第15章

’Thereisonlyonechanceofdoingitknowntome。Ithasneverfailedinkindredafflictions，——thatIcandeclare。Butitishardtocarryout，andespeciallyforawoman。’

’Tellme！’saidshe。

’Youmusttouchwiththelimbtheneckofamanwho’sbeenhanged。’

Shestartedalittleattheimagehehadraised。

’Beforehe’scold——justafterhe’scutdown，’continuedtheconjurorimpassively。

’Howcanthatdogood？’

’Itwillturnthebloodandchangetheconstitution。But，asIsay，todoitishard。Youmustgetintojail，andwaitforhimwhenhe’sbroughtoffthegallows。Lotshavedoneit，thoughperhapsnotsuchprettywomenasyou。Iusedtosenddozensforskincomplaints。Butthatwasinformertimes。ThelastIsentwasin’13——neartwentyyearsago。’

Hehadnomoretotellher；and，whenhehadputherintoastraighttrackhomeward，turnedandlefther，refusingallmoneyasatfirst。

ThecommunicationsankdeepintoGertrude’smind。Hernaturewasratheratimidone；andprobablyofallremediesthatthewhitewizardcouldhavesuggestedtherewasnotonewhichwouldhavefilledherwithsomuchaversionasthis，nottospeakoftheimmenseobstaclesinthewayofitsadoption。

Casterbridge，thecounty-town，wasadozenorfifteenmilesoff；andthoughinthosedays，whenmenwereexecutedforhorse-stealing，arson，andburglary，anassizeseldompassedwithoutahanging，itwasnotlikelythatshecouldgetaccesstothebodyofthecriminalunaided。Andthefearofherhusband’sangermadeherreluctanttobreatheawordofTrendle’ssuggestiontohimortoanybodyabouthim。

Shedidnothingformonths，andpatientlyboreherdisfigurementasbefore。Butherwoman’snature，cravingforrenewedlove，throughthemediumofrenewedbeauty(shewasbuttwenty-five)，waseverstimulatinghertotrywhat，atanyrate，couldhardlydoheranyharm。’Whatcamebyaspellwillgobyaspellsurely，’shewouldsay。Wheneverherimaginationpicturedtheactsheshrankinterrorfromthepossibilityofit:thenthewordsoftheconjuror，’Itwillturnyourblood，’wereseentobecapableofascientificnolessthanaghastlyinterpretation；themasteringdesirereturned，andurgedheronagain。

Therewasatthistimebutonecountypaper，andthatherhusbandonlyoccasionallyborrowed。Butold-fashioneddayshadold-

fashionedmeans，andnewswasextensivelyconveyedbywordofmouthfrommarkettomarket，orfromfairtofair，sothat，wheneversuchaneventasanexecutionwasabouttotakeplace，fewwithinaradiusoftwentymileswereignorantofthecomingsight；and，sofarasHolmstokewasconcerned，someenthusiastshadbeenknowntowalkallthewaytoCasterbridgeandbackinoneday，solelytowitnessthespectacle。ThenextassizeswereinMarch；andwhenGertrudeLodgeheardthattheyhadbeenheld，sheinquiredstealthilyattheinnastotheresult，assoonasshecouldfindopportunity。

Shewas，however，toolate。Thetimeatwhichthesentencesweretobecarriedouthadarrived，andtomakethejourneyandobtainadmissionatsuchshortnoticerequiredatleastherhusband’sassistance。Shedarednottellhim，forshehadfoundbydelicateexperimentthatthesesmoulderingvillagebeliefsmadehimfuriousifmentioned，partlybecausehehalfentertainedthemhimself。Itwasthereforenecessarytowaitforanotheropportunity。

HerdeterminationreceivedafillipfromlearningthattwoepilepticchildrenhadattendedfromthisveryvillageofHolmstokemanyyearsbeforewithbeneficialresults，thoughtheexperimenthadbeenstronglycondemnedbytheneighbouringclergy。April，May，June，passed；anditisnooverstatementtosaythatbytheendofthelast-namedmonthGertrudewell-nighlongedforthedeathofafellow-creature。Insteadofherformalprayerseachnight，herunconsciousprayerwas，’OLord，hangsomeguiltyorinnocentpersonsoon！’

Thistimeshemadeearlierinquiries，andwasaltogethermoresystematicinherproceedings。Moreover，theseasonwassummer，betweenthehaymakingandtheharvest，andintheleisurethusaffordedhimherhusbandhadbeenholiday-takingawayfromhome。

TheassizeswereinJuly，andshewenttotheinnasbefore。Therewastobeoneexecution——onlyone——forarson。

HergreatestproblemwasnothowtogettoCasterbridge，butwhatmeanssheshouldadoptforobtainingadmissiontothejail。Thoughaccessforsuchpurposeshadformerlyneverbeendenied，thecustomhadfallenintodesuetude；andincontemplatingherpossibledifficulties，shewasagainalmostdriventofallbackuponherhusband。But，onsoundinghimabouttheassizes，hewassouncommunicative，somorethanusuallycold，thatshedidnotproceed，anddecidedthatwhatevershedidshewoulddoalone。

Fortune，obduratehitherto，showedherunexpectedfavour。OntheThursdaybeforetheSaturdayfixedfortheexecution，Lodgeremarkedtoherthathewasgoingawayfromhomeforanotherdayortwoonbusinessatafair，andthathewassorryhecouldnottakeherwithhim。

Sheexhibitedonthisoccasionsomuchreadinesstostayathomethathelookedatherinsurprise。Timehadbeenwhenshewouldhaveshowndeepdisappointmentatthelossofsuchajaunt。

