# Short Fiction — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Thomas Hardy.

- [Short Fiction](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/short-fiction.md): A collection of short stories exploring themes of love, deception, social mobility, and fate, featuring characters navigating complex relationships and moral dilemmas.
- [How I Built Myself a House](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/how-i-built-myself-a-house.md): The narrator recounts the trials of building a new home with his wife Sophia, from selecting a site and architect to dealing with construction anxieties, costly extras, and the final settling-in.
- [Destiny and a Blue Cloak](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/destiny-and-a-blue-cloak.md): A young woman named Agatha Pollin is courted by Farmer Lovill, but her heart belongs to Oswald Winwood, who has gone to America to seek his fortune. She obtains a written pledge from Lovill to wait for Oswald's return, b
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Agatha Pollin is mistaken for the renowned beauty Frances Lovill by Oswald Winwood on the Weymouth esplanade. She initially fails to correct him, leading to a day-long romantic encounter. When she finally confesses her t
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Agatha and Oswald share a tender farewell at the mill, discussing Oswald's upcoming journey to India and his hopes for success through competitive examination. Agatha struggles with her emotions, wishing he would fail so
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): In the spring, Agatha learns that Oswald Winwood has passed his examination and is listed first in the Times. She resigns herself to his departure for India, maintaining hope and regular correspondence. As time passes, s
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Old farmer Lovill, a distant relative of Frances, visits the mill on business and becomes infatuated with Agatha Pollin after seeing her by the mill pool. He retrieves her chemise from the water, then later spies on her 
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Uncle Humphrey informs Agatha that Farmer Lovill wishes to marry her, revealing his own financial troubles and plan to emigrate to Australia. Agatha protests, citing her promise to Oswald Winwood, but her uncle pressures
- [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Agatha, under pressure from her uncle and Farmer Lovill, seeks advice from the vicar Mr. Davids, who suggests she make a conditional promise to marry Lovill if Oswald Winwood does not return. She writes a note to Lovill 
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Agatha's life improves under her uncle's care, but she must secretly receive letters from Oswald. Her uncle discovers her reading a letter and warns her to keep her promise to Lovill. As the wedding date approaches, Agat
- [The Distracted Preacher](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-distracted-preacher.md): A young Methodist preacher, Mr. Stockdale, arrives in a coastal village and becomes entangled with the alluring Lizzy Newberry, who is secretly involved in smuggling. His religious convictions clash with his growing affe
- [How His Cold Was Cured](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i-how-his-cold-was-cured.md): Mr. Stockdale, a young Wesleyan minister, arrives in Nether-Moynton as a temporary substitute and lodges with the widow Mrs. Lizzy Newberry. Despite initial indifference from the villagers, Stockdale is charmed by Mrs. N
- [How He Saw Two Other Men](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii-how-he-saw-two-other-men.md): Stockdale observes Lizzy Newberry in a tense conversation with the miller Owlett, while a mysterious man watches from the laurel bushes. After the miller leaves, Stockdale confronts Lizzy about the listener and presses h
- [III: The Mysterious Greatcoat](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii-the-mysterious-greatcoat.md): Stockdale notices Lizzy Newberry's irregular sleeping patterns, often staying in her room until late afternoon. One night, when a girl knocks for mustard, Stockdale cannot wake Lizzy, and her mother dismisses his concern
- [IV: At the Time of the New Moon](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv-at-the-time-of-the-new-moon.md): Stockdale returns from Knollsea and spends a pleasant evening with Lizzy. Later, he sees a figure in her late husband's coat and hat, follows her, and discovers she is involved in smuggling. He confronts her about her un
- [How They Went to Lulstead Cove](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v-how-they-went-to-lulstead-cove.md): Stockdale follows Lizzy Newberry on a smuggling run to Lulstead Cove, observing her leadership of the carriers and her partnership with Owlett. Despite his disapproval, he is drawn to her competence and bravery. The run 
- [VI: The Great Search at Nether-Moynton](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi-the-great-search-at-nether-moynton.md): Stockdale, torn between conscience and love, cannot sleep after the previous evening's events. At dawn, the village stirs as excise officers led by Latimer begin a thorough search for smuggled tubs of spirits. The villag
- [VII: The Walk to Warm’ell Cross and Afterwards](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii-the-walk-to-warm-ell-cross-and-afterwards.md): After the excisemen's seizure of smuggled goods, the village resists by sabotaging carts and harnesses. Stockdale grows increasingly troubled by Lizzy's involvement in the smuggling trade. As the excisemen depart with th
- [Fellow-Townsmen](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/fellow-townsmen.md): The chapter explores the intertwined lives of townsmen, focusing on themes of love, marriage, and social class as characters navigate relationships and societal expectations.
