ThateveningSallywasmaking’pinners’forthemilkers，whowerenowincreasedbytwo，forhermotherandherselfnolongerjoinedinmilkingthecowsthemselves。Butuponthewholetherewaslittlechangeinthehouseholdeconomy，andnotmuchinitsappearance，beyondsuchminorparticularsasthatthecrackoverthewindow，whichhadbeenahundredyearscoming，wasatriflewider；thatthebeamswereashadeblacker；thattheinfluenceofmodernismhadsupplantedtheopenchimneycornerbyagrate；thatRebekah，whohadwornacapwhenshehadplentyofhair，hadleftitoffnowshehadscarceany，becauseitwasreportedthatcapswerenotfashionable；
andthatSally’sfacehadnaturallyassumedamorewomanlyandexperiencedcast。
Mrs。Hallwasactuallyliftingcoalswiththetongs，asshehadusedtodo。
’Fiveyearsagothisverynight，ifIamnotmistaken——’shesaid，layingonanember。
’Notthisverynight——though’twasonenightthisweek，’saidthecorrectSally。
’Well，’tisnearenough。FiveyearsagoMr。Dartoncametomarryyou，andmypoorboyPhilcamehometodie。’Shesighed。’Ah，Sally，’shepresentlysaid，’ifyouhadmanagedwellMr。Dartonwouldhavehadyou，Helenaornone。’
’Don’tbesentimentalaboutthat，mother，’beggedSally。’Ididn’tcaretomanagewellinsuchacase。ThoughIlikedhim，Iwasn’tsoanxious。Iwouldneverhavemarriedthemaninthemidstofsuchahitchasthatwas，’sheaddedwithdecision；’andIdon’tthinkI
wouldifheweretoaskmenow。’
’Iamnotsureaboutthat，unlessyouhaveanotherinyoureye。’
’Iwouldn’t；andI’lltellyouwhy。Icouldhardlymarryhimforloveatthistimeo’day。Andaswe’vequiteenoughtoliveonifwegiveupthedairyto-morrow，Ishouldhavenoneedtomarryforanymeanerreason……IamquitehappyenoughasIam，andthere’sanendofit。’
Nowitwasnotlongafterthisdialoguethattherecameamildrapatthedoor，andinamomentthereenteredRebekah，lookingasthoughaghosthadarrived。Thefactwasthatthataccomplishedskimmerandchurnernowaresidentinthehousehadoverheardthedesultoryobservationsbetweenmotheranddaughter，andonopeningthedoortoMr。Dartonthoughtthecoincidencemusthaveagrislymeaninginit。Mrs。Hallwelcomedthefarmerwithwarmsurprise，asdidSally，andforamomenttheyratherwantedwords。
’Canyoupushupthechimney-crookforme，MrDarton？thenotcheshitch，’saidthematron。Hedidit，andthehomelylittleactbridgedovertheawkwardconsciousnessthathehadbeenastrangerforfouryears。
Mrs。Hallsoonsawwhathehadcomefor，andlefttheprincipalstogetherwhileshewenttopreparehimalatetea，smilingatSally’srecenthastyassertionsofindifference，whenshesawhowcivilSallywas。Whenteawasreadyshejoinedthem。ShefanciedthatDartondidnotlooksoconfidentaswhenhehadarrived；butSallywasquitelight-hearted，andthemealpassedpleasantly。
Aboutsevenhetookhisleaveofthem。Mrs。Hallwentasfarasthedoortolighthimdowntheslope。Onthedoorstephesaidfrankly——
’Icametoaskyourdaughtertomarryme；chosethenightandeverything，withaneyetoafavourableanswer。Butshewon’t。’
’Thenshe’saveryungratefulgirl！’emphaticallysaidMrs。Hall。
Dartonpausedtoshapehissentence，andasked，’I——Isupposethere’snobodyelsemorefavoured？’
’Ican’tsaythatthereis，orthatthereisn’t，’answeredMrs。
Hall。’She’sprivateinsomethings。I’monyourside，however，Mr。Darton，andI’lltalktoher。’
’Thank’ee，thank’ee！’saidthefarmerinagayeraccent；andwiththisassurancethenotverysatisfactoryvisitcametoanend。
Dartondescendedtherootsofthesycamore，thelightwaswithdrawn，andthedoorclosed。Atthebottomoftheslopehenearlyranagainstamanabouttoascend。
’Canajack-o’-lentbelievehisfewsensesonsuchadarknight，orcan’the？’exclaimedonewhoseutteranceDartonrecognizedinamoment，despiteitsunexpectedness。’Idarenotswearhecan，thoughIfainwould！’ThespeakerwasJohns。
Dartonsaidhewasgladofthisopportunity，badasitwas，ofputtinganendtothesilenceofyears，andaskedthedairymanwhathewastravellingthatwayfor。
Japhethshowedtheoldjovialconfidenceinamoment。’I’mgoingtoseeyour——relations——astheyalwaysseemtome，’hesaid——’Mrs。HallandSally。Well，Charles，thefactisIfindthenaturalbarbarousnessofmanismuchincreasedbyabachelorlife，and，asyourleavingswerealwaysgoodenoughforme，I’mtryingcivilizationhere。’Henoddedtowardsthehouse。
