Atthismomentthetwoexclusive，chalk-markmen，havingatlastreallyfinishedtheirplay，couldbeheardcomingalongintherear，vociferouslysingingasongtomarch-time，andkeepingvigoroussteptothesameinfar-reachingstrides——
　　“Shemaygo，oh！
　　Shemaygo，oh！
　　Shemaygotothed——forme！”
　　Thetimber-merchantturnedindignantlytoMrs。Melbury。“That’sthesortofsocietywe’vebeenaskedtomeet。”hesaid。“Forusoldfolkitdidn’tmatter；butforGrace——Gilesshouldhaveknownbetter！”
　　Meanwhile，intheemptyhousefromwhichtheguestshadjustclearedout，thesubjectoftheirdiscoursewaswalkingfromroomtoroomsurveyingthegeneraldisplacementoffurniturewithnoecstaticfeeling；ratherthereverse，indeed。Atlastheenteredthebakehouse，andfoundthereRobertCreedlesittingovertheembers，alsolostincontemplation。Winterbornesatdownbesidehim。
　　“Well，Robert，youmustbetired。You’dbettergetontobed。”
　　“Ay，ay，Giles——whatdoIcallye？Maister，Iwouldsay。But’tiswelltothinkthedayISdone，when’tisdone。”
　　Winterbornehadabstractedlytakenthepoker，andwithawrinkledforeheadwasploughingabroadthewood-embersonthebroadhearth，tillitwaslikeavastscorchingSahara，withred-hotbowlderslyingabouteverywhere。“Doyouthinkitwentoffwell，Creedle？”
　　heasked。
　　“Thevictualsdid；thatIknow。Andthedrinkdid；thatI
　　steadfastlybelieve，fromthehollersoundofthebarrels。Good，honestdrink’twere，theheadiestmeadIeverbrewed；andthebestwinethatberriescouldriseto；andthebriskestHorner-and-
　　Cleevescidereverwrungdown，leavingoutthespiceandsperritsIputintoit，whilethategg-flipwouldha’passedthroughmuslin，solittlecurdled’twere。’Twasgoodenoughtomakeanyking’sheartmerry——ay，tomakehiswholecarcasssmile。Still，I
　　don’tdenyI’mafearedsomethingsdidn’tgowellwithHeandhis。”CreedlenoddedinadirectionwhichsignifiedwheretheMelburyslived。
　　“I’mafraid，too，thatitwasafailurethere！”
　　“Ifso，’tweredoomedtobeso。Notbutwhatthatsnailmightaswellhavecomeuponanybodyelse’splateashers。”
　　“Whatsnail？”
　　“Well，maister，therewasalittleoneupontheedgeofherplatewhenIbroughtitout；andsoitmusthavebeeninherfewleavesofwintergreen。”
　　“Howthedeucedidasnailgetthere？”
　　“ThatIdon’tknownomorethanthedead；buttheremygentlemanwas。”
　　“But，Robert，ofallplaces，thatwaswhereheshouldn’thavebeen！”
　　“Well，’twashisnativehome，cometothat；andwhereelsecouldweexpecthimtobe？Idon’tcarewhothemanis，snailsandcaterpillarsalwayswilllurkinclosetothestumpofcabbagesinthattantalizingway。”
　　“Hewasn’talive，Isuppose？”saidGiles，withashudderonGrace’saccount。
　　“Ohno。Hewaswellboiled。Iwarranthimwellboiled。GodforbidthataLIVEsnailshouldbeseedonanyplateofvictualsthat’sservedbyRobertCreedle。ButLord，there；Idon’tmind’emmyself——themsmallones，fortheywerebornoncabbage，andthey’velivedoncabbage，sotheymustbemadeofcabbage。Butshe，theclose-mouthedlittlelady，shedidn’tsayawordaboutit；though’twouldhavemadegoodsmallconversationastothenaterofsuchcreatures；especiallyaswitranshortamongussometimes。”
　　“Ohyes——’tisallover！”murmuredGilestohimself，shakinghisheadoverthegloomingplainofembers，andlininghisforeheadmorethanever。“Doyouknow，Robert。”hesaid，“thatshe’sbeenaccustomedtoservantsandeverythingsuperfinethesemanyyears？
　　How，then，couldshestandourways？”
　　“Well，allIcansayis，then，thatsheoughttohob-and-nobelsewhere。Theyshouldn’thaveschooledhersomonstroushigh，orelsebachelormenshouldn’tgiverandys，oriftheydogive’em，onlytotheirownrace。”
　　“Perhapsthat’strue。”saidWinterborne，risingandyawningasigh。
　　“’Tisapity——athousandpities！”herfatherkeptsayingnextmorningatbreakfast，Gracebeingstillinherbedroom。
　　Buthowcouldhe，withanyself-respect，obstructWinterborne’ssuitatthisstage，andnullifyaschemehehadlaboredtopromote——was，indeed，mechanicallypromotingatthismoment？A
　　crisiswasapproaching，mainlyasaresultofhiscontrivances，anditwouldhavetobemet。
