproducetoanother，likesomephilosopherofthePeripateticschooldeliveringhislecturesintheshadygrovesoftheLyceum。Hiscompanionsweretimber-dealers，yeomen，farmers，villagers，andothers；mostlywoodlandmen，whoonthataccountcouldaffordtobecuriousintheirwalking-sticks，whichconsequentlyexhibitedvariousmonstrositiesofvegetation，thechiefbeingcork-screwshapesinblackandwhitethorn，broughttothatpatternbytheslowtortureofanencirclingwoodbineduringtheirgrowth，astheChinesehavebeensaidtomouldhumanbeingsintogrotesquetoysbycontinuedcompressionininfancy。Twowomen，wearingmen’sjacketsontheirgowns，conductedintherearofthehaltingprocessionapony-cartcontainingatappedbarrelofbeer，fromwhichtheydrewandreplenishedhornsthatwerehandedround，withbread-and-cheesefromabasket。

Theauctioneeradjustedhimselftocircumstancesbyusinghiswalking-stickasahammer，andknockeddownthelotonanyconvenientobjectthattookhisfancy，suchasthecrownofalittleboy’shead，ortheshouldersofaby-standerwhohadnobusinessthereexcepttotastethebrew；aproceedingwhichwouldhavebeendeemedhumorousbutfortheairofsternrigiditywhichthatauctioneer’sfacepreserved，tendingtoshowthattheeccentricitywasaresultofthatabsenceofmindwhichisengenderedbythepressofaffairs，andnofreakoffancyatall。

Mr。MelburystoodslightlyapartfromtherestofthePeripatetics，andGracebesidehim，clingingcloselytohisarm，hermodernattirelookingalmostoddwhereeverythingelsewasold-fashioned，andthrowingoverthefamiliargarnitureofthetreesahomelinessthatseemedtodemandimprovementbytheadditionofafewcontemporarynoveltiesalso。Graceseemedtoregardthesellingwiththeinterestwhichattachestomemoriesrevivedafteranintervalofobliviousness。

Winterbornewentandstoodclosetothem；thetimber-merchantspoke，andcontinuedhisbuying；Gracemerelysmiled。TojustifyhispresencethereWinterbornebeganbiddingfortimberandfagotsthathedidnotwant，pursuingtheoccupationinanabstractedmood，inwhichtheauctioneer’svoiceseemedtobecomeoneofthenaturalsoundsofthewoodland。Afewflakesofsnowdescended，atthesightofwhicharobin，alarmedatthesesignsofimminentwinter，andseeingthatnooffencewasmeantbythehumaninvasion，cameandperchedonthetipofthefagotsthatwerebeingsold，andlookedintotheauctioneer’sface，whilewaitingforsomechancecrumbfromthebread-basket。StandingalittlebehindGrace，Winterborneobservedhowoneflakewouldsaildownwardandsettleonacurlofherhair，andhowanotherwouldchoosehershoulder，andanothertheedgeofherbonnet，whichtookupsomuchofhisattentionthathisbiddingsproceededincoherently；andwhentheauctioneersaid，everynowandthen，withanodtowardshim，“Yours，Mr。Winterborne。”hehadnoideawhetherhehadboughtfagots，poles，orlogwood。

Heregretted，withsomecausticityofhumor，thatherfathershouldshowsuchinequalitiesoftemperamentastokeepGracetightlyonhisarmto-day，whenhehadquitelatelyseemedanxioustorecognizetheirbetrothalasafact。Andthusmusing，andjoininginnoconversationwithotherbuyersexceptwhendirectlyaddressed，hefollowedtheassemblagehitherandthithertilltheendoftheauction，whenGilesforthefirsttimerealizedwhathispurchaseshadbeen。Hundredsoffagots，anddiverslotsoftimber，hadbeensetdowntohim，whenallhehadrequiredhadbeenafewbundlesofsprayforhisoddmanRobertCreedle’suseinbakingandlightingfires。

Businessbeingover，heturnedtospeaktothetimbermerchant。

ButMelbury’smannerwasshortanddistant；andGrace，too，lookedvexedandreproachful。Winterbornethendiscoveredthathehadbeenunwittinglybiddingagainstherfather，andpickinguphisfavoritelotsinspiteofhim。Withaveryfewwordstheyleftthespotandpursuedtheirwayhomeward。

Gileswasextremelysorryatwhathehaddone，andremainedstandingunderthetrees，alltheothermenhavingstrayedsilentlyaway。HesawMelburyandhisdaughterpassdownagladewithoutlookingback。Whiletheymovedslowlythroughitaladyappearedonhorsebackinthemiddledistance，thelineofherprogressconverginguponthatofMelbury’s。Theymet，Melburytookoffhishat，andshereinedinherhorse。AconversationwasevidentlyinprogressbetweenGraceandherfatherandthisequestrian，inwhomhewasalmostsurethatherecognizedMrs。

Charmond，lessbyheroutlinethanbytheliveryofthegroomwhohadhaltedsomeyardsoff。