which made him
less antagonistic to the corn-factor. But Henchard continued moody and
silent, and when one of the men inquired of him if some oats should be
hoisted to an upper floor or not, he said shortly, "Ask Mr. Farfrae.
He's master here!"

Morally he was; there could be no doubt of it. Henchard, who had
hitherto been the most admired man in his circle, was the most admired
no longer. One day the daughters of a deceased farmer in Durnover wanted
an opinion of the value of their haystack, and sent a messenger to ask
Mr. Farfrae to oblige them with one. The messenger, who was a child, met
in the yard not Farfrae, but Henchard.

"Very well," he said. "I'll come."

"But please will Mr. Farfrae come?" said the child.

"I am going that way....Why Mr. Farfrae?" said Henchard, with the fixed
look of thought. "Why do people always want Mr. Farfrae?"

"I suppose because they like him so--that's what they say."

"Oh--I see--that's what they say--hey? They like him because he's
cleverer than Mr. Henchard, and because he knows more; and, in short,
Mr. Henchard can't hold a candle to him--hey?"

"Yes--that's just it, sir--some of it."

"Oh, there's more? Of course there's more! What besides? Come, here's a
sixpence for a fairing."

"'And he's better tempered, and Henchard's a fool to him,' they say.
And when some of the women were a-walking home they said, 'He's a
diment--he's a chap o' wax--he's the best--he's the horse for my money,'
says they. And they said, 'He's the most understanding man o' them two
by long chalks. I wish he was the master instead of Henchard,' they
said."

"They'll talk any nonsense," Henchard replied with covered gloom. "Well,
you can go now. And I am coming to value the hay, d'ye hear?--I." The
boy departed, and Henchard murmured, "Wish he were master here, do
they?"

He went towards Durnover. On his way he overtook Farfrae. They walked on
together, Henchard looking mostly on the ground.

"You're no yoursel' the day?" Donald inquired.

"Yes, I am very well," said Henchard.

"But ye are a bit down--surely ye are down? Why, there's nothing to be
angry about! 'Tis splendid stuff that we've got from Blackmoor Vale. By
the by, the people in Durnover want their hay valued."

"Yes. I am going there."

"I'll go with ye."

As Henchard did not reply Donald practised a piece of music sotto voce,
till, getting near the bereaved people's door, he stopped himself with--

"Ah, as their father