Whilemovinghereandthereshefanciedthatsheheardaslightnoiseout-of-doors，andstoodstill。Surelyitwasatappingatthewindow。Athoughtenteredhermind，andburnedhercheek。Hehadcometothatwindowbefore；yetwasitpossiblethatheshoulddaretodosonow！Alltheservantswereinbed，andintheordinarycourseofaffairsshewouldhaveretiredalso。Thensherememberedthatonsteppinginbythecasementandclosingit，shehadnotfastenedthewindow-shutter，sothatastreakoflightfromtheinterioroftheroommighthaverevealedhervigiltoanobserveronthelawn。HowallthingsconspiredagainstherkeepingfaithwithGrace！
Thetappingrecommenced，lightasfromthebillofalittlebird；
herillegitimatehopeovercamehervow；shewentandpulledbacktheshutter，determining，however，toshakeherheadathimandkeepthecasementsecurelyclosed。
Whatshesawoutsidemighthavestruckterrorintoaheartstouterthanahelplesswoman’satmidnight。Inthecentreofthelowestpaneofthewindow，closetotheglass，wasahumanface，whichshebarelyrecognizedasthefaceofFitzpiers。Itwassurroundedwiththedarknessofthenightwithout，corpse-likeinitspallor，andcoveredwithblood。AsdisclosedinthesquareareaofthepaneitmetherfrightenedeyeslikeareplicaoftheSudariumofSt。Veronica。
Hemovedhislips，andlookedatherimploringly。Herrapidmindpiecedtogetherinaninstantapossibleconcatenationofeventswhichmighthaveledtothistragicalissue。Sheunlatchedthecasementwithaterrifiedhand，andbendingdowntowherehewascrouching，pressedherfacetohiswithpassionatesolicitude。
Sheassistedhimintotheroomwithoutaword，todowhichitwasalmostnecessarytolifthimbodily。Quicklyclosingthewindowandfasteningtheshutters，shebentoverhimbreathlessly。
“Areyouhurtmuch——much？”shecried，faintly。“Oh，oh，howisthis！”
“Rathermuch——butdon’tbefrightened。”heansweredinadifficultwhisper，andturninghimselftoobtainaneasierpositionifpossible。“Alittlewater，please。”
Sheranacrossintothedining-room，andbroughtabottleandglass，fromwhichheeagerlydrank。Hecouldthenspeakmuchbetter，andwithherhelpgotuponthenearestcouch。
“Areyoudying，Edgar？”shesaid。“Dospeaktome！”
“Iamhalfdead。”saidFitzpiers。“ButperhapsIshallgetoverit。Itischieflylossofblood。”
“ButIthoughtyourfalldidnothurtyou。”saidshe。“Whodidthis？”
“Felice——myfather-in-law！。Ihavecrawledtoyoumorethanamileonmyhandsandknees——God，IthoughtIshouldneverhavegothere！。Ihavecometoyou——be-causeyouaretheonlyfriend——I
haveintheworldnow。IcannevergobacktoHintock——never——totheroofoftheMelburys！Notpoppynormandragorawillevermedicinethisbitterfeud！。IfIwereonlywellagain——“
“Letmebindyourhead，nowthatyouhaverested。”
“Yes——butwaitamoment——ithasstoppedbleeding，fortunately，orIshouldbeadeadmanbeforenow。WhileinthewoodImanagedtomakeatourniquetofsomehalf-penceandmyhandkerchief，aswellasIcouldinthedark。Butlisten，dearFelice！CanyouhidemetillIamwell？Whatevercomes，IcanbeseeninHintocknomore。
Mypracticeisnearlygone，youknow——andafterthisIwouldnotcaretorecoveritifIcould。”
BythistimeFelice’stearsbegantoblindher。Wherewerenowherdiscreetplansforsunderingtheirlivesforever？Toadministertohiminhispain，andtrouble，andpoverty，washersinglethought。Thefirststepwastohidehim，andsheaskedherselfwhere。Aplaceoccurredtohermind。
