第14章

XXI。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTEENHOURS

1。MARCHTHETWENTY-NINTH。NOON

ExactlysevendaysafterEdwardSpringrovehadseenthemanwiththebundleofstrawwalkingdownthestreetsofCasterbridge，oldFarmerSpringrovewasstandingontheedgeofthesamepavement，talkingtohisfriend，FarmerBaker。

Therewasapauseintheirdiscourse。Mr。Springrovewaslookingdownthestreetatsomeobjectwhichhadattractedhisattention。

"Ah，"tiswhatweshallallcometo！"hemurmured。

Theotherlookedinthesamedirection。"True，neighbourSpringrove；true。"

Twomen，advancingonebehindtheotherinthemiddleoftheroad，werewhatthefarmersreferredto。Theywerecarpenters，andboreontheirshouldersanemptycoffin，coveredbyathinblackcloth。

"Ialwaysfeelasatisfactionatbeingbreastedbysuchasightasthat，"saidSpringrove，stillregardingthemen"ssadburden。"I

callitasortofmedicine。"

"Anditismedicine……Ihavenotheardofanybodybeingillupthiswaylately？D"seemasifthepersondiedsuddenly。"

"Maybeso。Ah，Baker，wesaysuddendeath，don"twe？Butthere"snodifferenceintheirnaturebetweensuddendeathanddeathofanyothersort。There"snosuchthingasarandomsnappingoffofwhatwaslaiddowntolastlonger。Weonlysuddenlylightuponanend——

thoughtfullyformedasanyother——whichhasbeenexistingatthatverysamepointfromthebeginning，thoughunseenbyustobesosoon。"

"Itisjustadiscoverytoyourownmind，andnotanalterationintheLord"s。"

"That"sit。Unexpectedisnotastothething，butastooursight。"

"Nowyou"llhardlybelieveme，neighbour，butthislittlesceneinfrontofusmakesmefeellessanxiousaboutpushingonwi"thatthreshingandwinnowingnextweek，thatIwasspeakingabout。Whyshouldwenotstandstill，saysItomyself，andflingaquieteyeupontheWhysandtheWherefores，beforetheendo"itall，andwegodownintothemouldering-place，andareforgotten？"

""Tisafeelingthatwillcome。But"twontbearlookinginto。

There"saback"ardcurrentintheworld，andwemustdoourutmosttoadvanceinorderjusttobidewherewebe。But，Baker，theyareturninginherewiththecoffin，look。"

Thetwocarpentershadbornetheirloadintoanarrowwaycloseathand。Thefarmers，incommonwithothers，turnedandwatchedthemalongtheway。

""Tisaman"scoffin，andatallman"s，too，"continuedFarmerSpringrove。"Hiswasafineframe，whoeverhewas。"

"Averyplainboxforthepoorsoul——justtheroughelm，yousee。"

Thecorneroftheclothhadblownaside。

"Yes，foraverypoorman。Well，death"sallthelessinsulttohim。Ihaveoftenthoughthowmuchsmallerthericherclassaremadetolookthanthepooratlastpincheslikethis。Perhapsthegreatestofallthereconcilersofathoughtfulmantopoverty——andIspeakfromexperience——isthegrandquietitfillshimwithwhentheuncertaintyofhislifeshowsitselfmorethanusual。"

AsSpringrovefinishedspeaking，thebearersofthecoffinwentacrossagravelledsquarefacingthetwomenandapproachedagrimandheavyarchway。Theypausedbeneathit，rangabell，andwaited。

OverthearchwaywaswritteninEgyptiancapitals，"COUNTYGAOL。"

Thesmallrectangularwicket，whichwasconstructedinoneofthetwoiron-studdeddoors，wasopenedfromtheinside。Themenseverallysteppedoverthethreshold，thecoffindraggeditsmelancholylengththroughtheaperture，andbothenteredthecourt，andwerecoveredfromsight。

"Somebodyinthegaol，then？"

"Yes，oneoftheprisoners，"saidaboy，scuddingbyatthemoment，whopassedonwhistling。

"Doyouknowthenameofthemanwhoisdead？"inquiredBakerofathirdbystander。

"Yes，"tisallovertown——surelyyouknow，Mr。Springrove？Why，Manston，MissAldclyffe"ssteward。Hewasfounddeadthefirstthingthismorning。Hehadhunghimselfbehindthedoorofhiscell，insomeway，byahandkerchiefandsomestripsofhisclothes。

Theturnkeysayshisfeatureswerescarcelychanged，ashelookedat"emwiththeearlysuna-shininginatthegratinguponhim。Hehasleftafullaccountofthemurder，andallthatledtoit。Sothere"sanendofhim。"

Itwasperfectlytrue：Manstonwasdead。

Thepreviousdayhehadbeenallowedtheuseofwriting-materials，andhadoccupiedhimselffornearlysevenhoursinpreparingthefollowingconfession：——

"LASTWORDS。

"Havingfoundman"slifetobeawretchedlyconceivedscheme，I

renounceit，and，tocausenofurthertrouble，Iwritedownthefactsconnectedwithmypastproceedings。

"AfterthankingGod，onfirstenteringmyhouse，onthenightofthefireatCarriford，formyreleasefrombondagetoawomanI

detested，Iwent，asecondtime，tothesceneofthedisaster，and，findingthatnothingcouldbedonebyremainingthere，shortlyafterwardsIreturnedhomeagaininthecompanyofMr。Raunham。

"Hepartedfrommeatthestepsofmyporch，andwentbacktowardstherectory。WhilstIstillstoodatthedoor，musingonmystrangedeliverance，Isawafigureadvancefrombeneaththeshadowoftheparktrees。Itwasthefigureofawoman。

"Whenshecamenear，thetwilightwassufficienttoshowmeherattire：itwasacloakreachingtothebottomofherdress，andathickveilcoveringherface。Thesefeatures，togetherwithhersizeandgait，aidedalsobyaflashofperceptionastothechainofeventswhichhadsavedherlife，toldmethatshewasmywifeEunice。

