“Well；canIdoanythingelse？”askedhe。
“Thedoctorsaysthetreeoughttobecutdown。”
“Oh——you’vehadthedoctor？”
“Ididn’tsendforhimMrs。Charmond，beforesheleft，heardthatfatherwasill，andtoldhimtoattendhimatherexpense。”
“Thatwasverygoodofher。Andhesaysitoughttobecutdown。
Wemustn’tcutitdownwithoutherknowledge，Isuppose。”
Hewentup-stairs。Theretheoldmansat，staringatthenowgaunttreeasifhisgazewerefrozenontoitstrunk。Unluckilythetreewavedafreshbythistime，awindhavingsprungupandblownthefogaway，andhiseyesturnedwithitswavings。
Theyheardfootsteps——aman’s，butofalightertypethanusual。
“ThereisDoctorFitzpiersagain。”shesaid，anddescended。
Presentlyhistreadwasheardonthenakedstairs。
Mr。Fitzpiersenteredthesick-chamberjustasadoctorismoreorlesswonttodoonsuchoccasions，andpre-eminentlywhentheroomisthatofahumblecottager，lookingroundtowardsthepatientwiththatpreoccupiedgazewhichsoplainlyrevealsthathehaswellnighforgottenallaboutthecaseandthewholecircumstancessincehedismissedthemfromhismindathislastexitfromthesameapartment。HenoddedtoWinterborne，withwhomhewasalreadyalittleacquainted，recalledthecasetohisthoughts，andwentleisurelyontowhereSouthsat。
Fitzpierswas，onthewhole，afinelyformed，handsomeman。Hiseyesweredarkandimpressive，andbeamedwiththelighteitherofenergyorofsusceptivity——itwasdifficulttosaywhich；itmighthavebeenalittleofboth。Thatquick，glittering，practicaleye，sharpforthesurfaceofthingsandfornothingbeneathit，hehadnot。Butwhetherhisapparentdepthofvisionwasreal，oronlyanartisticaccidentofhiscorporealmoulding，nothingbuthisdeedscouldreveal。
Hisfacewasrathersoftthanstern，charmingthangrand，palethanflushed；hisnose——ifasketchofhisfeaturesbederigueurforapersonofhispretensions——wasartisticallybeautifulenoughtohavebeenworthdoinginmarblebyanysculptornotover-busy，andwashencedevoidofthoseknottyirregularitieswhichoftenmeanpower；whilethedouble-cymaorclassicalcurveofhismouthwasnotwithoutaloosenessinitsclose。Nevertheless，eitherfromhisreadilyappreciativemien，orhisreflectivemanner，ortheinstincttowardsprofoundthingswhichwassaidtopossesshim，hispresencebespokethephilosopherratherthanthedandyormacaroni——aneffectwhichwashelpedbytheabsenceoftrinketsorothertrivialitiesfromhisattire，thoughthiswasmorefinishedanduptodatethanisusuallythecaseamongruralpractitioners。
Strictpeopleofthehighlyrespectableclass，knowingalittleabouthimbyreport，mighthavesaidthatheseemedlikelytoerrratherinthepossessionoftoomanyideasthantoofew；tobeadreamy’istofsomesort，ortoodeeplysteepedinsomefalsekindof’ism。Howeverthismaybe，itwillbeseenthathewasundoubtedlyasomewhatrarekindofgentlemananddoctortohavedescended，asfromtheclouds，uponLittleHintock。
“Thisisanextraordinarycase。”hesaidatlasttoWinterborne，afterexaminingSouthbyconversation，look，andtouch，andlearningthatthecrazeabouttheelmwasstrongerthanever。
“Comedown-stairs，andI’lltellyouwhatIthink。”
Theyaccordinglydescended，andthedoctorcontinued，“Thetreemustbecutdown，orIwon’tanswerforhislife。”
“’TisMrs。Charmond’stree，andIsupposewemustgetpermission？”
saidGiles。“Ifso，assheisgoneaway，Imustspeaktoheragent。”
“Oh——nevermindwhosetreeitis——what’satreebesidealife！Cutitdown。IhavenotthehonorofknowingMrs。Charmondasyet，butIamdisposedtoriskthatmuchwithher。”
“’Tistimber。”rejoinedGiles，morescrupulousthanhewouldhavebeenhadnothisowninterestsstoodsocloselyinvolved。
“They’llneverfellastickaboutherewithoutitbeingmarkedfirst，eitherbyherortheagent。”
“Thenwe’llinaugurateaneweraforthwith。Howlonghashecomplainedofthetree？”askedthedoctorofMarty。
“Weeksandweeks，sir。Theshapeofitseemstohaunthimlikeanevilspirit。Hesaysthatitisexactlyhisownage，thatithasgothumansense，andsproutedupwhenhewasbornonpurposetorulehim，andkeephimasitsslave。OthershavebeenlikeitaforeinHintock。”
TheycouldhearSouth’svoiceup-stairs“Oh，he’srockingthisway；hemustcome！Andthenmypoorlife，that’sworthhousesuponhouses，willbesquashedouto’me。Oh！oh！”
“That’showhegoeson。”sheadded。“Andhe’llneverlookanywhereelsebutoutofthewindow，andscarcelyhavethecurtainsdrawn。”
“Downwithit，then，andhangMrs。Charmond。”saidMr。Fitzpiers。
