XXVI + 

Except that the mark lingered on her cheek where the root had pressed against it, and that her limbs shook a little, Felise sustained no injury. The shock and terror, great as it was, was overcome by the happiness which so quickly followed it. + 

Martial loved her. In his struggle with the water in the dark mill-pool, in his struggle with the stolidity and stupidity which are difficult as fate to overcomeтБатАФwhen death drew near him he saw clearly how great and noble, how precious she was, how inestimable her love. Her value was made known to him with that distinctness of mental vision which comes in the last apparent moments of life. The thought that he should lose her was more bitter than deathтБатАФso bitter, so keen that he thought not of death, but of his loss in it. From that instant he was hers; but yet even then his own peril had not forced him to admit that he himself loved her. He valued herтБатАФhe did not love her. + 

But her peril changed all things. Instantly there fell from him the artificial restraints he had cultivated, and his heart burst forth. His passion, so long kept back, overcame him utterly. + 

In truth, he had loved her from the first. Not only her loveliness, but that indefinable personality which is stronger than beauty had seized upon his mind from the very beginning. Denying it to himself, fighting against it, fleeing from it, still it was there. Her peril forced him to own his passion. The past was utterly gone, and he worshipped her with all the fervour of his heart. + 

So overcome was he with the violence of his emotion that instead of supporting her, she supported him. Her physical exhaustion disappeared quickly; his moral excitement could not subside. She held his head upon her breast; she soothed him; she whispered gently; her strong arms were about him. + 

Once again they knew no Time. The shadow of the chestnut-tree swung slowly round; the doves came to the wood from the stubble; a blue kingfisher passed, going to the brook; the gleaners rested in the field. + 

When at last they moved homewards it was beyond noon; they walked through the woodlands beneath the shade, they stayed beneath the oaks, they lingered at the curves of the brook: the breeze whispered their love in the trees; the murmur of the water sang to them; to the sunshine their love gave a meaning. The swallow flew before, but just above the grass; their hearts were swifter than he to respond to each otherтАЩs thought. + 

At home they had much to tell Mr.┬аGoring of GodwinтАЩs insanity. He could scarcely credit it, because he knew no reason for his madness; paradox as it appears, this is correctтБатАФwe instinctively search for a reason for madness. While they talked in the little room, the window in which looked out on the garden, there was the sound of wheels, and a carriage stopped at the gate. In a moment Mr.┬аCornleigh Cornleigh was announced, and immediately afterwards entered; he carried a parcel under his arm. + 

тАЬMorning, Goring,тАЭ he said in his jerky disconnected way, bowing to Felise at the same time very politely. тАЬFine weatherтБатАФharvestтБатАФeh! Most of the corn got in about hereтБатАФeh! Happened to be driving along the roadтБатАФthought I would just callтБатАФexcuse intrusion.тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аGoring put a chair for him, and the Squire seated himself comfortably, facing Felise. + 

тАЬThe fact is,тАЭ continued Cornleigh, aware that they were waiting for him to explain, тАЬIтАЩve some pictures here,тАЭ undoing his parcel. + 

тАЬFine engravingsтБатАФfirst-rateтБатАФhigh artтБатАФgreat mastersтБатАФraise their aspirationsтБатАФlabourers I mean. Were you at our meeting?тАЭ + 

тАЬI was,тАЭ said Martial meaningly. + 

Cornleigh did not apparently notice the remark. + 

тАЬWant you to help us,тАЭ continued Cornleigh, handing one of the engravings to Mr.┬аGoring. тАЬDistribute them, you knowтБатАФworthy people; have heard you take great interestтБатАФcharitableтБатАФso on. Really fine works,тАЭ turning to Felise. тАЬJust look,тАЭ spreading them on the table. Felise could not do less than advance and look at the engravings. + 

