"I'd no sooner made up my mind, Giles, to go and see why Grace didn't

come or write than I get a letter from her--'Clifton: Wednesday. My

dear father,' says she, 'I'm coming home to-morrow' (that's to-day),

'but I didn't think it worth while to write long beforehand.' The

little rascal, and didn't she! Now, Giles, as you are going to Sherton

market to-day with your apple-trees, why not join me and Grace there,

and we'll drive home all together?"

He made the proposal with cheerful energy; he was hardly the same man

as the man of the small dark hours. Ever it happens that even among

the moodiest the tendency to be cheered is stronger than the tendency

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to be cast down; and a soul's specific gravity stands permanently less

than that of the sea of troubles into which it is thrown.

Winterborne, though not demonstrative, replied to this suggestion with

something like alacrity. There was not much doubt that Marty's grounds

for cutting off her hair were substantial enough, if Ambrose's eyes had

been a reason for keeping it on. As for the timber-merchant, it was

plain that his invitation had been given solely in pursuance of his

scheme for uniting the pair. He had made up his mind to the course as

a duty, and was strenuously bent upon following it out.

Accompanied by Winterborne, he now turned towards the door of the

spar-house, when his footsteps were heard by the men as aforesaid.

"Well, John, and Lot," he said, nodding as he entered. "A rimy

morning."

"'Tis, sir!" said Creedle, energetically; for, not having as yet been

able to summon force sufficient to go away and begin work, he felt the

necessity of throwing some into his speech. "I don't care who the man

is, 'tis the rimiest morning we've had this fall."

"I heard you wondering why I've kept my daughter so long at

boarding-school," resumed Mr. Melbury, looking up from the letter which

he was reading anew by the fire, and turning to them with the

suddenness that was a trait in him. "Hey?" he asked, with affected

shrewdness. "But you did, you know. Well, now, though it is my own

business more than anybody else's, I'll tell ye. When I was a boy,

another boy--the pa'son's son--along with a lot of others, asked me

'Who dragged Whom round the walls of What?' and I said, 'Sam Barrett,

who dragged his wife in a chair round the tower corner when she went to

be churched.' They laughed at me with such torrents of scorn that I

went home ashamed, and couldn't sleep for shame; and I cried that night

till my pillow was wet: till at last I thought to myself there and

then--'They may laugh at me for my ignorance, but that was father's

fault, and none o' my making, and I must bear it. But they shall never

laugh at my children, if I have any: I'll starve first!' Thank God,

I've been able to keep her at school without sacrifice; and her

scholarship is such that she stayed on as governess for a time. Let

'em laugh now if they can: Mrs. Charmond herself is not better informed

than my girl Grace."




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