The village of Little Hintock lay in a small valley near the edge of a large area of woodland. The people who lived in the village earn their living from the trees. Between the village and the woodland, there were apple orchards. The apple fruits had a use to make cider to be consumed and sell at the market at Sherton Abbas, the nearest town which was ten miles from the village.
When it was a cold winter evening in 1855, a young woman worked hard in a cottage where in front of it, growth a tall elm tree. The young woman named Marty South work hard to get money for her father’s ill treatment by making spars and sell it to a timber merchant. Then she heard that the timber merchant, George Melbury and his wife, Lucy Melbury, wants Grace Melbury and Giles Winterbourne to marry in order to repair their family problems. Marty feel very sad because she was loved Giles. So she decided to cut off and sell her hair for money to Mr. Percomb for Mrs. Charmond’s hair in order to treat her father, John South’s ill because she thinks that her hair wasn’t important to attract Giles anymore.
In the morning, Mr. Melbury told Giles that Grace want to comes home and he want Giles to pick up her in the afternoon in Sherton Abbas. So, in that afternoon, Giles went to Sherton Abbas to pick up Grace.
The next two days, Grace walked happily toward Hintock House to visit Mrs. Felice Charmond. In the beautiful old Hintock House, Grace and Mrs. Charmond talked much one another. They talked about a clever doctor in Little Hintock named Edred Fitzpiers, books and about people from outside Little Hintock. And after talked about an hour or two, Grace leaves Hintock House.
That same morning, Giles had been thinking often about Grace. He was not happy about Grace’s visit to Hintock House. He worried that Grace’s friendship with Mrs. Charmond will be a trouble in his engagement with Grace. So he decided to invite Grace and her parents to Christmas party to make Grace more interested in Giles, not in Mrs. Charmond. Then Giles asked it to Mr. Melbury and Melburys agreed.
Giles Winterbourne was planning a big party. He invited all of his friends from Little Hintock. On the morning of the party, his house was completely cleaned and lots of foods were prepared. Then Melburys came to the party. Actually, Grace Melbury didn’t know what party that is. She thinks that it just a village party, not Christmas party. But she still liked the party.
Soon it was time for the meal. Someone that helped Giles was carrying a big pot of hot stew and poured it into a large dish on the table. Suddenly, the hot stew splashed onto Grace. Than the party continued, but Mr. Melbury slightly angry.
It was time for dancing. An old woman asked Grace to dance together and she will tell the fortune. But George Melbury disliked and he becomes angry. The Melburys were the first people to leave the party. Because of the accident, Mr. Melbury stopped the engagement between Grace and Giles. He thought that Grace’s education has changed her. And from that time, Grace and Giles engagement has stopped.
Giles was very sad and he becomes sadder because he found and read a paper from the estate’s lawyer that the content is when John Winterbourne and John South both die, his house and South’s cottage leases will end. He knows that his father was died, so when John South dies, he will lose his house and Marty will lose her cottage.
Days by days went by. Mr. South’s ill became more serious. Until one day he was dying. It was very bad day for Giles because he must lose all of his properties. But not very bad for Marty, because she still could lived in her cottage. From that time, Giles became unlucky man. He must lose all of his properties and he also lost Grace, his lovely girl. Now he just had a grey horse named Darling and he give it to Grace as leave-taking symbol. But Giles didn’t give up. He started his new day from zero.
One day, Grace left her house very early when it was raining heavily. She goes to doctor Fitzpiers’s house. She wanted to cancel her servant’s agreement with the doctor about her servant’s head experiment. After that, Grace back to her house. It was an unusual thing, Edred Fitzpiers always thinking about Grace after her left.
One afternoon, in spring season, Fitzpiers were walking in the woods. There were many woodlanders and there also Mr. Melbury and Grace. Mr. Melbury invited him to have meal together. After finished, all people went to their home except Fitzpiers. He still read his book in front of a fire until evening. Then Grace came back to the woods. She was lost her purse there. She told to Fitzpiers that the purse was from a man that she pitied, but she like him too. Then Fitzpiers told to Grace that pity was not love. After that they found the purse and Grace thanked to Fitzpiers then walked home quietly.
This day, Fitzpiers was sure that he was in love with Grace. It was midsummer’s eve-the day before the longest day of the year. This midnight, the village girls went to the woods, scatter some seeds and say some magic words. When the bell of the church clock rang twelve times, they’ll run back the way-into their lover’s arms. The one would be their husband. Some village girls that usually did it every year invited Grace to follow them and Grace agreed. Fitzpiers, some village boys and also Giles was known about this event. So, they hid behind the trees and wait for the girls. Then the clock of the church rang twelve times. The girls all ran and the boys try to catch them. Giles also tried to catch Grace. But unluckily, Fitzpiers had caught her first. Grace dislike it, so she ran back home. Then a girl named Suke Damson ran through Fitzpiers, but Fitzpiers can’t catch her. Then Suke ran back to Fitzpiers and he kissed her.
