Heappearedtotakenoheed，andshesaidasecondtime，“Mr。
Winterborne！”
Evennowheseemednottohear，thoughapersoncloseenoughtohimtoseetheexpressionofhisfacemighthavedoubtedit；andshesaidathirdtime，withatimidloudness，“Mr。Winterborne！
What，haveyouforgottenmyvoice？”Sheremainedwithherlipspartedinawelcomingsmile。
Heturnedwithoutsurprise，andcamedeliberatelytowardsthewindow。“Whydoyoucallme？”hesaid，withasternnessthattookhercompletelyunawares，hisfacebeingnowpale。“Isitnotenoughthatyouseemeheremoilingandmuddlingformydailybreadwhileyouaresittingthereinyoursuccess，thatyoucan’trefrainfromopeningoldwoundsbycallingoutmyname？”
Sheflushed，andwasstruckdumbforsomemoments；butsheforgavehisunreasoninganger，knowingsowellinwhatithaditsroot。
“IamsorryIoffendedyoubyspeaking。”shereplied，meekly。
“Believeme，Ididnotintendtodothat。Icouldhardlysitheresonearyouwithoutawordofrecognition。”
Winterborne’shearthadswollenbig，andhiseyesgrownmoistbythistime，somuchhadthegentleanswerofthatfamiliarvoicemovedhim。Heassuredherhurriedly，andwithoutlookingather，thathewasnotangry。Hethenmanagedtoaskher，inaclumsy，constrainedway，ifshehadhadapleasantjourney，andseenmanyinterestingsights。Shespokeofafewplacesthatshehadvisited，andsothetimepassedtillhewithdrewtotakehisplaceatoneoftheleverswhichpulledroundthescrew。
Forgottenhervoice！Indeed，hehadnotforgottenhervoice，ashisbitternessshowed。Butthoughintheheatofthemomenthehadreproachedherkeenly，hissecondmoodwasafarmoretenderone——thatwhichcouldregardherrenunciationofsuchasheashergloryandherprivilege，hisownfidelitynotwithstanding。Hecouldhavedeclaredwithacontemporarypoet——
“IfIforget，Thesaltcreekmayforgettheocean；
IfIforgetTheheartwhenceflowsmyheart’sbrightmotion，MayIsinkmeanlierthantheworstAbandoned，outcast，crushed，accurst，IfIforget。
“Thoughyouforget，Nowordofmineshallmaryourpleasure；
Thoughyouforget，Youfilledmybarrenlifewithtreasure，Youmaywithdrawthegiftyougave；
Youstillarequeen，Istillamslave，Thoughyouforget。”
Shehadtearsinhereyesatthethoughtthatshecouldnotremindhimofwhatheoughttohaveremembered；thatnotherselfbutthepressureofeventshaddissipatedthedreamsoftheirearlyyouth。
Gracewasthusunexpectedlyworstedinherencounterwithheroldfriend。Shehadopenedthewindowwithafaintsenseoftriumph，buthehadturneditintosadness；shedidnotquitecomprehendthereasonwhy。Intruthitwasbecauseshewasnotcruelenoughinhercruelty。Ifyouhavetousetheknife，useit，saythegreatsurgeons；andforherownpeaceGraceshouldhavecontemnedWinterbornethoroughlyornotatall。Asitwas，onclosingthewindowanindescribable，somemighthavesaiddangerous，pityquaveredinherbosomforhim。
Presentlyherhusbandenteredtheroom，andtoldherwhatawonderfulsunsettherewastobeseen。
“Ihavenotnoticedit。ButIhaveseensomebodyouttherethatweknow。”shereplied，lookingintothecourt。
Fitzpiersfollowedthedirectionofhereyes，andsaidhedidnotrecognizeanybody。
“Why，Mr。Winterborne——thereheis，cider-making。Hecombinesthatwithhisotherbusiness，youknow。”
“Oh——thatfellow。”saidFitzpiers，hiscuriositybecomingextinct。
She，reproachfully：“What，callMr。Winterborneafellow，Edgar？
