aelitish creature while she had a
cousin like Yeobright at her elbow, and Wildeve at the same time not
absolutely indifferent. Eustacia was not long in guessing that poor
Mrs. Yeobright, in her anxiety for her niece's future, had mentioned
this lover to stimulate the zeal of the other. Eustacia was on the
side of the Yeobrights now, and entered into the spirit of the aunt's
desire.

"Good morning, miss," said the reddleman, taking off his cap of
hareskin, and apparently bearing her no ill-will from recollection of
their last meeting.

"Good morning, reddleman," she said, hardly troubling to lift her
heavily shaded eyes to his. "I did not know you were so near. Is
your van here too?"

Venn moved his elbow towards a hollow in which a dense brake of
purple-stemmed brambles had grown to such vast dimensions as almost
to form a dell. Brambles, though churlish when handled, are kindly
shelter in early winter, being the latest of the deciduous bushes
to lose their leaves. The roof and chimney of Venn's caravan showed
behind the tracery and tangles of the brake.

"You remain near this part?" she asked with more interest.

"Yes, I have business here."

"Not altogether the selling of reddle?"

"It has nothing to do with that."

"It has to do with Miss Yeobright?"

Her face seemed to ask for an armed peace, and he therefore said
frankly, "Yes, miss; it is on account of her."

"On account of your approaching marriage with her?"

Venn flushed through his stain. "Don't make sport of me, Miss Vye,"
he said.

"It isn't true?"

"Certainly not."

She was thus convinced that the reddleman was a mere _pis aller_ in
Mrs. Yeobright's mind; one, moreover, who had not even been informed
of his promotion to that lowly standing. "It was a mere notion of
mine," she said quietly; and was about to pass by without further
speech, when, looking round to the right, she saw a painfully
well-known figure serpentining upwards by one of the little paths
which led to the top where she stood. Owing to the necessary windings
of his course his back was at present towards them. She glanced
quickly round; to escape that man there was only one way. Turning to
Venn, she said, "Would you allow me to rest a few minutes in your van?
The banks are damp for sitting on."

"Certainly, miss; I'll make a place for you."

She followed him behind the dell of brambles to his wheeled dwelling,
into which Venn mounted, placing the three-legged stool just