- [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Barnet and Downe, fellow townsmen, ride together into the town. Barnet is building a new mansion, which his wife wanted to name 'Château Ringdale,' but he resisted. Downe returns to a warm, loving family, while Barnet re
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Barnet, restless and rebellious, leaves his home and walks through the rainy town, reflecting on his father's industrious life. He passes a building site for 'Château Ringdale,' which irritates him, but he restrains hims
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Barnet avoids his wife and the harbor road, taking walks in the northern fields. Downe suggests his wife Emily call on Mrs. Barnet to gain her confidence and help resolve the marital strife. Barnet agrees, and later lear
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Barnet observes his wife and Mrs. Downe heading to the shore, then later walks toward the harbor, passing Lucy's cottage where he sees her gathering flowers. He continues to the harbor and learns that the two ladies have
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Barnet grapples with the aftermath of his wife's near-drowning, experiencing a moral crisis as he contemplates the possibility of her death freeing him to pursue Lucy Savile. He ultimately chooses to revive her, while si
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Four months after the drowning incident, Barnet visits the widower Downe, who is still grieving his wife. Barnet suggests Lucy Savile as a governess for Downe's children. Later, Barnet's wife leaves him, taking her jewel
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Barnet becomes increasingly involved in the construction of his new house, finding solace in its progress as a distraction from his lonely life. He frequently encounters Lucy Savile, the governess for his friend Downe's 
- [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii.md): Barnet receives news of his wife's sudden death, which initially brings him relief and thoughts of a future with Lucy Savile. However, he then receives a letter from Downe announcing that Downe and Lucy are to be married
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ix.md): Twenty-one and a half years later, George Barnet returns to his hometown, now transformed by time. He visits Lucy Savile, who has been widowed, and reveals that he left because she married Charles Downe on the very day h
- [What the Shepherd Saw](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/what-the-shepherd-saw.md): A shepherd witnesses a series of mysterious events over four moonlight nights, leading to revelations and consequences.
- [First Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/first-night.md): On a frosty Christmas night, a shepherd boy watches from a hut on the Marlbury Downs as a mysterious man and a woman—the Duchess—meet secretly at the Devil's Door trilithon. Their tense conversation reveals a past romanc
- [Second Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/second-night.md): The shepherd boy returns to the hut on the downs, witnessing the Duke arrive and hide in the hut. Captain Fred appears for the assignation, but the Duke confronts him, kills him, and hides the body. The Duke then waits f
- [Third Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/third-night.md): The young shepherd Bill Mills, on duty alone, encounters the Duke and Duchess of Shakeforest who are searching for a mysterious figure. After they leave, the Duke returns alone and interrogates the boy, forcing him to sw
- [Fourth Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/fourth-night.md): Years after the events on Marlbury Downs, the former shepherd William Mills, now the Duke's steward, confronts his patron about a buried secret: the Duke's involvement in Captain Ogbourne's disappearance. The old shepher
- [A Tradition of Eighteen Hundred and Four](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-tradition-of-eighteen-hundred-and-four.md): Old Solomon Selby recounts his childhood memory of a night in 1804 or 1805 when he and his uncle Job, a sergeant, witnessed two French officers studying a map of the English coast near their sheepfold. The officers, beli
- [The Three Strangers](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-three-strangers.md): On a stormy night in March 182-, Shepherd Fennel hosts a christening party at his isolated cottage, Higher Crowstairs. The festivities include dancing, singing, and drinking. Three strangers arrive in succession: the fir