However，helapsedintohisusualtaciturnity，andonthedaynamedleftHolmstoke。

Itwasnowherturn。Sheatfirsthadthoughtofdriving，butonreflectionheldthatdrivingwouldnotdo，sinceitwouldnecessitateherkeepingtotheturnpike-road，andsoincreasebytenfoldtheriskofherghastlyerrandbeingfoundout。Shedecidedtoride，andavoidthebeatentrack，notwithstandingthatinherhusband’sstablestherewasnoanimaljustatpresentwhichbyanystretchofimaginationcouldbeconsideredalady’smount，inspiteofhispromisebeforemarriagetoalwayskeepamareforher。Hehad，however，manycart-horses，fineonesoftheirkind；andamongtherestwasaserviceablecreature，anequineAmazon，withabackasbroadasasofa，onwhichGertrudehadoccasionallytakenanairingwhenunwell。Thishorseshechose。

OnFridayafternoononeofthemenbroughtitround。Shewasdressed，andbeforegoingdownlookedathershrivelledarm。’Ah！’

shesaidtoit，’ifithadnotbeenforyouthisterribleordealwouldhavebeensavedme！’

Whenstrappingupthebundleinwhichshecarriedafewarticlesofclothing，shetookoccasiontosaytotheservant，’ItaketheseincaseIshouldnotgetbackto-nightfromthepersonIamgoingtovisit。Don’tbealarmedifIamnotinbyten，andcloseupthehouseasusual。Ishallbeathometo-morrowforcertain。’Shemeantthentoprivatelytellherhusband:thedeedaccomplishedwasnotlikethedeedprojected。Hewouldalmostcertainlyforgiveher。

AndthentheprettypalpitatingGertrudeLodgewentfromherhusband’shomestead；butthoughhergoalwasCasterbridgeshedidnottakethedirectroutethitherthroughStickleford。Hercunningcourseatfirstwasinpreciselytheoppositedirection。Assoonasshewasoutofsight，however，sheturnedtotheleft，byaroadwhichledintoEgdon，andonenteringtheheathwheeledround，andsetoutinthetruecourse，duewesterly。Amoreprivatewaydownthecountycouldnotbeimagined；andastodirection，shehadmerelytokeepherhorse’sheadtoapointalittletotherightofthesun。Sheknewthatshewouldlightuponafurze-cutterorcottagerofsomesortfromtimetotime，fromwhomshemightcorrectherbearing。

Thoughthedatewascomparativelyrecent，Egdonwasmuchlessfragmentaryincharacterthannow。Theattempts——successfulandotherwise——atcultivationonthelowerslopes，whichintrudeandbreakuptheoriginalheathintosmalldetachedheaths，hadnotbeencarriedfar；EnclosureActshadnottakeneffect，andthebanksandfenceswhichnowexcludethecattleofthosevillagerswhoformerlyenjoyedrightsofcommonagethereon，andthecartsofthosewhohadturbaryprivilegeswhichkepttheminfiringalltheyearround，werenoterected。Gertrude，therefore，rodealongwithnootherobstaclesthanthepricklyfurzebushes，thematsofheather，thewhitewater-courses，andthenaturalsteepsanddeclivitiesoftheground。

Herhorsewassure，ifheavy-footedandslow，andthoughadraughtanimal，waseasy-paced；haditbeenotherwise，shewasnotawomanwhocouldhaveventuredtorideoversuchabitofcountrywithahalf-deadarm。Itwasthereforenearlyeighto’clockwhenshedrewreintobreathethemareonthelastoutlyinghighpointofheath-

landtowardsCasterbridge，previoustoleavingEgdonforthecultivatedvalleys。

ShehaltedbeforeapoolcalledRushy-pond，flankedbytheendsoftwohedges；arailingranthroughthecentreofthepond，dividingitinhalf。Overtherailingshesawthelowgreencountry；overthegreentreestheroofsofthetown；overtheroofsawhiteflatfacade，denotingtheentrancetothecountyjail。Ontheroofofthisfrontspecksweremovingabout；theyseemedtobeworkmenerectingsomething。Herfleshcrept。Shedescendedslowly，andwassoonamidcorn-fieldsandpastures。Inanotherhalf-hour，whenitwasalmostdusk，GertrudereachedtheWhiteHart，thefirstinnofthetownonthatside。

Littlesurprisewasexcitedbyherarrival；farmers’wivesrodeonhorsebackthenmorethantheydonow；though，forthatmatter，Mrs。

Lodgewasnotimaginedtobeawifeatall；theinnkeepersupposedhersomeharum-skarumyoungwomanwhohadcometoattend’hang-fair’

nextday。NeitherherhusbandnorherselfeverdealtinCasterbridgemarket，sothatshewasunknown。Whiledismountingshebeheldacrowdofboysstandingatthedoorofaharness-maker’sshopjustabovetheinn，lookinginsideitwithdeepinterest。

’Whatisgoingonthere？’sheaskedoftheostler。

’Makingtheropeforto-morrow。’

Shethrobbedresponsively，andcontractedherarm。

’’Tissoldbytheinchafterwards，’themancontinued。’Icouldgetyouabit，miss，fornothing，ifyou’dlike？’

Shehastilyrepudiatedanysuchwish，allthemorefromacuriouscreepingfeelingthatthecondemnedwretch’sdestinywasbecominginterwovenwithherown；andhavingengagedaroomforthenight，satdowntothink。

Uptothistimeshehadformedbutthevaguestnotionsabouthermeansofobtainingaccesstotheprison。Thewordsofthecunning-

manreturnedtohermind。Hehadimpliedthatsheshoulduseherbeauty，impairedthoughitwas，asapass-key。Inherinexperiencesheknewlittleaboutjailfunctionaries；shehadheardofahigh-

sheriffandanunder-sheriff；butdimlyonly。Sheknew，however，thattheremustbeahangman，andtothehangmanshedeterminedtoapply。