IV. An Hour of Bliss and Many Hours of Sadness

           ThenextdaywasgloomyenoughatBlooms-End.Yeobrightremainedinhisstudy,sittingovertheopenbooks;buttheworkofthosehourswasmiserablyscant.Determinedthatthereshouldbenothinginhisconducttowardshismotherresemblingsullenness,hehadoccasionallyspokentoheronpassingmatters,andwouldtakenonoticeofthebrevityofherreplies.Withthesameresolvetokeepupashowofconversationhesaid,aboutseveno’clockintheevening,“There’saneclipseofthemoontonight.Iamgoingouttoseeit.”And,puttingonhisovercoat,helefther.

           Thelowmoonwasnotasyetvisiblefromthefrontofthehouse,andYeobrightclimbedoutofthevalleyuntilhestoodinthefullfloodofherlight.Butevennowhewalkedon,andhisstepswereinthedirectionofRainbarrow.

           Inhalfanhourhestoodatthetop.Theskywasclearfromvergetoverge,andthemoonflungherraysoverthewholeheath,butwithoutsensiblylightingit,exceptwherepathsandwater-courseshadlaidbarethewhiteflintsandglisteningquartzsand,whichmadestreaksuponthegeneralshade.Afterstandingawhilehestoopedandfelttheheather.Itwasdry,andheflunghimselfdownuponthebarrow,hisfacetowardsthemoon,whichdepictedasmallimageofherselfineachofhiseyes.

           Hehadoftencomeupherewithoutstatinghispurposetohismother;butthiswasthefirsttimethathehadbeenostensiblyfrankastohispurposewhilereallyconcealingit.Itwasamoralsituationwhich,threemonthsearlier,hecouldhardlyhavecreditedofhimself.