Preciselythesethoughtshadoccurredtohimatthefirsttimeofseeingher；buthenowwentalittlefurtherwiththem，andconsideredthatastherehadbeennocarriageseenorheardlatelyinthatspotshecouldnothavecomeaverylongdistance。ShemustbesomebodystayingatHintockHouse？PossiblyMrs。Charmond，ofwhomhehadheardsomuch——atanyrateaninmate，andthisprobabilitywassufficienttosetamildradianceinthesurgeon’ssomewhatdullsky。
Fitzpierssatdowntothebookhehadbeenperusing。IthappenedtobethatofaGermanmetaphysician，forthedoctorwasnotapracticalman，exceptbyfits，andmuchpreferredtheidealworldtothereal，andthediscoveryofprinciplestotheirapplication。
Theyoungladyremainedinhisthoughts。Hemighthavefollowedher；buthewasnotconstitutionallyactive，andpreferredaconjecturalpursuit。However，whenhewentoutforaramblejustbeforeduskheinsensiblytookthedirectionofHintockHouse，whichwasthewaythatGracehadbeenwalking，ithavinghappenedthathermindhadrunonMrs。Charmondthatday，andshehadwalkedtothebrowofahillwhencethehousecouldbeseen，returningbyanotherroute。
Fitzpiersinhisturnreachedtheedgeoftheglen，overlookingthemanor-house。Theshutterswereshut，andonlyonechimneysmoked。ThemereaspectoftheplacewasenoughtoinformhimthatMrs。Charmondhadgoneawayandthatnobodyelsewasstayingthere。FitzpiersfeltavaguedisappointmentthattheyoungladywasnotMrs。Charmond，ofwhomhehadheardsomuch；andwithoutpausinglongertogazeatacarcassfromwhichthespirithadflown，hebenthisstepshomeward。
LaterintheeveningFitzpierswassummonedtovisitacottagepatientabouttwomilesdistant。Likethemajorityofyoungpractitionersinhispositionhewasfarfromhavingassumedthedignityofbeingdrivenhisroundsbyaservantinabroughamthatflashedthesunlightlikeamirror；hiswayofgettingaboutwasbymeansofagigwhichhedrovehimself，hitchingthereinofthehorsetothegatepost，shutterhook，orgardenpalingofthedomicileundervisitation，orgivingpenniestolittleboystoholdtheanimalduringhisstay——pennieswhichwerewellearnedwhenthecasestobeattendedwereofacertaincheerfulkindthatworeoutthepatienceofthelittleboys。
Onthisaccountoftravellingalone，thenightjourneyswhichFitzpiershadfrequentlytotakeweredismalenough，aseriousapparentperversityinnaturerulingthatwhenevertherewastobeabirthinaparticularlyinaccessibleandlonelyplace，thateventshouldoccurinthenight。Thesurgeon，havingbeenoflateyearsatownman，hatedthesolitarymidnightwoodland。Hewasnotaltogetherskilfulwiththereins，anditoftenoccurredtohismindthatifinsomeremotedepthsofthetreesanaccidentweretohappen，thefactofhisbeingalonemightbethedeathofhim。Hencehemadeapracticeofpickingupanycountrymanorladwhomhechancedtopassby，andunderthedisguiseoftreatinghimtoanicedrive，obtainedhiscompanionshiponthejourney，andhisconvenientassistanceinopeninggates。
ThedoctorhadstartedonhiswayoutofthevillageonthenightinquestionwhenthelightofhislampsfelluponthemusingformofWinterborne，walkingleisurelyalong，asifhehadnoobjectinlife。Winterbornewasabetterclassofcompanionthanthedoctorusuallycouldget，andheatoncepulledupandaskedhimifhewouldlikeadrivethroughthewoodthatfinenight。
Gilesseemedrathersurprisedatthedoctor’sfriendliness，butsaidthathehadnoobjection，andaccordinglymountedbesideMr。
Fitzpiers。
Theydrovealongundertheblackboughswhichformedanetworkuponthestars，allthetreesofaspeciesalikeinonerespect，andnotwoofthemalikeinanother。Lookingupastheypassedunderahorizontalboughtheysometimessawobjectslikelargetadpoleslodgeddiametricallyacrossit，whichGilesexplainedtobepheasantsthereatroost；andtheysometimesheardthereportofagun，whichremindedhimthatothersknewwhatthosetadpoleshapesrepresentedaswellashe。
Presentlythedoctorsaidwhathehadbeengoingtosayforsometime：
“Isthereayoungladystayinginthisneighborhood——averyattractivegirl——withalittlewhiteboaroundherneck，andwhitefurroundhergloves？”
WinterborneofcourseknewinamomentthatGrace，whomhehadcaughtthedoctorpeeringat，wasrepresentedbytheseaccessaries。Withawarygrimness，partlyinhischaracter，partlyinducedbythecircumstances，heevadedananswerbysaying，“IsawayoungladytalkingtoMrs。Charmondtheotherday；perhapsitwasshe。”
FitzpiersconcludedfromthisthatWinterbornehadnotseenhimlookingoverthehedge。“Itmighthavebeen。”hesaid。“Sheisquiteagentlewoman——theoneImean。ShecannotbeapermanentresidentinHintockorIshouldhaveseenherbefore。Nordoesshelooklikeone。”
“SheisnotstayingatHintockHouse？”
“No；itisclosed。”
“Thenperhapssheisstayingatoneofthecottages，orfarm-
houses？”
“Ohno——youmistake。Shewasadifferentsortofgirlaltogether。”AsGileswasnobody，Fitzpierstreatedhimaccordingly，andapostrophizedthenightincontinuation：
