Therewasnowadistinctmanifestationofmorningintheair，andpresentlytheblearedwhitevisageofasunlesswinterdayemergedlikeadead-bornchild。Thevillagerseverywherehadalreadybestirredthemselves，risingatthistimeoftheyearatthefarlessdrearyhourofabsolutedarkness。Ithadbeenaboveanhourearlier，beforeasinglebirdhaduntuckedhishead，thattwentylightswerestruckinasmanybedrooms，twentypairsofshuttersopened，andtwentypairsofeyesstretchedtotheskytoforecasttheweatherfortheday。
Owlsthathadbeencatchingmiceintheout-houses，rabbitsthathadbeeneatingthewintergreensinthegardens，andstoatsthathadbeensuckingthebloodoftherabbits，discerningthattheirhumanneighborswereonthemove，discreetlywithdrewfrompublicity，andwereseenandheardnomorethatday。
ThedaylightrevealedthewholeofMr。Melbury’shomestead，ofwhichthewagon-shedshadbeenanoutlyingerection。Itformedthreesidesofanopenquadrangle，andconsistedofallsortsofbuildings，thelargestandcentralonebeingthedwellingitself。
Thefourthsideofthequadranglewasthepublicroad。
Itwasadwelling-houseofrespectable，roomy，almostdignifiedaspect；which，takenwiththefactthatthereweretheremainsofothersuchbuildingsthereabout，indicatedthatLittleHintockhadatsometimeorotherbeenofgreaterimportancethannow，asitsoldnameofHintockSt。Osmondalsotestified。Thehousewasofnomarkedantiquity，yetofwell-advancedage；olderthanastalenovelty，butnocanonizedantique；faded，nothoary；lookingatyoufromthestilldistinctmiddle-distanceoftheearlyGeorgiantime，andawakeningonthataccounttheinstinctsofreminiscencemoredecidedlythantheremoterandfargrandermemorialswhichhavetospeakfromthemistyreachesofmediaevalism。Thefaces，dress，passions，gratitudes，andrevenuesofthegreat-great-
grandfathersandgrandmotherswhohadbeenthefirsttogazefromthoserectangularwindows，andhadstoodunderthatkey-stoneddoorway，couldbedivinedandmeasuredbyhomelystandardsofto-
day。Itwasahouseinwhosereverberationsqueeroldpersonaltaleswereyetaudibleifproperlylistenedfor；andnot，aswiththoseofthecastleandcloister，silentbeyondthepossibilityofecho。
Thegarden-frontremainedmuchasithadalwaysbeen，andtherewasaporchandentrancethatway。Buttheprincipalhouse-dooropenedonthesquareyardorquadrangletowardstheroad，formerlyaregularcarriageentrance，thoughthemiddleoftheareawasnowmadeuseofforstackingtimber，fagots，bundles，andotherproductsofthewood。Itwasdividedfromthelanebyalichen-
coatedwall，inwhichhungapairofgates，flankedbypiersoutoftheperpendicular，witharoundwhiteballonthetopofeach。
Thebuildingontheleftoftheenclosurewasalong-backederection，nowusedforspar-making，sawing，crib-framing，andcopse-waremanufactureingeneral。Oppositewerethewagon-shedswhereMartyhaddepositedherspars。
HereWinterbornehadremainedafterthegirl’sabruptdeparture，toseethatthewagon-loadswereproperlymadeup。WinterbornewasconnectedwiththeMelburyfamilyinvariousways。InadditiontothesentimentalrelationshipwhicharosefromhisfatherhavingbeenthefirstMrs。Melbury’slover，Winterborne’saunthadmarriedandemigratedwiththebrotherofthetimber-
