“Ah——hewasnotwell——youareright。Hewasill——hewasillwhenIcame。”
Therewasnothingmoretodoorsay。Shecroucheddownatthesideofthebed，andFitzpierstookaseat。Thustheyremainedinsilence，andlongasitlastedsheneverturnedhereyes，orapparentlyherthoughts，atalltoherhusband。Heoccasionallymurmured，withautomaticauthority，someslightdirectionsforalleviatingthepainofthedyingman，whichshemechanicallyobeyed，bendingoverhimduringtheintervalsinsilenttears。
Winterborneneverrecoveredconsciousnessofwhatwaspassing；andthathewasgoingbecamesoonperceptiblealsotoher。Inlessthananhourthedeliriumceased；thentherewasanintervalofsomnolentpainlessnessandsoftbreathing，attheendofwhichWinterbornepassedquietlyaway。
ThenFitzpiersbrokethesilence。“Haveyoulivedherelong？”
saidhe。
Gracewaswildwithsorrow——withallthathadbefallenher——withthecrueltiesthathadattackedher——withlife——withHeaven。Sheansweredatrandom。“Yes。Bywhatrightdoyouask？”
“Don’tthinkIclaimanyright。”saidFitzpiers，sadly。“Itisforyoutodoandsaywhatyouchoose。Iadmit，quiteasmuchasyoufeel，thatIamavagabond——abrute——notworthytopossessthesmallestfragmentofyou。ButhereIam，andIhavehappenedtotakesufficientinterestinyoutomakethatinquiry。”
“Heiseverythingtome！”saidGrace，hardlyheedingherhusband，andlayingherhandreverentlyonthedeadman’seyelids，whereshekeptitalongtime，pressingdowntheirlasheswithgentletouches，asifshewerestrokingalittlebird。
Hewatchedherawhile，andthenglancedroundthechamberwherehiseyesfelluponafewdressingnecessariesthatshehadbrought。
“Grace——ifImaycallyouso。”hesaid，“Ihavebeenalreadyhumiliatedalmosttothedepths。Ihavecomebacksinceyourefusedtojoinmeelsewhere——Ihaveenteredyourfather’shouse，andborneallthatthatcostmewithoutflinching，becauseIhavefeltthatIdeservedhumiliation。Butisthereayetgreaterhumiliationinstoreforme？Yousayyouhavebeenlivinghere——
thatheiseverythingtoyou。AmItodrawfromthattheobvious，theextremestinference？”
Triumphatanypriceissweettomenandwomen——especiallythelatter。Itwasherfirstandlastopportunityofrepayinghimforthecruelcontumelywhichshehadborneathishandssodocilely。
“Yes。”sheanswered；andtherewasthatinhersubtlycompoundednaturewhichmadeherfeelathrillofprideasshedidso。
Yetthemomentaftershehadsomightilybeliedhercharactershehalfrepented。Herhusbandhadturnedaswhiteasthewallbehindhim。Itseemedasifallthatremainedtohimoflifeandspirithadbeenabstractedatastroke。Yethedidnotmove，andinhiseffortsatself-controlclosedhismouthtogetherasavice。Hisdeterminationwasfairlysuccessful，thoughshesawhowverymuchgreaterthanshehadexpectedhertriumphhadbeen。PresentlyhelookedacrossatWinterborne。
“Woulditstartleyoutohear。”hesaid，asifhehardlyhadbreathtoutterthewords，“thatshewhowastomewhathewastoyouisdeadalso？”
“Dead——SHEdead？”exclaimedGrace。
“Yes。FeliceCharmondiswherethisyoungmanis。”
“Never！”saidGrace，vehemently。
Hewentonwithoutheedingtheinsinuation：“AndIcamebacktotrytomakeitupwithyou——but——“
Fitzpiersrose，andmovedacrosstheroomtogoaway，lookingdownwardwiththedroopofamanwhosehopewasturnedtoapathy，ifnotdespair。Ingoingroundthedoorhiseyefelluponheroncemore。ShewasstillbendingoverthebodyofWinterborne，herfaceclosetotheyoungman’s。
“Haveyoubeenkissinghimduringhisillness？”askedherhusband。
“Yes。”
“Sincehisfeveredstatesetin？”
“Yes。”
“Onhislips？”
“Yes。”
“Thenyouwilldowelltotakeafewdropsofthisinwaterassoonaspossible。”Hedrewasmallphialfromhispocketandreturnedtoofferittoher。