’NotwithSally——tomarryher？’saidDarton，feelingsomethinglikearilloficewaterbetweenhisshoulders。
’Yes，bythehelpofProvidenceandmypersonalcharms。AndIthinkIshallgether。Iamthisroadeveryweek——mypresentdairyisonlyfourmilesoff，youknow，andIseeherthroughthewindow。
’TisratheroddthatIwasgoingtospeakpracticalto-nighttoherforthefirsttime。You’vejustcalled？’
’Yes，forashortwhile。Butshedidn’tsayawordaboutyou。’
’Agoodsign，agoodsign。Nowthatdecidesme。I’llswingthemalletandgetheranswerthisverynightasIplanned。’
Afewmoreremarks，andDarton，wishinghisfriendjoyofSallyinaslightlyhollowtoneofjocularity，badehimgood-bye。Johnspromisedtowriteparticulars，andascended，andwaslostintheshadeofthehouseandtree。ArectangleoflightappearedwhenJohnswasadmitted，andallwasdarkagain。
’HappyJapheth！’saidDarton。’Thisthenistheexplanation！’
Hedeterminedtoreturnhomethatnight。Inaquarterofanhourhepassedoutofthevillage，andthenextdaywentabouthisswede-
liftingandstoringasifnothinghadoccurred。
HewaitedandwaitedtohearfromJohnswhetherthewedding-daywasfixed:butnolettercame。Helearntnotasingleparticulartill，meetingJohnsonedayatahorse-auction，Dartonexclaimedgenially——
rathermoregeniallythanhefelt——’Whenisthejoyfuldaytobe？’
TohisgreatsurpriseareciprocityofgladnesswasnotconspicuousinJohns。’Notatall，’hesaid，inaverysubduedtone。’’Tisabadjob；shewon’thaveme。’
Dartonheldhisbreathtillhesaidwithtreacheroussolicitude，’Tryagain——’tiscoyness。’
’Ono，’saidJohnsdecisively。’There’sbeennoneofthat。Wetalkeditoverdozensoftimesinthemostfairandsquareway。Shetellsmeplainly，Idon’tsuither。’Twouldbesimplyannoyinghertoaskheragain。Ah，Charles，youthrewaprizeawaywhenyouletherslipfiveyearsago。’
’Idid——Idid，’saidDarton。
Hereturnedfromthatauctionwithanewsetoffeelingsinplay。
HehadcertainlymadeasurprisingmistakeinthinkingJohnshissuccessfulrival。ItreallyseemedasifhemighthopeforSallyafterall。
Thistime，beingratherpressedbybusiness，Dartonhadrecoursetopen-and-ink，andwroteherasmanlyandstraightforwardaproposalasanywomancouldwishtoreceive。Thereplycamepromptly:-
’DEARMR。DARTON，——Iamassensibleasanywomancanbeofthegoodnessthatleadsyoutomakemethisofferasecondtime。BetterwomenthanIwouldbeproudofthehonour，forwhenIreadyournicelongspeechesonmangold-wurzel，andsuchliketopics，attheCasterbridgeFarmers’Club，Idofeelitanhonour，Iassureyou。
Butmyanswerisjustthesameasbefore。Iwillnottrytoexplainwhat，intruth，Icannotexplain——myreasons；IwillsimplysaythatImustdeclinetobemarriedtoyou。Withgoodwishesasinformertimes，Iam，yourfaithfulfriend，’SALLYHALL。’
Dartondroppedtheletterhopelessly。Beyondthenegative，therewasjustapossibilityofsarcasminit——’nicelongspeechesonmangold-wurzel’hadasuspicioussound。However，sarcasmornone，therewastheanswer，andhehadtobecontent。
Heproceededtoseekreliefinabusinesswhichatthistimeengrossedmuchofhisattention——thatofclearingupacuriousmistakejustcurrentinthecounty，thathehadbeennearlyruinedbytherecentfailureofalocalbank。AfarmernamedDartonhadlostheavily，andthesimilarityofnamehadprobablyledtotheerror。Beliefinitwassopersistentthatitdemandedseveraldaysofletter-writingtosetmattersstraight，andpersuadetheworldthathewasassolventaseverhehadbeeninhislife。Hehadhardlyconcludedthisworryingtaskwhen，tohisdelight，anotherletterarrivedinthehandwritingofSally。
Dartontoreitopen；itwasveryshort。
’DEARMR。DARTON，——Wehavebeensoalarmedtheselastfewdaysbythereportthatyouwereruinedbythestoppageof——’sBank，that，nowitiscontradictedIhasten，bymymother’swish，tosayhowtrulygladwearetofindthereisnofoundationforthereport。
Afteryourkindnesstomypoorbrother’schildren，Icandonolessthanwriteatsuchamoment。Wehadaletterfromeachofthemafewdaysago——Yourfaithfulfriend，’SALLYHALL。’
’Mercenarylittlewoman！’saidDartontohimselfwithasmile。
’Thenthatwasthesecretofherrefusalthistime——shethoughtI
wasruined。’