merchantmanyyearsbefore——analliancethatwassufficienttoplaceWinterborne，thoughthepoorer，onafootingofsocialintimacywiththeMelburys。Asinmostvillagessosecludedasthis，intermarriageswereofHapsburgianfrequencyamongtheinhabitants，andtherewerehardlytwohousesinLittleHintockunrelatedbysomematrimonialtieorother。
ForthisreasonacuriouskindofpartnershipexistedbetweenMelburyandtheyoungerman——apartnershipbaseduponanunwrittencode，bywhicheachactedinthewayhethoughtfairtowardstheother，onagive-and-takeprinciple。Melbury，withhistimberandcopse-warebusiness，foundthattheweightofhislaborcameinwinterandspring。Winterbornewasintheappleandcidertrade，andhisrequirementsincartageandotherworkcameintheautumnofeachyear。Hencehorses，wagons，andinsomedegreemen，werehandedovertohimwhentheapplesbegantofall；he，inreturn，lendinghisassistancetoMelburyinthebusiestwood-cuttingseason，asnow。
BeforehehadlefttheshedaboycamefromthehousetoaskhimtoremaintillMr。Melburyhadseenhim。Winterbornethereuponcrossedovertothespar-housewheretwoorthreemenwerealreadyatwork，twoofthembeingtravellingspar-makersfromWhite-hartLane，who，whenthiskindofworkbegan，madetheirappearanceregularly，andwhenitwasoverdisappearedinsilencetilltheseasoncameagain。
FirewoodwastheonethingabundantinLittleHintock；andablazeofgad-cudsmadetheouthousegaywithitslight，whichviedwiththatofthedayasyet。Inthehollowshadesoftheroofcouldbeseendanglingetiolatedarmsofivywhichhadcreptthroughthejointsofthetilesandweregropinginvainforsomesupport，theirleavesbeingdwarfedandsicklyforwantofsunlight；otherswerepushinginwithsuchforceattheeavesastoliftfromtheirsupportstheshelvesthatwerefixedthere。
Besidestheitinerantjourney-workerstherewerealsopresentJohnUpjohn，engagedinthehollow-turnerytrade，wholivedhardby；
oldTimothyTangsandyoungTimothyTangs，topandbottomsawyers，atworkinMr。Melbury’spitoutside；FarmerBawtree，whokeptthecider-house，andRobertCreedle，anoldmanwhoworkedforWinterborne，andstoodwarminghishands；theselatterbeingenticedinbytheruddyblaze，thoughtheyhadnoparticularbusinessthere。Noneofthemcallforanyremarkexcept，perhaps，Creedle。Tohavecompletelydescribedhimitwouldhavebeennecessarytowriteamilitarymemoir，forheworeunderhissmock-
frockacast-offsoldier’sjacketthathadseenhotservice，itscollarshowingjustabovetheflapofthefrock；alsoahuntingmemoir，toincludethetop-bootsthathehadpickedupbychance；
alsochroniclesofvoyagingandshipwreck，forhispocket-knifehadbeengivenhimbyaweather-beatensailor。ButCreedlecarriedaboutwithhimonhisuneventfulroundsthesesilenttestimoniesofwar，sport，andadventure，andthoughtnothingoftheirassociationsortheirstories。
Copse-work，asitwascalled，beinganoccupationwhichthesecondaryintelligenceofthehandsandarmscouldcarryonwithoutrequiringthesovereignattentionofthehead，themindsofitsprofessorswanderedconsiderablyfromtheobjectsbeforethem；hencethetales，chronicles，andramificationsoffamilyhistorywhichwererecountedherewereofaveryexhaustivekind，andsometimessointerminableastodefydescription。
Winterborne，seeingthatMelburyhadnotarrived，steppedbackagainoutsidethedoor；andtheconversationinterruptedbyhismomentarypresenceflowedanew，reachinghisearsasanaccompanimenttotheregulardrippingofthefogfromtheplantationboughsaround。
