There was no room for doubt that, had he allowed events to take their natural course, she would have accepted Winterborne, and realized his old dream of restitution to that young man's family.
That Fitzpiers could allow himself to look on any other creature for a moment than Grace filled Melbury with grief and astonishment.

In the pure and simple life he had led it had scarcely occurred to him that after marriage a man might be faithless.

That he could sweep to the heights of Mrs.Charmond's position, lift the veil of Isis, so to speak, would have amazed Melbury by its audacity if he had not suspected encouragement from that quarter.

What could he and his simple Grace do to countervail the passions of such as those two sophisticated beings--versed in the world's ways, armed with every apparatus for victory?
In such an encounter the homely timber-dealer felt as inferior as a bow-and-arrow savage before the precise weapons of modern warfare.
Grace came out of the house as the morning drew on.

The village was silent, most of the folk having gone to the fair.