Ashestoodsmilingthereinthemotleycrowd，withhispipeinhishand，andcladintheroughpea-jacketandwideawakethathehadputonforhisstroll，whowouldhavesupposedhimtobeCharlesBradfordRaye，Esquire，stuff-gownsman，educatedatWintoncester，calledtotheBaratLincoln’s-Inn，nowgoingtheWesternCircuit，merelydetainedinMelchesterbyasmallarbitrationafterhisbrethrenhadmovedontothenextcounty-town？
Thesquarewasoverlookedfromitsremotercornerbythehouseofwhichtheyounggirlhadspoken，adignifiedresidenceofconsiderablesize，havingseveralwindowsoneachfloor。Insideoneofthese，onthefirstfloor，theapartmentbeingalargedrawing-
room，satalady，inappearancefromtwenty-eighttothirtyyearsofage。Theblindswerestillundrawn，andtheladywasabsentlysurveyingtheweirdscenewithout，hercheekrestingonherhand。
Theroomwasunlitfromwithin，butenoughoftheglarefromthemarket-placeenteredittorevealthelady’sface。Shewaswhatiscalledaninterestingcreatureratherthanahandsomewoman；dark-
eyed，thoughtful，andwithsensitivelips。
Amansaunteredintotheroomfrombehindandcameforward。
’O，Edith，Ididn’tseeyou，’hesaid。’Whyareyousittinghereinthedark？’
’Iamlookingatthefair，’repliedtheladyinalanguidvoice。
’Oh？Horridnuisanceeveryyear!Iwishitcouldbeputastopto’
’Ilikeit。’
’H’m。There’snoaccountingfortaste。’
Foramomenthegazedfromthewindowwithher，forpolitenesssake，andthenwentoutagain。
Inafewminutessherang。
’Hasn’tAnnacomein？’askedMrs。Harnham。
’Nom’m。’
’Sheoughttobeinbythistime。Imeanthertogofortenminutesonly。’
’ShallIgoandlookforher，m’m？’saidthehouse-maidalertly。
’No。Itisnotnecessary：sheisagoodgirlandwillcomesoon。’
However，whentheservanthadgoneMrs。Harnhamarose，wentuptoherroom，cloakedandbonnetedherself，andproceededdownstairs，whereshefoundherhusband。
’Iwanttoseethefair，’shesaid；’andIamgoingtolookforAnna。
Ihavemademyselfresponsibleforher，andmustseeshecomestonoharm。Sheoughttobeindoors。Willyoucomewithme？’
’Oh，she’sallright。Isawherononeofthosewhirligigthings，talkingtoheryoungmanasIcamein。ButI’llgoifyouwish，thoughI’drathergoahundredmilestheotherway。’
’Thenpleasedoso。Ishallcometonoharmalone。’
Sheleftthehouseandenteredthecrowdwhichthrongedthemarket-
place，whereshesoondiscoveredAnna，seatedontherevolvinghorse。
AssoonasitstoppedMrs。Harnhamadvancedandsaidseverely，’Anna，howcanyoubesuchawildgirl？Youwereonlytobeoutfortenminutes。’
Annalookedblank，andtheyoungman，whohaddroppedintothebackground，cametoherassistance。
’Pleasedon’tblameher，’hesaidpolitely。’Itismyfaultthatshehasstayed。ShelookedsogracefulonthehorsethatIinducedhertogoroundagain。Iassureyouthatshehasbeenquitesafe。’
’InthatcaseI’llleaveherinyourhands，’saidMrs。Harnham，turningtoretracehersteps。
Butthisforthemomentitwasnotsoeasytodo。Somethinghadattractedthecrowdtoaspotintheirrear，andthewine-merchant’swife，caughtbyitssway，foundherselfpressedagainstAnna’sacquaintancewithoutpowertomoveaway。Theirfaceswerewithinafewinchesofeachother，hisbreathfannedhercheekaswellasAnna’s。Theycoulddonootherthansmileattheaccident；butneitherspoke，andeachwaitedpassively。Mrs。Harnhamthenfeltaman’shandclaspingherfingers，andfromthelookofconsciousnessontheyoungfellow’sfacesheknewthehandtobehis：shealsoknewthatfromthepositionofthegirlhehadnootherthoughtthanthattheimprisonedhandwasAnna’s。Whatpromptedhertorefrainfromundeceivinghimshecouldhardlytell。Notcontentwithholdingthehand，heplayfullyslippedtwoofhisfingersinsideherglove，againstherpalm。Thusmatterscontinuedtillthepressurelessened；
butseveralminutespassedbeforethecrowdthinnedsufficientlytoallowMrs。Harnhamtowithdraw。
