other course in arguing against her whim。
Next day the mystery of the guineas was explained。 Thomasin paid them a hurried visit； and Clym’s share was delivered up to him by her own hands。 Eustacia was not present at the time。
“Then this is what my mother meant；” exclaimed Clym。
“Thomasin； do you know that they have had a bitter quarrel？”
There was a little more reticence now than formerly in Thomasin’s manner towards her cousin。 It is the effect of marriage to engender in several directions some of the reserve it annihilates in one。 “Your mother told me；” she said quietly。 “She came back to my house after seeing Eustacia。”
“The worst thing I dreaded has e to pass。 Was Mother much disturbed when she came to you； Thomasin？”
“Yes。”
“Very much indeed？”
“Yes。”
Clym leant his elbow upon the post of the garden gate； and covered his eyes with his hand。
“Don’t trouble about it； Clym。 They may get to be friends。”
He shook his head。 “Not two people with inflammable natures like theirs。 Well； what must be will be。”
“One thing is cheerful in it—the guineas are not lost。”
“I would rather have lost them twice over than have had this happen。”
Amid these jarring events Yeobright felt one thing to be indispensable—that he should speedily make some show of progress in his scholastic plans。 With this view he read far into the small hours during many nights。
One morning； after a severer strain than usual； he awoke with a strange sensation in his eyes。 The sun was shining directly upon the window…blind； and at his first glance thitherward a sharp pain obliged him to close his eyelids quickly。 At every new attempt to look about him the same morbid sensibility to light was manifested； and excoriating tears ran down his cheeks。 He was obliged to tie a bandage over his brow while dressing； and during the day it could not be abandoned。 Eustacia was thoroughly alarmed。 On finding that the case was no better the next morning they decided to send to Anglebury for a surgeon。
Towards evening he arrived； and pronounced the disease to be acute inflammation induced by Clym’s night studies； continued in spite of a cold previously caught； which had weakened his eyes for the time。
Fretting with impatience at this interruption to a task he was so anxious to hasten； Clym was transformed into an invalid。 He was shut up in a room from which all light was excluded； and his condition would have been one of absolute misery had not Eustacia read to him by the glimmer of a shaded lamp。 He hoped that the worst would soon be over； but at the surgeon’s third visit he learnt to his dismay that although he might venture out of doors with shaded eyes in the course of a month； all thought of pursuing his work； or of reading print of any description； would have to be given up for a long time to e。
One week and another week wore on； and nothing seemed to lighten the gloom of the young couple。 Dreadful imaginings occurred to Eustacia； but she carefully refrained from uttering them to her husband。 Suppose he should bee blind； or； at all events； never recover sufficient strength of sight to engage in an occupation which would be congenial to her feelings； and conduce to her removal from this lonely dwelling among the hills？ That dream of beautiful Paris was not likely to cohere into substance in the presence of this misfortune。 As day after day passed by； and he got no better； her mind ran more and more in this mournful groove； and she would go away from him into the garden and weep despairing tears。
Yeobright thought he would send for his mother； and then he thought he would not。 Knowledge of his state could only make her the more unhappy； and the seclusion of their life was such that she would hardly be likely to learn the news except through a special messenger。 Endeavouring to take the trouble as philosophically as possible； he waited on till the third week had arrived； when he went into the open air for the first time since the attack。 The surgeon visited him again at this stage； and Clym urged him to express a distinct opinion。 The young man learnt with added surprise that the date at which he might expect to resume his labours was as uncertain as ever； his eyes being in that peculiar state which； though affording him sight enough for walking about； would not admit of their being strained upon any definite object without incurring the risk of reproducing ophthalmia in its acute form。
Clym was very grave at the intelligence； but not despairing。 A quiet firmness； and even cheerfulness； took possession of him。 He was not to be blind； that was enough。 To be doomed to behold the world through smoked glass for an indefinite period was bad enough； and fatal to any kind of advance； but Yeobright was an absolute stoic in the face of mishaps which only affected his social standing； and； apart from Eustacia； the humblest walk of life would satisfy him if it could be made to work in with some form of his culture scheme。 To keep a cottage night…school was one such form； and his affliction did not master his spirit as it might otherwise have done。
