第16章
Grace’sdispositiontomakethebestofeverything，andtowinkatdeficienciesinWinterborne’smenage，wassouniformandpersistentthathesuspectedherofseeingevenmoredeficienciesthanhewasawareof。Thatsuppressedsympathywhichhadshowedinherfaceeversinceherarrivaltoldhimasmuchtooplainly。
“Thismuddlingstyleofhouse-keepingiswhatyou’venotlatelybeenusedto，Isuppose？”hesaid，whentheywerealittleapart。
“No；butIlikeit；itremindsmesopleasantlythateverythinghereindearoldHintockisjustasitusedtobe。Theoilis——
notquitenice；buteverythingelseis。”
“Theoil？”
“Onthechairs，Imean；becauseitgetsonone’sdress。Still，mineisnotanewone。”
GilesfoundthatCreedle，inhiszealtomakethingslookbright，hadsmearedthechairswithsomegreasykindoffurniture-polish，andrefrainedfromrubbingitdryinordernottodiminishthemirror-likeeffectthatthemixtureproducedaslaidon。GilesapologizedandcalledCreedle；buthefeltthattheFateswereagainsthim。
Supper-timecame，andwithitthehot-bakedfromtheoven，laidonasnowyclothfreshfromthepress，andreticulatedwithfolds，asinFlemish“LastSuppers。”Creedleandtheboyfetchedandcarriedwithamazingalacrity，thelatter，tomollifyhissuperiorandmakethingspleasant，expressinghisadmirationofCreedle’sclevernesswhentheywerealone。
“Is’posethetimewhenyoulearnedalltheseknowingthings，Mr。
Creedle，waswhenyouwasinthemilitia？”
“Well，yes。Iseedtheworldatthattimesomewhat，certainly，andmanywaysofstrangedashinglife。NotbutthatGileshasworkedhardinhelpingmetobringthingstosuchperfectionto-
day。’Giles，’saysI，thoughhe’smaister。NotthatIshouldcall’nmaisterbyrights，forhisfathergrowedupsidebysidewithme，asifonemotherhadtwinnedusandbeenournourishing。”
“Is’poseyourmemorycanreachalongwaybackintohistory，Mr。
Creedle？”
“Ohyes。Ancientdays，whentherewasbattlesandfaminesandhang-fairsandotherpomps，seemtomeasyesterday。Ah，many’sthepatriarchI’veseedcomeandgointhisparish！There，he’scallingformoreplates。Lord，whycan’t’emturntheirplatesbottomupwardforpudding，astheyusedtodoinformerdays？”
Meanwhile，intheadjoiningroomGileswaspresidinginahalf-
unconsciousstate。Hecouldnotgetovertheinitialfailuresinhisschemeforadvancinghissuit，andhencehedidnotknowthathewaseatingmouthfulsofbreadandnothingelse，andcontinuallysnuffingthetwocandlesnexthimtillhehadreducedthemtomereglimmersdrownedintheirowngrease。Creedlenowappearedwithaspeciallyprepareddish，whichheservedbyelevatingthelittlethree-leggedpotthatcontainedit，andtiltingthecontentsintoadish，exclaiming，simultaneously，“Drawback，gentlemenandladies，please！”
Asplashfollowed。Gracegaveaquick，involuntarynodandblink，andputherhandkerchieftoherface。
“Goodheavens！whatdidyoudothatfor，Creedle？”saidGiles，sternly，andjumpingup。
“’TishowIdoitwhentheybainthere，maister。”mildlyexpostulatedCreedle，inanasideaudibletoallthecompany。
“Well，yes——but——“repliedGiles。HewentovertoGrace，andhopednoneofithadgoneintohereye。
“Ohno。”shesaid。“Onlyasprinkleonmyface。Itwasnothing。”
“Kissitandmakeitwell。”gallantlyobservedMr。Bawtree。
MissMelburyblushed。
Thetimber-merchantsaid，quickly，“Oh，itisnothing！Shemustbeartheselittlemishaps。”Buttherecouldbediscernedinhisfacesomethingwhichsaid“Ioughttohaveforeseenthis。”
Gileshimself，sincetheuntowardbeginningofthefeast，hadnotquitelikedtoseeGracepresent。HewishedhehadnotaskedsuchpeopleasBawtreeandthehollow-turner。Hehaddoneit，indearthofotherfriends，thattheroommightnotappearempty。Inhismind’seye，beforetheevent，theyhadbeenthemerebackgroundorpaddingofthescene，butsomehowinrealitytheywerethemostprominentpersonagesthere。
