June, passed; and it
is no overstatement to say that by the end of the last-named month
Gertrude well-nigh longed for the death of a fellow-creature. Instead of
her formal prayers each night, her unconscious prayer was, 'O Lord, hang
some guilty or innocent person soon!'

This time she made earlier inquiries, and was altogether more systematic
in her proceedings. Moreover, the season was summer, between the
haymaking and the harvest, and in the leisure thus afforded him her
husband had been holiday-taking away from home.

The assizes were in July, and she went to the inn as before. There was
to be one execution--only one--for arson.

Her greatest problem was not how to get to Casterbridge, but what means
she should adopt for obtaining admission to the jail. Though access for
such purposes had formerly never been denied, the custom had fallen into
desuetude; and in contemplating her possible difficulties, she was again
almost driven to fall back upon her husband. But, on sounding him about
the assizes, he was so uncommunicative, so more than usually cold, that
she did not proceed, and decided that whatever she did she would do
alone.

Fortune, obdurate hitherto, showed her unexpected favour. On the
Thursday before the Saturday fixed for the execution, Lodge remarked to
her that he was going away from home for another day or two on business
at a fair, and that he was sorry he could not take her with him.

She exhibited on this occasion so much readiness to stay at home that he
looked at her in surprise. Time had been when she would have shown deep
disappointment at the loss of such a jaunt. However, he lapsed into his
usual taciturnity, and on the day named left Holmstoke.

It was now her turn. She at first had thought of driving, but on
reflection held that driving would not do, since it would necessitate her
keeping to the turnpike-road, and so increase by tenfold the risk of her
ghastly errand being found out. She decided to ride, and avoid the
beaten track, notwithstanding that in her husband's stables there was no
animal just at present which by any stretch of imagination could be
considered a lady's mount, in spite of his promise before marriage to
always keep a mare for her. He had, however, many cart-horses, fine ones
of their kind; and among the rest was a serviceable creature, an equine
Amazon, with a back as broad as a sofa, on which Gertrude had
occasionally taken an airing when unwell. This