loitered on the hill adjoining.
A considerable time elapsed, and no request for his presence was
brought. He was beginning to think that his scheme had failed, when
he beheld the form of Eustacia herself coming leisurely towards him.
A sense of novelty in giving audience to that singular figure had been
sufficient to draw her forth.

She seemed to feel, after a bare look at Diggory Venn, that the man
had come on a strange errand, and that he was not so mean as she
had thought him; for her close approach did not cause him to writhe
uneasily, or shift his feet, or show any of those little signs which
escape an ingenuous rustic at the advent of the uncommon in womankind.
On his inquiring if he might have a conversation with her she replied,
"Yes, walk beside me," and continued to move on.

Before they had gone far it occurred to the perspicacious
reddleman that he would have acted more wisely by appearing less
unimpressionable, and he resolved to correct the error as soon as he
could find opportunity.

"I have made so bold, miss, as to step across and tell you some
strange news which has come to my ears about that man."

"Ah! what man?"

He jerked his elbow to the south-east--the direction of the Quiet
Woman.

Eustacia turned quickly to him. "Do you mean Mr. Wildeve?"

"Yes, there is trouble in a household on account of him, and I have
come to let you know of it, because I believe you might have power to
drive it away."

"I? What is the trouble?"

"It is quite a secret. It is that he may refuse to marry Thomasin
Yeobright after all."

Eustacia, though set inwardly pulsing by his words, was equal to her
part in such a drama as this. She replied coldly, "I do not wish to
listen to this, and you must not expect me to interfere."

"But, miss, you will hear one word?"

"I cannot. I am not interested in the marriage, and even if I were I
could not compel Mr. Wildeve to do my bidding."

"As the only lady on the heath I think you might," said Venn with
subtle indirectness. "This is how the case stands. Mr. Wildeve would
marry Thomasin at once, and make all matters smooth, if so be there
were not another woman in the case. This other woman is some person
he has picked up with, and meets on the heath occasionally, I believe.
He will never marry her, and yet through her he may never marry the
woman who loves him dearly. Now, if you, miss, who have so much sway
over us men-folk, were to insist that he should treat y