第12章

TheroadfromAngleburytoHolmstokeisingenerallevel；butthereisoneplacewhereasharpascentbreaksitsmonotony。Farmershomeward-boundfromtheformermarket-town，whotrotalltherestoftheway，walktheirhorsesupthisshortincline。

Thenextevening，whilethesunwasyetbright，ahandsomenewgig，withalemon-colouredbodyandredwheels，wasspinningwestwardalongthelevelhighwayattheheelsofapowerfulmare。Thedriverwasayeomanintheprimeoflife，cleanlyshavenlikeanactor，hisfacebeingtonedtothatbluish-vermilionhuewhichsooftengracesathrivingfarmer’sfeatureswhenreturninghomeaftersuccessfuldealingsinthetown。Besidehimsatawoman，manyyearshisjunior——almost，indeed，agirl。Herfacetoowasfreshincolour，butitwasofatotallydifferentquality——softandevanescent，likethelightunderaheapofrose-petals。

Fewpeopletravelledthisway，foritwasnotamainroad；andthelongwhiteribandofgravelthatstretchedbeforethemwasempty，saveofonesmallscarce-movingspeck，whichpresentlyresolveditselfintothefigureofboy，whowascreepingonatasnail’space，andcontinuallylookingbehindhim——theheavybundlehecarriedbeingsomeexcusefor，ifnotthereasonof，hisdilatoriness。Whenthebouncinggig-partyslowedatthebottomoftheinclineabovementioned，thepedestrianwasonlyafewyardsinfront。Supportingthelargebundlebyputtingonehandonhiship，heturnedandlookedstraightatthefarmer’swifeasthoughhewouldreadherthroughandthrough，pacingalongabreastofthehorse。

Thelowsunwasfullinherface，renderingeveryfeature，shade，andcontourdistinct，fromthecurveofherlittlenostriltothecolourofhereyes。Thefarmer，thoughheseemedannoyedattheboy’spersistentpresence，didnotorderhimtogetoutoftheway；

andthustheladprecededthem，hishardgazeneverleavingher，tilltheyreachedthetopoftheascent，whenthefarmertrottedonwithreliefinhislineaments——havingtakennooutwardnoticeoftheboywhatever。

’Howthatpoorladstaredatme！’saidtheyoungwife。

’Yes，dear；Isawthathedid。’

’Heisoneofthevillage，Isuppose？’

’Oneoftheneighbourhood。Ithinkheliveswithhismotheramileortwooff。’

’Heknowswhoweare，nodoubt？’

’Oyes。Youmustexpecttobestaredatjustatfirst，myprettyGertrude。’

’Ido，——thoughIthinkthepoorboymayhavelookedatusinthehopewemightrelievehimofhisheavyload，ratherthanfromcuriosity。’

’Ono，’saidherhusbandoff-handedly。’Thesecountryladswillcarryahundredweightoncetheygetitontheirbacks；besideshispackhadmoresizethanweightinit。Now，then，anothermileandI

shallbeabletoshowyouourhouseinthedistance——ifitisnottoodarkbeforewegetthere。’Thewheelsspunround，andparticlesflewfromtheirperipheryasbefore，tillawhitehouseofampledimensionsrevealeditself，withfarm-buildingsandricksattheback。

Meanwhiletheboyhadquickenedhispace，andturningupaby-lanesomemileandhalfshortofthewhitefarmstead，ascendedtowardstheleanerpastures，andsoontothecottageofhismother。

Shehadreachedhomeafterherday’smilkingattheoutlyingdairy，andwaswashingcabbageatthedoorwayinthedeclininglight。

’Holdupthenetamoment，’shesaid，withoutpreface，astheboycameup。

Heflungdownhisbundle，heldtheedgeofthecabbage-net，andasshefilleditsmesheswiththedrippingleavesshewenton，’Well，didyouseeher？’

’Yes；quiteplain。’

’Issheladylike？’

’Yes；andmore。Aladycomplete。’

’Issheyoung？’

’Well，she’sgrowedup，andherwaysbequiteawoman’s。’

’Ofcourse。Whatcolourisherhairandface？’

’Herhairislightish，andherfaceascomelyasalivedoll’s。’

’Hereyes，then，arenotdarklikemine？’

’No——ofabluishturn，andhermouthisveryniceandred；andwhenshesmiles，herteethshowwhite。’

’Isshetall？’saidthewomansharply。

’Icouldn’tsee。Shewassittingdown。’

’ThendoyougotoHolmstokechurchto-morrowmorning:she’ssuretobethere。Goearlyandnoticeherwalkingin，andcomehomeandtellmeifshe’stallerthanI。’

’Verywell，mother。Butwhydon’tyougoandseeforyourself？’

’_I_gotoseeher！Iwouldn’tlookupatherifsheweretopassmywindowthisinstant。ShewaswithMr。Lodge，ofcourse。Whatdidhesayordo？’

’Justthesameasusual。’

’Tooknonoticeofyou？’

’None。’

Nextdaythemotherputacleanshirtontheboy，andstartedhimoffforHolmstokechurch。Hereachedtheancientlittlepilewhenthedoorwasjustbeingopened，andhewasthefirsttoenter。

