ans that you should be
doing better things than this."

"You are ambitious, Eustacia--no, not exactly ambitious, luxurious. I
ought to be of the same vein, to make you happy, I suppose. And yet, far
from that, I could live and die in a hermitage here, with proper work to
do."

There was that in his tone which implied distrust of his position as
a solicitous lover, a doubt if he were acting fairly towards one whose
tastes touched his own only at rare and infrequent points. She saw his
meaning, and whispered, in a low, full accent of eager assurance "Don't
mistake me, Clym--though I should like Paris, I love you for yourself
alone. To be your wife and live in Paris would be heaven to me; but I
would rather live with you in a hermitage here than not be yours at all.
It is gain to me either way, and very great gain. There's my too candid
confession."

"Spoken like a woman. And now I must soon leave you. I'll walk with you
towards your house."

"But must you go home yet?" she asked. "Yes, the sand has nearly slipped
away, I see, and the eclipse is creeping on more and more. Don't go yet!
Stop till the hour has run itself out; then I will not press you any
more. You will go home and sleep well; I keep sighing in my sleep! Do
you ever dream of me?"

"I cannot recollect a clear dream of you."

"I see your face in every scene of my dreams, and hear your voice in
every sound. I wish I did not. It is too much what I feel. They say
such love never lasts. But it must! And yet once, I remember, I saw an
officer of the Hussars ride down the street at Budmouth, and though he
was a total stranger and never spoke to me, I loved him till I thought
I should really die of love--but I didn't die, and at last I left off
caring for him. How terrible it would be if a time should come when I
could not love you, my Clym!"

"Please don't say such reckless things. When we see such a time at hand
we will say, 'I have outlived my faith and purpose,' and die. There, the
hour has expired--now let us walk on."

Hand in hand they went along the path towards Mistover. When they were
near the house he said, "It is too late for me to see your grandfather
tonight. Do you think he will object to it?"

"I will speak to him. I am so accustomed to be my own mistress that it
did not occur to me that we should have to ask him."

Then they lingeringly separated, and Clym descended towards Blooms-End.

And as he walked further and further from the char