- [The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-romantic-adventures-of-a-milkmaid.md): The chapter introduces the milkmaid and her romantic entanglements, setting the stage for themes of love, duty, and social class.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): On a foggy May morning in the 1840s, Margery Tucker, a milkmaid, is sent on an errand to deliver butter to her grandmother. After completing the task, she decides to go shopping in a neighboring town, but upon learning t
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Margery Tucker encounters a mysterious foreign gentleman in the fog who appears to be in deep distress and possibly contemplating suicide. After she inadvertently startles him, he reveals his sleeplessness and melancholy
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Margery waits for the Baron at the garden stile, and when he arrives late, she requests to attend the Yeomanry Ball as her promised treat. Despite his initial hesitation, he agrees to take her and teaches her a new dance
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Margery meets the Baron in Chillington Wood, where he has prepared a ball gown hidden in a hollow tree. She dresses with difficulty, and they travel by carriage to a ball under an assumed name, with Margery torn between 
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): The Baron takes Margery to a grand ball at a country house, where they dance the polka and she experiences the opulence of high society. After the ball, they return to Chillington Wood, where the Baron burns her fine clo
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Jim Hayward, a lime-burner, meets Margery Tucker by the river Exe. He eagerly proposes they marry that summer, now that his partnership is settled, but Margery is distant and evasive. She speaks of luxurious possessions 
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Jim Hayward, a village character with a simple yet cunning nature, reflects on Margery's changed attitude toward him. He returns to his limekiln, set against an ancient British fort, where he receives a message from Baro
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii.md): Jim Hayward visits the Baron to thank him and discuss his wedding plans. The Baron, increasingly preoccupied with Margery, wanders to places associated with her and accidentally meets her in the woods. Despite his stern 
- [IX](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ix.md): Margery returns to her grandmother's house after the failed wedding, sends back the Baron's locket, and faces her father's rage. The Baron, remorseful, drives her back to the dairy but refuses to see her again. Margery p
- [The Baron's Illness and Jim's Discovery](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/x.md): Margery lives in quiet monotony at Rook's Gate while the Baron remains a mysterious figure. Jim Hayward, still smarting from Margery's rejection, encounters a musician who recognizes Margery from a Yeomanry Ball, leading
- [XI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xi.md): Margery, believing the Baron intends to marry her on his deathbed, dresses carefully and goes to Mount Lodge. She is led to his bedside where a clergyman, a solicitor, and a physician are present. The Baron explains he w
- [XII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xii.md): Margery is shocked to discover that her secret dream of becoming a baroness is shattered when she finds Jim Hayward, not the Baron, waiting to marry her. The Baron reveals he orchestrated the match after learning of thei
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xiii.md): Margery and Jim confront the consequences of their forced marriage. Jim offers to reconcile Margery with her father, but a misunderstanding over a burnt hayrick leads to further estrangement. They agree to keep their mar
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xv.md): Margery, feeling humiliated by Jim's apparent romance with Mrs. Peach, resolves to attend the Yeomanry Review to confront them. She plans to accompany Mr. Vine, Jim's partner. Meanwhile, Jim and Mrs. Peach walk together,
- [XVI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xvi.md): Jim's plan to provoke Margery by feigning an elopement with Mrs. Peach backfires when Margery, believing he has left her, departs with a mysterious baron. Jim is left distraught and blamed by her father.