"Ignashedmyteethinafrenzyofdespair；IhadlostCytherea；I

hadgainedonewhosebeautyhaddeparted，whoseutterancewascomplaint，whosemindwasshallow，andwhodrankbrandyeveryday。

Therevulsionoffeelingwasterrible。Providence，whomIhadjustthanked，seemedamockingtormentorlaughingatme。Ifeltlikeamadman。

"Shecameclose——startedatseeingmeoutside——thenspoketome。

HerfirstwordswerereproofforwhatIhadunintentionallydone，andsoundedasanearnestofwhatIwastobecursedwithaslongaswebothlived。Iansweredangrily；thistoneofminechangedhercomplaintstoirritation。Shetauntedmewithasecretshehaddiscovered，whichconcernedMissAldclyffeandmyself。Iwassurprisedtolearnit——moresurprisedthatsheknewit，butconcealedmyfeeling。

"“Howcouldyouservemeso？”shesaid，herbreathsmellingofspiritseventhen。“Youloveanotherwoman——yes，youdo。Seehowyoudrivemeabout！Ihavebeentothestation，intendingtoleaveyouforever，andyetIcometotryyouoncemore。“

"Anindescribableexasperationhadsprungupinmeasshetalked——

rageandregretwereallinall。ScarcelyknowingwhatIdid，I

furiouslyraisedmyhandandswungitroundwithmywholeforcetostrikeher。Sheturnedquickly——anditwasthepoorcreature"send。

Byhermovementmyhandcameedgewiseexactlyinthenapeoftheneck——asmenstrikeaharetokillit。Theeffectstaggeredmewithamazement。Theblowmusthavedisturbedthevertebrae；shefellatmyfeet，madeafewmovements，andutteredonelowsound。

"Iranindoorsforwaterandsomewine，Icameoutandlancedherarmwithmypenknife。Butshelaystill，andIfoundthatshewasdead。

"ItwasalongtimebeforeIcouldrealizemyhorribleposition。

ForseveralminutesIhadnoideaofattemptingtoescapetheconsequencesofmydeed。Thenalightbrokeuponme。HadanybodyseenhersinceshelefttheThreeTranters？Hadtheynot，shewasalreadybelievedbytheparishionerstobedustandashes。Ishouldneverbefoundout。

"UponthisIacted。

"Thefirstquestionwashowtodisposeofthebody。Theimpulseofthemomentwastoburyheratonceinthepitbetweentheengine-

houseandwaterfall；butitstruckmethatIshouldnothavetime。

Itwasnowfouro"clock，andtheworking-menwouldsoonbestirringabouttheplace。Iwouldputoffburyinghertillthenextnight。

Icarriedherindoors。

"Inturningtheouthouseintoaworkshop，earlierintheseason，I

found，whendrivinganailintothewallforfixingacupboard，thatthewallsoundedhollow。Iexaminedit，anddiscoveredbehindtheplasteranoldovenwhichhadlongbeendisused，andwasbrickedupwhenthehousewaspreparedforme。

"Tounfixthiscupboardandpulloutthebrickswastheworkofafewminutes。Then，bearinginmindthatIshouldhavetoremovethebodyagainthenextnight，Iplaceditinasack，pusheditintotheoven，packedinthebricks，andreplacedthecupboard。

"Ithenwenttobed。Inbed，Ithoughtwhethertherewereanyveryremotepossibilitiesthatmightleadtothesuppositionthatmywifewasnotconsumedbytheflamesoftheburninghouse。Thethingwhichstruckmemostforciblywasthis，thatthesearchersmightthinkitoddthatnoremainswhatevershouldbefound。

"Theclinchingandtriumphantdeedwouldbetotakethebodyandplaceitamongtheruinsofthedestroyedhouse。ButIcouldnotdothis，onaccountofthemenwhowerewatchingagainstanoutbreakofthefire。Oneremedyremained。

"Iaroseagain，dressedmyself，andwentdowntotheouthouse。I

musttakedownthecupboardagain。Ididtakeitdown。Ipulledoutthebricks，pulledoutthesack，pulledoutthecorpse，andtookherkeysfromherpocketandthewatchfromherside。

"Ithenreplacedeverythingasbefore。

"WiththesearticlesinmypocketIwentoutoftheyard，andtookmywaythroughthewithycopsetothechurchyard，enteringitfromtheback。HereIfeltmywaycarefullyalongtillIcametothenookwherepiecesofbonesfromnewly-duggravesaresometimespiledbehindthelaurel-bushes。Ihadbeenearnestlyhopingtofindaskullamongtheseoldbones；butthoughIhadfrequentlyseenoneortwointherubbishhere，therewasnotonenow。Ithengropedintheothercornerwiththesameresult——nowherecouldIfindaskull。

Threeorfourfragmentsoflegandback-boneswereallIcouldcollect，andwiththeseIwasforcedtobecontent。

"Takingtheminmyhand，Icrossedtheroad，andgotroundbehindtheinn，wherethecouchheapwasstillsmouldering。Keepingbehindthehedge，Icouldseetheheadsofthethreeorfourmenwhowatchedthespot。

"StandinginthisplaceItookthebones，andthrewthemonebyoneoverthehedgeandoverthemen"sheadsintothesmokingembers。

Whentheboneshadallbeenthrown，Ithrewthekeys；lastofallI

threwthewatch。

"IthenreturnedhomeasIhadgone，andwenttobedoncemore，justasthedawnbegantobreak。Iexulted——“Cythereaismineagain！”

"Atbreakfast-timeIthought，“Supposethecupboardshouldbysomeunlikelychancegetmovedto-day！”

"Iwenttothemason"syardhardby，whilethemenwereatbreakfast，andbroughtawayashovelfulofmortar。Itookitintotheouthouse，againshiftedthecupboard，andplasteredoverthemouthoftheovenbehind。Simplypushingthecupboardbackintoitsplace，IwaitedforthenextnightthatImightburythebody，thoughuponthewholeitwasinatolerablysafehiding-place。

"Whenthenightcame，mynerveswereinsomewayweakerthantheyhadbeenonthepreviousnight。Ifeltreluctanttotouchthebody。

