are kindly welcome to their opinion," said Fitzpiers, not
allowing himself to recognize that he winced. "Anything else?"

"Yes; SHE'S come home at last."

"Who's she?"

"Mrs. Charmond."

"Oh, indeed!" said Fitzpiers, with but slight interest. "I've never
seen her."

"She has seen you, sir, whether or no."

"Never."

"Yes; she saw you in some hotel or street for a minute or two while you
were away travelling, and accidentally heard your name; and when she
made some remark about you, Miss Ellis--that's her maid--told her you
was on your wedding-tower with Mr. Melbury's daughter; and she said,
'He ought to have done better than that. I fear he has spoiled his
chances,' she says."

Fitzpiers did not talk much longer to this cheering housewife, and
walked home with no very brisk step. He entered the door quietly, and
went straight up-stairs to the drawing-room extemporized for their use
by Melbury in his and his bride's absence, expecting to find her there
as he had left her. The fire was burning still, but there were no
lights. He looked into the next apartment, fitted up as a little
dining-room, but no supper was laid. He went to the top of the stairs,
and heard a chorus of voices in the timber-merchant's parlor below,
Grace's being occasionally intermingled.

Descending, and looking into the room from the door-way, he found quite
a large gathering of neighbors and other acquaintances, praising and
congratulating Mrs. Fitzpiers on her return, among them being the
dairyman, Farmer Bawtree, and the master-blacksmith from Great Hintock;
also the cooper, the hollow-turner, the exciseman, and some others,
with their wives, who lived hard by. Grace, girl that she was, had
quite forgotten her new dignity and her husband's; she was in the midst
of them, blushing, and receiving their compliments with all the
pleasure of old-comradeship.

Fitzpiers experienced a profound distaste for the situation. Melbury
was nowhere in the room, but Melbury's wife, perceiving the doctor,
came to him. "We thought, Grace and I," she said, "that as they have
called, hearing you were come, we could do no less than ask them to
supper; and then Grace proposed that we should all sup together, as it
is the first night of your return."

By this time Grace had come round to him. "Is it not good of them to
welcome me so warmly?" she exclaimed, with tears of friendship in her
eyes. "After so much good feeling I could not think of our