ButwhetherhemeditatedtheMusesorthephilosophers，thelonelinessofHintocklifewasbeginningtotelluponhisimpressionablenature。Winterinasolitaryhouseinthecountry，withoutsociety，istolerable，nay，evenenjoyableanddelightful，givencertainconditions，butthesearenottheconditionswhichattachtothelifeofaprofessionalmanwhodropsdownintosuchaplacebymereaccident。TheywerepresenttothelivesofWinterborne，Melbury，andGrace；butnottothedoctor’s。Theyareoldassociation——analmostexhaustivebiographicalorhistoricalacquaintancewitheveryobject，animateandinanimate，withintheobserver’shorizon。Hemustknowallaboutthoseinvisibleonesofthedaysgoneby，whosefeethavetraversedthefieldswhichlooksograyfromhiswindows；recallwhosecreakingploughhasturnedthosesodsfromtimetotime；whosehandsplantedthetreesthatformacresttotheoppositehill；whosehorsesandhoundshavetornthroughthatunderwood；whatbirdsaffectthatparticularbrake；whatdomesticdramasoflove，jealousy，revenge，ordisappointmenthavebeenenactedinthecottages，themansion，thestreet，oronthegreen。Thespotmayhavebeauty，grandeur，salubrity，convenience；butifitlackmemoriesitwillultimatelypalluponhimwhosettlestherewithoutopportunityofintercoursewithhiskind。
　　Insuchcircumstances，maybe，anoldmandreamsofanidealfriend，tillhethrowshimselfintothearmsofanyimpostorwhochoosestowearthattitleonhisface。Ayoungmanmaydreamofanidealfriendlikewise，butsomehumorofthebloodwillprobablyleadhimtothinkratherofanidealmistress，andatlengththerustleofawoman’sdress，thesoundofhervoice，orthetransitofherformacrossthefieldofhisvision，willenkindlehissoulwithaflamethatblindshiseyes。
　　ThediscoveryoftheattractiveGrace’snameandfamilywouldhavebeenenoughinothercircumstancestoleadthedoctor，ifnottoputherpersonalityoutofhishead，tochangethecharacterofhisinterestinher。Insteadoftreasuringherimageasararity，hewouldatmosthaveplayedwithitasatoy。Hewasthatkindofaman。Butsituatedherehecouldnotgosofarasamativecruelty。Hedismissedallreverentialthoughtabouther，buthecouldnothelptakingherseriously。
　　Hewentontoimaginetheimpossible。Sofar，indeed，didhegointhisfutiledirectionthat，asothersarewonttodo，heconstructeddialoguesandscenesinwhichGracehadturnedouttobethemistressofHintockManor-house，themysteriousMrs。
　　Charmond，particularlyreadyandwillingtobewooedbyhimselfandnobodyelse。“Well，sheisn’tthat。”hesaid，finally。“Butshe’saverysweet，nice，exceptionalgirl。”
　　Thenextmorninghebreakfastedalone，asusual。Itwassnowingwithafine-flakeddesultorinessjustsufficienttomakethewoodlandgray，withouteverachievingwhiteness。TherewasnotasingleletterforFitzpiers，onlyamedicalcircularandaweeklynewspaper。
　　Tositbeforealargefireonsuchmornings，andread，andgraduallyacquireenergytilltheeveningcame，andthen，withlampalight，andfeelingfullofvigor，topursuesomeengrossingsubjectorothertillthesmallhours，hadhithertobeenhispractice。Butto-dayhecouldnotsettleintohischair。Thatself-containedpositionhehadlatelyoccupied，inwhichtheonlyattentiondemandedwastheconcentrationoftheinnereye，allouterregardbeingquitegratuitous，seemedtohavebeentakenbyinsidiousstratagem，andforthefirsttimehehadaninterestoutsidethehouse。Hewalkedfromonewindowtoanother，andbecameawarethatthemostirksomeofsolitudesisnotthesolitudeofremoteness，butthatwhichisjustoutsidedesirablecompany。
