Theletterofacceptancewastobewrittenthatnight，afterwhichhisdeparturefromHintockwouldbeirrevocable。Butcouldhegoaway，rememberingwhathadjustpassed？Thetrees，thehills，theleaves，thegrass——eachhadbeenendowedandquickenedwithasubtlecharmsincehehaddiscoveredthepersonandhistory，and，aboveall，moodoftheirowner。Therewaseverytemporalreasonforleaving；itwouldbeenteringagainintoaworldwhichhehadonlyquittedinapassionforisolation，inducedbyafitofAchilleanmoodinessafteranimaginedslight。Hiswifeherselfsawtheawkwardnessoftheirpositionhere，andcheerfullywelcomedthepurposedchange，towardswhicheverystephadbeentakenbutthelast。Butcouldhefinditinhisheart——ashefounditclearlyenoughinhisconscience——togoaway？
Hedrewatroubledbreath，andwentin-doors。Hereherapidlypennedaletter，whereinhewithdrewonceforallfromthetreatyfortheBudmouthpractice。AsthepostmanhadalreadyleftLittleHintockforthatnight，hesentoneofMelbury’smentointerceptamail-cartonanotherturnpike-road，andsogottheletteroff。
Themanreturned，metFitzpiersinthelane，andtoldhimthethingwasdone。Fitzpierswentbacktohishousemusing。Whyhadhecarriedoutthisimpulse——takensuchwildtroubletoeffectaprobableinjurytohisownandhisyoungwife’sprospects？Hismotivewasfantastic，glowing，shapelessasthefierysceneryaboutthewesternsky。Mrs。Charmondcouldovertlybenothingmoretohimthanapatientnow，andtohiswife，attheoutside，apatron。Intheunattachedbachelordaysofhisfirstsojourningherehowhighlyproperanemotionalreasonforlingeringonwouldhaveappearedtotroublesomedubiousness。Matrimonialambitionissuchanhonorablething。
“MyfatherhastoldmethatyouhavesentoffoneofthemenwithalatelettertoBudmouth。”criedGrace，comingoutvivaciouslytomeethimunderthedeclininglightofthesky，whereinhung，solitary，thefoldingstar。“Isaidatoncethatyouhadfinallyagreedtopaythepremiumtheyask，andthatthetediousquestionhadbeensettled。Whendowego，Edgar？”
“Ihavealteredmymind。”saidhe。“Theywanttoomuch——sevenhundredandfiftyistoolargeasum——andinshort，Ihavedeclinedtogofurther。Wemustwaitforanotheropportunity。I
fearIamnotagoodbusiness-man。”Hespokethelastwordswithamomentaryfalteringatthegreatfoolishnessofhisact；for，ashelookedinherfairandhonorableface，hisheartreproachedhimforwhathehaddone。
Hermannerthateveningshowedherdisappointment。Personallyshelikedthehomeofherchildhoodmuch，andshewasnotambitious。
Butherhusbandhadseemedsodissatisfiedwiththecircumstanceshereaboutsincetheirmarriagethatshehadsincerelyhopedtogoforhissake。
ItwastwoorthreedaysbeforehevisitedMrs。Charmondagain。
Themorninghadbeenwindy，andlittleshowershadsowedthemselveslikegrainagainstthewallsandwindow-panesoftheHintockcottages。Hewentonfootacrossthewilderrecessesofthepark，whereslimystreamsofgreenmoisture，exudingfromdecayedholescausedbyoldamputations，randownthebarkoftheoaksandelms，therindbelowbeingcoatedwithalichenouswashasgreenasemerald。Theywerestout-trunkedtrees，thatneverrockedtheirstemsinthefiercestgale，respondingtoitentirelybycrookingtheirlimbs。Wrinkledlikeanoldcrone’sface，andantleredwithdeadbranchesthatroseabovethefoliageoftheirsummits，theywereneverthelessstillgreen——thoughyellowhadinvadedtheleavesofothertrees。