Iwenttotheouthouse，butinsteadofopeningtheoven，Ifirmlydroveintheshoulder-nailsthatheldthecupboardtothewall。“I

willburyherto-morrownight，however，“Ithought。

"ButthenextnightIwasstillmorereluctanttotouchher。Andmyreluctanceincreased，andtherethebodyremained。Theovenwas，afterall，neverlikelytobeopenedinmytime。

"ImarriedCythereaGraye，andneverdidabridegroomleavethechurchwithaheartmorefullofloveandhappiness，andabrainmorefixedongoodintentions，thanIdidonthatmorning。

"WhenCytherea"sbrothermadehisappearanceatthehotelinSouthampton，bearinghisstrangeevidenceoftheporter"sdisclosure，Iwasstaggeredbeyondexpression。Ithoughttheyhadfoundthebody。“AmItobeapprehendedandtoloseherevennow？”

Imourned。Isawmyerror，andinstantlysaw，too，thatImustactexternallylikeanhonourableman。SoathisrequestIyieldedheruptohim，andmeditatedonseveralschemesforenablingmetoclaimthewomanIhadalegalrighttoclaimasmywife，withoutdisclosingthereasonwhyIknewmyselftohaveit。

"IwenthometoKnapwaterthenextday，andfornearlyaweeklivedinastateofindecision。Icouldnothituponaschemeforprovingmywifedeadwithoutcompromisingmyself。

"Mr。RaunhamhintedthatIshouldtakestepstodiscoverherwhereaboutsbyadvertising。Ihadnoenergyforthefarce。ButoneeveningIchancedtoentertheRisingSunInn。Twonotoriouspoachersweresittinginthesettle，whichscreenedmyentrance。

Theywerehalfdrunk——theirconversationwascarriedoninthesolemnandemphatictonecommontothatstageofintoxication，andI

myselfwasthesubjectofit。

"Thefollowingwasthesubstanceoftheirdisjointedremarks：OnthenightofthegreatfireatCarriford，oneofthemwassenttomeetme，andbreakthenewsofthedeathofmywifetome。Thishedid；butbecauseIwouldnotpayhimforhisnews，heleftmeinamoodofvindictiveness。Whenthefirewasover，hejoinedhiscomrade。Thefavourablehourofthenightsuggestedtothemthepossibilityofsomeunlawfulgainbeforedaylightcame。Myfowlhousestoodinatemptingposition，andstillresentinghisrepulseduringtheevening，oneofthemproposedtooperateuponmybirds。IwasbelievedtohavegonetotherectorywithMr。Raunham。

Theotherwasdisinclinedtogo，andthefirstwentoffalone。

"Itwasnowaboutthreeo"clock。Hehadadvancedasfarastheshrubbery，whichgrowsnearthenorthwallofthehouse，whenhefanciedheheard，abovetherushofthewaterfall，noisesontheothersideofthebuilding。Hedescribedtheminthesewords，“Ghostlymouthstalking——thenafall——thenagroan——thentherushofthewaterandcreakoftheengineasbefore。“Onlyoneexplanationoccurredtohim；thehousewashaunted。And，whetherthoseofthelivingorthedead，voicesofanykindwereinimicaltoonewhohadcomeonsuchanerrand。Hestealthilycrepthome。

"Hisunlawfulpurposeinbeingbehindthehouseledhimtoconcealhisadventure。Nosuspicionofthetruthenteredhismindtilltherailway-porterhadstartledeverybodybyhisstrangeannouncement。

Thenheaskedhimself，hadthehorrifyingsoundsofthatnightbeenreallyanenactmentinthefleshbetweenmeandmywife？

"Thewordsoftheothermanwere：

"“Whydon"thetrytofindherifshe"salive？”

"“True，“saidthefirst。“Well，Idon"tforgetwhatIheard，andifshedon"tturnupalivemymindwillbeassureasaBibleuponhermurder，andtheparsonshallknowit，thoughIdogetsixmonthsonthetreadmillforbeingwhereIwas。“

"“Andifsheshouldturnupalive？”

"“ThenIshallknowthatIamwrong，andbelievingmyselfafoolaswellasarogue，holdmytongue。“

"Iglidedoutofthehouseinacoldsweat。TheonlypressureinheavenorearthwhichcouldhaveforcedmetorenounceCythereawasnowputuponme——thedreadofadeathuponthegallows。

"Isatallthatnightweavingstrategyofvariouskinds。TheonlyeffectualremedyformyhazardousstandingthatIcouldseewasasimpleone。Itwastosubstituteanotherwomanformywifebeforethesuspicionsofthatoneeasily-hoodwinkedmanextendedfurther。

"Theonlydifficultywastofindapracticablesubstitute。

"Theonewomanatallavailableforthepurposewasafriendless，innocentcreature，namedAnneSeaway，whomIhadknowninmyyouth，andwhohadforsometimebeenthehousekeeperofaladyinLondon。

Onaccountofthislady"ssuddendeath，Annestoodinratheraprecariousposition，asregardedherfuturesubsistence。Shewasnotthebestkindofwomanforthescheme；buttherewasnoalternative。Onequalityofherswasvaluable；shewasnotatalker。IwenttoLondontheverynextday，calledattheHoxtonlodgingofmywife(theonlyplaceatwhichshehadbeenknownasMrs。Manston)，andfoundthatnogreatdifficultiesstoodinthewayofapersonation。Andthusfavouringcircumstancesdeterminedmycourse。IvisitedAnneSeaway，madelovetoher，andpropoundedmyplan……

"WelivedquietlyenoughuntiltheSundaybeforemyapprehension。

Annecamehomefromchurchthatmorning，andtoldmeofthesuspiciouswayinwhichayoungmanhadlookedatherthere。

Nothingcouldbedonebeyondwaitingtheissueofevents。ThenthelettercamefromRaunham。ForthefirsttimeinmylifeIwashalfindifferentastowhatfateawaitedme。DuringthesucceedingdayI

thoughtonceortwiceofrunningaway，butcouldnotquitemakeupmymind。Atanyrateitwouldbebesttoburythebodyofmywife，Ithought，fortheovenmightbeopenedatanytime。IwenttoCasterbridgeandmadesomearrangements。IntheeveningMissAldclyffe(whoisunitedtomebyacommonsecretwhichIhavenorightorwishtodisclose)cametomyhouse，andalarmedmestillmore。ShesaidthatshecouldtellbyMr。Raunham"smannerthatevening，thathekeptbackfromherasuspicionofmoreimportanceeventhantheonehespokeof，andthatstrangerswereinhishouseeventhen。

