Winterbornesawthatsomethinghadgonewrongwithhisformerfriend，andthrowingdowntheswitchhewasabouttointerweave，herespondedonlytooreadilytothemoodofthetimber-dealer。
　　“Issheill？”hesaid，hurriedly。
　　“No，no。”Melburystoodwithoutspeakingforsomeminutes，andthen，asthoughhecouldnotbringhimselftoproceed，turnedtogoaway。
　　WinterbornetoldoneofhismentopackupthetoolsforthenightandwalkedafterMelbury。
　　“HeavenforbidthatIshouldseemtooinquisitive，sir。”hesaid，“especiallysincewedon’tstandasweusedtostandtooneanother；butIhopeitiswellwiththemalloveryourway？”
　　“No。”saidMelbury——“no。”Hestopped，andstruckthesmoothtrunkofayoungash-treewiththeflatofhishand。“Iwouldthathisearhadbeenwherethatrindis！”heexclaimed；“Ishouldhavetreatedhimtolittlecomparedwiwhathedeserves。”
　　“Now。”saidWinterborne，“don’tbeinahurrytogohome。I’veputsomeciderdowntowarminmyshelterhere，andwe’llsitanddrinkitandtalkthisover。”
　　MelburyturnedunresistinglyasGilestookhisarm，andtheywentbacktowherethefirewas，andsatdownunderthescreen，theotherwoodmenhavinggone。Hedrewoutthecider-mugfromtheashesandtheydranktogether。
　　“Giles，yououghttohavehadher，asIsaidjustnow。”repeatedMelbury。“I’lltellyouwhyforthefirsttime。”
　　HethereupontoldWinterborne，aswithgreatrelief，thestoryofhowhewonawayGiles’sfather’schosenone——bynothingworsethanalover’scajoleries，itistrue，butbymeanswhich，exceptinlove，wouldcertainlyhavebeenpronouncedcruelandunfair。HeexplainedhowhehadalwaysintendedtomakereparationtoWinterbornethefatherbygivingGracetoWinterbornetheson，tillthedeviltemptedhiminthepersonofFitzpiers，andhebrokehisvirtuousvow。
　　“HowhighlyIthoughtofthatman，tobesure！Who’dhavesupposedhe’dhavebeensoweakandwrong-headedasthis！Yououghttohavehadher，Giles，andthere’sanendon’t。”
　　WinterborneknewhowtopreservehiscalmunderthisunconsciouslycrueltearingofahealingwoundtowhichMelbury’sconcentrationonthemorevitalsubjecthadblindedhim。TheyoungmanendeavoredtomakethebestofthecaseforGrace’ssake。
　　“Shewouldhardlyhavebeenhappywithme。”hesaid，inthedry，unimpassionedvoiceunderwhichhehidhisfeelings。“Iwasnotwellenougheducated：toorough，inshort。Icouldn’thavesurroundedherwiththerefinementsshelookedfor，anyhow，atall。”
　　“Nonsense——youarequitewrongthere。”saidtheunwiseoldman，doggedly。“Shetoldmeonlythisdaythatshehatesrefinementsandsuchlike。Allthatmytroubleandmoneyboughtforherinthatwayisthrownawayuponherquite。She’dfainbelikeMartySouth——thinko’that！That’sthetopofherambition！Perhapsshe’sright。Giles，shelovedyou——undertherind；and，what’smore，shelovesyestill——worseluckforthepoormaid！”
　　IfMelburyonlyhadknownwhatfireshewasrecklesslystirringuphemighthaveheldhispeace。Winterbornewassilentalongtime。
　　Thedarknesshadclosedinroundthem，andthemonotonousdripofthefogfromthebranchesquickenedasitturnedtofinerain。
　　“Oh，shenevercaredmuchforme。”Gilesmanagedtosay，ashestirredtheemberswithabrand。
　　“Shedid，anddoes，Itellye。”saidtheother，obstinately。
　　“However，allthat’svaintalkingnow。WhatIcometoaskyouaboutisamorepracticalmatter——howtomakethebestofthingsastheyare。Iamthinkingofadesperatestep——ofcallingonthewomanCharmond。Iamgoingtoappealtoher，sinceGracewillnot。’Tisshewhoholdsthebalanceinherhands——nothe。Whileshe’sgotthewilltoleadhimastrayhewillfollow——poor，unpractical，lofty-notioneddreamer——andhowlongshe’lldoitdependsuponherwhim。DidyeeverhearanythingabouthercharacterbeforeshecametoHintock？”
　　“She’sbeenabitofacharmerinhertime，Ibelieve。”repliedGiles，withthesamelevelquietude，asheregardedtheredcoals。
　　“Onewhohassmiledwhereshehasnotlovedandlovedwhereshehasnotmarried。BeforeMr。Charmondmadeherhiswifeshewasaplay-actress。”
　　“Hey？”Buthowcloseyouhavekeptallthis，Giles！Whatbesides？”
