第24章

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