the lowest ladder. He heard
him land on the first floor, ascend and land on the second, begin the
ascent to the third. And then his head rose through the trap behind.

"What are you doing up here at this time?" he asked, coming forward.
"Why didn't ye take your holiday like the rest of the men?" He spoke in
a tone which had just severity enough in it to show that he remembered
the untoward event of the forenoon, and his conviction that Henchard had
been drinking.

Henchard said nothing; but going back he closed the stair hatchway, and
stamped upon it so that it went tight into its frame; he next turned
to the wondering young man, who by this time observed that one of
Henchard's arms was bound to his side.

"Now," said Henchard quietly, "we stand face to face--man and man. Your
money and your fine wife no longer lift 'ee above me as they did but
now, and my poverty does not press me down."

"What does it all mean?" asked Farfrae simply.

"Wait a bit, my lad. You should ha' thought twice before you affronted
to extremes a man who had nothing to lose. I've stood your rivalry,
which ruined me, and your snubbing, which humbled me; but your hustling,
that disgraced me, I won't stand!"

Farfrae warmed a little at this. "Ye'd no business there," he said.

"As much as any one among ye! What, you forward stripling, tell a man of
my age he'd no business there!" The anger-vein swelled in his forehead
as he spoke.

"You insulted Royalty, Henchard; and 'twas my duty, as the chief
magistrate, to stop you."

"Royalty be damned," said Henchard. "I am as loyal as you, come to
that!"

"I am not here to argue. Wait till you cool doon, wait till you cool;
and you will see things the same way as I do."

"You may be the one to cool first," said Henchard grimly. "Now this
is the case. Here be we, in this four-square loft, to finish out that
little wrestle you began this morning. There's the door, forty foot
above ground. One of us two puts the other out by that door--the master
stays inside. If he likes he may go down afterwards and give the
alarm that the other has fallen out by accident--or he may tell the
truth--that's his business. As the strongest man I've tied one arm to
take no advantage of 'ee. D'ye understand? Then here's at 'ee!"

There was no time for Farfrae to do aught but one thing, to close with
Henchard, for the latter had come on at once. It was a wrestling match,
the object of each being to give his antagonist