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Updated: June 21, 2025
The face of the woman was frequently turned back, but Farfrae did not whip on the horse. When these reached the town walls Henchard and his companion had disappeared down the street; Farfrae set down Elizabeth-Jane on her expressing a particular wish to alight there, and drove round to the stables at the back of his lodgings.
He applied a light to the laid-in fuel, and a cheerful radiance spread around. "It is odd," said Henchard, "that two men should meet as we have done on a purely business ground, and that at the end of the first day I should wish to speak to 'ee on a family matter. But, damn it all, I am a lonely man, Farfrae: I have nobody else to speak to; and why shouldn't I tell it to 'ee?"
By degrees Henchard became aware that the measure was trod by some one who out-Farfraed Farfrae in saltatory intenseness. This was strange, and it was stranger to find that the eclipsing personage was Elizabeth-Jane's partner. The first time that Henchard saw him he was sweeping grandly round, his head quivering and low down, his legs in the form of an X and his back towards the door.
"They are both in a very melancholy position, and that's true!" murmured Donald. "They are! For myself I don't care 'twill all end one way. But these two." Henchard paused in reverie. "I feel I should like to treat the second, no less than the first, as kindly as a man can in such a case." "Ah, well, it cannet be helped!" said the other, with philosophic woefulness.
A movement upstairs disturbed him, and Henchard came down from his bedroom, where he seemed to have been rummaging boxes. "I wish," said Henchard, "you would do me a service, Jopp, now to-night, I mean, if you can. Leave this at Mrs. Farfrae's for her. I should take it myself, of course, but I don't wish to be seen there." He handed a package in brown paper, sealed.
Newson might return at any moment, and what Elizabeth would think of him for his deception it were best to bear apart from her. When they had breakfasted his stepdaughter still lingered, till the moment arrived at which Henchard was accustomed to go to his daily work. Then she arose, and with assurance of coming again soon went up the hill in the morning sunlight.
Without preface, and as the continuation of a scene already progressing in her mind, Mrs. Henchard said: "You remember the note sent to you and Mr. Farfrae asking you to meet some one in Durnover Barton and that you thought it was a trick to make fools of you?" "Yes." "It was not to make fools of you it was done to bring you together. 'Twas I did it." "Why?" said Elizabeth, with a start.
Now these words were uttered loud enough to reach Nance inside the barn door, who fired up immediately at the slur upon her personal character. Coming to the door she cried regardless of consequences, "Come to that, Mr. Henchard, I can let 'ee know she've waited on worse!" "Then she must have had more charity than sense," said Henchard. "O no, she hadn't.
The meeting, in truth, was of a very innocent kind, and matters were by no means so far advanced between the young people as Henchard's jealous grief inferred. Could he have heard such conversation as passed he would have been enlightened thus much: HE. "You like walking this way, Miss Henchard and is it not so?" SHE. "O yes. I have chosen this road latterly. I have no great reason for it."
The market changed from the sample-showing hour to the idle hour before starting homewards, when tales were told. Henchard had not called on Lucetta though he had stood so near. He must have been too busy, she thought. He would come on Sunday or Monday. The days came but not the visitor, though Lucetta repeated her dressing with scrupulous care. She got disheartened.
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