第17章

ThemeresightofthetwainhadbeenenoughtosuggesttoherthatthedeadyoungmanwasRhoda’sson。Atthattimetherelativesofanexecutedconvicthadtheprivilegeofclaimingthebodyforburial，iftheychosetodoso；anditwasforthispurposethatLodgewasawaitingtheinquestwithRhoda。Hehadbeensummonedbyherassoonastheyoungmanwastakeninthecrime，andatdifferenttimessince；andhehadattendedincourtduringthetrial。Thiswasthe’holiday’hehadbeenindulginginoflate。

Thetwowretchedparentshadwishedtoavoidexposure；andhencehadcomethemselvesforthebody，awaggonandsheetforitsconveyanceandcoveringbeinginwaitingoutside。

Gertrude’scasewassoseriousthatitwasdeemedadvisabletocalltoherthesurgeonwhowasathand。Shewastakenoutofthejailintothetown；butsheneverreachedhomealive。Herdelicatevitality，sappedperhapsbytheparalyzedarm，collapsedunderthedoubleshockthatfollowedtheseverestrain，physicalandmental，towhichshehadsubjectedherselfduringtheprevioustwenty-fourhours。Herbloodhadbeen’turned’indeed——toofar。Herdeathtookplaceinthetownthreedaysafter。

HerhusbandwasneverseeninCasterbridgeagain；onceonlyintheoldmarket-placeatAnglebury，whichhehadsomuchfrequented，andveryseldominpublicanywhere。Burdenedatfirstwithmoodinessandremorse，heeventuallychangedforthebetter，andappearedasachastenedandthoughtfulman。SoonafterattendingthefuneralofhispooryoungwifehetookstepstowardsgivingupthefarmsinHolmstokeandtheadjoiningparish，and，havingsoldeveryheadofhisstock，hewentawaytoPort-Bredy，attheotherendofthecounty，livingthereinsolitarylodgingstillhisdeathtwoyearslaterofapainlessdecline。Itwasthenfoundthathehadbequeathedthewholeofhisnotinconsiderablepropertytoareformatoryforboys，subjecttothepaymentofasmallannuitytoRhodaBrook，ifshecouldbefoundtoclaimit。

Forsometimeshecouldnotbefound；buteventuallyshereappearedinheroldparish，——absolutelyrefusing，however，tohaveanythingtodowiththeprovisionmadeforher。Hermonotonousmilkingatthedairywasresumed，andfollowedformanylongyears，tillherformbecamebent，andheronceabundantdarkhairwhiteandwornawayattheforehead——perhapsbylongpressureagainstthecows。

Here，sometimes，thosewhoknewherexperienceswouldstandandobserveher，andwonderwhatsombrethoughtswerebeatinginsidethatimpassive，wrinkledbrow，totherhythmofthealternatingmilk-streams。

(’Blackwood’sMagazine，’January1888。)

Theshepherdontheeasthillcouldshoutoutlambingintelligencetotheshepherdonthewesthill，overtheinterveningtownchimneys，withoutgreatinconveniencetohisvoice，sonearlydidthesteeppasturesencroachupontheburghers’backyards。Andatnightitwaspossibletostandintheverymidstofthetownandhearfromtheirnativepaddocksonthelowerlevelsofgreenswardthemildlowingofthefarmer’sheifers，andtheprofound，warmblowingsofbreathinwhichthosecreaturesindulge。Butthecommunitywhichhadjammeditselfinthevalleythusflankedformedaveritabletown，witharealmayorandcorporation，andastaplemanufacture。

Duringacertaindampeveningfive-and-thirtyyearsago，beforethetwilightwasfaradvanced，apedestrianofprofessionalappearance，carryingasmallbaginhishandandanelevatedumbrella，wasdescendingoneofthesehillsbytheturnpikeroadwhenhewasovertakenbyaphaeton。

