Suchanticipatedglimpsesofhernowandthenrealizedthemselvesintheevent。Rencountersofnotmorethanaminute’sduration，frequentlyrepeated，willbuildupmutualinterest，evenanintimacy，inalonelyplace。Theirsgrewasimperceptiblyasthetree-twigsbudded。Thereneverwasaparticularmomentatwhichitcouldbesaidtheybecamefriends；yetadelicateunderstandingnowexistedbetweentwowhointhewinterhadbeenstrangers。
Springweathercameonrathersuddenly，theunsealingofbudsthathadlongbeenswollenaccomplishingitselfinthespaceofonewarmnight。Therushofsapintheveinsofthetreescouldalmostbeheard。TheflowersoflateApriltookupapositionunseen，andlookedasiftheyhadbeenbloomingalongwhile，thoughtherehadbeennotraceofthemthedaybeforeyesterday；
birdsbegannottomindgettingwet。In-doorpeoplesaidtheyhadheardthenightingale，towhichout-doorpeoplerepliedcontemptuouslythattheyhadheardhimafortnightbefore。
Theyoungdoctor’spracticebeingscarcelysolargeasaLondonsurgeon’s，hefrequentlywalkedinthewood。Indeedsuchpracticeashehadhedidnotfollowupwiththeassiduitythatwouldhavebeennecessaryfordevelopingittoexceptionalproportions。Oneday，bookinhand，hewalkedinapartofthewoodwherethetreesweremainlyoaks。Itwasacalmafternoon，andtherewaseverywherearoundthatsignofgreatundertakingsonthepartofvegetablenaturewhichisapttofillreflectivehumanbeingswhoarenotundertakingmuchthemselveswithasuddenuneasinessatthecontrast。Heheardinthedistanceacurioussound，somethinglikethequackofaduck，which，thoughitwascommonenoughhereaboutthistime，wasnotcommontohim。
LookingthroughthetreesFitzpierssoonperceivedtheoriginofthenoise。Thebarkingseasonhadjustcommenced，andwhathehadheardwasthetearoftherippingtoolasitplougheditswayalongthestickypartingbetweenthetrunkandtherind。Melburydidalargebusinessinbark，andashewasGrace’sfather，andpossiblymightbefoundonthespot，Fitzpierswasattractedtothesceneevenmorethanhemighthavebeenbyitsintrinsicinterest。WhenhegotnearerherecognizedamongtheworkmenthetwoTimothys，andRobertCreedle，whoprobablyhadbeen“lent“byWinterborne；MartySouthalsoassisted。
EachtreedoomedtothisflayingprocesswasfirstattackedbyCreedle。Withasmallbillhookhecarefullyfreedthecollarofthetreefromtwigsandpatchesofmosswhichincrustedittoaheightofafootortwoabovetheground，anoperationcomparabletothe“littletoilet“oftheexecutioner’svictim。Afterthisitwasbarkedinitserectpositiontoapointashighasamancouldreach。Ifafineproductofvegetablenaturecouldeverbesaidtolookridiculousitwasthecasenow，whentheoakstoodnaked-
legged，andasifashamed，tilltheaxe-mancameandcutaringroundit，andthetwoTimothysfinishedtheworkwiththecrosscut-saw。
Assoonasithadfallenthebarkersattackeditlikelocusts，andinashorttimenotaparticleofrindwasleftonthetrunkandlargerlimbs。MartySouthwasanadeptatpeelingtheupperparts，andthereshestoodencagedamidthemassoftwigsandbudslikeagreatbird，runninghertoolintothesmallestbranches，beyondthefarthestpointstowhichtheskillandpatienceofthemenenabledthemtoproceed——brancheswhich，intheirlifetime，hadswayedhighabovethebulkofthewood，andcaughtthelatestandearliestraysofthesunandmoonwhilethelowerpartoftheforestwasstillindarkness。
“Youseemtohaveabetterinstrumentthanthey，Marty。”saidFitzpiers。
“No，sir。”shesaid，holdingupthetool——ahorse’sleg-bonefittedintoahandleandfiledtoanedge——“’tisonlythatthey’velesspatiencewiththetwigs，becausetheirtimeisworthmorethanmine。”
