“Sohe’scomingto-night。”saidTim，laconically。“Andwebealwaysanxioustoseeourdears。”
“HeIScomingto-night。”shereplied，withdefiance。“AndweBE
anxiousforourdears。”
“Thenwillyoustepin-doors，whereyourdearwillsoonjine’ee？
We’vetomousterbyhalf-pastthreeto-morrow，andifwedon’tgettobedbyeightatlatestourfaceswillbeaslongasclock-casesallday。”
Shehesitatedforaminute，butultimatelyobeyed，goingslowlydownthegardentothehouse，whereheheardthedoor-latchclickbehindher。
Timwasincensedbeyondmeasure。Hismarriagehadsofarbeenatotalfailure，asourceofbitterregret；andtheonlycourseforimprovinghiscase，thatofleavingthecountry，wasasorry，andpossiblymightnotbeaveryeffectualone。Dowhathewould，hisdomesticskywaslikelytobeovercasttotheendoftheday。
Thushebrooded，andhisresentmentgatheredforce。Hecravedameansofstrikingoneblowbackatthecauseofhischeerlessplight，whilehewasstillonthesceneofhisdiscomfiture。Forsomeminutesnomethodsuggesteditself，andthenhehadanidea。
Comingtoasuddenresolution，hehastenedalongthegarden，andenteredtheoneattachedtothenextcottage，whichhadformerlybeenthedwellingofagame-keeper。Timdescendedthepathtothebackofthehouse，whereonlyanoldwomanlivedatpresent，andreachingthewallhestopped。Owingtotheslopeofthegroundtheroof-eavesofthelinhaywereherewithintouch，andhethrusthisarmupunderthem，feelingaboutinthespaceonthetopofthewall-plate。
“Ah，Ithoughtmymemorydidn’tdeceiveme！”helippedsilently。
Withsomeexertionhedrewdownacobwebbedobjectcuriouslyframediniron，whichclankedashemovedit。Itwasaboutthreefeetinlengthandhalfaswide。Timcontemplateditaswellashecouldinthedyinglightofday，andrakedoffthecobwebswithhishand。
“Thatwillspoilhisprettyshinsfor’n，Ireckon！”hesaid。
Itwasaman-trap。
Weretheinventorsofautomaticmachinestoberangedaccordingtotheexcellenceoftheirdevicesforproducingsoundartistictorture，thecreatoroftheman-trapwouldoccupyaveryrespectableifnotaveryhighplace。
Itshouldrather，however，besaid，theinventoroftheparticularformofman-trapofwhichthisfoundinthekeeper’sout-housewasaspecimen。Fortherewereothershapesandothersizes，instrumentswhich，ifplacedinarowbesideoneofthetypedisinterredbyTim，wouldhavewornthesubordinateaspectofthebears，wildboars，orwolvesinatravellingmenagerie，ascomparedwiththeleadinglionortiger。Inshort，thoughmanyvarietieshadbeeninuseduringthosecenturieswhichweareaccustomedtolookbackuponasthetrueandonlyperiodofmerryEngland——intheruraldistrictsmoreespecially——andonwarddowntothethirddecadeofthenineteenthcentury，thismodelhadbornethepalm，andhadbeenmostusuallyfollowedwhentheorchardsandestatesrequirednewones。
Therehadbeenthetoothlessvarietyusedbythesofter-heartedlandlords——quitecontemptibleintheirclemency。Thejawsoftheseresembledthejawsofanoldwomantowhomtimehasleftnothingbutgums。Therewerealsotheintermediateorhalf-
toothedsorts，probablydevisedbythemiddle-naturedsquires，orthoseundertheinfluenceoftheirwives：twoinchesofmercy，twoinchesofcruelty，twoinchesofmerenip，twoinchesofprobe，andsoon，throughthewholeextentofthejaws。Therewerealso，asaclassapart，thebruisers，whichdidnotlaceratetheflesh，butonlycrushedtheboneThesightofoneoftheseginswhensetproducedavividimpressionthatitwasendowedwithlife。Itexhibitedthecombinedaspectsofashark，acrocodile，andascorpion。Eachtoothwasintheformofataperingspine，twoandaquarterincheslong，which，whenthejawswereclosed，stoodinalternationfromthissideandfromthat。Whentheywereopen，thetwohalvesformedacompletecirclebetweentwoandthreefeetindiameter，theplateortreading-placeinthemidstbeingaboutafootsquare，whilefrombeneathextendedinoppositedirectionsthesouloftheapparatus，thepairofsprings，eachonebeingofastiffnesstorendernecessaryaleverorthewholeweightofthebodywhenforcingitdown。