Thetopicatpresenthandledwasahighlypopularandfrequentone——thepersonalcharacterofMrs。Charmond，theownerofthesurroundingwoodsandgroves。
“Mybrother-in-lawtoldme，andIhavenoreasontodoubtit。”
saidCreedle，“thatshe’dsitdowntoherdinnerwithafrockhardlyhigherthanherelbows。’Oh，youwickedwoman！’hesaidtohimselfwhenhefirstseeher，’yougotoyourchurch，andsit，andkneel，asifyourknee-jintsweregreasedwithverysaint’sanointment，andtelloffyourHear-us-good-Lordslikeabusinessmancountingmoney；andyetyoucaneatyourvictualssuchafigureasthat！’Whethershe’sareformedcharacterbythistimeI
can’tsay；butIdon’tcarewhothemanis，that’showshewentonwhenmybrother-in-lawlivedthere。”
“Didshedoitinherhusband’stime？”
“ThatIdon’tknow——hardly，Ishouldthink，consideringhistemper。Ah！”HereCreedlethrewgrievedremembranceintophysicalformbyslowlyresigninghisheadtoobliquityandlettinghiseyeswater。“Thatman！’Notiftheangelsofheavencomedown，Creedle，’hesaid，’shallyoudoanotherday’sworkforme！’Yes——
he’dsayanything——anything；andwouldassoontakeawingedcreature’snameinvainasyoursormine！Well，nowImustgetthesesparshome-along，andto-morrow，thankGod，Imustseeaboutusing’em。”
Anoldwomannowentereduponthescene。ShewasMr。Melbury’sservant，andpassedagreatpartofhertimeincrossingtheyardbetweenthehouse-doorandthespar-shed，whithershehadcomenowforfuel。Shehadtwofacialaspects——one，ofasoftandflexiblekind，sheusedindoorswhenassistingabouttheparlororup-
stairs；theother，withstifflinesandcorners，whenshewasbustlingamongthemeninthespar-houseorout-of-doors。
“Ah，GrammerOliver。”saidJohnUpjohn，“itdodomyheartgoodtoseeaoldwomanlikeyousodapperandstirring，whenIbearinmindthatafterfiftyoneyearcountsastwodidafore！Butyoursmokedidn’trisethismorningtilltwentyminutespastsevenbymybeater；andthat’slate，GrammerOliver。”
“Ifyouwasafull-sizedman，John，peoplemighttakenoticeofyourscornfulmeanings。Butyourgrowingupwassuchascrimpedandscantybusinessthatreallyawomancouldn’tfeelhurtifyouweretospitfireandbrimstoneitselfather。Here。”sheadded，holdingoutaspar-gadtooneoftheworkmen，fromwhichdangledalongblack-pudding——“here’ssomethingforthybreakfast，andifyouwantteayoumustfetchitfromin-doors。”
“Mr。Melburyislatethismorning。”saidthebottom-sawyer。
“Yes。’Twasadarkdawn。”saidMrs。Oliver。“EvenwhenIopenedthedoor，solateasIwas，youcouldn’thavetoldpoormenfromgentlemen，orJohnfromareasonable-sizedobject。AndIdon’tthinkmaister’ssleptatallwellto-night。He’sanxiousabouthisdaughter；andIknowwhatthatis，forI’vecriedbucketfulsformyown。”
WhentheoldwomanhadgoneCreedlesaid，“He’llfrethisgizzardgreenifhedon’tsoonhearfromthatmaidofhis。Well，learningisbetterthanhousesandlands。Buttokeepamaidatschooltillsheistalleroutofpattensthanhermotherwasin’em——’tistemptingProvidence。”
“Itseemsnotimeagothatshewasalittleplaywardgirl。”saidyoungTimothyTangs。
“Icanmindhermother。”saidthehollow-turner。“Alwaysateuny，delicatepiece；hertouchuponyourhandwasassoftandcoolaswind。Shewasinoculatedforthesmall-poxandhaditbeautifullyfine，justaboutthetimethatIwasoutofmyapprenticeship——ay，andalongapprenticeship’twas。Iservedthatmasterofminesixyearsandthreehundredandfourteendays。”