ed to look for a moment at the bull,
now rather to be pitied with his bleeding nose, having perhaps rather
intended a practical joke than a murder. Henchard had secured him by
jamming the staff into the hinge of the barn-door, and wedging it
there with a stake. At length she turned to hasten onward after her
contemplation, when she saw a green-and-black gig approaching from the
contrary direction, the vehicle being driven by Farfrae.

His presence here seemed to explain Lucetta's walk that way. Donald saw
her, drew up, and was hastily made acquainted with what had occurred. At
Elizabeth-Jane mentioning how greatly Lucetta had been jeopardized, he
exhibited an agitation different in kind no less than in intensity
from any she had seen in him before. He became so absorbed in the
circumstance that he scarcely had sufficient knowledge of what he was
doing to think of helping her up beside him.

"She has gone on with Mr. Henchard, you say?" he inquired at last.

"Yes. He is taking her home. They are almost there by this time."

"And you are sure she can get home?"

Elizabeth-Jane was quite sure.

"Your stepfather saved her?"

"Entirely."

Farfrae checked his horse's pace; she guessed why. He was thinking that
it would be best not to intrude on the other two just now. Henchard
had saved Lucetta, and to provoke a possible exhibition of her deeper
affection for himself was as ungenerous as it was unwise.

The immediate subject of their talk being exhausted she felt more
embarrassed at sitting thus beside her past lover; but soon the two
figures of the others were visible at the entrance to the town. The face
of the woman was frequently turned back, but Farfrae did not whip on the
horse. When these reached the town walls Henchard and his companion
had disappeared down the street; Farfrae set down Elizabeth-Jane on her
expressing a particular wish to alight there, and drove round to the
stables at the back of his lodgings.

On this account he entered the house through his garden, and going up to
his apartments found them in a particularly disturbed state, his boxes
being hauled out upon the landing, and his bookcase standing in three
pieces. These phenomena, however, seemed to cause him not the least
surprise. "When will everything be sent up?" he said to the mistress of
the house, who was superintending.

"I am afraid not before eight, sir," said she. "You see we wasn't aware
till this morning that you were going to