with me whether it would not be better to marry Thomasin. Better--of
course it would be. Marry her--she is nearer to your own position in
life than I am!"

"Yes, yes; that's very well," said Wildeve peremptorily. "But we must
look at things as they are. Whatever blame may attach to me for having
brought it about, Thomasin's position is at present much worse than
yours. I simply tell you that I am in a strait."

"But you shall not tell me! You must see that it is only harassing me.
Damon, you have not acted well; you have sunk in my opinion. You have
not valued my courtesy--the courtesy of a lady in loving you--who used
to think of far more ambitious things. But it was Thomasin's fault.

"She won you away from me, and she deserves to suffer for it. Where is
she staying now? Not that I care, nor where I am myself. Ah, if I were
dead and gone how glad she would be! Where is she, I ask?"

"Thomasin is now staying at her aunt's shut up in a bedroom, and keeping
out of everybody's sight," he said indifferently.

"I don't think you care much about her even now," said Eustacia with
sudden joyousness, "for if you did you wouldn't talk so coolly about
her. Do you talk so coolly to her about me? Ah, I expect you do! Why did
you originally go away from me? I don't think I can ever forgive you,
except on one condition, that whenever you desert me, you come back
again, sorry that you served me so."

"I never wish to desert you."