"I cannot attempt to reply to your raving eloquence," returned the
other, struggling to restore a dignity which had completely collapsed.
"My acts will be my proofs. In the world which you have seen nothing
of, friendships between men and women are not unknown, and it would
have been better both for you and your father if you had each judged me
more respectfully, and left me alone. As it is I wish never to see or
speak to you, madam, any more."
Grace bowed, and Mrs. Charmond turned away. The two went apart in
directly opposite courses, and were soon hidden from each other by
their umbrageous surroundings and by the shadows of eve.
In the excitement of their long argument they had walked onward and
zigzagged about without regarding direction or distance. All sound of
the woodcutters had long since faded into remoteness, and even had not
the interval been too great for hearing them they would have been
silent and homeward bound at this twilight hour. But Grace went on her
course without any misgiving, though there was much underwood here,
with only the narrowest passages for walking, across which brambles
hung. She had not, however, traversed this the wildest part of the
wood since her childhood, and the transformation of outlines had been
great; old trees which once were landmarks had been felled or blown
down, and the bushes which then had been small and scrubby were now
large and overhanging. She soon found that her ideas as to direction
were vague--that she had indeed no ideas as to direction at all. If
the evening had not been growing so dark, and the wind had not put on
its night moan so distinctly, Grace would not have minded; but she was
rather frightened now, and began to strike across hither and thither in
random courses.
Denser grew the darkness, more developed the wind-voices, and still no
recognizable spot or outlet of any kind appeared, nor any sound of the
Hintocks floated near, though she had wandered probably between one and
two hours, and began to be weary. She was vexed at her foolishness,
since the ground she had covered, if in a straight line, must
inevitably have taken her out of the wood to some remote village or
other; but she had wasted her forces in countermarches; and now, in
much alarm, wondered if she would have to pass the night here. She
stood still to meditate, and fancied that between the soughing of the
wind she heard shuffling footsteps on the leaves heavier than those of
rabbits or hares. Though fearing at first to meet anybody on the chance
of his being a friend, she decided that the fellow night-rambler, even
if a poacher, would not injure her, and that he might possibly be some
one sent to search for her. She accordingly shouted a rather timid
"Hoi!"