第30章

“ThatwasGiles。”saidMelbury，whentheyhadgoneby。

“Wasit？PoorGiles。”saidshe。

“Allthatbloothmeansheavyautumnworkforhimandhishands。

Ifnoblighthappensbeforethesettingtheappleyieldwillbesuchaswehavenothadforyears。”

Meanwhile，inthewoodtheyhadcomefrom，themenhadsatonsolongthattheywereindisposedtobeginworkagainthatevening；

theywerepaidbytheton，andtheirtimeforlaborwasastheychose。Theyplacedthelastgatheringsofbarkinrowsforthecurers，whichledthemfartherandfartherawayfromtheshed；andthustheygraduallywithdrewasthesunwentdown。

Fitzpierslingeredyet。Hehadopenedhisbookagain，thoughhecouldhardlyseeawordinit，andsatbeforethedyingfire，scarcelyknowingofthemen’sdeparture。Hedreamedandmusedtillhisconsciousnessseemedtooccupythewholespaceofthewoodlandaround，solittlewasthereofjarringsightorsoundtohinderperfectunitywiththesentimentoftheplace。Theideareturneduponhimofsacrificingallpracticalaimstoliveincalmcontentmenthere，andinsteadofgoingonelaboratingnewconceptionswithinfinitepains，toacceptquietdomesticityaccordingtooldestandhomeliestnotions。Thesereflectionsdetainedhimtillthewoodwasembrownedwiththecomingnight，andtheshylittlebirdofthisduskytimehadbeguntopouroutalltheintensityofhiseloquencefromabushnotveryfaroff。

Fitzpiers’seyescommandedasmuchofthegroundinfrontaswasopen。Enteringuponthishesawafigure，whosedirectionofmovementwastowardsthespotwherehesat。Thesurgeonwasquiteshroudedfromobservationbytherecessedshadowofthehut，andtherewasnoreasonwhyheshouldmovetillthestrangerhadpassedby。Theshaperesolveditselfintoawoman’s；shewaslookingontheground，andwalkingslowlyasifsearchingforsomethingthathadbeenlost，hercoursebeingpreciselythatofMr。Melbury’sgig。FitzpiersbyasortofdivinationjumpedtotheideathatthefigurewasGrace’s；hernearerapproachmadetheguessacertainty。

Yes，shewaslookingforsomething；andshecameroundbytheprostratetreesthatwouldhavebeeninvisiblebutforthewhitenakednesswhichenabledhertoavoidthemeasily。Thussheapproachedtheheapofashes，andactinguponwhatwassuggestedbyastillshiningemberortwo，shetookastickandstirredtheheap，whichthereuponburstintoaflame。OnlookingaroundbythelightthusobtainedsheforthefirsttimesawtheilluminedfaceofFitzpiers，preciselyinthespotwhereshehadlefthim。

Gracegaveastartandascream：theplacehadbeenassociatedwithhiminherthoughts，butshehadnotexpectedtofindhimtherestill。Fitzpierslostnotamomentinrisingandgoingtoherside。

“Ifrightenedyoudreadfully，Iknow。”hesaid。“Ioughttohavespoken；butIdidnotatfirstexpectittobeyou。Ihavebeensittinghereeversince。”

Hewasactuallysupportingherwithhisarm，asthoughundertheimpressionthatshewasquiteovercome，andindangeroffalling。

Assoonasshecouldcollectherideasshegentlywithdrewfromhisgrasp，andexplainedwhatshehadreturnedfor：ingettingupordownfromthegig，orwhensittingbythehutfire，shehaddroppedherpurse。

“Nowwewillfindit。”saidFitzpiers。

Hethrewanarmfuloflastyear’sleavesontothefire，whichmadetheflameleaphigher，andtheencompassingshadestoweavethemselvesintoadensercontrast，turningeveintonightinamoment。Bythisradiancetheygropedaboutontheirhandsandknees，tillFitzpiersrestedonhiselbow，andlookedatGrace。

“Wemustalwaysmeetinoddcircumstances。”hesaid；“andthisisoneoftheoddest。Iwonderifitmeansanything？”

“Ohno，Iamsureitdoesn’t。”saidGraceinhaste，quicklyassuminganerectposture。“Praydon’tsayitanymore。”

“Ihopetherewasnotmuchmoneyinthepurse。”saidFitzpiers，risingtohisfeetmoreslowly，andbrushingtheleavesfromhistrousers。

“Scarcelyany。Icaredmostaboutthepurseitself，becauseitwasgivenme。Indeed，moneyisoflittlemoreuseatHintockthanonCrusoe’sisland；there’shardlyanywayofspendingit。”

TheyhadgivenupthesearchwhenFitzpiersdiscernedsomethingbyhisfoot。“Hereitis。”hesaid，“sothatyourfather，mother，friend，orADMIRERwillnothavehisorherfeelingshurtbyasenseofyournegligenceafterall。”

“Oh，heknowsnothingofwhatIdonow。”

“Theadmirer？”saidFitzpiers，slyly。

“Idon’tknowifyouwouldcallhimthat。”saidGrace，withsimplicity。“Theadmirerisasuperficial，conditionalcreature，andthispersonisquitedifferent。”

“Hehasallthecardinalvirtues。”

“Perhaps——thoughIdon’tknowthemprecisely。”

“Youunconsciouslypractiset