Melburyhimselfwasthefirsttorisethenextmorning，andwhenhehadreadtheletterhisreliefwasgreat。“VeryhonorableofGiles，veryhonorable。”hekeptsayingtohimself。“Ishallnotforgethim。Nowtokeepheruptoherowntruelevel。”
IthappenedthatGracewentoutforanearlyramblethatmorning，passingthroughthedoorandgatewhileherfatherwasinthespar-house。TogoinhercustomarydirectionshecouldnotavoidpassingWinterborne’shouse。Themorningsunwasshiningflatuponitswhitesurface，andthewords，whichstillremained，wereimmediatelyvisibletoher。Shereadthem。Herfaceflushedtocrimson。ShecouldseeGilesandCreedletalkingtogetherattheback；thecharredspar-gadwithwhichthelineshadbeenwrittenlayonthegroundbeneaththewall。FeelingprettysurethatWinterbornewouldobserveheraction，shequicklywentuptothewall，rubbedout“lose“andinserted“keep“initsstead。Thenshemadethebestofherwayhomewithoutlookingbehindher。
Gilescoulddrawaninferencenowifhechose。
TherecouldnotbetheleastdoubtthatgentleGracewaswarmingtomoresympathywith，andinterestin，GilesWinterbornethanevershehaddonewhilehewasherpromisedlover；thatsincehismisfortunethosesocialshortcomingsofhis，whichcontrastedsoawkwardlywithherlaterexperiencesoflife，hadbecomeobscuredbythegenerousrevivalofanoldromanticattachmenttohim。
Thoughmentallytrainedandtilledintoforeignnessofview，ascomparedwithheryouthfultime，Gracewasnotanambitiousgirl，andmight，iflefttoherself，havedeclinedWinterbornewithoutmuchdiscontentorunhappiness。Herfeelingsjustnowweresofarfromlatentthatthewritingonthewallhadthusquickenedhertoanunusualrashness。
Havingreturnedfromherwalkshesatatbreakfastsilently。Whenherstep-motherhadlefttheroomshesaidtoherfather，“IhavemadeupmymindthatIshouldlikemyengagementtoGilestocontinue，forthepresentatanyrate，tillIcanseefurtherwhatIoughttodo。”
Melburylookedmuchsurprised。
“Nonsense。”hesaid，sharply。“Youdon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout。Lookhere。”
HehandedacrosstohertheletterreceivedfromGiles。
Shereadit，andsaidnomore。Couldhehaveseenherwriteonthewall？Shedidnotknow。Fate，itseemed，wouldhaveitthisway，andtherewasnothingtodobuttoacquiesce。
ItwasafewhoursafterthisthatWinterborne，who，curiouslyenough，hadNOTperceivedGracewriting，wasclearingawaythetreefromthefrontofSouth’slatedwelling。HesawMartystandinginherdoor-way，aslimfigureinmeagreblack，almostwithoutwomanlycontoursasyet。Hewentuptoherandsaid，“Marty，whydidyouwritethatonmywalllastnight？ItWASyou，youknow。”
“Becauseitwasthetruth。Ididn’tmeantoletitstay，Mr。
Winterborne；butwhenIwasgoingtorubitoutyoucame，andI
wasobligedtorunoff。”
“Havingprophesiedonething，whydidyoualterittoanother？
Yourpredictionscan’tbeworthmuch。”
“Ihavenotalteredit。”
“Butyouhave。”
“No。”
“Itisaltered。Goandsee。”
Shewent，andreadthat，inspiteoflosinghisdwelling-place，hewouldKEEPhisGrace。Martycamebacksurprised。
“Well，Inever。”shesaid。“Whocanhavemadesuchnonsenseofit？”
“Who，indeed？”saidhe。
“Ihaverubbeditallout，asthepointofitisquitegone。”
“You’dnobusinesstorubitout。Ididn’ttellyouto。Imeanttoletitstayalittlelonger。”
“Someidleboydidit，nodoubt。”shemurmured。
Asthisseemedveryprobable，andtheactualperpetratorwasunsuspected，Winterbornesaidnomore，anddismissedthematterfromhismind。
Fromthisdayofhislifeonwardforaconsiderabletime，Winterborne，thoughnotabsolutelyoutofhishouseasyet，retiredintothebackgroundofhumanlifeandactionthereabout——afeatnotparticularlydifficultofperformanceanywherewhenthedoerhastheassistanceofalostprestige。Grace，thinkingthatWinterbornesawherwrite，madenofurthersign，andthefrailbarkoffidelitythatshehadthustimidlylaunchedwasstrandedandlost。
Dr。Fitzpierslivedontheslopeofthehill，inahouseofmuchlesspretension，bothastoarchitectureandastomagnitude，thanthetimber-merchant’s。Thelatterhad，withoutdoubt，beenoncethemanorialresidenceappertainingtothesnugandmodestdomainofLittleHintock，ofwhichtheboundarieswerenowlostbyitsabsorptionwithothersofitskindintotheadjoiningestateofMrs。Charmond。ThoughtheMelburysthemselveswereunawareofthefact，therewaseveryreasontobelieve——atleastsotheparsonsaidthattheownersofthatlittlemanorhadbeenMelbury’sownancestors，thefamilynameoccurringinnumerousdocumentsrelatingtotransfersoflandaboutthetimeofthecivilwars。
