第12章

Theinterlocutorsdidnotparttillafteraprolongedpause，duringwhichmuchseemedtobesaid。WhenMelburyandGraceresumedtheirwalkitwaswithsomethingofalightertreadthanbefore。

Winterbornethenpursuedhisowncoursehomeward。HewasunwillingtoletcoldnessgrowupbetweenhimselfandtheMelburysforanytrivialreason，andintheeveninghewenttotheirhouse。

Ondrawingnearthegatehisattentionwasattractedbythesightofoneofthebedroomsblinkingintoastateofillumination。InitstoodGracelightingseveralcandles，herrighthandelevatingthetaper，herlefthandonherbosom，herfacethoughtfullyfixedoneachwickasitkindled，asifshesawineveryflame’sgrowththeriseofalifetomaturity。Hewonderedwhatsuchunusualbrilliancycouldmeanto-night。Ongettingin-doorshefoundherfatherandstep-motherinastateofsuppressedexcitement，whichatfirsthecouldnotcomprehend。

“Iamsorryaboutmybiddingsto-day。”saidGiles。“Idon’tknowwhatIwasdoing。Ihavecometosaythatanyofthelotsyoumayrequireareyours。”

“Oh，nevermind——nevermind。”repliedthetimber-merchant，withaslightwaveofhishand，“IhavesomuchelsetothinkofthatI

nearlyhadforgotit。Justnow，too，therearemattersofadifferentkindfromtradetoattendto，sodon’tletitconcernye。”

Asthetimber-merchantspoke，asitwere，downtohimfromahighermoralplanethanhisown，GilesturnedtoMrs。Melbury。

“GraceisgoingtotheHouseto-morrow。”shesaid，quietly。“Sheislookingoutherthingsnow。Idaresaysheiswantingmethisminutetoassisther。”ThereuponMrs。Melburylefttheroom。

Nothingismoreremarkablethantheindependentpersonalityofthetonguenowandthen。Mr。Melburyknewthathiswordshadbeenasortofboast。Hedecriedboasting，particularlytoGiles；yetwheneverthesubjectwasGrace，hisjudgmentresignedtheministryofspeechinspiteofhim。

Winterbornefeltsurprise，pleasure，andalsoalittleapprehensionatthenews。HerepeatedMrs。Melbury’swords。

“Yes。”saidpaternalpride，notsorrytohavedraggedoutofhimwhathecouldnotinanycircumstanceshavekeptin。“CominghomefromthewoodsthisafternoonwemetMrs。Charmondoutforaride。

Shespoketomeonalittlematterofbusiness，andthengotacquaintedwithGrace。’TwaswonderfulhowshetooktoGraceinafewminutes；thatfreemasonryofeducationmade’emcloseatonce。

Naturallyenoughshewasamazedthatsuchanarticle——ha，ha！——

couldcomeoutofmyhouse。AtlastitledontoMis’essGracebeingaskedtotheHouse。Soshe’sbusyhuntingupherfrillsandfurbelowstogoin。”AsGilesremainedinthoughtwithoutresponding，Melburycontinued：“ButI’llcallherdown-stairs。”

“No，no；don’tdothat，sinceshe’sbusy。”saidWinterborne。

Melbury，feelingfromtheyoungman’smannerthathisowntalkhadbeentoomuchatGilesandtoolittletohim，repentedatonce。

Hisfacechanged，andhesaid，inlowertones，withaneffort，“She’syours，Giles，asfarasIamconcerned。”

“Thanks——mybestthanks。ButIthink，sinceitisallrightbetweenusaboutthebiddings，thatI’llnotinterrupthernow。

I’llstephomeward，andcallanothertime。”

Onleavingthehousehelookedupatthebedroomagain。Grace，surroundedbyasufficientnumberofcandlestoanswerallpurposesofself-criticism，wasstandingbeforeacheval-glassthatherfatherhadlatelyboughtexpresslyforheruse；shewasbonneted，cloaked，andgloved，andglancedoverhershoulderintothemirror，estimatingheraspect。Herfacewaslitwiththenaturalelationofayounggirlhopingtoinaugurateonthemorrowanintimateacquaintancewithanew，interesting，andpowerfulfriend。

TheinspiritingappointmentwhichhadledGraceMelburytoindulgeinasix-candleilluminationforthearrangementofherattire，carriedheroverthegroundthenextmorningwithaspringytread。

Hersenseofbeingproperlyappreciatedonherownnativesoilseemedtobrightentheatmosphereandherbagearoundher，astheglowworm’slampirradiatesthegrass。Thusshemovedalong，avesselofemotiongoingtoemptyitselfonsheknewnotwhat。

Twentyminutes’walkingthroughcopses，overastile，andalonganuplandlawnbroughthertothevergeofadeepglen，atthebottomofwhichHintockHouseappearedimmediatelybeneathhereye。Todescribeitasstandinginahollowwouldnotexpressthesituationofthemanor-house；itstoodinahole，notwithstandingthattheholewasfullofbeauty。FromthespotwhichGracehadreachedastonecouldeasilyhavebeenthrownoverorinto，thebirds’-nestedchimneysofthemansion。Itswallsweresurmountedbyabattlementedparapet；butthegrayleadroofswerequitevisiblebehindit，withtheirgutters，laps，rolls，andskylights，togetherwithincisedletteringsandshoe-patternscutbyidlersthereon。

