the chimney till their flaccidity was changed to
dry crispness throughout. Then the woman came and unpinned them, and,
folding them together, carried the handful upstairs. Presently the
doctor appeared from above with the look of a man who could do no
more, and, pulling on his gloves, went out of the house, the trotting
of his horse soon dying away upon the road.

At four o'clock there was a gentle knock at the door. It was from
Charley, who had been sent by Captain Vye to inquire if anything had
been heard of Eustacia. The girl who admitted him looked in his face
as if she did not know what answer to return, and showed him in to
where Venn was seated, saying to the reddleman, "Will you tell him,
please?"

Venn told. Charley's only utterance was a feeble, indistinct sound.
He stood quite still; then he burst out spasmodically, "I shall see
her once more?"

"I dare say you may see her," said Diggory gravely. "But hadn't you
better run and tell Captain Vye?"

"Yes, yes. Only I do hope I shall see her just once again."

"You shall," said a low voice behind; and starting round they beheld
by the dim light a thin, pallid, almost spectral form, wrapped in a
blanket, and looking like Lazarus coming from the tomb.

It was Yeobright. Neither Venn nor Charley spoke, and Clym continued,
"You shall see her. There will be time enough to tell the captain
when it gets daylight. You would like to see her too--would you not,
Diggory? She looks very beautiful now."

Venn assented by rising to his feet, and with Charley he followed Clym
to the foot of the staircase, where he took off his boots; Charley
did the same. They followed Yeobright upstairs to the landing, where
there was a candle burning, which Yeobright took in his hand, and with
it led the way into an adjoining room. Here he went to the bedside
and folded back the sheet.

They stood silently looking upon Eustacia, who, as she lay there still
in death, eclipsed all her living phases. Pallor did not include all
the quality of her complexion, which seemed more than whiteness;
it was almost light. The expression of her finely carved mouth was
pleasant, as if a sense of dignity had just compelled her to leave
off speaking. Eternal rigidity had seized upon it in a momentary
transition between fervour and resignation. Her black hair was looser
now than either of them had ever seen it before, and surrounded her
brow like a forest. The stateliness of look which had been almost