Fitzpiers’smentalsufferingsandsuspenseledhimatlasttotakeamelancholyjourneytotheneighborhoodofLittleHintock；andherehehoveredforhoursaroundthesceneofthepurestemotionalexperiencesthathehadeverknowninhislife。HewalkedaboutthewoodsthatsurroundedMelbury’shouse，keepingoutofsightlikeacriminal。Itwasafineevening，andonhiswayhomewardhepassednearMartySouth’scottage。Asusualshehadlightedhercandlewithoutclosinghershutters；hesawherwithinashehadseenhermanytimesbefore。
Shewaspolishingtools，andthoughhehadnotwishedtoshowhimself，hecouldnotresistspeakingintoherthroughthehalf-
opendoor。“Whatareyoudoingthatfor，Marty？”
“BecauseIwanttocleanthem。Theyarenotmine。”Hecouldsee，indeed，thattheywerenothers，foronewasaspade，largeandheavy，andanotherwasabill-hookwhichshecouldonlyhaveusedwithbothhands。Thespade，thoughnotanewone，hadbeensocompletelyburnishedthatitwasbrightassilver。
FitzpierssomehowdivinedthattheywereGilesWinterborne’s，andheputthequestiontoher。
Sherepliedintheaffirmative。“Iamgoingtokeep’em。”shesaid，“butIcan’tgethisapple-millandpress。Iwishcould；itisgoingtobesold，theysay。”
“ThenIwillbuyitforyou。”saidFitzpiers。“Thatwillbemakingyouareturnforakindnessyoudidme。”Hisglancefelluponthegirl’srare-coloredhair，whichhadgrownagain。“Oh，Marty，thoselocksofyours——andthatletter！Butitwasakindnesstosendit，nevertheless。”headded，musingly。
Afterthistherewasconfidencebetweenthem——suchconfidenceastherehadneverbeenbefore。Martywasshy，indeed，ofspeakingabouttheletter，andhermotivesinwritingit；butshethankedhimwarmlyforhispromiseofthecider-press。Shewouldtravelwithitintheautumnseason，ashehaddone，shesaid。Shewouldbequitestrongenough，witholdCreedleasanassistant。
“Ah！therewasonenearertohimthanyou。”saidFitzpiers，referringtoWinterborne。“Onewholivedwherehelived，andwaswithhimwhenhedied。”
ThenMarty，suspectingthathedidnotknowthetruecircumstances，fromthefactthatMrs。Fitzpiersandhimselfwerelivingapart，toldhimofGiles’sgenerositytoGraceingivinguphishousetoherattherisk，andpossiblythesacrifice，ofhisownlife。WhenthesurgeonheardithealmostenviedGileshischivalrouscharacter。HeexpressedawishtoMartythathisvisittohershouldbekeptsecret，andwenthomethoughtful，feelingthatinmorethatonesensehisjourneytoHintockhadnotbeeninvain。
HewouldhavegivenmuchtowinGrace’sforgivenessthen。Butwhateverhedaredhopeforinthatkindfromthefuture，therewasnothingtobedoneyet，whileGilesWinterborne’smemorywasgreen。Towaitwasimperative。Alittletimemightmeltherfrozenthoughts，andleadhertolookonhimwithtoleration，ifnotwithlove。
WeeksandmonthsofmourningforWinterbornehadbeenpassedbyGraceinthesoothingmonotonyofthememorialacttowhichsheandMartyhaddevotedthemselves。TwiceaweekthepairwentinthedusktoGreatHintock，and，likethetwomournersinCymbeline，sweetenedhissadgravewiththeirflowersandtheirtears。SometimesGracethoughtthatitwasapityneitheroneofthemhadbeenhiswifeforalittlewhile，andgiventheworldacopyofhimwhowassovaluableintheireyes。Nothingeverhadbroughthometoherwithsuchforceasthisdeathhowlittleacquirementsandcultureweighbesidesterlingpersonalcharacter。