Alittleshedhadbeenconstructedonthespot，ofthatchedhurdlesandboughs，andinfrontofitwasafire，overwhichakettlesung。Fitzpierssatdowninsidetheshelter，andwentonwithhisreading，exceptwhenhelookeduptoobservethesceneandtheactors。ThethoughtthathemightsettlehereandbecomeweldedinwiththissylvanlifebymarryingGraceMelburycrossedhismindforamoment。Whyshouldhegofartherintotheworldthanwherehewas？Thesecretofquiethappinesslayinlimitingtheideasandaspirations；thesemen’sthoughtswereconterminouswiththemarginoftheHintockwoodlands，andwhyshouldnothisbelikewiselimited——asmallpracticeamongthepeoplearoundhimbeingtheboundofhisdesires？
PresentlyMartySouthdiscontinuedheroperationsuponthequiveringboughs，cameoutfromtherecliningoak，andpreparedtea。Whenitwasreadythemenwerecalled；andFitzpiersbeinginamoodtojoin，satdownwiththem。
Thelatentreasonofhislingeringheresolongrevealeditselfwhenthefaintcreakingofthejointsofavehiclebecameaudible，andoneofthemensaid，“Here’she。”TurningtheirheadstheysawMelbury’sgigapproaching，thewheelsmuffledbytheyieldingmoss。
Thetimber-merchantwasonfootleadingthehorse，lookingbackateveryfewstepstocautionhisdaughter，whokeptherseat，whereandhowtoduckherheadsoastoavoidtheoverhangingbranches。
Theystoppedatthespotwherethebark-rippinghadbeentemporarilysuspended；Melburycursorilyexaminedtheheapsofbark，anddrawingneartowheretheworkmenweresittingdown，acceptedtheirshoutedinvitationtohaveadishoftea，forwhichpurposehehitchedthehorsetoabough。(Gracedeclinedtotakeanyoftheirbeverage，andremainedinherplaceinthevehicle，lookingdreamilyatthesunlightthatcameinthinthreadsthroughthehollieswithwhichtheoakswereinterspersed。
WhenMelburysteppedupclosetotheshelter，heforthefirsttimeperceivedthatthedoctorwaspresent，andwarmlyappreciatedFitzpiers’sinvitationtositdownonthelogbesidehim。
“Blessmyheart，whowouldhavethoughtoffindingyouhere。”hesaid，obviouslymuchpleasedatthecircumstance。“Iwondernowifmydaughterknowsyouaresonighathand。Idon’texpectshedo。”
HelookedouttowardsthegigwhereinGracesat，herfacestillturnedintheoppositedirection。“Shedoesn’tseeus。Well，nevermind：letherbe。”
GracewasindeedquiteunconsciousofFitzpiers’spropinquity。
Shewasthinkingofsomethingwhichhadlittleconnectionwiththescenebeforeher——thinkingofherfriend，lostassoonasfound，Mrs。Charmond；ofhercapriciousconduct，andofthecontrastingscenesshewaspossiblyenjoyingatthatverymomentinotherclimes，towhichGraceherselfhadhopedtobeintroducedbyherfriend’smeans。ShewonderedifthispatronizingladywouldreturntoHintockduringthesummer，andwhethertheacquaintancewhichhadbeennippedonthelastoccasionofherresidencetherewoulddeveloponthenext。
Melburytoldancienttimber-storiesashesat，relatingthemdirectlytoFitzpiers，andobliquelytothemen，whohadheardthemoftenbefore。Marty，whopouredouttea，wasjustsaying，“I
thinkI’lltakeoutacuptoMissGrace。”whentheyheardaclashingofthegig-harness，andturningroundMelburysawthatthehorsehadbecomerestless，andwasjerkingaboutthevehicleinawaywhichalarmeditsoccupant，thoughsherefrainedfromscreaming。Melburyjumpedupimmediately，butnotmorequicklythanFitzpiers；andwhileherfatherrantothehorse’sheadandspeedilybegantocontrolhim，FitzpierswasalongsidethegigassistingGracetodescend。Hersurpriseathisappearancewassogreatthat，farfrommakingacalmandindependentdescent，shewasverynearlylifteddowninhisarms。Herelinquishedherwhenshetouchedground，andhopedshewasnotfrightened。