ThereweremenatthistimestilllivingatHintockwhorememberedwhentheginandotherslikeitwereinuse。TimTangs’sgreat-
unclehadenduredanightofsixhoursinthisverytrap，whichlamedhimforlife。OnceakeeperofHintockwoodssetitonthetrackofapoacher，andafterwards，comingbackthatway，forgetfulofwhathehaddone，walkedintoithimself。Thewoundbroughtonlockjaw，ofwhichhedied。Thiseventoccurredduringthethirties，andbytheyear1840theuseofsuchimplementswaswell-nighdiscontinuedintheneighborhood。Butbeingmadeentirelyofiron，theybynomeansdisappeared，andinalmosteveryvillageonecouldbefoundinsomenookorcornerasreadilyasthiswasfoundbyTim。Ithad，indeed，beenafearfulamusementofTimandotherHintocklads——especiallythosewhohadadimsenseofbecomingrenownedpoacherswhentheyreachedtheirprime——todragoutthistrapfromitshiding，setit，andthrowitwithbilletsofwood，whichwerepenetratedbytheteethtothedepthofnearaninch。
Assoonashehadexaminedthetrap，andfoundthatthehingesandspringswerestillperfect，heshouldereditwithoutmoreado，andreturnedwithhisburdentohisowngarden，passingonthroughthehedgetothepathimmediatelyoutsidetheboundary。Here，bythehelpofastoutstake，hesetthetrap，andlaiditcarefullybehindabushwhilehewentforwardtoreconnoitre。Ashasbeenstated，nobodypassedthiswayfordaystogethersometimes；buttherewasjustapossibilitythatsomeotherpedestrianthantheoneinrequestmightarrive，anditbehoovedTimtobecarefulastotheidentityofhisvictim。
Goingaboutahundredyardsalongtherisinggroundtotheright，hereachedaridgewhereonalargeandthickhollygrew。Beyondthisforsomedistancethewoodwasmoreopen，andthecoursewhichFitzpiersmustpursuetoreachthepoint，ifhecameto-
night，wasvisiblealongwayforward。
Forsometimetherewasnosignofhimorofanybody。Thenthereshapeditselfaspotoutofthedimmid-distance，betweenthemassesofbrushwoodoneitherhand。Anditenlarged，andTimcouldhearthebrushingoffeetoverthetuftsofsour-grass。TheairygaitrevealedFitzpiersevenbeforehisexactoutlinecouldbeseen。
TimTangsturnedabout，andrandowntheoppositesideofthehill，tillhewasagainattheheadofhisowngarden。Itwastheworkofafewmomentstodragouttheman-trap，verygently——thattheplatemightnotbedisturbedsufficientlytothrowit——toaspacebetweenapairofyoungoakswhich，rootedincontiguity，grewapartupward，formingaV-shapedopeningbetween；and，beingbackedupbybushes，leftthisastheonlycourseforafoot-
passenger。Inithelaidthetrapwiththesamegentlenessofhandling，lockedthechainroundoneofthetrees，andfinallyslidbacktheguardwhichwasplacedtokeeptheginfromaccidentallycatchingthearmsofhimwhosetit，or，tousethelocalandbetterword，“toiled“it。
Havingcompletedthesearrangements，Timsprangthroughtheadjoininghedgeofhisfather’sgarden，randownthepath，andsoftlyenteredthehouse。
Obedienttohisorder，Sukehadgonetobed；andassoonashehadboltedthedoor，Timunlacedandkickedoffhisbootsatthefootofthestairs，andretiredlikewise，withoutlightingacandle。
Hisobjectseemedtobetoundressassoonaspossible。Before，however，hehadcompletedtheoperation，alongcryresoundedwithout——penetrating，butindescribable。
“What’sthat？”saidSuke，startingupinbed。
“Soundsasifsomebodyhadcaughtahareinhisgin。”
“Ohno。”saidshe。“Itwasnotahare，’twaslouder。Hark！”
“Do’eegettosleep。”saidTim。“Howbeyougoingtowakeathalf-pastthreeelse？”
Shelaydownandwassilent。Timstealthilyopenedthewindowandlistened。Abovethelowharmoniesproducedbytheinstrumentationofthevariousspeciesoftreesaroundthepremiseshecouldhearthetwitchingofachainfromthespotwhereonhehadsettheman-
trap。Butfurtherhumansoundtherewasnone。
Timwaspuzzled。Inthehasteofhisprojecthehadnotcalculateduponacry；butifone，whynotmore？Hesoonceasedtoessayananswer，forHintockwasdeadtohimalready。Inhalfadozenhourshewouldbeoutofitsprecinctsforlife，onhiswaytotheantipodes。Heclosedthewindowandlaydown。