“Thebestplanwillbetowaittilltheevening，whenitisdark，orearlyinthemorningbeforeheisawake，sothathedoesn’tseeitfall，forthatwouldterrifyhimworsethanever。KeeptheblinddowntillIcome，andthenI’llassurehim，andshowhimthathistroubleisover。”
Thedoctorthendeparted，andtheywaitedtilltheevening。Whenitwasdusk，andthecurtainsdrawn，Winterbornedirectedacoupleofwoodmentobringacrosscut-saw，andthetall，threateningtreewassoonnearlyoffatitsbase。Hewouldnotfellitcompletelythen，onaccountofthepossiblecrash，butnextmorning，beforeSouthwasawake，theywentandlowereditcautiously，inadirectionawayfromthecottage。Itwasabusinessdifficulttodoquitesilently；butitwasdoneatlast，andtheelmofthesamebirth-yearasthewoodman’slaystretchedupontheground。
Theweakestidlerthatpassedcouldnowsetfootonmarksformerlymadeintheupperforksbytheshoesofadventurousclimbersonly；
onceinaccessiblenestscouldbeexaminedmicroscopically；andonswayingextremitieswherebirdsalonehadperched，theby-standerssatdown。
Assoonasitwasbroaddaylightthedoctorcame，andWinterborneenteredthehousewithhim。Martysaidthatherfatherwaswrappedupandready，asusual，tobeputintohischair。Theyascendedthestairs，andsoonseatedhim。Hebeganatoncetocomplainofthetree，andthedangertohislifeandWinterborne’shouse-propertyinconsequence。
ThedoctorsignalledtoGiles，whowentanddrewbacktheprintedcottoncurtains。“’Tisgone，see。”saidMr。Fitzpiers。
Assoonastheoldmansawthevacantpatchofskyinplaceofthebranchedcolumnsofamiliartohisgaze，hesprangup，speechless，hiseyesrosefromtheirhollowstillthewhitesshowedallround；
hefellback，andabluishwhitenessoverspreadhim。
Greatlyalarmed，theyputhimonthebed。Assoonashecamealittleoutofhisfit，hegasped，“Oh，itisgone！——where？——
where？”
Hiswholesystemseemedparalyzedbyamazement。Theywerethunder-struckattheresultoftheexperiment，anddidalltheycould。Nothingseemedtoavail。GilesandFitzpierswentandcame，butuselessly。Helingeredthroughtheday，anddiedthateveningasthesunwentdown。
“D——difmyremedyhasn’tkilledhim！”murmuredthedoctor。
WhenMelburyheardwhathadhappenedheseemedmuchmoved，andwalkedthoughtfullyaboutthepremises。OnSouth’sownaccounthewasgenuinelysorry；andonWinterborne’shewasthemoregrievedinthatthiscatastrophehadsocloselyfollowedthesomewhatharshdismissalofGilesasthebetrothedofhisdaughter。
HewasquiteangrywithcircumstancesforsoheedlesslyinflictingonGilesasecondtroublewhentheneedfuloneinflictedbyhimselfwasallthattheproperorderofeventsdemanded。“ItoldGiles’sfatherwhenhecameintothosehousesnottospendtoomuchmoneyonlifeholdpropertyheldneitherforhisownlifenorhisson’s。”heexclaimed。“Buthewouldn’tlistentome。AndnowGileshastosufferforit。”
“PoorGiles！”murmuredGrace。
“Now，Grace，betweenustwo，itisvery，veryremarkable。ItisalmostasifIhadforeseenthis；andIamthankfulforyourescape，thoughIamsincerelysorryforGiles。Hadwenotdismissedhimalready，wecouldhardlyhavefounditinourheartstodismisshimnow。SoIsay，bethankful。I’lldoallIcanforhimasafriend；butasapretendertothepositionofmyson-inlaw，thatcanneverbethoughtofmore。”
AndyetatthatverymomenttheimpracticabilitytowhichpoorWinterborne’ssuithadbeenreducedwastouchingGrace’shearttoawarmersentimentonhisbehalfthanshehadfeltforyearsconcerninghim。
He，meanwhile，wassittingdownaloneintheoldfamiliarhousewhichhadceasedtobehis，takingacalmifsomewhatdismalsurveyofaffairs。Thependulumoftheclockbumpedeverynowandthenagainstonesideofthecaseinwhichitswung，asthemuffleddrumtohisworldlymarch。LookingoutofthewindowhecouldperceivethataparalysishadcomeoverCreedle’soccupationofmanuringthegarden，owing，obviously，toaconvictionthattheymightnotbelivingtherelongenoughtoprofitbynextseason’scrop。
Helookedattheleasesagainandtheletterattached。Therewasnodoubtthathehadlosthishousesbyanaccidentwhichmighteasilyhavebeencircumventedifhehadknownthetrueconditionsofhisholding。Thetimeforperformancehadnowlapsedinstrictlaw；butmightnottheintentionbeconsideredbythelandholderwhenshebecameawareofthecircumstances，andhismoralrighttoretaintheholdingsforthetermofhislifebeconceded？
Hisheartsankwithinhimwhenheperceivedthatdespiteallthelegalreciprocitiesandsafeguardspreparedandwritten，theupshotofthematteramountedtothis，thatitdependeduponthemerecaprice——goodorill——ofthewomanhehadmetthedaybeforeinsuchanunfortunateway，whetherhewastopossesshishousesforlifeorno。