Of all the people in the world Cornleigh Cornleigh, Esq., was the last person Goring would have expected to call upon him. No one could ever quite fathom Cornleigh, but there was an explanation of this move. His political prompterтБатАФthe family solicitorтБатАФa man of much broader knowledge of the world than Godwin, had advised him some time since, in view of the next election, to endeavour to gain over certain opponents by a little cheap attention. Amongst these was Goring. The political prompter understood human nature well. He knew that the bitterest and coarsest opponent is often only an opponent because he has not been noticed; wounded vanity and overwhelming conceit is often at the bottom of it. Let the Squire call, or Letitia, and half the enmity would vanish. He was right in nine out of ten cases; Mr.┬аGoring was the tenth, and the exception. This at least was the pretext Cornleigh put forward to Letitia. + 

But perhaps Cornleigh, sitting so quiet and demurely looking downwards that day in the justice-room, had seen Felise; perhaps he had made inquiries; perhaps he had seized the first opportunity to call and see her, to speak with her, so opposite as she was to the lady whom the world cheerfully pronounced to be тАЬjust the woman for Cornleigh.тАЭ + 

The engravings were really very good; Felise said so. + 

тАЬImportant to raise aspirations, you see,тАЭ said Cornleigh. тАЬTextile fabricsтАЭ (recurring to his speech), тАЬmanufactures, tradeтБатАФhumтБатАФhaтБатАФhumтБатАФsupported by agriculture. Hope you will help us, Miss Goring.тАЭ + 

тАЬMr.┬аCornleigh, I think the poor people need something to eat more than they do pictures,тАЭ replied Felise. + 

тАЬHeard you were very charitable,тАЭ said Cornleigh. тАЬHereтАЩs sovereign.тАЭ laying the coin on the pictures. тАЬOblige meтБатАФgive someone you know.тАЭ Then turning to Martial: тАЬSorry you canтАЩt get onтБатАФno need to leaveтБатАФsee stewardтБатАФarrangements can be made about the farm. Really didnтАЩt know myselfтБатАФanything wrong.тАЭ + 

тАЬI am much obliged,тАЭ said Martial, тАЬbut I must decline; I have determined to have nothing more to do with farming under present conditions.тАЭ + 

тАЬMistake somewhere,тАЭ said CornleighтБатАФтАЬmistakeтБатАФthink it overтБатАФcome and see meтБатАФwill speak to stewardтБатАФput it right.тАЭ + 

This in spite of MartialтАЩs speech! It can hardly be supposed that the Squire was really so obtuse as not to have felt the point of the remarks Martial made at the meeting, and yet it was always difficult to tell whether he did or did not understand anything. Perhaps Letitia had begun to be alarmed at the loss of income as farmer after farmer quitted his tenancy, and had determined that Martial should stay as an instance of a landlordтАЩs clemency and conciliation. Doubtless she had been talking to the Squire about it. As was observed at the Maasbury meeting, now the rents are diminishing it is remarkable how the landlord fawns on the tenant. + 

тАЬI cannot turn back,тАЭ said Martial. тАЬThank you very much, but I have made up my mind.тАЭ + 

тАЬAbner!тАЭ cried Felise; тАЬwhy, thereтАЩs Abner!тАЭ + 

He was walking across the garden; she beckoned to him, and he came to the window. + 

тАЬWhy, thatтАЩs the manтБатАФyesterday before meтБатАФpolice withdrew charge. Sad case. Give him sovereignтБатАФeh!тАЭтБатАФCornleigh offered a picture and the sovereign on it to the labourer. + 

тАЬNot from you, Squire,тАЭ said Abner. тАЬI canтАЩt take nothing from you.тАЭ + 

At that moment Robert Godwin burst in among them, followed by the village constable. GodwinтАЩs coat was torn and his face scratched, for he had forced his way through the hedges in his frenzied state; he was, too, soaking wet, having waded across the stream. When he rushed from the barn he ran and walked miles in a straight line, regardless of obstacles; presently he came back and got the policeman. + 