PREFACE
The¡¡date¡¡at¡¡which¡¡the¡¡following¡¡events¡¡are¡¡assumed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡occurred¡¡may¡¡be¡¡set¡¡down¡¡as¡¡between¡¡1840¡¡and¡¡1850£»¡¡when¡¡the¡¡old¡¡watering¡¡place¡¡herein¡¡called¡¡¡°Budmouth¡±¡¡still¡¡retained¡¡sufficient¡¡afterglow¡¡from¡¡its¡¡Georgian¡¡gaiety¡¡and¡¡prestige¡¡to¡¡lend¡¡it¡¡an¡¡absorbing¡¡attractiveness¡¡to¡¡the¡¡romantic¡¡and¡¡imaginative¡¡soul¡¡of¡¡a¡¡lonely¡¡dweller¡¡inland¡£
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BOOK¡¡ONE
THE¡¡THREE¡¡WOMEN
1¡¡¡ A¡¡Face¡¡on¡¡Which¡¡Time¡¡Makes¡¡but¡¡Little¡¡Impression
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The¡¡place¡¡became¡¡full¡¡of¡¡a¡¡watchful¡¡intentness¡¡now£»¡¡for¡¡when¡¡other¡¡things¡¡sank¡¡blooding¡¡to¡¡sleep¡¡the¡¡heath¡¡appeared¡¡slowly¡¡to¡¡awake¡¡and¡¡listen¡£¡¡¡¡Every¡¡night¡¡its¡¡Titanic¡¡form¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡await¡¡something£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡had¡¡waited¡¡thus£»¡¡unmoved£»¡¡during¡¡so¡¡many¡¡centuries£»¡¡through¡¡the¡¡crises¡¡of¡¡so¡¡many¡¡things£»¡¡that¡¡it¡¡could¡¡only¡¡be¡¡imagined¡¡to¡¡await¡¡one¡¡last¡¡crisis¡ªthe¡¡final¡¡overthrow¡£
It¡¡was¡¡a¡¡spot¡¡which¡¡returned¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡those¡¡who¡¡loved¡¡it¡¡with¡¡an¡¡aspect¡¡of¡¡peculiar¡¡and¡¡kindly¡¡congruity¡£¡¡¡¡Smiling¡¡champaigns¡¡of¡¡flowers¡¡and¡¡fruit¡¡hardly¡¡do¡¡this£»¡¡for¡¡they¡¡are¡¡permanently¡¡harmonious¡¡only¡¡with¡¡an¡¡existence¡¡of¡¡better¡¡reputation¡¡as¡¡to¡¡its¡¡issues¡¡than¡¡the¡¡present¡£¡¡¡¡Twilight¡¡bined¡¡with¡¡the¡¡scenery¡¡of¡¡Egdon¡¡Heath¡¡to¡¡evolve¡¡a¡¡thing¡¡majestic¡¡without¡¡severity£»¡¡impressive¡¡without¡¡showiness£»¡¡emphatic¡¡in¡¡its¡¡admonitions£»¡¡grand¡¡in¡¡its¡¡simplicity¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡qualifications¡¡which¡¡frequently¡¡invest¡¡the¡¡facade¡¡of¡¡a¡¡prison¡¡with¡¡far¡¡more¡¡dignity¡¡than¡¡is¡¡found¡¡in¡¡the¡¡facade¡¡of¡¡a¡¡palace¡¡double¡¡its¡¡size¡¡lent¡¡to¡¡this¡¡heath¡¡a¡¡sublimity¡¡in¡¡which¡¡spots¡¡renowned¡¡for¡¡beauty¡¡of¡¡the¡¡accepted¡¡kind¡¡are¡¡utterly¡¡wanting¡£¡¡¡¡Fair¡¡prospects¡¡wed¡¡happily¡¡with¡¡fair¡¡times£»¡¡but¡¡alas£»¡¡if¡¡times¡¡be¡¡not¡¡fair£¡¡¡Men¡¡have¡¡oftener¡¡suffered¡¡from£»¡¡the¡¡mockery¡¡of¡¡a¡¡place¡¡too¡¡smiling¡¡for¡¡their¡¡reason¡¡than¡¡from¡¡the¡¡oppression¡¡of¡¡surroundings¡¡oversadly¡¡tinged¡£¡¡¡¡Haggard¡¡Egdon¡¡appealed¡¡to¡¡a¡¡subtler¡¡and¡¡scarcer¡¡instinct£»¡¡to¡¡a¡¡more¡¡recently¡¡learnt¡¡emotion£»¡¡than¡¡that¡¡which¡¡responds¡¡to¡¡the¡¡sort¡¡of¡¡beauty¡¡called¡¡charming¡¡and¡¡fair¡£