“Ohno，notmuch。”shemanagedtosay。“Therewasnodanger——
unlesshehadrununderthetreeswheretheboughsarelowenoughtohitmyhead。”
“Whichwasbynomeansanimpossibility，andjustifiesanyamountofalarm。”
Hereferredtowhathethoughthesawwritteninherface，andshecouldnottellhimthatthishadlittletodowiththehorse，butmuchwithhimself。Hiscontiguityhad，infact，thesameeffectuponherasonthoseformeroccasionswhenhehadcomeclosertoherthanusual——thatofproducinginheranunaccountabletendencytotearfulness。Melburysoonputthehorsetorights，andseeingthatGracewassafe，turnedagaintothework-people。Hisdaughter’snervousdistresshadpassedoffinafewmoments，andshesaidquitegaylytoFitzpiersasshewalkedwithhimtowardsthegroup，“There’sdestinyinit，yousee。Iwasdoomedtojoininyourpicnic，althoughIdidnotintendtodoso。”
Martypreparedheracomfortableplace，andshesatdowninthecircle，andlistenedtoFitzpierswhilehedrewfromherfatherandthebark-ripperssundrynarrativesoftheirfathers’，theirgrandfathers’，andtheirownadventuresinthesewoods；ofthemysterioussightstheyhadseen——onlytobeaccountedforbysupernaturalagency；ofwhitewitchesandblackwitches；andthestandardstoryofthespiritsofthetwobrotherswhohadfoughtandfallen，andhadhauntedHintockHousetilltheywereexorcisedbythepriest，andcompelledtoretreattoaswampinthisverywood，whencetheywerereturningtotheiroldquartersattherateofacock’sstrideeveryNew-year’sDay，oldstyle；hencethelocalsaying，“OnNew-year’stide，acock’sstride。”
Itwasapleasanttime。Thesmokefromthelittlefireofpeeledsticksrosebetweenthesittersandthesunlight，andbehinditsblueveilstretchedthenakedarmsoftheprostratetreesThesmelloftheuncoveredsapmingledwiththesmelloftheburningwood，andthestickyinnersurfaceofthescatteredbarkglistenedasitrevealeditspalemadderhuestotheeye。MelburywassohighlysatisfiedathavingFitzpiersasasortofguestthathewouldhavesatonforanylengthoftime，butGrace，onwhomFitzpiers’seyesonlytoofrequentlyalighted，seemedtothinkitincumbentuponhertomakeashowofgoing；andherfatherthereuponaccompaniedhertothevehicle。
Asthedoctorhadhelpedheroutofitheappearedtothinkthathehadexcellentreasonsforhelpingherin，andperformedtheattentionlingeringlyenough。
“Whatwereyoualmostintearsaboutjustnow？”heasked，softly。
“Idon’tknow。”shesaid：andthewordswerestrictlytrue。
Melburymountedontheotherside，andtheydroveonoutofthegrove，theirwheelssilentlycrushingdelicate-patternedmosses，hyacinths，primroses，lords-and-ladies，andotherstrangeandordinaryplants，andcrackinguplittlesticksthatlayacrossthetrack。Theirwayhomewardranalongthecrestofaloftyhill，whenceontherighttheybeheldawidevalley，differingbothinfeatureandatmospherefromthatoftheHintockprecincts。Itwasthecidercountry，whichmetthewoodlanddistrictontheaxisofthishill。Overthevaletheairwasblueassapphire——suchablueasoutsidethatapple-valleywasneverseen。Underthebluetheorchardswereinablazeofbloom，someoftherichlyfloweredtreesrunningalmostuptowheretheydrovealong。Overagatewhichopeneddowntheinclineamanleanedonhisarms，regardingthisfairpromisesointentlythathedidnotobservetheirpassing。