Shegothimsomewinefromthedining-room，whichstrengthenedhimmuch。Thenshemanagedtoremovehisboots，and，ashecouldnowkeephimselfuprightbyleaninguponherononesideandawalking-stickontheother，theywentthusinslowmarchoutoftheroomandupthestairs。Atthetopshetookhimalongagallery，pausingwheneverherequiredrest，andthenceupasmallerstaircasetotheleastusedpartofthehouse，wheresheunlockedadoor。Withinwasalumber-room，containingabandonedfurnitureofalldescriptions，builtupinpileswhichobscuredthelightofthewindows，andformedbetweenthemnooksandlairsinwhichapersonwouldnotbediscernedevenshouldaneyegazeinatthedoor。Thearticlesweremainlythosethathadbelongedtothepreviousownerofthehouse，andhadbeenboughtinbythelateMr。Charmondattheauction；butchangingfashion，andthetastesofayoungwife，hadcausedthemtoberelegatedtothisdungeon。
HereFitzpierssatontheflooragainstthewalltillshehadhauledoutmaterialsforabed，whichshespreadonthefloorinoneoftheaforesaidnooks。Sheobtainedwaterandabasin，andwashedthedriedbloodfromhisfaceandhands；andwhenhewascomfortablyreclining，fetchedfoodfromthelarder。Whileheatehereyeslingeredanxiouslyonhisface，followingitseverymovementwithsuchloving-kindnessasonlyafondwomancanshow。
Hewasnowinbettercondition，anddiscussedhispositionwithher。
“WhatIfancyIsaidtoMelburymusthavebeenenoughtoenrageanyman，ifutteredincoldblood，andwithknowledgeofhispresence。ButIdidnotknowhim，andIwasstupefiedbywhathehadgivenme，sothatIhardlywasawareofwhatIsaid。Well——
theveilofthattempleisrentintwain！。AsIamnotgoingtobeseenagaininHintock，myfirsteffortsmustbedirectedtoallayanyalarmthatmaybefeltatmyabsence，beforeIamabletogetclearaway。NobodymustsuspectthatIhavebeenhurt，ortherewillbeacountrytalkaboutme。Felice，Imustatonceconcoctalettertocheckallsearchforme。IthinkifyoucanbringmeapenandpaperImaybeabletodoitnow。Icouldrestbetterifitweredone。Poorthing！howItireherwithrunningupanddown！”
Shefetchedwritingmaterials，andhelduptheblotting-bookasasupporttohishand，whilehepennedabriefnotetohisnominalwife。
“Theanimosityshowntowardsmebyyourfather。”hewrote，inthiscoldestofmaritalepistles，“issuchthatIcannotreturnagaintoaroofwhichishis，eventhoughitsheltersyou。Apartingisunavoidable，asyouaresuretobeonhissideinthisdivision。
IamstartingonajourneywhichwilltakemealongwayfromHintock，andyoumustnotexpecttoseemethereagainforsometime。”
Hethengaveherafewdirectionsbearinguponhisprofessionalengagementsandotherpracticalmatters，concludingwithoutahintofhisdestination，oranotionofwhenshewouldseehimagain。
HeofferedtoreadthenotetoFelicebeforehecloseditup，butshewouldnothearorseeit；thatsideofhisobligationsdistressedherbeyondendurance。SheturnedawayfromFitzpiers，andsobbedbitterly。
“Ifyoucangetthispostedataplacesomemilesaway。”hewhispered，exhaustedbytheeffortofwriting——“atShottsfordorPort-Bredy，orstillbetter，Budmouth——itwilldivertallsuspicionfromthishouseastheplaceofmyrefuge。”
“Iwilldrivetooneorotheroftheplacesmyself——anythingtokeepitunknown。”shemurmured，hervoiceweightedwithvagueforeboding，nowthattheexcitementofhelpinghimhadpassedaway。
Fitzpierstoldherthattherewasyetonethingmoretohedone。
“Increepingoverthefenceontothelawn。”hesaid，“Imadetherailbloody，anditshowsrathermuchonthewhitepaint——Icouldseeitinthedark。Atallhazardsitshouldbewashedoff。
Couldyoudothatalso，Felice？”
Whatwillnotwomendoonsuchdevotedoccasions？wearyasshewasshewentallthewaydowntheramblingstaircasestotheground-
floor，thentosearchforalantern，whichshelightedandhidunderhercloak；thenforawetsponge，andnextwentforthintothenight。Thewhiterailingstaredoutinthedarknessatherapproach，andarayfromtheenshroudedlanternfellupontheblood——justwherehehadtoldheritwouldbefound。sheshuddered。Itwasalmosttoomuchtobearinoneday——butwithashakinghandshespongedtherailclean，andreturnedtothehouse。