- [XVII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xvii.md): Jim Hayward, believing Margery has eloped with the Baron, pursues her but is misdirected by Dairyman Tucker. After a futile chase, he intercepts the Baron's carriage, only to learn that Margery is waiting for him at home
- [Interlopers at the Knap](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/interlopers-at-the-knap.md): The chapter explores the complexities of love, duty, and social expectation as characters navigate relationships and obligations in a rural setting.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Farmer Charles Darton, accompanied by his friend Japheth Johns and a lad named Enoch, rides through the lonely and tedious Long-Ash Lane on a winter evening to marry Sally Hall. Darton, a contemplative and unambitious ma
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Sally Hall and her mother await the arrival of Sally's fiancé, Mr. Darton, on the eve of their wedding. Their anticipation is disrupted by the unexpected return of Sally's long-absent brother Philip, who arrives destitut
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Sally and Mrs. Hall discover Helena, the widow of Mrs. Hall's son Philip, in the stable with Sally's fiancé Charles Darton. Helena and her two children have arrived in poverty, and Philip dies shortly after. The wedding 
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Time passes after the death of Sally's brother. Darton remains distant, but Helena accepts his offer to care for her eldest son, who comes to live with Darton. A meeting at the White Horse leads to Darton and Helena reco
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Five years after his failed proposal, Charles Darton returns to the Hall farm and again asks Sally to marry him, but she firmly declines, stating she is happy as she is and does not wish to marry. Later, Darton encounter
- [A Tryst at an Ancient Earth Work](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-tryst-at-an-ancient-earth-work.md): The narrator meets a friend at an ancient earthwork fort under cover of night and a storm. The friend, an elderly antiquary, reveals his intention to dig illegally for artifacts despite a posted warning. He uncovers a Ro
- [A Mere Interlude](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-mere-interlude.md): Baptista Trewthen, a young schoolmistress, marries Charles Stow in Trufal, but soon after learns that her former lover, who was believed dead, is still alive. The story explores themes of duty, deception, and the consequ
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Baptista Trewthen, a young schoolmistress from the Isles of Lyonesse, is pressured by her parents and her landlady Mrs. Wace to marry the much older and wealthy David Heddegan, despite her lack of enthusiasm for the matc
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Baptista Trewthen, delayed in Pen-zephyr after missing the steamer to St. Maria's, encounters Charles, a former acquaintance and fellow schoolmaster. Their tense conversation reveals her impending marriage to the much ol
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Baptista, now married to Charles Stow, waits on the shore while he goes for a swim before their boat departs. She becomes alarmed when he disappears in the water, and after seeking help, realizes he has drowned. In a sta
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Baptista Trewthen returns to St. Maria's Island by packet-boat, accompanied by her fiancé Mr. Heddegan. Despite having secretly married Charles Stow, she finds herself unable to reveal the truth to her family or break of
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Baptista and her new husband, David Heddegan, travel to Pen-zephyr for their wedding trip. They secure a room at an inn that had been occupied by a drowned man—Charles Stow, Baptista's secret husband. Baptista discovers 
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Three days after her marriage to David Heddegan, Baptista, recovering from a state of shock, travels to Redrutin to attend the funeral of Charles, her first husband, in secret. She purchases black attire, joins the funer
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Baptista is blackmailed by the glazier who witnessed her first marriage, paying hush-money to keep the secret from her husband David Heddegan. When the glazier and his wife press her further, she resolves to confess. She
- [Alicia's Diary](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/alicia-s-diary.md): Alicia records her observations and feelings in her diary, capturing the emotional landscape of her relationships and the quiet tensions of her daily life.
