ould hardly have
allowed him to remain in such obscurity while his powers were unimpeded.
Hence Yeobright sometimes sang to himself, and when obliged to accompany
Humphrey in search of brambles for faggot-bonds he would amuse his
companion with sketches of Parisian life and character, and so while
away the time.

On one of these warm afternoons Eustacia walked out alone in the
direction of Yeobright's place of work. He was busily chopping away
at the furze, a long row of faggots which stretched downward from his
position representing the labour of the day. He did not observe her
approach, and she stood close to him, and heard his undercurrent of
song.

It shocked her. To see him there, a poor afflicted man, earning money by
the sweat of his brow, had at first moved her to tears; but to hear
him sing and not at all rebel against an occupation which, however
satisfactory to himself, was degrading to her, as an educated lady-wife,
wounded her through. Unconscious of her presence, he still went on
singing:--

"Le point du jour
A nos bosquets rend toute leur parure;
Flore est plus belle a son retour;
L'oiseau reprend doux chant d'amour;
Tout celebre dans la nature
Le point du jour.

"Le point du jour
Cause parfois, cause douleur extreme;
Que l'espace des nuits est court
Pour le berger brulant d'amour,
Force de quitter ce qu'il aime
Au point du jour!"

It was bitterly plain to Eustacia that he did not care much about
social failure; and the proud fair woman bowed her head and wept in sick
despair at thought of the blasting effect upon her own life of that mood
and condition in him. Then she came forward.

"I would starve rather than do it!" she exclaimed vehemently. "And you
can sing! I will go and live with my grandfather again!"

"Eustacia! I did not see you, though I noticed something moving," he
said gently. He came forward, pulled off his huge leather glove, and
took her hand. "Why do you speak in such a strange way? It is only a
little old song which struck my fancy when I was in Paris, and now
just applies to my life with you. Has your love for me all died, then,
because my appearance is no longer that of a fine gentleman?"

"Dearest, you must not question me unpleasantly, or it may make me not
love you."

"Do you believe it possible that I would run the risk of