第18章

Charmondshouldhaveheardthevillagenews，andbecomequitedisappointedinherexpectationsofGraceatfindingshekeptsuchcompany？

Fullofthisposthocargument，Mr。Melburyoverlookedtheinfinitethrongofotherpossiblereasonsandunreasonsforawomanchanginghermind。Forinstance，whileknowingthathisGracewasattractive，hequiteforgotthatMrs。Charmondhadalsogreatpretensionstobeauty。Inhissimpleestimate，anattractivewomanattractedallaround。

SoitwassettledinhismindthathersuddenminglingwiththevillagersattheunluckyWinterborne’swasthecauseofhermostgrievousloss，ashedeemedit，inthedirectionofHintockHouse。

“’Tisathousandpities！”hewouldrepeattohimself。“Iamruiningherforconscience’sake！”

Itwasonemorninglateron，whilethesethingswereagitatinghismind，that，curiouslyenough，somethingdarkenedthewindowjustastheyfinishedbreakfast。Lookingup，theysawGilesinpersonmountedonhorseback，andstraininghisneckforward，ashehadbeendoingforsometime，tocatchtheirattentionthroughthewindow。Gracehadbeenthefirsttoseehim，andinvoluntarilyexclaimed，“Thereheis——andanewhorse！”

OntheirfacesastheyregardedGileswerewrittentheirsuspendedthoughtsandcompoundfeelingsconcerninghim，couldhehavereadthemthroughthoseoldpanes。Buthesawnothing：hisfeaturesjustnowwere，forawonder，litupwitharedsmileatsomeotheridea。Sotheyrosefrombreakfastandwenttothedoor，Gracewithananxious，wistfulmanner，herfatherinareverie，Mrs。

Melburyplacidandinquiring。“Wehavecomeouttolookatyourhorse。”shesaid。

Itcouldbeseenthathewaspleasedattheirattention，andexplainedthathehadriddenamileortwototrytheanimal’spaces。“Iboughther。”headded，withwarmthsoseverelyrepressedastoseemindifference，“becauseshehasbeenusedtocarryalady。”

StillMr。Melburydidnotbrighten。Mrs。Melburysaid，“Andisshequiet？”

Winterborneassuredherthattherewasnodoubtofit。“Itookcareofthat。She’sfive-and-twenty，andverycleverforherage。”

“Well，getoffandcomein。”saidMelbury，brusquely；andGilesdismountedaccordingly。

ThiseventwastheconcreteresultofWinterborne’sthoughtsduringthepastweekortwo。Thewantofsuccesswithhiseveningpartyhehadacceptedinasphilosophicamoodashewascapableof；buttherehadbeenenthusiasmenoughleftinhimonedayatShertonAbbasmarkettopurchasethisoldmare，whichhadbelongedtoaneighboringparsonwithseveraldaughters，andwasofferedhimtocarryeitheragentlemanoralady，andtodooddjobsofcartingandagricultureatapinch。ThisobligingquadrupedseemedtofurnishGileswithameansofreinstatinghimselfinMelbury’sgoodopinionasamanofconsideratenessbythrowingoutfuturepossibilitiestoGrace。

Thelatterlookedathimwithintensifiedinterestthismorning，inthemoodwhichisaltogetherpeculiartowoman’snature，andwhich，whenreducedintoplainwords，seemsasimpossibleasthepenetrabilityofmatter——thatofentertainingatenderpityfortheobjectofherownunnecessarycoldness。TheimperturbablepoisewhichmarkedWinterborneingeneralwasenlivenednowbyafreshnessandanimationthatsetabrightnessinhiseyeandonhischeek。Mrs。Melburyaskedhimtohavesomebreakfast，andhepleasurablyrepliedthathewouldjointhem，withhisusuallackoftacticalobservation，notperceivingthattheyhadallfinishedthemeal，thatthehourwasinconvenientlylate，andthatthenotepipedbythekettledenotedittobenearlyempty；sothatfreshwaterhadtobebroughtin，troubletakentomakeitboil，andageneralrenovationofthetablecarriedout。Neitherdidheknow，sofullwasheofhistenderulteriorobjectinbuyingthathorse，howmanycupsofteahewasgulpingdownoneafteranother，norhowthemorningwasslipping，norhowhewaskeepingthefamilyfromdispersingabouttheirduties。

Thenhetoldthroughoutthehumorousstoryofthehorse’spurchase，lookingparticularlygrimatsomefixedobjectintheroom，awayhealwayslookedwhenhenarratedanythingthatamusedhim。Whilehewasstillthinkingofthescenehehaddescribed，Graceroseandsaid，“Ihavetogoandhelpmymothernow，Mr。

Winterborne。”

“H’m！”heejaculated，turninghiseyessuddenlyuponher。

Sherepeatedherwordswithaslightblushofawkwardness；

whereuponGiles，becomingsuddenlyconscious，tooconscious，jumpedup，saying，“Tobesure，tobesure！”wishedthemquicklygood-morning，andboltedoutofthehouse。

Neverthelesshehad，uponthewhole，strengthenedhisposition，withheratleast。Time，too，wasonhisside，for(asherfathersawwithsomeregret)alreadythehomelinessofHintocklifewasfastbecomingeffacedfromherobservationasasingularity；justasthefirststrangenessofafacefromwhichwehaveforyearsbeenseparatedinsensiblypassesoffwithrenewedintercourse，andtonesitselfdownintosimpleidentitywiththelineamentsofthepast。

