Darton，thefather，hadbeenaone-idea’dcharacter，withabuttoned-uppocketandachink-likeeyebrimmingwithcommercialsubtlety。InDartontheson，thistradesubtletyhadbecometransmutedintoemotional，andtheharshnesshaddisappeared；hewouldhavebeencalledasadmanbutforhisconstantcarenottodividehimselffromlivelyfriendsbypipingnotesoutofharmonywiththeirs。Contemplative，heallowedhismindtobeaquietmeeting-placeformemoriesandhopes。Sothat，naturallyenough，sincesucceedingtotheagriculturalcalling，anduptohispresentageofthirty-two，hehadneitheradvancednorrecededasacapitalist——astationaryresultwhichdidnotagitateoneofhisunambitious，unstrategicnature，sincehehadallthathedesired。
ThemotiveofhisexpeditiontonightshowedthesameabsenceofanxiousregardforNumberOne。
Thepartyrodeonintheslow，safetrotpropertonight-timeandbadroads，FarmerDarton’sheadjiggingratherunromanticallyupanddownagainstthesky，andhismotionsbeingrepeatedwithbolderemphasisbyhisfriendJaphethJohns；whilethoseofthelatterweretravestiedinjerksstilllesssoftenedbyartinthepersonoftheladwhoattendedthem。Apairofwhitishobjectshungoneoneachsideofthelatter，bumpingagainsthimateachstep，andstillfurtherspoilingthegraceofhisseat。Oncloseinspectiontheymighthavebeenperceivedtobeopenrushbaskets——onecontainingaturkey，andtheothersomebottlesofwine。
’D’yefeelyecanmeetyourfatelikeaman，neighbourDarton？’
askedJohns，breakingasilencewhichhadlastedwhilefive-and-
twentyhedgerowtreeshadglidedby。
Mr。Dartonwithahalf-laughmurmured，’Ay——callitmyfate！
Hangingandwivinggobydestiny。’Andthentheyweresilentagain。
Thedarknessthickenedrapidly，atintervalsshuttingdownonthelandinaperceptibleflap，likethewaveofawing。Thecustomarycloseofdaywasacceleratedbyasimultaneousblurringoftheair。
Withthefallofnighthadcomeamistjustdampenoughtoincommode，butnotsufficienttosaturatethem。Countrymenastheywere——born，asmaybesaid，withonlyanopendoorbetweenthemandthefourseasons——theyregardedthemistbutasanaddedobscuration，andignoreditshumidquality。
Theyweretravellinginadirectionthatwasenlivenedbynomoderncurrentoftraffic，theplaceofDarton’spilgrimagebeinganold-
fashionedvillage——oneoftheHintocks(severalvillagesofthatname，withadistinctiveprefixoraffix，lyingthereabout)——wherethepeoplemakethebestciderandcider-wineinallWessex，andwherethedunghillssmellofpomaceinsteadofstablerefuseaselsewhere。Thelanewassometimessonarrowthatthebramblesofthehedge，whichhungforwardlikeanglers’rodsoverastream，scratchedtheirhatsandcurry-combedtheirwhiskersastheypassed。
YetthisneglectedlanehadbeenahighwaytoQueenElizabeth’ssubjectsandthecavalcadesofthepast。Itsdaywasovernow，anditshistoryasanationalarterydoneforever。
’WhyIhavedecidedtomarryher，’resumedDarton(inameasuredmusicalvoiceofconfidencewhichrevealedagooddealofhiscomposition)，asheglancedroundtoseethattheladwasnottoonear，’isnotonlythatIlikeher，butthatIcandonobetter，evenfromafairlypracticalpointofview。ThatImightha’lookedhigherispossiblytrue，thoughitisreallyallnonsense。Ihavehadexperienceenoughinlookingaboveme。“Nomoresuperiorwomenforme，“saidI——youknowwhen。Sallyisacomely，independent，simplecharacter，withnomake-upabouther，who’llthinkmeasmuchasuperiortoherasIusedtothink——youknowwhoImean——wastome。’
’Ay，’saidJohns。’However，Ishouldn’tcallSallyHallsimple。
Primary，becausenoSallyis；secondary，becauseifsomecouldbe，thisonewouldn’t。’Tisawrongdenominationtoapplytoawoman，Charles，andaffectsme，asyourbestman，likecoldwater。’Tislikerecommendingastageplaybysayingthere’sneithermurder，villainy，norharmofanysortinit，whenthat’swhatyou’vepaidyourhalf-crowntosee。’
’Well；mayyouropiniondoyougood。Mine’sadifferentone。’Andturningtheconversationfromthephilosophicaltothepractical，DartonexpressedahopethatthesaidSallyhadreceivedwhathe’dsentonbythecarrierthatday。
Johnswantedtoknowwhatthatwas。
’Itisadress，’saidDarton。’Notexactlyawedding-dress；thoughshemayuseitasoneifshelikes。Itisratherserviceablethanshowy——suitableforthewinterweather。’
’Good，’saidJohns。’Serviceableisawisewordinabridegroom。I
