WhilesheregardedhimhesuddenlyliftedhiseyesinadirectionawayfromMarty，hisfacesimultaneouslykindlingwithrecognitionandsurprise。Shefollowedhisgaze，andsawwalkingacrosstohimaflexibleyoungcreatureinwhomsheperceivedthefeaturesofhershehadknownasMissGraceMelbury，butnowlookingglorifiedandrefinedaboveherformerlevel。Winterborne，beingfixedtothespotbyhisapple-tree，couldnotadvancetomeether；heheldouthissparehandwithhishatinit，andwithsomeembarrassmentbeheldhercomingontiptoethroughthemudtothemiddleofthesquarewherehestood。
MissMelbury’sarrivalsoearlywas，asMartycouldsee，unexpectedbyGiles，whichaccountedforhisnotbeingreadytoreceiveher。Indeed，herfatherhadnamedfiveo’clockasherprobabletime，forwhichreasonthathourhadbeenloomingoutallthedayinhisforwardperspective，likeanimportantedificeonaplain。Nowhereshewascome，heknewnothow，andhisarrangedwelcomestultified。
Hisfacebecamegloomyathernecessityforsteppingintotheroad，andmorestillatthelittlelookofembarrassmentwhichappearedonhersathavingtoperformthemeetingwithhimunderanapple-treetenfeethighinthemiddleofthemarket-place。
Havinghadoccasiontotakeoffthenewglovesshehadboughttocomehomein，sheheldouttohimahandgraduatingfrompinkatthetipsofthefingerstowhiteatthepalm；andthereceptionformedascene，withthetreeovertheirheads，whichwasnotbyanymeansanordinaryoneinShertonAbbasstreets。
Nevertheless，thegreetingonherlooksandlipswasofarestrainedtype，whichperhapswasnotunnatural。FortrueitwasthatGilesWinterborne，well-attiredandwell-manneredashewasforayeoman，lookedroughbesideher。Ithadsometimesdimlyoccurredtohim，inhisruminatingsilenceatLittleHintock，thatexternalphenomena——suchasthelownessorheightorcolorofahat，thefoldofacoat，themakeofaboot，orthechanceattitudeoroccupationofalimbattheinstantofview——mayhaveagreatinfluenceuponfeminineopinionofaman’sworth——sofrequentlyfoundedonnon-essentials；butacertaincausticityofmentaltonetowardshimselfandtheworldingeneralhadpreventedto-day，asalways，anyenthusiasticactiononthestrengthofthatreflection；andhermomentaryinstinctofreserveatfirstsightofhimwasthepenaltyhepaidforhislaxness。
Hegaveawaythetreetoaby-stander，assoonashecouldfindonewhowouldacceptthecumbersomegift，andthetwainmovedontowardstheinnatwhichhehadputup。MartymadeasiftostepforwardforthepleasureofbeingrecognizedbyMissMelbury；butabruptlycheckingherself，sheglidedbehindacarrier’svan，saying，dryly，“No；Ibaintwantedthere。”andcriticallyregardedWinterborne’scompanion。
ItwouldhavebeenverydifficulttodescribeGraceMelburywithprecision，eithernoworatanytime。Nay，fromthehighestpointofview，topreciselydescribeahumanbeing，thefocusofauniverse——howimpossible！But，apartfromtranscendentalism，thereneverprobablylivedapersonwhowasinherselfmorecompletelyareductioadabsurdumofattemptstoappraiseawoman，evenexternally，byitemsoffaceandfigure。Speakinggenerally，itmaybesaidthatshewassometimesbeautiful，atothertimesnotbeautiful，accordingtothestateofherhealthandspirits。
Insimplecorporealpresentmentshewasofafairandclearcomplexion，ratherpalethanpink，sliminbuildandelasticinmovement。Herlookexpressedatendencytowaitforothers’
thoughtsbeforeutteringherown；possiblyalsotowaitforothers’deedsbeforeherowndoing。Inhersmall，delicatemouth，whichhadperhapshardlysettleddowntoitsmaturedcurves，therewasagentlenessthatmighthindersufficientself-assertionforherowngood。Shehadwell-formedeyebrowswhich，hadherportraitbeenpainted，wouldprobablyhavebeendoneinProut’sorVandykebrown。
Therewasnothingremarkableinherdressjustnow，beyondanaturalfitnessandastylethatwasrecentforthestreetsofSherton。But，indeed，haditbeenthereverse，andquitestriking，itwouldhavemeantjustaslittle。Fortherecanbehardlyanythinglessconnectedwithawoman’spersonalitythandraperywhichshehasneitherdesigned，manufactured，cut，sewed，orevenseen，exceptbyaglanceofapprovalwhentoldthatsuchandsuchashapeandcolormustbehadbecauseithasbeendecidedbyothersasimperativeatthatparticulartime。
Whatpeople，therefore，sawofherinacursoryviewwasverylittle；intruth，mainlysomethingthatwasnotshe。Thewomanherselfwasashadowy，conjecturalcreaturewhohadlittletodowiththeoutlinespresentedtoShertoneyes；ashapeinthegloom，whosetruedescriptioncouldonlybeapproximatedbyputtingtogetheramovementnowandaglancethen，inthatpatientandlong-continuedattentivenesswhichnothingbutwatchfulloving-
kindnessevertroublestogive。