ItistrueIwasjustsayingtomyselfthatInevercouldhavemarriedhim；butIhavemuchregardforhim，andalwaysshall。”
“Well，dobyallmeans，mydearone。IdaresayIaminhuman，andsupercilious，andcontemptiblyproudofmypooroldramshacklefamily；butIdohonestlyconfesstoyouthatIfeelasifI
belongedtoadifferentspeciesfromthepeoplewhoareworkinginthatyard。”
“Andfrommetoo，then。Formybloodisnobetterthantheirs。”
Helookedatherwithadrollsortofawakening。Itwas，indeed，astartlinganomalythatthiswomanofthetribewithoutshouldbestandingtherebesidehimashiswife，ifhissentimentswereashehadsaid。Intheirtravelstogethershehadrangedsounerringlyathislevelinideas，tastes，andhabitsthathehadalmostforgottenhowhishearthadplayedhavocwithhisprinciplesintakinghertohim。
“AhYOU——youarerefinedandeducatedintosomethingquitedifferent。”hesaid，self-assuringly。
“Idon’tquiteliketothinkthat。”shemurmuredwithsoftregret。
“AndIthinkyouunderestimateGilesWinterborne。Remember，IwasbroughtupwithhimtillIwassentawaytoschool，soIcannotberadicallydifferent。Atanyrate，Idon’tfeelso。Thatis，nodoubt，myfault，andagreatblemishinme。ButIhopeyouwillputupwithit，Edgar。”
Fitzpierssaidthathewouldendeavortodoso；andasitwasnowgettingonfordusk，theypreparedtoperformthelaststageoftheirjourney，soastoarriveatHintockbeforeitgrewverylate。
Inlessthanhalfanhourtheystarted，thecider-makersintheyardhavingceasedtheirlaborsandgoneaway，sothattheonlysoundsaudibletherenowwerethetricklingofthejuicefromthetightlyscrewedpress，andthebuzzofasinglewasp，whichhaddrunkitselfsotipsythatitwasunconsciousofnightfall。Gracewasverycheerfulatthethoughtofbeingsooninhersylvanhome，butFitzpierssatbesideheralmostsilent。Anindescribableoppressivenesshadovertakenhimwiththenearapproachofthejourney’sendandtherealitiesoflifethatlaythere。
“Youdon’tsayaword，Edgar。”sheobserved。“Aren’tyougladtogetback？Iam。”
“Youhavefriendshere。Ihavenone。”
“Butmyfriendsareyours。”
“Ohyes——inthatsense。”
Theconversationlanguished，andtheydrewneartheendofHintockLane。Ithadbeendecidedthattheyshould，atleastforatime，takeuptheirabodeinherfather’sroomyhouse，onewingofwhichwasquiteattheirservice，beingalmostdisusedbytheMelburys。
Workmenhadbeenpainting，papering，andwhitewashingthissetofroomsintheweddedpair’sabsence；andsoscrupuloushadbeenthetimber-dealerthatthereshouldoccurnohitchordisappointmentontheirarrival，thatnotthesmallestdetailremainedundone。
Tomakeitallcompleteaground-floorroomhadbeenfittedupasasurgery，withanindependentouterdoor，towhichFitzpiers’sbrassplatewasscrewed——formereornament，suchasignbeingquitesuperfluouswhereeverybodyknewthelatitudeandlongitudeofhisneighborsformilesround。
Melburyandhiswifewelcomedthetwainwithaffection，andallthehousewithdeference。Theywentuptoexploretheirrooms，thatopenedfromapassageonthelefthandofthestaircase，theentrancetowhichcouldbeshutoffonthelandingbyadoorthatMelburyhadhungforthepurpose。Afriendlyfirewasburninginthegrate，althoughitwasnotcold。Fitzpierssaiditwastoosoonforanysortofmeal，theyonlyhavingdinedshortlybeforeleavingSherton-Abbas。Hewouldwalkacrosstohisoldlodging，tolearnhowhislocumtenenshadgotoninhisabsence。
