第31章

Soonthelistenerscouldhearnothingoftheirproceedingsbeyondthefaintestoccasionalrustleofleaves。GrammerwhisperedagaintoMarty：“Whydidn’tyegoandtryyourluckwiththerestofthemaids？”

“Idon’tbelieveinit。”saidMarty，shortly。

“Why，halftheparishishere——thesillyhussiesshouldhavekeptitquiet。IseeMr。Winterbornethroughtheleaves，justcomeupwithRobertCreedle。Marty，weoughttoacttheparto’

Providencesometimes。Dogoandtellhimthatifhestandsjustbehindthebushatthebottomoftheslope，MissGracemustpassdownitwhenshecomesback，andshewillmostlikelyrushintohisarms；forassoonastheclockstrikes，they’llbundlebackhome——alonglikehares。I’veseensuchlarriesbefore。”

“DoyouthinkI’dbetter？”saidMarty，reluctantly。

“Ohyes，he’llblessyeforit。”

“Idon’twantthatkindofblessing。”Butafteramoment’sthoughtshewentanddeliveredtheinformation；andGrammerhadthesatisfactionofseeingGileswalkslowlytothebendintheleafydefilealongwhichGracewouldhavetoreturn。

MeanwhileMrs。Melbury，desertedbyGrace，hadperceivedFitzpiersandWinterborne，andalsothemoveofthelatter。AnimprovementonGrammer’sideaenteredthemindofMrs。Melbury，forshehadlatelydiscernedwhatherhusbandhadnot——thatGracewasrapidlyfascinatingthesurgeon。ShethereforedrewneartoFitzpiers。

“YoushouldbewhereMr。Winterborneisstanding。”shesaidtohim，significantly。“Shewillrundownthroughthatopeningmuchfasterthanshewentupit，ifsheisliketherestofthegirls。”

Fitzpiersdidnotrequiretobetoldtwice。HewentacrosstoWinterborneandstoodbesidehim。Eachknewtheprobablepurposeoftheotherinstandingthere，andneitherspoke，FitzpiersscorningtolookuponWinterborneasarival，andWinterborneadheringtotheoff-handmannerofindifferencewhichhadgrownuponhimsincehisdismissal。

NeitherGrammernorMartySouthhadseenthesurgeon’smanoeuvre，and，stilltohelpWinterborne，asshesupposed，theoldwomansuggestedtothewood-girlthatsheshouldwalkforwardattheheelsofGrace，and“tole“herdowntherequiredwayifsheshowedatendencytoruninanotherdirection。PoorMarty，alwaysdoomedtosacrificedesiretoobligation，walkedforwardaccordingly，andwaitedasabeacon，stillandsilent，fortheretreatofGraceandhergiddycompanions，nowquiteoutofhearing。

ThefirstsoundtobreakthesilencewasthedistantnoteofGreatHintockclockstrikingthesignificanthour。Aboutaminutelaterthatquarterofthewoodtowhichthegirlshadwanderedresoundedwiththeflappingofdisturbedbirds；thentwoorthreeharesandrabbitsboundeddownthegladefromthesamedirection，andafterthesetherustlingandcracklingofleavesanddeadtwigsdenotedthehurriedapproachoftheadventurers，whoseflutteringgownssoonbecamevisible。MissMelbury，havinggoneforwardquiteintherearoftherest，wasoneofthefirsttoreturn，andtheexcitementbeingcontagious，sheranlaughingtowardsMarty，whostillstoodasahand-posttoguideher；then，passingon，sheflewroundthefatalbushwheretheundergrowthnarrowedtoagorge。Martyarrivedatherheelsjustintimetoseetheresult。

FitzpiershadquicklysteppedforwardinfrontofWinterborne，who，disdainingtoshifthisposition，hadturnedonhisheel，andthenthesurgeondidwhathewouldnothavethoughtofdoingbutforMrs。Melbury’sencouragementandthesentimentofanevewhicheffacedconventionality。Stretchingouthisarmsasthewhitefigureburstuponhim，hecapturedherinamoment，asifshehadbeenabird。

“Oh！”criedGrace，inherfright。

“Youareinmyarms，dearest。”saidFitzpiers，“andIamgoingtoclaimyou，andkeepyouthereallourtwolives！”

Sherestedonhimlikeoneutterlymastered，anditwasseveralsecondsbeforesherecoveredfromthishelplessness。Subduedscreamsandstruggles，audiblefromneighboringbrakes，revealedthatth