’Hey——what？’saidthemagistrate，comingforwardafterinquiringparticularsfromtheshepherdinthebackground。’Haven’tyougotthemanafterall？’
’Well，sir，’saidtheconstable，’he’sthemanwewereinsearchof，that’strue；andyethe’snotthemanwewereinsearchof。Forthemanwewereinsearchofwasnotthemanwewanted，sir，ifyouunderstandmyevery-dayway；for’twasthemaninthechimney-
corner！’
’Aprettykettleoffishaltogether！’saidthemagistrate。’Youhadbetterstartfortheothermanatonce。’
Theprisonernowspokeforthefirsttime。Thementionofthemaninthechimney-cornerseemedtohavemovedhimasnothingelsecoulddo。’Sir，’hesaid，steppingforwardtothemagistrate，’takenomoretroubleaboutme。ThetimeiscomewhenImayaswellspeak。
Ihavedonenothing；mycrimeisthatthecondemnedmanismybrother。EarlythisafternoonIlefthomeatShottsfordtotrampitallthewaytoCasterbridgejailtobidhimfarewell。Iwasbenighted，andcalledheretorestandasktheway。WhenIopenedthedoorIsawbeforemetheveryman，mybrother，thatIthoughttoseeinthecondemnedcellatCasterbridge。Hewasinthischimney-
corner；andjammedclosetohim，sothathecouldnothavegotoutifhehadtried，wastheexecutionerwho’dcometotakehislife，singingasongaboutitandnotknowingthatitwashisvictimwhowascloseby，joiningintosaveappearances。Mybrotherlookedaglanceofagonyatme，andIknewhemeant，“Don’trevealwhatyousee；mylifedependsonit。“Iwassoterror-struckthatIcouldhardlystand，and，notknowingwhatIdid，Iturnedandhurriedaway。’
Thenarrator’smannerandtonehadthestampoftruth，andhisstorymadeagreatimpressiononallaround。’Anddoyouknowwhereyourbrotherisatthepresenttime？’askedthemagistrate。
’Idonot。IhaveneverseenhimsinceIclosedthisdoor。’
’Icantestifytothat，forwe’vebeenbetweenyeeversince，’saidtheconstable。
’Wheredoeshethinktoflyto？——whatishisoccupation？’
’He’sawatch-and-clock-maker，sir。’
’’Asaid’awasawheelwright——awickedrogue，’saidtheconstable。
’Thewheelsofclocksandwatcheshemeant，nodoubt，’saidShepherdFennel。’Ithoughthishandswerepalishfor’strade。’
’Well，itappearstomethatnothingcanbegainedbyretainingthispoormanincustody，’saidthemagistrate；’yourbusinesslieswiththeother，unquestionably。’
Andsothelittlemanwasreleasedoff-hand；buthelookednothingthelesssadonthataccount，itbeingbeyondthepowerofmagistrateorconstabletorazeoutthewrittentroublesinhisbrain，fortheyconcernedanotherwhomheregardedwithmoresolicitudethanhimself。Whenthiswasdone，andthemanhadgonehisway，thenightwasfoundtobesofaradvancedthatitwasdeemeduselesstorenewthesearchbeforethenextmorning。
Nextday，accordingly，thequestforthecleversheep-stealerbecamegeneralandkeen，toallappearanceatleast。Buttheintendedpunishmentwascruellydisproportionedtothetransgression，andthesympathyofagreatmanycountry-folkinthatdistrictwasstronglyonthesideofthefugitive。Moreover，hismarvellouscoolnessanddaringinhob-and-nobbingwiththehangman，undertheunprecedentedcircumstancesoftheshepherd’sparty，wontheiradmiration。Sothatitmaybequestionedifallthosewhoostensiblymadethemselvessobusyinexploringwoodsandfieldsandlaneswerequitesothoroughwhenitcametotheprivateexaminationoftheirownloftsandouthouses。Storieswereafloatofamysteriousfigurebeingoccasionallyseeninsomeoldovergrowntrackwayorother，remotefromturnpikeroads；butwhenasearchwasinstitutedinanyofthesesuspectedquartersnobodywasfound。Thusthedaysandweekspassedwithouttidings。
Inbrief；thebass-voicedmanofthechimney-cornerwasneverrecaptured。Somesaidthathewentacrossthesea，othersthathedidnot，butburiedhimselfinthedepthsofapopulouscity。Atanyrate，thegentlemanincinder-grayneverdidhismorning’sworkatCasterbridge，normetanywhereatall，forbusinesspurposes，thegenialcomradewithwhomhehadpassedanhourofrelaxationinthelonelyhouseonthecoomb。
ThegrasshaslongbeengreenonthegravesofShepherdFennelandhisfrugalwife；theguestswhomadeupthechristeningpartyhavemainlyfollowedtheirentertainerstothetomb；thebabyinwhosehonourtheyallhadmetisamatroninthesereandyellowleaf。
