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The Woodlanders

Page 302

"What's that?" said Suke, starting up in bed.

"Sounds as if somebody had caught a hare in his gin."

"Oh no," said she. "It was not a hare, 'twas louder. Hark!"

"Do 'ee get to sleep," said Tim. "How be you going to wake at

half-past three else?"

She lay down and was silent. Tim stealthily opened the window and

listened. Above the low harmonies produced by the instrumentation of

the various species of trees around the premises he could hear the

twitching of a chain from the spot whereon he had set the man-trap.

But further human sound there was none.

Tim was puzzled. In the haste of his project he had not calculated

upon a cry; but if one, why not more? He soon ceased to essay an

answer, for Hintock was dead to him already. In half a dozen hours he

would be out of its precincts for life, on his way to the antipodes.

He closed the window and lay down.

The hour which had brought these movements of Tim to birth had been

operating actively elsewhere. Awaiting in her father's house the

minute of her appointment with her husband, Grace Fitzpiers deliberated

on many things. Should she inform her father before going out that the

estrangement of herself and Edgar was not so complete as he had

imagined, and deemed desirable for her happiness? If she did so she

must in some measure become the apologist of her husband, and she was

not prepared to go so far.

As for him, he kept her in a mood of considerate gravity. He certainly

had changed. He had at his worst times always been gentle in his

manner towards her. Could it be that she might make of him a true and

worthy husband yet? She had married him; there was no getting over

that; and ought she any longer to keep him at a distance? His suave

deference to her lightest whim on the question of his comings and

goings, when as her lawful husband he might show a little independence,

was a trait in his character as unexpected as it was engaging. If she

had been his empress, and he her thrall, he could not have exhibited a

more sensitive care to avoid intruding upon her against her will.

Impelled by a remembrance she took down a prayer-book and turned to the

marriage-service. Reading it slowly through, she became quite appalled

at her recent off-handedness, when she rediscovered what awfully solemn

promises she had made him at those chancel steps not so very long ago.

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