“’Shemoveduponthisearthashapeofbrightness，Apower，thatfromitsobjectsscarcelydrewOneimpulseofherbeing——inherlightnessMostlikesomeradiantcloudofmorningdew，Whichwandersthroughthewasteair’spathlessblue，Tonourishsomefardesert：shedidseemBesideme，gatheringbeautyasshegrew，LikethebrightshadeofsomeimmortaldreamWhichwalks，whentempestssleep，thewaveoflife’sdarkstream。’“
TheconsummatecharmofthelinesseemedtoWinterborne，thoughhedivinedthattheywereaquotation，tobesomehowtheresultofhislostlove’scharmsuponFitzpiers。
“Youseemtobemightilyinlovewithher，sir。”hesaid，withasensationofheart-sickness，andmorethaneverresolvednottomentionGracebyname。
“Ohno——Iamnotthat，Winterborne；peoplelivinginsulated，asI
dobythesolitudeofthisplace，getchargedwithemotivefluidlikeaLeyden-jarwithelectric，forwantofsomeconductorathandtodisperseit。Humanloveisasubjectivething——theessenceitselfofman，asthatgreatthinkerSpinozathephilosophersays——ipsahominisessentia——itisjoyaccompaniedbyanideawhichweprojectagainstanysuitableobjectinthelineofourvision，justastherainbowirisisprojectedagainstanoak，ash，orelmtreeindifferently。Sothatifanyotheryoungladyhadappearedinsteadoftheonewhodidappear，Ishouldhavefeltjustthesameinterestinher，andhavequotedpreciselythesamelinesfromShelleyabouther，asaboutthisoneIsaw。Suchmiserablecreaturesofcircumstanceareweall！”
“Well，itiswhatwecallbeinginlovedownintheseparts，whetherorno。”saidWinterborne。
“YouarerightenoughifyouadmitthatIaminlovewithsomethinginmyownhead，andnothinginitselfoutsideitatall。”
“Isitpartofacountrydoctor’sdutiestolearnthatviewofthings，mayIask，sir？”saidWinterborne，adoptingtheSocratic{Greekword：irony}withsuchwell-assumedsimplicitythatFitzpiersanswered，readily，“Ohno。Therealtruthis，Winterborne，thatmedicalpracticeinplaceslikethisisaveryrule-of-thumbmatter；abottleofbitterstuffforthisandthatoldwoman——thebittererthebetter——
compoundedfromafewsimplestereotypedprescriptions；
occasionalattendanceatbirths，wheremerepresenceisalmostsufficient，sohealthyandstrongarethepeople；andalanceforanabscessnowandthen。Investigationandexperimentcannotbecarriedonwithoutmoreappliancesthanonehashere——thoughI
haveattempteditalittle。”
Gilesdidnotenterintothisviewofthecase；whathehadbeenstruckwithwasthecuriousparallelismbetweenMr。Fitzpiers’smannerandGrace’s，asshownbythefactofbothofthemstrayingintoasubjectofdiscoursesoengrossingtothemselvesthatitmadethemforgetitwasforeigntohim。
NothingfurtherpassedbetweenhimselfandthedoctorinrelationtoGracetilltheywereontheirwayback。Theyhadstoppedataway-sideinnforaglassofbrandyandciderhot，andwhentheywereagaininmotion，Fitzpiers，possiblyalittlewarmedbytheliquor，resumedthesubjectbysaying，“Ishouldlikeverymuchtoknowwhothatyoungladywas。”
“Whatdifferencecanitmake，ifshe’sonlythetreeyourrainbowfallson？”
“Ha！ha！True。”
“Youhavenowife，sir？”
“Ihavenowife，andnoideaofone。IhopetodobetterthingsthanmarryandsettleinHintock。Notbutthatitiswellforamedicalmantobemarried，andsometimes，begad，’twouldbepleasantenoughinthisplace，withthewindroaringroundthehouse，andtherainandtheboughsbeatingagainstit。Ihearthatyoulostyourlife-holdsbythedeathofSouth？”
“Idid。Ilostinmorewaysthanone。”
TheyhadreachedthetopofHintockLaneorStreet，ifitcouldbecalledsuchwherethree-quartersoftheroad-sideconsistedofcopseandorchard。OneofthefirsthousestobepassedwasMelbury’s。Alightwasshiningfromabedroomwindowfacinglengthwiseofthelane。Winterborneglancedatit，andsawwhatwascoming。Hehadwithheldananswertothedoctor’sinquirytohinderhisknowledgeofGrace；but，ashethoughttohimself，“whohathgatheredthewindinhisfists？whohathboundthewatersinagarment？”hecouldnothinderwhatwasdoomedtoarrive，andmightjustaswellhavebeenoutspoken。Astheycameuptothehouse，Grace’sfigurewasdistinctlyvisible，drawingthetwowhitecurtainstogetherwhichwereusedhereinsteadofblinds。
“Why，theresheis！”saidFitzpiers。“Howdoesshecomethere？”
“Inthemostnaturalwayintheworld。Itisherhome。Mr。
Melburyisherfather。”
“Oh，indeed——indeed——indeed！Howcomeshetohaveadaughterofthatstamp？”
Winterbornelaughedcoldly。“Won’tmoneydoanything。”hesaid，“ifyou’vepromisingmaterialtoworkupon？Whyshouldn’taHintockgirl，takenearlyfromhome，andputunderproperinstruction，becomeasfinishedasanyotheryounglady，ifshe’sgotbrainsandgoodlookstobeginwith？”
“Noreasonatallwhysheshouldn’t。”murmuredthesurgeon，withreflectivedisappointment。“OnlyIdidn’tanticipatequitethatkindoforiginforher。”
