V. The Journey across the Heath

           Thursday,thethirty-firstofAugust,wasoneofaseriesofdaysduringwhichsnughouseswerestifling,andwhencooldraughtsweretreats;whencracksappearedinclayeygardens,andwerecalled“earthquakes”byapprehensivechildren;whenloosespokeswerediscoveredinthewheelsofcartsandcarriages;andwhenstinginginsectshauntedtheair,theearth,andeverydropofwaterthatwastobefound.

           InMrs.Yeobright’sgardenlarge-leavedplantsofatenderkindflaggedbyteno’clockinthemorning;rhubarbbentdownwardateleven;andevenstiffcabbageswerelimpbynoon.

           Itwasabouteleveno’clockonthisdaythatMrs.Yeobrightstartedacrosstheheathtowardsherson’shouse,todoherbestingettingreconciledwithhimandEustacia,inconformitywithherwordstothereddleman.Shehadhopedtobewelladvancedinherwalkbeforetheheatofthedaywasatitshighest,butaftersettingoutshefoundthatthiswasnottobedone.Thesunhadbrandedthewholeheathwithitsmark,eventhepurpleheath-flowershavingputonabrownnessunderthedryblazesofthefewprecedingdays.Everyvalleywasfilledwithairlikethatofakiln,andthecleanquartzsandofthewinterwater-courses,whichformedsummerpaths,hadundergoneaspeciesofincinerationsincethedroughthadsetin.

           Incool,freshweatherMrs.YeobrightwouldhavefoundnoinconvenienceinwalkingtoAlderworth,butthepresenttorridattackmadethejourneyaheavyundertakingforawomanpastmiddleage;andattheendofthethirdmileshewishedthatshehadhiredFairwaytodriveheraportionatleastofthedistance.