nd of company which confronted him through
the kitchen door, he at once abandoned his idea of putting up at the
house; but taking the situation lightly, he called for glasses of the
best, paid for them as he stood in the passage, and turned to proceed on
his way by the front door. This was barred, and while the landlady was
unfastening it the conversation about the skimmington was continued in
the sitting-room, and reached his ears.

"What do they mean by a 'skimmity-ride'?" he asked.

"O, sir!" said the landlady, swinging her long earrings with deprecating
modesty; "'tis a' old foolish thing they do in these parts when a
man's wife is--well, not too particularly his own. But as a respectable
householder I don't encourage it.

"Still, are they going to do it shortly? It is a good sight to see, I
suppose?"

"Well, sir!" she simpered. And then, bursting into naturalness, and
glancing from the corner of her eye, "'Tis the funniest thing under the
sun! And it costs money."

"Ah! I remember hearing of some such thing. Now I shall be in
Casterbridge for two or three weeks to come, and should not mind
seeing the performance. Wait a moment." He turned back, entered the
sitting-room, and said, "Here, good folks; I should like to see the
old custom you are talking of, and I don't mind being something towards
it--take that." He threw a sovereign on the table and returned to the
landlady at the door, of whom, having inquired the way into the town, he
took his leave.

"There were more where that one came from," said Charl when the
sovereign had been taken up and handed to the landlady for safe keeping.
"By George! we ought to have got a few more while we had him here."

"No, no," answered the landlady. "This is a respectable house, thank
God! And I'll have nothing done but what's honourable."

"Well," said Jopp; "now we'll consider the business begun, and will soon
get it in train."

"We will!" said Nance. "A good laugh warms my heart more than a cordial,
and that's the truth on't."

Jopp gathered up the letters, and it being now somewhat late he did
not attempt to call at Farfrae's with them that night. He reached home,
sealed them up as before, and delivered the parcel at its address next
morning. Within an hour its contents were reduced to ashes by Lucetta,
who, poor soul! was inclined to fall down on her knees in thankfulness
that at last no evidence remained of the unlucky episode with Henchard
in her past. For tho