declare!“Shebegantohaulupthetailsofhergown。
’“Ohno；’tistheaxle，“saidTonyinanassuringway。“Itdogolikethatsometimesindryweather。“
’“Perhapsitwas……Well，now，tobequitehonest，dearTony，doyoulikeherbetterthanme？Because——because，althoughI’veheldoffsoindependent，I’llownatlastthatIdolike’ee，Tony，totellthetruth；andIwouldn’tsaynoifyouaskedme——youknowwhat。“
’TonywassowonoverbythisprettyofferingmoodofagirlwhohadbeenquitethereverseHannahhadabackwardwaywithherattimes，ifyoucanmindthathejustglancedbehind，andthenwhisperedverysoft，“Ihaven’tquitepromisedher，andIthinkIcangetoutofit，andaskyouthatquestionyouspeakof。“
’“ThrowoverMilly？——alltomarryme!Howdelightful!“brokeoutHannah，quiteloud，clappingherhands。
’Atthistherewasarealsqueak——anangry，spitefulsqueak，andafterwardalongmoan，asifsomethinghadbrokeitsheart，andamovementoftheemptysacks。
’“Something’sthere!“saidHannah，startingup。
’“It’snothing，really，“saysTonyinasoothingvoice，andprayinginwardlyforawayoutofthis。“Iwouldn’ttell’eeatfirst，becauseIwouldn’tfrighten’ee。But，Hannah，I’vereallyacoupleofferretsinabagunderthere，forrabbiting，andtheyquarrelsometimes。Idon’twishitknowed，as’twouldbecalledpoaching。
Oh，theycan’tgetout，blessye——youarequitesafe!And——and——whatafinedayitis，isn’tit，Hannah，forthistimeofyear？BeyougoingtomarketnextSaturday？Howisyourauntnow？“Andsoon，saysTony，tokeepherfromtalkinganymoreaboutloveinMilly’shearing。
’Buthefoundhisworkcutoutforhim，andwonderingagainhowheshouldgetoutofthisticklishbusiness，helookedaboutforachance。Nearinghomehesawhisfatherinafieldnotfaroff，holdinguphishandasifhewishedtospeaktoTony。
’“Wouldyoumindtakingthereinsamoment，Hannah，“hesaid，muchrelieved，“whileIgoandfindoutwhatfatherwants？“
’Sheconsented，andawayhehastenedintothefield，onlytoogladtogetbreathingtime。Hefoundthathisfatherwaslookingathimwithratherasterneye。
’“Come，come，Tony，“saysoldMr。Kytes，assoonashissonwasalongsidehim，“thiswon’tdo，youknow。“
’“What？“saysTony。
’“Why，ifyoumeantomarryMillyRichards，doit，andthere’sanendo’t。Butdon’tgodrivingaboutthecountrywithJolliver’sdaughterandmakingascandal。Iwon’thavesuchthingsdone。“
’“Ionlyaskedher——thatis，sheaskedme，toridehome。“
’“She？Why，now，ifithadbeenMilly，’twouldhavebeenquiteproper；butyouandHannahJollivergoingaboutbyyourselves——“
’“Milly’stheretoo，father。“
’“Milly？Where？“
’“Underthecorn-sacks!Yes，thetruthis，father，I’vegotratherintoanunny-watch，I’mafeard!UnitySalletistheretoo——yes，attheotherend，underthetarpaulin。Allthreeareinthatwaggon，andwhattodowith’emIknownomorethanthedead!Thebestplanis，asI’mthinking，tospeakoutloudandplaintooneof’embeforetherest，andthatwillsettleit；notbutwhat’twillcause’emtokickupabitofamiff，forcertain。Nowwhichwouldyoumarry，father，ifyouwasinmyplace？“
’“Whicheverof’emdidNOTasktoridewiththee。“
’“ThatwasMilly，I’mboundtosay，assheonlymountedbymyinvitation。ButMilly——“
“ThensticktoMilly，she’sthebest……Butlookatthat!“
