ThemeresightofthetwainhadbeenenoughtosuggesttoherthatthedeadyoungmanwasRhoda’sson。Atthattimetherelativesofanexecutedconvicthadtheprivilegeofclaimingthebodyforburial，iftheychosetodoso；anditwasforthispurposethatLodgewasawaitingtheinquestwithRhoda。Hehadbeensummonedbyherassoonastheyoungmanwastakeninthecrime，andatdifferenttimessince；andhehadattendedincourtduringthetrial。Thiswasthe’holiday’hehadbeenindulginginoflate。
Thetwowretchedparentshadwishedtoavoidexposure；andhencehadcomethemselvesforthebody，awaggonandsheetforitsconveyanceandcoveringbeinginwaitingoutside。
Gertrude’scasewassoseriousthatitwasdeemedadvisabletocalltoherthesurgeonwhowasathand。Shewastakenoutofthejailintothetown；butsheneverreachedhomealive。Herdelicatevitality，sappedperhapsbytheparalyzedarm，collapsedunderthedoubleshockthatfollowedtheseverestrain，physicalandmental，towhichshehadsubjectedherselfduringtheprevioustwenty-fourhours。Herbloodhadbeen’turned’indeed——toofar。Herdeathtookplaceinthetownthreedaysafter。
HerhusbandwasneverseeninCasterbridgeagain；onceonlyintheoldmarket-placeatAnglebury，whichhehadsomuchfrequented，andveryseldominpublicanywhere。Burdenedatfirstwithmoodinessandremorse，heeventuallychangedforthebetter，andappearedasachastenedandthoughtfulman。SoonafterattendingthefuneralofhispooryoungwifehetookstepstowardsgivingupthefarmsinHolmstokeandtheadjoiningparish，and，havingsoldeveryheadofhisstock，hewentawaytoPort-Bredy，attheotherendofthecounty，livingthereinsolitarylodgingstillhisdeathtwoyearslaterofapainlessdecline。Itwasthenfoundthathehadbequeathedthewholeofhisnotinconsiderablepropertytoareformatoryforboys，subjecttothepaymentofasmallannuitytoRhodaBrook，ifshecouldbefoundtoclaimit。
Forsometimeshecouldnotbefound；buteventuallyshereappearedinheroldparish，——absolutelyrefusing，however，tohaveanythingtodowiththeprovisionmadeforher。Hermonotonousmilkingatthedairywasresumed，andfollowedformanylongyears，tillherformbecamebent，andheronceabundantdarkhairwhiteandwornawayattheforehead——perhapsbylongpressureagainstthecows。
Here，sometimes，thosewhoknewherexperienceswouldstandandobserveher，andwonderwhatsombrethoughtswerebeatinginsidethatimpassive，wrinkledbrow，totherhythmofthealternatingmilk-streams。
’Blackwood’sMagazine，’January1888。
Theshepherdontheeasthillcouldshoutoutlambingintelligencetotheshepherdonthewesthill，overtheinterveningtownchimneys，withoutgreatinconveniencetohisvoice，sonearlydidthesteeppasturesencroachupontheburghers’backyards。Andatnightitwaspossibletostandintheverymidstofthetownandhearfromtheirnativepaddocksonthelowerlevelsofgreenswardthemildlowingofthefarmer’sheifers，andtheprofound，warmblowingsofbreathinwhichthosecreaturesindulge。Butthecommunitywhichhadjammeditselfinthevalleythusflankedformedaveritabletown，witharealmayorandcorporation，andastaplemanufacture。
Duringacertaindampeveningfive-and-thirtyyearsago，beforethetwilightwasfaradvanced，apedestrianofprofessionalappearance，carryingasmallbaginhishandandanelevatedumbrella，wasdescendingoneofthesehillsbytheturnpikeroadwhenhewasovertakenbyaphaeton。
