AssoonastheysatdowntotableMelburycamein，andseemedtoseeatoncethatFitzpierswouldmuchratherhavereceivednosuchdemonstrativereception。Hethereuponprivatelychidhiswifeforherforwardnessinthematter。Mrs。MelburydeclaredthatitwasasmuchGrace’sdoingashers，afterwhichtherewasnomoretobesaidbythatyoungwoman’stenderfather。BythistimeFitzpierswasmakingthebestofhispositionamongthewide-elbowedandgenialcompanywhosateatinganddrinkingandlaughingandjokingaroundhim；andgettingwarmedhimselfbythegoodcheer，wasobligedtoadmitthat，afterall，thesupperwasnottheleastenjoyablehehadeverknown。
Attimes，however，thewordsabouthishavingspoiledhisopportunities，repeatedtohimasthoseofMrs。Charmond，hauntedhimlikeahandwritingonthewall。Thenhismannerwouldbecomesuddenlyabstracted。AtonemomenthewouldmentallyputanindignantquerywhyMrs。Charmondoranyotherwomanshouldmakeitherbusinesstohaveopinionsabouthisopportunities；atanotherhethoughtthathecouldhardlybeangrywithherfortakinganinterestinthedoctorofherownparish。Thenhewoulddrinkaglassofgrogandsogetridofthemisgiving。ThesehitchesandquaffingsweresoonperceivedbyGraceaswellasbyherfather；andhencebothofthemweremuchrelievedwhenthefirstofthegueststodiscoverthatthehourwasgrowinglateroseanddeclaredthathemustthinkofmovinghomeward。AtthewordsMelburyroseasalertlyasifliftedbyaspring，andintenminutestheyweregone。
“Now，Grace。”saidherhusbandassoonashefoundhimselfalonewithherintheirprivateapartments，“we’vehadaverypleasantevening，andeverybodyhasbeenverykind。Butwemustcometoanunderstandingaboutourwayoflivinghere。Ifwecontinueintheseroomstheremustbenomixinginwithyourpeoplebelow。I
can’tstandit，andthat’sthetruth。”
Shehadbeensadlysurprisedatthesuddennessofhisdistasteforthoseold-fashionedwoodlandformsoflifewhichinhiscourtshiphehadprofessedtoregardwithsomuchinterest。Butsheassentedinamoment。
“Wemustbesimplyyourfather’stenants。”hecontinued，“andourgoingsandcomingsmustbeasindependentasifwelivedelsewhere。”
“Certainly，Edgar——Iquiteseethatitmustbeso。”
“Butyoujoinedinwithallthosepeopleinmyabsence，withoutknowingwhetherIshouldapproveordisapprove。WhenIcameI
couldn’thelpmyselfatall。”
She，sighing：“Yes——IseeIoughttohavewaited；thoughtheycameunexpectedly，andIthoughtIhadactedforthebest。”
Thusthediscussionended，andthenextdayFitzpierswentonhisoldroundsasusual。Butitwaseasyforsosuper-subtleaneyeashistodiscern，ortothinkhediscerned，thathewasnolongerregardedasanextrinsic，unfathomedgentlemanoflimitlesspotentiality，scientificandsocial；butasMr。Melbury’scompeer，andthereforeinadegreeonlyoneofthemselves。TheHintockwoodlandlersheldwithallthestrengthofinheritedconvictiontothearistocraticprinciple，andassoonastheyhaddiscoveredthatFitzpierswasoneoftheoldBuckburyFitzpiersestheyhadaccordedtohimfornothingatouchingofhat-brims，promptnessofservice，anddeferenceofapproach，whichMelburyhadtodowithout，thoughhepaidforitoverandover。Butnow，havingprovedatraitortohisowncausebythismarriage，Fitzpierswasbelievedinnomoreasasuperiorhedgedbyhisowndivinity；
whileasdoctorhebegantoberatednohigherthanoldJones，whomtheyhadsolongdespised。
Hisfewpatientsseemedinhistwomonths’absencetohavedwindledconsiderablyinnumber，andnosoonerhadhereturnedthantherecametohimfromtheBoardofGuardiansacomplaintthatapauperhadbeenneglectedbyhissubstitute。InafitofprideFitzpiersresignedhisappointmentasoneofthesurgeonstotheunion，whichhadbeenthenucleusofhispracticehere。
Attheendofafortnighthecamein-doorsoneeveningtoGracemorebrisklythanusual。“TheyhavewrittentomeagainaboutthatpracticeinBudmouththatIoncenegotiatedfor。”hesaidtoher。“Thepremiumaskediseighthundredpounds，andIthinkthatbetweenyourfatherandmyselfitoughttoberaised。Thenwecangetawayfromthisplaceforever。”
