’Yes；solelybecauseyoumarriedhimonthedayIwasfreetoaskyoutomarryme。Mywifediedfour-and-twentyhoursbeforeyouwenttochurchwithDowne。Thefixingofmyjourneyatthatparticularmomentwasbecauseofherfuneral；butonceawayIknewIshouldhavenoinducementtocomeback，andtookmystepsaccordingly。’
Herfaceassumedanaspectofgentlereflection，andshelookedupanddownhisformwithgreatinterestinhereyes。’Ineverthoughtofit！’shesaid。’Iknew，ofcourse，thatyouhadonceimpliedsomewarmthoffeelingtowardsme，butIconcludedthatitpassedoff。AndIhavealwaysbeenundertheimpressionthatyourwifewasaliveatthetimeofmymarriage。Wasitnotstupidofme！——Butyouwillhavesometeaorsomething？Ihaveneverdinedlate，youknow，sincemyhusband’sdeath。Ihavegotintothewayofmakingaregularmealoftea。Youwillhavesometeawithme，willyounot？’
Thetravelledmanassentedquitereadily，andteawasbroughtin。
Theysatandchattedoverthemeal，regardlessoftheflyinghour。
’Well，well！’saidBarnetpresently，asforthefirsttimeheleisurelysurveyedtheroom；’howlikeitallis，andyethowdifferent！Justwhereyourpianostandswasaboardonacoupleoftrestles，bearingthepatternsofwall-papers，whenIwaslasthere。
Iwaschoosingthem——standinginthisway，asitmightbe。Thenmyservantcameinatthedoor，andhandedmeanote，so。ItwasfromDowne，andannouncedthatyouwerejustgoingtobemarriedtohim。
Ichosenomorewall-papers——toreupallthoseIhadselected，andleftthehouse。Ineverentereditagaintillnow。’
’Ah，atlastIunderstanditall，’shemurmured。
Theyhadbothrisenandgonetothefireplace。Themantelcamealmostonalevelwithhershoulder，whichgentlyrestedagainstit，andBarnetlaidhishandupontheshelfclosebesidehershoulder。
’Lucy，’hesaid，’betterlatethannever。Willyoumarrymenow？’
Shestartedback，andthesurprisewhichwassoobviousinherwroughtevengreatersurpriseinhimthatitshouldbeso。Itwasdifficulttobelievethatshehadbeenquiteblindtothesituation，andyetallreasonandcommonsensewenttoprovethatshewasnotacting。
’Youtakemequiteunawaresbysuchaquestion！’shesaid，withaforcedlaughofuneasiness。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadshownanyembarrassmentatall。’Why，’sheadded，’Icouldn’tmarryyoufortheworld。’
’Notafterallthis！Whynot？’
’Itis——Iwould——IreallythinkImaysayit——Iwoulduponthewholerathermarryyou，Mr。Barnet，thananyothermanIhaveevermet，ifIeverdreamedofmarriageagain。ButIdon’tdreamofit——itisquiteoutofmythoughts；Ihavenottheleastintentionofmarryingagain。’
’But——onmyaccount——couldn’tyoualteryourplansalittle？Come！’
’DearMr。Barnet，’shesaidwithalittleflutter，’Iwouldonyouraccountifonanybody’sinexistence。Butyoudon’tknowintheleastwhatitisyouareasking——suchanimpracticablething——I
won’tsayridiculous，ofcourse，becauseIseethatyouarereallyinearnest，andearnestnessisneverridiculoustomymind。’
’Well，yes，’saidBarnetmoreslowly，droppingherhand，whichhehadtakenatthemomentofpleading，’Iaminearnest。Theresolve，twomonthsago，attheCape，tocomebackoncemorewas，itistrue，rathersudden，andasIseenow，notwellconsidered。ButIaminearnestinasking。’
’AndIindeclining。Withallgoodfeelingandallkindness，letmesaythatIamquiteopposedtotheideaofmarryingasecondtime。’
’Well，noharmhasbeendone，’heanswered，withthesamesubduedandtenderhumorousnessthathehadshownonsuchoccasionsinearlylife。’Ifyoureallywon’tacceptme，Imustputupwithit，I
suppose。’Hiseyefellontheclockashespoke。’Hadyouanynotionthatitwassolate？’heasked。’HowabsorbedIhavebeen！’
Sheaccompaniedhimtothehall，helpedhimtoputonhisovercoat，andlethimoutofthehouseherself。
’Good-night，’saidBarnet，onthedoorstep，asthelampshoneinhisface。’Youarenotoffendedwithme？’
’Certainlynot。Noryouwithme？’
’I’llconsiderwhetherIamornot，’hepleasantlyreplied。’Good-
night。’
Shewatchedhimsafelythroughthegate；andwhenhisfootstepshaddiedawayupontheroad，closedthedoorsoftlyandreturnedtotheroom。Herethemodestwidowlongponderedhisspeeches，witheyesdroppedtoanunusuallylowlevel。Barnet’surbanityundertheblowofherrefusalgreatlyimpressedher。Afterhavinghislongperiodofprobationrendereduselessbyherdecision，hehadshownnoanger，andhadphilosophicallytakenherwordsasifhedeservednobetterones。Itwasverygentlemanlyofhim，certainly；itwasmorethangentlemanly；itwasheroicandgrand。Themoreshemeditated，themoreshequestionedthevirtueofherconductincheckinghimsoperemptorily；andwenttoherbedroominamoodofdissatisfaction。
