“No，no，theaircoolsmyhead。Ishallnotstaylong。”Hewassilentawhile；thenhetoldher，asnearlyasMartycouldgather，thathisfirstwife，hisdaughterGrace’smother，wasfirstthesweetheartofWinterborne’sfather，wholovedhertenderly，tillhe，thespeaker，wonherawayfromhimbyatrick，becausehewantedtomarryherhimself。Hesadlywentontosaythattheotherman’shappinesswasruinedbyit；thatthoughhemarriedWinterborne’smother，itwasbutahalf-heartedbusinesswithhim。
　　Melburyaddedthathewasafterwardsverymiserableatwhathehaddone；butthatastimewenton，andthechildrengrewup，andseemedtobeattachedtoeachother，hedeterminedtodoallhecouldtorightthewrongbylettinghisdaughtermarrythelad；
　　notonlythat，buttogiveherthebesteducationhecouldafford，soastomakethegiftasvaluableaoneasitlayinhispowertobestow。“Istillmeantodoit。”saidMelbury。
　　“Thendo。”saidshe。
　　“Butallthesethingstroubleme。”saidhe；“forIfeelIamsacrificingherformyownsin；andIthinkofher，andoftencomedownhereandlookatthis。”
　　“Lookatwhat？”askedhiswife。
　　Hetookthecandlefromherhand，heldittotheground，andremovedatilewhichlayinthegarden-path。“’Tisthetrackofhershoethatshemadewhensherandownherethedaybeforeshewentawayallthosemonthsago。Icovereditupwhenshewasgone；andwhenIcomehereandlookatit，Iaskmyselfagain，whyshouldshebesacrificedtoapoorman？”
　　“Itisnotaltogetherasacrifice。”saidthewoman。“Heisinlovewithher，andhe’shonestandupright。Ifsheencourageshim，whatcanyouwishformore？”
　　“Iwishfornothingdefinite。Butthere’salotofthingspossibleforher。Why，Mrs。Charmondiswantingsomerefinedyounglady，Ihear，togoabroadwithher——ascompanionorsomethingofthekind。She’djumpatGrace。”
　　“That’salluncertain。Bettersticktowhat’ssure。”
　　“True，true。”saidMelbury；“andIhopeitwillbeforthebest。
　　Yes，letmeget’emmarriedupassoonasIcan，soastohaveitoveranddonewith。”Hecontinuedlookingattheimprint，whileheadded，“Supposesheshouldbedying，andnevermakeatrackonthispathanymore？”
　　“She’llwritesoon，dependupon’t。Come，’tiswrongtostayhereandbroodso。”
　　Headmittedit，butsaidhecouldnothelpit。“Whethershewriteorno，Ishallfetchherinafewdays。”Andthusspeaking，hecoveredthetrack，andprecededhiswifeindoors。
　　Melbury，perhaps，wasanunluckymaninhavingwithinhimthesentimentwhichcouldindulgeinthisfoolishfondnessabouttheimprintofadaughter’sfootstep。Naturedoesnotcarryonhergovernmentwithaviewtosuchfeelings，andwhenadvancingyearsrendertheopenheartsofthosewhopossessthemlessdexterousthanformerlyinshuttingagainsttheblast，theymustsuffer“buffetingatwillbyrainandstorm“nolessthanLittleCelandines。
　　Butherownexistence，andnotMr。Melbury’s，wasthecentreofMarty’sconsciousness，anditwasinrelationtothisthatthematterstruckherassheslowlywithdrew。
　　“That，then，isthesecretofitall。”shesaid。“AndGilesWinterborneisnotforme，andthelessIthinkofhimthebetter。”
　　Shereturnedtohercottage。Thesovereignswerestaringatherfromthelooking-glassasshehadleftthem。Withapreoccupiedcountenance，andwithtearsinhereyes，shegotapairofscissors，andbeganmercilesslycuttingoffthelonglocksofherhair，arrangingandtyingthemwiththeirpointsalloneway，asthebarberhaddirected。Uponthepalescrubbeddealofthecoffin-stooltabletheystretchedlikewavingandropyweedsoverthewashedgravel-bedofaclearstream。
　　Shewouldnotturnagaintothelittlelooking-glass，outofhumanitytoherself，knowingwhatadefloweredvisagewouldlookbackather，andalmostbreakherheart；shedreadeditasmuchasdidherownancestralgoddessSifthereflectioninthepoolaftertherapeofherlocksbyLokethemalicious。Shesteadilystucktobusiness，wrappedthehairinaparcel，andsealeditup，afterwhichsherakedoutthefireandwenttobed，havingfirstsetupanalarummadeofacandleandpieceofthread，withastoneattached。
　　Butsuchareminderwasunnecessaryto-night。Havingtossedtillaboutfiveo’clock，Martyheardthesparrowswalkingdowntheirlongholesinthethatchaboveherslopingceilingtotheirorificeattheeaves；whereuponshealsoarose，anddescendedtotheground-flooragain。
