The Woodlanders Chapter 31

In which the chilly woods witness a gathering gloom not only of weather but of troubled hearts, as Melbury grapples with the tangled affairs of the timber dealer and seeks the counsel of Giles Winterborne, who himself is industriously shaping his modest fortunes amid the copse-wood. Their conversation unfolds by a low fire’s glow, revealing old wounds and uneasy truths, and Melbury resolves to confront the formidable Mrs. Charmond, whose past and presence weigh heavily on the prospects of all concerned.