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!"
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.