Onlookingintheglassshewasremindedthattherewasnotsomuchremainingofherformerbeautyastomakehisfrankdeclarationanimpulsivenaturalhomagetohercheeksandeyes；itmustundoubtedlyhavearisenfromanoldstaunchfeelingofhis，deservingtenderestconsideration。SherecalledtohermindwithmuchpleasurethathehadtoldherhewasstayingattheBlack-BullHotel；sothatif，afterwaitingadayortwo，heshouldnot，inhismodesty，callagain，shemightthensendhimanicelittlenote。Toalterherviewsforthepresentwasfarfromherintention；butshewouldallowherselftobeinducedtoreconsiderthecase，asanygenerouswomanoughttodo。
Themorrowcameandpassed，andMr。Barnetdidnotdropin。Ateveryknock，lightyouthfulhuesflewacrosshercheek；andshewasabstractedinthepresenceofherothervisitors。Intheeveningshewalkedaboutthehouse，notknowingwhattodowithherself；theconditionsofexistenceseemedtotallydifferentfromthosewhichruledonlyfour-and-twentyshorthoursago。Whathadbeenatfirstatantalizingelusivesentimentwasgettingacclimatizedwithinherasadefinitehope，andherpersonwassoinformedbythatemotionthatshemightalmosthavestoodasitsemblematicalrepresentativebythetimetheclockstruckten。Inshort，aninterestinBarnetpreciselyresemblingthatofherearlyyouthledherpresenthearttobelieheryesterday’swordstohim，andshelongedtoseehimagain。
Thenextdayshewalkedoutearly，thinkingshemightmeethiminthestreet。Thegrowingbeautyofherromanceabsorbedher，andshewentfromthestreettothefields，andfromthefieldstotheshore，withoutanyconsciousnessofdistance，tillremindedbyherwearinessthatshecouldgonofurther。Hehadnowhereappeared。
Intheeveningshetookastepwhichunderthecircumstancesseemedjustifiable；shewroteanotetohimatthehotel，invitinghimtoteawithheratsixprecisely，andsigninghernote’Lucy。’
Inaquarterofanhourthemessengercameback。Mr。Barnethadleftthehotelearlyinthemorningofthedaybefore，buthehadstatedthathewouldprobablyreturninthecourseoftheweek。
Thenotewassentback，tobegiventohimimmediatelyonhisarrival。
Therewasnosignfromtheinnthatthisdesiredeventhadoccurred，eitheronthenextdayorthedayfollowing。Onbothnightsshehadbeenrestless，andhadscarcelyslepthalf-an-hour。
OntheSaturday，puttingoffalldiffidence，LucywentherselftotheBlack-Bull，andquestionedthestaffclosely。
Mr。BarnethadcursorilyremarkedwhenleavingthathemightreturnontheThursdayorFriday，buttheyweredirectednottoreservearoomforhimunlessheshouldwrite。
Hehadleftnoaddress。
Lucysorrowfullytookbackhernotewenthome，andresolvedtowait。
Shedidwait——yearsandyears——butBarnetneverreappeared。
ThenorthroadfromCasterbridgeistediousandlonely，especiallyinwinter-time。AlongapartofitscourseitconnectswithLong-
AshLane，amonotonoustrackwithoutavillageorhamletformanymiles，andwithveryseldomaturning。Unapprizedwayfarerswhoaretooold，ortooyoung，orinotherrespectstooweakforthedistancetobetraversed，butwho，nevertheless，havetowalkit，say，astheylookwistfullyahead，’Onceatthetopofthathill，andImustsurelyseetheendofLong-AshLane！’Buttheyreachthehilltop，andLong-AshLanestretchesinfrontasmercilesslyasbefore。
Somefewyearsagoacertainfarmerwasridingthroughthislaneinthegloomofawinterevening。Thefarmer’sfriend，adairyman，wasridingbesidehim。Afewpacesintherearrodethefarmer’sman。
Allthreewerewellhorsedonstrong，round-barrelledcobs；andtobewellhorsedwastobeinbetterspiritsaboutLong-AshLanethanpoorpedestrianscouldattaintoduringitspassage。
Butthefarmerdidnottalkmuchtohisfriendasherodealong。
Theenterprisewhichhadbroughthimtherefilledhismind；forintruthitwasimportant。Notaltogethersoimportantwasit，perhaps，whenestimatedbyitsvaluetosocietyatlarge；butifthetruemeasureofadeedbeproportionatetothespaceitoccupiesintheheartofhimwhoundertakesit，FarmerCharlesDarton’sbusinessto-nightcouldholditsownwiththebusinessofkings。
Hewasalargefarmer。Histurnover，asitiscalled，wasprobablythirtythousandpoundsayear。Hehadagreatmanydraughthorses，agreatmanymilchcows，andofsheepamultitude。Thiscomfortablepositionwas，however，noneofhisownmaking。Ithadbeencreatedbyhisfather，amanofaverydifferentstampfromthepresentrepresentativeoftheline。