Graceshookherhead。
“Ifyoudon’tdoasItellyouyoumaysoonbelikehim。”
“Idon’tcare。Iwishtodie。”
“I’llputithere。”saidFitzpiers，placingthebottleonaledgebesidehim。“Thesinofnothavingwarnedyouwillnotbeuponmyheadatanyrate，amongmyothersins。Iamnowgoing，andIwillsendsomebodytoyou。Yourfatherdoesnotknowthatyouarehere，soIsupposeIshallbeboundtotellhim？”
“Certainly。”
Fitzpiersleftthecot，andthestrokeofhisfeetwassoonimmersedinthesilencethatprevadedthespot。Graceremainedkneelingandweeping，shehardlyknewhowlong，andthenshesatup，coveredpoorGiles’sfeatures，andwenttowardsthedoorwhereherhusbandhadstood。Nosignofanyothercomergreetedherear，theonlyperceptiblesoundsbeingthetinycracklingsofthedeadleaves，which，likeafeather-bed，hadnotyetdonerisingtotheirnormallevelwhereindentedbythepressureofherhusband’srecedingfootsteps。Itremindedherthatshehadbeenstruckwiththechangeinhisaspect；theextremelyintellectuallookthathadalwaysbeeninhisfacewaswroughttoafinerphasebythinness，andacare-worndignityhadbeensuperadded。ShereturnedtoWinterborne’sside，andduringhermeditationsanothertreaddrewnearthedoor，enteredtheouterroom，andhaltedattheentranceofthechamberwhereGracewas。
“What——Marty！”saidGrace。
“Yes。Ihaveheard。”saidMarty，whosedemeanorhadlostallitsgirlishnessunderthestrokethatseemedalmostliterallytohavebruisedher。
“Hediedforme！”murmuredGrace，heavily。
Martydidnotfullycomprehend；andsheanswered，“Hebelongstoneitherofusnow，andyourbeautyisnomorepowerfulwithhimthanmyplainness。Ihavecometohelpyou，ma’am。Henevercaredforme，andhecaredmuchforyou；buthecaresforusbothalikenow。”
“Ohdon’t，don’t，Marty！”
Martysaidnomore，butkneltoverWinterbornefromtheotherside。
“Didyoumeetmyhus——Mr。Fitzpiers？”
“Thenwhatbroughtyouhere？”
“Icomethiswaysometimes。Ihavegottogotothefarthersideofthewoodthistimeoftheyear，andamobligedtogettherebeforefouro’clockinthemorning，tobeginheatingtheovenfortheearlybaking。Ihavepassedbyhereoftenatthistime。”
Gracelookedatherquickly。“ThendidyouknowIwashere？”
“Yes，ma’am。”
“Didyoutellanybody？”
“No。Iknewyoulivedinthehut，thathehadgiedituptoye，andlodgedouthimself。”
“Didyouknowwherehelodged？”
“No。ThatIcouldn’tfindout。WasitatDelborough？”
“No。Itwasnotthere，Marty。Wouldithadbeen！Itwouldhavesaved——saved——“Tocheckhertearssheturned，andseeingabookonthewindow-bench，tookitup。“Look，Marty，thisisaPsalter。
Hewasnotanoutwardlyreligiousman，buthewaspureandperfectinhisheart。Shallwereadapsalmoverhim？”
“Ohyes——wewill——withallmyheart！”
Graceopenedthethinbrownbook，whichpoorGileshadkeptathandmainlyfortheconvenienceofwhettinghispen-knifeuponitsleathercovers。Shebegantoreadinthatrich，devotionalvoicepeculiartowomenonlyonsuchoccasions。Whenitwasover，Martysaid，“Ishouldliketoprayforhissoul。”
“SoshouldI。”saidhercompanion。“Butwemustnot。”
“Why？Nobodywouldknow。”
Gracecouldnotresisttheargument，influencedasshewasbythesenseofmakingamendsforhavingneglectedhiminthebody；andtheirtendervoicesunitedandfilledthenarrowroomwithsupplicatorymurmursthataCalvinistmighthaveenvied。Theyhadhardlyendedwhennowandmorenumerousfoot-fallswereaudible，alsopersonsinconversation，oneofwhomGracerecognizedasherfather。
Sherose，andwenttotheouterapartment，inwhichtherewasonlysuchlightasbeamedfromtheinnerone。MelburyandMrs。Melburywerestandingthere。