Thequestionhadbeenmootedbetweenthembefore，andshewasnotunpreparedtoconsiderit。Theyhadnotproceededfarwiththediscussionwhenaknockcametothedoor，andinaminuteGrammerranuptosaythatamessagehadarrivedfromHintockHouserequestingDr。Fitzpierstoattendthereatonce。Mrs。Charmondhadmetwithaslightaccidentthroughtheoverturningofhercarriage。
“Thisissomething，anyhow。”saidFitzpiers，risingwithaninterestwhichhecouldnothavedefined。“IhavehadapresentimentthatthismysteriouswomanandIweretobebetteracquainted。”
Thelatterwordsweremurmuredtohimselfalone。
“Good-night。”saidGrace，assoonashewasready。“Ishallbeasleep，probably，whenyoureturn。”
“Good-night，“hereplied，inattentively，andwentdown-stairs。Itwasthefirsttimesincetheirmarriagethathehadleftherwithoutakiss。
CHAPTERXXVI。
Winterborne’shousehadbeenpulleddown。OnthisaccounthisfacehadbeenseenbutfitfullyinHintock；andhewouldprobablyhavedisappearedfromtheplacealtogetherbutforhisslightbusinessconnectionwithMelbury，onwhosepremisesGileskepthiscider-makingapparatus，nowthathehadnoplaceofhisowntostowitin。Cominghereoneeveningonhiswaytoahutbeyondthewoodwherehenowslept，henoticedthatthefamiliarbrown-
thatchedpinionofhispaternalroofhadvanishedfromitssite，andthatthewallswerelevelled。Inpresentcircumstanceshehadafeelingforthespotthatmighthavebeencalledmorbid，andwhenhehadsuppedinthehutaforesaidhemadeuseofthesparehourbeforebedtimetoreturntoLittleHintockinthetwilightandrambleoverthepatchofgroundonwhichhehadfirstseentheday。
Herepeatedthiseveningvisitonseverallikeoccasions。Eveninthegloomhecouldtracewherethedifferentroomshadstood；
couldmarktheshapeofthekitchenchimney-corner，inwhichhehadroastedapplesandpotatoesinhisboyhood，casthisbullets，andburnedhisinitialsonarticlesthatdidanddidnotbelongtohim。Theapple-treesstillremainedtoshowwherethegardenhadbeen，theoldestofthemevennowretainingthecrippledslanttonorth-eastgiventhembythegreatNovembergaleof1824，whichcarriedabrigbodilyovertheChesilBank。Theywereatpresentbenttostillgreaterobliquitybytheheavinessoftheirproduce。
Applesbobbedagainsthishead，andinthegrassbeneathhecrunchedscoresofthemashewalked。Therewasnobodytogatherthemnow。
Itwasontheeveningundernoticethat，halfsitting，halfleaningagainstoneoftheseinclinedtrunks，Winterbornehadbecomelostinhisthoughts，asusual，tillonelittlestarafteranotherhadtakenupapositioninthepieceofskywhichnowconfrontedhimwherehiswallsandchimneyshadformerlyraisedtheiroutlines。Thehousehadjuttedawkwardlyintotheroad，andtheopeningcausedbyitsabsencewasverydistinct。
Inthesilencethetrotofhorsesandthespinofcarriage-wheelsbecameaudible；andthevehiclesoonshapeditselfagainsttheblanksky，bearingdownuponhimwiththebendinthelanewhichhereoccurred，andofwhichthehousehadbeenthecause。Hecoulddiscernthefigureofawomanhighuponthedriving-seatofaphaeton，agroombeingjustvisiblebehind。Presentlytherewasaslightscrape，thenascream。Winterbornewentacrosstothespot，andfoundthephaetonhalfoverturned，itsdriversittingontheheapofrubbishwhichhadoncebeenhisdwelling，andthemanseizingthehorses’heads。TheequipagewasMrs。Charmond’s，andtheunseatedcharioteerthatladyherself。
Tohisinquiryifshewerehurtshemadesomeincoherentreplytotheeffectthatshedidnotknow。Thedamageinotherrespectswaslittleornone：thephaetonwasrighted，Mrs。Charmondplacedinit，andthereinsgiventotheservant。Itappearedthatshehadbeendeceivedbytheremovalofthehouse，imaginingthegapcausedbythedemolitiontobetheopeningoftheroad，sothatsheturnedinupontheruinsinsteadofatthebendafewyardsfartheron。
“Drivehome——drivehome！”criedthelady，impatiently；andtheystartedontheirway。Theyhadnot，however，gonemanypaceswhen，theairbeingstill，Winterborneheardhersay“Stop；tellthatmantocallthedoctor——Mr。Fitzpiers——andsendhimontotheHouse。IfindIamhurtmoreseriouslythanIthought。”
