TheroadfromAngleburytoHolmstokeisingenerallevel；butthereisoneplacewhereasharpascentbreaksitsmonotony。Farmershomeward-boundfromtheformermarket-town，whotrotalltherestoftheway，walktheirhorsesupthisshortincline。
Thenextevening，whilethesunwasyetbright，ahandsomenewgig，withalemon-colouredbodyandredwheels，wasspinningwestwardalongthelevelhighwayattheheelsofapowerfulmare。Thedriverwasayeomanintheprimeoflife，cleanlyshavenlikeanactor，hisfacebeingtonedtothatbluish-vermilionhuewhichsooftengracesathrivingfarmer’sfeatureswhenreturninghomeaftersuccessfuldealingsinthetown。Besidehimsatawoman，manyyearshisjunior——almost，indeed，agirl。Herfacetoowasfreshincolour，butitwasofatotallydifferentquality——softandevanescent，likethelightunderaheapofrose-petals。
Fewpeopletravelledthisway，foritwasnotamainroad；andthelongwhiteribandofgravelthatstretchedbeforethemwasempty，saveofonesmallscarce-movingspeck，whichpresentlyresolveditselfintothefigureofboy，whowascreepingonatasnail’space，andcontinuallylookingbehindhim——theheavybundlehecarriedbeingsomeexcusefor，ifnotthereasonof，hisdilatoriness。Whenthebouncinggig-partyslowedatthebottomoftheinclineabovementioned，thepedestrianwasonlyafewyardsinfront。Supportingthelargebundlebyputtingonehandonhiship，heturnedandlookedstraightatthefarmer’swifeasthoughhewouldreadherthroughandthrough，pacingalongabreastofthehorse。
Thelowsunwasfullinherface，renderingeveryfeature，shade，andcontourdistinct，fromthecurveofherlittlenostriltothecolourofhereyes。Thefarmer，thoughheseemedannoyedattheboy’spersistentpresence，didnotorderhimtogetoutoftheway；
andthustheladprecededthem，hishardgazeneverleavingher，tilltheyreachedthetopoftheascent，whenthefarmertrottedonwithreliefinhislineaments——havingtakennooutwardnoticeoftheboywhatever。
’Howthatpoorladstaredatme！’saidtheyoungwife。
’Yes，dear；Isawthathedid。’
’Heisoneofthevillage，Isuppose？’
’Oneoftheneighbourhood。Ithinkheliveswithhismotheramileortwooff。’
’Heknowswhoweare，nodoubt？’
’Oyes。Youmustexpecttobestaredatjustatfirst，myprettyGertrude。’
’Ido，——thoughIthinkthepoorboymayhavelookedatusinthehopewemightrelievehimofhisheavyload，ratherthanfromcuriosity。’
’Ono，’saidherhusbandoff-handedly。’Thesecountryladswillcarryahundredweightoncetheygetitontheirbacks；besideshispackhadmoresizethanweightinit。Now，then，anothermileandI
shallbeabletoshowyouourhouseinthedistance——ifitisnottoodarkbeforewegetthere。’Thewheelsspunround，andparticlesflewfromtheirperipheryasbefore，tillawhitehouseofampledimensionsrevealeditself，withfarm-buildingsandricksattheback。
Meanwhiletheboyhadquickenedhispace，andturningupaby-lanesomemileandhalfshortofthewhitefarmstead，ascendedtowardstheleanerpastures，andsoontothecottageofhismother。
Shehadreachedhomeafterherday’smilkingattheoutlyingdairy，andwaswashingcabbageatthedoorwayinthedeclininglight。
’Holdupthenetamoment，’shesaid，withoutpreface，astheboycameup。
Heflungdownhisbundle，heldtheedgeofthecabbage-net，andasshefilleditsmesheswiththedrippingleavesshewenton，’Well，didyouseeher？’
’Yes；quiteplain。’
’Issheladylike？’
’Yes；andmore。Aladycomplete。’
’Issheyoung？’
’Well，she’sgrowedup，andherwaysbequiteawoman’s。’
’Ofcourse。Whatcolourisherhairandface？’
’Herhairislightish，andherfaceascomelyasalivedoll’s。’
’Hereyes，then，arenotdarklikemine？’
’No——ofabluishturn，andhermouthisveryniceandred；andwhenshesmiles，herteethshowwhite。’
’Isshetall？’saidthewomansharply。
’Icouldn’tsee。Shewassittingdown。’
’ThendoyougotoHolmstokechurchto-morrowmorning:she’ssuretobethere。Goearlyandnoticeherwalkingin，andcomehomeandtellmeifshe’stallerthanI。’
’Verywell，mother。Butwhydon’tyougoandseeforyourself？’
’_I_gotoseeher！Iwouldn’tlookupatherifsheweretopassmywindowthisinstant。ShewaswithMr。Lodge，ofcourse。Whatdidhesayordo？’
’Justthesameasusual。’
’Tooknonoticeofyou？’
’None。’
Nextdaythemotherputacleanshirtontheboy，andstartedhimoffforHolmstokechurch。Hereachedtheancientlittlepilewhenthedoorwasjustbeingopened，andhewasthefirsttoenter。