　　Thebreakfasthourwentbyheavilyenough，andthenextfollowed，inthesamehalf-snowy，half-rainystyle，theweathernowbeingtheinevitablerelapsewhichsoonerorlatersucceedsatimetooradiantfortheseason，suchastheyhadenjoyedinthelatemidwinteratHintock。Topeopleathometherethesechangefultrickshadtheirinterests；thestrangemistakesthatsomeofthemoresanguinetreeshadmadeinbuddingbeforetheirmonth，tobeincontinentlygluedupbyfrozenthawingsnow；thesimilarsanguineerrorsofimpulsivebirdsinframingneststhatwerenowswampedbysnow-water，andothersuchincidents，preventedanysenseofwearisomenessinthemindsofthenatives。ButthesewerefeaturesofaworldnotfamiliartoFitzpiers，andtheinnervisionstowhichhehadalmostexclusivelyattendedhavingsuddenlyfailedintheirpowertoabsorbhim，hefeltunutterablydreary。
　　HewonderedhowlongMissMelburywasgoingtostayinHintock。
　　Theseasonwasunpropitiousforaccidentalencounterswithherout-of-doors，andexceptbyaccidenthesawnothowtheyweretobecomeacquainted。Onethingwasclear——anyacquaintancewithhercouldonly，withadueregardtohisfuture，becasual，atmostofthenatureofaflirtation；forhehadhighaims，andtheywouldsomedayleadhimintootherspheresthanthis。
　　Thusdesultorilythinkingheflunghimselfdownuponthecouch，which，asinmanydraughtyoldcountryhouses，wasconstructedwithahood，beinginfactalegitimatedevelopmentfromthesettle。Hetriedtoreadashereclined，buthavingsatuptillthreeo’clockthatmorning，thebookslippedfromhishandandhefellasleep。
　　ItwasatthistimethatGraceapproachedthehouse。Herknock，alwayssoftinvirtueofhernature，wassofterto-daybyreasonofherstrangeerrand。However，itwasheardbythefarmer’swifewhokeptthehouse，andGracewasadmitted。Openingthedoorofthedoctor’sroomthehousewifeglancedin，andimaginingFitzpiersabsent，askedMissMelburytoenterandwaitafewminuteswhilesheshouldgoandfindhim，believinghimtobesomewhereonthepremises。Graceacquiesced，wentin，andsatdownclosetothedoor。
　　Assoonasthedoorwasshutuponhershelookedroundtheroom，andstartedatperceivingahandsomemansnuglyensconcedinthecouch，liketherecumbentfigurewithinsomecanopiedmuraltombofthefifteenthcentury，exceptthathishandswerebynomeansclaspedinprayer。Shehadnodoubtthatthiswasthedoctor。
　　Awakenhimherselfshecouldnot，andherimmediateimpulsewastogoandpullthebroadribbonwithabrassrosettewhichhungatonesideofthefireplace。Butexpectingthelandladytore-enterinamomentsheabandonedthisintention，andstoodgazingingreatembarrassmentattherecliningphilosopher。
　　ThewindowsofFitzpiers’ssoulbeingatpresentshuttered，heprobablyappearedlessimpressivethaninhishoursofanimation；
　　butthelightabstractedfromhismaterialpresencebysleepwasmorethancounterbalancedbythemysteriousinfluenceofthatstate，inastranger，upontheconsciousnessofabeholdersosensitive。Sofarasshecouldcriticiseatall，shebecameawarethatshehadencounteredaspecimenofcreationaltogetherunusualinthatlocality。TheoccasionsonwhichGracehadobservedmenofthisstampwerewhenshehadbeenfarremovedawayfromHintock，andeventhensuchexamplesashadmethereyewereatadistance，andmainlyofcoarserfibrethantheonewhonowconfrontedher。
　　Shenervouslywonderedwhythewomanhadnotdiscoveredhermistakeandreturned，andwentagaintowardsthebell-pull。
　　ApproachingthechimneyherbackwastoFitzpiers，butshecouldseehimintheglass。Anindescribablethrillpassedthroughherassheperceivedthattheeyesofthereflectedimagewereopen，gazingwonderinglyather，andunderthecuriousunexpectednessofthesightshebecameasifspellbound，almostpowerlesstoturnherheadandregardtheoriginal。However，byaneffortshedidturn，whentherehelayasleepthesameasbefore。
