Nosoonerhadsheretiredtorestthatnightthanthewindbegantorise，and，afterafewprefatoryblasts，tobeaccompaniedbyrain。Thewindgrewmoreviolent，andasthestormwenton，itwasdifficulttobelievethatnoopaquebody，butonlyaninvisiblecolorlessthing，wastramplingandclimbingovertheroof，makingbranchescreak，springingoutofthetreesuponthechimney，poppingitsheadintotheflue，andshriekingandblasphemingateverycornerofthewalls。Asintheoldstory，theassailantwasaspectrewhichcouldbefeltbutnotseen。Shehadneverbeforebeensostruckwiththedevilryofagustynightinawood，becauseshehadneverbeensoentirelyaloneinspiritasshewasnow。Sheseemedalmosttobeapartfromherself——avacuousduplicateonly。Therecentselfofphysicalanimationandclearintentionswasnotthere。
Sometimesaboughfromanadjoiningtreewasswayedsolowastosmitetheroofinthemannerofagigantichandsmitingthemouthofanadversary，tobefollowedbyatrickleofrain，asbloodfromthewound。ToallthisweatherGilesmustbemoreorlessexposed；howmuch，shedidnotknow。
AtlastGracecouldhardlyenduretheideaofsuchahardshipinrelationtohim。Whateverhewassuffering，itwasshewhohadcausedit；hevacatedhishouseonaccountofher。Shewasnotworthsuchself-sacrifice；sheshouldnothaveaccepteditofhim。
Andthen，asheranxietyincreasedwithincreasingthought，therereturneduponhermindsomeincidentsofherlateintercoursewithhim，whichshehadheededbutlittleatthetime。Thelookofhisface——whathadtherebeenabouthisfacewhichseemeddifferentfromitsappearanceasofyore？Wasitnotthinner，lessrichinhue，lesslikethatofripeautumn’sbrothertowhomshehadformerlycomparedhim？Andhisvoice；shehaddistinctlynoticedachangeintone。Andhisgait；surelyithadbeenfeebler，stiffer，morelikethegaitofawearyman。Thatslightoccasionalnoiseshehadheardintheday，andattributedtosquirrels，itmighthavebeenhiscoughafterall。
ThusconvictiontookrootinherperturbedmindthatWinterbornewasill，orhadbeenso，andthathehadcarefullyconcealedhisconditionfromherthatshemighthavenoscruplesaboutacceptingahospitalitywhichbythenatureofthecaseexpelledherentertainer。
“Myown，own，truel——，mydearkindfriend！”shecriedtoherself。“Oh，itshallnotbe——itshallnotbe！”
Shehastilywrappedherselfup，andobtainedalight，withwhichsheenteredtheadjoiningroom，thecotpossessingonlyonefloor。
Settingdownthecandleonthetablehere，shewenttothedoorwiththekeyinherhand，andplaceditinthelock。Beforeturningitshepaused，herfingersstillclutchingit；andpressingherotherhandtoherforehead，shefellintoagitatingthought。
Atattooonthewindow，causedbythetree-droppingsblowingagainstit，broughtherindecisiontoaclose。Sheturnedthekeyandopenedthedoor。
Thedarknesswasintense，seemingtotouchherpupilslikeasubstance。Sheonlynowbecameawarehowheavytherainfallhadbeenandwas；thedrippingoftheeavessplashedlikeafountain。
Shestoodlisteningwithpartedlips，andholdingthedoorinonehand，tillhereyes，growingaccustomedtotheobscurity，discernedthewildbrandishingoftheirboughsbytheadjoiningtrees。Atlastshecriedloudlywithaneffort，“Giles！youmaycomein！”
Therewasnoimmediateanswertohercry，andoverpoweredbyherowntemerity，Graceretreatedquickly，shutthedoor，andstoodlookingonthefloor。Butitwasnotforlong。Sheagainliftedthelatch，andwithfarmoredeterminationthanatfirst。
“Giles，Giles！”shecried，withthefullstrengthofhervoice，andwithoutanyoftheshamefacednessthathadcharacterizedherfirstcry。“Oh，comein——comein！Whereareyou？Ihavebeenwicked。Ihavethoughttoomuchofmyself！Doyouhear？Idon’twanttokeepyououtanylonger。Icannotbearthatyoushouldsufferso。Gi-i-iles！”