Aftersuppertheyplayedcards，Bawtreeandthehollow-turnermonopolizingthenewpacksforaninterminablegame，inwhichalumpofchalkwasincessantlyused——agamethosetwoalwaysplayedwherevertheywere，takingasolitarycandleandgoingtoaprivatetableinacornerwiththemienofpersonsbentonweightymatters。Therestofthecompanyonthisaccountwereobligedtoputupwitholdpacksfortheirroundgame，thathadbeenlyingbyinadrawereversincethetimethatGliles’sgrandmotherwasalive。Eachcardhadagreatstaininthemiddleofitsback，producedbythetouchofgenerationsofdampandexcitedthumbsnowfleshlessinthegrave；andthekingsandqueensworeadecayedexpressionoffeature，asiftheywereratheranimpecuniousdethronedraceofmonarchshidinginobscureslumsthanrealregalcharacters。EverynowandthenthecomparativelyfewremarksoftheplayersattheroundgamewereharshlyintrudedonbythemeasuredjingleofFarmerBawtreeandthehollow-turnerfromthebackoftheroom：
“AndI’willhold’awa’-gerwithyou’
Thatall’thesemarks’arethirt’-ytwo！”
accompaniedbyrappingstrokeswiththechalkonthetable；thenanexclamation，anargument，adealingofthecards；thenthecommencementoftherhymesanew。
Thetimber-merchantshowedhisfeelingsbytalkingwithasatisfiedsenseofweightinhiswords，andbypraisingthepartyinapatronizingtone，whenWinterborneexpressedhisfearthatheandhiswerenotenjoyingthemselves。
“Ohyes，yes；prettymuch。Whathandsomeglassesthoseare！I
didn’tknowyouhadsuchglassesinthehouse。Now，Lucy“(tohiswife)，“yououghttogetsomelikethemforourselves。”Andwhentheyhadabandonedcards，andWinterbornewastalkingtoMelburybythefire，itwasthetimber-merchantwhostoodwithhisbacktothemantleinaproprietaryattitude，fromwhichpostofvantagehecriticallyregardedGiles’sperson，ratherasasuperficiesthanasasolidwithideasandfeelingsinsideit，saying，“Whatasplendidcoatthatoneisyouhaveon，Giles！Ican’tgetsuchcoats。YoudressbetterthanI。”
Aftersuppertherewasadance，thebandsmenfromGreatHintockhavingarrivedsometimebefore。Gracehadbeenawayfromhomesolongthatshehadforgottentheoldfigures，andhencedidnotjoininthemovement。ThenGilesfeltthatallwasover。Asforher，shewasthinking，asshewatchedthegyrations，ofaverydifferentmeasurethatshehadbeenaccustomedtotreadwithabevyofsylph-likecreaturesinmuslin，inthemusic-roomofalargehouse，mostofwhomwerenowmovinginsceneswidelyremovedfromthis，bothasregardedplaceandcharacter。
Awomanshedidnotknowcameandofferedtotellherfortunewiththeabandonedcards。Graceassentedtotheproposal，andthewomantoldhertaleunskilfully，forwantofpractice，asshedeclared。
Mr。Melburywasstandingby，andexclaimed，contemptuously，“Tellherfortune，indeed！Herfortunehasbeentoldbymenofscience——
whatdoyoucall’em？Phrenologists。Youcan’tteachheranythingnew。She’sbeentoofaramongthewiseonestobeastonishedatanythingshecanhearamongusfolksinHintock。”
Atlastthetimecameforbreakingup，Melburyandhisfamilybeingtheearliesttoleave，thetwocard-playersstillpursuingtheirgamedoggedlyinthecorner，wheretheyhadcompletelycoveredGiles’smahoganytablewithchalkscratches。Thethreewalkedhome，thedistancebeingshortandthenightclear。
“Well，Gilesisaverygoodfellow。”saidMr。Melbury，astheystruckdownthelaneunderboughswhichformedablackfiligreeinwhichthestarsseemedset。
“Certainlyheis，saidGrace，quickly，andinsuchatoneastoshowthathestoodnolower，ifnohigher，inherregardthanhehadstoodbefore。
Whentheywereoppositeanopeningthroughwhich，byday，thedoctor’shousecouldbeseen，theyobservedalightinoneofhisrooms，althoughitwasnowabouttwoo’clock。
“Thedoctorisnotabedyet。”saidMrs。Melbury。
“Hardstudy，nodoubt。”saidherhusband。
“Onewouldthinkthat，asheseemstohavenothingtodoaboutherebyday，hecouldatleastaffordtogotobedearlyatnight。
’Tisastonishinghowlittleweseeofhim。”
Melbury’smindseemedtoturnwithmuchrelieftothecontemplationofMr。Fitzpiersafterthescenesoftheevening。
“Itisnaturalenough。”hereplied。“WhatcanamanofthatsortfindtointeresthiminHintock？Idon’texpecthe’llstayherelong。”
HismindrevertedtoGiles’sparty，andwhentheywerenearlyhomehespokeagain，hisdaughterbeingafewstepsinadvance：“ItishardlythelineoflifeforagirllikeGrace，afterwhatshe’sbeenaccustomedto。Ididn’tforeseethatinsendinghertoboarding-schoolandlettinghertravel，andwhatnot，tomakeheragoodbargainforGiles，Ishouldbereallyspoilingherforhim。
Ah，’tisathousandpities！Butheoughttohaveher——heought！”