Butthearrivalofthethreestrangersattheshepherd’sthatnight，andthedetailsconnectedtherewith，isastoryaswellknownaseverinthecountryaboutHigherCrowstairs。
Itwasaneighty-cowdairy，andthetroopofmilkers，regularandsupernumerary，wereallatwork；for，thoughthetimeofyearwasasyetbutearlyApril，thefeedlayentirelyinwater-meadows，andthecowswere’infullpail。’Thehourwasaboutsixintheevening，andthree-fourthsofthelarge，red，rectangularanimalshavingbeenfinishedoff，therewasopportunityforalittleconversation。
’Hedobringhomehisbrideto-morrow，Ihear。They’vecomeasfarasAngleburyto-day。’
ThevoiceseemedtoproceedfromthebellyofthecowcalledCherry，butthespeakerwasamilking-woman，whosefacewasburiedintheflankofthatmotionlessbeast。
’Hav’anybodyseenher？’saidanother。
Therewasanegativeresponsefromthefirst。’Thoughtheysayshe’sarosy-cheeked，tisty-tostylittlebodyenough，’sheadded；
andasthemilkmaidspokesheturnedherfacesothatshecouldglancepasthercow’stailtotheothersideofthebarton，whereathin，fadingwomanofthirtymilkedsomewhatapartfromtherest。
’Yearsyoungerthanhe，theysay，’continuedthesecond，withalsoaglanceofreflectivenessinthesamedirection。
’Howolddoyoucallhim，then？’
’Thirtyorso。’
’Morelikeforty，’brokeinanoldmilkmannear，inalongwhitepinaforeor’wropper，’andwiththebrimofhishattieddown，sothathelookedlikeawoman。’’AwasbornbeforeourGreatWeirwasbuilded，andIhadn’tman’swageswhenIlavedwaterthere。’
Thediscussionwaxedsowarmthatthepurrofthemilk-streamsbecamejerky，tillavoicefromanothercow’sbellycriedwithauthority，’Nowthen，whattheTurkdoitmattertousaboutFarmerLodge’sage，orFarmerLodge’snewmis’ess？Ishallhavetopayhimninepoundayearfortherentofeveryoneofthesemilchers，whateverhisageorhers。Getonwithyourwork，or’twillbedarkaforewehavedone。Theeveningispinkingina’ready。’Thisspeakerwasthedairymanhimself；bywhomthemilkmaidsandmenwereemployed。
NothingmorewassaidpubliclyaboutFarmerLodge’swedding，butthefirstwomanmurmuredunderhercowtohernextneighbour，’’TishardforSHE，’signifyingthethinwornmilkmaidaforesaid。
’Ono，’saidthesecond。’Heha’n’tspoketoRhodaBrookforyears。’
Whenthemilkingwasdonetheywashedtheirpailsandhungthemonamany-forkedstandmadeofthepeeledlimbofanoak-tree，setuprightintheearth，andresemblingacolossalantleredhorn。Themajoritythendispersedinvariousdirectionshomeward。Thethinwomanwhohadnotspokenwasjoinedbyaboyoftwelveorthereabout，andthetwainwentawayupthefieldalso。
Theircourselayapartfromthatoftheothers，toalonelyspothighabovethewater-meads，andnotfarfromtheborderofEgdonHeath，whosedarkcountenancewasvisibleinthedistanceastheydrewnightotheirhome。
’They’vejustbeensayingdowninbartonthatyourfatherbringshisyoungwifehomefromAngleburyto-morrow，’thewomanobserved。’I
shallwanttosendyouforafewthingstomarket，andyou’llbeprettysuretomeet’em。’
’Yes，mother，’saidtheboy。’Isfathermarriedthen？’
’Yes……Youcangiveheralook，andtellmewhat’sshe’slike，ifyoudoseeher。’
’Yes，mother。’
’Ifshe’sdarkorfair，andifshe’stall——astallasI。Andifsheseemslikeawomanwhohaseverworkedforaliving，oronethathasbeenalwayswelloff，andhasneverdoneanything，andshowsmarksoftheladyonher，asIexpectshedo。’
’Yes。’
Theycreptupthehillinthetwilight，andenteredthecottage。Itwasbuiltofmud-walls，thesurfaceofwhichhadbeenwashedbymanyrainsintochannelsanddepressionsthatleftnoneoftheoriginalflatfacevisible；whilehereandthereinthethatchabovearaftershowedlikeaboneprotrudingthroughtheskin。
Shewaskneelingdowninthechimney-corner，beforetwopiecesofturflaidtogetherwiththeheatherinwards，blowingatthered-hotasheswithherbreathtilltheturvesflamed。Theradiancelitherpalecheek，andmadeherdarkeyes，thathadoncebeenhandsome，seemhandsomeanew。’Yes，’sheresumed，’seeifsheisdarkorfair，andifyoucan，noticeifherhandsbewhite；ifnot，seeiftheylookasthoughshehadeverdonehousework，oraremilker’shandslikemine。’
Theboyagainpromised，inattentivelythistime，hismothernotobservingthathewascuttinganotchwithhispocket-knifeinthebeech-backedchair。