Atthisdate，andforseveralyearsafter，therewasahangmantoalmosteveryjail。Gertrudefound，oninquiry，thattheCasterbridgeofficialdweltinalonelycottagebyadeepslowriverflowingunderthecliffonwhichtheprisonbuildingsweresituate——
thestreambeingtheself-sameone，thoughshedidnotknowit，whichwateredtheSticklefordandHolmstokemeadslowerdowninitscourse。
Havingchangedherdress，andbeforeshehadeatenordrunk——forshecouldnottakehereasetillshehadascertainedsomeparticulars——
Gertrudepursuedherwaybyapathalongthewater-sidetothecottageindicated。Passingthustheoutskirtsofthejail，shediscernedonthelevelroofoverthegatewaythreerectangularlinesagainstthesky，wherethespeckshadbeenmovinginherdistantview；sherecognizedwhattheerectionwas，andpassedquicklyon。
Anotherhundredyardsbroughthertotheexecutioner’shouse，whichaboypointedoutItstoodclosetothesamestream，andwashardbyaweir，thewatersofwhichemittedasteadyroar。
Whileshestoodhesitatingthedooropened，andanoldmancameforthshadingacandlewithonehand。Lockingthedoorontheoutside，heturnedtoaflightofwoodenstepsfixedagainsttheendofthecottage，andbegantoascendthem，thisbeingevidentlythestaircasetohisbedroom。Gertrudehastenedforward，butbythetimeshereachedthefootoftheladderhewasatthetop。Shecalledtohimloudlyenoughtobeheardabovetheroaroftheweir；
helookeddownandsaid，’Whatd’yewanthere？’
’Tospeaktoyouaminute。’
Thecandle-light，suchasitwas，felluponherimploring，pale，upturnedface，andDavies(asthehangmanwascalled)backeddowntheladder。’Iwasjustgoingtobed，’hesaid；’“Earlytobedandearlytorise，“butIdon’tmindstoppingaminuteforsuchaoneasyou。Comeintohouse。’Hereopenedthedoor，andprecededhertotheroomwithin。
Theimplementsofhisdailywork，whichwasthatofajobbinggardener，stoodinacorner，andseeingprobablythatshelookedrural，hesaid，’IfyouwantmetoundertakecountryworkIcan’tcome，forIneverleaveCasterbridgeforgentlenorsimple——notI。
Myrealcallingisofficerofjustice，’headdedformally。
’Yes，yes！That’sit。To-morrow！’
’Ah！Ithoughtso。Well，what’sthematteraboutthat？’Tisnousetocomehereabouttheknot——folksdocomecontinually，butI
tell’emoneknotisasmercifulasanotherifyekeepitundertheear。Istheunfortunatemanarelation；or，Ishouldsay，perhaps’
(lookingatherdress)’apersonwho’sbeeninyouremploy？’
’No。Whattimeistheexecution？’
’Thesameasusual——twelveo’clock，orassoonafterastheLondonmail-coachgetsin。Wealwayswaitforthat，incaseofareprieve。’
’O——areprieve——Ihopenot！’shesaidinvoluntarily，’Well，——hee，hee！——asamatterofbusiness，sodoI！Butstill，ifeverayoungfellowdeservedtobeletoff，thisonedoes；onlyjustturnedeighteen，andonlypresentbychancewhentherickwasfired。
Howsomever，there’snotmuchriskofit，astheyareobligedtomakeanexampleofhim，therehavingbeensomuchdestructionofpropertythatwaylately。’
’Imean，’sheexplained，’thatIwanttotouchhimforacharm，acureofanaffliction，bytheadviceofamanwhohasprovedthevirtueoftheremedy。’
’Oyes，miss！NowIunderstand。I’vehadsuchpeoplecomeinpastyears。Butitdidn’tstrikemethatyoulookedofasorttorequireblood-turning。What’sthecomplaint？Thewrongkindforthis，I’llbebound。’
’Myarm。’Shereluctantlyshowedthewitheredskin。
’Ah——’tisalla-scram！’saidthehangman，examiningit。
’Yes，’saidshe。
’Well，’hecontinued，withinterest，’thatIStheclasso’subject，I’mboundtoadmit！Ilikethelookoftheplace；itistrulyassuitableforthecureasanyIeversaw。’Twasaknowing-manthatsent’ee，whoeverhewas。’
’Youcancontriveformeallthat’snecessary？’shesaidbreathlessly。
’Youshouldreallyhavegonetothegovernorofthejail，andyourdoctorwith’ee，andgivenyournameandaddress——that’showitusedtobedone，ifIrecollect。Still，perhaps，Icanmanageitforatriflingfee。’
’O，thankyou！Iwouldratherdoitthisway，asIshouldlikeitkeptprivate。’
’Lovernottoknow，eh？’
’No——husband。’
’Aha！Verywell。I’llgetee’atouchofthecorpse。’
’Whereisitnow？’shesaid，shuddering。
’It？——HE，youmean；he’slivingyet。Justinsidethatlittlesmallwinderupthereintheglum。’Hesignifiedthejailonthecliffabove。
