show that she had not done so. But, as the squire said, it
does not do to inquire too closely into all people's inner beliefs. 'If
everybody were to say what he thinks about everybody, nobody would ever
go to see anybody.' It was soon decided that Hester, with her baby,
should go on an early day to Puritan Grange, and should stay there for a
couple of nights. But there was a difficulty as to Caldigate himself. He
was naturally enough anxious to send Hester without him, but she was as
anxious to take him. 'It isn't for my own sake,' she said,--'because I
shall like to have you there with me. Of course it will be very dull for
you, but it will be so much better that we should all be reconciled, and
that everyone should know that we are so.'

'It would only be a pretence,' said he.

'People must pretend sometimes, John,' she answered. At last it was
decided that he should take her, reaching the place about the hour of
lunch, so that he might again break bread in her father's house,--that
he should then leave her there, and that at the end of the two days she
should return to Folking.

On the day named they reached Puritan Grange at the hour fixed. Both
Caldigate and Hester were very nervous as to their reception, and got
out of the carriage almost without a word to each other. The old
gardener, who had been so busy during Hester's imprisonment, was there
to take the luggage; and Hester's maid carried the child as Caldigate,
with his wife behind him, walked up the steps and rang the bell. There
was no coming out to meet them, no greeting them even in the hall. Mr.
Bolton was perhaps too old and too infirm for such running out, and it
was hardly within his nature to do so. They were shown into the
well-known morning sitting-room, and there they found Hester's father in
his chair, and Mrs. Bolton standing up to receive them.

Hester, after kissing her father, threw herself into her mother's arms
before a word had been said to Caldigate. Then the banker addressed him
with a set speech, which no doubt had been prepared in the old man's
mind. 'I am very glad,' he said, 'that you have brought this unhappy
matter to so good a conclusion, Mr. Caldigate.'

'It has been a great trouble,--worse almost for Hester than for me.'

'Yes, it has been sad enough for Hester,--and the more so because it was
natural that others should believe that which the jury and the judge
declared to have been proved. How should any one know otherwise