"Iguessedwhatthisfurthersuspicionwas，andresolvedtoenlightenhertoacertainextent，andsosecureherassistance。I

saidthatIkilledmywifebyanaccidentonthenightofthefire，dwellingupontheadvantagetoherofthedeathoftheonlywomanwhoknewhersecret。

"Herterror，andfearsformyfate，ledhertowatchtherectorythatevening。Shesawthedetectiveleaveit，andfollowedhimtomyresidence。ThisshetoldmehurriedlywhenIperceivedherafterdiggingmywife"sgraveintheplantation。Shedidnotsuspectwhatthesackcontained。

"Iamnowabouttoenteronmynormalcondition。Forpeoplearealmostalwaysintheirgraves。Whenwesurveythelongraceofmen，itisstrangeandstillmorestrangetofindthattheyaremainlydeadmen，whohavescarcelyeverbeenotherwise。

"AENEASMANSTON。"

Thesteward"sconfession，aidedbycircumstantialevidenceofvariouskinds，wasthemeansoffreeingbothAnneSeawayandMissAldclyffefromallsuspicionofcomplicitywiththemurderer。

2。SIXO"CLOCKP。M。

Itwasevening——justatsunset——onthedayofManston"sdeath。

InthecottageatTolchurchwasgatheredagroupconsistingofCytherea，herbrother，EdwardSpringrove，andhisfather。Theysatbythewindowconversingofthestrangeeventswhichhadjusttakenplace。InCytherea"seyetherebeamedahopefulray，thoughherfacewasaswhiteasalily。

Whilsttheytalked，lookingoutattheyelloweveninglightthatcoatedthehedges，trees，andchurchtower，abroughamrolledroundthecornerofthelane，andcameinfullview。Itreflectedtheraysofthesuninaflashfromitspolishedpanelsasitturnedtheangle，thespokesofthewheelsbristlinginthesamelightlikebayonets。Thevehiclecamenearer，andarrivedoppositeOwen"sdoor，whenthedriverpulledthereinandgaveashout，andthepantingandsweatinghorsesstopped。

"MissAldclyffe"scarriage！"theyallexclaimed。

Owenwentout。"IsMissGrayeathome？"saidtheman。"Anoteforher，andIamtowaitforananswer。"

CythereareadinthehandwritingoftheRectorofCarriford：——

"DEARMISSGRAYE，——MissAldclyffeisill，thoughnotdangerously。

Shecontinuallyrepeatsyourname，andnowwishesverymuchtoseeyou。Ifyoupossiblycan，comeinthecarriage——Verysincerelyyours，JOHNRAUNHAM。"

"Howcomessheill？"Oweninquiredofthecoachman。

"Shecaughtaviolentcoldbystandingoutofdoorsinthedamp，onthenightthestewardranaway。Eversince，tillthismorning，shecomplainedoffulnessandheatinthechest。ThismorningthemaidraninandtoldhersuddenlythatManstonhadkilledhimselfingaol——sheshrieked——brokeablood-vessel——andfelluponthefloor。

Severeinternalhaemorrhagecontinuedforsometimeandthenstopped。Theysaysheissuretogetoverit；butsheherselfsaysno。Shehassufferedfromitbefore。"

Cythereawasreadyinafewmoments，andenteredthecarriage。

3。SEVENO"CLOCKP。M。

SoftaswasCytherea"smotionalongthecorridorsofKnapwaterHouse，thepreternaturallykeenintelligenceofthesufferingwomancaughtthemaiden"swell-knownfootfall。Sheenteredthesick-

chamberwithsuspendedbreath。

Intheroomeverythingwassostill，andsensationwasasitweresorarefiedbysolicitude，thatthinkingseemedacting，andthelady"sweakactoftryingtoliveasilentwrestlingwithallthepowersoftheuniverse。NobodywaspresentbutMr。Raunham，thenursehavinglefttheroomonCytherea"sentry，andthephysicianandsurgeonbeingengagedinawhisperedconversationinaside-chamber。Theirpatienthadbeenpronouncedoutofdanger。

Cythereawenttothebedside，andwasinstantlyrecognized。O，whatachange——MissAldclyffedependentuponpillows！Andyetnotaforbiddingchange。Withweaknesshadcomesoftnessofaspect：thehaughtinesswasextractedfromthefrailthincountenance，andasweetermildplacidityhadtakenitsplace。

MissAldclyffesignifiedtoMr。RaunhamthatshewouldliketobealonewithCytherea。

"Cytherea？"shefaintlywhisperedtheinstantthedoorwasclosed。

Cythereaclaspedthelady"sweakhand，andsankbesideher。

MissAldclyffewhisperedagain。"TheysayIamcertaintolive；butIknowthatIamcertainlygoingtodie。"

"Theyknow，Ithink，andhope。"

"Iknowbest，butwe"llleavethat。Cytherea——OCytherea，canyouforgiveme！"

Hercompanionpressedherhand。

"Butyoudon"tknowyet——youdon"tknowyet，"theinvalidmurmured。

"ItisforgivenessforthatmisrepresentationtoEdwardSpringrovethatIimplore，andforputtingsuchforceuponhim——thatwhichcausedallthetrainofyourinnumerableills！"

"Iknowall——all。AndIdoforgiveyou。Notinahastyimpulsethatisrevokedwhencoolnesscomes，butdeliberatelyandsincerely：

asImyselfhopetobeforgiven，Iaccordyoumyforgivenessnow。"

TearsstreamedfromMissAldclyffe"seyes，andmingledwiththoseofheryoungcompanion，whocouldnotrestrainhersforsympathy。

Expressionsofstrongattachment，interruptedbyemotion，burstagainandagainfromthebroken-spiritedwoman。

