“Captain Vye is not at home?” she said.
“No, ma’am,” said the lad in a flutter of feeling;
I feel giddy—that’s all.”
“Shall I get you something to eat and drink?” he said.
“If you please, Charley. But I suppose there is no fire?”
“I can light it, ma’am.”
“Yes, if you like.”
“Yes, do,” she murmured languidly.
“Place it on the table,” she said. “I shall be ready soon.”
Eustacia sat up and poured out a cup of tea. “You are very kind to me, Charley,” she murmured as she sipped.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Well?”
“Locked up.”
“Where?”
“In the stable.”
“Give them to me.”
“No, ma’am.”
“You refuse?”
“I do. I care too much for you to give ‘em up.”
“Charley, no more of that. What do you mean to do about this you have seen?”
“Keep it close as night, if you promise not to think of it again.”
“You need not fear. The moment has passed. I promise.”
5 - An Old Move Inadvertently Repeated
“Mrs. Wildeve and the nurse-girl,” said Charley.
“The nurse is carrying the baby?” said Eustacia.
“Is it not a pity to knock it out?”
“No, no; not exactly—“
“It has been pushed too far—it is killing you—I do think it!”
“Not you. This place I live in.”
“Ah, your generosity may naturally make you say that. But I am the culprit. I should either have done more or nothing at all.”
“We are each married to another person,” she said faintly;
“Will it be safe to leave you there alone?”
“No,” said Thomasin, alarmed.
“Can a man be too cruel to his mother’s enemy?”
“I can fancy so.”
Can I ever forget it, or even agree to see her again?”
“She says herself that she did not. But the fact remains that keep her out she did.”
“Believe her sorry, and send for her.”
I can no longer think of you to your prejudice—I am
but too much absorbed in justifying you.—Your husband
as ever,
CLYM.
“I am sure I do. There’s only one thing unpleasant about Egdon.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t be like that, Damon!” she murmured. “I didn’t see anything. You vanished out of sight, and then I looked round at the bonfires and came in.”
“Perhaps this is not the only time you have dogged my steps.
Are you trying to find out something bad about me?”
“What DO you mean?” he impatiently asked.
7 - The Night of the Sixth of November
“She is thinking of that husband of hers,” he said to himself.
“Ah, the silly goose! she had no business to marry him.
“A red ribbon round her neck.”
“Anything else?”
“No—except sandal-shoes.”
“A red ribbon and sandal-shoes,” she said to herself.
8 - Rain, Darkness, and Anxious Wanderers
“Who’s there?” he cried.
“No.”
“I’ll go,” said Clym. “O, Eustacia!”
“No, no—don’t stay for that. I’ll make up the fire.
Yeobright ran upstairs to finish dressing himself.
“Captain Vye?” he said to a dripping figure.
“Is my granddaughter here?” said the captain.
“No.”
I am just going to look to it.”
“Well, she has left my house; she left about half an hour ago.
Who’s sitting there?”
“My cousin Thomasin.”
“Well, I have been told a strange tale. Before starting in search of her I called up Charley, my stable lad. I missed my pistols the other day.”
“Pistols?”
“Where are the pistols?”
“Where to?”
“Why, it is Diggory Venn’s van, surely!” she said.
“Diggory?” said Thomasin faintly.
Venn then came nearer till he could see the illuminated side of her form.
“Mrs. Wildeve!” he exclaimed, starting. “What a time for us to meet! And the baby too! What dreadful thing can have brought you out on such a night as this?”
“I only came this minute.”
“Well, yes; not far out.”
Thomasin hesitated a moment, and then delivered the baby into Venn’s hands. “Don’t squeeze her, Diggory,” she said, “or hurt her little arm; and keep the cloak close over her like this, so that the rain may not drop in her face.”
“I only meant accidentally,” said Thomasin.
“You are sure the rain does not fall upon baby?”
“A little over a quarter of a mile.”
“But the light is at the inn, and there is no quag in front of that.”
“There are some things that cannot be—cannot be told to—“ And then her heart rose into her throat, and she could say no more.
“Eustacia?” said Wildeve.
Both started. “Good God! can it be she?” said Clym.
“Why should it be she?” said Wildeve, in his alarm forgetting that he had hitherto screened himself.
Yeobright seized the one on his side and hastened on;
“Clym’s alive!” she exclaimed.
“Oh, ‘tis not much. I have changed my things. This is only a little dampness I’ve got coming through the rain again.”
“What be they?” said Venn.
“I dare say you may see her,” said Diggory gravely.
“But hadn’t you better run and tell Captain Vye?”
“Yes, yes. Only I do hope I shall see her just once again.”
book six
AFTERCOURSES
“I turned so by degrees, ma’am.”
“You look much better than ever you did before.”
“But you might not like to see a lot of folk going crazy round a stick, under your very nose?”
“I shall have no objection at all.”
“Is it because of the Maypole?”
“No, I did not.”
“You appeared to be dressed on purpose.”
“Mr. Venn,” said Thomasin.
“You might have asked him to come in, I think, Tamsie.
He has been very kind to you first and last.”
“It is Mr. Venn, I think?” she inquired.
“Will you come in?”
“I am afraid that I—“
“No,” he sighed.
“Not tonight, thank you, ma’am.”
“Shall I lend you a lantern to look for the young person’s glove, Mr. Venn?”
“O no; it is not necessary, Mrs. Wildeve, thank you.
2 - Thomasin Walks in a Green Place by the Roman Road
Rachel did not reply.
“I think it is lost, ma’am.”
“Who’s somebody?”
“Mr. Venn.”
“Yes. I told him.”
Venn immediately dismounted, put his hand in his breastpocket, and handed the glove.
“It is very good of you to say so.”
“Ah, no,” she said quickly. “But men of your character are mostly so independent.”
“What is my character?” he asked.
“You mustn’t judge by folks in general,” said Venn.
Money is all my dream.”
“Yes, ‘tis rather a rum course,” said Venn, in the bland tone of one comfortably resigned to sins he could no longer overcome.
“Why?” she asked.
“I am rather glad of that,” said Venn softly, and regarding her from the corner of his eye, “for it makes it easier for us to be friendly.”
“By all means say on, Tamsie.”
“Well, yes, I suppose I am; a sort of guardian. In fact, I am, of course,” he said, altogether perplexed as to her drift.
“I am thinking of marrying,” she then observed blandly. “But I shall not marry unless you assure me that you approve of such a step. Why don’t you speak?”
“No, no,” she said hastily. “’Tis Mr. Venn.”
Clym’s face suddenly became grave.
time astute man. He is clever too, as is proved by his
having got you to favour him. But really, Thomasin, he is
not quite—“
“Neither could I,” said Clym.
“Who? O yes—Diggory Venn.”
“Have they?” said Clym abstractedly.
“I can guess,” he replied.
every amends for the treatment you received in days gone by.”*