A week passed by. Grace believed that she was in love with Fitzpiers and he do too. So they have a plan to marry one month later. But, in an early morning, Grace saw Suke Damson get out from Edred’s house and ran away quickly. It became a trouble for Grace. And after Edred explained, everything went better.
August, the month when Grace and Fitzpiers get married was last two months ago. It was on October, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpiers were back to Little Hintock from their honeymoon. One day before they arrived, they stay in a hotel in Sherton Abbas. There was Giles belong cider press. Grace saw him there and they talked for a moment. After that, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpiers went to Little Hintock.
In the evening, a servant from Hintock House came to Melbury’s house. He told the doctor that Mrs. Charmond had an accident in her carriage and she wanted the doctor to visit her. Quickly Fitzpiers went there without kiss her wife.
Mrs. Charmond had been waiting when the doctor came. Then the doctor examined Mrs. Charmond carefully. After finished, they talked for a moment, and they remember that they was friend when they’re studying in Germany. They remembered too that they ever in love each other. After that, Fitzpiers left Hintock House.
Fitzpiers went back to Hintock House the next day and the next day, and the next. And the fourth day, Mrs. Charmond found out that Fitzpiers was planning to leave Little Hintock and live in Budmouth. She disliked, so she told him not to leave for her and he agreed.
Some day pass by. Mrs. Charmond went to Middleton Abbay to live there with disappointed her life. She was lost a man that she loves, Edred Fitzpiers, because he was married. But Edred still visit her in Middleton Abbey by Grace’s grey horse. Grace was known about it, but she didn’t care anymore. Then Grace walked to woods and talked for a moment with Giles. Then she walked again and she met Suke Damson. After talked for a moment, Grace realized that Edred was lied about Suke. The conversation finished and Grace went back to home. From that time, Edred didn’t go back to home.
Knew about this problem, Mr. Melbury wanted to help his daughter. After Mrs. Charmond back to Hintock House, Mr. Melbury talked to Mrs. Charmond not to meet Edred again. Then he went away and Mrs. Charmond went to woods. She met Marty and Grace with Giles. She wanted to talk with Grace, so they walked together and talk about Edred. But Grace’s word made Mrs. Charmond angry, so they separate.
Edred Fitzpiers was stayed in London for a week. Grace wanted to get away from Little Hintock for a few days. So, she decided to visit her friend in Shottsford Forum. After she went there, Edred returned to Little Hintock. Then he was angry because his wife wasn’t at home and Felice Charmond was going abroad soon. In his way to Hintock House, he got a letter from Marty, but he forgot to read it. After he arrived in front of Hintock House, he read the letter. He was surprised, because actually the beautiful hair that he likes from Mrs. Charmond was Marty’s. Then he went away weakly because he wasn’t eaten for many hours. On the way, Mr. Melbury saw Edred rode horse weakly. Then he gave some brandy to Edred and it was made the doctor drunk. He began to talk very foolishly. He told that he was very unhappy man because he was married a silly country girl. Of course George Melbury became very angry. Then Edred fallen from his horse and George Melbury leave him.
Edred was injured. That night he went to Hintock House for hide there. Then he sent a letter for Grace that he cannot lives in Melbury’s house because George Melbury hates him so much and he went far away from Little Hintock for a long time. But in one time, a traveler has seen Edred and Felice together in Germany.
Grace wanted to divorce with Edred because there was a new law for unhappy family. But unluckily, the law wasn’t for a country people like Grace.
After three months, Grace received a letter from her husband with the content that he wants to live with her again in France and they should meet in Budmouth three days more. But Grace didn’t want to meet her husband, so she doesn’t go to Budmouth.
A week after that, villager brought news of Fitzpiers from Budmouth that he would arrive in Little Hintock less than an hour. Grace didn’t want to meet him. So, she decided to get out from home. She packed her clothes into a bag, and then she wrote a note that she went for a week to visit her friend. In a minute, she had left home in a hurry into woods. Then she saw a tiny cottage in a deep woods, it was a secret place. Grace went there and knocked the door. Giles Winterbourne opened the door. Grace was surprised, now Giles just lived in a small cottage. Then Grace told him her problem.
It was rainy heavily and also wind, Giles asked Grace to stay in his cottage and he can sleep in a place nearby. Grace was very grateful to Giles, and then she went into the cottage. Giles went to a shelter that made from a few hurdles fixed together. The rain came in and Giles couldn’t sleep, he had been ill already in that autumn. But, every morning and evening Giles came to the cottage to check Grace’s condition. Until a day, Giles didn’t come to the cottage. Then Grace looked up for Giles. Actually, Giles got bad fever with his wet clothes. Grace had feel blame about Giles. Then she brought Giles to the cottage and called Edred to treat Giles, but Giles can’t be treated anymore. A moment later, Giles was died. Grace was very sad, so she kissed him so many times. Then Edred gave her a bottle of medicine so that she didn’t infect. Then Giles was buried by Melburys.
A few days later, Grace became ill. She took Edred‘s medicine and she got better. Then Grace wanted to live together again with Edred. They live together in North of England. And now Marty South that keep Giles’ grave with full of love.