Takinghisseatbythefont，hewatchedalltheparishionersfilein。Thewell-to-doFarmerLodgecamenearlylast；andhisyoungwife，whoaccompaniedhim，walkeduptheaislewiththeshynessnaturaltoamodestwomanwhohadappearedthusforthefirsttime。

Asallothereyeswerefixeduponher，theyouth’sstarewasnotnoticednow。

Whenhereachedhomehismothersaid，’Well？’beforehehadenteredtheroom。

’Sheisnottall。Sheisrathershort，’hereplied。

’Ah！’saidhismother，withsatisfaction。

’Butshe’sverypretty——very。Infact，she’slovely。’

Theyouthfulfreshnessoftheyeoman’swifehadevidentlymadeanimpressionevenonthesomewhathardnatureoftheboy。

’That’sallIwanttohear，’saidhismotherquickly。’Now，spreadthetable-cloth。Thehareyoucaughtisverytender；butmindthatnobodycatchesyou——You’venevertoldmewhatsortofhandsshehad。’

’Ihaveneverseen’em。Shenevertookoffhergloves。’

’Whatdidshewearthismorning？’

’Awhitebonnetandasilver-colouredgownd。Itwhewedandwhistledsoloudwhenitrubbedagainstthepewsthattheladycolouredupmorethaneverforveryshameatthenoise，andpulleditintokeepitfromtouching；butwhenshepushedintoherseat，itwhewedmorethanever。Mr。Lodge，heseemedpleased，andhiswaistcoatstuckout，andhisgreatgoldensealshunglikealord’s；butsheseemedtowishhernoisygowndanywherebutonher。’

’Notshe！However，thatwilldonow。’

Thesedescriptionsofthenewly-marriedcouplewerecontinuedfromtimetotimebytheboyathismother’srequest，afteranychanceencounterhehadhadwiththem。ButRhodaBrook，thoughshemighteasilyhaveseenyoungMrs。Lodgeforherselfbywalkingacoupleofmiles，wouldneverattemptanexcursiontowardsthequarterwherethefarmhouselay。Neitherdidshe，atthedailymilkinginthedairyman’syardonLodge’soutlyingsecondfarm，everspeakonthesubjectoftherecentmarriage。Thedairyman，whorentedthecowsofLodge，andknewperfectlythetallmilkmaid’shistory，withmanlykindlinessalwayskeptthegossipinthecow-bartonfromannoyingRhoda。ButtheatmospherethereaboutwasfullofthesubjectduringthefirstdaysofMrs。Lodge’sarrival；andfromherboy’sdescriptionandthecasualwordsoftheothermilkers，RhodaBrookcouldraiseamentalimageoftheunconsciousMrsLodgethatwasrealisticasaphotograph。

Onenight，twoorthreeweeksafterthebridalreturn，whentheboywasgonetobed，Rhodasatalongtimeovertheturfashesthatshehadrakedoutinfrontofhertoextinguishthem。Shecontemplatedsointentlythenewwife，aspresentedtoherinhermind’seyeovertheembers，thatsheforgotthelapseoftime。Atlast，weariedwithherday’swork，shetooretired。

Butthefigurewhichhadoccupiedhersomuchduringthisandthepreviousdayswasnottobebanishedatnight。ForthefirsttimeGertrudeLodgevisitedthesupplantedwomaninherdreams。RhodaBrookdreamed——sinceherassertionthatshereallysaw，beforefallingasleep，wasnottobebelieved——thattheyoungwife，inthepalesilkdressandwhitebonnet，butwithfeaturesshockinglydistorted，andwrinkledasbyage，wassittinguponherchestasshelay。ThepressureofMrs。Lodge’spersongrewheavier；theblueeyespeeredcruellyintoherface；andthenthefigurethrustforwarditslefthandmockingly，soastomakethewedding-ringitworeglitterinRhoda’seyes。Maddenedmentally，andnearlysuffocatedbypressure，thesleeperstruggled；theincubus，stillregardingher，withdrewtothefootofthebed，only，however，tocomeforwardbydegrees，resumeherseat，andflashherlefthandasbefore。

Gaspingforbreath，Rhoda，inalastdesperateeffort，swungoutherrighthand，seizedtheconfrontingspectrebyitsobtrusiveleftarm，andwhirleditbackwardtothefloor，startingupherselfasshedidsowithalowcry。

’O，mercifulheaven！’shecried，sittingontheedgeofthebedinacoldsweat；’thatwasnotadream——shewashere！’

Shecouldfeelherantagonist’sarmwithinhergraspevennow——theveryfleshandboneofit，asitseemed。Shelookedonthefloorwhithershehadwhirledthespectre，buttherewasnothingtobeseen。

RhodaBrooksleptnomorethatnight，andwhenshewentmilkingatthenextdawntheynoticedhowpaleandhaggardshelooked。Themilkthatshedrewquiveredintothepail；herhandhadnotcalmedevenyet，andstillretainedthefeelofthearm。Shecamehometobreakfastaswearilyasifithadbeensuppertime。