Thefogofthepreviouseveningstilllingeredsoheavilyoverthewoodsthatthemorningcouldnotpenetratethetreestilllongafteritstime。Theloadbeingaponderousone，thelanecrooked，andtheairsothick，Winterbornesetout，asheoftendid，toaccompanytheteamasfarasthecorner，whereitwouldturnintoawiderroad。
Sotheyrumbledon，shakingthefoundationsoftheroadsidecottagesbytheweightoftheirprogress，thesixteenbellschimingharmoniouslyoverall，tilltheyhadrisenoutofthevalleyandweredescendingtowardsthemoreopenroute，thesparksrisingfromtheircreakingskidandnearlysettingfiretothedeadleavesalongside。
Thenoccurredoneoftheveryincidentsagainstwhichthebellswereanendeavortoguard。Suddenlytherebeamedintotheireyes，quiteclosetothem，thetwolampsofacarriage，shornofraysbythefog。Itsapproachhadbeenquiteunheard，byreasonoftheirownnoise。Thecarriagewasacoveredone，whilebehinditcouldbediscernedanothervehicleladenwithluggage。
Winterbornewenttotheheadoftheteam，andheardthecoachmantellingthecarterthathemustturnback。Thecarterdeclaredthatthiswasimpossible。
“Youcanturnifyouunhitchyourstring-horses。”saidthecoachman。
“Itismucheasierforyoutoturnthanforus。”saidWinterborne。
“We’vefivetonsoftimberonthesewheelsifwe’veanounce。”
“ButI’veanothercarriagewithluggageatmyback。”
Winterborneadmittedthestrengthoftheargument。“Butevenwiththat。”hesaid，“youcanbackbetterthanwe。Andyououghtto，foryoucouldhearourbellshalfamileoff。”
“Andyoucouldseeourlights。”
“Wecouldn’t，becauseofthefog。”
“Well，ourtime’sprecious。”saidthecoachman，haughtily。“Youareonlygoingtosometrumperylittlevillageorotherintheneighborhood，whilewearegoingstraighttoItaly。”
“Drivingalltheway，Isuppose。”saidWinterborne，sarcastically。
Theargumentcontinuedinthesetermstillavoicefromtheinteriorofthecarriageinquiredwhatwasthematter。Itwasalady’s。
Shewasbrieflyinformedofthetimberpeople’sobstinacy；andthenGilescouldhearhertellingthefootmantodirectthetimberpeopletoturntheirhorses’heads。
Themessagewasbrought，andWinterbornesentthebearerbacktosaythathebeggedthelady’spardon，butthathecouldnotdoassherequested；thatthoughhewouldnotassertittobeimpossible，itwasimpossiblebycomparisonwiththeslightdifficultytoherpartytobacktheirlightcarriages。Asfatewouldhaveit，theincidentwithGraceMelburyonthepreviousdaymadeGileslessgentlethanhemightotherwisehaveshownhimself，hisconfidenceinthesexbeingrudelyshaken。
Infine，nothingcouldmovehim，andthecarriageswerecompelledtobacktilltheyreachedoneofthesidingsorturnoutsconstructedinthebankforthepurpose。Thentheteamcameonponderously，andtheclangingofitssixteenbellsasitpassedthediscomfitedcarriages，tiltedupagainstthebank，lentaparticularlytriumphanttonetotheteam’sprogress——atonewhich，inpointoffact，didnotatallattachtoitsconductor’sfeelings。
Gileswalkedbehindthetimber，andjustashehadgotpasttheyetstationarycarriagesheheardasoftvoicesay，“Whoisthatrudeman？NotMelbury？”ThesexofthespeakerwassoprominentinthevoicethatWinterbornefeltapangofregret。
“No，ma’am。Ayoungerman，inasmallerwayofbusinessinLittleHintock。Winterborneishisname。”
Thustheypartedcompany。“Why，Mr。Winterborne。”saidthewagoner，whentheywereoutofhearing，“thatwasShe——Mrs。
Charmond！Who’dha’thoughtit？Whatintheworldcanawomanthatdoesnothingbecock-watchingouthereatthistimeo’dayfor？
Oh，goingtoItaly——yestobesure，Iheardshewasgoingabroad，shecan’tendurethewinterhere。”
Winterbornewasvexedattheincident；themoresothatheknewMr。Melbury，inhisadorationofHintockHouse，wouldbethefirsttoblamehimifitbecameknown。Butsayingnomore，heaccompaniedtheloadtotheendofthelane，andthenturnedbackwithanintentiontocallatSouth’stolearntheresultoftheexperimentoftheprecedingevening。
ItchancedthatafewminutesbeforethistimeGraceMelbury，whonowrosesoonenoughtobreakfastwithherfather，inspiteoftheunwontednessofthehour，hadbeencommissionedbyhimtomakethesameinquiryatSouth’s。MartyhadbeenstandingatthedoorwhenMissMelburyarrived。Almostbeforethelatterhadspoken，Mrs。
Charmond’scarriages，releasedfromtheobstructionupthelane，camebowlingalong，andthetwogirlsturnedtoregardthespectacle。
