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Light footsteps shifted their position in the porch, and he could just distinguish in a plaintive female voice the words, "O Clyitation "Surely it is Eustacia!" he murmured If so, she had indeed coht, dressed hi open the door the rays of the candle fell upon a woman closely wrapped up, who at once came forward

"Thomasin!" he exclaimed in an indescribable tone of disappointht as this! O, where is Eustacia?"

Tho

"Eustacia? I don't know, Clym; but I can think," she said with much perturbation "Let reat trouble brewing--my husband and Eustacia!"

"What, what?"

"I thinkdreadful--I don't knohat--Clyo and see? I have nobody to help me but you; Eustacia has not yet come ho to run off together! He caht o'clock and said in an off-hand way, 'Tao a journey' 'When?' I said 'Tonight,' he said 'Where?' I asked him 'I cannot tell you at present,' he said; 'I shall be back again to up his things, and took no notice of me at all I expected to see him start, but he did not, and then it cao to bed' I didn't knohat to do, and I went to bed I believe he thought I fell asleep, for half an hour after that he came up and unlocked the oak chest we keep money in e havewhich I believe was banknotes, though I was not aware that he had 'eot from the bank when he went there the other day What does he want banknotes for, if he is only going off for a day? When he had gone down I thought of Eustacia, and how he had ht before--I know he did meet her, Clym, for I followed him part of the way; but I did not like to tell you when you called, and so make you think ill of him, as I did not think it was so serious Then I could not stay in bed; I got up and dressed ht I would come and tell you So I came downstairs without any noise and slipped out"