Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-03-25
CHAPTER XXvIl.

Meanwhile the man Of their talk Ind
pursued his solitary way eastward till
WEAKNESS overlook him, aud he looked
about for place OF rest. His heart was
so exacerbated ut parting from the girl
that he could not face an inn or even a
household Of the most humble kind; and
entering field he lay down under q wheat
rick, feeling no want OF food. The very
hcavincss Of bis soul caused him to rlecn
profoundly.
During Ave consecutive days Hench.
ards rush basket rode along upon bis
shoulders between the highway hedges,
the new yellow Of the PUSHES catching
the eye Of an occasional field labOrer ~
he glanced over the Qulckset, together
with the wayfarer's hat and head, and
down-turned face, over which the twig
shadows moved In endless procession. II
now became apparent that the direction
OF his journey was Weydon Priovs. which
he reached on the afternoon Of the sixth
day.
Here he obtained employment at his old
occupation Of hay.trusser, work Of that
sort being In demand at the autumn time,
and here he subsequently learned that
Elizabeth James marriage had been ret
for Martins day. lie impulsively deter.
mined to attend the wedding.
He returned to Casterbridge on the up.
pointed day. There was no need to make
inquiries beforehand, for ON drawing near
Farfrae's residence II was plain to the
least Observant that festivity prevailed
within. aud that Donald himself shared
II, bis voice being distinctly audible In the
street. giving strong expression to song
Of his native country. ldlers were stand.
ing on the pavement In front, and. wish.
Ing to escape the notice Of these. Hcnch.
ard passed quickly on to the door.
II was wide open: the hail was lighted
extravagantly. and people were going ~,
and down the stairs. Ills courage failed
him; to enter, fOOtsOre, laden and poorly
dressed. into the midst Ut such resplen.
dency was to bring needless humiliation
upon her he loved. II not Ia court rcpulse
from her husband. Accordingly he went
round into the back street that he knew
so well, entered the garden, and came
quietly into the house through the kitchen,
temporarily depOsiting the bird cage un.
der bush outside to lessen the awkward
ness Of his arrival.
Solitude and sadness had 40 emOliated
Henchard that he now feared circum.
stances he would formerly have scOrned,
and he began to wish that he had not TAX
en- upon himself to arrive ut such june
ture. However, his progress was made
unexpectedly easy by his discovering alone
In the kitchen an elderly woman who
seemed to be- acting as provisional house
keeper during the commissions from which
Farfrae's establishment was Just then
suffering. She was one Of those people
whom nothing surprises, and though to
her, q total stranger, his request must
have seemed odd, she willingly volunteer
cd to go up and inform the master and
mistress of the house that he had come.
On second thoughts she said that he had
better not wait In the kitchen, but come
up into the little back parlor, which was
empty. He thereupOn followed her thith-
er, and she left him. Just AZ she got
across the landing to the door of the best
parlOr, q dance was struck up, ana she
returned to say that she would wait till
that was over before announcing him
Mr.. ana Mrs. Farfrae having both Joined
In the figure.
The door of the front room had been
taken off Its hinges to give more space.
and that of the room Henchard sat In be-
Ing ajar, he could see fractional parts of
the dancers whenever their gyrations
brought them near the doorway chiefly
In the shape Of the skirts of dresses and
streaming curls OF hair; together with
about three-6fths. of the band In profile.
Including the restless shadow OF fiddler
elbow and the tip of the bass viol bow.
With the progress Of the dance the per-
formers spread out somewhat, and then
for the first time he caught glimpse of
the Once-despised daughter who had mas
tered him and made his heart ache. She
was In u dress OF white silk or satin--he
was not near enough to say which--spowy
white. without tinGe Of milk or cream