t out to
ascend the hill.

Within the room the men fell into chat till their attention was for a
moment drawn to the chimney-corner. This was large, and, in addition
to its proper recess, contained within its jambs, like many on
Egdon, a receding seat, so that a person might sit there absolutely
unobserved, provided there was no fire to light him up, as was the
case now and throughout the summer. From the niche a single object
protruded into the light from the candles on the table. It was a clay
pipe, and its colour was reddish. The men had been attracted to this
object by a voice behind the pipe asking for a light.

"Upon my life, it fairly startled me when the man spoke!" said
Fairway, handing a candle. "Oh--'tis the reddleman! You've kept a
quiet tongue, young man."

"Yes, I had nothing to say," observed Venn. In a few minutes he arose
and wished the company good night.

Meanwhile Wildeve and Christian had plunged into the heath.

It was a stagnant, warm, and misty night, full of all the heavy
perfumes of new vegetation not yet dried by hot sun, and among
these particularly the scent of the fern. The lantern, dangling
from Christian's hand, brushed the feathery fronds in passing by,
disturbing moths and other winged insects, which flew out and alighted
upon its horny panes.

"So you have money to carry to Mrs. Wildeve?" said Christian's
companion, after a silence. "Don't you think it very odd that it
shouldn't be given to me?"

"As man and wife be one flesh, 'twould have been all the same, I
should think," said Christian. "But my strict documents was, to give
the money into Mrs. Wildeve's hand--and 'tis well to do things right."

"No doubt," said Wildeve. Any person who had known the circumstances
might have perceived that Wildeve was mortified by the discovery that
the matter in transit was money, and not, as he had supposed when at
Blooms-End, some fancy nick-nack which only interested the two women
themselves. Mrs. Yeobright's refusal implied that his honour was not
considered to be of sufficiently good quality to make him a safer
bearer of his wife's property.

"How very warm it is tonight, Christian!" he said, panting, when they
were nearly under Rainbarrow. "Let us sit down for a few minutes, for
Heaven's sake."

Wildeve flung himself down on the soft ferns; and Christian, placing
the lantern and parcel on the ground, perched himself in a cramped
position hard by, his knees almost touching his chi