第41章

Shewalkedupthesoftgrassyride，screenedoneitherhandbynut-bushes，justnowheavywithclustersoftwosandthreesandfours。Alittlewayon，thetrackshepursuedwascrossedbyasimilaroneatrightangles。HereGracestopped；somefewyardsupthetransverseridethebuxomSukeDamsonwasvisible——hergowntuckeduphighthroughherpocket-hole，andnobonnetonherhead——

intheactofpullingdownboughsfromwhichshewasgatheringandeatingnutswithgreatrapidity，herloverTimTangsstandingnearherengagedinthesamepleasantmeal。

Crack，crackwentSuke’sjawseverysecondortwo。ByanautomaticchainofthoughtGrace’smindrevertedtothetooth-

drawingscenedescribedbyherhusband；andforthefirsttimeshewonderedifthatnarrativewerereallytrue，Susan’sjawsbeingsoobviouslysoundandstrong。Graceturneduptowardsthenut-

gatherers，andconqueredherreluctancetospeaktothegirlwhowasalittleinadvanceofTim。“Good-evening，Susan。”shesaid。

“Good-evening，MissMelbury“(crack)。

“Mrs。Fitzpiers。”

“Ohyes，ma’am——Mrs。Fitzpiers。”saidSuke，withapeculiarsmile。

Grace，nottobedaunted，continued：“Takecareofyourteeth，Suke。Thataccountsforthetoothache。”

“Idon’tknowwhatanacheis，eitherintooth，ear，orhead，thanktheLord“(crack)。

“Northelossofone，either？”

“Seeforyourself，ma’am。”Shepartedherredlips，andexhibitedthewholedoublerow，fullupandunimpaired。

“Youhaveneverhadonedrawn？”

“Never。”

“Somuchthebetterforyourstomach。”saidMrs。Fitzpiers，inanalteredvoice。Andturningawayquickly，shewenton。

Asherhusband’scharacterthusshapeditselfunderthetouchoftime，Gracewasalmoststartledtofindhowlittleshesufferedfromthatjealousexcitementwhichisconventionallyattributedtoallwivesinsuchcircumstances。Butthoughpossessedbynoneofthatfelinewildnesswhichitwashermoraldutytoexperience，shedidnotfailtoknowthatshehadmadeafrightfulmistakeinhermarriage。Acquiescenceinherfather’swisheshadbeendegradationtoherself。Peoplearenotgivenpremonitionsfornothing；sheshouldhaveobeyedherimpulseonthatearlymorning，andsteadfastlyrefusedherhand。

Oh，thatplausibletalewhichherthenbetrothedhadtoldheraboutSuke——thedramaticaccountofherentreatiestohimtodrawtheachingenemy，andthefineartistictouchhehadgiventothestorybyexplainingthatitwasalovelymolarwithoutaflaw！

Shetracedtheremainderofthewoodlandtrackdazedbythecomplicationsofherposition。Ifhisprotestationstoherbeforetheirmarriagecouldbebelieved，herhusbandhadfeltaffectionofsomesortforherselfandthiswomansimultaneously；andwasnowagainspreadingthesameemotionoverMrs。Charmondandherselfconjointly，hismannerbeingstillkindandfondattimes。

Butsurely，ratherthanthat，hemusthaveplayedthehypocritetowardsherineachcasewithelaboratecompleteness；andthethoughtofthissickenedher，foritinvolvedtheconjecturethatifhehadnotlovedher，hisonlymotiveformakingherhiswifemusthavebeenherlittlefortune。YethereGracemadeamistake，fortheloveofmenlikeFitzpiersisunquestionablyofsuchqualityastobeardivisionandtransference。Hehadindeed，oncedeclared，thoughnottoher，thatononeoccasionhehadnoticedhimselftobepossessedbyfivedistinctinfatuationsatthesametime。Thereinitdifferedfromthehighestaffectionasthelowerordersoftheanimalworlddifferfromadvancedorganisms，partitioncausing，notdeath，butamultipliedexistence。Hehadlovedhersincerely，andhadbynomeansceasedtolovehernow。

Butsuchdoubleandtreblebarrelledheartswerenaturallybeyondherconception。

OfpoorSukeDamson，Gracethoughtnomore。Shehadhadherday。

“IfhedoesnotlovemeIwillnotlovehim！”saidGrace，proudly。

Andthoughtheseweremerewords，itwasasomewhatformidablethingforFitzpiersthatherheartwasapproximatingtoastateinwhichitmightbepossibletocarrythemout。Thatveryabsenceofhotjealousywhichmadehiscoursessoeasy，andonwhich，indeed，hecongratulatedhimself，meant，unknowntoeitherwifeorhusband，moremischiefthantheinconvenie