ThehourwhichhadbroughtthesemovementsofTimtobirthhadbeenoperatingactivelyelsewhere。Awaitinginherfather’shousetheminuteofherappointmentwithherhusband，GraceFitzpiersdeliberatedonmanythings。ShouldsheinformherfatherbeforegoingoutthattheestrangementofherselfandEdgarwasnotsocompleteashehadimagined，anddeemeddesirableforherhappiness？Ifshedidsoshemustinsomemeasurebecometheapologistofherhusband，andshewasnotpreparedtogosofar。
Asforhim，hekeptherinamoodofconsiderategravity。Hecertainlyhadchanged。Hehadathisworsttimesalwaysbeengentleinhismannertowardsher。Coulditbethatshemightmakeofhimatrueandworthyhusbandyet？Shehadmarriedhim；therewasnogettingoverthat；andoughtsheanylongertokeephimatadistance？Hissuavedeferencetoherlightestwhimonthequestionofhiscomingsandgoings，whenasherlawfulhusbandhemightshowalittleindependence，wasatraitinhischaracterasunexpectedasitwasengaging。Ifshehadbeenhisempress，andheherthrall，hecouldnothaveexhibitedamoresensitivecaretoavoidintrudinguponheragainstherwill。
Impelledbyaremembranceshetookdownaprayer-bookandturnedtothemarriage-service。Readingitslowlythrough，shebecamequiteappalledatherrecentoff-handedness，whensherediscoveredwhatawfullysolemnpromisesshehadmadehimatthosechancelstepsnotsoverylongago。
Shebecamelostinlongponderingsonhowfaraperson’sconsciencemightbeboundbyvowsmadewithoutatthetimeafullrecognitionoftheirforce。Thatparticularsentence，beginning“WhomGodhathjoinedtogether。”wasastaggererforagentlewomanofstrongdevotionalsentiment。ShewonderedwhetherGodreallydidjointhemtogether。Beforeshehaddonedeliberatingthetimeofherengagementdrewnear，andshewentoutofthehousealmostatthemomentthatTimTangsretiredtohisown。
Thepositionofthingsatthatcriticaljuncturewasbrieflyasfollows。
TwohundredyardstotherightoftheupperendofTangs’sgardenFitzpierswasstilladvancing，havingnownearlyreachedthesummitofthewood-clothedridge，thepathbeingtheactualonewhichfurtheronpassedbetweenthetwoyoungoaks。ThusfaritwasaccordingtoTim’sconjecture。Butabouttwohundredyardstotheleft，orratherless，wasarisingaconditionwhichhehadnotdivined，theemergenceofGraceasaforesaidfromtheuppercornerofherfather’sgarden，withtheviewofmeetingTim’sintendedvictim。Midwaybetweenhusbandandwifewasthediabolicaltrap，silent，open，ready。
Fitzpiers’swalkthatnighthadbeencheerful，forhewasconvincedthattheslowandgentlemethodhehadadoptedwaspromisingsuccess。Theveryrestraintthathewasobligedtoexerciseuponhimself，soasnottokillthedelicatebudofreturningconfidence，fedhisflame。HewalkedsomuchmorerapidlythanGracethat，iftheycontinuedadvancingastheyhadbegun，hewouldreachthetrapagoodhalf-minutebeforeshecouldreachthesamespot。
Buthereanewcircumstancecamein；toescapetheunpleasantnessofbeingwatchedorlistenedtobylurkers——naturallycuriousbyreasonoftheirstrainedrelations——theyhadarrangedthattheirmeetingforto-nightshouldbeattheholm-treeontheridgeabovenamed。Sosoon，accordingly，asFitzpiersreachedthetreehestoodstilltoawaither。
Hehadnotpausedunderthepricklyfoliagemorethantwominuteswhenhethoughtheheardascreamfromtheothersideoftheridge。Fitzpierswonderedwhatitcouldmean；butsuchwindastherewasjustnowblewinanadversedirection，andhismoodwaslight。HesetdowntheoriginofthesoundtooneofthesuperstitiousfreaksorfrolicsomescrimmagesbetweensweetheartsthatstillsurvivedinHintockfromold-Englishtimes；andwaitedonwherehestoodtilltenminuteshadpassed。Feelingthenalittleuneasy，hismindrevertedtothescream；andhewentforwardoverthesummitanddowntheemboweredincline，tillhereachedthepairofsisteroakswiththenarrowopeningbetweenthem。
Fitzpiersstumbledandallbutfell。Stretchingdownhishandtoascertaintheobstruction，itcameincontactwithaconfusedmassofsilkendraperyandiron-workthatconveyedabsolutelynoexplanatoryideatohismindatall。Itwasbuttheworkofamomenttostrikeamatch；andthenhesawasightwhichcongealedhisblood。