"Butyoudon"tknowmymotive。O，ifyouonlyknewit，howyouwouldpitymethen！"

Cythereadidnotbreakthepausewhichensued，andtheelderwomanappearednowtonerveherselfbyasuperhumaneffort。Shespokeoninavoiceweakasasummerbreeze，andfullofintermission，andyettherepervadeditasteadinessofintentionthatseemedtodemandfirmtonestobearitoutworthily。

"Cytherea，"shesaid，"listentomebeforeIdie。

"Alongtimeago——morethanthirtyyearsago——ayounggirlofseventeenwascruellybetrayedbyhercousin，awildofficerofsix-

and-twenty。HewenttoIndia，anddied。

"OnenightwhenthatmiserablegirlhadjustarrivedhomewithherparentsfromGermany，whereherbabyhadbeenborn，shetookallthemoneyshepossessed，pinneditonherinfant"sbosom，togetherwithaletter，stating，amongotherthings，whatshewishedthechild"sChristiannametobe；wrappedupthelittlething，andwalkedwithittoClapham。Here，inaretiredstreet，sheselectedahouse。

Sheplacedthechildonthedoorstepandknockedatthedoor，thenranawayandwatched。Theytookitupandcarrieditindoors。

"Nowthatherpoorbabywasgone，thegirlblamedherselfbitterlyforcrueltytowardsit，andwishedshehadadoptedherparents"

counseltosecretlyhireanurse。Shelongedtoseeit。Shedidn"tknowwhattodo。Shewroteinanassumednametothewomanwhohadtakenitin，andaskedhertomeetthewriterwiththeinfantatcertainplacesshenamed。Thesewerehotelsorcoffee-housesinChelsea，Pimlico，orHammersmith。Thewoman，beingwellpaid，alwayscame，andaskednoquestions。Atonemeeting——ataninninHammersmith——shemadeherappearancewithoutthechild，andtoldthegirlitwassoillthatitwouldnotlivethroughthenight。Thenews，andfatigue，broughtonafainting-fit……"

MissAldclyffe"ssobschokedherutterance，andshebecamepainfullyagitated。Cytherea，paleandamazedatwhatsheheard，weptforher，bentoverher，andbeggedhernottogoonspeaking。

"Yes——Imust，"shecried，betweenhersobs。"Iwill——Imustgoon！

AndImusttellyetmoreplainly！……youmusthearitbeforeIamgone，Cytherea。"Thesympathizingandastonishedgirlsatdownagain。

"ThenameofthewomanwhohadtakenthechildwasMANSTON。Shewasthewidowofaschoolmaster。Shesaidshehadadoptedthechildofarelation。

"Onlyonemaneverfoundoutwhothemotherwas。Hewasthekeeperoftheinninwhichshefainted，andhissilenceshehaspurchasedeversince。

"Atwelvemonthpassed——fifteenmonths——andthesaddenedgirlmetamanatherfather"shousenamedGraye——yourfather，Cytherea，thenunmarried。Ah，suchaman！Inexperiencenowperceivedwhatitwastobelovedinspiritandintruth！Butitwastoolate。Hadheknownhersecrethewouldhavecastherout。Shewithdrewfromhimbyaneffort，andpined。

"Yearsandyearsafterwards，whenshebecamemistressofafortuneandestatesbyherfather"sdeath，sheformedtheweakschemeofhavingnearherthesonwhom，inherfather"slife-time，shehadbeenforbiddentorecognize。Cytherea，youknowwhothatweakwomanis……

"BysuchtoilsomelabourasthisIgothimhereasmysteward。AndIwantedtoseehimYOURHUSBAND，Cytherea！——thehusbandofmytruelover"schild。Itwasasweetdreamtome……Pityme——O，pityme！TodieunlovedismorethanIcanbear！Ilovedyourfather，andIlovehimnow。"

ThatwastheburdenofCythereaAldclyffe。

"Isupposeyoumustleavemeagain——youalwaysleaveme，"shesaid，afterholdingtheyoungwoman"shandalongwhileinsilence。

"No——indeedI"llstayalways。Doyoulikemetostay？"

MissAldclyffeinthejawsofdeathwasMissAldclyffestill，thoughtheoldfirehaddegeneratedtomerephosphorescencenow。"Butyouareyourbrother"shousekeeper？"

"Yes。"

"Well，ofcourseyoucannotstaywithmeonasuddenlikethis……

Gohome，orhewillbeatalossforthings。Andto-morrowmorningcomeagain，won"tyou，dearest，comeagain——we"llfetchyou。Butyoumustn"tstaynow，andputOwenout。Ono——itwouldbeabsurd。"

Theabsorbingconcernabouttriflesofdailyroutine，whichissooftenseeninverysickpeople，waspresenthere。

Cythereapromisedtogohome，andcomethenextmorningtostaycontinuously。

"StaytillIdiethen，willyounot？Yes，tillIdie——Ishan"tdietillto-morrow。"

"Wehopeforyourrecovery——allofus。"

"Iknowbest。Comeatsixo"clock，darling。"

"AssoonaseverIcan，"returnedCythereatenderly。

"Butsixistooearly——youwillhavetothinkofyourbrother"sbreakfast。LeaveTolchurchateight，willyou？"

Cythereaconsentedtothis。MissAldclyffewouldneverhaveknownhadhercompanionstayedinthehouseallnight；butthehonestyofCytherea"snaturerebelledagainsteventhefriendlydeceitwhichsuchaproceedingwouldhaveinvolved。

Anarrangementwascometowherebyshewastobetakenhomeinthepony-carriageinsteadofthebroughamthatfetchedher；thecarriagetoputupatTolchurchfarmforthenight，andonthataccounttobeinreadinesstobringherbackearlier。

4。MARCHTHETHIRTIETH。DAYBREAK

ThethirdandlastinstanceofCytherea"ssubjectiontothoseperiodicterrorsofthenightwhichhademphasizedherconnectionwiththeAldclyffenameandbloodoccurredatthepresentdate。