Areply！Itwasareply！Throughthedarknessandwindavoicereachedher，floatingupontheweatherasthoughapartofit。
“HereIam——allright。Don’ttroubleaboutme。”
“Don’tyouwanttocomein？Areyounotill？Idon’tmindwhattheysay，orwhattheythinkanymore。”
“Iamallright。”herepeated。“Itisnotnecessaryformetocome。Good-night！good-night！”
Gracesighed，turnedandshutthedoorslowly。Couldshehavebeenmistakenabouthishealth？Perhaps，afterall，shehadperceivedachangeinhimbecauseshehadnotseenhimforsolong。Timesometimesdidhisageingworkinjerks，assheknew。
Well，shehaddoneallshecould。Hewouldnotcomein。Sheretiredtorestagain。
ThenextmorningGracewasatthewindowearly。Shefeltdeterminedtoseehimsomehowthatday，andpreparedhisbreakfasteagerly。Eighto’clockstruck，andshehadrememberedthathehadnotcometoarouseherbyaknocking，asusual，herownanxietyhavingcausedhertostir。
Thebreakfastwassetinitsplacewithout。Buthedidnotarrivetotakeit；andshewaitedon。Nineo’clockarrived，andthebreakfastwascold；andstilltherewasnoGiles。Athrush，thathadbeenrepeatingitselfagooddealonanoppositebushforsometime，cameandtookamorselfromtheplateandboltedit，waited，lookedaround，andtookanother。Atteno’clockshedrewinthetray，andsatdowntoherownsolitarymeal。Hemusthavebeencalledawayonbusinessearly，therainhavingclearedoff。
Yetshewouldhavelikedtoassureherself，bythoroughlyexploringtheprecinctsofthehut，thathewasnowhereinitsvicinity；butasthedaywascomparativelyfine，thedreadlestsomestraypassengerorwoodmanshouldencounterherinsuchareconnoitreparalyzedherwish。Thesolitudewasfurtheraccentuatedto-daybythestoppingoftheclockforwantofwinding，andthefallintothechimney-cornerofflakesofsootloosenedbytherains。Atnoonsheheardaslightrustlingoutsidethewindow，andfoundthatitwascausedbyaneftwhichhadcreptoutoftheleavestobaskinthelastsun-raysthatwouldbeworthhavingtillthefollowingMay。
Shecontinuallypeepedoutthroughthelattice，butcouldseelittle。Infrontlaythebrownleavesoflastyear，anduponthemsomeyellowish-greenonesofthisseasonthathadbeenprematurelyblowndownbythegale。Abovestretchedanoldbeech，withvastarmpits，andgreatpocket-holesinitssideswherebrancheshadbeenamputatedinpasttimes；ablackslugwastryingtoclimbit。
Deadboughswerescatteredaboutlikeichthyosauriinamuseum，andbeyondthemwereperishingwoodbinestemsresemblingoldropes。
Fromtheotherwindowallshecouldseeweremoretrees，jacketedwithlichenandstockingedwithmoss。Attheirrootswerestemlessyellowfungilikelemonsandapricots，andtallfungiwithmorestemthanstool。Nextweremoretreesclosetogether，wrestlingforexistence，theirbranchesdisfiguredwithwoundsresultingfromtheirmutualrubbingsandblows。Itwasthestrugglebetweentheseneighborsthatshehadheardinthenight。
Beneaththemweretherottingstumpsofthoseofthegroupthathadbeenvanquishedlongago，risingfromtheirmossysettinglikedecayedteethfromgreengums。Fartheronwereothertuftsofmossinislandsdividedbytheshedleaves——varietyuponvariety，darkgreenandpalegreen；moss-likelittlefir-trees，likeplush，likemalachitestars，likenothingonearthexceptmoss。
ThestrainuponGrace’smindinvariouswayswassogreatonthisthemostdesolatedayshehadpassedtherethatshefeltitwouldbewell-nighimpossibletospendanotherinsuchcircumstances。
Theeveningcameatlast；thesun，whenitschinwasontheearth，foundanopeningthroughwhichtopiercetheshade，andstretchedirradiatedgauzesacrossthedampatmosphere，makingthewettrunksshine，andthrowingsplotchesofsuchruddinessontheleavesbeneaththebeechthattheywereturnedtogoryhues。Whennightatlastarrived，andwithitthetimeforhisreturn，shewasnearlybrokendownwithsuspense。
