“No，no，theaircoolsmyhead。Ishallnotstaylong。”Hewassilentawhile；thenhetoldher，asnearlyasMartycouldgather，thathisfirstwife，hisdaughterGrace’smother，wasfirstthesweetheartofWinterborne’sfather，wholovedhertenderly，tillhe，thespeaker，wonherawayfromhimbyatrick，becausehewantedtomarryherhimself。Hesadlywentontosaythattheotherman’shappinesswasruinedbyit；thatthoughhemarriedWinterborne’smother，itwasbutahalf-heartedbusinesswithhim。
Melburyaddedthathewasafterwardsverymiserableatwhathehaddone；butthatastimewenton，andthechildrengrewup，andseemedtobeattachedtoeachother，hedeterminedtodoallhecouldtorightthewrongbylettinghisdaughtermarrythelad；
notonlythat，buttogiveherthebesteducationhecouldafford，soastomakethegiftasvaluableaoneasitlayinhispowertobestow。“Istillmeantodoit。”saidMelbury。
“Thendo。”saidshe。
“Butallthesethingstroubleme。”saidhe；“forIfeelIamsacrificingherformyownsin；andIthinkofher，andoftencomedownhereandlookatthis。”
“Lookatwhat？”askedhiswife。
Hetookthecandlefromherhand，heldittotheground，andremovedatilewhichlayinthegarden-path。“’Tisthetrackofhershoethatshemadewhensherandownherethedaybeforeshewentawayallthosemonthsago。Icovereditupwhenshewasgone；andwhenIcomehereandlookatit，Iaskmyselfagain，whyshouldshebesacrificedtoapoorman？”
“Itisnotaltogetherasacrifice。”saidthewoman。“Heisinlovewithher，andhe’shonestandupright。Ifsheencourageshim，whatcanyouwishformore？”
“Iwishfornothingdefinite。Butthere’salotofthingspossibleforher。Why，Mrs。Charmondiswantingsomerefinedyounglady，Ihear，togoabroadwithher——ascompanionorsomethingofthekind。She’djumpatGrace。”
“That’salluncertain。Bettersticktowhat’ssure。”
“True，true。”saidMelbury；“andIhopeitwillbeforthebest。
Yes，letmeget’emmarriedupassoonasIcan，soastohaveitoveranddonewith。”Hecontinuedlookingattheimprint，whileheadded，“Supposesheshouldbedying，andnevermakeatrackonthispathanymore？”
“She’llwritesoon，dependupon’t。Come，’tiswrongtostayhereandbroodso。”
Headmittedit，butsaidhecouldnothelpit。“Whethershewriteorno，Ishallfetchherinafewdays。”Andthusspeaking，hecoveredthetrack，andprecededhiswifeindoors。
Melbury，perhaps，wasanunluckymaninhavingwithinhimthesentimentwhichcouldindulgeinthisfoolishfondnessabouttheimprintofadaughter’sfootstep。Naturedoesnotcarryonhergovernmentwithaviewtosuchfeelings，andwhenadvancingyearsrendertheopenheartsofthosewhopossessthemlessdexterousthanformerlyinshuttingagainsttheblast，theymustsuffer“buffetingatwillbyrainandstorm“nolessthanLittleCelandines。
Butherownexistence，andnotMr。Melbury’s，wasthecentreofMarty’sconsciousness，anditwasinrelationtothisthatthematterstruckherassheslowlywithdrew。
“That，then，isthesecretofitall。”shesaid。“AndGilesWinterborneisnotforme，andthelessIthinkofhimthebetter。”
Shereturnedtohercottage。Thesovereignswerestaringatherfromthelooking-glassasshehadleftthem。Withapreoccupiedcountenance，andwithtearsinhereyes，shegotapairofscissors，andbeganmercilesslycuttingoffthelonglocksofherhair，arrangingandtyingthemwiththeirpointsalloneway，asthebarberhaddirected。Uponthepalescrubbeddealofthecoffin-stooltabletheystretchedlikewavingandropyweedsoverthewashedgravel-bedofaclearstream。
Shewouldnotturnagaintothelittlelooking-glass，outofhumanitytoherself，knowingwhatadefloweredvisagewouldlookbackather，andalmostbreakherheart；shedreadeditasmuchasdidherownancestralgoddessSifthereflectioninthepoolaftertherapeofherlocksbyLokethemalicious。Shesteadilystucktobusiness，wrappedthehairinaparcel，andsealeditup，afterwhichsherakedoutthefireandwenttobed，havingfirstsetupanalarummadeofacandleandpieceofthread，withastoneattached。
Butsuchareminderwasunnecessaryto-night。Havingtossedtillaboutfiveo’clock，Martyheardthesparrowswalkingdowntheirlongholesinthethatchaboveherslopingceilingtotheirorificeattheeaves；whereuponshealsoarose，anddescendedtotheground-flooragain。
