第15章
“Itshallbedone。”saidWinterborne，nottoher，thoughhespokethewordsquiteloudly。Andasthedaywasnearlyended，headded，“Here，Marty，I’llsendupamantoplanttherestto-
morrow。I’veotherthingstothinkofjustnow。”
Shedidnotinquirewhatotherthings，forshehadseenhimwalkingwithGraceMelbury。Shelookedtowardsthewesternsky，whichwasnowaglowlikesomevastfounderywhereinnewworldswerebeingcast。Acrossitthebareboughofatreestretchedhorizontally，revealingeverytwigagainstthered，andshowingindarkprofileeverybeckandmovementofthreepheasantsthatweresettlingthemselvesdownonitinarowtoroost。
“Itwillbefineto-morrow。”saidMarty，observingthemwiththevermilionlightofthesuninthepupilsofhereyes，“fortheyarea-croupieddownnearlyattheendofthebough。Ifitweregoingtobestormythey’dsqueezeclosetothetrunk。Theweatherisalmostalltheyhavetothinkof，isn’tit，Mr。Winterborne？
andsotheymustbelighter-heartedthanwe。”
“Idaresaytheyare。”saidWinterborne。
Beforetakingasinglestepinthepreparations，Winterborne，withnogreathopes，wentacrossthateveningtothetimber-merchant’stoascertainifGraceandherparentswouldhonorhimwiththeirpresence。Havingfirsttosethisnightlyginsinthegarden，tocatchtherabbitsthatatehiswinter-greens，hiscallwasdelayedtilljustaftertherisingofthemoon，whoseraysreachedtheHintockhousesbutfitfullyasyet，onaccountofthetrees。
Melburywascrossinghisyardonhiswaytocallonsomeoneatthelargervillage，buthereadilyturnedandwalkedupanddownthepathwiththeyoungman。
Giles，inhisself-deprecatorysenseoflivingonamuchsmallerscalethantheMelburysdid，wouldnotfortheworldimplythathisinvitationwastoagatheringofanyimportance。Soheputitinthemildformof“Canyoucomeinforanhour，whenyouhavedonebusiness，thedayafterto-morrow；andMrs。andMissMelbury，iftheyhavenothingmorepressingtodo？”
Melburywouldgivenoansweratonce。“No，Ican’ttellyouto-
day。”hesaid。“Imusttalkitoverwiththewomen。AsfarasI
amconcerned，mydearGiles，youknowI’llcomewithpleasure。
ButhowdoIknowwhatGrace’snotionsmaybe？Yousee，shehasbeenawayamongcultivatedfolksagoodwhile；andnowthisacquaintancewithMrs。Charmond——Well，I’llaskher。Icansaynomore。”
WhenWinterbornewasgonethetimber-merchantwentonhisway。HeknewverywellthatGrace，whateverherownfeelings，wouldeithergoornotgo，accordingashesuggested；andhisinstinctwas，forthemoment，tosuggestthenegative。Hiserrandtookhimpastthechurch，andthewaytohisdestinationwaseitheracrossthechurch-yardoralong-sideit，thedistancesbeingthesame。Forsomereasonorotherhechosetheformerway。
Themoonwasfaintlylightingupthegravestones，andthepath，andthefrontofthebuilding。SuddenlyMr。Melburypaused，turnedilluponthegrass，andapproachedaparticularheadstone，whereheread，“InmemoryofJohnWinterborne。”withthesubjoineddateandage。ItwasthegraveofGiles’sfather。
Thetimber-merchantlaidhishanduponthestone，andwashumanized。“Jack，mywrongedfriend！”hesaid。“I’llbefaithfultomyplanofmakingamendsto’ee。”
Whenhereachedhomethatevening，hesaidtoGraceandMrs。
Melbury，whowereworkingatalittletablebythefire，“Gileswantsustogodownandspendanhourwithhimthedayafterto-morrow；andI’mthinking，thatas’tisGileswhoasksus，we’llgo。”
Theyassentedwithoutdemur，andaccordinglythetimber-merchantsentGilesthenextmorningananswerintheaffirmative。
Winterborne，inhismodesty，orindifference，hadmentionednoparticularhourinhisinvitation；andaccordinglyMr。Melburyandhisfamily，expectingnootherguests，chosetheirowntime，whichchancedtoberatherearlyintheafternoon，byreasonofthesomewhatquickerdespatchthanusualofthetimber-merchant’sbusinessthatday。Toshowtheirsenseoftheunimportanceoftheoccasion，theywalkedquiteslowlytothehouse，asiftheyweremerelyoutforaramble，andgoingtonothingspecialatall；oratmostintendingtopayacasualcallandtakeacupoftea。
AtthishourstirandbustlepervadedtheinteriorofWinterborne’sdomicilefromcellartoapple-loft。Hehadplannedanelaboratehighteaforsixo’clockorthereabouts，andagoodroaringsuppertocomeonabouteleven。Beingabachelorofratherretiringhabits，thewholeofthepreparationsdevolveduponhimselfandhistrustymanandfamiliar，RobertCreedle，whodideverythingthatrequireddoing，frommakingGiles’sbedtocatchingmolesinhisfield。HewasasurvivalfromthedayswhenGiles’sfatherheldthehomestead，andGileswasaplayingboy。