ThefrontofthehouseexhibitedanordinarymanorialpresentationofElizabethanwindows，mullionedandhooded，workedinrichsnuff-coloredfreestonefromlocalquarries。Theashlarofthewalls，wherenotovergrownwithivyandothercreepers，wascoatedwithlichenofeveryshade，intensifyingitsluxuriancewithitsnearnesstotheground，till，belowtheplinth，itmergedinmoss。

Abovethehousetothebackwasadenseplantation，therootsofwhosetreeswereabovethelevelofthechimneys。ThecorrespondinghighgroundonwhichGracestoodwasrichlygrassed，withonlyanoldtreehereandthere。Afewsheeplayabout，which，astheyruminated，lookedquietlyintothebedroomwindows。

Thesituationofthehouse，prejudicialtohumanity，wasastimulustovegetation，onwhichaccountanendlessshearingoftheheavy-armedivywasnecessary，andacontinualloppingoftreesandshrubs。Itwasanedificebuiltintimeswhenhumanconstitutionsweredamp-proof，whenshelterfromtheboisterouswasallthatmenthoughtofinchoosingadwelling-place，theinsidiousbeingbeneaththeirnotice；anditshollowsitewasanocularreminder，byitsunfitnessformodernlives，ofthefragilitytowhichthesehavedeclined。ThehighestarchitecturalcunningcouldhavedonenothingtomakeHintockHousedryandsalubrious；andruthlessignorancecouldhavedonelittletomakeitunpicturesque。Itwasvegetablenature’sownhome；aspottoinspirethepainterandpoetofstilllife——iftheydidnotsuffertoomuchfromtherelaxingatmosphere——andtodrawgroansfromthegregariouslydisposed。Gracedescendedthegreenescarpmentbyazigzagpathintothedrive，whichsweptroundbeneaththeslope。

Theexteriorofthehousehadbeenfamiliartoherfromherchildhood，butshehadneverbeeninside，andtheapproachtoknowinganoldthinginanewwaywasalivelyexperience。Itwaswithalittleflutterthatshewasshownin；butsherecollectedthatMrs。Charmondwouldprobablybealone。Uptoafewdaysbeforethistimethatladyhadbeenaccompaniedinhercomings，stayings，andgoingsbyarelativebelievedtobeheraunt；

latterly，however，thesetwoladieshadseparated，owing，itwassupposed，toaquarrel，andMrs。Charmondhadbeenleftdesolate。

Beingpresumablyawomanwhodidnotcareforsolitude，thisdeprivationmightpossiblyaccountforhersuddeninterestinGrace。

Mrs。CharmondwasattheendofagalleryopeningfromthehallwhenMissMelburywasannounced，andsawherthroughtheglassdoorsbetweenthem。Shecameforwardwithasmileonherface，andtoldtheyounggirlitwasgoodofhertocome。

“Ah！youhavenoticedthose。”shesaid，seeingthatGrace’seyeswereattractedbysomecuriousobjectsagainstthewalls。“Theyareman-traps。Myhusbandwasaconnoisseurinman-trapsandspring-gunsandsucharticles，collectingthemfromallhisneighbors。Heknewthehistoriesofallthese——whichginhadbrokenaman’sleg，whichgunhadkilledaman。Thatone，I

rememberhissaying，hadbeensetbyagame-keeperinthetrackofanotoriouspoacher；butthekeeper，forgettingwhathehaddone，wentthatwayhimself，receivedthechargeinthelowerpartofhisbody，anddiedofthewound。Idon’tlikethemhere，butI’veneveryetgivendirectionsforthemtobetakenaway。”Sheadded，playfully，“Man-trapsareofratherominoussignificancewhereapersonofoursexlives，aretheynot？”

Gracewasboundtosmile；butthatsideofwomanlinesswasonewhichherinexperiencehadnogreatzestincontemplating。

“Theyareinteresting，nodoubt，asrelicsofabarbaroustimehappilypast。”shesaid，lookingthoughtfullyatthevarieddesignsoftheseinstrumentsoftorture——somewithsemi-circularjaws，somewithrectangular；mostofthemwithlong，sharpteeth，butafewwithnone，sothattheirjawslookedliketheblankgumsofoldage。

“Well，wemustnottakethemtooseriously。”saidMrs。Charmond，withanindolentturnofherhead，andtheymovedoninward。Whenshehadshownhervisitordifferentarticlesincabinetsthatshedeemedlikelytointeresther，sometapestries，wood-carvings，ivories，miniatures，andsoon——alwayswithamienoflistlessnesswhichmighteitherhavebeenconstitutional，orpartlyowingtothesituationoftheplace——theysatdowntoanearlycupoftea。