ething else in good time."

"I am much obliged to you for your interest in my niece; but I fear
there would be objections. More than that, she is devoted to this
man."

"True; or I shouldn't have done what I have this morning."

"Otherwise there would be no pain in the case, and you would not see
me going to his house now. What was Thomasin's answer when you told
her of your feelings?"

"She wrote that you would object to me; and other things."

"She was in a measure right. You must not take this unkindly: I
merely state it as a truth. You have been good to her, and we do not
forget it. But as she was unwilling on her own account to be your
wife, that settles the point without my wishes being concerned."

"Yes. But there is a difference between then and now, ma'am. She is
distressed now, and I have thought that if you were to talk to her
about me, and think favourably of me yourself, there might be a chance
of winning her round, and getting her quite independent of this
Wildeve's backward and forward play, and his not knowing whether he'll
have her or no."

Mrs. Yeobright shook her head. "Thomasin thinks, and I think with
her, that she ought to be Wildeve's wife, if she means to appear
before the world without a slur upon her name. If they marry soon,
everybody will believe that an accident did really prevent the
wedding. If not, it may cast a shade upon her character--at any rate
make her ridiculous. In short, if it is anyhow possible they must
marry now."

"I thought that till half an hour ago. But, after all, why should
her going off with him to Anglebury for a few hours do her any harm?
Anybody who knows how pure she is will feel any such thought to
be quite unjust. I have been trying this morning to help on this
marriage with Wildeve--yes, I, ma'am--in the belief that I ought to
do it, because she was so wrapped up in him. But I much question if
I was right, after all. However, nothing came of it. And now I offer
myself."

Mrs. Yeobright appeared disinclined to enter further into the
question. "I fear I must go on," she said. "I do not see that
anything else can be done."

And she went on. But though this conversation did not divert
Thomasin's aunt from her purposed interview with Wildeve, it made a
considerable difference in her mode of conducting that interview. She
thanked God for the weapon which the reddleman had put into her hands.

Wildeve was at home when she reached the inn. He showed her si