- [I: She Misses Her Sister](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i-she-misses-her-sister.md): The narrator, left behind while her sister Caroline and their mother travel to Versailles, records her loneliness and growing anxiety through diary entries. Caroline's letters increasingly mention a mysterious M. de la F
- [II: News Interesting and Serious](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii-news-interesting-and-serious.md): The narrator receives letters announcing Caroline's engagement to M. de la Feste, a Frenchman, which brings mixed feelings of joy and concern. The family is thrown into crisis when the mother falls dangerously ill in Ver
- [III: Her Gloom Lightens a Little](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii-her-gloom-lightens-a-little.md): The narrator records her diary entries from September to October following her mother's death and burial. She describes the shared grief with her sister Caroline, the postponement of Caroline's wedding to M. de la Feste,
- [IV: She Beholds the Attractive Stranger](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv-she-beholds-the-attractive-stranger.md): The narrator resumes her journal after a dull winter, focusing on Caroline's future with M. de la Feste. Caroline writes to him to fix their wedding date, but he delays his visit until May. When he finally arrives, the n
- [V: Her Situation Is a Trying One](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v-her-situation-is-a-trying-one.md): Alicia records her growing distress as she realizes that Charles de la Feste, her sister Caroline's betrothed, has fallen in love with her instead. Despite her efforts to avoid him, he confesses his passion, leading to a
- [VI: Her Ingenuity Instigates Her](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi-her-ingenuity-instigates-her.md): The narrator, desperate over her sister Caroline's declining health due to a broken heart from Charles's departure, writes to Charles and convinces him to return. After he refuses a legal marriage for fear of losing the 
- [VII: A Surprise Awaits Her](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii-a-surprise-awaits-her.md): The narrator records Caroline's recovery from illness and the growing tension over the secret that her marriage to Charles was a sham. Caroline, believing herself truly married, wonders at her husband's coldness and abse
- [VIII: She Travels in Pursuit](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii-she-travels-in-pursuit.md): The narrator pursues Caroline and Charles de la Feste across Europe, first to Paris and then to Venice. Upon arrival in Venice, the narrator discovers Caroline has already arrived and confronts her, revealing that the ma
- [IX: She Witnesses the End](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ix-she-witnesses-the-end.md): The narrator recounts the final days leading up to Caroline and Charles's wedding, the ceremony itself, and Charles's mysterious death by drowning shortly after the marriage. The narrator suspects Charles intentionally c
- [X: She Adds a Note Long After](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/x-she-adds-a-note-long-after.md): Five years later, the narrator reflects on an old diary and records that her sister Caroline has married Theophilus Higham, the former Scripture reader who assisted in the sham marriage. The narrator expresses hope that 
- [The Waiting Supper](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-waiting-supper.md): The chapter explores themes of love, duty, and the passage of time as characters navigate the complexities of relationships and societal expectations.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Christine and Nicholas meet secretly in the garden after dinner. Nicholas reveals he has obtained a marriage license and proposes a private marriage followed by his immediate departure for an educational tour. Christine,
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Christine Everard and Nicholas Long attempt a secret marriage at the church, but the rector, Mr. Bealand, refuses to perform the ceremony without her father's knowledge. Christine negotiates a promise not to elope in exc
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): At a christening feast at Athelhall, Christine Everard meets the self-assured traveler Mr. Bellston, who shows her attention. She dances with Nicholas Long, her secret lover, and is torn between her affection for him and
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Christine and Nicholas meet in the Sallows, where their strained relationship is further complicated by rumors of a secret marriage. Christine's father confronts her, demanding she end the relationship, but she insists o
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Christine, embarrassed by Nicholas's rustic appearance in public, snubs him in the High Street. Nicholas receives a contemptuous letter from Squire Everard offering Christine in marriage out of desperation. Tormented by 
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Nicholas Long returns to Roy-Town after fifteen years abroad, hoping to find Christine Everard. He learns the Everards have sold their estate and left, but encounters Christine on the downs. She reveals she married Mr. B
