For two successive years his mistress had seemed to take pleasure in lighting a bonfire on the bank overlooking the valley; but this year she had apparently quite forgotten the day and the customary deed.
He was careful not to remind her, and went on with his secret preparations for a cheerful surprise, the more zealously that he had been absent last time and unable to assist.At every vacant minute he hastened to gather furze-stumps, thorn-tree roots, and other solid materials from the adjacent slopes, hiding them from cursory view.
The evening came, and Eustacia was still seemingly unconscious of the anniversary.She had gone indoors after her survey through the glass, and had not been visible since.As soon as it was quite dark Charley began to build the bonfire, choosing precisely that spot on the bank which Eustacia had chosen at previous times.
When all the surrounding bonfires had burst into existence Charley kindled his, and arranged its fuel so that it should not require tending for some time.
He then went back 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 less disturbing than to wonder if we may possibly have won;and Eustacia could now, like other people at such a stage, take a standing-point outside herself, observe herself as a disinterested spectator, and think what a sport for Heaven this woman Eustacia was.
While she stood she heard a sound.It was the splash of a stone in the pond.
Had Eustacia received the stone full in the bosom her heart could not have given a more decided thump.
She had thought of the possibility of such a signal in answer to that which had been unwittingly given by Charley;but she had not expected it yet.How prompt Wildeve was! Yet how could he think her capable of deliberately wishing to renew their assignations now? An impulse to leave the spot, a desire to stay, struggled within her;and the desire held its own.More than that it did not do, for she refrained even from ascending the bank and looking over.She remained motionless, not disturbing a muscle of her face or raising her eyes; for were she to turn up her face the fire on the bank would shine upon it, and Wildeve might be looking down.
There was a second splash into the pond.
Why did he stay so long without advancing and looking over? Curiosity had its way--she ascended one or two of the earth-steps in the bank and glanced out.
Wildeve was before her.He had come forward after throwing the last pebble, and the fire now shone into each of their faces from the bank stretching breast-high between them.
"I did not light it!" cried Eustacia quickly."It was lit without my knowledge.Don't, don't come over to me!""Why have you been living here all these days without telling me? You have left your home.I fear I am something to blame in this?""I did not let in his mother; that's how it is!""You do not deserve what you have got, Eustacia; you are in great misery; I see it in your eyes, your mouth, and all over you.My poor, poor girl!" He stepped over the bank.
"You are beyond everything unhappy!"
"No, no; not exactly--"
"It has been pushed too far--it is killing you--I do think it!"Her usually quiet breathing had grown quicker with his words.
"I--I--" she began, and then burst into quivering sobs, shaken to the very heart by the unexpected voice of pity--a sentiment whose existence in relation to herself she had almost forgotten.
This outbreak of weeping took Eustacia herself so much by surprise that she could not leave off, and she turned aside from him in some shame, though turning hid nothing from him.