“Willyoupouritout，please？Do。”shesaid，leaningbackinherchair，andplacingherhandaboveherforehead，whileheralmondeyes——thoselongeyessocommontotheangeliclegionsofearlyItalianart——becamelonger，andhervoicemorelanguishing。Sheshowedthatoblique-manneredsoftnesswhichisperhapsmostfrequentinwomenofdarkercomplexionandmorelymphatictemperamentthanMrs。Charmond’swas；wholingeringlysmiletheirmeaningstomenratherthanspeakthem，whoinveigleratherthanprompt，andtakeadvantageofcurrentsratherthansteer。
“IamthemostinactivewomanwhenIamhere。”shesaid。“IthinksometimesIwasborntoliveanddonothing，nothing，nothingbutfloatabout，aswefancywedosometimesindreams。Butthatcannotbereallymydestiny，andImuststruggleagainstsuchfancies。”
“Iamsosorryyoudonotenjoyexertion——itisquitesad！IwishIcouldtendyouandmakeyouveryhappy。”
Therewassomethingsosympathetic，soappreciative，inthesoundofGrace’svoice，thatitimpelledpeopletoplayhavocwiththeircustomaryreservationsintalkingtoher。“Itistenderandkindofyoutofeelthat。”saidMrs。Charmond。“PerhapsIhavegivenyouthenotionthatmylanguorismorethanitreallyis。Butthisplaceoppressesme，andIhaveaplanofgoingabroadagooddeal。Iusedtogowitharelative，butthatarrangementhasdroppedthrough。”RegardingGracewithafinalglanceofcriticism，sheseemedtomakeuphermindtoconsidertheyounggirlsatisfactory，andcontinued：“NowIamoftenimpelledtorecordmyimpressionsoftimesandplaces。Ihaveoftenthoughtofwritinga’NewSentimentalJourney。’ButIcannotfindenergyenoughtodoitalone。WhenIamatdifferentplacesinthesouthofEuropeIfeelacrowdofideasandfanciesthronginguponmecontinually，buttounfoldwriting-materials，takeupacoldsteelpen，andputtheseimpressionsdownsystematicallyoncold，smoothpaper——thatIcannotdo。SoIhavethoughtthatifIalwayscouldhavesomebodyatmyelbowwithwhomIaminsympathy，Imightdictateanyideasthatcomeintomyhead。AnddirectlyIhadmadeyouracquaintancetheotherdayitstruckmethatyouwouldsuitmesowell。Wouldyouliketoundertakeit？Youmightreadtome，too，ifdesirable。Willyouthinkitover，andaskyourparentsiftheyarewilling？”
“Ohyes。”saidGrace。“Iamalmostsuretheywouldbeveryglad。”
“Youaresoaccomplished，Ihear；Ishouldbequitehonoredbysuchintellectualcompany。”
Grace，modestlyblushing，deprecatedanysuchidea。
“DoyoukeepupyourlucubrationsatLittleHintock？”
“Ohno。LucubrationsarenotunknownatLittleHintock；buttheyarenotcarriedonbyme。”
“What——anotherstudentinthatretreat？”
“Thereisasurgeonlatelycome，andIhaveheardthathereadsagreatdeal——Iseehislightsometimesthroughthetreeslateatnight。”
“Ohyes——adoctor——IbelieveIwastoldofhim。Itisastrangeplaceforhimtosettlein。”
“Itisaconvenientcentreforapractice，theysay。Buthedoesnotconfinehisstudiestomedicine，itseems。Heinvestigatestheologyandmetaphysicsandallsortsofsubjects。”
“Whatishisname？”
“Fitzpiers。Herepresentsaveryoldfamily，Ibelieve，theFitzpiersesofBuckbury-Fitzpiers——notagreatmanymilesfromhere。”
“Iamnotsufficientlylocaltoknowthehistoryofthefamily。I
wasneverinthecountytillmyhusbandbroughtmehere。”Mrs。
Charmonddidnotcaretopursuethislineofinvestigation。
Whatevermysteriousmeritmightattachtofamilyantiquity，itwasonewhich，thoughsheherselfcouldclaimit，heradaptable，wanderingweltburgerlichenaturehadgrowntiredofcaringabout——
apeculiaritythatmadeheracontrasttoherneighbors。“Itisofrathermoreimportancetoknowwhatthemanishimselfthanwhathisfamilyis。”shesaid，“ifheisgoingtopractiseuponusasasurgeon。Haveyouseenhim？”
Gracehadnot。“Ithinkheisnotaveryoldman。”sheadded。
“Hasheawife？”
“Iamnotawarethathehas。”
“Well，Ihopehewillbeusefulhere。ImustgettoknowhimwhenIcomeback。Itwillbeveryconvenienttohaveamedicalman——ifheisclever——inone’sownparish。Igetdreadfullynervoussometimes，livinginsuchanoutlandishplace；andShertonissofartosendto。NodoubtyoufeelHintocktobeagreatchangeafterwatering-placelife。”
“Ido。Butitishome。Ithasitsadvantagesanditsdisadvantages。”Gracewasthinkinglessofthesolitudethanoftheattendantcircumstances。