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Nicholas Long and Christine Everard prepare for their wedding on December 24th, having publicly announced their intentions. On the eve of the wedding, Christine receives word that her presumed-dead husband, Mr. Bellston,
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii.md): Nicholas Long visits Christine Everard regularly for years after her husband Bellston's mysterious disappearance, their lives suspended in a state of waiting. After seventeen years, Bellston's skeleton is discovered in t
- [The Withered Arm](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-withered-arm.md): The story follows Rhoda Brook, a milkmaid, and her son as they navigate the complexities of love, jealousy, and social class. Rhoda's former lover, Farmer Lodge, marries the young and beautiful Gertrude, leading to a ser
- [I: A Lorn Milkmaid](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i-a-lorn-milkmaid.md): At an eighty-cow dairy, milkmaids gossip about Farmer Lodge's impending marriage to a younger bride, while the thin, worn milkmaid Rhoda Brook listens silently. After work, she walks home with her son and instructs him t
- [II: The Young Wife](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii-the-young-wife.md): Farmer Lodge returns home from market with his new young wife, Gertrude. A boy stares intently at her, later reporting details to his mother, Rhoda Brook, who is clearly obsessed with the new wife. Rhoda sends her son to
- [III: A Vision](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii-a-vision.md): Rhoda Brook is haunted by a vivid dream in which Gertrude Lodge, the new wife of her former lover, appears as a malevolent specter sitting on her chest and mocking her with her wedding ring. Rhoda violently throws the fi
- [IV: A Suggestion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv-a-suggestion.md): Rhoda Brook, haunted by her dream and the mark on Gertrude Lodge's arm, reluctantly agrees to guide Gertrude to Conjuror Trendle in Egdon Heath, fearing that the conjuror might expose her as the cause of Gertrude's affli
- [Conjuror Trendle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v-conjuror-trendle.md): Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge visit Conjuror Trendle to seek a cure for Gertrude's ailing arm. Trendle reveals that the affliction is the work of an enemy and performs a divination with an egg in water, which deeply uns
- [VI: A Second Attempt](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi-a-second-attempt.md): Six years into her marriage, Gertrude Lodge has become irritable and superstitious, obsessed with curing her withered limb. Her husband, gloomy and childless, hints at adopting Rhoda Brook's son. In a desperate final att
- [A Ride](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii-a-ride.md): Gertrude Lodge, desperate to cure her disfigured arm, secretly plans to attend an execution in Casterbridge to obtain the hand of a hanged man as a remedy prescribed by the conjuror Trendle. After months of hesitation, s
- [VIII: A Waterside Hermit](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii-a-waterside-hermit.md): Gertrude Lodge visits the hangman Davies at his cottage by the river near Casterbridge jail to arrange a gruesome cure for her withered arm. She learns the execution is at noon, and he agrees to let her touch the corpse 
- [IX: A Rencounter](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ix-a-rencounter.md): Gertrude Lodge, having been admitted to the jail, witnesses the aftermath of an execution. She is forced to touch the neck of the executed man, Rhoda Brook's son, in a desperate attempt to cure her paralyzed arm. The sho
- [A Tragedy of Two Ambitions](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-tragedy-of-two-ambitions.md): The Halborough brothers, Joshua and Cornelius, struggle to elevate themselves from their humble origins through education and ambition, but their plans are threatened by their alcoholic father's return, leading to a trag
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): The Halborough brothers, Joshua and Cornelius, study Greek and Latin in their bedroom at the millwright's house, striving for a better future despite their father's alcoholism and the loss of their mother's nine hundred 
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Joshua Halborough, now a theological student, visits his brother Cornelius, a schoolmaster, and discusses their ambitions for the Church and their sister Rosa's education abroad. Their conversation is overshadowed by the
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Joshua Halborough delivers a stirring first sermon at Narrobourne, impressing both villagers and the manor-house family. He is invited to dine with Mrs. Fellmer and her son, the widower landowner, but initially declines 
- [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Albert Fellmer discusses with his mother his desire to marry Rosa Halborough, valuing her lack of ambition and suitability as a stepmother. Rosa arrives for a visit, and her brother Joshua hopes she will secure the match
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Six months after Rosa's marriage, the body of the millwright is discovered in the culvert during haymaking. An inquest rules accidental drowning of an unknown person, and Joshua Halborough conducts the burial. Rosa later