’Hullo，Downe——isthatyou？’saidthedriverofthevehicle，ayoungmanofpaleandrefinedappearance。’Jumpupherewithme，andridedowntoyourdoor。’
Theotherturnedaplump，cheery，ratherself-indulgentfaceoverhisshouldertowardsthehailer。
’O，goodevening，Mr。Barnet——thanks，’hesaid，andmountedbesidehisacquaintance。
Theywerefellow-burgessesofthetownwhichlaybeneaththem，butthougholdandverygoodfriends，theyweredifferentlycircumstanced。BarnetwasarichermanthanthestrugglingyounglawyerDowne，afactwhichwastosomeextentperceptibleinDowne’smannertowardshiscompanion，thoughnothingofitevershowedinBarnet’smannertowardsthesolicitor。Barnet’spositioninthetownwasnoneofhisownmaking；hisfatherhadbeenaverysuccessfulflax-merchantinthesameplace，wherethetradewasstillcarriedonasbrisklyasthesmallcapacitiesofitsquarterswouldallow。Havingacquiredafairfortune，oldMr。Barnethadretiredfrombusiness，bringinguphissonasagentleman-burgher，and，itmustbeadded，asawell-educated，liberal-mindedyoungman。
’HowisMrs。Barnet？’askedDowne。
’Mrs。BarnetwasverywellwhenIlefthome，’theotheransweredconstrainedly，exchanginghismeditativeregardofthehorseforoneofself-consciousness。
Mr。Downeseemedtoregrethisinquiry，andimmediatelytookupanotherthreadofconversation。Hecongratulatedhisfriendonhiselectionasacouncil-man；hethoughthehadnotseenhimsincethateventtookplace；Mrs。DownehadmeanttocallandcongratulateMrs。
Barnet，buthefearedthatshehadfailedtodosoasyet。
Barnetseemedhamperedinhisreplies。’WEshouldhavebeengladtoseeyou。I——mywifewouldwelcomeMrs。Downeatanytime，asyouknow……Yes，Iamamemberofthecorporation——ratheraninexperiencedmember，someofthemsay。Itisquitetrue；andI
shouldhavedeclinedthehonouraspremature——havingotherthingsonmyhandsjustnow，too——ifithadnotbeenpresseduponmesoveryheartily。’
’ThereisonethingyouhaveonyourhandswhichIcanneverquiteseethenecessityfor，’saidDowne，withgood-humouredfreedom。
’Whatthedeucedoyouwanttobuildthatnewmansionfor，whenyouhavealreadygotsuchanexcellenthouseastheoneyoulivein？’
Barnet’sfaceacquiredawarmershadeofcolour；butasthequestionhadbeenidlyaskedbythesolicitorwhileregardingthesurroundingflocksandfields，heansweredafteramomentwithnoapparentembarrassment-
’Well，wewantedtogetoutofthetown，youknow:thehouseIamlivinginisratheroldandinconvenient。’Mr。Downedeclaredthathehadchosenaprettysiteforthenewbuilding。Theywouldbeabletoseeformilesandmilesfromthewindows。Washegoingtogiveitaname？Hesupposedso。
Barnetthoughtnot。Therewasnootherhousenearthatwaslikelytobemistakenforit。Andhedidnotcareforaname。
’ButIthinkithasaname！’Downeobserved:’Iwentpast——whenwasit？——thismorning；andIsawsomething，——“ChateauRingdale，“I
thinkitwas，stuckuponaboard！’
’Itwasanideashe——wehadforashorttime，’saidBarnethastily。
’Butwehavedecidedfinallytodowithoutaname——atanyratesuchanameasthat。Itmusthavebeenaweekagothatyousawit。ItwastakendownlastSaturday……UponthatmatterIamfirm！’headdedgrimly。
Downemurmuredinanunconvincedtonethathethoughthehadseenityesterday。