Thetimeoccupiedbytheseseveralproceedingswasnotmuchlessthantwohours。Whenallwasdone，andshehadsmoothedhisextemporizedbed，andplacedeverythingwithinhisreachthatshecouldthinkof，shetookherleaveofhim，andlockedhimin。
Whenherhusband’sletterreachedGrace’shands，bearinguponitthepostmarkofadistanttown，itneveroncecrossedhermindthatFitzpierswaswithinamileofherstill。shefeltrelievedthathedidnotwritemorebitterlyofthequarrelwithherfather，whateveritsnaturemighthavebeen；butthegeneralfrigidityofhiscommunicationquenchedinhertheincipientsparkthateventshadkindledsoshortlybefore。
FromthiscentreofinformationitwasmadeknowninHintockthatthedoctorhadgoneaway，andasnonebuttheMelburyhouseholdwasawarethathedidnotreturnonthenightofhisaccident，noexcitementmanifesteditselfinthevillage。
ThustheearlydaysofMaypassedby。Nonebutthenocturnalbirdsandanimalsobservedthatlateoneevening，towardsthemiddleofthemonth，acloselywrappedfigure，withacrutchunderonearmandastickinhishand，creptoutfromHintockHouseacrossthelawntotheshelterofthetrees，takingthenceaslowandlaboriouswalktothenearestpointoftheturnpike-road。Themysteriouspersonagewassodisguisedthathisownwifewouldhardlyhaveknownhim。FeliceCharmondwasapractisedhandatmake-ups，aswellshemightbe；andshehaddoneherutmostinpaddingandpaintingFitzpierswiththeoldmaterialsofherartintherecessesofthelumber-room。
Inthehighwayhewasmetbyacoveredcarriage，whichconveyedhimtoSherton-Abbas，whenceheproceededtothenearestportonthesouthcoast，andimmediatelycrossedtheChannel。
ButitwasknowntoeverybodythatthreedaysafterthistimeMrs。
Charmondexecutedherlong-deferredplanofsettingoutforalongtermoftravelandresidenceontheContinent。Shewentoffonemorningasunostentatiouslyascouldbe，andtooknomaidwithher，having，shesaid，engagedonetomeetheratapointfartheroninherroute。Afterthat，HintockHouse，sofrequentlydeserted，wasagaintobelet。Springhadnotmergedinsummerwhenaclinchingrumor，foundedonthebestofevidence，reachedtheparishandneighborhood。Mrs。CharmondandFitzpiershadbeenseentogetherinBaden，inrelationswhichsetatrestthequestionthathadagitatedthelittlecommunityeversincethewinter。
MelburyhadenteredtheValleyofHumiliationevenfartherthanGrace。Hisspiritseemedbroken。
Butonceaweekhemechanicallywenttomarketasusual，andhere，ashewaspassingbytheconduitoneday，hismentalconditionexpressedlargelybyhisgait，heheardhisnamespokenbyavoiceformerlyfamiliar。HeturnedandsawacertainFredBeaucock——
onceapromisinglawyer’sclerkandlocaldandy，whohadbeencalledthecleverestfellowinSherton，withoutwhosebrainsthefirmofsolicitorsemployinghimwouldbenowhere。ButlateronBeaucockhadfallenintothemire。Hewasinvitedoutagooddeal，sangsongsatagriculturalmeetingsandburgesses’dinners；
insum，victualledhimselfwithspiritsmorefrequentlythanwasgoodforthecleverbrainsorbodyeither。Helosthissituation，andafteranabsencespentintryinghispowerselsewhere，camebacktohisnativetown，where，atthetimeoftheforegoingeventsinHintock，hegavelegaladviceforastonishinglysmallfees——mostlycarryingonhisprofessiononpublic-housesettles，inwhoserecesseshemightoftenhavebeenoverheardmakingcountry-people’swillsforhalfacrown；callingwithalearnedvoiceforpen-and-inkandahalfpennysheetofpaper，onwhichhedrewupthetestamentwhilerestingitinalittlespacewipedwithhishandonthetableamidtheliquidcirclesformedbythecupsandglasses。Anideaimplantedearlyinlifeisdifficulttouproot，andmanyelderlytradespeoplestillclungtothenotionthatFredBeaucockknewagreatdealoflaw。
