ItwasjustwhatMelburyhadbeguntosuspect：Fitzpiershadmountedthemarewhichdidnotbelongtohiminmistakeforhisown——anoversighteasilyexplicable，inamaneverunwittinginhorse-flesh，bythedarknessofthespotandthenearsimilarityoftheanimalsinappearance，thoughMelbury’swasreadilyenoughseentobethegrayerhorsebyday。Hehastenedback，anddidwhatseemedbestinthecircumstances——gotuponoldDarling，androderapidlyafterFitzpiers。
Melburyhadjustenteredthewood，andwaswindingalongthecart-
waywhichledthroughit，channelleddeepintheleaf-mouldwithlargerutsthatwereformedbythetimber-wagonsinfetchingthespoiloftheplantations，whenallatoncehedescriedinfront，atapointwheretheroadtookaturningroundalargechestnut-
tree，theformofhisownhorseBlossom，atwhichMelburyquickenedDarling’space，thinkingtocomeupwithFitzpiers。
Nearerviewrevealedthatthehorsehadnorider。AtMelbury’sapproachitgallopedfriskilyawayunderthetreesinahomewarddirection。Thinkingsomethingwaswrong，thetimber-merchantdismountedassoonashereachedthechestnut，andafterfeelingaboutforaminuteortwodiscoveredFitzpierslyingontheground。
“Here——help！”criedthelatterassoonashefeltMelbury’stouch；
“Ihavebeenthrownoff，butthere’snotmuchharmdone，Ithink。”
SinceMelburycouldnotnowverywellreadtheyoungermanthelecturehehadintended，andasfriendlinesswouldbehypocrisy，hisinstinctwastospeaknotasinglewordtohisson-in-law。HeraisedFitzpiersintoasittingposture，andfoundthathewasalittlestunnedandstupefied，but，ashehadsaid，nototherwisehurt。Howthisfallhadcomeaboutwasreadilyconjecturable：
Fitzpiers，imaginingtherewasonlyoldDarlingunderhim，hadbeentakenunawaresbytheyoungerhorse’ssprightliness。
Melburywasatravelleroftheold-fashionedsort；havingjustcomefromShottsford-Forum，hestillhadinhispocketthepilgrim’sflaskofrumwhichhealwayscarriedonjourneysexceedingadozenmiles，thoughheseldomdrankmuchofit。Hepoureditdownthesurgeon’sthroat，withsucheffectthathequicklyrevived。Melburygothimonhislegs；butthequestionwaswhattodowithhim。Hecouldnotwalkmorethanafewsteps，andtheotherhorsehadgoneaway。
WithgreatexertionMelburycontrivedtogethimastrideDarling，mountinghimselfbehind，andholdingFitzpiersroundhiswaistwithonearm。Darlingbeingbroad，straight-backed，andhighinthewithers，waswellabletocarrydouble，atanyrateasfarasHintock，andatagentlepace。
ThemarepacedalongwithfirmandcautioustreadthroughthecopsewhereWinterbornehadworked，andintotheheaviersoilwheretheoaksgrew；pastGreatWilly，thelargestoakinthewood，andthencetowardsNellcombeBottom，intenselydarknowwithovergrowth，andpopularlysupposedtobehauntedbythespiritsofthefratricidesexorcisedfromHintockHouse。
BythistimeFitzpierswasquiterecoveredastophysicalstrength。ButhehadeatennothingsincemakingahastybreakfastinLondonthatmorning，hisanxietyaboutFelicehavinghurriedhimawayfromhomebeforedining；asaconsequence，theoldrumadministeredbyhisfather-in-lawflewtotheyoungman’sheadandloosenedhistongue，withouthiseverhavingrecognizedwhoitwasthathadlenthimakindlyhand。Hebegantospeakindesultorysentences，Melburystillsupportinghim。
“I’vecomeallthewayfromLondonto-day。”saidFitzpiers。“Ah，that’stheplacetomeetyourequals。IliveatHintock——worse，atLittleHintock——andIamquitelostthere。There’snotamanwithintenmilesofHintockwhocancomprehendme。Itellyou，FarmerWhat’s-your-name，thatI’mamanofeducation。Iknowseverallanguages；thepoetsandIarefamiliarfriends；Iusedtoreadmoreinmetaphysicsthananybodywithinfiftymiles；andsinceIgavethatupthere’snobodycanmatchmeinthewholecountyofWessexasascientist。YetIandoomedtolivewithtradespeopleinamiserablelittleholelikeHintock！”
“Indeed！”mutteredMelbury。
Fitzpiers，increasinglyenergizedbythealcohol，hererearedhimselfupsuddenlyfromthebowedposturehehadhithertoheld，thrustinghisshoulderssoviolentlyagainstMelbury’sbreastastomakeitdifficultfortheoldmantokeepaholdonthereins。