commendye，Charles。’
’For，’saidDarton，’whyshouldawomandressuplikearope-dancerbecauseshe’sgoingtodothemostsolemndeedofherlifeexceptdying？’
’Faith，why？Butshewill，becauseshewill，Isuppose，’saidDairymanJohns。
’H’m，’saidDarton。
Thelanetheyfollowedhadbeennearlystraightforseveralmiles，butitnowtookaturn，andwindinguncertainlyforsomedistanceforkedintotwo。Bynightcountryroadsareapttorevealungainlyqualitieswhichpasswithoutobservationduringday；andthoughDartonhadtravelledthiswaybefore，hehadnotdonesofrequently，Sallyhavingbeenwooedatthehouseofarelativenearhisown。Heneverrememberedseeingatthisspotapairofalternativewayslookingsoequallyprobableasthesetwodidnow。Johnsrodeonafewsteps。
’Don’tbeoutofheart，sonny，’hecried。’Here’sahandpost。
Enoch——comeandclimmthispost，andtellustheway。’
Theladdismounted，andjumpedintothehedgewherethepoststoodunderatree。
’Unstrapthebaskets，oryou’llsmashupthatwine！’criedDarton，astheyoungmanbeganspasmodicallytoclimbthepost，basketsandall。
’Wasthereeverlessheadinabrainlessworld？’saidJohns。’Here，simpleNocky，I’lldoit。’Heleaptoff，andwithmuchpuffingclimbedthepost，strikingamatchwhenhereachedthetop，andmovingthelightalongthearm，theladstandingandgazingatthespectacle。
’Ihavefacedtantalizationthesetwentyyearswithatemperasmildasmilk！’saidJapheth；’butsuchthingsasthisdon’tcomeshortofdevilry！’Andflingingthematchaway，heslippeddowntotheground。
’What’sthematter？’askedDarton。
’Notaletter，sacredorheathen——notsomuchaswouldtellusthewaytothegreatfireplace——everIshouldsintosayit！Eitherthemossandmildewhaveeatawaythewords，orwehavearrivedinalandwherethenatyveshavelostthearto’writing，andshouldha’
broughtourcompasslikeChristopherColumbus。’
’Letustakethestraightestroad，’saidDartonplacidly；’Ishan’tbesorrytogetthere——’tisatiresomeride。IwouldhavedrivenifIhadknown。’
’NorIneither，sir，’saidEnoch。’Thesestrapsploughmyshoulderlikeazull。If’tismuchfurthertoyourlady’shome，MaisterDarton，Ishallasktobeletcarryhalfofthesegoodthingsinmyinnerds——hee，hee！’
’Don’tyoubesuchareformingradical，Enoch，’saidJohnssternly。
’Here，I’lltaketheturkey。’
Thisbeingdone，theywentforwardbytheright-handlane，whichascendedahill，theleftwindingawayunderaplantation。Thepit-
a-patoftheirhorses’hoofslesseneduptheslope；andtheironicaldirecting-poststoodinsolitudeasbefore，holdingoutitsblankarmstotherawbreeze，whichbroughtasnorefromthewoodasifSkrymirtheGiantweresleepingthere。
Threemilestotheleftofthetravellers，alongtheroadtheyhadnotfollowed，roseanoldhousewithmullionedwindowsofHam-hillstone，andchimneysoflavishsolidity。ItstoodatthetopofaslopebesideKing’s-Hintockvillage-street；andimmediatelyinfrontofitgrewalargesycamore-tree，whosebaredrootsformedaconvenientstaircasefromtheroadbelowtothefrontdoorofthedwelling。Itssituationgavethehousewhatlittledistinctivenameitpossessed，namely，’TheKnap。’Somefortyyardsoffabrookdribbledpast，which，foritssize，madeagreatdealofnoise。Atthebackwasadairybarton，accessibleforvehiclesandlive-stockbyaside’drong。’Thusmuchonlyofthecharacterofthehomesteadcouldbedivinedoutofdoorsatthisshadyevening-time。
Butwithintherewasplentyoflighttoseeby，asplentywasconstruedatHintock。BesideaTudorfireplace，whosemouldedfour-
centredarchwasnearlyhiddenbyafiguredblue-clothblower，wereseatedtwowomen——motheranddaughter——Mrs。Hall，andSarah，orSally；forthiswasapartoftheworldwherethelattermodificationhadnotasyetbeeneffacedasavulgaritybythemarchofintellect。TheownerofthenamewastheyoungwomanbywhosemeansMr。Dartonproposedtoputanendtohisbachelorconditionontheapproachingday。
Themother’sbereavementhadbeensolongagoasnottoleavemuchmarkofitsoccurrenceuponhernow，eitherinfaceorclothes。Shehadresumedthemob-capofherearlymarriedlife，enliveningitswhitenessbyafewrose-du-Barryribbons。Sallyrequirednosuchaidstopinkness。Roseategood-naturelituphergaze；herfeaturesshowedcurvesofdecisionandjudgment；andshemighthavebeenregardedwithoutmuchmistakeasawarm-hearted，quick-spirited，handsomegirl。
