their rubbing against each other in the slow wind.

The window, whence the candlelight had shone up the vale to the eyes
of the bonfire group, was uncurtained, but the sill lay too high for
a pedestrian on the outside to look over it into the room. A vast
shadow, in which could be dimly traced portions of a masculine
contour, blotted half the ceiling.

"He seems to be at home," said Mrs. Yeobright.

"Must I come in, too, aunt?" asked Thomasin faintly. "I suppose not;
it would be wrong."

"You must come, certainly--to confront him, so that he may make no
false representations to me. We shall not be five minutes in the
house, and then we'll walk home."

Entering the open passage she tapped at the door of the private
parlour, unfastened it, and looked in.

The back and shoulders of a man came between Mrs. Yeobright's eyes and
the fire. Wildeve, whose form it was, immediately turned, arose, and
advanced to meet his visitors.

He was quite a young man, and of the two properties, form and motion,
the latter first attracted the eye in him. The grace of his movement
was singular: it was the pantomimic expression of a lady-killing
career. Next came into notice the more material qualities, among
which was a profuse crop of hair impending over the top of his face,
lending to his forehead the high-cornered outline of an early Gothic
shield; and a neck which was smooth and round as a cylinder. The lower
half of his figure was of light build. Altogether he was one in whom
no man would have seen anything to admire, and in whom no woman would
have seen anything to dislike.

He discerned the young girl's form in the passage, and said,
"Thomasin, then, has reached home. How could you leave me in that
way, darling?" And turning to Mrs. Yeobright: "It was useless to argue
with her. She would go, and go alone."

"But what's the meaning of it all?" demanded Mrs. Yeobright haughtily.

"Take a seat," said Wildeve, placing chairs for the two women. "Well,
it was a very stupid mistake, but such mistakes will happen. The
license was useless at Anglebury. It was made out for Budmouth, but
as I didn't read it I wasn't aware of that."

"But you had been staying at Anglebury?"

"No. I had been at Budmouth--till two days ago--and that was where I
had intended to take her; but when I came to fetch her we decided upon
Anglebury, forgetting that a new license would be necessary. There was
not time to get to Budmouth afterwards."

"I thi