“Peopledon’tappreciatemehere！”thesurgeonexclaimed；loweringhisvoice，headded，softlyandslowly，“exceptone——exceptone！。Apassionatesoul，aswarmassheisclever，asbeautifulassheiswarm，andasrichassheisbeautiful。Isay，oldfellow，thoseclawsofyoursclutchmerathertight——ratherliketheeagle’s，youknow，thatateouttheliverofPro——Pre——themanonMountCaucasus。Peopledon’tappreciateme，Isay，exceptHER。
Ah，gods，Iamanunluckyman！Shewouldhavebeenmine，shewouldhavetakenmyname；butunfortunatelyitcannotbeso。I
stoopedtomatebeneathme，andnowIrueit。”
ThepositionwasbecomingaverytryingoneforMelbury，corporeallyandmentally。HewasobligedtosteadyFitzpierswithhisleftarm，andhebegantohatethecontact。Hehardlyknewwhattodo。ItwasuselesstoremonstratewithFitzpiers，inhisintellectualconfusionfromtherumandfromthefall。Heremainedsilent，hisholduponhiscompanion，however，beingsternratherthancompassionate。
“Youhurtmealittle，farmer——thoughIammuchobligedtoyouforyourkindness。Peopledon’tappreciateme，Isay。Betweenourselves，Iamlosingmypracticehere；andwhy？BecauseIseematchlessattractionwherematchlessattractionis，bothinpersonandposition。Imentionnonames，sonobodywillbethewiser。
ButIhavelosther，inalegitimatesense，thatis。IfIwereafreemannow，thingshavecometosuchapassthatshecouldnotrefuseme；whilewithherfortune(whichIdon’tcovetforitself)
Ishouldhaveachanceofsatisfyinganhonorableambition——achanceIhaveneverhadyet，andnownever，nevershallhave，probably！”
Melbury，hisheartthrobbingagainsttheother’sbackbone，andhisbrainonfirewithindignation，venturedtomutterhuskily，“Why？”
ThehorseambledonsomestepsbeforeFitzpiersreplied，“BecauseIamtiedandboundtoanotherbylaw，astightlyasIamtoyoubyyourarm——notthatIcomplainofyourarm——Ithankyouforhelpingme。Well，wherearewe？Notnearlyhomeyet？。Home，sayI。Itisahome！WhenImighthavebeenattheotherhouseoverthere。”Inastupefiedwayheflunghishandinthedirectionofthepark。“Iwasjusttwomonthstooearlyincommittingmyself。
HadIonlyseentheotherfirst——“
Heretheoldman’sarmgaveFitzpiersaconvulsiveshake。“Whatareyoudoing？”continuedthelatter。“Keepstill，please，orputmedown。IwassayingthatIlostherbyamerelittletwomonths！Thereisnochanceformenowinthisworld，anditmakesmereckless——reckless！Unless，indeed，anythingshouldhappentotheotherone。Sheisamiableenough；butifanythingshouldhappentoher——andIhearsheisill——well，ifitshould，Ishouldbefree——andmyfame，myhappiness，wouldbeinsured。”
ThesewerethelastwordsthatFitzpiersutteredinhisseatinfrontofthetimber-merchant。Unablelongertomasterhimself，Melbury，theskinofhisfacecompressed，whippedawayhissparearmfromFitzpiers’swaist，andseizedhimbythecollar。
“Youheartlessvillain——afterallthatwehavedoneforye！”hecried，withaquiveringlip。“Andthemoneyofhersthatyou’vehad，andtheroofwe’veprovidedtoshelterye！Itistome，GeorgeMelbury，thatyoudaretotalklikethat！”Theexclamationwasaccompaniedbyapowerfulswingfromtheshoulder，whichflungtheyoungmanhead-longintotheroad，Fitzpiersfellwithaheavythuduponthestumpsofsomeundergrowthwhichhadbeencutduringthewinterpreceding。Darlingcontinuedherwalkforafewpacesfartherandstopped。
“Godforgiveme！”Melburymurmured，repentingofwhathehaddone。
“Hetriedmetoosorely；andnowperhapsI’vemurderedhim！”
HeturnedroundinthesaddleandlookedtowardsthespotonwhichFitzpiershadfallen。Tohisgreatsurprisehebeheldthesurgeonrisetohisfeetwithabound，asifunhurt，andwalkawayrapidlyunderthetrees。
MelburylistenedtilltherustleofFitzpiers’sfootstepsdiedaway。“Itmighthavebeenacrime，butforthemercyofProvidenceinprovidingleavesforhisfall。”hesaidtohimself。
AndthenhismindrevertedtothewordsofFitzpiers，andhisindignationsomountedwithinhimthathealmostwishedthefallhadputanendtotheyoungmanthereandthen。
