Melburyhimselfwasthefirsttorisethenextmorning，andwhenhehadreadtheletterhisreliefwasgreat。“VeryhonorableofGiles，veryhonorable。”hekeptsayingtohimself。“Ishallnotforgethim。Nowtokeepheruptoherowntruelevel。”
　　IthappenedthatGracewentoutforanearlyramblethatmorning，passingthroughthedoorandgatewhileherfatherwasinthespar-house。TogoinhercustomarydirectionshecouldnotavoidpassingWinterborne’shouse。Themorningsunwasshiningflatuponitswhitesurface，andthewords，whichstillremained，wereimmediatelyvisibletoher。Shereadthem。Herfaceflushedtocrimson。ShecouldseeGilesandCreedletalkingtogetherattheback；thecharredspar-gadwithwhichthelineshadbeenwrittenlayonthegroundbeneaththewall。FeelingprettysurethatWinterbornewouldobserveheraction，shequicklywentuptothewall，rubbedout“lose“andinserted“keep“initsstead。Thenshemadethebestofherwayhomewithoutlookingbehindher。
　　Gilescoulddrawaninferencenowifhechose。
　　TherecouldnotbetheleastdoubtthatgentleGracewaswarmingtomoresympathywith，andinterestin，GilesWinterbornethanevershehaddonewhilehewasherpromisedlover；thatsincehismisfortunethosesocialshortcomingsofhis，whichcontrastedsoawkwardlywithherlaterexperiencesoflife，hadbecomeobscuredbythegenerousrevivalofanoldromanticattachmenttohim。
　　Thoughmentallytrainedandtilledintoforeignnessofview，ascomparedwithheryouthfultime，Gracewasnotanambitiousgirl，andmight，iflefttoherself，havedeclinedWinterbornewithoutmuchdiscontentorunhappiness。Herfeelingsjustnowweresofarfromlatentthatthewritingonthewallhadthusquickenedhertoanunusualrashness。
　　Havingreturnedfromherwalkshesatatbreakfastsilently。Whenherstep-motherhadlefttheroomshesaidtoherfather，“IhavemadeupmymindthatIshouldlikemyengagementtoGilestocontinue，forthepresentatanyrate，tillIcanseefurtherwhatIoughttodo。”
　　Melburylookedmuchsurprised。
　　“Nonsense。”hesaid，sharply。“Youdon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout。Lookhere。”
　　HehandedacrosstohertheletterreceivedfromGiles。
　　Shereadit，andsaidnomore。Couldhehaveseenherwriteonthewall？Shedidnotknow。Fate，itseemed，wouldhaveitthisway，andtherewasnothingtodobuttoacquiesce。
　　ItwasafewhoursafterthisthatWinterborne，who，curiouslyenough，hadNOTperceivedGracewriting，wasclearingawaythetreefromthefrontofSouth’slatedwelling。HesawMartystandinginherdoor-way，aslimfigureinmeagreblack，almostwithoutwomanlycontoursasyet。Hewentuptoherandsaid，“Marty，whydidyouwritethatonmywalllastnight？ItWASyou，youknow。”
　　“Becauseitwasthetruth。Ididn’tmeantoletitstay，Mr。
　　Winterborne；butwhenIwasgoingtorubitoutyoucame，andI
　　wasobligedtorunoff。”
　　“Havingprophesiedonething，whydidyoualterittoanother？
　　Yourpredictionscan’tbeworthmuch。”
　　“Ihavenotalteredit。”
　　“Butyouhave。”
　　“No。”
　　“Itisaltered。Goandsee。”
　　Shewent，andreadthat，inspiteoflosinghisdwelling-place，hewouldKEEPhisGrace。Martycamebacksurprised。
　　“Well，Inever。”shesaid。“Whocanhavemadesuchnonsenseofit？”
　　“Who，indeed？”saidhe。
　　“Ihaverubbeditallout，asthepointofitisquitegone。”
　　“You’dnobusinesstorubitout。Ididn’ttellyouto。Imeanttoletitstayalittlelonger。”
　　“Someidleboydidit，nodoubt。”shemurmured。
　　Asthisseemedveryprobable，andtheactualperpetratorwasunsuspected，Winterbornesaidnomore，anddismissedthematterfromhismind。
　　Fromthisdayofhislifeonwardforaconsiderabletime，Winterborne，thoughnotabsolutelyoutofhishouseasyet，retiredintothebackgroundofhumanlifeandactionthereabout——afeatnotparticularlydifficultofperformanceanywherewhenthedoerhastheassistanceofalostprestige。Grace，thinkingthatWinterbornesawherwrite，madenofurthersign，andthefrailbarkoffidelitythatshehadthustimidlylaunchedwasstrandedandlost。
　　Dr。Fitzpierslivedontheslopeofthehill，inahouseofmuchlesspretension，bothastoarchitectureandastomagnitude，thanthetimber-merchant’s。Thelatterhad，withoutdoubt，beenoncethemanorialresidenceappertainingtothesnugandmodestdomainofLittleHintock，ofwhichtheboundarieswerenowlostbyitsabsorptionwithothersofitskindintotheadjoiningestateofMrs。Charmond。ThoughtheMelburysthemselveswereunawareofthefact，therewaseveryreasontobelieve——atleastsotheparsonsaidthattheownersofthatlittlemanorhadbeenMelbury’sownancestors，thefamilynameoccurringinnumerousdocumentsrelatingtotransfersoflandaboutthetimeofthecivilwars。
