ItwasatthebeginningofApril，afewdaysafterthemeetingbetweenGraceandMrs。Charmondinthewood，thatFitzpiers，justreturnedfromLondon，wastravellingfromSherton-AbbastoHintockinahiredcarriage。Inhiseyetherewasadoubtfullight，andthelinesofhisrefinedfaceshowedavaguedisquietude。Heappearednowlikeoneofthosewhoimpressthebeholderashavingsufferedwronginbeingborn。
Hispositionwasintruthgloomy，andtohisappreciativeminditseemedevengloomierthanitwas。Hispracticehadbeenslowlydwindlingoflate，andnowthreatenedtodieoutaltogether，theirrepressibleoldDr。JonescapturingpatientsuptoFitzpiers’sverydoor。Fitzpiersknewonlytoowellthelatestandgreatestcauseofhisunpopularity；andyet，soillogicalisman，thesecondbranchofhissadnessgrewoutofaremedialmeasureproposedforthefirst——aletterfromFeliceCharmondimploringhimnottoseeheragain。Tobringabouttheirseverancestillmoreeffectually，sheadded，shehaddecidedduringhisabsenceuponalmostimmediatedeparturefortheContinent。
Thetimewasthatdullintervalinawoodlander’slifewhichcoincideswithgreatactivityinthelifeofthewoodlanditself——
aperiodfollowingthecloseofthewintertree-cutting，andprecedingthebarkingseason，whenthesapsarejustbeginningtoheavewiththeforceofhydraulicliftsinsideallthetrunksoftheforest。
Winterborne’scontractwascompleted，andtheplantationsweredeserted。Itwasdusk；therewerenoleavesasyet；thenightingaleswouldnotbegintosingforafortnight；and“theMotheroftheMonths“wasinhermostattenuatedphase——starvedandbenttoamerebowedskeleton，whichglidedalongbehindthebaretwigsinFitzpiers’scompanyWhenhereachedhomehewentstraightuptohiswife’ssitting-