Full of this post hoc argument, Mr. Melbury overlooked the infinite

throng of other possible reasons and unreasons for a woman changing her

mind. For instance, while knowing that his Grace was attractive, he

quite forgot that Mrs. Charmond had also great pretensions to beauty.

In his simple estimate, an attractive woman attracted all around.

So it was settled in his mind that her sudden mingling with the

villagers at the unlucky Winterborne's was the cause of her most

grievous loss, as he deemed it, in the direction of Hintock House.

"'Tis a thousand pities!" he would repeat to himself. "I am ruining

her for conscience' sake!"

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It was one morning later on, while these things were agitating his

mind, that, curiously enough, something darkened the window just as

they finished breakfast. Looking up, they saw Giles in person mounted

on horseback, and straining his neck forward, as he had been doing for

some time, to catch their attention through the window. Grace had been

the first to see him, and involuntarily exclaimed, "There he is--and a

new horse!"

On their faces as they regarded Giles were written their suspended

thoughts and compound feelings concerning him, could he have read them

through those old panes. But he saw nothing: his features just now

were, for a wonder, lit up with a red smile at some other idea. So

they rose from breakfast and went to the door, Grace with an anxious,

wistful manner, her father in a reverie, Mrs. Melbury placid and

inquiring. "We have come out to look at your horse," she said.

It could be seen that he was pleased at their attention, and explained

that he had ridden a mile or two to try the animal's paces. "I bought

her," he added, with warmth so severely repressed as to seem

indifference, "because she has been used to carry a lady."

Still Mr. Melbury did not brighten. Mrs. Melbury said, "And is she

quiet?"

Winterborne assured her that there was no doubt of it. "I took care of

that. She's five-and-twenty, and very clever for her age."

"Well, get off and come in," said Melbury, brusquely; and Giles

dismounted accordingly.

This event was the concrete result of Winterborne's thoughts during the

past week or two. The want of success with his evening party he had

accepted in as philosophic a mood as he was capable of; but there had

been enthusiasm enough left in him one day at Sherton Abbas market to

purchase this old mare, which had belonged to a neighboring parson with

several daughters, and was offered him to carry either a gentleman or a

lady, and to do odd jobs of carting and agriculture at a pinch. This

obliging quadruped seemed to furnish Giles with a means of reinstating

himself in Melbury's good opinion as a man of considerateness by

throwing out future possibilities to Grace.




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