to will anything seemed to have departed in some
mysterious manner at that moment, Dick settled the matter by getting out
and assisting her into the vehicle without another word.

The temporary flush upon her cheek changed to a lesser hue, which was
permanent, and at length their eyes met; there was present between them a
certain feeling of embarrassment, which arises at such moments when all
the instinctive acts dictated by the position have been performed. Dick,
being engaged with the reins, thought less of this awkwardness than did
Fancy, who had nothing to do but to feel his presence, and to be more and
more conscious of the fact, that by accepting a seat beside him in this
way she succumbed to the tone of his note. Smart jogged along, and Dick
jogged, and the helpless Fancy necessarily jogged, too; and she felt that
she was in a measure captured and made a prisoner.

"I am so much obliged to you for your company, Miss Day," he observed, as
they drove past the two semicircular bays of the Old Royal Hotel, where
His Majesty King George the Third had many a time attended the balls of
the burgesses.

To Miss Day, crediting him with the same consciousness of mastery--a
consciousness of which he was perfectly innocent--this remark sounded
like a magnanimous intention to soothe her, the captive.

"I didn't come for the pleasure of obliging you with my company," she
said.

The answer had an unexpected manner of incivility in it that must have
been rather surprising to young Dewy. At the same time it may be
observed, that when a young woman returns a rude answer to a young man's
civil remark, her heart is in a state which argues rather hopefully for
his case than otherwise.

There was silence between them till they had left the sea-front and
passed about twenty of the trees that ornamented the road leading up out
of the town towards Casterbridge and Mellstock.

"Though I didn't come for that purpose either, I would have done it,"
said Dick at the twenty-first tree.

"Now, Mr. Dewy, no flirtation, because it's wrong, and I don't wish it."

Dick seated himself afresh just as he had been sitting before, arranged
his looks very emphatically, and cleared his throat.

"Really, anybody would think you had met me on business and were just
going to commence," said the lady intractably.

"Yes, they would."

"Why, you never have, to be sure!"

This was a shaky beginning. He chopped round, and said cheerily, as a
m