　　Herstartledperplexityastowhathecouldbemeaningwassufficienttoleadhertoprecipitatelyabandonhererrand。Shecrossedquicklytothedoor，openedandcloseditnoiselessly，andwentoutofthehouseunobserved。Bythetimethatshehadgonedownthepathandthroughthegardendoorintothelaneshehadrecoveredherequanimity。Here，screenedbythehedge，shestoodandconsideredawhile。
　　Drip，drip，drip，felltherainuponherumbrellaandaround；shehadcomeoutonsuchamorningbecauseoftheseriousnessofthematterinhand；yetnowshehadallowedhermissiontobestultifiedbyamomentarytremulousnessconcerninganincidentwhichperhapshadmeantnothingafterall。
　　Inthemeantimeherdeparturefromtheroom，stealthyasithadbeen，hadrousedFitzpiers，andhesatup。InthereflectionfromthemirrorwhichGracehadbeheldtherewasnomystery；hehadopenedhiseyesforafewmoments，buthadimmediatelyrelapsedintounconsciousness，if，indeed，hehadeverbeenpositivelyawake。Thatsomebodyhadjustlefttheroomhewascertain，andthatthelovelyformwhichseemedtohavevisitedhiminadreamwasnolessthantherealpresentationofthepersondepartedhecouldhardlydoubt。
　　Lookingoutofthewindowafewminuteslater，downthebox-edgedgravel-pathwhichledtothebottom，hesawthegardendoorgentlyopen，andthroughitentertheyounggirlofhisthoughts，Gracehavingjustatthisjuncturedeterminedtoreturnandattempttheinterviewasecondtime。Thathesawhercominginsteadofgoingmadehimaskhimselfifhisfirstimpressionofherwerenotadreamindeed。Shecamehesitatinglyalong，carryingherumbrellasolowoverherheadthathecouldhardlyseeherface。Whenshereachedthepointwheretheraspberrybushesendedandthestrawberrybedbegan，shemadealittlepause。
　　Fitzpiersfearedthatshemightnotbecomingtohimevennow，andhastilyquittingtheroom，herandownthepathtomeether。Thenatureofhererrandhecouldnotdivine，buthewaspreparedtogiveheranyamountofencouragement。
　　“Ibegpardon，MissMelbury。”hesaid。“Isawyoufromthewindow，andfanciedyoumightimaginethatIwasnotathome——ifitisIyouwerecomingfor。”
　　“Iwascomingtospeakonewordtoyou，nothingmore。”shereplied。“AndIcansayithere。”
　　“No，no。Pleasedocomein。Well，then，ifyouwillnotcomeintothehouse，comeasfarastheporch。”
　　Thuspressedshewentontotheporch，andtheystoodtogetherinsideit，Fitzpiersclosingherumbrellaforher。
　　“Ihavemerelyarequestorpetitiontomake。”shesaid。“Myfather’sservantisill——awomanyouknow——andherillnessisserious。”
　　“Iamsorrytohearit。Youwishmetocomeandseeheratonce？”
　　“No；Iparticularlywishyounottocome。”
　　“Oh，indeed。”
　　“Yes；andshewishesthesame。Itwouldmakeherseriouslyworseifyouweretocome。Itwouldalmostkillher。Myerrandisofapeculiarandawkwardnature。Itisconcerningasubjectwhichweighsonhermind——thatunfortunatearrangementshemadewithyou，thatyoumighthaveherbody——afterdeath。”
　　“Oh！GrammerOliver，theoldwomanwiththefinehead。Seriouslyill，isshe！”
　　“AndSOdisturbedbyherrashcompact！Ihavebroughtthemoneyback——willyoupleasereturntohertheagreementshesigned？”
　　Graceheldouttohimacoupleoffive-poundnoteswhichshehadkeptreadytuckedinherglove。
　　Withoutreplyingorconsideringthenotes，Fitzpiersallowedhisthoughtstofollowhiseyes，anddwelluponGrace’spersonality，andthesuddencloserelationinwhichhestoodtoher。Theporchwasnarrow；therainincreased。Itranofftheporchanddrippedonthecreepers，andfromthecreepersupontheedgeofGrace’scloakandskirts。
　　“Therainiswettingyourdress；pleasedocomein。”hesaid。“Itreallymakesmyheartachetoletyoustayhere。”
　　Immediatelyinsidethefrontdoorwasthedoorofhissitting-
　　room；heflungitopen，andstoodinacoaxingattitude。Tryhowshewould，Gracecouldnotresistthesupplicatorymandatewritteninthefaceandmannerofthisman，anddistressfulresignationsatonherassheglidedpasthimintotheroom——brushinghiscoatwithherelbowbyreasonofthenarrowness。