’Hisfatherpointedtowardthewaggon。“Shecan’tholdthathorsein。Youshouldn’thaveleftthereinsinherhands。Runonandtakethehorse’shead，orthere’llbesomeaccidenttothemmaids!“
’Tony’shorse，infact，inspiteofHannah’stuggingatthereins，hadstartedonhiswayatabriskwalkingpace，beingveryanxioustogetbacktothestable，forhehadhadalongdayout。WithoutanotherwordTonyrushedawayfromhisfathertoovertakethehorse。
’NowofallthingsthatcouldhavehappenedtoweanhimfromMillytherewasnothingsopowerfulashisfather’srecommendingher。No；
itcouldnotbeMilly，afterall。Hannahmustbetheone，sincehecouldnotmarryallthree。Thishethoughtwhilerunningafterthewaggon。Butqueerthingswerehappeninginsideit。
’Itwas，ofcourse，Millywhohadscreamedunderthesack-bags，beingobligedtoletoffherbitterrageandshameinthatwayatwhatTonywassaying，andneverdaringtoshow，forveryprideanddreado’
beinglaughedat，thatshewasinhiding。Shebecamemoreandmorerestless，andintwistingherselfabout，whatdidsheseebutanotherwoman’sfootandwhitestockingclosetoherhead。Itquitefrightenedher，notknowingthatUnitySalletwasinthewaggonlikewise。Butafterthefrightwasovershedeterminedtogettothebottomofallthis，andshecreptaridcreptalongthebedofthewaggon，underthetarpaulin，likeasnake，whenloandbeholdshecamefacetofacewithUnity。
’“Well，ifthisisn’tdisgraceful!“saysMillyinaragingwhispertoUnity。
’“’Tis，“saysUnity，“toseeyouhidinginayoungman’swaggonlikethis，andnogreatcharacterbelongingtoeitherofye!“
’“Mindwhatyouaresaying!“repliedMilly，gettinglouder。“Iamengagedtobemarriedtohim，andhaven’tIarighttobehere？Whatrighthaveyou，Ishouldliketoknow？Whathashebeenpromisingyou？Aprettylotofnonsense，Iexpect!ButwhatTonysaystootherwomenisallmerewind，andnoconcerntome!“
’“Don’tyoubetoosure!“saysUnity。“He’sgoingtohaveHannah，andnotyou，normeeither；Icouldhearthat。“
’NowatthesestrangevoicessoundingfromundertheclothHannahwasthunderstrucka’mostintoaswound；anditwasjustatthistimethatthehorsemovedon。Hannahtuggedawaywildly，notknowingwhatshewasdoing；andasthequarrelroselouderandlouderHannahgotsohorrifiedthatsheletgothereinsaltogether。Thehorsewentonathisownpace，andcomingtothecornerwhereweturnroundtodropdownthehilltoLowerLongpuddleheturnedtooquick，theoffwheelswentupthebank，thewaggonrosesidewaystillitwasquiteonedgeuponthenearaxles，andoutrolledthethreemaidensintotheroadinaheap。
’WhenTonycameup，frightenedandbreathless，hewasrelievedenoughtoseethatneitherofhisdarlingswashurt，beyondafewscratchesfromthebramblesofthehedge。Buthewasratheralarmedwhenheheardhowtheyweregoingonatoneanother。
’“Don’tyequarrel，mydears——don’tye!“sayshe，takingoffhishatoutofrespectto’em。Andthenhewouldhavekissedthemallround，asfairandsquareasamancould，buttheywereintoomuchofatakingtolethim，andscreechedandsobbedtilltheywasquitespent。
’“NowI’llspeakouthonest，becauseIoughtto，“saysTony，assoonashecouldgetheard。“Andthisisthetruth，“sayshe。“I’veaskedHannahtobemine，andsheiswilling，andwearegoingtoputupthebannsnext——“