　　Itwasstilldark，butshebeganmovingaboutthehouseinthoseautomaticinitiatoryactsandtoucheswhichrepresentamonghousewivestheinstallationofanotherday。WhilethusengagedsheheardtherumblingofMr。Melbury’swagons，andknewthatthere，too，theday’stoilhadbegun。
　　Anarmfulofgadsthrownonthestillhotemberscausedthemtoblazeupcheerfullyandbringherdiminishedhead-gearintosuddenprominenceasashadow。Atthisastepapproachedthedoor。
　　“Arefolkastirhereyet？”inquiredavoicesheknewwell。
　　“Yes，Mr。Winterborne。”saidMarty，throwingonatiltbonnet，whichcompletelyhidtherecentravagesofthescissors。“Comein！”
　　Thedoorwasflungback，andtheresteppedinuponthematamannotparticularlyyoungforalover，norparticularlymatureforapersonofaffairs。Therewasreserveinhisglance，andrestraintuponhismouth。Hecarriedahornlanternwhichhunguponaswivel，andwheelingasitdangledmarkedgrotesqueshapesupontheshadierpartofthewalls。
　　Hesaidthathehadlookedinonhiswaydown，totellherthattheydidnotexpectherfathertomakeuphiscontractifhewasnotwell。Mr。Melburywouldgivehimanotherweek，andtheywouldgotheirjourneywithashortloadthatday。
　　“Theyaredone。”saidMarty，“andlyinginthecart-house。”
　　“Done！”herepeated。“Yourfatherhasnotbeentooilltoworkafterall，then？”
　　Shemadesomeevasivereply。“I’llshowyouwheretheybe，ifyouaregoingdown。”sheadded。
　　Theywentoutandwalkedtogether，thepatternoftheair-holesinthetopofthelanternbeingthrownuponthemistoverhead，wheretheyappearedofgiantsize，asifreachingthetent-shapedsky。
　　Theyhadnoremarkstomaketoeachother，andtheyutterednone。
　　Hardlyanythingcouldbemoreisolatedormoreself-containedthanthelivesofthesetwowalkinghereinthelonelyantelucanhour，whengrayshades，materialandmental，aresoverygray。Andyet，lookedatinacertainway，theirlonelycoursesformednodetacheddesignatall，butwerepartofthepatterninthegreatwebofhumandoingsthenweavinginbothhemispheres，fromtheWhiteSeatoCapeHorn。
　　Theshedwasreached，andshepointedoutthespars。Winterborneregardedthemsilently，thenlookedather。
　　“Now，Marty，Ibelieve——“hesaid，andshookhishead。
　　“What？”
　　“Thatyou’vedonetheworkyourself。”
　　“Don’tyoutellanybody，willyou，Mr。Winterborne？”shepleaded，bywayofanswer。“BecauseIamafraidMr。Melburymayrefusemyworkifheknowsitismine。”
　　“Buthowcouldyoulearntodoit？’Tisatrade。”
　　“Trade！”saidshe。“I’dbeboundtolearnitintwohours。”
　　“Ohno，youwouldn’t，Mrs。Marty。”Winterbornehelddownhislantern，andexaminedthecleanlysplithazelsastheylay。
　　“Marty。”hesaid，withdryadmiration，“yourfatherwithhisfortyyearsofpracticenevermadeasparbetterthanthat。Theyaretoogoodforthethatchingofhouses——theyaregoodenoughforthefurniture。ButIwon’ttell。Letmelookatyourhands——yourpoorhands！”
　　Hehadakindlymannerofaquietlyseveretone；andwhensheseemedreluctanttoshowherhands，hetookholdofoneandexamineditasifitwerehisown。Herfingerswereblistered。
　　“They’llgetharderintime。”shesaid。“Foriffathercontinuesill，Ishallhavetogoonwi’it。NowI’llhelpput’emupinwagon。”
　　Winterbornewithoutspeakingsetdownhislantern，liftedherasshewasabouttostoopoverthebundles，placedherbehindhim，andbeganthrowingupthebundleshimself。“RatherthanyoushoulddoitIwill。”hesaid。“Butthemenwillbeheredirectly。Why，Marty！——whateverhashappenedtoyourhead？Lord，ithasshrunktonothing——itlooksanappleuponagate-post！”
　　Herheartswelled，andshecouldnotspeak。Atlengthshemanagedtogroan，lookingontheground，“I’vemademyselfugly——andhateful——that’swhatI’vedone！”
　　“No，no。”heanswered。“You’veonlycutyourhair——Iseenow。
　　“Thenwhymustyouneedssaythataboutapplesandgate-posts？”
　　“Letmesee。”
　　“No，no！”Sheranoffintothegloomofthesluggishdawn。Hedidnotattempttofollowher。Whenshereachedherfather’sdoorshestoodonthestepandlookedback。Mr。Melbury’smenhadarrived，andwereloadingupthespars，andtheirlanternsappearedfromthedistanceatwhichshestoodtohavewancirclesroundthem，likeeyeswearywithwatching。Sheobservedthemforafewsecondsastheysetaboutharnessingthehorses，andthenwentindoors。