honesty，goodness，manliness，tenderness，devotion，forheronlyexistedintheirpuritynowinthebreastsofunvarnishedmen；andherewasonewhohadmanifestedthemtowardsherfromhisyouthup。
　　Therewas，further，thatnever-ceasingpityinhersoulforGilesasamanwhomshehadwronged——amanwhohadbeenunfortunateinhisworldlytransactions；while，notwithoutatouchofsublimity，hehad，likeHoratio，bornehimselfthroughouthisscathing“Asone，insufferingall，thatsuffersnothing。”
　　Itwastheseperceptions，andnosubtlecatchingofherhusband’smurmurs，thathadbredtheabstractionvisibleinher。
　　WhenherfatherapproachedthehouseafterwitnessingtheinterviewbetweenFitzpiersandMrs。Charmond，Gracewaslookingoutofhersitting-roomwindow，asifshehadnothingtodo，orthinkof，orcarefor。Hestoodstill。
　　“Ah，Grace。”hesaid，regardingherfixedly。
　　“Yes，father。”shemurmured。
　　“Waitingforyourdearhusband？”heinquired，speakingwiththesarcasmofpitifulaffection。
　　“Ohno——notespecially。Hehasagreatmanypatientstoseethisafternoon。”
　　Melburycamequiteclose。“Grace，what’stheuseoftalkinglikethat，whenyouknow——Here，comedownandwalkwithmeoutinthegarden，child。”
　　Heunfastenedthedoorintheivy-lacedwall，andwaited。Thisapparentindifferencealarmedhim。HewouldfarratherthatshehadrushedinallthefireofjealousytoHintockHouse，regardlessofconventionality，confrontedandattackedFeliceCharmondunguibusetrostro，andaccusedhereveninexaggeratedshapeofstealingawayherhusband。Suchastormmighthaveclearedtheair。
　　Sheemergedinaminuteortwo，andtheywentinsidetogether。
　　“YouknowaswellasIdo。”heresumed，“thatthereissomethingthreateningmischieftoyourlife；andyetyoupretendyoudonot。
　　DoyousupposeIdon’tseethetroubleinyourfaceeveryday？I
　　amverysurethatthisquietudeiswrongconductinyou。Youshouldlookmoreintomatters。”
　　“Iamquietbecausemysadnessisnotofanaturetostirmetoaction。”
　　Melburywantedtoaskheradozenquestions——didshenotfeeljealous？wasshenotindignant？butanaturaldelicacyrestrainedhim。“Youareverytameandlet-alone，Iamboundtosay。”heremarked，pointedly。
　　“IamwhatIfeel，father。”sherepeated。
　　Heglancedather，andtherereturneduponhismindthesceneofherofferingtowedWinterborneinsteadofFitzpiersinthelastdaysbeforehermarriage；andheaskedhimselfifitcouldbethefactthatshelovedWinterborne，nowthatshehadlosthim，morethanshehadeverdonewhenshewascomparativelyfreetochoosehim。
　　“Whatwouldyouhavemedo？”sheasked，inalowvoice。
　　Herecalledhismindfromtheretrospectivepaintothepracticalmatterbeforethem。“IwouldhaveyougotoMrs。Charmond。”hesaid。
　　“GotoMrs。Charmond——whatfor？”saidshe。
　　“Well——ifImustspeakplain，dearGrace——toaskher，appealtoherinthenameofyourcommonwomanhood，andyourmanylikesentimentsonthings，nottomakeunhappinessbetweenyouandyourhusband。Itlieswithherentirelytodooneortheother——thatI
　　cansee。”
　　Grace’sfacehadheatedatherfather’swords，andtheveryrustleofherskirtsuponthebox-edgingbespokehauteur。“Ishallnotthinkofgoingtoher，father——ofcourseIcouldnot！”sheanswered。
　　“Why——don’t’eewanttobehappierthanyoubeatpresent？”saidMelbury，moremovedonheraccountthanshewasherself。
　　“Idon’twishtobemorehumiliated。IfIhaveanythingtobearI
　　canbearitinsilence。”
　　“But，mydearmaid，youaretooyoung——youdon’tknowwhatthepresentstateofthingsmayleadto。Justseetheharmdonea’ready！YourhusbandwouldhavegoneawaytoBudmouthtoabiggerpracticeifithadnotbeenforthis。Althoughithasgonesuchalittleway，itispoisoningyourfutureevennow。Mrs。Charmondisthoughtlesslybad，notbadbycalculation；andjustawordtohernowmightsave’eeapeckofwoes。”
