第11章

’Hey——what？’saidthemagistrate，comingforwardafterinquiringparticularsfromtheshepherdinthebackground。’Haven’tyougotthemanafterall？’

’Well，sir，’saidtheconstable，’he’sthemanwewereinsearchof，that’strue；andyethe’snotthemanwewereinsearchof。Forthemanwewereinsearchofwasnotthemanwewanted，sir，ifyouunderstandmyevery-dayway；for’twasthemaninthechimney-

corner！’

’Aprettykettleoffishaltogether！’saidthemagistrate。’Youhadbetterstartfortheothermanatonce。’

Theprisonernowspokeforthefirsttime。Thementionofthemaninthechimney-cornerseemedtohavemovedhimasnothingelsecoulddo。’Sir，’hesaid，steppingforwardtothemagistrate，’takenomoretroubleaboutme。ThetimeiscomewhenImayaswellspeak。

Ihavedonenothing；mycrimeisthatthecondemnedmanismybrother。EarlythisafternoonIlefthomeatShottsfordtotrampitallthewaytoCasterbridgejailtobidhimfarewell。Iwasbenighted，andcalledheretorestandasktheway。WhenIopenedthedoorIsawbeforemetheveryman，mybrother，thatIthoughttoseeinthecondemnedcellatCasterbridge。Hewasinthischimney-

corner；andjammedclosetohim，sothathecouldnothavegotoutifhehadtried，wastheexecutionerwho’dcometotakehislife，singingasongaboutitandnotknowingthatitwashisvictimwhowascloseby，joiningintosaveappearances。Mybrotherlookedaglanceofagonyatme，andIknewhemeant，“Don’trevealwhatyousee；mylifedependsonit。“Iwassoterror-struckthatIcouldhardlystand，and，notknowingwhatIdid，Iturnedandhurriedaway。’

Thenarrator’smannerandtonehadthestampoftruth，andhisstorymadeagreatimpressiononallaround。’Anddoyouknowwhereyourbrotherisatthepresenttime？’askedthemagistrate。

’Idonot。IhaveneverseenhimsinceIclosedthisdoor。’

’Icantestifytothat，forwe’vebeenbetweenyeeversince，’saidtheconstable。

’Wheredoeshethinktoflyto？——whatishisoccupation？’

’He’sawatch-and-clock-maker，sir。’

’’Asaid’awasawheelwright——awickedrogue，’saidtheconstable。

’Thewheelsofclocksandwatcheshemeant，nodoubt，’saidShepherdFennel。’Ithoughthishandswerepalishfor’strade。’

’Well，itappearstomethatnothingcanbegainedbyretainingthispoormanincustody，’saidthemagistrate；’yourbusinesslieswiththeother，unquestionably。’

Andsothelittlemanwasreleasedoff-hand；buthelookednothingthelesssadonthataccount，itbeingbeyondthepowerofmagistrateorconstabletorazeoutthewrittentroublesinhisbrain，fortheyconcernedanotherwhomheregardedwithmoresolicitudethanhimself。Whenthiswasdone，andthemanhadgonehisway，thenightwasfoundtobesofaradvancedthatitwasdeemeduselesstorenewthesearchbeforethenextmorning。

Nextday，accordingly，thequestforthecleversheep-stealerbecamegeneralandkeen，toallappearanceatleast。Buttheintendedpunishmentwascruellydisproportionedtothetransgression，andthesympathyofagreatmanycountry-folkinthatdistrictwasstronglyonthesideofthefugitive。Moreover，hismarvellouscoolnessanddaringinhob-and-nobbingwiththehangman，undertheunprecedentedcircumstancesoftheshepherd’sparty，wontheiradmiration。Sothatitmaybequestionedifallthosewhoostensiblymadethemselvessobusyinexploringwoodsandfieldsandlaneswerequitesothoroughwhenitcametotheprivateexaminationoftheirownloftsandouthouses。Storieswereafloatofamysteriousfigurebeingoccasionallyseeninsomeoldovergrowntrackwayorother，remotefromturnpikeroads；butwhenasearchwasinstitutedinanyofthesesuspectedquartersnobodywasfound。Thusthedaysandweekspassedwithouttidings。

Inbrief；thebass-voicedmanofthechimney-cornerwasneverrecaptured。Somesaidthathewentacrossthesea，othersthathedidnot，butburiedhimselfinthedepthsofapopulouscity。Atanyrate，thegentlemanincinder-grayneverdidhismorning’sworkatCasterbridge，normetanywhereatall，forbusinesspurposes，thegenialcomradewithwhomhehadpassedanhourofrelaxationinthelonelyhouseonthecoomb。

ThegrasshaslongbeengreenonthegravesofShepherdFennelandhisfrugalwife；theguestswhomadeupthechristeningpartyhavemainlyfollowedtheirentertainerstothetomb；thebabyinwhosehonourtheyallhadmetisamatroninthesereandyellowleaf。

Butthearrivalofthethreestrangersattheshepherd’sthatnight，andthedetailsconnectedtherewith，isastoryaswellknownaseverinthecountryaboutHigherCrowstairs。