Theychattedonforsometime，Gracebeingsetquiteathereasebyherentertainer。Mrs。Charmondwasfartoowell-practisedawomannottoknowthattoshowamarkedpatronagetoasensitiveyounggirlwhowouldprobablybeveryquicktodiscernit，wastodemolishherdignityratherthantoestablishitinthatyounggirl’seyes。So，beingviolentlypossessedwithherideaofmakinguseofthisgentleacquaintance，readyandwaitingatherowndoor，shetookgreatpainstowinherconfidenceatstarting。
JustbeforeGrace’sdeparturethetwochancedtopausebeforeamirrorwhichreflectedtheirfacesinimmediatejuxtaposition，soastobringintoprominencetheirresemblancesandtheircontrasts。Bothlookedattractiveasglassedbackbythefaithfulreflector；butGrace’scountenancehadtheeffectofmakingMrs。
Charmondappearmorethanherfullage。Therearecomplexionswhichsetoffeachothertogreatadvantage，andtherearethosewhichantagonize，theonekillingordamagingitsneighborunmercifully。Thiswasunhappilythecasehere。Mrs。Charmondfellintoameditation，andrepliedabstractedlytoacursoryremarkofhercompanion’s。However，shepartedfromheryoungfriendinthekindliesttones，promisingtosendandletherknowassoonashermindwasmadeuponthearrangementshehadsuggested。
WhenGracehadascendednearlytothetopoftheadjoiningslopeshelookedback，andsawthatMrs。Charmondstillstoodatthedoor，meditativelyregardingher。
Oftenduringthepreviousnight，afterhiscallontheMelburys，Winterborne’sthoughtsranuponGrace’sannouncedvisittoHintockHouse。Whycouldhenothaveproposedtowalkwithherpartoftheway？Somethingtoldhimthatshemightnot，onsuchanoccasion，careforhiscompany。
Hewasstillmoreofthatopinionwhen，standinginhisgardennextday，hesawhergopastonthejourneywithsuchaprettyprideintheevent。Hewonderedifherfather’sambition，whichhadpurchasedforherthemeansofintellectuallightandculturefarbeyondthoseofanyothernativeofthevillage，wouldconducetotheflightofherfutureinterestsaboveandawayfromthelocallifewhichwasoncetoherthemovementoftheworld。
Nevertheless，hehadherfather’spermissiontowinherifhecould；andtothisenditbecamedesirabletobringmatterssoontoacrisis，ifheeverhopedtodoso。Ifsheshouldthinkherselftoogoodforhim，hecouldlethergoandmakethebestofhisloss；butuntilhehadreallytestedherhecouldnotsaythatshedespisedhissuit。Thequestionwashowtoquickeneventstowardsanissue。
Hethoughtandthought，andatlastdecidedthatasgoodawayasanywouldbetogiveaChristmasparty，andaskGraceandherparentstocomeaschiefguests。
Theseruminationswereoccupyinghimwhentherebecameaudibleaslightknockingathisfrontdoor。Hedescendedthepathandlookedout，andbeheldMartySouth，dressedforout-doorwork。
“Whydidn’tyoucome，Mr。Winterborne？”shesaid。“I’vebeenwaitingtherehoursandhours，andatlastIthoughtImusttrytofindyou。”
“Blessmysoul，I’dquiteforgot。”saidGiles。
Whathehadforgottenwasthattherewasathousandyoungfir-
treestobeplantedinaneighboringspotwhichhadbeenclearedbythewood-cutters，andthathehadarrangedtoplantthemwithhisownhands。Hehadamarvellouspowerofmakingtreesgrow。
Althoughhewouldseemtoshovelintheearthquitecarelessly，therewasasortofsympathybetweenhimselfandthefir，oak，orbeechthathewasoperatingon，sothattherootstookholdofthesoilinafewdays。When，ontheotherhand，anyofthejourneymenplanted，althoughtheyseemedtogothroughanidenticallysimilarprocess，onequarterofthetreeswoulddieawayduringtheensuingAugust。
HenceWinterbornefounddelightintheworkevenwhen，asatpresent，hecontractedtodoitonportionsofthewoodlandinwhichhehadnopersonalinterest。Marty，whoturnedherhandtoanything，wasusuallytheonewhoperformedthepartofkeepingthetreesinaperpendicularpositionwhilehethrewinthemould。
Heaccompaniedhertowardsthespot，beingstimulatedyetfurthertoproceedwiththeworkbytheknowledgethatthegroundwasclosetotheway-sidealongwhichGracemustpassonherreturnfromHintockHouse。
“You’veacoldinthehead，Marty。”hesaid，astheywalked。
“Thatcomesofcuttingoffyourhair。”
“Isupposeitdo。Yes；I’vethreeheadachesgoingoninmyheadatthesametime。”
“Threeheadaches！”
“Yes，arheumaticheadacheinmypoll，asickheadacheovermyeyes，andamiseryheadacheinthemiddleofmybrain。However，I
cameout，forIthoughtyoumightbewaitingandgrumblinglikeanythingifIwasnotthere。”