’Howdidtheygettoknoweachother，Iwonder？’shemusedassheretreated。’Annaisreallyveryforward——andheverywickedandnice。’
Shewassogentlystirredwiththestranger’smannerandvoice，withthetendernessofhisidletouch，thatinsteadofre-enteringthehousesheturnedbackagainandobservedthepairfromascreenednook。ReallyshearguedbeinglittlelessimpulsivethanAnnaherselfitwasveryexcusableinAnnatoencouragehim，howevershemighthavecontrivedtomakehisacquaintance；hewassogentlemanly，sofascinating，hadsuchbeautifuleyes。Thethoughtthathewasseveralyearsherjuniorproducedareasonlesssigh。
AtlengththecoupleturnedfromtheroundabouttowardsthedoorofMrs。Harnham’shouse，andtheyoungmancouldbeheardsayingthathewouldaccompanyherhome。Anna，then，hadfoundalover，apparentlyaverydevotedone。Mrs。Harnhamwasquiteinterestedinhim。Whentheydrewnearthedoorofthewine-merchant’shouse，acomparativelydesertedspotbythistime，theystoodinvisibleforalittlewhileintheshadowofawall，wheretheyseparated，Annagoingontotheentrance，andheracquaintancereturningacrossthesquare。
’Anna，’saidMrs。Harnham，comingup。’I’vebeenlookingatyou!
ThatyoungmankissedyouatpartingIamalmostsure。’
’Well，’stammeredAnna；’hesaid，ifIdidn’tmind——itwoulddomenoharm，and，and，himagreatdealofgood!’
’Ah，Ithoughtso!Andhewasastrangertillto-night？’
’Yesma’am。’
’YetIwarrantyoutoldhimyournameandeverythingaboutyourself？’
’Heaskedme。’
’Buthedidn’ttellyouhis？’
’Yesma’am，hedid!’criedAnnavictoriously。’ItisCharlesBradford，ofLondon。’
’Well，ifhe’srespectable，ofcourseI’venothingtosayagainstyourknowinghim，’remarkedhermistress，prepossessed，inspiteofgeneralprinciples，intheyoungman’sfavour。’ButImustreconsiderallthat，ifheattemptstorenewyouracquaintance。A
country-bredgirllikeyou，whohasneverlivedinMelchestertillthismonth，whohadhardlyeverseenablack-coatedmantillyoucamehere，tobesosharpastocaptureayoungLondonerlikehim!’
’Ididn’tcapturehim。Ididn’tdoanything，’saidAnna，inconfusion。
WhenshewasindoorsandaloneMrs。Harnhamthoughtwhatawell-bredandchivalrousyoungmanAnna’scompanionhadseemed。Therehadbeenamagicinhiswooingtouchofherhand；andshewonderedhowhehadcometobeattractedbythegirl。
ThenextmorningtheemotionalEdithHarnhamwenttotheusualweek-
dayserviceinMelchestercathedral。IncrossingtheClosethroughthefogsheagainperceivedhimwhohadinterestedherthepreviousevening，gazingupthoughtfullyatthehigh-piledarchitectureofthenave：andassoonasshehadtakenherseatheenteredandsatdowninastalloppositehers。
Hedidnotparticularlyheedher；butMrs。Harnhamwascontinuallyoccupyinghereyeswithhim，andwonderedmorethaneverwhathadattractedhiminherunfledgedmaid-servant。Themistresswasalmostasunaccustomedasthemaidenherselftotheend-of-the-ageyoungman，orshemighthavewonderedless。Raye，havinglookedabouthimawhile，leftabruptly，withoutregardtotheservicethatwasproceeding；andMrs。Harnham——lonely，impressionablecreaturethatshewas——tooknofurtherinterestinpraisingtheLord。ShewishedshehadmarriedaLondonmanwhoknewthesubtletiesoflove-makingastheywereevidentlyknowntohimwhohadmistakenlycaressedherhand。
ThecalendaratMelchesterhadbeenlight，occupyingthecourtonlyafewhours；andtheassizesatCasterbridge，thenextcounty-townontheWesternCircuit，havingnobusinessforRaye，hehadnotgonethither。AtthenexttownafterthattheydidnotopentillthefollowingMonday，trialstobeginonTuesdaymorning。InthenaturalorderofthingsRayewouldhavearrivedatthelatterplaceonMondayafternoon；butitwasnottillthemiddleofWednesdaythathisgownandgreywig，curledintiers，inthebestfashionofAssyrianbas-