Itwasaneighty-cowdairy，andthetroopofmilkers，regularandsupernumerary，wereallatwork；for，thoughthetimeofyearwasasyetbutearlyApril，thefeedlayentirelyinwater-meadows，andthecowswere’infullpail。’Thehourwasaboutsixintheevening，andthree-fourthsofthelarge，red，rectangularanimalshavingbeenfinishedoff，therewasopportunityforalittleconversation。

’Hedobringhomehisbrideto-morrow，Ihear。They’vecomeasfarasAngleburyto-day。’

ThevoiceseemedtoproceedfromthebellyofthecowcalledCherry，butthespeakerwasamilking-woman，whosefacewasburiedintheflankofthatmotionlessbeast。

’Hav’anybodyseenher？’saidanother。

Therewasanegativeresponsefromthefirst。’Thoughtheysayshe’sarosy-cheeked，tisty-tostylittlebodyenough，’sheadded；

andasthemilkmaidspokesheturnedherfacesothatshecouldglancepasthercow’stailtotheothersideofthebarton，whereathin，fadingwomanofthirtymilkedsomewhatapartfromtherest。

’Yearsyoungerthanhe，theysay，’continuedthesecond，withalsoaglanceofreflectivenessinthesamedirection。

’Howolddoyoucallhim，then？’

’Thirtyorso。’

’Morelikeforty，’brokeinanoldmilkmannear，inalongwhitepinaforeor’wropper，’andwiththebrimofhishattieddown，sothathelookedlikeawoman。’’AwasbornbeforeourGreatWeirwasbuilded，andIhadn’tman’swageswhenIlavedwaterthere。’

Thediscussionwaxedsowarmthatthepurrofthemilk-streamsbecamejerky，tillavoicefromanothercow’sbellycriedwithauthority，’Nowthen，whattheTurkdoitmattertousaboutFarmerLodge’sage，orFarmerLodge’snewmis’ess？Ishallhavetopayhimninepoundayearfortherentofeveryoneofthesemilchers，whateverhisageorhers。Getonwithyourwork，or’twillbedarkaforewehavedone。Theeveningispinkingina’ready。’Thisspeakerwasthedairymanhimself；bywhomthemilkmaidsandmenwereemployed。

NothingmorewassaidpubliclyaboutFarmerLodge’swedding，butthefirstwomanmurmuredunderhercowtohernextneighbour，’’TishardforSHE，’signifyingthethinwornmilkmaidaforesaid。

’Ono，’saidthesecond。’Heha’n’tspoketoRhodaBrookforyears。’

Whenthemilkingwasdonetheywashedtheirpailsandhungthemonamany-forkedstandmadeofthepeeledlimbofanoak-tree，setuprightintheearth，andresemblingacolossalantleredhorn。Themajoritythendispersedinvariousdirectionshomeward。Thethinwomanwhohadnotspokenwasjoinedbyaboyoftwelveorthereabout，andthetwainwentawayupthefieldalso。

Theircourselayapartfromthatoftheothers，toalonelyspothighabovethewater-meads，andnotfarfromtheborderofEgdonHeath，whosedarkcountenancewasvisibleinthedistanceastheydrewnightotheirhome。

’They’vejustbeensayingdowninbartonthatyourfatherbringshisyoungwifehomefromAngleburyto-morrow，’thewomanobserved。’I

shallwanttosendyouforafewthingstomarket，andyou’llbeprettysuretomeet’em。’

’Yes，mother，’saidtheboy。’Isfathermarriedthen？’

’Yes……Youcangiveheralook，andtellmewhat’sshe’slike，ifyoudoseeher。’

’Yes，mother。’

’Ifshe’sdarkorfair，andifshe’stall——astallasI。Andifsheseemslikeawomanwhohaseverworkedforaliving，oronethathasbeenalwayswelloff，andhasneverdoneanything，andshowsmarksoftheladyonher，asIexpectshedo。’

’Yes。’

Theycreptupthehillinthetwilight，andenteredthecottage。Itwasbuiltofmud-walls，thesurfaceofwhichhadbeenwashedbymanyrainsintochannelsanddepressionsthatleftnoneoftheoriginalflatfacevisible；whilehereandthereinthethatchabovearaftershowedlikeaboneprotrudingthroughtheskin。

Shewaskneelingdowninthechimney-corner，beforetwopiecesofturflaidtogetherwiththeheatherinwards，blowingatthered-hotasheswithherbreathtilltheturvesflamed。Theradiancelitherpalecheek，andmadeherdarkeyes，thathadoncebeenhandsome，seemhandsomeanew。’Yes，’sheresumed，’seeifsheisdarkorfair，andifyoucan，noticeifherhandsbewhite；ifnot，seeiftheylookasthoughshehadeverdonehousework，oraremilker’shandslikemine。’

Theboyagainpromised，inattentivelythistime，hismothernotobservingthathewascuttinganotchwithhispocket-knifeinthebeech-backedchair。