which, if it ever became profitable
to good works, would be a result not dear at the price. But her thoughts
soon strayed far from her own personality; and, full of a passionate and
indescribable solicitude for one to whom she was not even a name, she
went forth into the amplitude of tanned wild around her, restless as
Ahasuerus the Jew. She was about half a mile from her residence when
she beheld a sinister redness arising from a ravine a little way in
advance--dull and lurid like a flame in sunlight and she guessed it to
signify Diggory Venn.

When the farmers who had wished to buy in a new stock of reddle during
the last month had inquired where Venn was to be found, people replied,
"On Egdon Heath." Day after day the answer was the same. Now, since
Egdon was populated with heath-croppers and furze-cutters rather than
with sheep and shepherds, and the downs where most of the latter were
to be found lay some to the north, some to the west of Egdon, his
reason for camping about there like Israel in Zin was not apparent. The
position was central and occasionally desirable. But the sale of reddle
was not Diggory's primary object in remaining on the heath, particularly
at so late a period of the year, when most travellers of his class had
gone into winter quarters.

Eustacia looked at the lonely man. Wildeve had told her at their last
meeting that Venn had been thrust forward by Mrs. Yeobright as one ready
and anxious to take his place as Thomasin's betrothed. His figure
was perfect, his face young and well outlined, his eye bright, his
intelligence keen, and his position one which he could readily better if
he chose. But in spite of possibilities it was not likely that Thomasin
would accept this Ishmaelitish creature while she had a cousin like
Yeobright at her elbow, and Wildeve at the same time not absolutely
indifferent. Eustacia was not long in guessing that poor Mrs. Yeobright,
in her anxiety for her niece's future, had mentioned this lover to
stimulate the zeal of the other. Eustacia was on the side of the
Yeobrights now, and entered into the spirit of the aunt's desire.

"Good morning, miss," said the reddleman, taking off his cap of
hareskin, and apparently bearing her no ill-will from recollection of
their last meeting.

"Good morning, reddleman," she said, hardly troubling to lift her
heavily shaded eyes to his. "I did not know you were so near. Is your
van here too?"

Venn moved his elbow towards a hollo