第14章
Theholeswerealreadydug，andtheysettowork。Winterborne’sfingerswereendowedwithagentleconjuror’stouchinspreadingtherootsofeachlittletree，resultinginasortofcaress，underwhichthedelicatefibresalllaidthemselvesoutintheirproperdirectionsforgrowth。Heputmostoftheserootstowardsthesouth-west；for，hesaid，infortyyears’time，whensomegreatgaleisblowingfromthatquarter，thetreeswillrequirethestrongestholdfastonthatsidetostandagainstitandnotfall。
“Howtheysighdirectlyweput’emupright，thoughwhiletheyarelyingdowntheydon’tsighatall。”saidMarty。
“Dothey？”saidGiles。“I’venevernoticedit。”
Sheerectedoneoftheyoungpinesintoitshole，andheldupherfinger；thesoftmusicalbreathinginstantlysetin，whichwasnottoceasenightordaytillthegrowntreeshouldbefelled——
probablylongafterthetwoplantersshouldbefelledthemselves。
“Itseemstome。”thegirlcontinued，“asiftheysighbecausetheyareverysorrytobeginlifeinearnest——justaswebe。”
“Justaswebe？”Helookedcriticallyather。“Yououghtnottofeellikethat，Marty。”
Heronlyreplywasturningtotakeupthenexttree；andtheyplantedonthroughagreatpartoftheday，almostwithoutanotherword。Winterborne’smindranonhiscontemplatedevening-party，hisabstractionbeingsuchthathehardlywasconsciousofMarty’spresencebesidehim。Fromthenatureoftheiremployment，inwhichhehandledthespadeandshemerelyheldthetree，itfollowedthathegotgoodexerciseandshegotnone。Butshewasanheroicgirl，andthoughherout-stretchedhandwaschillasastone，andhercheeksblue，andhercoldworsethanever，shewouldnotcomplainwhilehewasdisposedtocontinuework。Butwhenhepausedshesaid，“Mr。Winterborne，canIrundownthelaneandbacktowarmmyfeet？”
“Why，yes，ofcourse。”hesaid，awakeninganewtoherexistence。
“ThoughIwasjustthinkingwhatamilddayitisfortheseason。
NowIwarrantthatcoldofyoursistwiceasbadasitwas。Youhadnobusinesstochopthathairoff，Marty；itservesyoualmostright。Lookhere，cutoffhomeatonce。”
“Arundownthelanewillbequiteenough。”
“No，itwon’t。Yououghtnottohavecomeoutto-dayatall。”
“ButIshouldliketofinishthe——“
“Marty，Itellyoutogohome。”saidhe，peremptorily。“Icanmanagetokeeptherestofthemuprightwithastickorsomething。”
Shewentawaywithoutsayinganymore。Whenshehadgonedowntheorchardalittledistanceshelookedback。Gilessuddenlywentafterher。
“Marty，itwasforyourgoodthatIwasrough，youknow。Butwarmyourselfinyourownway，Idon’tcare。”
Whenshehadrunoffhefanciedhediscernedawoman’sdressthroughtheholly-busheswhichdividedthecoppicefromtheroad。
ItwasGraceatlast，onherwaybackfromtheinterviewwithMrs。
Charmond。Hethrewdownthetreehewasplanting，andwasabouttobreakthroughthebeltofhollywhenhesuddenlybecameawareofthepresenceofanotherman，whowaslookingoverthehedgeontheoppositesideofthewayuponthefigureoftheunconsciousGrace。Heappearedasahandsomeandgentlemanlypersonageofsixoreightandtwenty，andwasquizzingherthroughaneye-glass。
SeeingthatWinterbornewasnoticinghim，helethisglassdropwithaclickupontherailwhichprotectedthehedge，andwalkedawayintheoppositedirection。GilesknewinamomentthatthismustbeMr。Fitzpiers。Whenhewasgone，Winterbornepushedthroughthehollies，andemergedclosebesidetheinterestingobjectoftheircontemplation。
“IheardthebushesmovelongbeforeIsawyou。”shebegan。“I
saidfirst，’itissometerriblebeast；’next，’itisapoacher；’
next，’itisafriend！’“
Heregardedherwithaslightsmile，weighing，notherspeech，butthequestionwhetherheshouldtellherthatshehadbeenwatched。
Hedecidedinthenegative。