’Hullo，Downe——isthatyou？’saidthedriverofthevehicle，ayoungmanofpaleandrefinedappearance。’Jumpupherewithme，andridedowntoyourdoor。’

Theotherturnedaplump，cheery，ratherself-indulgentfaceoverhisshouldertowardsthehailer。

’O，goodevening，Mr。Barnet——thanks，’hesaid，andmountedbesidehisacquaintance。

Theywerefellow-burgessesofthetownwhichlaybeneaththem，butthougholdandverygoodfriends，theyweredifferentlycircumstanced。BarnetwasarichermanthanthestrugglingyounglawyerDowne，afactwhichwastosomeextentperceptibleinDowne’smannertowardshiscompanion，thoughnothingofitevershowedinBarnet’smannertowardsthesolicitor。Barnet’spositioninthetownwasnoneofhisownmaking；hisfatherhadbeenaverysuccessfulflax-merchantinthesameplace，wherethetradewasstillcarriedonasbrisklyasthesmallcapacitiesofitsquarterswouldallow。Havingacquiredafairfortune，oldMr。Barnethadretiredfrombusiness，bringinguphissonasagentleman-burgher，and，itmustbeadded，asawell-educated，liberal-mindedyoungman。

’HowisMrs。Barnet？’askedDowne。

’Mrs。BarnetwasverywellwhenIlefthome，’theotheransweredconstrainedly，exchanginghismeditativeregardofthehorseforoneofself-consciousness。

Mr。Downeseemedtoregrethisinquiry，andimmediatelytookupanotherthreadofconversation。Hecongratulatedhisfriendonhiselectionasacouncil-man；hethoughthehadnotseenhimsincethateventtookplace；Mrs。DownehadmeanttocallandcongratulateMrs。

Barnet，buthefearedthatshehadfailedtodosoasyet。

Barnetseemedhamperedinhisreplies。’WEshouldhavebeengladtoseeyou。I——mywifewouldwelcomeMrs。Downeatanytime，asyouknow……Yes，Iamamemberofthecorporation——ratheraninexperiencedmember，someofthemsay。Itisquitetrue；andI

shouldhavedeclinedthehonouraspremature——havingotherthingsonmyhandsjustnow，too——ifithadnotbeenpresseduponmesoveryheartily。’

’ThereisonethingyouhaveonyourhandswhichIcanneverquiteseethenecessityfor，’saidDowne，withgood-humouredfreedom。

’Whatthedeucedoyouwanttobuildthatnewmansionfor，whenyouhavealreadygotsuchanexcellenthouseastheoneyoulivein？’

Barnet’sfaceacquiredawarmershadeofcolour；butasthequestionhadbeenidlyaskedbythesolicitorwhileregardingthesurroundingflocksandfields，heansweredafteramomentwithnoapparentembarrassment-

’Well，wewantedtogetoutofthetown，youknow:thehouseIamlivinginisratheroldandinconvenient。’Mr。Downedeclaredthathehadchosenaprettysiteforthenewbuilding。Theywouldbeabletoseeformilesandmilesfromthewindows。Washegoingtogiveitaname？Hesupposedso。

Barnetthoughtnot。Therewasnootherhousenearthatwaslikelytobemistakenforit。Andhedidnotcareforaname。

’ButIthinkithasaname！’Downeobserved:’Iwentpast——whenwasit？——thismorning；andIsawsomething，——“ChateauRingdale，“I

thinkitwas，stuckuponaboard！’

’Itwasanideashe——wehadforashorttime，’saidBarnethastily。

’Butwehavedecidedfinallytodowithoutaname——atanyratesuchanameasthat。Itmusthavebeenaweekagothatyousawit。ItwastakendownlastSaturday……UponthatmatterIamfirm！’headdedgrimly。