Therewasalittledelayintheirsettingoutfromthetown，andMartySouthtookadvantageofittohastenforward，withtheviewofescapingthemontheway，lesttheyshouldfeelcompelledtospoiltheirtete-a-tetebyaskinghertoride。Shewalkedfast，andone-thirdofthejourneywasdone，andtheeveningrapidlydarkening，beforesheperceivedanysignofthembehindher。
Then，whileascendingahill，shedimlysawtheirvehicledrawingnearthelowestpartoftheincline，theirheadsslightlybenttowardseachother；drawntogether，nodoubt，bytheirsouls，astheheadsofapairofhorseswellinhandaredrawninbytherein。Shewalkedstillfaster。
Butbetweentheseandherselftherewasacarriage，apparentlyabrougham，cominginthesamedirection，withlightedlamps。Whenitovertookher——whichwasnotsoon，onaccountofherpace——thescenewasmuchdarker，andthelightsglaredinhereyessufficientlytohidethedetailsoftheequipage。
ItoccurredtoMartythatshemighttakeholdbehindthiscarriageandsokeepalongwithit，tosaveherselfthemortificationofbeingovertakenandpickedupforpity’ssakebythecomingpair。
Accordingly，asthecarriagedrewabreastofherinclimbingthelongascent，shewalkedclosetothewheels，theraysofthenearestlamppenetratingherverypores。Shehadonlyjustdroppedbehindwhenthecarriagestopped，andtohersurprisethecoachmanaskedher，overhisshoulder，ifshewouldride。Whatmadethequestionmoresurprisingwasthatitcameinobediencetoanorderfromtheinteriorofthevehicle。
Martygladlyassented，forshewasweary，veryweary，afterworkingallnightandkeepingafootallday。Shemountedbesidethecoachman，wonderingwhythisgood-fortunehadhappenedtoher。
Hewasratheragreatmaninaspect，andshedidnotliketoinquireofhimforsometime。
Atlastshesaid，“Whohasbeensokindastoaskmetoride？”
“Mrs。Charmond。”repliedherstatuesquecompanion。
Martywasstirredatthename，socloselyconnectedwithherlastnight’sexperiences。“Isthishercarriage？”shewhispered。
“Yes；she’sinside。”
Martyreflected，andperceivedthatMrs。Charmondmusthaverecognizedherploddingupthehillundertheblazeofthelamp；
recognized，probably，herstubblypoll(sinceshehadkeptawayherface)，andthoughtthatthosestubblesweretheresultofherowndesire。
MartySouthwasnotsoveryfarwrong。Insidethecarriageapairofbrighteyeslookedfromaripelyhandsomeface，andthoughbehindthosebrighteyeswasamindofunfathomedmysteries，beneaththemtherebeataheartcapableofquickextemporewarmth——
aheartwhichcould，indeed，bepassionatelyandimprudentlywarmoncertainoccasions。Atpresent，afterrecognizingthegirl，shehadactedonamereimpulse，possiblyfeelinggratifiedatthedenudedappearancewhichsignifiedthesuccessofheragentinobtainingwhatshehadrequired。
“’Tiswonderfulthatsheshouldaskye。”observedthemagisterialcoachman，presently。“Ihaveneverknownherdoitbefore，forasaruleshetakesnointerestinthevillagefolkatall。”
Martysaidnomore，butoccasionallyturnedherheadtoseeifshecouldgetaglimpseoftheOlympiancreaturewhoasthecoachmanhadtrulyobserved，hardlyeverdescendedfromhercloudsintotheTempeoftheparishioners。Butshecoulddiscernnothingofthelady。ShealsolookedforMissMelburyandWinterborne。ThenoseoftheirhorsesometimescamequitenearthebackofMrs。
Charmond’scarriage。Buttheyneverattemptedtopassittillthelatterconveyanceturnedtowardstheparkgate，whentheyspedby。
Herethecarriagedrewupthatthegatemightbeopened，andinthemomentarysilenceMartyheardagentleoralsound，softasabreeze。
“What’sthat？”shewhispered。
“Mis’essyawning。”
“Whyshouldsheyawn？”
“Oh，becauseshe’sbeenusedtosuchwonderfullygoodlife，andfindsitdullhere。She’llsoonbeoffagainonaccountofit。”
“Sorichandsopowerful，andyettoyawn！”thegirlmurmured。
“Thenthingsdon’tfaywithsheanymorethanwithwe！”
Martynowalighted；thelampagainshoneuponher，andasthecarriagerolledon，asoftvoicesaidtoherfromtheinterior，“Good-night。”
“Good-night，ma’am。”saidMarty。Butshehadnotbeenabletoseethewomanwhobegansogreatlytointeresther——thesecondpersonofherownsexwhohadoperatedstronglyonhermindthatday。
Meanwhile，WinterborneandGraceMelburyhadalsoundergonetheirlittleexperiencesofthesamehomewardjourney。
Ashedroveoffwithheroutofthetowntheglancesofpeoplefelluponthem，theyoungerthinkingthatMr。Winterbornewasinapleasantplace，andwonderinginwhatrelationhestoodtowardsher。Winterbornehimselfwasunconsciousofthis。Occupiedsolelywiththeideaofhavingherincharge，hedidnotnoticemuchwithoutwardeye，neitherobservinghowshewasdressed，northeeffectofthepicturetheytogethercomposedinthelandscape。
Theirconversationwasinbriefestphraseforsometime，Gracebeingsomewhatdisconcerted，throughnothavingunderstoodtilltheywereabouttostartthatGileswastobehersoleconductorinplaceofherfather。Whentheywereintheopencountryhespoke。
“Don’tBrownley’sfarm-buildingslookstrangetoyou，nowtheyhavebeenmovedbodilyfromthehollowwheretheoldonesstoodtothetopofthehill？”
