第42章

ThatFitzpierscouldallowhimselftolookonanyothercreatureforamomentthanGracefilledMelburywithgriefandastonishment。Inthepureandsimplelifehehadledithadscarcelyoccurredtohimthataftermarriageamanmightbefaithless。ThathecouldsweeptotheheightsofMrs。Charmond’sposition，lifttheveilofIsis，sotospeak，wouldhaveamazedMelburybyitsaudacityifhehadnotsuspectedencouragementfromthatquarter。WhatcouldheandhissimpleGracedotocountervailthepassionsofsuchasthosetwosophisticatedbeings——versedintheworld’sways，armedwitheveryapparatusforvictory？Insuchanencounterthehomelytimber-dealerfeltasinferiorasabow-and-arrowsavagebeforethepreciseweaponsofmodernwarfare。

Gracecameoutofthehouseasthemorningdrewon。Thevillagewassilent，mostofthefolkhavinggonetothefair。Fitzpiershadretiredtobed，andwassleepingoffhisfatigue。ShewenttothestableandlookedatpoorDarling：inallprobabilityGilesWinterborne，byobtainingforherahorseofsuchintelligenceanddocility，hadbeenthemeansofsavingherhusband’slife。Shepausedoverthestrangethought；andthenthereappearedherfatherbehindher。Shesawthatheknewthingswerenotastheyoughttobe，fromthetroubleddulnessofhiseye，andfromhisface，differentpointsofwhichhadindependentmotions，twitchings，andtremblings，unknowntohimself，andinvoluntary。

“Hewasdetained，Isuppose，lastnight？”saidMelbury。

“Ohyes；abadcaseinthevale。”shereplied，calmly。

“Nevertheless，heshouldhavestayedathome。”

“Buthecouldn’t，father。”

Herfatherturnedaway。Hecouldhardlybeartoseehiswhilomtruthfulgirlbroughttothehumiliationofhavingtotalklikethat。

ThatnightcarkingcaresatbesideMelbury’spillow，andhisstifflimbstossedatitspresence。“Ican’tliehereanylonger。”hemuttered。Strikingalight，hewanderedabouttheroom。“WhathaveIdone——whathaveIdoneforher？”hesaidtohiswife，whohadanxiouslyawakened。“IhadlongplannedthatsheshouldmarrythesonofthemanIwantedtomakeamendsto；doyemindhowI

toldyouallaboutit，Lucy，thenightbeforeshecamehome？Ah！

butIwasnotcontentwithdoingright，Iwantedtodomore！”

“Don’traftyourselfwithoutgoodneed，George。”shereplied。“I

won’tquitebelievethatthingsaresomuchamiss。Iwon’tbelievethatMrs。Charmondhasencouragedhim。Evensupposingshehasencouragedagreatmany，shecanhavenomotivetodoitnow。

Whatsolikelyasthatsheisnotyetquitewell，anddoesn’tcaretoletanotherdoctorcomenearher？”

Hedidnotheed。“Graceusedtobesobusyeveryday，withfixingacurtainhereanddrivingatin-tackthere；butshecaresfornoemploymentnow！”

“DoyouknowanythingofMrs。Charmond’spasthistory？Perhapsthatwouldthrowsomelightuponthings。PeforeshecamehereasthewifeofoldCharmondfourorfiveyearsago，notasoulseemstohaveheardaughtofher。Whynotmakeinquiries？Andthendoyewaitandseemore；there’llbeplentyofopportnnity。Timeenoughtocrywhenyouknow’tisacryingmatter；and’tisbadtomeettroubleshalf-way。”

Therewassomegood-senseinthenotionofseeingfurther。

Melburyresolvedtoinquireandwait，hopingstill，hutoppressedbetween-whileswithmuchfear。

ExamineGraceasherfathermight，shewouldadmitnothing。Forthepresent，therefore，hesimplywatched。

ThesuspicionthathisdarlingchildwasbeingslightedwroughtalmostamiraculouschangeinMelbury’snature。Nomansofurtiveforthetimeastheingenuouscountrymanwhofindsthathisingenuousnesshasbeenabused。Melbury’sheretoforeconfidentialcandortowardshisgentlemanlyson-in-lawwasdisplacedbyafelinestealththatdidinjnrytohiseveryaction，thought，andmood。Heknewthatawomanoncegiventoamanforlifetook，asarule，herlotasitcameandmadethebestofit，withoutexternalinterference；butforthefirsttimeheaskedhimselfwhythissogenerallyshouldbeso。Moreover，thiscasewasnot，heargued，likeordinarycases。LeavingoutthequestionofGracebeinganythingbutanordinarywoman，herpeculiarsituation，asitwereinmid-airbetweentwoplanesof