walk by night than by
day, and when Clym had been absent about an hour she suddenly resolved
to go out in the direction of Blooms-End, on the chance of meeting
him on his return. When she reached the garden gate she heard wheels
approaching, and looking round beheld her grandfather coming up in his
car.

"I can't stay a minute, thank ye," he answered to her greeting. "I
am driving to East Egdon; but I came round here just to tell you the
news. Perhaps you have heard--about Mr. Wildeve's fortune?"

"No," said Eustacia blankly.

"Well, he has come into a fortune of eleven thousand pounds--uncle
died in Canada, just after hearing that all his family, whom he was
sending home, had gone to the bottom in the _Cassiopeia_; so Wildeve
has come into everything, without in the least expecting it."

Eustacia stood motionless awhile. "How long has he known of this?"
she asked.

"Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten
o'clock, when Charley came back. Now, he is what I call a lucky man.
What a fool you were, Eustacia!"

"In what way?" she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness.

"Why, in not sticking to him when you had him."

"Had him, indeed!"

"I did not know there had ever been anything between you till lately;
and, faith, I should have been hot and strong against it if I had
known; but since it seems that there was some sniffing between ye, why
the deuce didn't you stick to him?"

Eustacia made no reply, but she looked as if she could say as much
upon that subject as he if she chose.

"And how is your poor purblind husband?" continued the old man. "Not
a bad fellow either, as far as he goes."

"He is quite well."

"It is a good thing for his cousin what-d'ye-call-her? By George, you
ought to have been in that galley, my girl! Now I must drive on. Do
you want any assistance? What's mine is yours, you know."

"Thank you, grandfather, we are not in want at present," she said
coldly. "Clym cuts furze, but he does it mostly as a useful pastime,
because he can do nothing else."

"He is paid for his pastime, isn't he? Three shillings a hundred, I
heard."

"Clym has money," she said, colouring, "but he likes to earn a
little."

"Very well; good night." And the captain drove on.

When her grandfather was gone Eustacia went on her way mechanically;
but her thoughts were no longer concerning her mother-in-law and Clym.
Wildeve, notwithstanding his complaints against his fate, had b