　　“Mr。Charmondwasarichman，engagedintheirontradeinthenorth，twentyorthirtyyearsolderthanshe。Hemarriedherandretired，andcamedownhereandboughtthisproperty，astheydonowadays。”
　　“Yes，yes——Iknowallaboutthat；buttheotherIdidnotknow。I
　　fearitbodesnogood。ForhowcanIgoandappealtotheforbearanceofawomaninthismatterwhohasmadecross-lovesandcrookedentanglementshertradeforyears？Ithankye，Giles，forfindingitout；butitmakesmyplantheharderthatsheshouldhavebelongedtothatunstabletribe。”
　　Anotherpauseensued，andtheylookedgloomilyatthesmokethatbeataboutthehurdleswhichshelteredthem，throughwhoseweavingsalargedropofrainfellatintervalsandspatsmartlyintothefire。Mrs。CharmondhadbeennofriendtoWinterborne，buthewasmanly，anditwasnotinhishearttoletherbecondemnedwithoutatrial。
　　“Sheissaidtobegenerous。”heanswered。“Youmightnotappealtoherinvain。”
　　“Itshallbedone。”saidMelbury，rising。“Forgoodorforevil，toMrs。CharmondI’llgo。”
　　Atnineo’clockthenextmorningMelburydressedhimselfupinshiningbroadcloth，creasedwithfoldingandsmellingofcamphor，andstartedforHintockHouse。Hewasthemoreimpelledtogoatoncebytheabsenceofhisson-in-lawinLondonforafewdays，toattend，reallyorostensibly，someprofessionalmeetings。HesaidnothingofhisdestinationeithertohiswifeortoGrace，fearingthattheymightentreathimtoabandonsoriskyaproject，andwentoutunobserved。Hehadchosenhistimewithaview，ashesupposed，ofconvenientlycatchingMrs。Charmondwhenshehadjustfinishedherbreakfast，beforeanyotherbusinesspeopleshouldbeabout，ifanycame。Ploddingthoughtfullyonward，hecrossedagladelyingbetweenLittleHintockWoodsandtheplantationwhichabuttedonthepark；andthespotbeingopen，hewasdiscernedtherebyWinterbornefromthecopseonthenexthill，whereheandhismenwereworking。Knowinghismission，theyoungermanhasteneddownfromthecopseandmanagedtointerceptthetimber-
　　merchant。
　　“Ihavebeenthinkingofthis，sir。”hesaid，“andIamofopinionthatitwouldbebesttoputoffyourvisitforthepresent。”
　　ButMelburywouldnotevenstoptohearhim。Hismindwasmadeup，theappealwastobemade；andWinterbornestoodandwatchedhimsadlytillheenteredthesecondplantationanddisappeared。
　　Melburyrangatthetradesmen’sdoorofthemanor-house，andwasatonceinformedthattheladywasnotyetvisible，asindeedhemighthaveguessedhadhebeenanybodybutthemanhewas。
　　Melburysaidhewouldwait，whereupontheyoungmaninformedhiminaneighborlywaythat，betweenthemselves，shewasinbedandasleep。
　　“Nevermind。”saidMelbury，retreatingintothecourt，“I’llstandabouthere。”Chargedsofullywithhismission，heshrankfromcontactwithanybody。
　　Buthewalkedaboutthepavedcourttillhewastired，andstillnobodycametohim。Atlastheenteredthehouseandsatdowninasmallwaiting-room，fromwhichhegotglimpsesofthekitchencorridor，andofthewhite-cappedmaidsflittingjauntilyhitherandthither。Theyhadheardofhisarrival，buthadnotseenhimenter，and，imagininghimstillinthecourt，discussedfreelythepossiblereasonofhiscalling。Theymarvelledathistemerity；
　　forthoughmostofthetongueswhichhadbeenletlooseattributedthechiefblame-worthinesstoFitzpiers，theseofherhouseholdpreferredtoregardtheirmistressasthedeepersinner。
　　Melburysatwithhishandsrestingonthefamiliarknobbedthornwalking-stick，whosegrowinghehadseenbeforeheenjoyeditsuse。Thescenetohimwasnotthematerialenvironmentofhisperson，butatragicvisionthattravelledwithhimlikeanenvelope。Throughthisvisiontheincidentsofthemomentbutgleamedconfusedlyhereandthere，asanouterlandscapethroughthehigh-coloredscenesofastainedwindow。Hewaitedthusanhour，anhourandahalf，twohours。Hebegantolookpaleandill，whereuponthebutler，whocamein，askedhimtohaveaglassofwine。Melburyrousedhimselfandsaid，“No，no。Isshealmostready？”
　　“Sheisjustfinishingbreakfast。”saidthebutler。“Shewillsoonseeyounow。Iamjustgoinguptotellheryouarehere。”