Hehadnotriddenfarwhenhediscernedhisowngraymarestandingundersomebushes。LeavingDarlingforamoment，Melburywentforwardandeasilycaughttheyoungeranimal，nowdisheartenedatitsfreak。Hethenmadethepairofthemfasttoatree，andturningback，endeavoredtofindsometraceofFitzpiers，feelingpitifullythat，afterall，hehadgonefurtherthanheintendedwiththeoffender。
Butthoughhethreadedthewoodhitherandthither，histoesploughinglayerafterlayerofthelittlehornyscrollsthathadoncebeenleaves，hecouldnotfindhim。Hestoodstilllisteningandlookinground。Thebreezewasoozingthroughthenetworkofboughsasthroughastrainer；thetrunksandlargerbranchesstoodagainstthelightoftheskyintheformsofwrithingmen，giganticcandelabra，pikes，halberds，lances，andwhateverbesidesthefancychosetomakeofthem。Givingupthesearch，Melburycamebacktothehorses，andwalkedslowlyhomeward，leadingoneineachhand。
Ithappenedthatonthisself-sameeveningaboyhadbeenreturningfromGreattoLittleHintockaboutthetimeofFitzpiers’sandMelbury’spassagehomealongthatroute。Ahorse-
collarthathadbeenleftattheharness-mender’stoberepairedwasrequiredforuseatfiveo’clocknextmorning，andinconsequencetheboyhadtofetchitovernight。Heputhisheadthroughthecollar，andaccompaniedhiswalkbywhistlingtheonetuneheknew，asanantidotetofear。
Theboysuddenlybecameawareofahorsetrottingratherfriskilyalongthetrackbehindhim，andnotknowingwhethertoexpectfriendorfoe，prudencesuggestedthatheshouldceasehiswhistlingandretreatamongthetreestillthehorseandhisriderhadgoneby；acoursetowhichhewasstillmoreinclinedwhenhefoundhownoiselesslytheyapproached，andsawthatthehorselookedpale，andrememberedwhathehadreadaboutDeathintheRevelation。Hethereforedepositedthecollarbyatree，andhidhimselfbehindit。Thehorsemancameon，andtheyouth，whoseeyeswereaskeenastelescopes，tohisgreatreliefrecognizedthedoctor。
AsMelburysurmised，FitzpiershadinthedarknesstakenBlossomforDarling，andhehadnotdiscoveredhismistakewhenhecameupoppositetheboy，thoughhewassomewhatsurprisedatthelivelinessofhisusuallyplacidmare。Theonlyotherpairofeyesonthespotwhosevisionwaskeenastheyoungcarter’swerethoseofthehorse；and，withthatstronglyconservativeobjectiontotheunusualwhichanimalsshow，Blossom，oneyingthecollarunderthetree——quiteinvisibletoFitzpiers——exercisednoneofthepatienceoftheolderhorse，butshiedsufficientlytounseatsosecond-rateanequestrianasthesurgeon。
Hefell，anddidnotmove，lyingasMelburyafterwardsfoundhim。
Theboyranaway，salvinghisconscienceforthedesertionbythinkinghowvigorouslyhewouldspreadthealarmoftheaccidentwhenhegottoHintock——whichheuncompromisinglydid，incrustingtheskeletoneventwithaloadofdramatichorrors。
Gracehadreturned，andtheflyhiredonheraccount，thoughnotbyherhusband，attheCrownHotel，Shottsford-Forum，hadbeenpaidforanddismissed。Thelongdrivehadsomewhatrevivedher，herillnessbeingafeverishintermittentnervousnesswhichhadmoretodowithmindthanbody，andshewalkedabouthersitting-
roominsomethingofahopefulmood。Mrs。MelburyhadtoldherassoonasshearrivedthatherhusbandhadreturnedfromLondon。Hehadgoneout，shesaid，toseeapatient，asshesupposed，andhemustsoonbeback，sincehehadhadnodinnerortea。Gracewouldnotallowhermindtoharboranysuspicionofhiswhereabouts，andherstep-mothersaidnothingofMrs。Charmond’srumoredsorrowsandplansofdeparture。
Sotheyoungwifesatbythefire，waitingsilently。ShehadleftHintockinaturmoiloffeelingaftertherevelationofMrs。
Charmond，andhadintendednottobeathomewhenherhusbandreturned。Butshehadthoughtthematterover，andhadallowedherfather’sinfluencetoprevailandbringherback；andnowsomewhatregrettedthatEdgar’sarrivalhadprecededhers。
By-and-byMrs。Melburycameup-stairswithaslightairofflurryandabruptness。
