Grace had recognized, or thought she recognized, in the gray arm

stretching from the porch, the sleeve of a dressing-gown which Mr.

Fitzpiers had been wearing on her own memorable visit to him. Her face

fired red. She had just before thought of dressing herself and taking

a lonely walk under the trees, so coolly green this early morning; but

she now sat down on her bed and fell into reverie. It seemed as if

hardly any time had passed when she heard the household moving briskly

about, and breakfast preparing down-stairs; though, on rousing herself

to robe and descend, she found that the sun was throwing his rays

completely over the tree-tops, a progress of natural phenomena

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denoting that at least three hours had elapsed since she last looked

out of the window.

When attired she searched about the house for her father; she found him

at last in the garden, stooping to examine the potatoes for signs of

disease. Hearing her rustle, he stood up and stretched his back and

arms, saying, "Morning t'ye, Gracie. I congratulate ye. It is only a

month to-day to the time!"

She did not answer, but, without lifting her dress, waded between the

dewy rows of tall potato-green into the middle of the plot where he was.

"I have been thinking very much about my position this morning--ever

since it was light," she began, excitedly, and trembling so that she

could hardly stand. "And I feel it is a false one. I wish not to

marry Mr. Fitzpiers. I wish not to marry anybody; but I'll marry Giles

Winterborne if you say I must as an alternative."

Her father's face settled into rigidity, he turned pale, and came

deliberately out of the plot before he answered her. She had never

seen him look so incensed before.

"Now, hearken to me," he said. "There's a time for a woman to alter

her mind; and there's a time when she can no longer alter it, if she

has any right eye to her parents' honor and the seemliness of things.

That time has come. I won't say to ye, you SHALL marry him. But I

will say that if you refuse, I shall forever be ashamed and a-weary of

ye as a daughter, and shall look upon you as the hope of my life no

more. What do you know about life and what it can bring forth, and how

you ought to act to lead up to best ends? Oh, you are an ungrateful

maid, Grace; you've seen that fellow Giles, and he has got over ye;

that's where the secret lies, I'll warrant me!"




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