in a freak of timidity. In spite of the waning of
passion the situation was an agitating one--she had not seen Henchard
since his (supposed) temporary parting from her in Jersey.

She could hear the servant showing the visitor into the room, shutting
the door upon him, and leaving as if to go and look for her mistress.
Lucetta flung back the curtain with a nervous greeting. The man before
her was not Henchard.

23.

A conjecture that her visitor might be some other person had, indeed,
flashed through Lucetta's mind when she was on the point of bursting
out; but it was just too late to recede.

He was years younger than the Mayor of Casterbridge; fair, fresh, and
slenderly handsome. He wore genteel cloth leggings with white buttons,
polished boots with infinite lace holes, light cord breeches under a
black velveteen coat and waistcoat; and he had a silver-topped switch in
his hand. Lucetta blushed, and said with a curious mixture of pout and
laugh on her face--"O, I've made a mistake!"

The visitor, on the contrary, did not laugh half a wrinkle.

"But I'm very sorry!" he said, in deprecating tones. "I came and I
inquired for Miss Henchard, and they showed me up here, and in no case
would I have caught ye so unmannerly if I had known!"

"I was the unmannerly one," she said.

"But is it that I have come to the wrong house, madam?" said Mr.
Farfrae, blinking a little in his bewilderment and nervously tapping his
legging with his switch.

"O no, sir,--sit down. You must come and sit down now you are here,"
replied Lucetta kindly, to relieve his embarrassment. "Miss Henchard
will be here directly."

Now this was not strictly true; but that something about the young
man--that hyperborean crispness, stringency, and charm, as of a
well-braced musical instrument, which had awakened the interest of
Henchard, and of Elizabeth-Jane and of the Three Mariners' jovial crew,
at sight, made his unexpected presence here attractive to Lucetta.
He hesitated, looked at the chair, thought there was no danger in it
(though there was), and sat down.

Farfrae's sudden entry was simply the result of Henchard's permission to
him to see Elizabeth if he were minded to woo her. At first he had taken
no notice of Henchard's brusque letter; but an exceptionally fortunate
business transaction put him on good terms with everybody, and revealed
to him that he could undeniably marry if he chose. Then who so pleasing,
thrifty, and sati