mustfindasuitbetterfitforworking-dayswhenIreachhome。’
’Oneofhereabouts？’sheinquired。
’Notquitethat——furtherupthecountry。’
’Ithoughtso。AndsobeI；andbyyourtongueyoucomefrommyneighbourhood。’
’Butyouwouldhardlyhaveheardofme，’hesaidquickly。’Mytimewouldbelongbeforeyours，ma’am，yousee。’
Thistestimonytotheyouthfulnessofhishostesshadtheeffectofstoppinghercross-examination。
’Thereisonlyonethingmorewantedtomakemehappy，’continuedthenew-comer。’Andthatisalittlebaccy，whichIamsorrytosayIamoutof。’
’I’llfillyourpipe，’saidtheshepherd。
’Imustaskyoutolendmeapipelikewise。’
’Asmoker，andnopipeabout’ee？’
’Ihavedroppeditsomewhereontheroad。’
Theshepherdfilledandhandedhimanewclaypipe，saying，ashedidso，’Handmeyourbaccy-box——I’llfillthattoo，nowIamaboutit。’
Themanwentthroughthemovementofsearchinghispockets。
’Lostthattoo？’saidhisentertainer，withsomesurprise。
’Iamafraidso，’saidthemanwithsomeconfusion。’Giveittomeinascrewofpaper。’Lightinghispipeatthecandlewithasuctionthatdrewthewholeflameintothebowl，heresettledhimselfinthecornerandbenthislooksuponthefaintsteamfromhisdamplegs，asifhewishedtosaynomore。
Meanwhilethegeneralbodyofguestshadbeentakinglittlenoticeofthisvisitorbyreasonofanabsorbingdiscussioninwhichtheywereengagedwiththebandaboutatuneforthenextdance。Thematterbeingsettled，theywereabouttostandupwhenaninterruptioncameintheshapeofanotherknockatthedoor。
Atsoundofthesamethemaninthechimney-cornertookupthepokerandbeganstirringthebrandsasifdoingitthoroughlyweretheoneaimofhisexistence；andasecondtimetheshepherdsaid，’Walkin！’Inamomentanothermanstooduponthestraw-wovendoor-mat。
Hetoowasastranger。
Thisindividualwasoneofatyperadicallydifferentfromthefirst。Therewasmoreofthecommonplaceinhismanner，andacertainjovialcosmopolitanismsatuponhisfeatures。Hewasseveralyearsolderthanthefirstarrival，hishairbeingslightlyfrosted，hiseyebrowsbristly，andhiswhiskerscutbackfromhischeeks。Hisfacewasratherfullandflabby，andyetitwasnotaltogetherafacewithoutpower。Afewgrog-blossomsmarkedtheneighbourhoodofhisnose。Heflungbackhislongdrabgreatcoat，revealingthatbeneathitheworeasuitofcinder-grayshadethroughout，largeheavyseals，ofsomemetalorotherthatwouldtakeapolish，danglingfromhisfobashisonlypersonalornament。
Shakingthewater-dropsfromhislow-crownedglazedhat，hesaid，’I
mustaskforafewminutes’shelter，comrades，orIshallbewettedtomyskinbeforeIgettoCasterbridge。’
’Makeyourselfathome，master，’saidtheshepherd，perhapsatriflelessheartilythanonthefirstoccasion。NotthatFennelhadtheleasttingeofniggardlinessinhiscomposition；buttheroomwasfarfromlarge，sparechairswerenotnumerous，anddampcompanionswerenotaltogetherdesirableatclosequartersforthewomenandgirlsintheirbright-colouredgowns。
However，thesecondcomer，aftertakingoffhisgreatcoat，andhanginghishatonanailinoneoftheceiling-beamsasifhehadbeenspeciallyinvitedtoputitthere，advancedandsatdownatthetable。Thishadbeenpushedsocloselyintothechimney-corner，togiveallavailableroomtothedancers，thatitsinneredgegrazedtheelbowofthemanwhohadensconcedhimselfbythefire；andthusthetwostrangerswerebroughtintoclosecompanionship。Theynoddedtoeachotherbywayofbreakingtheiceofunacquaintance，andthefirststrangerhandedhisneighbourthefamilymug——ahugevesselofbrownware，havingitsupperedgewornawaylikeathresholdbytherubofwholegenerationsofthirstylipsthathadgonethewayofallflesh，andbearingthefollowinginscriptionburntuponitsrotundsideinyellowlettersTHEREISNOFUN
UNTiLLiCUM。
Theotherman，nothingloth，raisedthemugtohislips，anddrankon，andon，andon——tillacuriousbluenessoverspreadthecountenanceoftheshepherd’swife，whohadregardedwithnolittlesurprisethefirststranger’sfreeoffertothesecondofwhatdidnotbelongtohimtodispense。
’Iknewit！’saidthetopertotheshepherdwithmuchsatisfaction。