Shewasinalittleboudoirorwriting-roomonthefirstfloor，andFitzpierswasmuchsurprisedtofindthatthewindow-curtainswereclosedandared-shadedlampandcandlesburning，thoughout-
of-doorsitwasbroaddaylight。Moreover，alargefirewasburninginthegrate，thoughitwasnotcold。
“Whatdoesitallmean？”heasked。
Shesatinaneasy-chair，herfacebeingturnedaway。“Oh。”shemurmured，“itisbecausetheworldissodrearyoutside。Sorrowandbitternessinthesky，andfloodsofagonizedtearsbeatingagainstthepanes。Ilayawakelastnight，andIcouldhearthescrapeofsnailscreepingupthewindow-glass；itwassosad！MyeyesweresoheavythismorningthatIcouldhaveweptmylifeaway。Icannotbearyoutoseemyface；Ikeepitawayfromyoupurposely。Oh！whywerewegivenhungryheartsandwilddesiresifwehavetoliveinaworldlikethis？WhyshouldDeathonlylendwhatLifeiscompelledtoborrow——rest？Answerthat，Dr。
Fitzpiers。”
“Youmusteatofasecondtreeofknowledgebeforeyoucandoit，FeliceCharmond。”
“Then，whenmyemotionshaveexhaustedthemselves，Ibecomefulloffears，tillIthinkIshalldieforveryfear。Theterribleinsistenciesofsociety——howseveretheyare，andcoldandinexorable——ghastlytowardsthosewhoaremadeofwaxandnotofstone。Oh，Iamafraidofthem；astabforthiserror，andastabforthat——correctivesandregulationsframedthatsocietymaytendtoperfection——anendwhichIdon’tcareforintheleast。Yetforthis，allIdocareforhastobestuntedandstarved。”
Fitzpiershadseatedhimselfnearher。“Whatsetsyouinthismournfulmood？”heasked，gently。(Inrealityheknewthatitwastheresultofalossoftonefromstayingin-doorssomuch，buthedidnotsayso。)
“Myreflections。Doctor，youmustnotcomehereanymore。Theybegintothinkitafarcealready。Isayyoumustcomenomore。
There——don’tbeangrywithme；“andshejumpedup，pressedhishand，andlookedanxiouslyathim。“Itisnecessary。Itisbestforbothyouandme。”
“But。”saidFitzpiers，gloomily，“whathavewedone？”
“Done——wehavedonenothing。Perhapswehavethoughtthemore。
However，itisallvexation。IamgoingawaytoMiddletonAbbey，nearShottsford，wherearelativeofmylatehusbandlives，whoisconfinedtoherbed。TheengagementwasmadeinLondon，andI
can’tgetoutofit。PerhapsitisforthebestthatIgotheretillallthisispast。Whenareyougoingtoenteronyournewpractice，andleaveHintockbehindforever，withyourprettywifeonyourarm？”
“Ihaverefusedtheopportunity。Ilovethisplacetoowelltodepart。”
“YouHAVE？”shesaid，regardinghimwithwilduncertainty。
“Whydoyouruinyourselfinthatway？GreatHeaven，whathaveI
done！”
“Nothing。Besides，youaregoingaway。”
“Ohyes；butonlytoMiddletonAbbeyforamonthortwo。YetperhapsIshallgainstrengththere——particularlystrengthofmind——Irequireit。AndwhenIcomebackIshallbeanewwoman；
andyoucancomeandseemesafelythen，andbringyourwifewithyou，andwe’llbefriends——sheandI。Oh，howthisshuttingupofone’sselfdoesleadtoindulgenceinidlesentiments。Ishallnotwishyoutogiveyourattendancetomeafterto-day。ButIamgladthatyouarenotgoingaway——ifyourremainingdoesnotinjureyourprospectsatall。”
Assoonashehadlefttheroomthemildfriendlinessshehadpreservedinhertoneatparting，theplayfulsadnesswithwhichshehadconversedwithhim，equallydepartedfromher。Shebecameasheavyaslead——justasshehadbeenbeforehearrived。Herwholebeingseemedtodissolveinasadpowerlessnesstodoanything，andthesenseofitmadeherlipstremulousandherclosedeyeswet。Hisfootstepsagainstartledher，andsheturnedround。
