othing to her. She does not care for my love, nor for the love of
her Father in heaven. She cares only for that adulterer.'

The door was opened from within, and the chains were taken away from the
gate. 'Oh, John,--oh, my husband,' she exclaimed, as she leaped down the
steps into his arms, 'never let me go again; not for a day,--not for an
hour!' Then her boxes were brought down, and the nurse came with the
child, whom the mother at once took and placed in his father's arms. And
the carriage was brought in, and the luggage was placed on it, and the
nurse and the baby were seated. 'I will go up to poor mamma for one
moment,' she said. She did go to her mother's room, and throwing herself
upon the wretched woman, wept over her and kissed her. But the mother,
though in some sort she returned the caress, said not a word as her
daughter left the room. And she went also to her father and asked his
blessing. He muttered a word or two, blessing her, no doubt, with
inarticulate words. He also had been thoroughly vanquished.

Then she got into the carriage, and was taken back to Folking lying in
John Caldigate's arms.

Chapter XXXVII

Again at Folking

Thus Hester prevailed, and was taken back to the house of the man who
had married her. By this time very much had been said about the matter
publicly. It had been impossible to keep the question,--whether John
Caldigate's recent marriage had been true or fraudulent,--out of the
newspapers; and now the attempt that had been made to keep them apart
by force gave an additional interest to the subject. There was an
opinion, very general among elderly educated people, that Hester
ought to have allowed herself to be detained at the Grange. 'We do
not mean to lean heavily on the unfortunate young lady,' said the
'Isle-of-Ely-Church-Intelligencer'; 'but we think that she would have
better shown a becoming sense of her position had she submitted her
self to her parents till the trial is over. Then the full sympathy of
all classes would have been with her; and whether the law shall restore
her to a beloved husband, or shall tell her that she has become the
victim of a cruel seducer, she would have been supported by the
approval and generous regard of all men.' It was thus for the most part
that the elderly and the wise spoke and thought about it. Of course,
they pitied her; but they believed all evil of Caldigate, declaring
that he too was bound by a feeling of duty to restor