第51章

ItwashewhohadcalledMelburybyname。“Youlookverydown，Mr。Melbury——very，ifImaysayasmuch。”heobserved，whenthetimber-merchantturned。“ButIknow——Iknow。Averysadcase——

very。Iwasbredtothelaw，asyouknow，andamprofessionallynostrangertosuchmatters。Well，Mrs。Fitzpiershasherremedy。”

“How——what——aremedy？”saidMelbury。

“Underthenewlaw，sir。Anewcourtwasestablishedlastyear，andunderthenewstatute，twentyandtwenty-oneVic。，cap。

eighty-five，unmarryingisaseasyasmarrying。NomoreActsofParliamentnecessary；nolongeronelawfortherichandanotherforthepoor。Butcomeinside——Iwasjustgoingtohaveanibleykinofrumhot——I’llexplainitalltoyou。”

TheintelligenceamazedMelbury，whosawlittleofnewspapers。

Andthoughhewasaseverelycorrectmaninhishabits，andhadnotasteforenteringatavernwithFredBeaucock——nay，wouldhavebeenquiteuninfluencedbysuchacharacteronanyothermatterintheworld——suchfascinationlayintheideaofdeliveringhispoorgirlfrombondage，thatitdeprivedhimofthecriticalfaculty。

Hecouldnotresisttheex-lawyer’sclerk，andenteredtheinn。

Heretheysatdowntotherum，whichMelburypaidforasamatterofcourse，Beaucockleaningbackinthesettlewithalegalgravitywhichwouldhardlyallowhimtobeconsciousofthespiritsbeforehim，thoughtheyneverthelessdisappearedwithmysteriousquickness。

HowmuchoftheexaggeratedinformationonthethennewdivorcelawswhichBeaucockimpartedtohislistenerwastheresultofignorance，andhowmuchofdupery，wasneverascertained。ButherelatedsuchaplausiblestoryoftheeasewithwhichGracecouldbecomeafreewomanthatherfatherwasirradiatedwiththeproject；andthoughhescarcelywettedhislips，Melburyneverknewhowhecameoutoftheinn，orwhenorwherehemountedhisgigtopursuehiswayhomeward。Buthomehefoundhimself，hisbrainhavingallthewayseemedtoringsonorouslyasagongintheintensityofitsstir。BeforehehadseenGrace，hewasaccidentallymetbyWinterborne，whofoundhisfaceshiningasifhehad，liketheLaw-giver，conversedwithanangel。

Herelinquishedhishorse，andtookWinterbornebythearmtoaheapofrendlewood——asbarkedoakwasherecalled——whichlayunderaprivet-hedge。

“Giles。”hesaid，whentheyhadsatdownuponthelogs，“there’sanewlawintheland！Gracecanbefreequiteeasily。Ionlyknewitbythemerestaccident。Imightnothavefounditoutforthenexttenyears。Shecangetridofhim——d’yehear？——getridofhim。Thinkofthat，myfriendGiles！”

Herelatedwhathehadlearnedofthenewlegalremedy。AsubduedtremulousnessaboutthemouthwasalltheresponsethatWinterbornemade；andMelburyadded，“Myboy，youshallhaveheryet——ifyouwanther。”Hisfeelingshadgatheredvolumeashesaidthis，andthearticulatesoundoftheoldideadrownedhissightinmist。

“Areyousure——aboutthisnewlaw？”askedWinterborne，sodisquietedbyagiganticexultationwhichloomedalternatelywithfearfuldoubtthatheevadedthefullacceptanceofMelbury’slaststatement。

Melburysaidthathehadnomannerofdoubt，forsincehistalkwithBeaucockithadcomeintohismindthathehadseensometimeagointheweeklypaperanallusiontosuchalegalchange；but，havingnointerestinthosedesperateremediesatthemoment，hehadpasseditover。“ButI’mnotgoingtoletthematterrestdoubtfulforasingleday。”hecontinued。“IamgoingtoLondon。

Beaucockwillgowithme，andweshallgetthebestadviceassoonaswepossiblycan。Beaucockisathoroughlawyer——nothingthematterwithhimbutafierypalate。IknewhimasthestayandrefugeofShertoninknotsoflawatonetime。”

Winterborne’sreplieswereofthevaguest。Thenewpossibilitywasalmostunthinkablebyhimatthemoment。HewaswhatwascalledatHintock“asolid-goingfellow；“hemaintainedhisabeyantmood，notfromwantofreciprocity，butfromataciturnhesitancy，taughtbylifeasheknewit。

“But。”continuedthetimber-merchant，atemporarycreaseortwoofanxietysupplementingthosealreadyestablishedinhisforeheadbytimeandcare，“Graceisnotatallwell。Nothingconstitutional，youknow；butshehasbeeninalow，nervousstateeversincethatnightoffright。Idon’tdoubtbutthatshewillbeallrightsoon。Iwonderhowsheisthisevening？”Herosewiththewords，asifhehadtoolongfo