Shethoughtofherhusbandandherfriends。’Yes，ofcourse，’shesaid；’andhowamItoproceed？’
Hetookhertothedoor。’Now，doyoubewaitingatthelittlewicketinthewall，thatyou’llfindupthereinthelane，notlaterthanoneo’clock。Iwillopenitfromtheinside，asIshan’tcomehometodinnertillhe’scutdown。Good-night。Bepunctual；andifyoudon’twantanybodytoknow’ee，wearaveil。Ah——onceIhadsuchadaughterasyou！’
Shewentaway，andclimbedthepathabove，toassureherselfthatshewouldbeabletofindthewicketnextday。Itsoutlinewassoonvisibletoher——anarrowopeningintheouterwalloftheprisonprecincts。Thesteepwassogreatthat，havingreachedthewicket，shestoppedamomenttobreathe；and，lookingbackuponthewater-
sidecot，sawthehangmanagainascendinghisoutdoorstaircase。Heenteredtheloftorchambertowhichitled，andinafewminutesextinguishedhislight。
Thetownclockstruckten，andshereturnedtotheWhiteHartasshehadcome。
Itwasoneo’clockonSaturday。GertrudeLodge，havingbeenadmittedtothejailasabovedescribed，wassittinginawaiting-
roomwithinthesecondgate，whichstoodunderaclassicarchwayofashlar，thencomparativelymodern，andbearingtheinscription，’COVNTYJAIL:1793。’Thishadbeenthefacadeshesawfromtheheaththedaybefore。Nearathandwasapassagetotheroofonwhichthegallowsstood。
Thetownwasthronged，andthemarketsuspended；butGertrudehadseenscarcelyasoul。Havingkeptherroomtillthehouroftheappointment，shehadproceededtothespotbyawaywhichavoidedtheopenspacebelowthecliffwherethespectatorshadgathered；
butshecould，evennow，hearthemultitudinousbabbleoftheirvoices，outofwhichroseatintervalsthehoarsecroakofasinglevoiceutteringthewords，’Lastdyingspeechandconfession！’Therehadbeennoreprieve，andtheexecutionwasover；butthecrowdstillwaitedtoseethebodytakendown。
Soonthepersistentgirlheardatramplingoverhead，thenahandbeckonedtoher，and，followingdirections，shewentoutandcrossedtheinnerpavedcourtbeyondthegatehouse，herkneestremblingsothatshecouldscarcelywalk。Oneofherarmswasoutofitssleeve，andonlycoveredbyhershawl。
Onthespotatwhichshehadnowarrivedweretwotrestles，andbeforeshecouldthinkoftheirpurposesheheardheavyfeetdescendingstairssomewhereatherback。Turnherheadshewouldnot，orcouldnot，and，rigidinthisposition，shewasconsciousofaroughcoffinpassinghershoulder，bornebyfourmen。Itwasopen，andinitlaythebodyofayoungman，wearingthesmockfrockofarustic，andfustianbreeches。Thecorpsehadbeenthrownintothecoffinsohastilythattheskirtofthesmockfrockwashangingover。Theburdenwastemporarilydepositedonthetrestles。
Bythistimetheyoungwoman’sstatewassuchthatagraymistseemedtofloatbeforehereyes，onaccountofwhich，andtheveilshewore，shecouldscarcelydiscernanything:itwasasthoughshehadnearlydied，butwasheldupbyasortofgalvanism。
’Now！’saidavoicecloseathand，andshewasjustconsciousthatthewordhadbeenaddressedtoher。
Byalaststrenuouseffortsheadvanced，atthesametimehearingpersonsapproachingbehindher。Shebaredherpoorcurstarm；andDavies，uncoveringthefaceofthecorpse，tookGertrude’shand，andhelditsothatherarmlayacrossthedeadman’sneck，uponalinethecolourofanunripeblackberry，whichsurroundedit。
Gertrudeshrieked:’theturno’theblood，’predictedbytheconjuror，hadtakenplace。Butatthatmomentasecondshriekrenttheairoftheenclosure:itwasnotGertrude’s，anditseffectuponherwastomakeherstartround。
ImmediatelybehindherstoodRhodaBrook，herfacedrawn，andhereyesredwithweeping。BehindRhodastoodGertrude’sownhusband；
hiscountenancelined，hiseyesdim，butwithoutatear。
’D-nyou！whatareyoudoinghere？’hesaidhoarsely。
’Hussy——tocomebetweenusandourchildnow！’criedRhoda。’ThisisthemeaningofwhatSatanshowedmeinthevision！Youarelikeheratlast！’Andclutchingthebarearmoftheyoungerwoman，shepulledherunresistinglybackagainstthewall。ImmediatelyBrookhadloosenedherholdthefragileyoungGertrudesliddownagainstthefeetofherhusband。Whenheliftedherupshewasunconscious。