Whilehersimplesorrowforhislosstookasofteredgewiththelapseoftheautumnandwinterseasons，herself-reproachathavinghadapossiblehandincausingitknewlittleabatement。
LittleoccurredatHintockduringthesemonthsofthefallanddecayoftheleaf。DiscussionofthealmostcontemporaneousdeathofMrs。Charmondabroadhadwaxedandwaned。Fitzpiershadhadamarvellousescapefrombeingdraggedintotheinquirywhichfollowedit，throughtheaccidentoftheirhavingpartedjustbeforeundertheinfluenceofMartySouth’sletter——thetinyinstrumentofacausedeepinnature。
Herbodywasnotbroughthome。Itseemedtoaccordwellwiththefitfulfeverofthatimpassionedwoman’slifethatsheshouldnothavefoundanativegrave。Shehadenjoyedbutalife-interestintheestate，which，afterherdeath，passedtoarelativeofherhusband’s——onewhoknewnotFelice，onewhosepurposeseemedtobetoblotouteveryvestigeofher。
OnacertaindayinFebruary——thecheerfuldayofSt。Valentine，infact——aletterreachedMrs。Fitzpiers，whichhadbeenmentallypromisedherforthatparticulardayalongtimebefore。
ItannouncedthatFitzpierswaslivingatsomemidlandtown，wherehehadobtainedatemporarypracticeasassistanttosomelocalmedicalman，whosecurativeprincipleswereallwrong，thoughhedarednotsetthemright。Hehadthoughtfittocommunicatewithheronthatdayoftendertraditionstoinquireif，intheeventofhisobtainingasubstantialpracticethathehadinviewelsewhere，shecouldforgetthepastandbringherselftojoinhim。
Therethepracticalpartended；hethenwenton——
“Mylastyearofexperiencehasaddedtenyearstomyage，dearGraceanddearestwifethatevererringmanundervalued。YoumaybeabsolutelyindifferenttowhatIsay，butletmesayit：IhaveneverlovedanywomanaliveordeadasIlove，respect，andhonoryouatthispresentmoment。WhatyoutoldmeintheprideandhaughtinessofyourheartIneverbelieved[this，bytheway，wasnotstrictlytrue]；butevenifIhadbelievedit，itcouldneverhaveestrangedmefromyou。Isthereanyuseintellingyou——no，thereisnot——thatIdreamofyourripelipsmorefrequentlythanIsaymyprayers；thattheoldfamiliarrustleofyourdressoftenreturnsuponmymindtillitdistractsme？Ifyoucouldcondescendevenonlytoseemeagainyouwouldbebreathinglifeintoacorpse。Mypure，pureGrace，modestasaturtledove，howcameI
evertopossessyou？Forthesakeofbeingpresentinyourmindonthislovers’day，IthinkIwouldalmostratherhaveyouhatemealittlethannotthinkofmeatall。Youmaycallmyfancieswhimsical；butremember，sweet，lostone，that’natureisoneinlove，andwhere’tisfineitsendssomeinstanceofitself。’I
willnotintrudeuponyoufurthernow。Makemealittlebithappybysendingbackonelinetosaythatyouwillconsent，atanyrate，toashortinterview。Iwillmeetyouandleaveyouasamereacquaintance，ifyouwillonlyaffordmethisslightmeansofmakingafewexplanations，andofputtingmypositionbeforeyou。
Believeme，inspiteofallyoumaydoorfeel，Yourloveralwaysonceyourhusband，“E。”
Itwas，oddlyenough，thefirstoccasion，ornearlythefirstonwhichGracehadeverreceivedalove-letterfromhim，hiscourtshiphavingtakenplaceunderconditionswhichrenderedletter-writingunnecessary。Itsperusal，therefore，hadacertainnoveltyforher。Shethoughtthat，uponthewhole，hewrotelove-