　　“Ah，Ilovedheronce。”saidGrace，withabrokenarticulation，“andshewouldnotcareformethen！NowInolongerloveher。
　　Letherdoherworst：Idon’tcare。”
　　“Yououghttocare。Youhavegotintoaverygoodpositiontostartwith。Youhavebeenwelleducated，welltended，andyouhavebecomethewifeofaprofessionalmanofunusuallygoodfamily。Surelyyououghttomakethebestofyourposition。”
　　“Idon’tseethatIought。IwishIhadnevergotintoit。I
　　wishyouhadnever，neverthoughtofeducatingme。IwishI
　　workedinthewoodslikeMartySouth。Ihategenteellife，andI
　　wanttobenobetterthanshe。”
　　“Why？”saidheramazedfather。
　　“Becausecultivationhasonlybroughtmeinconveniencesandtroubles。Isayagain，Iwishyouhadneversentmetothosefashionableschoolsyousetyourmindon。Itallaroseoutofthat，father。IfIhadstayedathomeIshouldhavemarried——“
　　Shecloseduphermouthsuddenlyandwassilent；andbesawthatshewasnotfarfromcrying。
　　Melburywasmuchgrieved。“What，andwouldyouliketohavegrownupaswebehereinHintock——knowingnomore，andwithnomorechanceofseeinggoodlifethanwehavehere？”
　　“Yes。IhavenevergotanyhappinessoutsideHintockthatIknowof，andIhavesufferedmanyaheartacheatbeingsentaway。Oh，themiseryofthoseJanuarydayswhenIhadgotbacktoschool，andleftyouallhereinthewoodsohappy。IusedtowonderwhyIhadtobearit。AndIwasalwaysalittledespisedbytheothergirlsatschool，becausetheyknewwhereIcamefrom，andthatmyparentswerenotinsogoodastationastheirs。”
　　Herpoorfatherwasmuchhurtatwhathethoughtheringratitudeandintractability。Hehadadmittedtohimselfbitterlyenoughthatheshouldhaveletyoungheartshavetheirway，orrathershouldhavehelpedonheraffectionforWinterborne，andgivenhertohimaccordingtohisoriginalplan；buthewasnotpreparedforherdeprecationofthoseattainmentswhosecompletionhadbeenalaborofyears，andaseveretaxuponhispurse。
　　“Verywell。”hesaid，withmuchheavinessofspirit。“Ifyoudon’tliketogotoherIdon’twishtoforceyou。”
　　Andsothequestionremainedforhimstill：howshouldheremedythisperilousstateofthings？Fordayshesatinamoodyattitudeoverthefire，apitcherofciderstandingonthehearthbesidehim，andhisdrinking-horninverteduponthetopofit。Hespentaweekandmorethuscomposingalettertothechiefoffender，whichhewouldeverynowandthenattempttocomplete，andsuddenlycrumpleupinhishand。
　　AsFebruarymergedinMarch，andlightereveningsbrokethegloomofthewoodmen’shomewardjourney，theHintocksGreatandLittlebegantohaveearsforarumoroftheeventsoutofwhichhadgrownthetimber-dealer’stroubles。Ittooktheformofawidesprinklingofconjecture，whereinnomanknewtheexacttruth。
　　Tantalizingphenomena，atonceshowingandconcealingtherealrelationshipofthepersonsconcerned，causedadiffusionofexcitedsurprise。Honestpeopleasthewoodlanderswere，itwashardlytobeexpectedthattheycouldremainimmersedinthestudyoftheirtreesandgardensamidsuchcircumstances，orsitwiththeirbacksturnedlikethegoodburghersofCoventryatthepassageofthebeautifullady。
　　Rumor，forawonder，exaggeratedlittle。Therewere，infact，inthiscaseasinthousands，thewell-wornincidents，oldasthehills，which，withindividualvariations，madeamournerofAriadne，aby-wordofVashti，andacorpseoftheCountessAmy。
　　Therewererencountersaccidentalandcontrived，stealthycorrespondence，suddenmisgivingsononeside，suddenself-
　　reproachesontheother。Theinnerstateofthetwainwasoneasofconfusednoisethatwouldnotallowtheaccentsofcalmerreasontobeheard。Determinationstogointhisdirection，andheadlongplungesinthat；dignifiedsafeguards，undignifiedcollapses；notasinglerashstepbydeliberateintention，andallagainstjudgment。
