As for her, she was thinking, as she watched the gyrations, of a very different measure that she had been accustomed to tread with a bevy of sylph-like creatures in muslin, in the music-room of a large house, most of whom were now moving in scenes widely removed from this, both as regarded place and character.
A woman she did not know came and offered to tell her fortune with the abandoned cards.

Grace assented to the proposal, and the woman told her tale unskilfully, for want of practice, as she declared.
Mr.Melbury was standing by, and exclaimed, contemptuously, "Tell her fortune, indeed! Her fortune has been told by men of science--what do you call 'em?
Phrenologists.

You can't teach her anything new.

She's been too far among the wise ones to be astonished at anything she can hear among us folks in Hintock." At last the time came for breaking up, Melbury and his family being the earliest to leave, the two card-players still pursuing their game doggedly in the corner, where they had completely covered Giles's mahogany table with chalk scratches.

The three walked home, the distance being short and the night clear.
"Well, Giles is a very good fellow," said Mr.Melbury, as they struck down the lane under boughs which formed a black filigree in which the stars seemed set.
"Certainly he is," said Grace, quickly, and in such a tone as to show that he stood no lower, if no higher, in her regard than he had stood before.
When they were opposite an opening through which, by day, the doctor's house could be seen, they observed a light in one of his rooms, although it was now about two o'clock.
"The doctor is not abed yet," said Mrs.Melbury.
"Hard study, no doubt," said her husband.
"One would think that, as he seems to have nothing to do about here by day, he could at least afford to go to bed early at night.