to the house, and lingered round the
door and windows till she should by some means or other learn of his
achievement and come out to witness it. But the shutters were closed,
the door remained shut, and no heed whatever seemed to be taken of his
performance. Not liking to call her he went back and replenished the
fire, continuing to do this for more than half an hour. It was not till
his stock of fuel had greatly diminished that he went to the back door
and sent in to beg that Mrs. Yeobright would open the window-shutters
and see the sight outside.

Eustacia, who had been sitting listlessly in the parlour, started up
at the intelligence and flung open the shutters. Facing her on the bank
blazed the fire, which at once sent a ruddy glare into the room where
she was, and overpowered the candles.

"Well done, Charley!" said Captain Vye from the chimney-corner. "But I
hope it is not my wood that he's burning....Ah, it was this time last
year that I met with that man Venn, bringing home Thomasin Yeobright--to
be sure it was! Well, who would have thought that girl's troubles would
have ended so well? What a snipe you were in that matter, Eustacia! Has
your husband written to you yet?"

"No," said Eustacia, looking vaguely through the window at the fire,
which just then so much engaged her mind that she did not resent her
grandfather's blunt opinion. She could see Charley's form on the bank,
shovelling and stirring the fire; and there flashed upon her imagination
some other form which that fire might call up.

She left the room, put on her garden bonnet and cloak, and went out.
Reaching the bank, she looked over with a wild curiosity and misgiving,
when Charley said to her, with a pleased sense of himself, "I made it o'
purpose for you, ma'am."

"Thank you," she said hastily. "But I wish you to put it out now."

"It will soon burn down," said Charley, rather disappointed. "Is it not
a pity to knock it out?"

"I don't know," she musingly answered.

They stood in silence, broken only by the crackling of the flames,
till Charley, perceiving that she did not want to talk to him, moved
reluctantly away.

Eustacia remained within the bank looking at the fire, intending to go
indoors, yet lingering still. Had she not by her situation been inclined
to hold in indifference all things honoured of the gods and of men she
would probably have come away. But her state was so hopeless that she
could play with it. To have lost is