　　ItwasallthatMelburyhadexpectedandfeared。Itwasmore，forhehadoverlookedthepublicitythatwouldbelikelytoresult，asitnowhaddone。Whatshouldhedo——appealtoMrs。Charmondhimself，sinceGracewouldnot？HebethoughthimselfofWinterborne，andresolvedtoconsulthim，feelingthestrongneedofsomefriendofhisownsextowhomhemightunburdenhismind。
　　Hehadentirelylostfaithinhisownjudgment。Thatjudgmentonwhichhehadreliedforsomanyyearsseemedrecently，likeafalsecompanionunmasked，tohavedisclosedunexpecteddepthsofhypocrisyandspeciousnesswhereallhadseemedsolidity。Hefeltalmostafraidtoformaconjectureontheweather，orthetime，orthefruit-promise，sogreatwashisself-abasement。
　　ItwasarimyeveningwhenhesetouttolookforGiles。Thewoodsseemedtobeinacoldsweat；beadsofperspirationhungfromeverybaretwig；theskyhadnocolor，andthetreesrosebeforehimashaggard，grayphantoms，whosedaysofsubstantialitywerepassed。MelburyseldomsawWinterbornenow，buthebelievedhimtobeoccupyingalonelyhutjustbeyondtheboundaryofMrs。
　　Charmond’sestate，thoughstillwithinthecircuitofthewoodland。Thetimber-merchant’sthinlegsstalkedonthroughthepale，dampscenery，hiseyesonthedeadleavesoflastyear；
　　whileeverynowandthenahasty“Ay？”escapedhislipsinreplytosomebitterproposition。
　　Hisnoticewasattractedbyathinbluehazeofsmoke，behindwhicharosesoundsofvoicesandchopping：bendinghisstepsthatway，hesawWinterbornejustinfrontofhim。ItjustnowhappenedthatGiles，afterbeingforalongtimeapatheticandunemployed，hadbecomeoneofthebusiestmenintheneighborhood。
　　Itisoftenthus；fallenfriends，lostsightof，weexpecttofindstarving；wediscoverthemgoingonfairlywell。Withoutanysolicitation，ordesireforprofitonhispart，hehadbeenaskedtoexecuteduringthatwinteraverylargeorderforhurdlesandothercopse-ware，forwhichpurposehehadbeenobligedtobuyseveralacresofbrushwoodstanding。Hewasnowengagedinthecuttingandmanufactureofthesame，proceedingwiththeworkdailylikeanautomaton。
　　Thehazel-treedidnotbelieitsnameto-day。Thewholeofthecopse-woodwherethemisthadclearedreturnedpuresttintsofthathue，amidwhichWinterbornehimselfwasintheactofmakingahurdle，thestakesbeingdrivenfirmlyintothegroundinarow，overwhichhebentandwovethetwigs。Besidehimwasasquare，compactpilelikethealtarofCain，formedofhurdlesalreadyfinished，whichbristledonallsideswiththesharppointsoftheirstakes。Atalittledistancethemeninhisemploywereassistinghimtocarryouthiscontract。Rowsofcopse-woodlayonthegroundasithadfallenundertheaxe；andashelterhadbeenconstructednearathand，infrontofwhichburnedthefirewhosesmokehadattractedhim。Theairwassodankthatthesmokehungheavy，andcreptawayamidthebusheswithoutrisingfromtheground。
　　AfterwistfullyregardingWinterborneawhile，Melburydrewnearer，andbrieflyinquiredofGileshowhecametobesobusilyengaged，withanundertoneofslightsurprisethatWinterbornecouldseemsothrivingafterbeingdeprivedofGrace。Melburywasnotwithoutemotionatthemeeting；forGrace’saffairshaddividedthem，andendedtheirintimacyofoldtimes。
　　Winterborneexplainedjustasbriefly，withoutraisinghiseyesfromhisoccupationofchoppingaboughthatheheldinfrontofhim。
　　“’TwillbeupinAprilbeforeyougetitallcleared。”saidMelbury。
　　“Yes，thereorthereabouts。”saidWinterborne，achopofthebillhookjerkingthelastwordintotwopieces。
　　Therewasanotherinterval；Melburystilllookedon，achipfromWinterborne’shookoccasionallyflyingagainstthewaistcoatandlegsofhisvisitor，whotooknoheed。
　　“Ah，Giles——youshouldhavebeenmypartner。Youshouldhavebeenmyson-in-law。”theoldmansaidatlast。“Itwouldhavebeenfarbetterforherandforme。”