92 Gender and Space in Rural Britain, 1840–1920
rural lower classes like Hetty Sorrel walking is a necessary act of everyday life.^20
Th e narrative fi rst encounters Hetty at work in the dairy on her uncle’s farm,
but soon aft er this she appears on one of her journeys to the Donnithorne estate
where she learns lace-mending and stocking-mending from the lady’s maid.
Walking is noticeably restricted for Hetty: in the fi rst part of the narrative she
is rarely depicted beyond Hall Farm, and when Arthur comments ‘I hardly ever
see you anywhere except at home and at church’, Hetty replies ‘Aunt doesn’t like
me to go a-walking only when I’m going somewhere’.^21 Even on this necessary
walk she is conscious of having to return home on time, and chastised by her
aunt when she is late; when out walking, she goes ‘hastily across the short space
of pleasure-ground which she had to traverse’, aware that walking is constrained
and prohibited.^22 In these short but telling instances, the narrative thus gestures
towards the restrictions placed on female mobility on a daily basis.
As the narratives progress, the associations between femininity, sexuality and
walking develop more explicitly into the idea that wandering is hazardous to a
woman’s reputation and encounters ensue that allow for the development of illicit
relationships while out walking. Hetty’s walk through the Chase aff ords the possi-
bility for meeting and falling in love with Arthur Donnithorne, heir to the estate on
which Hetty’s family farm is situated. Arthur’s refl ections on the episode empha-
size the forbidden pleasure of walking alone with her: ‘they were alone together
for the fi rst time. What an overpowering presence that fi rst privacy is!’^23 It is in
fact not quite the fi rst time: in the dairy, they had a few moments for a ‘tête-à-tête’,
Arthur inviting Hetty to ‘have a walk in the Chase sometimes, now it’s so green
and pleasant’.^24 Physical contact, however, was impossible, and Hetty’s ‘pretty arms’
only an object of observation to Arthur as she churned the butter.^25 Out walking ,
this boundary can be crossed: Arthur ‘laid his hand on the soft arm that was nearest
to him, stooping towards Hetty with a look of coaxing entreaty’, and with ‘his arm
... stealing round the waist again ... tightening its clasp’, they kiss.^26
Th is initiates the start of Arthur and Hetty’s relationship that proceeds to
take place entirely through these outdoor meetings: although the narrative
avoids depicting this, it is understood that they continue to meet in the woods:
in one instance, Adam stumbles upon the ‘two fi gures ... standing opposite to
each other, with clasped hands, about to part’.^27 Following the fi ght that then
ensues between Arthur and Adam, it is implied that Arthur and Hetty’s relation-
ship has been consummated in the woods: the Hermitage bears ‘all the signs of
frequent habitation’, including ‘a woman’s little pink silk neckerchief ’ dropped
on the fl oor.^28 Th e narrative thus sets up a structure in which walking-out aff ords
the space for sexual contact between Hetty and Arthur.
A similar structure is established for what remains a rather more innocent
relationship between Maggie and Philip, yet is nonetheless cast as forbidden
within the narrative. Following our encounter with Maggie in the Red Deeps,