第9章
corner，withsuddendemonstrativeness，said，’Anybodymayknowmytrade——I’mawheelwright。’
’Averygoodtradefortheseparts，’saidtheshepherd。
’Andanybodymayknowmine——ifthey’vethesensetofinditout，’
saidthestrangerincinder-gray。
’Youmaygenerallytellwhatamanisbyhisclaws，’observedthehedge-carpenter，lookingathisownhands。’Myfingersbeasfullofthornsasanoldpin-cushionisofpins。’
Thehandsofthemaninthechimney-cornerinstinctivelysoughttheshade，andhegazedintothefireasheresumedhispipe。Themanatthetabletookupthehedge-carpenter’sremark，andaddedsmartly，’True；buttheoddityofmytradeisthat，insteadofsettingamarkuponme，itsetsamarkuponmycustomers。’
Noobservationbeingofferedbyanybodyinelucidationofthisenigma，theshepherd’swifeoncemorecalledforasong。Thesameobstaclespresentedthemselvesasattheformertime——onehadnovoice，anotherhadforgottenthefirstverse。Thestrangeratthetable，whosesoulhadnowrisentoagoodworkingtemperature，relievedthedifficultybyexclaimingthat，tostartthecompany，hewouldsinghimself。Thrustingonethumbintothearm-holeofhiswaistcoat，hewavedtheotherhandintheair，and，withanextemporizinggazeattheshiningsheep-crooksabovethemantelpiece，began:-
’Omytradeitistherarestone，Simpleshepherdsall-
Mytradeisasighttosee；
FormycustomersItie，andtakethemuponhigh，Andwaft’emtoafarcountree！’
Theroomwassilentwhenhehadfinishedtheverse——withoneexception，thatofthemaninthechimney-corner，who，atthesinger’sword，’Chorus！’joinedhiminadeepbassvoiceofmusicalrelish-
’Andwaft’emtoafarcountree！’
OliverGiles，JohnPitcherthedairyman，theparish-clerk，theengagedmanoffifty，therowofyoungwomenagainstthewall，seemedlostinthoughtnotofthegayestkind。Theshepherdlookedmeditativelyontheground，theshepherdessgazedkeenlyatthesinger，andwithsomesuspicion；shewasdoubtingwhetherthisstrangerweremerelysinginganoldsongfromrecollection，orwascomposingonethereandthenfortheoccasion。AllwereasperplexedattheobscurerevelationastheguestsatBelshazzar’sFeast，exceptthemaninthechimney-corner，whoquietlysaid，’Secondverse，stranger，’andsmokedon。
Thesingerthoroughlymoistenedhimselffromhislipsinwards，andwentonwiththenextstanzaasrequested:-
’Mytoolsarebutcommonones，Simpleshepherdsall-
Mytoolsarenosighttosee:
Alittlehempenstring，andapostwhereontoswing，Areimplementsenoughforme！’
ShepherdFennelglancedround。Therewasnolongeranydoubtthatthestrangerwasansweringhisquestionrhythmically。Theguestsoneandallstartedbackwithsuppressedexclamations。Theyoungwomanengagedtothemanoffiftyfaintedhalf-way，andwouldhaveproceeded，butfindinghimwantinginalacrityforcatchinghershesatdowntrembling。
’O，he’sthe——！’whisperedthepeopleinthebackground，mentioningthenameofanominouspublicofficer。’He’scometodoit！’TistobeatCasterbridgejailto-morrow——themanforsheep-stealing——
thepoorclock-makerweheardof；whousedtoliveawayatShottsfordandhadnoworktodo——TimothySummers，whosefamilywerea-starving，andsohewentoutofShottsfordbythehigh-road，andtookasheepinopendaylight，defyingthefarmerandthefarmer’swifeandthefarmer’slad，andeverymanjackamong’em。He’(andtheynoddedtowardsthestrangerofthedeadlytrade)’iscomefromupthecountrytodoitbecausethere’snotenoughtodoinhisowncounty-town，andhe’sgottheplaceherenowourowncountyman’sdead；he’sgoingtoliveinthesamecottageundertheprisonwall。’
Thestrangerincinder-graytooknonoticeofthiswhisperedstringofobservations，butagainwettedhislips。Seeingthathisfriendinthechimney-cornerwastheonlyonewhoreciprocatedhisjovialityinanyway，heheldouthiscuptowardsthatappreciativecomrade，whoalsoheldouthisown。Theyclinkedtogether，theeyesoftherestoftheroomhanginguponthesinger’sactions。Hepartedhislipsforthethirdverse；butatthatmomentanotherknockwasaudibleuponthedoor。Thistimetheknockwasfaintandhesitating。