Mrs。Charmonddidnotseethem，buttherewassufficientlightforthemtodiscernheroutlinebetweenthecarriagewindows。A
noticeablefeatureinhertournurewasamagnificentmassofbraidedlocks。
“Howwellshelooksthismorning！”saidGrace，forgettingMrs。
Charmond’sslightinhergenerousadmiration。“Herhairsobecomesherwornthatway。Ihaveneverseenanymorebeautiful！”
“NorhaveI，miss。”saidMarty，dryly，unconsciouslystrokinghercrown。
Gracewatchedthecarriageswithlingeringregrettilltheywereoutofsight。ShethenlearnedofMartythatSouthwasnobetter。
BeforeshehadcomeawayWinterborneapproachedthehouse，butseeingthatoneofthetwogirlsstandingonthedoor-stepwasGrace，hesuddenlyturnedbackagainandsoughttheshelterofhisownhometillsheshouldhavegoneaway。
TheencounterwiththecarriageshavingsprunguponWinterborne’smindtheimageofMrs。Charmond，histhoughtsbyanaturalchannelwentfromhertothefactthatseveralcottagesandotherhousesinthetwoHintocks，nowhisown，wouldfallintoherpossessionintheeventofSouth’sdeath。Hemarvelledwhatpeoplecouldhavebeenthinkingaboutinthepasttoinventsuchprecarioustenuresasthese；stillmore，whatcouldhaveinducedhisancestorsatHintock，andothervillagepeople，toexchangetheiroldcopyholdsforlife-leases。Buthavingnaturallysucceededtothesepropertiesthroughhisfather，hehaddonehisbesttokeeptheminorder，thoughhewasmuchstruckwithhisfather’snegligenceinnotinsuringSouth’slife。
Afterbreakfast，stillmusingonthecircumstances，hewentup-
stairs，turnedoverhisbed，anddrewoutaflatcanvasbagwhichlaybetweenthemattressandthesacking。Inthishekepthisleases，whichhadremainedthereunopenedeversincehisfather’sdeath。Itwastheusualhiding-placeamongrurallifeholdersforsuchdocuments。Winterbornesatdownonthebedandlookedthemover。Theywereordinaryleasesforthreelives，whichamemberoftheSouthfamily，somefiftyyearsbeforethistime，hadacceptedofthelordofthemanorinlieuofcertaincopyholdsandotherrights，inconsiderationofhavingthedilapidatedhousesrebuiltbysaidlord。Theyhadcomeintohisfather’spossessionchieflythroughhismother，whowasaSouth。
Pinnedtotheparchmentofoneoftheindentureswasaletter，whichWinterbornehadneverseenbefore。Itborearemotedate，thehandwritingbeingthatofsomesolicitororagent，andthesignaturethelandholder’s。Itwastotheeffectthatatanytimebeforethelastofthestatedlivesshoulddrop，Mr。GilesWinterborne，senior，orhisrepresentative，shouldhavetheprivilegeofaddinghisownandhisson’slifetotheliferemainingonpaymentofamerelynominalsum；theconcessionbeinginconsequenceoftheelderWinterborne’sconsenttodemolishoneofthehousesandrelinquishitssite，whichstoodatanawkwardcornerofthelaneandimpededtheway。
Thehousehadbeenpulleddownyearsbefore。WhyGiles’sfatherhadnottakenadvantageofhisprivilegetoinserthisownandhisson’slivesitwasimpossibletosay。Thelikelihoodwasthatdeathalonehadhinderedhimintheexecutionofhisproject，asitsurelywas，theelderWinterbornehavingbeenamanwhotookmuchpleasureindealingwithhousepropertyinhissmallway。
SinceoneoftheSouthsstillsurvived，therewasnotmuchdoubtthatGilescoulddowhathisfatherhadleftundone，asfarashisownlifewasconcerned。Thispossibilitycheeredhimmuch，forbythosehouseshungmanythings。Melbury’sdoubtoftheyoungman’sfitnesstobethehusbandofGracehadbeenbasednotalittleontheprecariousnessofhisholdingsinLittleandGreatHintock。
Heresolvedtoattendtothebusinessatonce，thefineforrenewalbeingasumthathecouldeasilymuster。Hisscheme，however，couldnotbecarriedoutinaday；andmeanwhilehewouldrunuptoSouth’s，ashehadintendedtodo，tolearntheresultoftheexperimentwiththetree。
Martymethimatthedoor。“Well，Marty。”hesaid；andwassurprisedtoreadinherfacethatthecasewasnotsohopefulashehadimagined。
“Iamsorryforyourlabor。”shesaid。“Itisalllost。Hesaysthetreeseemstallerthanever。”
Winterbornelookedroundatit。Tallerthetreecertainlydidseem，thegauntnessofitsnownakedstembeingmoremarkedthanbefore。
“Itquiteterrifiedhimwhenhefirstsawwhatyouhaddonetoitthismorning。”sheadded。“Hedeclaresitwillcomedownuponusandcleaveus，like’theswordoftheLordandofGideon。’“