“Youhavebeentothehouse？”hesaid。“ButIneednotask。”ThefactwasthatthereshoneuponMissMelbury’sfaceaspeciesofexaltation，whichsawnoenvironingdetailsnorhisownoccupation；nothingmorethanhisbarepresence。
“Whyneedyounotask？”
“YourfaceislikethefaceofMoseswhenhecamedownfromtheMount。”
Shereddenedalittleandsaid，“Howcanyoubesoprofane，GilesWinterborne？”
“Howcanyouthinksomuchofthatclassofpeople？Well，Ibegpardon；Ididn’tmeantospeaksofreely。Howdoyoulikeherhouseandher？”
“Exceedingly。IhadnotbeeninsidethewallssinceIwasachild，whenitusedtobelettostrangers，beforeMrs。Charmond’slatehusbandboughttheproperty。SheisSOnice！”AndGracefellintosuchanabstractedgazeattheimaginaryimageofMrs。
Charmondandhernicenessthatitalmostconjuredupavisionofthatladyinmid-airbeforethem。
“Shehasonlybeenhereamonthortwo，itseems，andcannotstaymuchlonger，becauseshefindsitsolonelyanddampinwinter。
Sheisgoingabroad。Onlythink，shewouldlikemetogowithher。”
Giles’sfeaturesstiffenedalittleatthenews。“Indeed；whatfor？ButIwon’tkeepyoustandinghere。Hoi，Robert！”hecriedtoaswayingcollectionofclothesinthedistance，whichwasthefigureofCreedlehisman。“GoonfillingintheretillIcomeback。”
“I’ma-coming，sir；I’ma-coming。”
“Well，thereasonisthis。”continuedshe，astheywentontogether——“Mrs。Charmondhasadelightfulsidetohercharacter——
adesiretorecordherimpressionsoftravel，likeAlexandreDumas，andMery，andSterne，andothers。Butshecannotfindenergyenoughtodoitherself。”AndGraceproceededtoexplainMrs。Charmond’sproposalatlarge。“MynotionisthatMery’sstylewillsuitherbest，becausehewritesinthatsoft，emotional，luxuriouswayshehas。”Gracesaid，musingly。
“Indeed！”saidWinterborne，withmockawe。“Supposeyoutalkovermyheadalittlelonger，MissGraceMelbury？”
“Oh，Ididn’tmeanit！”shesaid，repentantly，lookingintohiseyes。“Andasformyself，IhateFrenchbooks。AndIlovedearoldHintock，ANDTHEPEOPLEINIT，fiftytimesbetterthanalltheContinent。Butthescheme；Ithinkitanenchantingnotion，don’tyou，Giles？”
“Itiswellenoughinonesense，butitwilltakeyonaway。”saidhe，mollified。
“Onlyforashorttime。WeshouldreturninMay。”
“Well，MissMelbury，itisaquestionforyourfather。”
Winterbornewalkedwithhernearlytoherhouse。Hehadawaitedhercoming，mainlywiththeviewofmentioningtoherhisproposaltohaveaChristmasparty；buthomelyChristmasgatheringsinthevenerableandjovialHintockstyleseemedsoprimitiveanduncouthbesidetheloftymattersofherconverseandthoughtthatherefrained。
Assoonasshewasgoneheturnedbacktowardsthesceneofhisplanting，andcouldnothelpsayingtohimselfashewalked，thatthisengagementofhiswasaveryunpromisingbusiness。Heroutingto-dayhadnotimprovedit。AwomanwhocouldgotoHintockHouseandbefriendlywithitsmistress，enterintotheviewsofitsmistress，talklikeher，anddressnotmuchunlikeher，why，shewouldhardlybecontentedwithhim，ayeoman，nowimmersedintree-planting，eventhoughheplantedthemwell。“Andyetshe’satrue-heartedgirl。”hesaid，thinkingofherwordsaboutHintock。“Imustbringmatterstoapoint，andthere’sanendofit。”
WhenhereachedtheplantationhefoundthatMartyhadcomeback，anddismissingCreedle，hewentonplantingsilentlywiththegirlasbefore。
“Suppose，Marty。”hesaid，afterawhile，lookingatherextendedarm，uponwhicholdscratchesfrombriersshowedthemselvespurpleinthecoldwind——“supposeyouknowaperson，andwanttobringthatpersontoagoodunderstandingwithyou，doyouthinkaChristmaspartyofsomesortisawarming-upthing，andlikelytobeusefulinhasteningonthematter？”
“Istheretobedancing？”
“Theremightbe，certainly。”
“WillHedancewithShe？”
“Well，yes。”
“Thenitmightbringthingstoahead，onewayortheother；I
won’tbetheonetosaywhich。”