Thecompanyseemedscared；theshepherdlookedwithconsternationtowardstheentrance，anditwaswithsomeeffortthatheresistedhisalarmedwife’sdeprecatoryglance，andutteredforthethirdtimethewelcomingwords，’Walkin！’
Thedoorwasgentlyopened，andanothermanstooduponthemat。He，likethosewhohadprecededhim，wasastranger。Thistimeitwasashort，smallpersonage，offaircomplexion，anddressedinadecentsuitofdarkclothes。
’Canyoutellmethewayto——？’hebegan:when，gazingroundtheroomtoobservethenatureofthecompanyamongstwhomhehadfallen，hiseyeslightedonthestrangerincinder-gray。Itwasjustattheinstantwhenthelatter，whohadthrownhismindintohissongwithsuchawillthathescarcelyheededtheinterruption，silencedallwhispersandinquiriesbyburstingintohisthirdverse:-
’To-morrowismyworkingday，Simpleshepherdsall-
To-morrowisaworkingdayforme:
Forthefarmer’ssheepisslain，andtheladwhodiditta’en，AndonhissoulmayGodha’merc-y！’
Thestrangerinthechimney-corner，wavingcupswiththesingersoheartilythathismeadsplashedoveronthehearth，repeatedinhisbassvoiceasbefore:-
’AndonhissoulmayGodha’merc-y！’
Allthistimethethirdstrangerhadbeenstandinginthedoorway。
Findingnowthathedidnotcomeforwardorgoonspeaking，theguestsparticularlyregardedhim。Theynoticedtotheirsurprisethathestoodbeforethemthepictureofabjectterror——hiskneestrembling，hishandshakingsoviolentlythatthedoor-latchbywhichhesupportedhimselfrattledaudibly:hiswhitelipswereparted，andhiseyesfixedonthemerryofficerofjusticeinthemiddleoftheroom。Amomentmoreandhehadturned，closedthedoor，andfled。
’Whatamancanitbe？’saidtheshepherd。
Therest，betweentheawfulnessoftheirlatediscoveryandtheoddconductofthisthirdvisitor，lookedasiftheyknewnotwhattothink，andsaidnothing。Instinctivelytheywithdrewfurtherandfurtherfromthegrimgentlemanintheirmidst，whomsomeofthemseemedtotakeforthePrinceofDarknesshimself；tilltheyformedaremotecircle，anemptyspaceoffloorbeingleftbetweenthemandhim-
’……circulus，cujuscentrumdiabolus。’
Theroomwassosilent——thoughthereweremorethantwentypeopleinit——thatnothingcouldbeheardbutthepatteroftherainagainstthewindow-shutters，accompaniedbytheoccasionalhissofastraydropthatfelldownthechimneyintothefire，andthesteadypuffingofthemaninthecorner，whohadnowresumedhispipeoflongclay。
Thestillnesswasunexpectedlybroken。Thedistantsoundofagunreverberatedthroughtheair——apparentlyfromthedirectionofthecounty-town。
’Bejiggered！’criedthestrangerwhohadsungthesong，jumpingup。
’Whatdoesthatmean？’askedseveral。
’Aprisonerescapedfromthejail——that’swhatitmeans。’
Alllistened。Thesoundwasrepeated，andnoneofthemspokebutthemaninthechimney-corner，whosaidquietly，’I’veoftenbeentoldthatinthiscountytheyfireagunatsuchtimes；butIneverheardittillnow。’
’IwonderifitisMYman？’murmuredthepersonageincinder-gray。
’Surelyitis！’saidtheshepherdinvoluntarily。’Andsurelywe’vezeedhim！Thatlittlemanwholookedinatthedoorbynow，andquiveredlikealeafwhenhezeedyeandheardyoursong！’
’Histeethchattered，andthebreathwentoutofhisbody，’saidthedairyman。
’Andhisheartseemedtosinkwithinhimlikeastone，’saidOliverGiles。
’Andheboltedasifhe’dbeenshotat，’saidthehedge-carpenter。
’True——histeethchattered，andhisheartseemedtosink；andheboltedasifhe’dbeenshotat，’slowlysummedupthemaninthechimney-corner。
’Ididn’tnoticeit，’remarkedthehangman。
’Wewerealla-wonderingwhatmadehimrunoffinsuchafright，’
falteredoneofthewomenagainstthewall，’andnow’tisexplained！’
Thefiringofthealarm-gunwentonatintervals，lowandsullenly，andtheirsuspicionsbecameacertainty。Thesinistergentlemanincinder-grayrousedhimself。’Isthereaconstablehere？’heasked，inthicktones。’Ifso，lethimstepforward。’
Theengagedmanoffiftysteppedquaveringoutfromthewall，hisbetrothedbeginningtosobonthebackofthechair。
’Youareaswornconstable？’
’Ibe，sir。’
’Thenpursuethecriminalatonce，withassistance，andbringhimbackhere。Hecan’thavegonefar。’