Next day she went her ways as usual； and continued her custom of walking in the heath with no other panion than little Eustacia； now of the age when it is a matter of doubt with such characters whether they are intended to walk through the world on their hands or on their feet； so that they get into painful plications by trying both。 It was very pleasant to Thomasin； when she had carried the child to some lonely place； to give her a little private practice on the green turf and shepherd’s…thyme； which formed a soft mat to fall headlong upon them when equilibrium was lost。
Once； when engaged in this system of training； and stooping to remove bits of stick； fern…stalks； and other such fragments from the child’s path； that the journey might not be brought to an untimely end by some insuperable barrier a quarter of an inch high； she was alarmed by discovering that a man on horseback was almost close beside her； the soft natural carpet having muffled the horse’s tread。 The rider； who was Venn； waved his hat in the air and bowed gallantly。
“Diggory； give me my glove；” said Thomasin； whose manner it was under any circumstances to plunge into the midst of a subject which engrossed her。
Venn immediately dismounted； put his hand in his breastpocket； and handed the glove。
“Thank you。 It was very good of you to take care of it。”
“It is very good of you to say so。”
“O no。 I was quite glad to find you had it。 Everybody gets so indifferent that I was surprised to know you thought of me。”
“If you had remembered what I was once you wouldn’t have been surprised。”
“Ah； no；” she said quickly。 “But men of your character are mostly so independent。”
“What is my character？” he asked。
“I don’t exactly know；” said Thomasin simply； “except it is to cover up your feelings under a practical manner； and only to show them when you are alone。”
“Ah； how do you know that？” said Venn strategically。
“Because；” said she； stopping to put the little girl； who had managed to get herself upside down； right end up again； “because I do。”
“You mustn’t judge by folks in general；” said Venn。
“Still I don’t know much what feelings are nowadays。 I have got so mixed up with business of one sort and t’other that my soft sentiments are gone off in vapour like。 Yes； I am given up body and soul to the making of money。
Money is all my dream。”
“O Diggory； how wicked！” said Thomasin reproachfully； and looking at him in exact balance between taking his words seriously and judging them as said to tease her。
“Yes； ‘tis rather a rum course；” said Venn； in the bland tone of one fortably resigned to sins he could no longer overe。
“You； who used to be so nice！”
“Well； that’s an argument I rather like； because what a man has once been he may be again。” Thomasin blushed。 “Except that it is rather harder now；” Venn continued。
“Why？” she asked。
“Because you be richer than you were at that time。”
“O no—not much。 I have made it nearly all over to the baby； as it was my duty to do； except just enough to live on。”
“I am rather glad of that；” said Venn softly； and regarding her from the corner of his eye； “for it makes it easier for us to be friendly。”
Thomasin blushed again； and； when a few more words had been said of a not unpleasing kind； Venn mounted his horse and rode on。
This conversation had passed in a hollow of the heath near the old Roman road； a place much frequented by Thomasin。 And it might have been observed that she did not in future walk that way less often from having met Venn there now。 Whether or not Venn abstained from riding thither because he had met Thomasin in the same place might easily have been guessed from her proceedings about two months later in the same year。
3 … The Serious Discourse of Clym with His Cousin
Throughout this period Yeobright had more or less pondered on his duty to his cousin Thomasin。 He could not help feeling that it would be a pitiful waste of sweet material if the tender…natured thing should be doomed from this early stage of her life onwards to dribble away her winsome qualities on lonely gorse and fern。 But he felt this as an economist merely； and not as a lover。 His passion for Eustacia had been a sort of conserve of his whole life； and he had nothing more of that supreme quality left to bestow。 So far the obvious thing was not to entertain any idea of marriage with Thomasin； even to oblige her。
But this was not all。 Years ago there had been in his mother’s mind a great fancy about Thomasin and himself。 It had not positively amounted to a desire； but it had always been a favourite dream。 That they should be man and wife in good time； if the happiness of neither were endangered thereby； was the fancy in question。 So that what course save one was there now left for any son who reverenced his mother’s memory as Yeobright did？ It is an unfortunate fact that any particular whim of parents； which might have been dispersed by half an hour’s conversation during their lives； bees sublimated by their deaths into a fiat the most absolute； with such results to conscientious children as those parents； had they lived； would have been the first to decry。
Had only Yeobright’s own future been involved he would have proposed to Thomasin with a ready heart。 He had nothing to lose by carrying out a dead mother’s hope。 But he dreaded to contemplate Thomasin wedded to the mere corpse of a lover that he now felt himself to be。 He had but three activities alive in him。 One was his almost daily walk to the little graveyard wherein his mother lay； another； his just as frequent visits by night to the more distant enclosure which numbered his Eustacia among its dead； the third was self…preparation for a vocation which alone seemed likely to satisfy his cravings—that of an itinerant preacher of the eleventh mandment。 It was difficult to believe that Thomasin would be cheered by a husband with such tendencies as these。
Yet he resolved to ask her； and let her decide for herself。 It was even with a pleasant sense of doing his duty that he went downstairs to her one evening for this purpose； when the sun was printing on the valley the same long shadow of the housetop that he had seen lying there times out of number while his mother lived。
Thomasin was not in her room； and he found her in the front garden。 “I have long been wanting； Thomasin；” he began； “to say something about a matter that concerns both our futures。”
“And you are going to say it now？” she remarked quickly； colouring as she met his gaze。 “Do stop a minute； Clym； and let me speak first； for oddly enough； I have been wanting to say something to you。”
“By all means say on； Tamsie。”
“I suppose nobody can overhear us？” she went on； casting her eyes around and lowering her voice。 “Well； first you will promise me this—that you won’t be angry and call me anything harsh if you disagree with what I propose？”
Yeobright promised； and she continued： “What I want is your advice； for you are my relation—I mean； a sort of guardian to me—aren’t you； Clym？”
“Well； yes； I suppose I am； a sort of guardian。 In fact； I am； of course；” he said； altogether per