ThusMr。Melburywentoutofthehousestillunreconciledtothesacrificeofthegemhehadbeenatsuchpainsinmounting。Hefaincouldhope，inthesecretnetherchamberofhismind，thatsomethingwouldhappen，beforethebalanceofherfeelinghadquiteturnedinWinterborne’sfavor，torelievehisconscienceandpreserveheronherelevatedplane。

HecouldnotforgetthatMrs。Charmondhadapparentlyabandonedallinterestinhisdaughterassuddenlyasshehadconceivedit，andwasasfirmlyconvincedaseverthatthecomradeshipwhichGracehadshownwithGilesandhiscrewbyattendinghispartyhadbeenthecause。

Matterslingeredonthus。Andthen，asahoopbygentleknocksonthissideandonthatismadetotravelinspecificdirections，thelittletouchesofcircumstanceinthelifeofthisyounggirlshapedthecurvesofhercareer。

Itwasadayofratherbrightweatherfortheseason。MissMelburywentoutforamorningwalk，andherever-regardfulfather，havinganhour’sleisure，offeredtowalkwithher。Thebreezewasfreshandquitesteady，filteringitselfthroughthedenudedmassoftwigswithoutswayingthem，butmakingthepointofeachivy-leafonthetrunksscratchitsunderlyingneighborrestlessly。Grace’slipssuckedinthisnativeairofherslikemilk。Theysoonreachedaplacewherethewoodrandownintoacorner，andwentoutsideittowardscomparativelyopenground。

Havinglookedroundabout，theywereintendingtore-enterthecopsewhenafoxquietlyemergedwithadraggingbrush，trottedpastthemtamelyasadomesticcat，anddisappearedamidsomedeadfern。Theywalkedon，herfathermerelyobserving，afterwatchingtheanimal，“Theyarehuntingsomewherenear。”

Fartheruptheysawinthemid-distancethehoundsrunninghitherandthither，asiftherewerelittleornoscentthatday。Soondiversmembersofthehuntappearedonthescene，anditwasevidentfromtheirmovementsthatthechasehadbeenstultifiedbygeneralpuzzle-headednessastothewhereaboutsoftheintendedvictim。Inaminuteafarmerrodeuptothetwopedestrians，pantingwithacteonicexcitement，andGracebeingafewstepsinadvance，headdressedher，askingifshehadseenthefox。

“Yes。”saidshe。“Wesawhimsometimeago——justoutthere。”

“DidyoucryHalloo？”

“Wesaidnothing。”

“Thenwhythed——didn’tyou，orgettheoldbuffertodoitforyou？”saidtheman，ashecanteredaway。

Shelookedratherdisconcertedatthisreply，andobservingherfather’sface，sawthatitwasquitered。

“Heoughtnottohavespokentoyelikethat！”saidtheoldman，inthetoneofonewhoseheartwasbruised，thoughitwasnotbytheepithetappliedtohimself。“Andhewouldn’tifhehadbeenagentleman。’Twasnotthelanguagetousetoawomanofanyniceness。You，sowellreadandcultivated——howcouldheexpectyetoknowwhattom-boyfield-folkareinthehabitofdoing？Ifsobeyouhadjustcomefromtrimmingswedesormangolds——jokingwiththeroughwork-folkandallthat——Icouldhavestoodit。Buthasn’titcostmenearahundredayeartoliftyououtofallthat，soastoshowanexampletotheneighborhoodofwhatawomancanbe？Grace，shallItellyouthesecretofit？’TwasbecauseI

wasinyourcompany。Ifablack-coatedsquireorpa’sonhadbeenwalkingwithyouinsteadofmehewouldn’thavespokenso。”

“No，no，father；there’snothinginyouroughorill-mannered！”

“Itellyouitisthat！I’venoticed，andI’venoticeditmanytimes，thatawomantakeshercolorfromthemanshe’swalkingwith。Thewomanwholooksanunquestionableladywhenshe’swithapolished-upfellow，looksameretawdryimitationarticlewhenshe’shobbingandnobbingwithahomelyblade。Yousha’n’tbetreatedlikethatforlong，oratleastyourchildrensha’n’t。

YoushallhavesomebodytowalkwithyouwholooksmoreofadandythanI——pleaseGodyoushall！”

“But，mydearfather。”shesaid，muchdistressed，“Idon’tmindatall。Idon’twishformorehonorthanIalreadyhave！”

“Aperplexingandticklishpossessionisadaughter。”accordingtoMenanderorsomeoldGreekpoet，andtonobodywasoneevermoresothantoMelbury，byreasonofherverydearnesstohim。AsforGrace，shebegantofeeltroubled；shedidnotperhapswishthereandthentounambitiouslydevoteherlifetoGilesWinterborne，butshewasconsciousofmoreandmoreuneasinessatthepossibilityofbeingthesocialhopeofthefamily。

“Youwouldliketohavemorehonor，ifitpleasesme？”askedherfather，incontinuationofthesubject。

Despiteherfeelingsheassentedtothis。Hisreasoninghadnotbeenwithoutitsweightuponher。

“Grace。”hesaid，justbeforetheyhadreachedthehouse，“ifitcostsmemylifeyoushallmarrywell！To-dayhasshownmethatwhateverayoungwoman’sniceness，shestandsfornothingalone。

Youshallmarrywell。”

Hebreathedheavily，andhisbreathingwascaughtupbythebreeze，whichseemedtosighasoftremonstrance。

Shelookedcalmlyathim。“AndhowaboutMr。Winterborne？”sheasked。“Imentionit，father，notasamatterofsentiment，butasaquestionofkeepingfaith。”

Thetimber-merchant’seyesfellforamoment。“Idon’tknow——I