HepitiedMelburyforhisalmostchildishenthusiasm，andsawthattheagingmanmusthavesufferedacutelytobeweakenedtothisunreasoningdesire。
Winterbornewasfartoomagnanimoustoharboranycynicalconjecturethatthetimber-merchant，inhisintenseaffectionforGrace，wascourtinghimnowbecausethatyounglady，whendisunited，wouldbeleftinananomalousposition，toescapewhichabadhusbandwasbetterthannone。HefeltquitesurethathisoldfriendwassimplyontenterhooksofanxietytorepairthealmostirreparableerrorofdividingtwowhomNaturehadstriventojointogetherinearlierdays，andthatinhisardortodothishewasobliviousofformalities。Thecautioussupervisionofhispastyearshadoverleapeditselfatlast。hence，Winterborneperceivedthat，inthisnewbeginning，thenecessarycarenottocompromiseGracebytooearlyadvancesmustbeexercisedbyhimself。
PerhapsWinterbornewasnotquitesoardentasheretofore。Thereisnosuchthingasastationarylove：menareeitherlovingmoreorlovingless。ButGileshimselfrecognizednodeclineinhissenseofherdearness。IftheflamedidindeedburnlowernowthanwhenhehadfetchedherfromShertonatherlastreturnfromschool，themarvelwassmall。Hehadbeenlaboringeversincehisrejectionandhermarriagetoreducehisformerpassiontoadocilefriendship，outofpureregardtoitsexpediency；andtheirseparationmayhavehelpedhimtoapartialsuccess。
Aweekandmorepassed，andtherewasnofurthernewsofMelbury。
Buttheeffectoftheintelligencehehadalreadytransmittedupontheelastic-nerveddaughterofthewoodshadbeenmuchwhattheoldsurgeonJoneshadsurmised。Ithadsoothedherperturbedspiritbetterthanalltheopiatesinthepharmacopoeia。Shehadsleptunbrokenlyawholenightandaday。The“newlaw“wastoheramysterious，beneficent，godlikeentity，latelydescendeduponearth，thatwouldmakeherassheoncehadbeenwithouttroubleorannoyance。Herpositionfrettedher，itsabstractfeaturesrousinganaversionwhichwasevengreaterthanheraversiontothepersonalityofhimwhohadcausedit。Itwasmortifying，productiveofslights，undignified。Himshecouldforget；hercircumstancesshehadalwayswithher。