Talkingthustheydroveintothetown。Thestreetwasunusuallystillforthehourofsevenintheevening；anincreasingdrizzlehadprevailedsincetheafternoon，andnowformedagauzeacrosstheyellowlamps，andtrickledwithagentlerattledowntheheavyroofsofstonetile，thatbentthehouse-ridgeshollow-backedwithitsweight，andinsomeinstancescausedthewallstobulgeoutwardsintheupperstory。Theirroutetookthempastthelittletown-hall，theBlack-BullHotel，andonwardtothejunctionofasmallstreetontheright，consistingofarowofthosetwo-and-twowindowedbrickresidencesofnoparticularage，whichareexactlyalikewhereverfound，exceptinthepeopletheycontain。
’Wait——I’lldriveyouuptoyourdoor，’saidBarnet，whenDownepreparedtoalightatthecorner。Hethereuponturnedintothenarrowstreet，whenthefacesofthreelittlegirlscouldbediscernedclosetothepanesofalightedwindowafewyardsahead，surmountedbythatofayoungmatron，thegazeofallfourbeingdirectedeagerlyuptheemptystreet。’Youareafortunatefellow，Downe，’Barnetcontinued，asmotherandchildrendisappearedfromthewindowtoruntothedoor。’Youmustbehappyifanymanis。I
wouldgiveahundredsuchhousesasmynewonetohaveahomelikeyours。’
’Well——yes，wegetalongprettycomfortably，’repliedDownecomplacently。
’Thathouse，Downe，isnoneofmyordering，’Barnetbrokeout，revealingabitternesshithertosuppressed，andcheckingthehorseamomenttofinishhisspeechbeforedeliveringuphispassenger。
’ThehouseIhavealreadyisgoodenoughforme，asyousupposed。
Itismyownfreehold；itwasbuiltbymygrandfather，andisstoutenoughforacastle。Myfatherwasbornthere，livedthere，anddiedthere。Iwasbornthere，andhavealwayslivedthere；yetI
mustneedsbuildanewone。’
’Whydoyou？’saidDowne。
’WhydoI？Topreservepeaceinthehousehold。Idoanythingforthat；butIdon’tsucceed。Iwasfirminresisting“ChateauRingdale，“however；notthatIwouldnothaveputupwiththeabsurdityofthename，butitwastoomuchtohaveyourhousechristenedafterLordRingdale，becauseyourwifeoncehadafancyforhim。Ifyouonlykneweverything，youwouldthinkallattemptatreconciliationhopeless。Inyourhappyhomeyouhavehadnosuchexperiences；andGodforbidthatyouevershould。See，heretheyareallreadytoreceiveyou！’
’Ofcourse！Andsowillyourwifebewaitingtoreceiveyou，’saidDowne。’Takemywordforitshewill！Andwithadinnerpreparedforyoufarbetterthanmine。’
’Ihopeso，’Barnetreplieddubiously。
HemovedontoDowne’sdoor，whichthesolicitor’sfamilyhadalreadyopened。Downedescended，butbeingencumberedwithhisbagandumbrella，hisfootslipped，andhefelluponhiskneesinthegutter。
’O，mydearCharles！’saidhiswife，runningdownthesteps；and，quiteignoringthepresenceofBarnet，sheseizedholdofherhusband，pulledhimtohisfeet，andkissedhim，exclaiming，’Ihopeyouarenothurt，darling！’Thechildrencrowdedround，chiminginpiteously，’Poorpapa！’
’He’sallright，’saidBarnet，perceivingthatDownewasonlyalittlemuddy，andlookingmoreatthewifethanatthehusband。
Almostatanyothertime——certainlyduringhisfastidiousbacheloryears——hewouldhavethoughtheratoodemonstrativewoman；butthoserecentcircumstancesofhisownlifetowhichhehadjustalludedmadeMrs。Downe’ssolicitudesoaffectingthathiseyegrewdampashewitnessedit。Biddingthelawyerandhisfamilygood-
nightheleftthem，anddroveslowlyintothemainstreettowardshisownhouse。