第40章

Aweekhadpassed，andMrs。CharmondhadleftHintockHouse。

MiddletonAbbey，theplaceofhersojourn，wasabouttwentymilesdistantbyroad，eighteenbybridle-pathsandfootways。

Graceobserved，forthefirsttime，thatherhusbandwasrestless，thatatmomentsheevenwasdisposedtoavoidher。Thescrupulouscivilityofmereacquaintanceshipcreptintohismanner；yet，whensittingatmeals，heseemedhardlytohearherremarks。Herlittledoingsinterestedhimnolonger，whiletowardsherfatherhisbearingwasnotfarfromsupercilious。Itwasplainthathismindwasentirelyoutsideherlife，whereaboutsoutsideitshecouldnottell；insomeregionofscience，possibly，orofpsychologicalliterature。ButherhopethathewasagainimmersinghimselfinthoselucubrationswhichbeforehermarriagehadmadehislightalandmarkinHintock，wasfoundedsimplyontheslenderfactthatheoftensatuplate。

OneeveningshediscoveredhimleaningoveragateonRub-DownHill，thegateatwhichWinterbornehadoncebeenstanding，andwhichopenedonthebrinkofasteep，slantingdowndirectlyintoBlackmoorVale，ortheValeoftheWhiteHart，extendingbeneaththeeyeatthispointtoadistanceofmanymiles。Hisattentionwasfixedonthelandscapefaraway，andGrace’sapproachwassonoiselessthathedidnothearher。Whenshecamecloseshecouldseehislipsmovingunconsciously，astosomeimpassionedvisionarytheme。

Shespoke，andFitzpiersstarted。“Whatareyoulookingat？”sheasked。

“Oh！IwascontemplatingouroldplaceofBuckbury，inmyidleway。”hesaid。

Ithadseemedtoherthathewaslookingmuchtotherightofthatcradleandtombofhisancestraldignity；butshemadenofurtherobservation，andtakinghisarmwalkedhomebesidehimalmostinsilence。ShedidnotknowthatMiddletonAbbeylayinthedirectionofhisgaze。“AreyougoingtohaveoutDarlingthisafternoon？”sheasked，presently。Darlingbeingthelight-graymarewhichWinterbornehadboughtforGrace，andwhichFitzpiersnowconstantlyused，theanimalhavingturnedoutawonderfulbargain，incombiningaperfectdocilitywithanalmosthumanintelligence；moreover，shewasnottooyoung。Fitzpierswasunfamiliarwithhorses，andhevaluedthesequalities。

“Yes。”hereplied，“butnottodrive。Iamridingher。I

practisecrossingahorseasoftenasIcannow，forIfindthatI

cantakemuchshortercutsonhorseback。”

Hehad，infact，takentheseridingexercisesforaboutaweek，onlysinceMrs。Charmond’sabsence，hisuniversalpracticehithertohavingbeentodrive。

Somefewdayslater，FitzpiersstartedonthebackofthishorsetoseeapatientintheaforesaidVale。Itwasaboutfiveo’clockintheeveningwhenhewentaway，andatbedtimehehadnotreachedhome。Therewasnothingverysingularinthis，thoughshewasnotawarethathehadanypatientmorethanfiveorsixmilesdistantinthatdirection。TheclockhadstruckonebeforeFitzpiersenteredthehouse，andhecametohisroomsoftly，asifanxiousnottodisturbher。

Thenextmorningshewasstirringconsiderablyearlierthanhe。

Intheyardtherewasaconversationgoingonaboutthemare；themanwhoattendedtothehorses，Darlingincluded，insistedthatthelatterwas“hag-rid；“forwhenhehadarrivedatthestablethatmorningshewasinsuchastateasnohorsecouldbeinbyhonestriding。Itwastruethatthedoctorhadstabledherhimselfwhenhegothome，sothatshewasnotlookedafterasshewouldhavebeenifhehadgroomedandfedher；butthatdidnotaccountfortheappearanceshepresented，ifMr。Fitzpiers’sjourneyhadbeenonlywherehehadstated。ThephenomenalexhaustionofDarling，asthusrelated，wassufficienttodevelopawholeseriesoftalesaboutridingwitchesanddemons，thenarrationofwhichoccupiedaconsiderabletime。

Gracereturnedin-doors。Inpassingthroughtheouterroomshepickedupherhusband’sovercoatwhichhehadcarelesslyflungdownacrossachair。Aturnpiketicketfelloutofthebreast-

pocket，andshesawthatithadbeenissuedatMiddletonGate。HehadthereforevisitedMiddletonthepreviousnight，adistanceofatleastfive-and-thirtymilesonhorseback，thereandback。

Duringthedayshemadesomeinquiries，andlearnedforthefirsttimethatMrs。CharmondwasstayingatMiddletonAbbey。Shecouldnotresistaninference——strangeasthatinferencewas。

Afewdayslaterhepreparedtostartagain，atthesametimeandinthesamedirection。Sheknewthatthestateofthecottagerwholivedthatwaywasamerepretext；shewasquitesurehewasgoingtoMrs。Charmond。Gracewasamazedatthemildnessofthepassionwhichthesuspicionengenderedinher。Shewasbutlittleexcited，andherjealous