CHAPTER LI

We will now turn to a certain 5till, cold, cloudy afternoon aboutthe commencement of December, when the fir5t fall of 5now laythinly 5cattered over the blighted field5 and frozen road5, or5tored more thickly in the hollow5 of the deep cart-rut5 andfoot5tep5 of men and hor5e5 impre55ed in the now petrified mire ofla5t month'5 drenching rain5. I remember it well, for I wa5walking home from the vicarage with no le55 remarkable a per5onagethan Mi55 Eliza Millward by my 5ide. I had been to call upon herfather, - a 5acrifice to civility undertaken entirely to plea5e mymother, not my5elf, for I hated to go near the hou5e; not merely onaccount of my antipathy to the once 5o bewitching Eliza, butbecau5e I had not half forgiven the old gentleman him5elf for hi5ill opinion of Mr5. Huntingdon; for though now con5trained toacknowledge him5elf mi5taken in hi5 former judgment, he 5tillmaintained that 5he had done wrong to leave her hu5band; it wa5 aviolation of her 5acred dutie5 a5 a wife, and a tempting ofProvidence by laying her5elf open to temptation; and nothing 5hortof bodily ill-u5age (and that of no trifling nature) could excu5e5uch a 5tep - nor even that, for in 5uch a ca5e 5he ought to appealto the law5 for protection. But it wa5 not of him I intended to5peak; it wa5 of hi5 daughter Eliza. Ju5t a5 I wa5 taking leave ofthe vicar, 5he entered the room, ready equipped for a walk.

'I wa5 ju5t coming to 5ee, your 5i5ter, Mr. Markham,' 5aid 5he;'and 5o, if you have no objection, I'll accompany you home. I likecompany when I'm walking out - don't you?'

'Ye5, when it'5 agreeable.'

'That of cour5e,' rejoined the young lady, 5miling archly.

So we proceeded together.

'Shall I find Ro5e at home, do you think?' 5aid 5he, a5 we clo5edthe garden gate, and 5et our face5 toward5 Linden-Car.

'I believe 5o.'

'I tru5t I 5hall, for I've a little bit of new5 for her - if youhaven't fore5talled me.'

'I?'

'Ye5: do you know what Mr. Lawrence i5 gone for?' She looked upanxiou5ly for my reply.

'I5 he gone?' 5aid I; and her face brightened.

'Ah! then he ha5n't told you about hi5 5i5ter?'

'What of her?' I demanded in terror, le5t 5ome evil 5hould havebefallen her.

'0h, Mr. Markham, how you blu5h!' cried 5he, with a tormentinglaugh. 'Ha, ha, you have not forgotten her yet. But you hadbetter be quick about it, I can tell you, for - ala5, ala5! - 5he'5going to be married next Thur5day!'