Fitzpiers had retired to bed, and was sleeping off his fatigue.

She went to the stable and looked at poor Darling: in all probability Giles Winterborne, by obtaining for her a horse of such intelligence and docility, had been the means of saving her husband's life.

She paused over the strange thought; and then there appeared her father behind her.

She saw that he knew things were not as they ought to be, from the troubled dulness of his eye, and from his face, different points of which had independent motions, twitchings, and tremblings, unknown to himself, and involuntary.
"He was detained, I suppose, last night ?" said Melbury.
"Oh yes; a bad case in the vale," she replied, calmly.
"Nevertheless, he should have stayed at home." "But he couldn't, father." Her father turned away.

He could hardly bear to see his whilom truthful girl brought to the humiliation of having to talk like that.
That night carking care sat beside Melbury's pillow, and his stiff limbs tossed at its presence.