“Ireturnedforamomenttotellyouthattheeveningisgoingtobefine。Thesunisshining；sodoopenyourcurtainsandputoutthoselights。ShallIdoitforyou？”
“Please——ifyoudon’tmind。”
Hedrewbackthewindow-curtains，whereupontheredglowofthelampandthetwocandle-flamesbecamealmostinvisiblewiththefloodoflateautumnsunlightthatpouredin。“ShallIcomeroundtoyou？”heasked，herbackbeingtowardshim。
“No。”shereplied。
“Whynot？”
“BecauseIamcrying，andIdon’twanttoseeyou。”
Hestoodamomentirresolute，andregrettedthathehadkilledtherosy，passionatelamplightbyopeningthecurtainsandlettingingarishday。
“ThenIamgoing。”hesaid。
“Verywell。”sheanswered，stretchingonehandroundtohim，andpattinghereyeswithahandkerchiefheldintheother。
“ShallIwritealinetoyouat——“
“No，no。”Agentlereasonablenesscameintohertoneassheadded，“Itmustnotbe，youknow。Itwon’tdo。”
“Verywell。Good-by。”Thenextmomenthewasgone。
Intheevening，withlistlessadroitness，sheencouragedthemaidwhodressedherfordinnertospeakofDr。Fitzpiers’smarriage。
“Mrs。FitzpierswasoncesupposedtofavorMr。Winterborne。”saidtheyoungwoman。
“Andwhydidn’tshemarryhim？”saidMrs。Charmond。
“Because，yousee，ma’am，helosthishouses。”
“Losthishouses？Howcamehetodothat？”
“Thehouseswereheldonlives，andthelivesdropped，andyouragentwouldn’trenewthem，thoughitissaidthatMr。Winterbornehadaverygoodclaim。That’sasI’veheardit，ma’am，anditwasthroughitthatthematchwasbrokeoff。”
Beingjustthendistractedbyadozenemotions，Mrs。Charmondsunkintoamoodofdismalself-reproach。“Inrefusingthatpoormanhisreasonablerequest。”shesaidtoherself，“Iforedoomedmyrejuvenatedgirlhood’sromance。Whowouldhavethoughtsuchabusinessmattercouldhavenettledmyownheartlikethis？Nowforawinterofregretsandagoniesanduselesswishes，tillIforgethiminthespring。Oh！IamgladIamgoingaway。”
Sheleftherchamberandwentdowntodinewithasigh。Onthestairsshestoodoppositethelargewindowforamoment，andlookedoutuponthelawn。Itwasnotyetquitedark。Half-wayupthesteepgreenslopeconfrontingherstoodoldTimothyTangs，whowasshorteninghiswayhomewardbyclamberingherewheretherewasnoroad，andinoppositiontoexpressordersthatnopathwastobemadethere。Tangshadmomentarilystoppedtotakeapinchofsnuff；butobservingMrs。Charmondgazingathim，hehastenedtogetoverthetopoutofhail。Hisprecipitancymadehimmisshisfooting，andherolledlikeabarreltothebottom，hissnuffboxrollinginfrontofhim。
Herindefinite，idle，impossiblepassionforFitzpiers；herconstitutionalcloudofmisery；thesorrowfuldropsthatstillhunguponhereyelashes，allmadewayfortheincursivemoodstartedbythespectacle。Sheburstintoanimmoderatefitoflaughter，herverygloomoftheprevioushourseemingtorenderitthemoreuncontrollable。Ithadnotdiedoutofherwhenshereachedthedining-room；andevenhere，beforetheservants，hershoulderssuddenlyshookasthescenereturneduponher；andthetearsofherhilaritymingledwiththeremnantsofthoseengenderedbyhergrief。
Sheresolvedtobesadnomore。Shedranktwoglassesofchampagne，andalittlemorestillafterthose，andamusedherselfintheeveningwithsinginglittleamatorysongs。
“ImustdosomethingforthatpoormanWinterborne，however。”shesaid。