　　“What！haven’tyoutoldherbefore？”saidMelbury。
　　“Ohno。”saidtheother。“Youseeyoucamesoveryearly。”
　　Atlastthebellrang：Mrs。Charmondcouldseehim。Shewasnotinherprivatesitting-roomwhenhereachedit，butinaminuteheheardhercomingfromthefrontstaircase，andsheenteredwherehestood。
　　AtthistimeofthemorningMrs。Charmondlookedherfullageandmore。Shemightalmosthavebeentakenforthetypicalfemmedetrenteans，thoughshewasreallynotmorethansevenoreightandtwenty。Therebeingnofireintheroom，shecameinwithashawlthrownlooselyroundhershoulders，andobviouslywithouttheleastsuspicionthatMelburyhadcalleduponanyothererrandthantimber。Felicewas，indeed，theonlywomanintheparishwhohadnotheardtherumorofherownweaknesses；shewasatthismomentlivinginafool’sparadiseinrespectofthatrumor，thoughnotinrespectoftheweaknessesthemselves，which，ifthetruthbetold，causedhergravemisgivings。
　　“Dositdown，Mr。Melbury。Youhavefelledallthetreesthatweretobepurchasedbyyouthisseason，excepttheoaks，I
　　believe。”
　　“Yes。”saidMelbury。
　　“Howverynice！Itmustbesocharmingtoworkinthewoodsjustnow！”
　　Shewastoocarelesstoaffectaninterestinanextraneousperson’saffairssoconsummatelyastodeceiveinthemanneroftheperfectsocialmachine。Henceherwords“verynice。”“socharming。”wereutteredwithaperfunctorinessthatmadethemsoundabsurdlyunreal。
　　“Yes，yes。”saidMelbury，inareverie。Hedidnottakeachair，andshealsoremainedstanding。Restinguponhisstick，hebegan：
　　“Mrs。Charmond，Ihavecalleduponamoreseriousmatter——atleasttome——thantree-throwing。AndwhatevermistakesImakeinmymannerofspeakinguponittoyou，madam，domethejusticetoset’emdowntomywantofpractice，andnottomywantofcare。”
　　Mrs。Charmondlookedillatease。Shemighthavebeguntoguesshismeaning；butapartfromthat，shehadsuchdreadofcontactwithanythingpainful，harsh，orevenearnest，thathispreliminariesalonewereenoughtodistressher。“Yes，whatisit？”shesaid。
　　“Iamanoldman。”saidMelbury，“whom，somewhatlateinlife，Godthoughtfittoblesswithonechild，andsheadaughter。Hermotherwasaverydearwifetome，butshewastakenawayfromuswhenthechildwasyoung，andthechildbecamepreciousastheappleofmyeyetome，forshewasallIhadlefttolove。ForhersakeentirelyImarriedassecondwifeahomespunwomanwhohadbeenkindasamothertoher。Induetimethequestionofhereducationcameon，andIsaid，’Iwilleducatethemaidwell，ifI
　　liveuponbreadtodoit。’OfherpossiblemarriageIcouldnotbeartothink，foritseemedlikeadeaththatsheshouldcleavetoanotherman，andgrowtothinkhishouseherhomeratherthanmine。ButIsawitwasthelawofnaturethatthisshouldbe，andthatitwasforthemaid’shappinessthatsheshouldhaveahomewhenIwasgone；andImadeupmymindwithoutamurmurtohelpitonforhersake。InmyyouthIhadwrongedmydeadfriend，andtomakeamendsIdeterminedtogiveher，mymostpreciouspossession，tomyfriend’sson，seeingthattheylikedeachotherwell。
　　Thingscameaboutwhichmademedoubtifitwouldbeformydaughter’shappinesstodothis，inasmuchastheyoungmanwaspoor，andshewasdelicatelyreared。Anothermancameandpaidcourttoher——oneherequalinbreedingandaccomplishments；ineverywayitseemedtomethatheonlycouldgiveherthehomewhichhertraininghadmadeanecessityalmost。Iurgedheron，andshemarriedhim。But，ma’am，afatalmistakewasattherootofmyreckoning。Ifoundthatthiswell-borngentlemanIhadcalculatedonsosurelywasnotstanchofheart，andthatthereinlayadangerofgreatsorrowformydaughter。Madam，hesawyou，andyouknowtherest。Ihavecometomakenodemands——toutternothreats；Ihavecomesimplyasafatheringreatgriefaboutthisonlychild，andIbeseechyoutodealkindlywithmydaughter，andtodonothingwhichcanturnherhusband’sheartawayfromherforever。Forbidhimyourpresence，ma’am，andspeaktohimonhisdutyasonewithyourpoweroverhimwellcando，andIamhopefulthattherentbetweenthemmaybepatchedup。