Thesimpleeveningmeal，partlytea，partlysupper，whichGracehadprepared，stoodwaitinguponthehearth；andyetGilesdidnotcome。Itwasnownearlytwenty-fourhourssinceshehadseenhim。
Astheroomgrewdarker，andonlythefirelightbrokeagainstthegloomofthewalls，shewasconvincedthatitwouldbebeyondherstayingpowertopassthenightwithouthearingfromhimorfromsomebody。Yeteighto’clockdrewon，andhisformatthewindowdidnotappear。
Themealremaineduntasted。Suddenlyrisingfrombeforethehearthofsmoulderingembers，whereshehadbeencrouchingwithherhandsclaspedoverherknees，shecrossedtheroom，unlockedthedoor，andlistened。Everybreathofwindhadceasedwiththedeclineofday，buttherainhadresumedthesteadydrippingofthenightbefore。Gracemighthavestoodtherefiveminuteswhenshefanciedsheheardthatoldsound，acough，atnogreatdistance；anditwaspresentlyrepeated。IfitwereWinterborne’s，hemustbenearher；why，then，hadhenotvisitedher？
AhorridmisgivingthathecouldnotvisithertookpossessionofGrace，andshelookedupanxiouslyforthelantern，whichwashangingaboveherhead。Tolightitandgointhedirectionofthesoundwouldbetheobviouswaytosolvethedreadproblem；buttheconditionsmadeherhesitate，andinamomentacoldsweatpervadedheratfurthersoundsfromthesamequarter。
Theywerelowmutterings；atfirstlikepersonsinconversation，butgraduallyresolvingthemselvesintovarietiesofonevoice。
Itwasanendlessmonologue，likethatwesometimeshearfrominanimatenatureindeepsecretplaceswherewaterflows，orwhereivyleavesflapagainststones；butbydegreesshewasconvincedthatthevoicewasWinterborne’s。Yetwhocouldbehislistener，somuteandpatient；forthoughhearguedsorapidlyandpersistently，nobodyreplied。
AdreadfulenlightenmentspreadthroughthemindofGrace。“Oh。”
shecried，inheranguish，asshehastilypreparedherselftogoout，“howselfishlycorrectIamalways——too，toocorrect！Cruelproprietyiskillingthedearestheartthateverwomanclaspedtoherown。”
Whilespeakingthustoherselfshehadlitthelantern，andhasteningoutwithoutfurtherthought，tookthedirectionwhencethemutteringshadproceeded。Thecoursewasmarkedbyalittlepath，whichendedatadistanceofaboutfortyyardsinasmallerectionofhurdles，notmuchlargerthanashockofcorn，suchaswerefrequentinthewoodsandcopseswhenthecuttingseasonwasgoingon。Itwastooslighteventobecalledahovel，andwasnothighenoughtostanduprightin；appearing，inshort，tobeerectedforthetemporaryshelteroffuel。ThesidetowardsGracewasopen，andturningthelightupontheinterior，shebeheldwhatherprescientfearhadpicturedinsnatchesallthewaythither。
Uponthestrawwithin，Winterbornelayinhisclothes，justasshehadseenhimduringthewholeofherstayhere，exceptthathishatwasoff，andhishairmattedandwild。
Bothhisclothesandthestrawweresaturatedwithrain。Hisarmswereflungoverhishead；hisfacewasflushedtoanunnaturalcrimson。Hiseyeshadaburningbrightness，andthoughtheymetherown，sheperceivedthathedidnotrecognizeher。
“Oh，myGiles。”shecried，“whathaveIdonetoyou！”
Butshestoppednolongereventoreproachherself。Shesawthatthefirstthingtobethoughtofwastogethimindoors。
HowGraceperformedthatlaborshenevercouldhaveexactlyexplained。Butbydintofclaspingherarmsroundhim，rearinghimintoasittingposture，andstrainingherstrengthtotheuttermost，sheputhimononeofthehurdlesthatwasloosealongside，andtakingtheendofitinbothherhands，draggedhimalongthepathtotheentranceofthehut，and，afterapauseforbreath，inatthedoor-way。
