第47章

ItwasatthebeginningofApril，afewdaysafterthemeetingbetweenGraceandMrs。Charmondinthewood，thatFitzpiers，justreturnedfromLondon，wastravellingfromSherton-AbbastoHintockinahiredcarriage。Inhiseyetherewasadoubtfullight，andthelinesofhisrefinedfaceshowedavaguedisquietude。Heappearednowlikeoneofthosewhoimpressthebeholderashavingsufferedwronginbeingborn。

Hispositionwasintruthgloomy，andtohisappreciativeminditseemedevengloomierthanitwas。Hispracticehadbeenslowlydwindlingoflate，andnowthreatenedtodieoutaltogether，theirrepressibleoldDr。JonescapturingpatientsuptoFitzpiers’sverydoor。Fitzpiersknewonlytoowellthelatestandgreatestcauseofhisunpopularity；andyet，soillogicalisman，thesecondbranchofhissadnessgrewoutofaremedialmeasureproposedforthefirst——aletterfromFeliceCharmondimploringhimnottoseeheragain。Tobringabouttheirseverancestillmoreeffectually，sheadded，shehaddecidedduringhisabsenceuponalmostimmediatedeparturefortheContinent。

Thetimewasthatdullintervalinawoodlander’slifewhichcoincideswithgreatactivityinthelifeofthewoodlanditself——

aperiodfollowingthecloseofthewintertree-cutting，andprecedingthebarkingseason，whenthesapsarejustbeginningtoheavewiththeforceofhydraulicliftsinsideallthetrunksoftheforest。

Winterborne’scontractwascompleted，andtheplantationsweredeserted。Itwasdusk；therewerenoleavesasyet；thenightingaleswouldnotbegintosingforafortnight；and“theMotheroftheMonths“wasinhermostattenuatedphase——starvedandbenttoamerebowedskeleton，whichglidedalongbehindthebaretwigsinFitzpiers’scompanyWhenhereachedhomehewentstraightuptohiswife’ssitting-

room。Hefounditdeserted，andwithoutafire。Hehadmentionednodayforhisreturn；nevertheless，hewonderedwhyshewasnottherewaitingtoreceivehim。OndescendingtotheotherwingofthehouseandinquiringofMrs。Melbury，helearnedwithmuchsurprisethatGracehadgoneonavisittoanacquaintanceatShottsford-Forumthreedaysearlier；thattidingshadonthismorningreachedherfatherofherbeingveryunwellthere，inconsequenceofwhichhehadriddenovertoseeher。

Fitzpierswentup-stairsagain，andthelittledrawing-room，nowlightedbyasolitarycandle，wasnotrenderedmorecheerfulbytheentranceofGrammerOliverwithanapronfulofwood，whichshethrewonthehearthwhilesherakedoutthegrateandrattledaboutthefire-irons，withaviewtomakingthingscomfortable。

FitzpiersconsideredthatGraceoughttohavelethimknowherplansmoreaccuratelybeforeleavinghomeinafreaklikethis。

Hewentdesultorilytothewindow，theblindofwhichhadnotbeenpulleddown，andlookedoutatthethin，fast-sinkingmoon，andatthetallstalkofsmokerisingfromthetopofSukeDamson’schimney，signifyingthattheyoungwomanhadjustlitherfiretopreparesupper。

Hebecameconsciousofadiscussioninprogressontheoppositesideofthecourt。Somebodyhadlookedoverthewalltotalktothesawyers，andwastellingtheminaloudvoicenewsinwhichthenameofMrs。Charmondsoonarrestedhisears。

“Grammer，don’tmakesomuchnoisewiththatgrate。”saidthesurgeon；atwhichGrammerrearedherselfuponherkneesandheldthefuelsuspendedinherhand，whileFitzpiershalfopenedthecasement。

“Sheisofftoforeignlandsagainatlast——hevmadeuphermindquitesudden-like——anditisthoughtedshe’llleaveinadayortwo。She’sbeenallasifhermindwerelowforsomedayspast——

withasortofsorrowinherface，asifshereproachedherownsoul。She’sthewrongsortofwomanforHintock——hardlyknowingabeechfromawoak——thatIown。ButIdon’tcarewhothemanis，she’sbeenaverykindfriendtome。

“Well，thedayafterto-morrowistheSabbathday，andwithoutcharitywearebuttinklingsimples；butthisIdosay，thathergoingwillbeablessedthingforacertainmarriedcouplewhoremain。”

Thefirewaslighted，andFitzpierssatdowninfrontofit，restlessasthelastleafuponatree。“Asortofsorrowinherface，asifshereproachedherownsoul。”PoorFelice。HowFelice’sframemustbepulsingundertheconditionsofwhichhehadjustheardthecaricature；howherfairtemplesmustache；

whatamoodofwretchednessshemustbein！Butforthemixingupofhisnamewithhers，andherdeterminationtosundertheirtoocloseacquaintanceonthataccount，shewouldprobablyhavesentforhimprofe