Winterbornetookthemessagefromthegroomandproceededtothedoctor’satonce。Havingdeliveredit，hesteppedbackintothedarkness，andwaitedtillhehadseenFitzpiersleavethedoor。
HestoodforafewminuteslookingatthewindowwhichbyitslightrevealedtheroomwhereGracewassitting，andwentawayunderthegloomytrees。
FitzpiersdulyarrivedatHintockHouse，whosedoorshenowsawopenforthefirsttime。Contrarytohisexpectationtherewasvisiblenosignofthatconfusionoralarmwhichaseriousaccidenttothemistressoftheabodewouldhaveoccasioned。Hewasshownintoaroomatthetopofthestaircase，cosilyandfemininelydraped，where，bythelightoftheshadedlamp，hesawawomanoffullroundfigurereclininguponacouchinsuchapositionasnottodisturbapileofmagnificenthaironthecrownofherhead。Adeeppurpledressing-gownformedanadmirablefoiltothepeculiarlyrichbrownofherhair-plaits；herleftarm，whichwasnakednearlyuptotheshoulder，wasthrownupward，andbetweenthefingersofherrighthandsheheldacigarette，whilesheidlybreathedfromherplumplipsathinstreamofsmoketowardstheceiling。
Thedoctor’sfirstfeelingwasasenseofhisexaggeratedprevisioninhavingbroughtappliancesforaseriouscase；thenext，somethingmorecurious。Whilethesceneandthemomentwerenewtohimandunanticipated，thesentimentandessenceofthemomentwereindescribablyfamiliar。Whatcouldbethecauseofit？Probablyadream。
Mrs。Charmonddidnotmovemorethantoraisehereyestohim，andhecameandstoodbyher。Sheglancedupathisfaceacrossherbrowsandforehead，andthenheobservedablushcreepslowlyoverherdecidedlyhandsomecheeks。Hereyes，whichhadlingereduponhimwithaninquiring，consciousexpression，werehastilywithdrawn，andshemechanicallyappliedthecigaretteagaintoherlips。
Foramomentheforgothiserrand，tillsuddenlyarousinghimselfheaddressedher，formallycondoledwithher，andmadetheusualprofessionalinquiriesaboutwhathadhappenedtoher，andwhereshewashurt。
“That’swhatIwantyoutotellme。”shemurmured，intonesofindefinablereserve。“Iquitebelieveinyou，forIknowyouareveryaccomplished，becauseyoustudysohard。”
“I’lldomybesttojustifyyourgoodopinion。”saidtheyoungman，bowing。“AndnonethelessthatIamhappytofindtheaccidenthasnotbeenserious。”
“Iamverymuchshaken。”shesaid。
“Ohyes。”hereplied；andcompletedhisexamination，whichconvincedhimthattherewasreallynothingthematterwithher，andmorethaneverpuzzledhimastowhyhehadbeenfetched，sinceshedidnotappeartobeatimidwoman。“Youmustrestawhile，andI’llsendsomething。”hesaid。
“Oh，Iforgot。”shereturned。“Lookhere。”Andsheshowedhimalittlescrapeonherarm——thefullroundarmthatwasexposed。
“Putsomecourt-plasteronthat，please。”
Heobeyed。“Andnow。”shesaid，“beforeyougoIwanttoputaquestiontoyou。Sitroundthereinfrontofme，onthatlowchair，andbringthecandles，orone，tothelittletable。Doyousmoke？Yes？That’sright——Iamlearning。Takeoneofthese；andhere’salight。”Shethrewamatchboxacross。
Fitzpierscaughtit，andhavinglitup，regardedherfromhisnewposition，which，withtheshiftingofthecandles，forthefirsttimeaffordedhimafullviewofherface。“Howmanyyearshavepassedsincefirstwemet！”sheresumed，inavoicewhichshemainlyendeavoredtomaintainatitsformerpitchofcomposure，andeyinghimwithdaringbashfulness。
“WEmet，doyousay？”
Shenodded。“IsawyourecentlyatanhotelinLondon，whenyouwerepassingthrough，Isuppose，withyourbride，andIrecognizedyouasoneIhadmetinmygirlhood。Doyouremember，whenyouwerestudyingatHeidelberg，anEnglishfamilythatwasstayingthere，whousedtowalk——“
“Andtheyoungladywhoworealongtailofrare-coloredhair——ah，Iseeitbeforemyeyes！——wholostherglovesontheGreatTerrace——whowasgoingbackinthedusktofindthem——towhomI
said，’I’llgoforthem，’andyousaid，’Oh，theyarenotworthcomingallthewayupagainfor。’IDOremember，andhowverylongwestayedtalkingthere！Iwentnextmorningwhilethedewwasonthegrass：theretheylay——thelittlefingersstickingoutdampandthin。Iseethemnow！Ipickedthemup，andthen——“
“Well？”
“Ikissedthem。”herejoined，rathershamefacedly。
“Butyouhadhardlyeverseenmeexceptinthedusk？”