InleavingMelbury’sdoorhelookedbackatthehouse。Therewaseconomyinlivingunderthatroof，andeconomywasdesirable，butinsomewayhewasdissatisfiedwiththearrangement；itimmersedhimsodeeplyinson-in-lawshiptoMelbury。Hewentontohisformerresidence。Hisdeputywasout，andFitzpiersfellintoconversationwithhisformerlandlady。
“Well，Mrs。Cox，what’sthebestnews？”heaskedofher，withcheeryweariness。
Shewasalittlesouredatlosingbyhismarriagesoprofitableatenantasthesurgeonhadprovedtobedulinghisresidenceunderherroof；andthemoresointherebeinghardlytheremotestchanceofhergettingsuchanothersettlerintheHintocksolitudes。“’TiswhatIdon’twishtorepeat，sir；leastofalltoyou。”shemumbled。
“Nevermindme，Mrs。Cox；goahead。”
“Itiswhatpeoplesayaboutyourhastymarrying，Dr。Fitzpiers。
Whereastheywon’tbelieveyouknowsuchcleverdoctrinesinphysicastheyoncesupposedofye，seeingasyoucouldmarryintoMr。Melbury’sfamily，whichisonlyHintock-born，suchasme。”
“Theyarekindlywelcometotheiropinion。”saidFitzpiers，notallowinghimselftorecognizethathewinced。“Anythingelse？”
“Yes；SHE’Scomehomeatlast。”
“Who’sshe？”
“Mrs。Charmond。”
“Oh，indeed！”saidFitzpiers，withbutslightinterest。“I’veneverseenher。”
“Shehasseenyou，sir，whetherorno。”
“Never。”
“Yes；shesawyouinsomehotelorstreetforaminuteortwowhileyouwereawaytravelling，andaccidentallyheardyourname；
andwhenshemadesomeremarkaboutyou，MissEllis——that’shermaid——toldheryouwasonyourwedding-towerwithMr。Melbury’sdaughter；andshesaid，’Heoughttohavedonebetterthanthat。
Ifearhehasspoiledhischances，’shesays。”
Fitzpiersdidnottalkmuchlongertothischeeringhousewife，andwalkedhomewithnoverybriskstep。Heenteredthedoorquietly，andwentstraightup-stairstothedrawing-roomextemporizedfortheirusebyMelburyinhisandhisbride’sabsence，expectingtofindherthereashehadlefther。Thefirewasburningstill，buttherewerenolights。Helookedintothenextapartment，fittedupasalittledining-room，butnosupperwaslaid。Hewenttothetopofthestairs，andheardachorusofvoicesinthetimber-merchant’sparlorbelow，Grace’sbeingoccasionallyintermingled。
Descending，andlookingintotheroomfromthedoor-way，hefoundquitealargegatheringofneighborsandotheracquaintances，praisingandcongratulatingMrs。Fitzpiersonherreturn，amongthembeingthedairyman，FarmerBawtree，andthemaster-blacksmithfromGreatHintock；alsothecooper，thehollow-turner，theexciseman，andsomeothers，withtheirwives，wholivedhardby。
Grace，girlthatshewas，hadquiteforgottenhernewdignityandherhusband’s；shewasinthemidstofthem，blushing，andreceivingtheircomplimentswithallthepleasureofold-
comradeship。
Fitzpiersexperiencedaprofounddistasteforthesituation。
Melburywasnowhereintheroom，butMelbury’swife，perceivingthedoctor，cametohim。“Wethought，GraceandI。”shesaid，“thatastheyhavecalled，hearingyouwerecome，wecoulddonolessthanaskthemtosupper；andthenGraceproposedthatweshouldallsuptogether，asitisthefirstnightofyourreturn。”
BythistimeGracehadcomeroundtohim。“Isitnotgoodofthemtowelcomemesowarmly？”sheexclaimed，withtearsoffriendshipinhereyes。“AftersomuchgoodfeelingIcouldnotthinkofourshuttingourselvesupawayfromtheminourowndining-room。”
“Certainlynot——certainlynot。”saidFitzpiers；andheenteredtheroomwiththeheroicsmileofamartyr。