Itwasaboutfouro"clockinthemorningwhenCytherea，thoughmostprobablydreaming，seemedtoawake——andinstantlywastransfixedbyasortofspell，thathadinitmoreofawethanofaffright。Atthefootofherbed，lookingherinthefacewithanexpressionofentreatybeyondthepowerofwordstoportray，wastheformofMissAldclyffe——wananddistinct。Nomotionwasperceptibleinher；butlonging——earnestlonging——waswrittenineveryfeature。

Cythereabelievedsheexercisedherwakingjudgmentasusualinthinking，withoutashadowofdoubt，thatMissAldclyffestoodbeforeherinfleshandblood。ReasonwasnotsufficientlyalerttoleadCythereatoaskherselfhowsuchathingcouldhaveoccurred。

"Iwouldhaveremainedwithyou——whywouldyounotallowmetostay！"Cythereaexclaimed。Thespellwasbroken：shebecamebroadlyawake；andthefigurevanished。

Itwasinthegreytimeofdawn。Shetrembledinasweatofdisquiet，andnotbeingabletoendurethethoughtofherbrotherbeingasleep，shewentandtappedathisdoor。

"Owen！"

Hewasnotaheavysleeper，anditwasverginguponhistimetorise。

"Whatdoyouwant，Cytherea？"

"IoughtnottohaveleftKnapwaterlastnight。IwishIhadnot。

IreallythinkIwillstartatonce。Shewantsme，Iknow。"

"Whattimeisit？"

"Afewminutespastfour。"

"Youhadbetternot。Keeptothetimeagreedupon。Consider，weshouldhavesuchatroubleinrousingthedriver，andotherthings。"

Uponthewholeitseemedwisernottoactonamerefancy。Shewenttobedagain。

Anhourlater，whenOwenwasthinkingofgettingup，aknockingcametothefrontdoor。ThenextminutesomethingtouchedtheglassofOwen"swindow。Hewaited——thenoisewasrepeated。Alittlegravelhadbeenthrownagainstittoarousehim。

Hecrossedtheroom，pulleduptheblind，andlookedout。Asolemnwhitefacewasgazingupwardsfromtheroad，expectantlystrainingtocatchthefirstglimpseofapersonwithinthepanes。ItwasthefaceofaKnapwatermansittingonhorseback。

Owensawhiserrand。Thereisanunmistakablelookinthefaceofeverymanwhobringstidingsofdeath。Grayeopenedthewindow。

"MissAldclyffe……"saidthemessenger，andpaused。

"Ah——dead？"

"Yes——sheisdead。"

"Whendidshedie？"

"Attenminutespastfour，afteranothereffusion。Sheknewbest，yousee，sir。Istarteddirectly，bytherector"sorders。"

SEQUEL

Fifteenmonthshavepassed，andwearebroughtontoMidsummerNight，1867。

ThepicturepresentedistheinterioroftheoldbelfryofCarrifordChurch，atteno"clockintheevening。

SixCarrifordmenandonestrangeraregatheredthere，beneaththelightofaflaringcandlestuckonapieceofwoodagainstthewall。

ThesixCarrifordmenarethewell-knownringersofthefine-tonedoldbellsinthekeyofF，whichhavebeenmusictotheearsofCarrifordparishandtheoutlyingdistrictsforthelastfourhundredyears。Thestrangerisanassistant，whohasappearedfromnobodyknowswhere。

Thesixnatives——intheirshirt-sleeves，andwithouthats——pullandcatchfranticallyatthedancingbellropes，thelocksoftheirhairwavinginthebreezecreatedbytheirquickmotions；thestranger，whohasthetreblebell，doeslikewise，butinhisrightmindandcoat。Theirever-changingshadowsmingleonthewallinanendlessvarietyofkaleidoscopicforms，andtheeyesofallthesevenarereligiouslyfixedonadiagramlikealargeadditionsum，whichischalkedonthefloor。

Vividlycontrastingwiththeyellowlightofthecandleuponthefourunplasteredwallsofthetower，anduponthefacesandclothesofthemen，isthescenediscerniblethroughthescreenbeneaththetowerarchway。Attheextremityofthelongmysteriousavenueofthenaveandchancelcanbeseenshaftsofmoonlightstreaminginattheeastwindowofthechurch——blue，phosphoric，andghostly。

Athoroughrenovationofthebell-ringingmachineryandaccessorieshadtakenplaceinanticipationofaninterestingevent。Newropeshadbeenprovided；everybellhadbeencarefullyshiftedfromitscarriage，andthepivotslubricated。Brightred"sallies"ofwoollentexture——softtothehandsandeasilycaught——glowedontheropesinplaceoftheoldraggedknots，allofwhichnewnessinsmalldetailsonlyrenderedmoreevidenttheirrepressibleaspectofageinthemasssurroundingthem。

Thetriple-bob-majorwasended，andtheringerswipedtheirfacesandrolleddowntheirshirt-sleeves，previouslytotuckingawaytheropesandleavingtheplaceforthenight。

"Piph——h——h——h！Agoodfortyminutes，"saidamanwithastreamingface，andblowingouthisbreath——oneofthepairwhohadtakenthetenorbell。

"Ourfriendherepulledproperwell——that"adid——seeinghe"sbutastranger，"saidClerkCrickett，whohadjustresignedthesecondrope，andaddressingthemanintheblackcoat。

""Adid，"saidtherest。

"Ienjoyeditmuch，"saidthemanmodestly。

"Whatweshouldha"donewithoutyouwordscan"ttell。Themanthatd"belongbyrightstothattherebellisillo"twogallonso"woldcider。"

"Andnowso"s，"remarkedthefifthringer，aspertainingtothelastallusion，"we"llfinishthisdropo"metheglinandcider，andeverymanhome-alongstraightasaline。"

"Wi"allmyheart，"ClerkCrickettreplied。"AndtheLordsendifI

ha"n"tdonemydutybyMasterTeddySpringrove——thatIhaveso。"

"Andtheresto"us，"theysaid，asthecupwashandedround。

"Ay，ay——inringen——butIwasspakeninaspiritualsenseo"thismornen"sbusinesso"mineupbythechancelrailsthere。"Twasveryconvenienttolugherhereandmarryherinsteado"doenitatthattwopenny-halfpennytowno"Budm"th。Veryconvenient。"

