第39章

Theletterofacceptancewastobewrittenthatnight，afterwhichhisdeparturefromHintockwouldbeirrevocable。Butcouldhegoaway，rememberingwhathadjustpassed？Thetrees，thehills，theleaves，thegrass——eachhadbeenendowedandquickenedwithasubtlecharmsincehehaddiscoveredthepersonandhistory，and，aboveall，moodoftheirowner。Therewaseverytemporalreasonforleaving；itwouldbeenteringagainintoaworldwhichhehadonlyquittedinapassionforisolation，inducedbyafitofAchilleanmoodinessafteranimaginedslight。Hiswifeherselfsawtheawkwardnessoftheirpositionhere，andcheerfullywelcomedthepurposedchange，towardswhicheverystephadbeentakenbutthelast。Butcouldhefinditinhisheart——ashefounditclearlyenoughinhisconscience——togoaway？

Hedrewatroubledbreath，andwentin-doors。Hereherapidlypennedaletter，whereinhewithdrewonceforallfromthetreatyfortheBudmouthpractice。AsthepostmanhadalreadyleftLittleHintockforthatnight，hesentoneofMelbury’smentointerceptamail-cartonanotherturnpike-road，andsogottheletteroff。

Themanreturned，metFitzpiersinthelane，andtoldhimthethingwasdone。Fitzpierswentbacktohishousemusing。Whyhadhecarriedoutthisimpulse——takensuchwildtroubletoeffectaprobableinjurytohisownandhisyoungwife’sprospects？Hismotivewasfantastic，glowing，shapelessasthefierysceneryaboutthewesternsky。Mrs。Charmondcouldovertlybenothingmoretohimthanapatientnow，andtohiswife，attheoutside，apatron。Intheunattachedbachelordaysofhisfirstsojourningherehowhighlyproperanemotionalreasonforlingeringonwouldhaveappearedtotroublesomedubiousness。Matrimonialambitionissuchanhonorablething。

“MyfatherhastoldmethatyouhavesentoffoneofthemenwithalatelettertoBudmouth。”criedGrace，comingoutvivaciouslytomeethimunderthedeclininglightofthesky，whereinhung，solitary，thefoldingstar。“Isaidatoncethatyouhadfinallyagreedtopaythepremiumtheyask，andthatthetediousquestionhadbeensettled。Whendowego，Edgar？”

“Ihavealteredmymind。”saidhe。“Theywanttoomuch——sevenhundredandfiftyistoolargeasum——andinshort，Ihavedeclinedtogofurther。Wemustwaitforanotheropportunity。I

fearIamnotagoodbusiness-man。”Hespokethelastwordswithamomentaryfalteringatthegreatfoolishnessofhisact；for，ashelookedinherfairandhonorableface，hisheartreproachedhimforwhathehaddone。

Hermannerthateveningshowedherdisappointment。Personallyshelikedthehomeofherchildhoodmuch，andshewasnotambitious。

Butherhusbandhadseemedsodissatisfiedwiththecircumstanceshereaboutsincetheirmarriagethatshehadsincerelyhopedtogoforhissake。

ItwastwoorthreedaysbeforehevisitedMrs。Charmondagain。

Themorninghadbeenwindy，andlittleshowershadsowedthemselveslikegrainagainstthewallsandwindow-panesoftheHintockcottages。Hewentonfootacrossthewilderrecessesofthepark，whereslimystreamsofgreenmoisture，exudingfromdecayedholescausedbyoldamputations，randownthebarkoftheoaksandelms，therindbelowbeingcoatedwithalichenouswashasgreenasemerald。Theywerestout-trunkedtrees，thatneverrockedtheirstemsinthefiercestgale，respondingtoitentirelybycrookingtheirlimbs。Wrinkledlikeanoldcrone’sface，andantleredwithdeadbranchesthatroseabovethefoliageoftheirsummits，theywereneverthelessstillgreen——thoughyellowhadinvadedtheleavesofothertrees。

Shewasi