II. The People at Blooms-End Make Ready

           AllthatafternoontheexpectedarrivalofthesubjectofEustacia’sruminationscreatedabustleofpreparationatBlooms-End.Thomasinhadbeenpersuadedbyheraunt,andbyaninstinctiveimpulseofloyaltytowardshercousinClym,tobestirherselfonhisaccountwithanalacrityunusualinherduringthesemostsorrowfuldaysofherlife.AtthetimethatEustaciawaslisteningtotherick-makers’conversationonClym’sreturn,Thomasinwasclimbingintoaloftoverheraunt’sfuelhouse,wherethestore-appleswerekept,tosearchoutthebestandlargestofthemforthecomingholiday-time.

           Theloftwaslightedbyasemicircularhole,throughwhichthepigeonscrepttotheirlodgingsinthesamehighquartersofthepremises;andfromthisholethesunshoneinabrightyellowpatchuponthefigureofthemaidenasshekneltandplungedhernakedarmsintothesoftbrownfern,which,fromitsabundance,wasusedonEgdoninpackingawaystoresofallkinds.Thepigeonswereflyingaboutherheadwiththegreatestunconcern,andthefaceofherauntwasjustvisibleabovetheflooroftheloft,litbyafewstraymotesoflight,asshestoodhalfwayuptheladder,lookingataspotintowhichshewasnotclimberenoughtoventure.

           “Nowafewrussets,Tamsin.Heusedtolikethemalmostaswellasribstones.”

           Thomasinturnedandrolledasidethefernfromanothernook,wheremoremellowfruitgreetedherwithitsripesmell.Beforepickingthemoutshestoppedamoment.