"Very。TherewasalittlefeeforMasterCrickett。"

"Ah——well。Money"smoney——verymuchso——very——Ialwayshavesaidit。But"twasaprettysightforthenation。Hecoloureduplikeanymaid，that"adid。"

"Wellenough"amidcolourup。"Tisnosmallmatterforamantoplaywi"fire。"

"Whateveritmaybetoawoman，"saidtheclerkabsently。

"Thou"rtthinkeno"thywife，clerk，"saidGadWeedy。"She"llplaywi"itagainwhenthou"stgotmildewed。"

"Well——lether，Godblessher；forI"mbutapoorthirdman，I。TheLordhavemercyuponthefourth！……Ay，Teddy"sgothisownatlast。Whatlittlewhiteearsthatmaidhev，tobesure！chooseyourwifeasyouchooseyourpig——asmallearandasmalltale——thatwasalwaysmyjokewhenIwasamerryfeller，ah——yearsagonenow！ButTeddy"sgother。Poorchap，hewasgettenasthinasahermitwi"

grief——sowasshe。"

"Maybeshe"llpickupnow。"

"True——"tisnater"slaw，whichnomanshallgainsay。Ah，welldoI

bearinmindwhatIsaidtoPa"sonRaunham，aboutthymother"sfamilyo"seven，Gad，theveryfirstweekofhiscomenhere，whenI

wasjustinmyprime。“AndhowmanydaughtershasthatpoorWeedygot，clerk？”hesays。“Six，sir，“saysI，“andeveryoneof"emhasabrother！”“Poorwoman，“sayshe，“adozenchildren！——giveherthishalf-sovereignfromme，clerk。“"Alaughedagoodfiveminutesafterwards，whenhefoundoutmymerrynater——"adid。Butthere，"tisoverwi"menow。EnterentheChurchistheruinofaman"switforwit"snothenwithoutafaintshaddero"sin。"

"IfsobeTeddyandtheladyhadbeenkeptapartforlife，they"dbothha"died，"saidGademphatically。

"Butnowinsteado"deaththere"llbeincreaseo"life，"answeredtheclerk。

"Itallwentproperwell，"saidthefifthbell-ringer。"Theydidn"tfleeofftoBabylonishplaces——notthey。"Hestruckupanattitude——

"Here"sMasterSpringrovestandenso：here"sthemarriedwomanstandenlikewise；heretheyd"walkacrosstoKnapwaterHouse；andtheretheyd"bideinthechimleycorner，hardandfast。"

"Yes，"twasaprettywedden，andwellattended，"addedtheclerk。

"Herewasmyladyherself——redasscarlet：herewasMasterSpringrove，lookenasifhehalfwishedhe"dnevera-come——ah，poorsouls！——themenalwaysdo！Thewomendostanditbest——themaidwasinherglory。Thoughshewassoshythegloryshoneplainthroughthatshyskin。Ah，itdidso"s。"

"Ay，"saidGad，"andtherewasTimTankinsandhisfivejourneymencarpenters，standenontiptoeandpeepeninatthechancelwinders。

TherewasDairymanDodmanwaiteninhisnewspring-carttosee"emcomeout——whipinhand——that"awas。Thenupcomestwomastertailors。ThentherewasChristopherRuntwi"hispickaxeandshovel。Therewaswimmen-folkandtherewasmen-folktraypsenupanddownchurch"ardtilltheyworeapathwi"traypsenso——lettenthesquallenchildrenslipdownthroughtheirarmsandnearlyskinneno"em。AndthesewerealloverandabovethegentryandSunday-clothesfolkinside。Well，IseedMr。Grayeatlastdressedupquitethedand。“Well，Mr。Graye，“saysIfromthetopo"

church"ardwall，“how"syerself？”Mr。Grayeneverspoke——he"dpridedawayhishearen。Seizetheman，Ididn"wantentospak。

Teddyhearsit，andturnsround：“Allright，Gad！”sayshe，andlaughedlikeaboy。There"smoreinTeddy。"

"Well，"saidClerkCrickett，turningtothemaninblack，"nowyou"vebeenamongussolong，andd"knowussowell，won"tyetelluswhatye"vecomeherefor，andwhatyourtradeis？"

"Iamnotrade，"saidthethinman，smiling，"andIcametoseethewickednessoftheland。"

"Isaidthouwastoneo"thedevil"sbroodwi"thyblackclothes，"

repliedasturdyringer，whohadnotspokenbefore。

"No，thetruthis，"saidthethinman，retractingatthishorribletranslation，"Icameforawalkbecauseitisafineevening。"

"Nowlet"sbeoff，neighbours，"theclerkinterrupted。

Thecandlewasinvertedinthesocket，andthewholepartysteppedoutintothechurchyard。Themoonwasshiningwithinadayortwooffull，andjustoverlookedthethreeorfourvastyewsthatstoodonthesouth-eastsideofthechurch，androseinunvariedandflatdarknessagainsttheilluminatedatmospherebehindthem。

"Good-night，"theclerksaidtohiscomrades，whenthedoorwaslocked。"Mynearestwayisthroughthepark。"

"Isupposemineistoo？"saidthestranger。"Iamgoingtotherailway-station。"

"Ofcourse——comeon。"

Thetwomenwentoverastiletothewest，theremainderofthepartygoingintotheroadontheoppositeside。

"Andsotheromancehasendedwell，"theclerk"scompanionremarked，astheybrushedalongthroughthegrass。"Butwhatisthetruthofthestoryabouttheproperty？"

"Nowlookhere，neighbour，"saidClerkCrickett，"ifsobeyou"lltellmewhatyourlineo"lifeis，andyourpurposeincomenhereto-day，I"lltellyouthetruthabouttheweddenparticulars。"