Indeed£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡a¡¡question¡¡if¡¡the¡¡exclusive¡¡reign¡¡of¡¡this¡¡orthodox¡¡beauty¡¡is¡¡not¡¡approaching¡¡its¡¡last¡¡quarter¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡new¡¡Vale¡¡of¡¡Tempe¡¡may¡¡be¡¡a¡¡gaunt¡¡waste¡¡in¡¡Thule£»¡¡human¡¡souls¡¡may¡¡find¡¡themselves¡¡in¡¡closer¡¡and¡¡closer¡¡harmony¡¡with¡¡external¡¡things¡¡wearing¡¡a¡¡sombreness¡¡distasteful¡¡to¡¡our¡¡race¡¡when¡¡it¡¡was¡¡young¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡time¡¡seems¡¡near£»¡¡if¡¡it¡¡has¡¡not¡¡actually¡¡arrived£»¡¡when¡¡the¡¡chastened¡¡sublimity¡¡of¡¡a¡¡moor£»¡¡a¡¡sea£»¡¡or¡¡a¡¡mountain¡¡will¡¡be¡¡all¡¡of¡¡nature¡¡that¡¡is¡¡absolutely¡¡in¡¡keeping¡¡with¡¡the¡¡moods¡¡of¡¡the¡¡more¡¡thinking¡¡among¡¡mankind¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡ultimately£»¡¡to¡¡the¡¡monest¡¡tourist£»¡¡spots¡¡like¡¡Iceland¡¡may¡¡bee¡¡what¡¡the¡¡vineyards¡¡and¡¡myrtle¡¡gardens¡¡of¡¡South¡¡Europe¡¡are¡¡to¡¡him¡¡now£»¡¡and¡¡Heidelberg¡¡and¡¡Baden¡¡be¡¡passed¡¡unheeded¡¡as¡¡he¡¡hastens¡¡from¡¡the¡¡Alps¡¡to¡¡the¡¡sand¡¡dunes¡¡of¡¡Scheveningen¡£¡¡
The¡¡most¡¡thoroughgoing¡¡ascetic¡¡could¡¡feel¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡a¡¡natural¡¡right¡¡to¡¡wander¡¡on¡¡Egdon¡ªhe¡¡was¡¡keeping¡¡within¡¡the¡¡line¡¡of¡¡legitimate¡¡indulgence¡¡when¡¡he¡¡laid¡¡himself¡¡open¡¡to¡¡influences¡¡such¡¡as¡¡these¡£¡¡¡¡Colours¡¡and¡¡beauties¡¡so¡¡far¡¡subdued¡¡were£»¡¡at¡¡least£»¡¡the¡¡birthright¡¡of¡¡all¡£¡¡¡¡Only¡¡in¡¡summer¡¡days¡¡of¡¡highest¡¡feather¡¡did¡¡its¡¡mood¡¡touch¡¡the¡¡level¡¡of¡¡gaiety¡£¡¡¡¡Intensity¡¡was¡¡more¡¡usually¡¡reached¡¡by¡¡way¡¡of¡¡the¡¡solemn¡¡than¡¡by¡¡way¡¡of¡¡the¡¡brilliant£»¡¡and¡¡such¡¡a¡¡sort¡¡of¡¡intensity¡¡was¡¡often¡¡arrived¡¡at¡¡during¡¡winter¡¡darkness£»¡¡tempests£»¡¡and¡¡mists¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡Egdon¡¡was¡¡aroused¡¡to¡¡reciprocity£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡storm¡¡was¡¡its¡¡lover£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡its¡¡friend¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡it¡¡became¡¡the¡¡home¡¡of¡¡strange¡¡phantoms£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡found¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the¡¡hitherto¡¡unrecognized¡¡original¡¡of¡¡those¡¡wild¡¡regions¡¡of¡¡obscurity¡¡which¡¡are¡¡vaguely¡¡felt¡¡to¡¡be¡¡passing¡¡us¡¡about¡¡in¡¡midnight¡¡dreams¡¡of¡¡flight¡¡and¡¡disaster£»¡¡and¡¡are¡¡never¡¡thought¡¡of¡¡after¡¡the¡¡dream¡¡till¡¡revived¡¡by¡¡scenes¡¡like¡¡this¡£
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