The Return of the Native

among Hon

ust what it seems to mean: I am-not married," she replied faintly. "Excuse me-fo

of yourse

the parson wouldn't marry us because of

irregu

ing that I should come back like this." It being dark, Thomasin allowed her emotio

thout the least warning. "Remember, Thomasin, this business was none of my seeking; from the very first, when you began to feel foolish about that man, I warned you he would not make you happy. I felt it so strongly that I did wha

as of me to love him, but don't pain me by talking like that, aunt! You would not have had me stay there with

had never

lest woman in the world, and not let h

has returned. Of course I shall get to the bottom of this story at once. Mr.

he couldn't get another the same day. He will

t he bring

o come back with him, and I was very ill. Then I saw Diggory Venn, and was glad to get him

hood as the Quiet Woman, the sign of which represented the figure of a matron carrying her head under

HE WOMA

AN BREED

iption, "Mr. Wildeve, Engineer"-a useless yet cherished relic from the time when he had been started in that profession in an office at Budmouth by those who had hoped much from him, an

eard, idly spinning whirpools in its creep between the rows of dry feather-headed reeds which formed a stockade along each bank. The

tained, but the sill lay too high for a pedestrian on the outside to look over it into the room. A v

at home," said

asked Thomasin faintly. "I su

may make no false representations to me. We shall not

ed at the door of the private parl

ght's eyes and the fire. Wildeve, whose form it was, imm

t came into notice the more material qualities, among which was a profuse crop of hair impending over the top of his face, lending to his forehead the high-cornered outline of an early Gothic shield; and a neck whic

has reached home. How could you leave me in that way, darling?" And turning to

of it all?" demanded M

y stupid mistake, but such mistakes will happen. The license was useless at Angleb

been staying

take her; but when I came to fetch her we decided upon Anglebury, forgetting that a

ry much to blame,"

ebury," Thomasin pleaded. "I propose

ame that you need not remind me

n it gets known there will be a very unpleasant time for us. How can she look her friends in the face tom

e," said

her during this discussion, and she now said anxiously, "Will you allow me

nt will excuse us." He led her into an adjoi

t Anglebury this morning; but I was frightened, and hardly knew what I said. I've not let aunt know how much I have suffered to-day; and it is so hard to command my face and voice,

very unp

suppose I seem so now… Damon, w

bout

hings which at moments make me doubt you

nly to go to Budmouth on Mo

marry me, when by rights you ought to be on your knees imploring me, your cruel mistress, not to refuse you, and sa

e is never at

. It is aunt I think of. She is so proud, and thinks so much of her family respectability, that she will be cut dow

asonable. In fact, you are

aused that flush in her, it went as it came, and she humbly said, "I never mean to be, if

o have the banns forbidden: the double insult to a man unlucky enough to be cursed with sensitiveness, and blue demons, and Heaven knows what, as I a

room could deplore the possession of sensitiveness. Seeing that she was really suffering he seemed disturbed and added, "This is

nnot bear the sight of pain in even an insect, or any disagreeable sou

t, if I ca

d upon it

sly gave h

, what's that?"

two made themselves prominent by their peculiarity: one was a very strong bass, the other a wheezy t

mity-riding, I hope?" she said, w

me to sing to us a welcome. This is intolerable!" He

at she′ was the

-sent′ he would m

fuse′ him; to chu

rgot′, and young

kiss'd′ and set

world′ was so l

Thomasin!" she said, looking indignantly at Wildeve; "

A rugged knocking had begun upon the door of the front

this room with Thomasin; I'll go out and face them. You must stay now, for my sake, till they are gone, so that it may seem as if all was right. Come, Tamsie dea

ging in concert with those still standing in front of the house. He came into the room and nodded abstractedly to Wildeve, his lips still parted, and his f

ith dry resentment, his face

turf-cutter, Humphrey, and a dozen others. All smiled upon Wildeve, and upon his tables and chairs

hrough the glass partition which divided the public apartment they had entered from the room whe

rection, and discerning Thomasin, who was waiting beside her aunt in a miserable

er he treated them the sooner they would go, he produced

said Grandfer Cantle, with the air of a man to

'tis some old mead. I

n the words demanded by politeness coincide with those of d

t can be said against mead is that 'tis rather heady, and apt to

e some bold soldier after I had

d Wildeve, with condescension,

the beaker, and pass 'en round; 'tis

hat's the good of a thing that you can't put down in

said Sam; and the m

you've got is a dimant, so says I. Yes," he continued, to Grandfer Cantle, raising his voice so as to be heard through the partition, "her father (i

dangerous?"

anything but a clarinet all his life. And then, when they got to church door he'd throw down the clarinet, mount the gallery, snatch up the bass-viol, and rozum away as if he'd never

Twas a wonderful thing that one body could

Fairway recommenced, as one opening a

intolerably bored, and glanced thro

old acquaintance Andrew Brown, the first clarinet there; a good

wa

for some part of the service, to let Andrey have

the other listeners expressing the same acc

eobright had brought his own. 'Twas the Hundred-and-thirty-third to 'Lydia'; and when they'd come to 'Ran down his beard and o'er his robes its costly moisture shed,' neighbour Yeobright, who had just warmed to his work, drove his bow into them strings that glorious grand that he e'en a'most sawed the bass-viol

hen the winder shook

dan's renowned Begum Speech, and other such examples, the fortunate condition of its being for ever lost to the world invested the deceased Mr. Yeobright's

expected to drop off in the

ther-'What have ye got, my honey?' 'I've won-well, I've won-a gown-piece,' says she, her colours coming up in a moment. 'Tis a smock for a crown, I thought; and so it turned out. Ay, when I think what she'll say to me now without a mossel of red in her face, it do seem strange that 'a wouldn't say such a little thing then… However, then she went on, and that's what made me b

day to another, and the

reat pain when 'a di

pain of mind. He was lucky enoug

ink 'twill be much pain

on whether t

I bain't, for then 'twon't pain me… I don't think I be afeard-or if I be I

ed and unblinded, Timothy said, "Well, what a fess little bonfire that one i

ief, telltale look. Far away up the sombre valley of heath, and to the right of Rai

irway continued; "and yet every one

meaning in it!" m

?" said Wild

attered to reply, an

ome say is a witch-ever I should call a fine young woman such a name

d hae me, and take the risk of her wild dark eye

t, father!" imp

mmon picture for his best parlour," said Fairway in a liquid

and finishing the little that remained. "Well, really, now I think we

ng?" said Grandfer Cantle. "I

we will not trouble you now. Some other

n't learn a line!" said Grandfer Cantle. "And you may be

ve you," said

door, beyond which the deep-dyed upward stretch of heath stood awaiting them, an amplitude of darkness reigning from their feet almost to the zenith, where a definite form

ad fainted upon the ear, Wildeve returned to the room whe

e house in one way, by the b

his glance fell upon a bottle of wine which stood on the mantelpiece. "Ah-old Dowden!" he murmur

back put on his hat, took the bottle, and left the house, turning the key in the door, for there was no gue

are you, my la

that brought him to a cottage which, like all other habitations on the heath at this hour, was only saved from being v

ced the bottle, and a minute later emerged again upon the heath. He stood and looked no

oman, provided that one be in the case, and that a fair one. Wildeve stood, and stood longer, and breath

e pressed on rapidly by a path under Rainbarr