The Woodlanders

ent; the other shone from the window of Marty South. Precisely the same outward effect was produced here, however, by her rising when the clock struck ten and hanging up a thick cloth curtain. T

he necessity a secret as far as possible; and but for the slight sounds of wood-splintering which c

he opened a large blue umbrella to ward off the draught from the door. The two sovereigns confronted her from the looking-glass in such a manner as to suggest a pair of jaundiced eyes on the watch for an opportunity. Whenever she sighed for weariness she lifted her gaze to

rs. For her eyes were fresh from the blaze, and here there was no street-lamp or lantern to form a kindly transition between the inner glare and the outer dark. A lingering wind brought to her ear the creaking sound of two over-crowded br

ill she reached a long open shed, carpeted around with the dead leaves that lay about everywhere. Night, that strange personality, which within walls brings ominous introspectiveness and self-distrust, but under the open sky banishes such subjective

ar block of building, whose immense chimneys could just be discerned even now. The four huge wagons under the shed were built on those ancient lines whose proportions have been ousted by modern patterns, their shapes bulging and curving at the base and ends like Trafalgar line-of-battle shi

en a hard struggle in the doing, when she heard a woman's voice on the other side of the hedge say, an

e on Marty's face. Its rays soon fell upon a man whose clothes were roughly thrown on, standing in advance of the speaker. He was a thin, slightly stooping figure, with a small nervous mouth and a face cleanly shaven; and he walked a

hinking of things, and worrying about the girl, till I'm quite in a fever of anxiety." He went on to say that he could not think

ear so gloomy in the night-time, if people allowed their minds to run on them; that when morning cam

. On account of her he was anxious concerning money affairs, which he would never alarm his mind about otherwise. The reason he gave was

re to marry well, and that hence a hundred pounds m

re she was wrong, and in that lay the source of his trouble. "I have a plan in my

to marry well?" said

as he has not so much money as she might expect, it might be called as you call it. I may not be able to c

ht," she said, presently. "He adores the very ground

startled, and could n

ir union. And he knew that she used to have no objection to him. But it was not any difficulty about that which embarrassed him. It was that, since he had educated her

e been thinking,"

valuable as I could to him by schooling her as many years and as thoroughly as possible. I mean to keep my vow. I made it because I did his father a terri

father?" aske

wronged him," s

f it to-night," she

e he wanted to marry her himself. He sadly went on to say that the other man's happiness was ruined by it; that though he married Winterborne's mother, it was but a half-hearted business with him. Melbury added that he was afterwards very miserable at what he had done; but that as time went on, and the children gre

do," s

eel I am sacrificing her for my own sin; and I think

hat?" aske

ck of her shoe that she made when she ran down here the day before she went away all those months ago. I covered it up

"He is in love with her, and he's honest and upright

. Why, Mrs. Charmond is wanting some refined young lady, I hear, to go abr

tain. Better stic

up as soon as I can, so as to have it over and done with." He continued looking at the imprin

upon't. Come, 'tis wrong

write or no, I shall fetch her in a few days." And thus sp

footstep. Nature does not carry on her government with a view to such feelings, and when advancing years render the open hearts of those who possess

ntre of Marty's consciousness, and it was in relation to

said. "And Giles Winterborne is not for m

r eyes, she got a pair of scissors, and began mercilessly cutting off the long locks of her hair, arranging and tying them with their points all one way, as the

ded it as much as did her own ancestral goddess Sif the reflection in the pool after the rape of her locks by Loke the malicious. She steadily stuck to business, wrapped the h

eard the sparrows walking down their long holes in the thatch above her sloping ceiling to t

touches which represent among housewives the installation of another day. While thus engaged sh

blaze up cheerfully and bring her diminished head-gear into su

e yet?" inquired a

g on a tilt bonnet, which completely hid th

mature for a person of affairs. There was reserve in his glance, and restraint upon his mouth. He carried a horn lan

pect her father to make up his contract if he was not well. Mr. Melbury would g

id Marty, "and lyin

father has not been too i

'll show you where they be, if

e to each other, and they uttered none. Hardly anything could be more isolated or more self-contained than the lives of these two walking here in the lonely antelucan hour, when gray shades, material and mental, are so very

d out the spars. Winterborne regarde

ieve -" he said, a

ha

done the wo

she pleaded, by way of answer. "Because I am afraid M

ou learn to do i

"I'd be bound to le

e said, with dry admiration, "your father with his forty years of practice never made a spar better than that. They are too good fo

seemed reluctant to show her hands, he took hold of one and

if father continues ill, I shall have to go o

im, and began throwing up the bundles himself. "Rather than you should do it I will," he said. "But the men will be here dire

she managed to groan, looking on the ground, "I've m

d. "You've only cut

eds say that about ap

me

ked back. Mr. Melbury's men had arrived, and were loading up the spars, and their lanterns appeared from the distance at which she stood to have wan circles