ings proceeded incoherently; and when the
auctioneer said, every now and then, with a nod towards him, "Yours,
Mr. Winterborne," he had no idea whether he had bought fagots, poles,
or logwood.

He regretted, with some causticity of humor, that her father should
show such inequalities of temperament as to keep Grace tightly on his
arm to-day, when he had quite lately seemed anxious to recognize their
betrothal as a fact. And thus musing, and joining in no conversation
with other buyers except when directly addressed, he followed the
assemblage hither and thither till the end of the auction, when Giles
for the first time realized what his purchases had been. Hundreds of
fagots, and divers lots of timber, had been set down to him, when all
he had required had been a few bundles of spray for his odd man Robert
Creedle's use in baking and lighting fires.

Business being over, he turned to speak to the timber merchant. But
Melbury's manner was short and distant; and Grace, too, looked vexed
and reproachful. Winterborne then discovered that he had been
unwittingly bidding against her father, and picking up his favorite
lots in spite of him. With a very few words they left the spot and
pursued their way homeward.

Giles was extremely sorry at what he had done, and remained standing
under the trees, all the other men having strayed silently away. He
saw Melbury and his daughter pass down a glade without looking back.
While they moved slowly through it a lady appeared on horseback in the
middle distance, the line of her progress converging upon that of
Melbury's. They met, Melbury took off his hat, and she reined in her
horse. A conversation was evidently in progress between Grace and her
father and this equestrian, in whom he was almost sure that he
recognized Mrs. Charmond, less by her outline than by the livery of the
groom who had halted some yards off.

The interlocutors did not part till after a prolonged pause, during
which much seemed to be said. When Melbury and Grace resumed their
walk it was with something of a lighter tread than before.

Winterborne then pursued his own course homeward. He was unwilling to
let coldness grow up between himself and the Melburys for any trivial
reason, and in the evening he went to their house. On drawing near the
gate his attention was attracted by the sight of one of the bedrooms
blinking into a state of illumination. In it stood Grace lighting
several candles, her righ