lings the path branched into three like a broad arrow。 The road to the right led to the Quiet Woman and its neighbourhood； the middle track led to Mistover Knap； the left…hand track led over the hill to another part of Mistover； where the child lived。 On inclining into the latter path Yeobright felt a creeping chilliness； familiar enough to most people； and probably caused by the unsunned morning air。 In after days he thought of it as a thing of singular significance。
When Yeobright reached the cottage of Susan Nunsuch； the mother of the boy he sought； he found that the inmates were not yet astir。 But in upland hamlets the transition from a…bed to abroad is surprisingly swift and easy。 There no dense partition of yawns and toilets divides humanity by night from humanity by day。 Yeobright tapped at the upper windowsill； which he could reach with his walking stick； and in three or four minutes the woman came down。
It was not till this moment that Clym recollected her to be the person who had behaved so barbarously to Eustacia。 It partly explained the insuavity with which the woman greeted him。 Moreover； the boy had been ailing again； and Susan now； as ever since the night when he had been pressed into Eustacia’s service at the bonfire； attributed his indispositions to Eustacia’s influence as a witch。 It was one of those sentiments which lurk like moles underneath the visible surface of manners； and may have been kept alive by Eustacia’s entreaty to the captain； at the time that he had intended to prosecute Susan for the pricking in church； to let the matter drop； which he accordingly had done。
Yeobright overcame his repugnance； for Susan had at least borne his mother no ill…will。 He asked kindly for the boy； but her manner did not improve。
“I wish to see him；” continued Yeobright； with some hesitation； “to ask him if he remembers anything more of his walk with my mother than what he has previously told。”
She regarded him in a peculiar and criticizing manner。 To anybody but a half…blind man it would have said； “You want another of the knocks which have already laid you so low。”
She called the boy downstairs； asked Clym to sit down on a stool； and continued； “Now； Johnny； tell Mr。 Yeobright anything you can call to mind。”
“You have not forgotten how you walked with the poor lady on that hot day？” said Clym。
“No；” said the boy。
“And what she said to you？”
The boy repeated the exact words he had used on entering the hut。 Yeobright rested his elbow on the table and shaded his face with his hand； and the mother looked as if she wondered how a man could want more of what had stung him so deeply。
“She was going to Alderworth when you first met her？”
“No； she was ing away。”
“That can’t be。”
“Yes； she walked along with me。 I was ing away； too。”
“Then where did you first see her？”
“At your house。”
“Attend； and speak the truth！” said Clym sternly。
“Yes； sir； at your house was where I seed her first。”
Clym started up； and Susan smiled in an expectant way which did not embellish her face； it seemed to mean； “Something sinister is ing！”
“What did she do at my house？”
“She went and sat under the trees at the Devil’s Bellows。”
“Good God！ this is all news to me！”
“You never told me this before？” said Susan。
“No； Mother； because I didn’t like to tell ‘ee I had been so far。 I was picking blackhearts； and went further than I meant。”
“What did she do then？” said Yeobright。
“Looked at a man who came up and went into your house。”
“That was myself—a furze…cutter； with brambles in his hand。”
“No； ‘twas not you。 ‘Twas a gentleman。 You had gone in afore。”
“Who was he？”
“I don’t know。”
“Now tell me what happened next。”
“The poor lady went and knocked at your door； and the lady with black hair looked out of the side window at her。”
The boy’s mother turned to Clym and said； “This is something you didn’t expect？”
Yeobright took no more notice of her than if he had been of stone。 “Go on； go on；” he said hoarsely to the boy。
“And when she saw the young lady look out of the window the old lady knocked again； and when nobody came she took up the furze…hook and looked at it； and put it down again； and then she looked at the faggot…bonds； and then she went away； and walked across to me； and blowed her breath very hard； like this。 We walked on together； she and I； and I talked to her and she talked to me a bit； but not much； because she couldn’t blow her breath。”
“O！” murmured Clym； in a low tone； and bowed his head。
“Let’s have more；” he said。
“She couldn’t talk much； and she couldn’t walk； and her face was； O so queer！”
“How was her face？”
“Like yours is now。”
The woman looked at Yeobright； and beheld him colourless； in a cold sweat。 “Isn’t there meaning in it？” she said stealthily。 “What do you think of her now？”
“Silence！” said Clym fiercely。 And； turning to the boy； “And then you left her to die？”
“No；” said the woman； quickly and angrily。 “He did not leave her to die！ She sent him away。 Whoever says he forsook her says what’s not true。”
“Trouble no more about that；” answered Clym； with a quivering mouth。 “What he did is a trifle in parison with what he saw。 Door kept shut； did you say？ Kept shut； she looking out of window？ Good heart of God！what does it mean？”
The child shrank away from the gaze of his questioner。
“He said so；” answered the mother； “and Johnny’s a God…fearing boy and tells no lies。”
“’Cast off by my son！’ No； by my best life； dear mother； it is not so！ But by your son’s； your son’s—May all murderesses get the torment they deserve！”
With these words Yeobright went forth from the little dwelling。 The pupils of his eyes； fixed steadfastly on blankness； were vaguely lit with an icy shine； his mouth had passed into the phase more or less imaginatively rendered in studies of Oedipus。 The strangest deeds were possible to his mood。 But they were not possible to his situation。 Instead of there being before him the pale face of Eustacia； and a masculine shape unknown； there was only the imperturbable countenance of the heath； which； having defied the cataclysmal onsets of centuries； reduced to insignificance by its seamed and antique features the wildest turmoil of a single man。
3 … Eustacia Dresses Herself on a Black Morning
A consciousness of a vast impassivity in all which lay around him took possession even of Yeobright in his wild walk towards Alderworth。 He had once before felt in his own person this overpowering of the fervid by the inanimate； but then it had tended to enervate a passion far sweeter than that which at present pervaded him。 It was once when he stood parting from Eustacia in the moist still levels beyond the hills。
But dismissing all this he went onward home； and came to the front of his house。 The blinds of Eustacia’s bedroom were still closely drawn； for she was no early riser。 All the life visible was in the shape of a solitary thrush cracking a small snail upon the door…stone for his breakfast； and his tapping seemed a loud noise in the general silence which prevailed； but on going to the door Clym found i