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Eustacia Hears of Good Fortune, and Beholds Evil In the meantime Eustacia, left alone in her cottage at Alderworth, had become considerably depressed by the posture of affairs. The consequences which might result from Clym\'s discovery that his mother had been turned from his door that day were likely to be disagreeable, and this was a quality in events which she hated as much as the dreadful. To be left to pass the evening by herself was irksome to her at any time, and this evening it was more irksome than usual by reason of the excitements of the past hours. The two visits had stirred her into restlessness. She was not wrought to any great pitch of uneasiness by the probability of appearing in an ill light in the discussion between Clym and his mother, but she was wrought to vexation, and her slumbering activities were quickened to the extent of wishing that she had opened the door. She had certainly believed that Clym was awake, and the excuse would be an honest one as far as it went; but nothing could save her from censure in refusing to answer at the first knock. Yet, instead of blaming herself for the issue she laid the fault upon the shoulders of some indistinct, colossal Prince of the World, who had framed her situation and ruled her lot. At this time of the year it was pleasanter to walk by night than by day, and when Clym had been absent about an hour she suddenly resolved to go out in the direction of Blooms-End, on the chance of meeting him on his return. When she reached the garden gate she heard wheels approaching, and looking round beheld her grandfather coming up in his car. \'I can\'t stay a minute, thank ye,\' he answered to her greeting. \'I am driving to East Egdon; but I came round here just to tell you the news. Perhaps you have heard--about Mr. Wildeve\'s fortune?\' \'No,\' said Eustacia blankly. \'Well, he has come into a fortune of eleven thousand pounds--uncle died in Canada, just after hearing that all his family, whom he was sending home, had gone to the bottom in the Cassiopeia; so Wildeve has come into everything, without in the least expecting it.\' Eustacia stood motionless awhile. \'How long has he known of this?\' she asked. \'Well, it was known to him this morning early, for I knew it at ten o\'clock, when Charley came back. Now, he is what I call a lucky man. What a fool you were, Eustacia!\' \'In what way?\' she said, lifting her eyes in apparent calmness. \'Why, in not sticking to him when you had him.\' \'Had him, indeed!\' \'I did not know there had ever been anything between you till lately; and, faith, I should have been hot and strong against it if I had known; but since it seems that there was some sniffing between ye, why the deuce didn\'t you stick to him?\' Eustacia made no reply, but she looked as if she could say as much upon that subject as he if she chose. \'And how is your poor purblind husband?\' continued the old man. \'Not a bad fellow either, as far as he goes.\' |
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