Thesetwo，withacertaindilatoriousnesswhichappertainedtoboth，werenowintheheatofpreparationinthebake-house，expectingnobodybeforesixo’clock。Winterbornewasstandingbeforethebrickoveninhisshirt-sleeves，tossinginthornsprays，andstirringabouttheblazingmasswithalong-handled，three-prongedBeelzebubkindoffork，theheatshiningoutuponhisstreamingfaceandmakinghiseyeslikefurnaces，thethornscracklingandsputtering；whileCreedle，havingrangedthepastrydishesinarowonthetabletilltheovenshouldbeready，waspressingoutthecrustofafinalapple-piewitharolling-pin。A
greatpotboiledonthefire，andthroughtheopendoorofthebackkitchenaboywasseenseatedonthefender，emptyingthesnuffersandscouringthecandlesticks，arowofthelatterstandingupsidedownonthehobtomeltoutthegreaseLookingupfromtherolling-pin，Creedlesawpassingthewindowfirstthetimber-merchant，inhissecond-bestsuit，Mrs。Melburyinherbestsilk，andGraceinthefashionableattirewhich，inpartbroughthomewithherfromtheContinent，shehadwornonhervisittoMrs。Charmond’s。Theeyesofthethreehadbeenattractedtotheproceedingswithinbythefierceilluminationwhichtheoventhrewoutupontheoperatorsandtheirutensils。
“Lord，Lord！iftheybaintcomea’ready！”saidCreedle。
“No——hey？”saidGiles，lookingroundaghast；whiletheboyinthebackgroundwavedareekingcandlestickinhisdelight。Astherewasnohelpforit，Winterbornewenttomeettheminthedoor-way。
“MydearGiles，Iseewehavemadeamistakeinthetime。”saidthetimber-merchant’swife，herfacelengtheningwithconcern。
“Oh，itisnotmuchdifference。Ihopeyou’llcomein。”
“Butthismeansaregularrandyvoo！”saidMr。Melbury，accusingly，glancingroundandpointingtowardsthebake-housewithhisstick。
“Well，yes。”saidGiles。
“And——notGreatHintockband，anddancing，surely？”
“Itoldthreeof’emtheymightdropinifthey’dnothingelsetodo。”Gilesmildlyadmitted。
“Now，whythenamedidn’tyetellus’twasgoingtobeaseriouskindofthingbefore？HowshouldIknowwhatfolkmeaniftheydon’tsay？Now，shallwecomein，orshallwegohomeandcomebackalonginacoupleofhours？”
“Ihopeyou’llstay，ifyou’llbesogoodasnottomind，nowyouarehere。Ishallhaveitallrightandtidyinaverylittletime。Ioughtnottohavebeensobackward。”Gilesspokequiteanxiouslyforoneofhisundemonstrativetemperament；forhefearedthatiftheMelburysoncewerebackintheirownhousetheywouldnotbedisposedtoturnoutagain。
“’Tisweoughtnottohavebeensoforward；that’swhat’tis。”
saidMr。Melbury，testily。“Don’tkeepushereinthesitting-
room；leadontothebakehouse，man。Nowweareherewe’llhelpyegetreadyfortherest。Here，mis’ess，takeoffyourthings，andhelphimoutinhisbaking，orhewon’tgetdoneto-night。
I’llfinishheatingtheoven，andsetyoufreetogoandskiverupthemducks。”HiseyehadpassedwithpitilessdirectnessofcriticismintoyetremoterecessesofWinterborne’sawkwardlybuiltpremises，wheretheaforesaidbirdswerehanging。
“AndI’llhelpfinishthetarts。”saidGrace，cheerfully。
“Idon’tknowaboutthat。”saidherfather。“’Tisn’tquitesomuchinyourlineasitisinyourmother-law’sandmine。”
“OfcourseIcouldn’tletyou，Grace！”saidGiles，withsomedistress。
“I’lldoit，ofcourse。”saidMrs。Melbury，takingoffhersilktrain，hangingituptoanail，carefullyrollingbackhersleeves，pinningthemtohershoulders，andstrippingGilesofhisapronforherownuse。
SoGracepotteredidlyabout，whileherfatherandhiswifehelpedonthepreparations。Akindlypityofhishouseholdmanagement，whichWinterbornesawinhereyeswheneverhecaughtthem，depressedhimmuchmorethanhercontemptwouldhavedone。
CreedlemetGilesatthepumpafterawhile，wheneachoftheotherswasabsorbedinthedifficultiesofacuisinebasedonutensils，cupboards，andprovisionsthatwerestrangetothem。Hegroanedtotheyoungmaninawhisper，“Thisisabrucklehet，maister，I’mmuchafeared！Who’dha’thoughtthey’dha’comesosoon？”
ThebitterplacidityofWinterborne’slookadumbratedthemisgivingshedidnotcaretoexpress。“Haveyougottheceleryready？”heasked，quickly。
“Nowthat’sathingInevercouldmind；no，notifyou’dpaidmeinsilverandgold。AndIdon’tcarewhothemanis，Isaysthatastickofcelerythatisn’tscrubbedwiththescrubbing-brushisnotclean。”
“Verywell，verywell！I’llattendtoit。Yougoandget’emcomfortablein-doors。”
Hehastenedtothegarden，andsoonreturned，tossingthestalkstoCreedle，whowasstillinatragicmood。“Ifye’dha’married，d’yesee，maister。”hesaid，“thiscaddlecouldn’thavehappenedtous。”
Everythingbeingatlastunderway，theovenset，andalldonethatcouldinsurethesupperturningupreadyatsometimeorother，Gilesandhisfriendsenteredtheparlor，wheretheMelburysagaindroppedintopositionasguests，thoughtheroomwasnotnearlysowarmandcheerfulastheblazingbakehouse。
Othersnowarrived，amongthemFarmerBawtreeandthehollow-
turner，andteawentoffverywell。