“Idon’treproachyou，Grace。”saidherfather，withanestrangedmanner，andinavoicenotatalllikehisoldvoice。“Whathascomeuponyouandusisbeyondreproach，beyondweeping，andbeyondwailing。PerhapsIdroveyoutoit。ButIamhurt；Iamscourged；Iamastonished。Inthefaceofthisthereisnothingtobesaid。”
Withoutreplying，Graceturnedandglidedbacktotheinnerchamber。“Marty。”shesaid，quickly，“Icannotlookmyfatherinthefaceuntilheknowsthetruecircumstancesofmylifehere。
Goandtellhim——whatyouhavetoldme——whatyousaw——thathegaveuphishousetome。”
Shesatdown，herfaceburiedinherhands，andMartywent，andafterashortabsencereturned。ThenGracerose，andgoingoutaskedherfatherifhehadmetherhusband。
“Yes。”saidMelbury。
“Andyouknowallthathashappened？”
“Ido。Forgiveme，Grace，forsuspectingyeofworsethanrashness——Ioughttoknowyebetter。Areyoucomingwithmetowhatwasonceyourhome？”
“No。IstayherewithHIM。Takenoaccountofmeanymore。”
Theunwonted，perplexing，agitatingrelationsinwhichshehadstoodtoWinterbornequitelately——broughtaboutbyMelbury’sowncontrivance——couldnotfailtosoftenthenaturalangerofaparentathermorerecentdoings。“Mydaughter，thingsarebad。”
herejoined。“Butwhydoyouperseveretomake’emworse？WhatgoodcanyoudotoGilesbystayingherewithhim？Mind，Iasknoquestions。Idon’tinquirewhyyoudecidedtocomehere，oranythingastowhatyourcoursewouldhavebeenifhehadnotdied，thoughIknowthere’snodeliberateharminye。Asforme，Ihavelostallclaimuponyou，andImakenocomplaint。ButIdosaythatbycomingbackwithmenowyouwillshownolesskindnesstohim，andescapeanysoundofshame。
“ButIdon’twishtoescapeit。”
“Ifyoudon’tonyourownaccount，cannotyouwishtoonmineandhers？Nobodyexceptourhouseholdknowsthatyouhavelefthome。
Thenwhyshouldyou，byapieceofperverseness，bringdownmygrayhairswithsorrowtothegrave？”
“Ifitwerenotformyhusband——“shebegan，movedbyhiswords。
“ButhowcanImeethimthere？Howcananywomanwhoisnotamereman’screaturejoinhimafterwhathastakenplace？”
“Hewouldgoawayagainratherthankeepyououtofmyhouse。”
“Howdoyouknowthat，father？”
“Wemethimonourwayhere，andhetoldusso。”saidMrs。
Melbury。“Hehadsaidsomethinglikeitbefore。Heseemsverymuchupsetaltogether。”
“Hedeclaredtoherwhenhecametoourhousethathewouldwaitfortimeanddevotiontobringabouthisforgiveness。”saidherhusband。“Thatwasit，wasn’tit，Lucy？”
“Yes。Thathewouldnotintrudeuponyou，Grace，tillyougavehimabsolutepermission。”Mrs。Melburyadded。
ThisantecedentconsideratenessinFitzpierswasaswelcometoGraceasitwasunexpected；andthoughshedidnotdesirehispresence，shewassorrythatbyherretaliatoryfictionshehadgivenhimadifferentreasonforavoidingher。Shemadenofurtherobjectionstoaccompanyingherparents，takingthemintotheinnerroomtogiveWinterbornealastlook，andgatheringupthetwoorthreethingsthatbelongedtoher。WhileshewasdoingthisthetwowomencamewhohadbeencalledbyMelbury，andattheirheelspoorCreedle。
“Forgiveme，butIcan’trulemymourningnohowasamanshould，Mr。Melbury。”hesaid。“Iha’n’tseenhimsinceThursdayse’night，andhavewonderedfordaysanddayswherehe’sbeenkeeping。TherewasIexpectinghimtocomeandtellmetowashoutthecider-barrelsagainstthemaking，andherewashe——Well，I’veknowedhimfromtable-high；Iknowedhisfather——usedtobideaboutupontwosticksinthesunaforehedied！——andnowI’veseentheendofthefamily，whichwecanillaffordtolose，wi’suchascantylotofgoodfolkinHintockaswe’vegot。AndnowRobertCreedlewillbenailedupinparishboards’ab’lieve；andnobobywillglutchdownasighforhe！”
