A dreadful enlightenment spread through the mind of Grace. "Oh," she
cried, in her anguish, as she hastily prepared herself to go out, "how
selfishly correct I am always--too, too correct! Cruel propriety is
killing the dearest heart that ever woman clasped to her own."
While speaking thus to herself she had lit the lantern, and hastening
out without further thought, took the direction whence the mutterings
had proceeded. The course was marked by a little path, which ended at
a distance of about forty yards in a small erection of hurdles, not
much larger than a shock of corn, such as were frequent in the woods
and copses when the cutting season was going on. It was too slight
even to be called a hovel, and was not high enough to stand upright in;
appearing, in short, to be erected for the temporary shelter of fuel.
The side towards Grace was open, and turning the light upon the
interior, she beheld what her prescient fear had pictured in snatches
all the way thither.
Upon the straw within, Winterborne lay in his clothes, just as she had
seen him during the whole of her stay here, except that his hat was
off, and his hair matted and wild.
Both his clothes and the straw were saturated with rain. His arms were
flung over his head; his face was flushed to an unnatural crimson. His
eyes had a burning brightness, and though they met her own, she
perceived that he did not recognize her.
"Oh, my Giles," she cried, "what have I done to you!"
But she stopped no longer even to reproach herself. She saw that the
first thing to be thought of was to get him indoors.
How Grace performed that labor she never could have exactly explained.
But by dint of clasping her arms round him, rearing him into a sitting
posture, and straining her strength to the uttermost, she put him on
one of the hurdles that was loose alongside, and taking the end of it
in both her hands, dragged him along the path to the entrance of the
hut, and, after a pause for breath, in at the door-way.
It was somewhat singular that Giles in his semi-conscious state
acquiesced unresistingly in all that she did. But he never for a
moment recognized her--continuing his rapid conversation to himself,
and seeming to look upon her as some angel, or other supernatural
creature of the visionary world in which he was mentally living. The
undertaking occupied her more than ten minutes; but by that time, to
her great thankfulness, he was in the inner room, lying on the bed, his
damp outer clothing removed.