After supper there was a dance, the bandsmen from Great Hintock having
arrived some time before. Grace had been away from home so long that
she had forgotten the old figures, and hence did not join in the
movement. Then Giles felt that all was over. As for her, she was
thinking, as she watched the gyrations, of a very different measure
that she had been accustomed to tread with a bevy of sylph-like
creatures in muslin, in the music-room of a large house, most of whom
were now moving in scenes widely removed from this, both as regarded
place and character.
A woman she did not know came and offered to tell her fortune with the
abandoned cards. Grace assented to the proposal, and the woman told
her tale unskilfully, for want of practice, as she declared.
Mr. Melbury was standing by, and exclaimed, contemptuously, "Tell her
fortune, indeed! Her fortune has been told by men of science--what do
you call 'em? Phrenologists. You can't teach her anything new. She's
been too far among the wise ones to be astonished at anything she can
hear among us folks in Hintock."
At last the time came for breaking up, Melbury and his family being the
earliest to leave, the two card-players still pursuing their game
doggedly in the corner, where they had completely covered Giles's
mahogany table with chalk scratches. The three walked home, the
distance being short and the night clear.
"Well, Giles is a very good fellow," said Mr. Melbury, as they struck
down the lane under boughs which formed a black filigree in which the
stars seemed set.
"Certainly he is," said Grace, quickly, and in such a tone as to show
that he stood no lower, if no higher, in her regard than he had stood
before.
When they were opposite an opening through which, by day, the doctor's
house could be seen, they observed a light in one of his rooms,
although it was now about two o'clock.
"The doctor is not abed yet," said Mrs. Melbury.
"Hard study, no doubt," said her husband.
"One would think that, as he seems to have nothing to do about here by
day, he could at least afford to go to bed early at night. 'Tis
astonishing how little we see of him."
Melbury's mind seemed to turn with much relief to the contemplation of
Mr. Fitzpiers after the scenes of the evening. "It is natural enough,"
he replied. "What can a man of that sort find to interest him in
Hintock? I don't expect he'll stay here long."