Downemurmuredinanunconvincedtonethathethoughthehadseenityesterday。

Talkingthustheydroveintothetown。Thestreetwasunusuallystillforthehourofsevenintheevening；anincreasingdrizzlehadprevailedsincetheafternoon，andnowformedagauzeacrosstheyellowlamps，andtrickledwithagentlerattledowntheheavyroofsofstonetile，thatbentthehouse-ridgeshollow-backedwithitsweight，andinsomeinstancescausedthewallstobulgeoutwardsintheupperstory。Theirroutetookthempastthelittletown-hall，theBlack-BullHotel，andonwardtothejunctionofasmallstreetontheright，consistingofarowofthosetwo-and-twowindowedbrickresidencesofnoparticularage，whichareexactlyalikewhereverfound，exceptinthepeopletheycontain。

’Wait——I’lldriveyouuptoyourdoor，’saidBarnet，whenDownepreparedtoalightatthecorner。Hethereuponturnedintothenarrowstreet，whenthefacesofthreelittlegirlscouldbediscernedclosetothepanesofalightedwindowafewyardsahead，surmountedbythatofayoungmatron，thegazeofallfourbeingdirectedeagerlyuptheemptystreet。’Youareafortunatefellow，Downe，’Barnetcontinued，asmotherandchildrendisappearedfromthewindowtoruntothedoor。’Youmustbehappyifanymanis。I

wouldgiveahundredsuchhousesasmynewonetohaveahomelikeyours。’

’Well——yes，wegetalongprettycomfortably，’repliedDownecomplacently。

’Thathouse，Downe，isnoneofmyordering，’Barnetbrokeout，revealingabitternesshithertosuppressed，andcheckingthehorseamomenttofinishhisspeechbeforedeliveringuphispassenger。

’ThehouseIhavealreadyisgoodenoughforme，asyousupposed。

Itismyownfreehold；itwasbuiltbymygrandfather，andisstoutenoughforacastle。Myfatherwasbornthere，livedthere，anddiedthere。Iwasbornthere，andhavealwayslivedthere；yetI

mustneedsbuildanewone。’

’Whydoyou？’saidDowne。

’WhydoI？Topreservepeaceinthehousehold。Idoanythingforthat；butIdon’tsucceed。Iwasfirminresisting“ChateauRingdale，“however；notthatIwouldnothaveputupwiththeabsurdityofthename，butitwastoomuchtohaveyourhousechristenedafterLordRingdale，becauseyourwifeoncehadafancyforhim。Ifyouonlykneweverything，youwouldthinkallattemptatreconciliationhopeless。Inyourhappyhomeyouhavehadnosuchexperiences；andGodforbidthatyouevershould。See，heretheyareallreadytoreceiveyou！’

’Ofcourse！Andsowillyourwifebewaitingtoreceiveyou，’saidDowne。’Takemywordforitshewill！Andwithadinnerpreparedforyoufarbetterthanmine。’

’Ihopeso，’Barnetreplieddubiously。

HemovedontoDowne’sdoor，whichthesolicitor’sfamilyhadalreadyopened。Downedescended，butbeingencumberedwithhisbagandumbrella，hisfootslipped，andhefelluponhiskneesinthegutter。

’O，mydearCharles！’saidhiswife，runningdownthesteps；and，quiteignoringthepresenceofBarnet，sheseizedholdofherhusband，pulledhimtohisfeet，andkissedhim，exclaiming，’Ihopeyouarenothurt，darling！’Thechildrencrowdedround，chiminginpiteously，’Poorpapa！’

’He’sallright，’saidBarnet，perceivingthatDownewasonlyalittlemuddy，andlookingmoreatthewifethanatthehusband。

Almostatanyothertime——certainlyduringhisfastidiousbacheloryears——hewouldhavethoughtheratoodemonstrativewoman；butthoserecentcircumstancesofhisownlifetowhichhehadjustalludedmadeMrs。Downe’ssolicitudesoaffectingthathiseyegrewdampashewitnessedit。Biddingthelawyerandhisfamilygood-

nightheleftthem，anddroveslowlyintothemainstreettowardshisownhouse。