’TonyhadnotnoticedthatHannah’sfatherwascomingupbehind，norhadhenoticedthatHannah’sfacewasbeginningtobleedfromthescratchofabramble。Hannahhadseenherfather，andhadruntohim，cryingworsethanever。
’“MydaughterisNOTwilling，sir!“saysMr。Jolliverhotandstrong。
“Beyouwilling，Hannah？Iaskyetohavespiritenoughtorefusehim，ifyervirtueisleftto’eeandyourunnorisk？“
’“She’sassoundasabellforme，thatI’llswear!“saysTony，flaringup。“Andso’stheothers，cometothat，thoughyoumaythinkitanonusualthinginme!“
’“Ihavespirit，andIdorefusehim!“saysHannah，partlybecauseherfatherwasthere，andpartly，too，inatantrumbecauseofthediscovery，andthescratchonherface。“LittledidIthinkwhenI
wassosoftwithhimjustnowthatIwastalkingtosuchafalsedeceiver!“
’“What，youwon’thaveme，Hannah？“saysTony，hisjawhangingdownlikeadeadman’s。
’“Never——Iwouldsoonermarryno——nobodyatall!“shegaspedout，thoughwithherheartinherthroat，forshewouldnothaverefusedTonyifhehadaskedherquietly，andherfatherhadnotbeenthere，andherfacehadnotbeenscratchedbythebramble。Andhavingsaidthat，awayshewalkeduponherfather’sarm，thinkingandhopinghewouldaskheragain。
’Tonydidn’tknowwhattosaynext。Millywassobbingherheartout；
butashisfatherhadstronglyrecommendedherhecouldn’tfeelinclinedthatway。SoheturnedtoUnity。
’“Well，willyou，Unitydear，bemine？“hesays。
’“Takeherleavings？NotI!“saysUnity。“I’dscornit!“AndawaywalksUnitySalletlikewise，thoughshelookedbackwhenshe’dgonesomeway，toseeifhewasfollowingher。
’SothereatlastwereleftMillyandTonybythemselves，shecryinginwaterystreams，andTonylookinglikeatreestruckbylightning。
’“Well，Milly，“hesaysatlast，goinguptoher，“itdoseemasiffatehadordainedthatitshouldbeyouandI，ornobody。Andwhatmustbemustbe，Isuppose。Hey，Milly？“
’“Ifyoulike，Tony。Youdidn’treallymeanwhatyousaidtothem？“
’“Notawordofit!“declaresTony，bringingdownhisfistuponhispalm。
’Andthenhekissedher，andputthewaggontorights，andtheymountedtogether；andtheirbannswereputuptheverynextSunday。
Iwasnotabletogototheirwedding，butitwasararepartytheyhad，byallaccount。EverybodyinLongpuddlewastherealmost；youamongtherest，Ithink，Mr。Flaxton？’Thespeakerturnedtotheparishclerk。
’Iwas，’saidMr。Flaxton。’Andthatpartywasthecauseofaverycuriouschangeinsomeotherpeople’saffairs；ImeaninSteveHardcome’sandhiscousinJames’s。’
’Ah!theHardcomes，’saidthestranger。’Howfamiliarthatnameistome!Whatofthem？’
Theclerkclearedhisthroatandbegan：-
THEHISTORYOFTHEHARDCOMES
’Yes，Tony’swastheverybestwedding-randythateverIwasat；andI’vebeenatagoodmany，asyoumaysuppose’——turningtothenewly-
arrivedone——’havingasachurch-officer，theprivilegetoattendallchristening，wedding，andfuneralparties——suchbeingourWessexcustom。
’’TwasonafrostynightinChristmasweek，andamongthefolkinvitedwerethesaidHardcomeso’Climmerston——SteveandJames——
firstcousins，bothofthemsmallfarmers，justenteringintobusinessontheirownaccount。Withthemcame，asamatterofcourse，theirintendedwives，twoyoungwomenoftheneighbourhood，bothveryprettyandsprightlymaidens，andnumbersoffriendsfromAbbot’s-Cernel，andWeatherbury，andMellstock，andIdon’tknowwhere——aregularhouseful。