line was passed which divides the annoying from the
perilous.

Had Wildeve known how thoroughly in earnest Venn had become he might
have been still more alarmed. The reddleman had been almost exasperated
by the sight of Wildeve outside Clym's house, and he was prepared to go
to any lengths short of absolutely shooting him, to terrify the young
innkeeper out of his recalcitrant impulses. The doubtful legitimacy of
such rough coercion did not disturb the mind of Venn. It troubles few
such minds in such cases, and sometimes this is not to be regretted.
From the impeachment of Strafford to Farmer Lynch's short way with the
scamps of Virginia there have been many triumphs of justice which are
mockeries of law.

About half a mile below Clym's secluded dwelling lay a hamlet where
lived one of the two constables who preserved the peace in the parish of
Alderworth, and Wildeve went straight to the constable's cottage. Almost
the first thing that he saw on opening the door was the constable's
truncheon hanging to a nail, as if to assure him that here were the
means to his purpose. On inquiry, however, of the constable's wife he
learnt that the constable was not at home. Wildeve said he would wait.

The minutes ticked on, and the constable did not arrive. Wildeve cooled
down from his state of high indignation to a restless dissatisfaction
with himself, the scene, the constable's wife, and the whole set of
circumstances. He arose and left the house. Altogether, the experience
of that evening had had a cooling, not to say a chilling, effect on
misdirected tenderness, and Wildeve was in no mood to ramble again to
Alderworth after nightfall in hope of a stray glance from Eustacia.

Thus far the reddleman had been tolerably successful in his rude
contrivances for keeping down Wildeve's inclination to rove in the
evening. He had nipped in the bud the possible meeting between Eustacia
and her old lover this very night. But he had not anticipated that the
tendency of his action would be to divert Wildeve's movement rather than
to stop it. The gambling with the guineas had not conduced to make him a
welcome guest to Clym; but to call upon his wife's relative was natural,
and he was determined to see Eustacia. It was necessary to choose some
less untoward hour than ten o'clock at night. "Since it is unsafe to go
in the evening," he said, "I'll go by day."

Meanwhile Venn had left the heath and gone to call upon Mrs. Yeobright,
with who