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The Woodlanders

Page 234

These starts and frights continued till noon; and when the doctor had

arrived and had seen her, and had talked with Mrs. Melbury, he sat down

and meditated. That ever-present terror it was indispensable to remove

from her mind at all hazards; and he thought how this might be done.

Without saying a word to anybody in the house, or to the disquieted

Winterborne waiting in the lane below, Dr. Jones went home and wrote to

Mr. Melbury at the London address he had obtained from his wife. The

gist of his communication was that Mrs. Fitzpiers should be assured as

soon as possible that steps were being taken to sever the bond which

was becoming a torture to her; that she would soon be free, and was

even then virtually so. "If you can say it AT ONCE it may be the means

of averting much harm," he said. "Write to herself; not to me."

On Saturday he drove over to Hintock, and assured her with mysterious

pacifications that in a day or two she might expect to receive some

assuring news. So it turned out. When Sunday morning came there was a

letter for Grace from her father. It arrived at seven o'clock, the

usual time at which the toddling postman passed by Hintock; at eight

Grace awoke, having slept an hour or two for a wonder, and Mrs. Melbury

brought up the letter.

"Can you open it yourself?" said she.

"Oh yes, yes!" said Grace, with feeble impatience. She tore the

envelope, unfolded the sheet, and read; when a creeping blush tinctured

her white neck and cheek.

Her father had exercised a bold discretion. He informed her that she

need have no further concern about Fitzpiers's return; that she would

shortly be a free woman; and therefore, if she should desire to wed her

old lover--which he trusted was the case, since it was his own deep

wish--she would be in a position to do so. In this Melbury had not

written beyond his belief. But he very much stretched the facts in

adding that the legal formalities for dissolving her union were

practically settled. The truth was that on the arrival of the doctor's

letter poor Melbury had been much agitated, and could with difficulty

be prevented by Beaucock from returning to her bedside. What was the

use of his rushing back to Hintock? Beaucock had asked him. The only

thing that could do her any good was a breaking of the bond. Though he

had not as yet had an interview with the eminent solicitor they were

about to consult, he was on the point of seeing him; and the case was

clear enough. Thus the simple Melbury, urged by his parental alarm at

her danger by the representations of his companion, and by the doctor's

letter, had yielded, and sat down to tell her roundly that she was

virtually free.

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