Takinghisseatbythefont，hewatchedalltheparishionersfilein。Thewell-to-doFarmerLodgecamenearlylast；andhisyoungwife，whoaccompaniedhim，walkeduptheaislewiththeshynessnaturaltoamodestwomanwhohadappearedthusforthefirsttime。
Asallothereyeswerefixeduponher，theyouth’sstarewasnotnoticednow。
Whenhereachedhomehismothersaid，’Well？’beforehehadenteredtheroom。
’Sheisnottall。Sheisrathershort，’hereplied。
’Ah！’saidhismother，withsatisfaction。
’Butshe’sverypretty——very。Infact，she’slovely。’
Theyouthfulfreshnessoftheyeoman’swifehadevidentlymadeanimpressionevenonthesomewhathardnatureoftheboy。
’That’sallIwanttohear，’saidhismotherquickly。’Now，spreadthetable-cloth。Thehareyoucaughtisverytender；butmindthatnobodycatchesyou——You’venevertoldmewhatsortofhandsshehad。’
’Ihaveneverseen’em。Shenevertookoffhergloves。’
’Whatdidshewearthismorning？’
’Awhitebonnetandasilver-colouredgownd。Itwhewedandwhistledsoloudwhenitrubbedagainstthepewsthattheladycolouredupmorethaneverforveryshameatthenoise，andpulleditintokeepitfromtouching；butwhenshepushedintoherseat，itwhewedmorethanever。Mr。Lodge，heseemedpleased，andhiswaistcoatstuckout，andhisgreatgoldensealshunglikealord’s；butsheseemedtowishhernoisygowndanywherebutonher。’
’Notshe！However，thatwilldonow。’
Thesedescriptionsofthenewly-marriedcouplewerecontinuedfromtimetotimebytheboyathismother’srequest，afteranychanceencounterhehadhadwiththem。ButRhodaBrook，thoughshemighteasilyhaveseenyoungMrs。Lodgeforherselfbywalkingacoupleofmiles，wouldneverattemptanexcursiontowardsthequarterwherethefarmhouselay。Neitherdidshe，atthedailymilkinginthedairyman’syardonLodge’soutlyingsecondfarm，everspeakonthesubjectoftherecentmarriage。Thedairyman，whorentedthecowsofLodge，andknewperfectlythetallmilkmaid’shistory，withmanlykindlinessalwayskeptthegossipinthecow-bartonfromannoyingRhoda。ButtheatmospherethereaboutwasfullofthesubjectduringthefirstdaysofMrs。Lodge’sarrival；andfromherboy’sdescriptionandthecasualwordsoftheothermilkers，RhodaBrookcouldraiseamentalimageoftheunconsciousMrsLodgethatwasrealisticasaphotograph。
Onenight，twoorthreeweeksafterthebridalreturn，whentheboywasgonetobed，Rhodasatalongtimeovertheturfashesthatshehadrakedoutinfrontofhertoextinguishthem。Shecontemplatedsointentlythenewwife，aspresentedtoherinhermind’seyeovertheembers，thatsheforgotthelapseoftime。Atlast，weariedwithherday’swork，shetooretired。
Butthefigurewhichhadoccupiedhersomuchduringthisandthepreviousdayswasnottobebanishedatnight。ForthefirsttimeGertrudeLodgevisitedthesupplantedwomaninherdreams。RhodaBrookdreamed——sinceherassertionthatshereallysaw，beforefallingasleep，wasnottobebelieved——thattheyoungwife，inthepalesilkdressandwhitebonnet，butwithfeaturesshockinglydistorted，andwrinkledasbyage，wassittinguponherchestasshelay。ThepressureofMrs。Lodge’spersongrewheavier；theblueeyespeeredcruellyintoherface；andthenthefigurethrustforwarditslefthandmockingly，soastomakethewedding-ringitworeglitterinRhoda’seyes。Maddenedmentally，andnearlysuffocatedbypressure，thesleeperstruggled；theincubus，stillregardingher，withdrewtothefootofthebed，only，however，tocomeforwardbydegrees，resumeherseat，andflashherlefthandasbefore。
Gaspingforbreath，Rhoda，inalastdesperateeffort，swungoutherrighthand，seizedtheconfrontingspectrebyitsobtrusiveleftarm，andwhirleditbackwardtothefloor，startingupherselfasshedidsowithalowcry。
’O，mercifulheaven！’shecried，sittingontheedgeofthebedinacoldsweat；’thatwasnotadream——shewashere！’
Shecouldfeelherantagonist’sarmwithinhergraspevennow——theveryfleshandboneofit，asitseemed。Shelookedonthefloorwhithershehadwhirledthespectre，buttherewasnothingtobeseen。
RhodaBrooksleptnomorethatnight，andwhenshewentmilkingatthenextdawntheynoticedhowpaleandhaggardshelooked。Themilkthatshedrewquiveredintothepail；herhandhadnotcalmedevenyet，andstillretainedthefeelofthearm。Shecamehometobreakfastaswearilyasifithadbeensuppertime。