He walked through the warm sun westward into those tracts of Egdon with which he was best acquainted； being those lying nearer to his old home。 He saw before him in one of the valleys the gleaming of whetted iron； and advancing； dimly perceived that the shine came from the tool of a man who was cutting furze。 The worker recognized Clym； and Yeobright learnt from the voice that the speaker was Humphrey。
Humphrey expressed his sorrow at Clym’s condition； and added； “Now； if yours was low…class work like mine； you could go on with it just the same。”
“Yes； I could；” said Yeobright musingly。 “How much do you get for cutting these faggots？”
“Half…a…crown a hundred； and in these long days I can live very well on the wages。”
During the whole of Yeobright’s walk home to Alderworth he was lost in reflections which were not of an unpleasant kind。 On his ing up to the house Eustacia spoke to him from the open window； and he went across to her。
“Darling；” he said； “I am much happier。 And if my mother were reconciled to me and to you I should； I think； be happy quite。”
“I fear that will never be；” she said； looking afar with her beautiful stormy eyes。 “How CAN you say ‘I am happier；’ and nothing changed？”
“It arises from my having at last discovered something I can do； and get a living at； in this time of misfortune。”
“Yes？”
“I am going to be a furze… and turf…cutter。”
“No； Clym！” she said； the slight hopefulness previously apparent in her face going off again； and leaving her worse than before。
“Surely I shall。 Is it not very unwise in us to go on spending the little money we’ve got when I can keep down expenditures by an honest occupation？ The outdoor exercise will do me good； and who knows but that in a few months I shall be able to go on with my reading again？”
“But my grandfather offers to assist us； if we require assistance。”
“We don’t require it。 If I go furze…cutting we shall be fairly well off。”
“In parison with slaves； and the Israelites in Egypt； and such people！” A bitter tear rolled down Eustacia’s face； which he did not see。 There had been nonchalance in his tone； showing her that he felt no absolute grief at a consummation which to her was a positive horror。
The very next day Yeobright went to Humphrey’s cottage； and borrowed of him leggings； gloves； a whetstone； and a hook； to use till he should be able to purchase some for himself。 Then he sallied forth with his new fellow…labourer and old acquaintance； and selecting a spot where the furze grew thickest he struck the first blow in his adopted calling。 His sight； like the wings in Rasselas； though useless to him for his grand purpose； sufficed for this strait； and he found that when a little practice should have hardened his palms against blistering he would be able to work with ease。
Day after day he rose with the sun； buckled on his leggings； and went off to the rendezvous with Humphrey。 His custom was to work from four o’clock in the morning till noon； then； when the heat of the day was at its highest； to go home and sleep for an hour or two； afterwards ing out again and working till dusk at nine。
This man from Paris was now so disguised by his leather accoutrements； and by the goggles he was obliged to wear over his eyes； that his closest friend might have passed by without recognizing him。 He was a brown spot in the midst of an expanse of olive…green gorse； and nothing more。 Though frequently depressed in spirit when not actually at work； owing to thoughts of Eustacia’s position and his mother’s estrangement； when in the full swing of labour he was cheerfully disposed and calm。
His daily life was of a curious microscopic sort； his whole world being limited to a circuit of a few feet from his person。 His familiars were creeping and winged things； and they seemed to enroll him in their band。 Bees hummed around his ears with an intimate air； and tugged at the heath and furze…flowers at his side in such numbers as to weigh them down to the sod。 The strange amber…coloured butterflies which Egdon produced； and which were never seen elsewhere； quivered in the breath of his lips； alighted upon his bowed back； and sported with the glittering point of his hook as he flourished it up and down。 Tribes of emerald…green grasshoppers leaped over his feet； falling awkwardly on their backs； heads； or hips； like unskilful acrobats； as chance might rule； or engaged themselves in noisy flirtations under the fern…fronds with silent ones of homely hue。 Huge flies； ignorant of larders and wire…netting； and quite in a savage state； buzzed about him without knowing that he was a man。 In and out of the fern…dells snakes glided in their most brilliant blue and yellow guise； it being the season immediately following the shedding of their old skins； when their colours are brightest。 Litters of young rabbits came out from their forms to sun themselves upon hillocks； the hot beams blazing through the delicate tissue of each thin…fleshed ear； and firing it to a blood…red transparency in which the veins could be seen。 None of them feared him。 The monotony of