　　Butherewasthefact，whichcouldnotbedisguised：sinceseeingwhatanimmensechangeherlasttwelvemonthsofabsencehadproducedinhisdaughter，aftertheheavysumperannumthathehadbeenspendingforseveralyearsuponhereducation，hewasreluctanttolethermarryGilesWinterborne，indefinitelyoccupiedaswoodsman，cider-merchant，apple-farmer，andwhatnot，evenwereshewillingtomarryhimherself。
　　“Shewillbehiswifeifyoudon’tupsethernotionthatshe’sboundtoaccepthimasanunderstoodthing。”saidMrs。Melbury。
　　“Blessye，she’llsoonshakedownhereinHintock，andbecontentwithGiles’swayofliving，whichhe’llimprovewithwhatmoneyshe’llhavefromyou。’Tisthestrangenessafterhergenteellifethatmakesherfeeluncomfortableatfirst。Why，whenIsawHintockthefirsttimeIthoughtInevercouldlikeit。Butthingsgraduallygetfamiliar，andstonefloorsseemnotsoverycoldandhard，andthehootingoftheowlsnotsoverydreadful，andlonelinessnotsoverylonely，afterawhile。”
　　“Yes，Ibelieveye。That’sjustit。IKNOWGracewillgraduallysinkdowntoourlevelagain，andcatchourmannersandwayofspeaking，andfeeladrowsycontentinbeingGiles’swife。ButI
　　can’tbearthethoughtofdraggingdowntothatoldlevelaspromisingapieceofmaidenhoodaseverlived——fittoornamentapalacewi’——thatI’vetakensomuchtroubletoliftup。Fancyherwhitehandsgettingreddereveryday，andhertonguelosingitsprettyup-countrycurlintalking，andherboundingwalkbecomingtheregularHintockshailandwamble！”
　　“Shemayshail，butshe’llneverwamble。”repliedhiswife，decisively。
　　WhenGracecamedown-stairshecomplainedofherlyinginbedsolate；notsomuchmovedbyaparticularobjectiontothatformofindulgenceasdiscomposedbytheseotherreflections。
　　Thecornersofherprettymouthdroppedalittledown。“YouusedtocomplainwithjusticewhenIwasagirl。”shesaid。“ButIamawomannow，andcanjudgeformyself。Butitisnotthat；itissomethingelse！”Insteadofsittingdownshewentoutsidethedoor。
　　Hewassorry。ThepetulancethatrelativesshowtowardseachotherisintruthdirectedagainstthatintangibleCausalitywhichhasshapedthesituationnolessfortheoffendersthantheoffended，butistooelusivetobediscernedandcorneredbypoorhumanityinirritatedmood。Melburyfollowedher。Shehadrambledontothepaddock，wherethewhitefrostlay，andwherestarlingsinflocksoftwentiesandthirtieswerewalkingabout，watchedbyacomfortablefamilyofsparrowsperchedinalinealongthestring-courseofthechimney，preeningthemselvesintheraysofthesun。
　　“Comeintobreakfast，mygirl。”hesaid。“AndastoGiles，useyourownmind。Whateverpleasesyouwillpleaseme。”
　　“Iampromisedtohim，father；andIcannothelpthinkingthatinhonorIoughttomarryhim，wheneverIdomarry。”
　　HehadastrongsuspicionthatsomewhereinthebottomofherhearttherepulsedanoldsimpleindigenousfeelingfavorabletoGiles，thoughithadbecomeoverlaidwithimplantedtastes。Buthewouldnotdistinctlyexpresshisviewsonthepromise。“Verywell。”hesaid。“ButIhopeIsha’n’tloseyouyet。Comeintobreakfast。WhatdidyouthinkoftheinsideofHintockHousetheotherday？”
　　“Ilikeditmuch。”
　　“DifferentfromfriendWinterborne’s？”
　　Shesaidnothing；buthewhoknewherwasawarethatshemeantbyhersilencetoreproachhimwithdrawingcruelcomparisons。
　　“Mrs。Charmondhasaskedyoutocomeagain——when，didyousay？”
　　“ShethoughtTuesday，butwouldsendthedaybeforetoletmeknowifitsuitedher。”Andwiththissubjectupontheirlipstheyenteredtobreakfast。
　　Tuesdaycame，butnomessagefromMrs。Charmond。NorwasthereanyonWednesday。Inbrief，afortnightslippedbywithoutasign，anditlookedsuspiciouslyasifMrs。Charmondwerenotgoingfurtherinthedirectionof“takingup“Graceatpresent。
　　Herfatherreasonedthereon。Immediatelyafterhisdaughter’stwoindubitablesuccesseswithMrs。Charmond——theinterviewinthewoodandavisittotheHouse——shehadattendedWinterborne’sparty。Nodoubttheout-and-outjovialityofthatgatheringhadmadeitatopicintheneighborhood，andthateveryonepresentasguestshadbeenwidelyspokenof——Grace，withherexceptionalqualities，aboveall。What，then，sonaturalasthatMrs。