　　Mr。Fitzpiers’sdwelling，onthecontrary，wassmall，cottage-
　　like，andcomparativelymodern。Ithadbeenoccupied，andwasinpartoccupiedstill，byaretiredfarmerandhiswife，who，onthesurgeon’sarrivalinquestofahome，hadaccommodatedhimbyrecedingfromtheirfrontroomsintothekitchenquarter，whencetheyadministeredtohiswants，andemergedatregularintervalstoreceivefromhimanotunwelcomeadditiontotheirincome。
　　ThecottageanditsgardenweresoregularintheirarrangementthattheymighthavebeenlaidoutbyaDutchdesignerofthetimeofWilliamandMary。Inalow，densehedge，cuttowedge-shape，wasadooroverwhichthehedgeformedanarch，andfromtheinsideofthedoorastraightpath，borderedwithclippedbox，ranuptheslopeofthegardentotheporch，whichwasexactlyinthemiddleofthehousefront，withtwowindowsoneachside。Rightandleftofthepathwerefirstabedofgooseberrybushes；nextofcurrant；nextofraspberry；nextofstrawberry；nextofold-
　　fashionedflowers；atthecornersoppositetheporchbeingspheresofboxresemblingapairofschoolglobes。Overtheroofofthehousecouldbeseentheorchard，onyethigherground，andbehindtheorchardtheforest-trees，reachinguptothecrestofthehill。
　　Oppositethegardendoorandvisiblefromtheparlorwindowwasaswing-gateleadingintoafield，acrosswhichthereranafoot-
　　path。Theswing-gatehadjustbeenrepainted，andononefineafternoon，beforethepaintwasdry，andwhilegnatswerestilldyingthereon，thesurgeonwasstandinginhissitting-roomabstractedlylookingoutatthedifferentpedestrianswhopassedandrepassedalongthatroute。Beingofaphilosophicalstamp，heperceivedthatthechararterofeachofthesetravellersexhibiteditselfinasomewhatamusingmannerbyhisorhermethodofhandlingthegate。
　　Asregardedthemen，therewasnotmuchvariety：theygavethegateakickandpassedthrough。Thewomenweremorecontrasting。
　　Tothemthestickywood-workwasabarricade，adisgust，amenace，atreachery，asthecasemightbe。
　　Thefirstthathenoticedwasabouncingwomanwithherskirtstuckedupandherhairuncombed。Shegraspedthegatewithoutlooking，givingitasupplementarypushwithhershoulder，whenthewhiteimprintdrewfromheranexclamationinlanguagenottoorefined。Shewenttothegreenbank，satdownandrubbedherselfinthegrass，cursingthewhile。
　　“Ha！ha！ha！”laughedthedoctor。
　　Thenextwasagirl，withherhaircroppedshort，inwhomthesurgeonrecognizedthedaughterofhislatepatient，thewoodmanSouth。Moreover，ablackbonnetthatsheworebywayofmourningunpleasantlyremindedhimthathehadorderedthefellingofatreewhichhadcausedherparent’sdeathandWinterborne’slosses。
　　Shewalkedandthought，andnotrecklessly；butherpreoccupationledhertograspunsuspectinglythebarofthegate，andtouchitwithherarm。Fitzpiersfeltsorrythatsheshouldhavesoiledthatnewblackfrock，poorasitwas，foritwasprobablyheronlyone。Shelookedatherhandandarm，seemedbutlittlesurprised，wipedoffthedisfigurementwithanalmostunmovedface，andasifwithoutabandoningheroriginalthoughts。Thusshewentonherway。
　　Thentherecameoverthegreenquiteadifferentsortofpersonage。Shewalkedasdelicatelyasifshehadbeenbredintown，andasfirmlyasifshehadbeenbredinthecountry；sheseemedonewhodimlyknewherappearancetobeattractive，butwhoretainedsomeofthecharmofbeingignorantofthatfactbyforgettingitinageneralpensiveness。Sheapproachedthegate。
　　ToletsuchacreaturetouchitevenwithatipofherglovewastoFitzpiersalmostlikelettingherproceedtotragicalself-
　　destruction。Hejumpedupandlookedforhishat，butwasunabletofindtherightone；glancingagainoutofthewindowhesawthathewastoolate。Havingcomeup，shestopped，lookedatthegate，pickedupalittlestick，andusingitasabayonet，pushedopentheobstaclewithouttouchingitatall。
　　Hesteadilywatchedhertillshehadpassedoutofsight，recognizingherastheveryyoungladywhomhehadseenoncebeforeandbeenunabletoidentify。Whosecouldthatemotionalfacebe？AlltheothershehadseeninHintockasyetoppressedhimwiththeircruderusticity；thecontrastofferedbythissuggestedthatshehailedfromelsewhere。