"Verywell——Iwillwhenyouhavedone，"saidtheotherman。

""Tisabargain；andthisistherighto"thestory。WhenMissAldclyffe"swillwasopened，itwasfoundtohavebeendrawnupontheverydaythatManston(herlove-child)marriedMissCythereaGraye。Andthisiswhatthatdeepwomandid。Deep？shewasasdeepastheNorthStar。Shebequeathedallherproperty，realandpersonal，to“THEWIFEOFAENEASMANSTON“(withoneexception)：

failenherlifetoherhusband：failenhislifetotheheirsofhishead——bodyIwouldsay：failenthemtoherabsolutelyandherheirsforever：failenthesetoPa"sonRaunham，andsoontotheendo"

thehumanrace。Nowdoyouseethedepthofherscheme？Why，althoughuponthesurfaceitappearedherwholepropertywasforMissCytherea，bytheword“wife“beingused，andnotCytherea"sname，whoeverwasthewifeo"Manstonwouldcomeinfor"t。Wasn"tthatraledepth？Itwasdone，ofcourse，thathersonAEneas，underanycircumstances，shouldbemastero"theproperty，withoutfolkknowenitwashersonorsuspectinganything，astheywouldifithadbeenlefttoenstraightway。"

"Acleverarrangement！Andwhatwastheexception？"

"Thepaymentofalegacytoherrelative，Pa"sonRaunham。"

"AndMissCythereawasnowManston"swidowandonlyrelative，andinheritedallabsolutely。"

"True，shedid。“Well，“saysshe，“Ishan"thaveit“(shedidn"tlikethenotiono"gettenanythingthroughManston，naturallyenough，prettydear)。Shewaivedherrightinfavouro"Mr。

Raunham。Now，ifthere"samanintheworldthatd"carenothenaboutland——Idon"tsaythereis，butIFthereis——"tisourpa"son。

He"slikeasnail。He"sa-growedsototheshapeo"thatthererectorythat"awouldn"thinko"leaveniteveninname。“"Tisyours，MissGraye，“sayshe。“No，"tisyours，“saysshe。“"Tis"n"

mine，“sayshe。TheCrownhadcasthiseyesuponthecase，thinkeno"forfeiturebyfelony——but"twasnosuchthing，and"agieditup，too。Didyoueverhearsuchatale？——threepeople，amanandawoman，andaCrown——neithero"eminamadhouse——flingenanestatebackwardsandforwardslikeanappleornut？Well，itendedinthisway。Mr。Raunhamtookit：youngSpringrovewashadasagentandsteward，andputtoliveinKnapwaterHouse，closehereathand——

justasif"twashisown。Hedoesjustwhathe"dlike——Mr。Raunhamneverinterferen——andhitherto-dayhe"sbroughthisnewwife，Cytherea。Andasettlementha"beendrawnupthisveryday，wherebytheirchildren，heirs，andcetrer，betoinheritafterMr。Raunham"sdeath。Goodfortunecameatlast。Herbrother，too，isdoenwell。

Hecameinfirstmaninsomearchitecturalcompetition，andisabouttomovetoLondon。Here"sthehouse，look。Stapoutfromthesebushes，andyou"llgetaclearsighto"t。"

Theyemergedfromtheshrubbery，breakingofftowardsthelake，anddownthesouthslope。Whentheyarrivedexactlyoppositethecentreofthemansion，theyhalted。

ItwasamagnificentpictureoftheEnglishcountry-house。Thewholeofthesevereregularfront，withitscolumnsandcornices，wasbuiltofawhitesmoothly-facedfreestone，whichappearedintheraysofthemoonaspureasPentelicmarble。Thesoleobjectsinthescenerivallingthefairnessofthefacadewereadozenswansfloatinguponthelake。

Atthismomentthecentraldooratthetopofthestepswasopened，andtwofiguresadvancedintothelight。Twocontrastingfigureswerethey。Ayounglithewomaninanairyfairydress——CythereaSpringrove：ayoungmaninblackstereotyperaiment——Edward，herhusband。

Theystoodatthetopofthestepstogether，lookingatthemoon，thewater，andthegenerallovelinessoftheprospect。

"That"sthemarriedmanandwife——there，I"veillustratedmystorybyralelivenspecimens，"theclerkwhispered。

"Tobesure，howclosetogethertheydostand！Youcouldn"slipapenny-piecebetween"em——thatyoucouldn"！Beautifultoseeit，isn"tit——beautiful！……Butthisisaprivatepath，andwewon"tlet"emseeus，asalltheringersbegoentheretoasupperanddanceto-morrownight。"

Thespeakerandhiscompanionsoftlymovedon，passedthroughthewicket，andintothecoach-road。Arrivedattheclerk"shouseatthefurtherboundaryofthepark，theypausedtopart。

"Nowforyourhalfo"thebargain，"saidClerkCrickett。"What"syourlineo"life，andwhatd"yecomeherefor？"

"I"mthereportertotheCasterbridgeChronicle，andIcometopickupthenews。Good-night。"

MeanwhileEdwardandCytherea，afterlingeringonthestepsforseveralminutes，slowlydescendedtheslopetothelake。Theskiffwaslyingalongside。

"O，Edward，"saidCytherea，"youmustdosomethingthathasjustcomeintomyhead！"

"Well，dearest——Iknow。"

"Yes——givemeonehalf-minute"srowonthelakeherenow，justasyoudidonBudmouthBaythreeyearsago。"

Hehandedherintotheboat，andalmostnoiselesslypulledofffromshore。Whentheywerehalf-waybetweenthetwomarginsofthelake，hepausedandlookedather。

"Ah，darling，IrememberexactlyhowIkissedyouthatfirsttime，"

saidSpringrove。"Youwerethereasyouarenow。Iunshippedthescullsinthisway。ThenIturnedroundandsatbesideyou——inthisway。ThenIputmyhandontheothersideofyourlittleneck——"

"Ithinkitwasjustonmycheek，inthisway。"

"Ah，soitwas。Thenyoumovedthatsoftredmouthroundtomine——"

"But，dearest——youpresseditroundifyouremember；andofcourseI

couldn"tthenhelplettingitcometoyourmouthwithoutbeingunkindtoyou，andIwouldn"tbethat。"

"AndthenIputmycheekagainstthatcheek，andturnedmytwolipsrounduponthosetwolips，andkissedthem——so。"

End