Itwasstilldark，butshebeganmovingaboutthehouseinthoseautomaticinitiatoryactsandtoucheswhichrepresentamonghousewivestheinstallationofanotherday。WhilethusengagedsheheardtherumblingofMr。Melbury’swagons，andknewthatthere，too，theday’stoilhadbegun。
Anarmfulofgadsthrownonthestillhotemberscausedthemtoblazeupcheerfullyandbringherdiminishedhead-gearintosuddenprominenceasashadow。Atthisastepapproachedthedoor。
“Arefolkastirhereyet？”inquiredavoicesheknewwell。
“Yes，Mr。Winterborne。”saidMarty，throwingonatiltbonnet，whichcompletelyhidtherecentravagesofthescissors。“Comein！”
Thedoorwasflungback，andtheresteppedinuponthematamannotparticularlyyoungforalover，norparticularlymatureforapersonofaffairs。Therewasreserveinhisglance，andrestraintuponhismouth。Hecarriedahornlanternwhichhunguponaswivel，andwheelingasitdangledmarkedgrotesqueshapesupontheshadierpartofthewalls。
Hesaidthathehadlookedinonhiswaydown，totellherthattheydidnotexpectherfathertomakeuphiscontractifhewasnotwell。Mr。Melburywouldgivehimanotherweek，andtheywouldgotheirjourneywithashortloadthatday。
“Theyaredone。”saidMarty，“andlyinginthecart-house。”
“Done！”herepeated。“Yourfatherhasnotbeentooilltoworkafterall，then？”
Shemadesomeevasivereply。“I’llshowyouwheretheybe，ifyouaregoingdown。”sheadded。
Theywentoutandwalkedtogether，thepatternoftheair-holesinthetopofthelanternbeingthrownuponthemistoverhead，wheretheyappearedofgiantsize，asifreachingthetent-shapedsky。
Theyhadnoremarkstomaketoeachother，andtheyutterednone。
Hardlyanythingcouldbemoreisolatedormoreself-containedthanthelivesofthesetwowalkinghereinthelonelyantelucanhour，whengrayshades，materialandmental，aresoverygray。Andyet，lookedatinacertainway，theirlonelycoursesformednodetacheddesignatall，butwerepartofthepatterninthegreatwebofhumandoingsthenweavinginbothhemispheres，fromtheWhiteSeatoCapeHorn。
Theshedwasreached，andshepointedoutthespars。Winterborneregardedthemsilently，thenlookedather。
“Now，Marty，Ibelieve——“hesaid，andshookhishead。
“What？”
“Thatyou’vedonetheworkyourself。”
“Don’tyoutellanybody，willyou，Mr。Winterborne？”shepleaded，bywayofanswer。“BecauseIamafraidMr。Melburymayrefusemyworkifheknowsitismine。”
“Buthowcouldyoulearntodoit？’Tisatrade。”
“Trade！”saidshe。“I’dbeboundtolearnitintwohours。”
“Ohno，youwouldn’t，Mrs。Marty。”Winterbornehelddownhislantern，andexaminedthecleanlysplithazelsastheylay。
“Marty。”hesaid，withdryadmiration，“yourfatherwithhisfortyyearsofpracticenevermadeasparbetterthanthat。Theyaretoogoodforthethatchingofhouses——theyaregoodenoughforthefurniture。ButIwon’ttell。Letmelookatyourhands——yourpoorhands！”
Hehadakindlymannerofaquietlyseveretone；andwhensheseemedreluctanttoshowherhands，hetookholdofoneandexamineditasifitwerehisown。Herfingerswereblistered。
“They’llgetharderintime。”shesaid。“Foriffathercontinuesill，Ishallhavetogoonwi’it。NowI’llhelpput’emupinwagon。”
Winterbornewithoutspeakingsetdownhislantern，liftedherasshewasabouttostoopoverthebundles，placedherbehindhim，andbeganthrowingupthebundleshimself。“RatherthanyoushoulddoitIwill。”hesaid。“Butthemenwillbeheredirectly。Why，Marty！——whateverhashappenedtoyourhead？Lord，ithasshrunktonothing——itlooksanappleuponagate-post！”
Herheartswelled，andshecouldnotspeak。Atlengthshemanagedtogroan，lookingontheground，“I’vemademyselfugly——andhateful——that’swhatI’vedone！”
“No，no。”heanswered。“You’veonlycutyourhair——Iseenow。
“Thenwhymustyouneedssaythataboutapplesandgate-posts？”
“Letmesee。”
“No，no！”Sheranoffintothegloomofthesluggishdawn。Hedidnotattempttofollowher。Whenshereachedherfather’sdoorshestoodonthestepandlookedback。Mr。Melbury’smenhadarrived，andwereloadingupthespars，andtheirlanternsappearedfromthedistanceatwhichshestoodtohavewancirclesroundthem，likeeyeswearywithwatching。Sheobservedthemforafewsecondsastheysetaboutharnessingthehorses，andthenwentindoors。