Mr。Fitzpiers’sdwelling，onthecontrary，wassmall，cottage-
like，andcomparativelymodern。Ithadbeenoccupied，andwasinpartoccupiedstill，byaretiredfarmerandhiswife，who，onthesurgeon’sarrivalinquestofahome，hadaccommodatedhimbyrecedingfromtheirfrontroomsintothekitchenquarter，whencetheyadministeredtohiswants，andemergedatregularintervalstoreceivefromhimanotunwelcomeadditiontotheirincome。
ThecottageanditsgardenweresoregularintheirarrangementthattheymighthavebeenlaidoutbyaDutchdesignerofthetimeofWilliamandMary。Inalow，densehedge，cuttowedge-shape，wasadooroverwhichthehedgeformedanarch，andfromtheinsideofthedoorastraightpath，borderedwithclippedbox，ranuptheslopeofthegardentotheporch，whichwasexactlyinthemiddleofthehousefront，withtwowindowsoneachside。Rightandleftofthepathwerefirstabedofgooseberrybushes；nextofcurrant；nextofraspberry；nextofstrawberry；nextofold-
fashionedflowers；atthecornersoppositetheporchbeingspheresofboxresemblingapairofschoolglobes。Overtheroofofthehousecouldbeseentheorchard，onyethigherground，andbehindtheorchardtheforest-trees，reachinguptothecrestofthehill。
Oppositethegardendoorandvisiblefromtheparlorwindowwasaswing-gateleadingintoafield，acrosswhichthereranafoot-
path。Theswing-gatehadjustbeenrepainted，andononefineafternoon，beforethepaintwasdry，andwhilegnatswerestilldyingthereon，thesurgeonwasstandinginhissitting-roomabstractedlylookingoutatthedifferentpedestrianswhopassedandrepassedalongthatroute。Beingofaphilosophicalstamp，heperceivedthatthechararterofeachofthesetravellersexhibiteditselfinasomewhatamusingmannerbyhisorhermethodofhandlingthegate。
Asregardedthemen，therewasnotmuchvariety：theygavethegateakickandpassedthrough。Thewomenweremorecontrasting。
Tothemthestickywood-workwasabarricade，adisgust，amenace，atreachery，asthecasemightbe。
Thefirstthathenoticedwasabouncingwomanwithherskirtstuckedupandherhairuncombed。Shegraspedthegatewithoutlooking，givingitasupplementarypushwithhershoulder，whenthewhiteimprintdrewfromheranexclamationinlanguagenottoorefined。Shewenttothegreenbank，satdownandrubbedherselfinthegrass，cursingthewhile。
“Ha！ha！ha！”laughedthedoctor。
Thenextwasagirl，withherhaircroppedshort，inwhomthesurgeonrecognizedthedaughterofhislatepatient，thewoodmanSouth。Moreover，ablackbonnetthatsheworebywayofmourningunpleasantlyremindedhimthathehadorderedthefellingofatreewhichhadcausedherparent’sdeathandWinterborne’slosses。
Shewalkedandthought，andnotrecklessly；butherpreoccupationledhertograspunsuspectinglythebarofthegate，andtouchitwithherarm。Fitzpiersfeltsorrythatsheshouldhavesoiledthatnewblackfrock，poorasitwas，foritwasprobablyheronlyone。Shelookedatherhandandarm，seemedbutlittlesurprised，wipedoffthedisfigurementwithanalmostunmovedface，andasifwithoutabandoningheroriginalthoughts。Thusshewentonherway。
Thentherecameoverthegreenquiteadifferentsortofpersonage。Shewalkedasdelicatelyasifshehadbeenbredintown，andasfirmlyasifshehadbeenbredinthecountry；sheseemedonewhodimlyknewherappearancetobeattractive，butwhoretainedsomeofthecharmofbeingignorantofthatfactbyforgettingitinageneralpensiveness。Sheapproachedthegate。
ToletsuchacreaturetouchitevenwithatipofherglovewastoFitzpiersalmostlikelettingherproceedtotragicalself-
destruction。Hejumpedupandlookedforhishat，butwasunabletofindtherightone；glancingagainoutofthewindowhesawthathewastoolate。Havingcomeup，shestopped，lookedatthegate，pickedupalittlestick，andusingitasabayonet，pushedopentheobstaclewithouttouchingitatall。
Hesteadilywatchedhertillshehadpassedoutofsight，recognizingherastheveryyoungladywhomhehadseenoncebeforeandbeenunabletoidentify。Whosecouldthatemotionalfacebe？AlltheothershehadseeninHintockasyetoppressedhimwiththeircruderusticity；thecontrastofferedbythissuggestedthatshehailedfromelsewhere。