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。