WhilesheregardedhimhesuddenlyliftedhiseyesinadirectionawayfromMarty，hisfacesimultaneouslykindlingwithrecognitionandsurprise。Shefollowedhisgaze，andsawwalkingacrosstohimaflexibleyoungcreatureinwhomsheperceivedthefeaturesofhershehadknownasMissGraceMelbury，butnowlookingglorifiedandrefinedaboveherformerlevel。Winterborne，beingfixedtothespotbyhisapple-tree，couldnotadvancetomeether；heheldouthissparehandwithhishatinit，andwithsomeembarrassmentbeheldhercomingontiptoethroughthemudtothemiddleofthesquarewherehestood。
MissMelbury’sarrivalsoearlywas，asMartycouldsee，unexpectedbyGiles，whichaccountedforhisnotbeingreadytoreceiveher。Indeed，herfatherhadnamedfiveo’clockasherprobabletime，forwhichreasonthathourhadbeenloomingoutallthedayinhisforwardperspective，likeanimportantedificeonaplain。Nowhereshewascome，heknewnothow，andhisarrangedwelcomestultified。
Hisfacebecamegloomyathernecessityforsteppingintotheroad，andmorestillatthelittlelookofembarrassmentwhichappearedonhersathavingtoperformthemeetingwithhimunderanapple-treetenfeethighinthemiddleofthemarket-place。
Havinghadoccasiontotakeoffthenewglovesshehadboughttocomehomein，sheheldouttohimahandgraduatingfrompinkatthetipsofthefingerstowhiteatthepalm；andthereceptionformedascene，withthetreeovertheirheads，whichwasnotbyanymeansanordinaryoneinShertonAbbasstreets。
Nevertheless，thegreetingonherlooksandlipswasofarestrainedtype，whichperhapswasnotunnatural。FortrueitwasthatGilesWinterborne，well-attiredandwell-manneredashewasforayeoman，lookedroughbesideher。Ithadsometimesdimlyoccurredtohim，inhisruminatingsilenceatLittleHintock，thatexternalphenomena——suchasthelownessorheightorcolorofahat，thefoldofacoat，themakeofaboot，orthechanceattitudeoroccupationofalimbattheinstantofview——mayhaveagreatinfluenceuponfeminineopinionofaman’sworth——sofrequentlyfoundedonnon-essentials；butacertaincausticityofmentaltonetowardshimselfandtheworldingeneralhadpreventedto-day，asalways，anyenthusiasticactiononthestrengthofthatreflection；andhermomentaryinstinctofreserveatfirstsightofhimwasthepenaltyhepaidforhislaxness。