’WhenIwalkedupyourgardenbeforecomingin，andsawthehivesallofarow，Isaidtomyself；“Wherethere’sbeesthere’shoney，andwherethere’shoneythere’smead。“ButmeadofsuchatrulycomfortablesortasthisIreallydidn’texpecttomeetinmyolderdays。’Hetookyetanotherpullatthemug，tillitassumedanominouselevation。
’Gladyouenjoyit！’saidtheshepherdwarmly。
’Itisgoodishmead，’assentedMrs。Fennel，withanabsenceofenthusiasmwhichseemedtosaythatitwaspossibletobuypraiseforone’scellarattooheavyaprice。’Itistroubleenoughtomake——andreallyIhardlythinkweshallmakeanymore。Forhoneysellswell，andweourselvescanmakeshiftwithadropo’smallmeadandmetheglinforcommonusefromthecomb-washings。“
’O，butyou’llneverhavetheheart！’reproachfullycriedthestrangerincinder-gray，aftertakingupthemugathirdtimeandsettingitdownempty。’Ilovemead，when’tisoldlikethis，asI
lovetogotochurcho’Sundays，ortorelievetheneedyanydayoftheweek。’
’Ha，ha，ha！’saidthemaninthechimney-corner，who，inspiteofthetaciturnityinducedbythepipeoftobacco，couldnotorwouldnotrefrainfromthisslighttestimonytohiscomrade’shumour。
Nowtheoldmeadofthosedays，brewedofthepurestfirst-yearormaidenhoney，fourpoundstothegallon——withitsduecomplementofwhiteofeggs，cinnamon，ginger，cloves，mace，rosemary，yeast，andprocessesofworking，bottling，andcellaring——tastedremarkablystrong；butitdidnottastesostrongasitactuallywas。Hence，presently，thestrangerincinder-grayatthetable，movedbyitscreepinginfluence，unbuttonedhiswaistcoat，threwhimselfbackinhischair，spreadhislegs，andmadehispresencefeltinvariousways。
’Well，well，asIsay，’heresumed，’IamgoingtoCasterbridge，andtoCasterbridgeImustgo。Ishouldhavebeenalmosttherebythistime；buttheraindrovemeintoyourdwelling，andI’mnotsorryforit。’
’Youdon’tliveinCasterbridge？’saidtheshepherd。
’Notasyet；thoughIshortlymeantomovethere。’
’Goingtosetupintrade，perhaps？’
’No，no，’saidtheshepherd’swife。’Itiseasytoseethatthegentlemanisrich，anddon’twanttoworkatanything。’
Thecinder-graystrangerpaused，asiftoconsiderwhetherhewouldacceptthatdefinitionofhimself。Hepresentlyrejecteditbyanswering，’Richisnotquitethewordforme，dame。Idowork，andImustwork。AndevenifIonlygettoCasterbridgebymidnightI
mustbeginworkthereateightto-morrowmorning。Yes，hetorwet，bloworsnow，famineorsword，myday’sworkto-morrowmustbedone。’
’Poorman！Then，inspiteo’seeming，youbeworseoffthanwe？’
repliedtheshepherd’swife。
’’Tisthenatureofmytrade，menandmaidens。’Tisthenatureofmytrademorethanmypoverty……ButreallyandtrulyImustupandoff，orIshan’tgetalodginginthetown。’However，thespeakerdidnotmove，anddirectlyadded，’There’stimeforonemoredraughtoffriendshipbeforeIgo；andI’dperformitatonceifthemugwerenotdry。’
’Here’samugo’small，’saidMrs。Fennel。’Small，wecallit，thoughtobesure’tisonlythefirstwasho’thecombs。’
’No，’saidthestrangerdisdainfully。’Iwon’tspoilyourfirstkindnessbypartakingo’yoursecond。’
’Certainlynot，’brokeinFennel。’Wedon’tincreaseandmultiplyeveryday，andI’llfillthemugagain。’Hewentawaytothedarkplaceunderthestairswherethebarrelstood。Theshepherdessfollowedhim。
’Whyshouldyoudothis？’shesaidreproachfully，assoonastheywerealone。’He’semptieditonce，thoughitheldenoughfortenpeople；andnowhe’snotcontentedwi’thesmall，butmustneedscallformoreo’thestrong！Andastrangerunbeknowntoanyofus。
Formypart，Idon’tlikethelooko’themanatall。’
’Buthe’sinthehouse，myhoney；and’tisawetnight，andachristening。Dazeit，what’sacupofmeadmoreorless？There’llbeplentymorenextbee-burning。’
’Verywell——thistime，then，’sheanswered，lookingwistfullyatthebarrel。’Butwhatistheman’scalling，andwhereisheoneof；
thatheshouldcomeinandjoinuslikethis？’
’Idon’tknow。I’llaskhimagain。’
Thecatastropheofhavingthemugdraineddryatonepullbythestrangerincinder-graywaseffectuallyguardedagainstthistimebyMrs。Fennel。Shepouredouthisallowanceinasmallcup，keepingthelargeoneatadiscreetdistancefromhim。Whenhehadtossedoffhisportiontheshepherdrenewedhisinquiryaboutthestranger’soccupation。
Thelatterdidnotimmediatelyreply，andthemaninthechimney-