lettersverywell。ButthechiefrationalinterestofthelettertothereflectiveGracelayinthechancethatsuchameetingasheproposedwouldaffordherofsettingherdoubtsatrest，onewayortheother，onheractualshareinWinterborne’sdeath。Thereliefofconsultingaskilledmind，theoneprofessionalmanwhohadseenGilesatthattime，wouldbeimmense。Asforthatstatementthatshehadutteredinherdisdainfulgrief，whichatthetimeshehadregardedashertriumph，shewasquitepreparedtoadmittohimthathisbeliefwasthetrueone；forinwrongingherselfasshedidwhenshemadeit，shehaddonewhattoherwasafarmoreseriousthing，wrongedWinterborne’smemory。
Withoutconsultingherfather，oranyoneinthehouseoroutofit，Gracerepliedtotheletter。SheagreedtomeetFitzpiersontwoconditions，ofwhichthefirstwasthattheplaceofmeetingshouldbethetopofRubdownHill，thesecondthathewouldnotobjecttoMartySouthaccompanyingher。
Whateverpart，muchorlittle，theremayhavebeeninFitzpiers’sso-calledvalentinetohiswife，hefeltadelightasoftheburstingofspringwhenherbriefreplycame。Itwasoneofthefewpleasuresthathehadexperiencedoflateyearsatallresemblingthoseofhisearlyyouth。Hepromptlyrepliedthatheacceptedtheconditions，andnamedthedayandhouratwhichhewouldbeonthespotshementioned。
Afewminutesbeforethreeontheappointeddayfoundhimclimbingthewell-knownhill，whichhadbeentheaxisofsomanycriticalmovementsintheirlivesduringhisresidenceatHintock。
Thesightofeachhomelyandwell-rememberedobjectswelledtheregretthatseldomlefthimnow。Whateverpathsmightlieopentohisfuture，thesoothingshadesofHintockwereforbiddenhimforeverasapermanentdwelling-place。
HelongedforthesocietyofGrace。Buttolayofferingsonherslightedaltarwashisfirstaim，anduntilherpropitiationwascompletehewouldconstrainherinnowaytoreturntohim。Theleastreparationthathecouldmake，inacasewherehewouldgladlyhavemademuch，wouldbetoletherfeelherselfabsolutelyfreetochoosebetweenlivingwithhimandwithouthim。
Moreover，asubtlistinemotions，hecultivatedasunderglassesstrangeandmournfulpleasuresthathewouldnotwillinglyletdiejustatpresent。ToshowanyforwardnessinsuggestingamodusvivenditoGracewouldbetoputanendtotheseexotics。Tobethevassalofhersweetwillforatime，hedemandednomore，andfoundsolaceinthecontemplationofthesoftmiseriesshecausedhim。
Approachingthehill-topwithamindstrungtothesenotions，Fitzpiersdiscernedagayprocessionofpeoplecomingoverthecrest，andwasnotlonginperceivingittobeawedding-party。
Thoughthewindwaskeenthewomenwereinlightattire，andthefloweredwaistcoatsofthemenhadapleasingvividnessofpattern。Eachofthegentleronesclungtothearmofherpartnersotightlyastohavewithhimonestep，rise，swing，gait，almostonecentreofgravity。InthebuxombrideFitzpiersrecognizednootherthanSukeDamson，whoinherlightgownlookedagiantess；
thesmallhusbandbesideherhesawtobeTimTangs。
Fitzpierscouldnotescape，fortheyhadseenhim；thoughofallthebeautiesoftheworldwhomhedidnotwishtomeetSukewasthechief。Butheputthebestfaceonthematterthathecouldandcameon，theapproachingcompanyevidentlydiscussinghimandhisseparationfromMrs。Fitzpiers。Asthecouplescloseduponhimheexpressedhiscongratulations。
“Webejustwalkingroundtheparishestoshowourselvesabit。”
saidTim。“FirstwehetacrosstoDelborough，thenathwarttohere，andfromherewegotoRubdownandMillshot，andthenroundbythecross-roadshome。HomesaysI，butitwon’tbethatlong！
Webeoffnextmonth。”