- [The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-melancholy-hussar-of-the-german-legion.md): Phyllis Grove, a young woman living a secluded life with her father, becomes romantically involved with a melancholy hussar from the German Legion stationed nearby. Their secret meetings and plans to elope are thwarted b
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): The narrator describes the unchanged downs where the York Hussars once camped, and introduces the story of Phyllis Grove, a shy young woman living in seclusion with her reclusive father, Dr. Grove. Phyllis becomes engage
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Phyllis Grove becomes acquainted with Matthäus Tina, a homesick German corporal from the York Hussars, through daily meetings at the garden wall, leading to a deepening friendship that hints at romantic attachment.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Phyllis learns from hearsay that her betrothed, Humphrey Gould, considers their engagement only a half-understanding, freeing her heart. Despite her father's disbelief and restrictions, she continues meeting the Hussar, 
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Phyllis waits for Matthäus Tina to elope, but overhears Humphrey Gould's conversation revealing his continued faithfulness, leading her to renounce her plan and part from Tina forever.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Phyllis receives a gift from Humphrey Gould, who then confides that he has secretly married a young woman and seeks her help to smooth things over with his father. Phyllis, relieved by his confession, refrains from revea
- [For Conscience’ Sake](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/for-conscience-sake.md): Mr. Millborne, a man burdened by a past wrong, seeks to make amends for his earlier abandonment of a woman and their child. He returns to find them and proposes a marriage of convenience to restore the woman's reputation
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Mr. Millborne, a solitary London bachelor, confesses to his friend Doctor Bindon that he is haunted by a broken promise of marriage made twenty years earlier to a young woman in Toneborough. Though he has no remaining lo
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Mr. Millborne travels to Exonbury to fulfill a twenty-year-old promise of marriage to Leonora Frankland, the woman he once wronged. He observes her and her daughter Frances from afar, then formally proposes. Leonora init
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Frances and her mother, Mrs. Millborne, have moved to London, but the engagement between Frances and the Reverend Percival Cope is threatened after Cope notices a striking resemblance between Frances and Mr. Millborne du
- [A Few Crusted Characters](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-few-crusted-characters.md): On a Saturday afternoon in autumn, a carrier's van departs from the White Hart Inn in a market-town, carrying a group of villagers from Longpuddle. After several delays—including forgetting the curate and being hailed by
- [Tony Kytes, the Arch-Deceiver](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/tony-kytes-the-arch-deceiver.md): Tony Kytes, a young man engaged to Milly Richards, finds himself in a comedic predicament when he offers rides home to two former flames, Unity Sallet and Hannah Jolliver, while Milly is also secretly hidden in his wagon
- [The History of the Hardcomes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-history-of-the-hardcomes.md): The chapter recounts the story of two couples, James Hardcome and Emily Darth, and Stephen Hardcome and Olive Pawle, who become engaged and plan to marry on the same day. At a wedding dance, they swap partners and realiz
- [The Superstitious Man’s Story](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-superstitious-man-s-story.md): The chapter recounts the eerie tale of William Privett, a silent and superstitious man whose death is foretold by supernatural signs: a heavy church bell, a vision of him entering the church on Old Midsummer Eve without 
- [Andrey Satchel and the Parson and Clerk](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/andrey-satchel-and-the-parson-and-clerk.md): Andrey Satchel, having stayed up all night at a christening, arrives drunk to his own wedding. The parson, Mr. Toogood, refuses to marry him in that state. The bride, Jane, persuades the parson to lock them in the church
- [Old Andrey's Experience as a Musician](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/old-andrey-s-experience-as-a-musician.md): A former choirboy recounts how old Andrew, unable to play music, tried to pass as a bandsman during a Christmas performance at the manor house. His deception was discovered when the archdeacon noticed he held his fiddle 
- [Absentmindedness in a Parish Choir](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/absentmindedness-in-a-parish-choir.md): The chapter recounts the story of the Longpuddle church choir, who after a week of late-night revelry, fall asleep during a long sermon and, upon waking, mistakenly play a lively dance tune ('The Devil among the Tailors'
- [The Winters and the Palmleys](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-winters-and-the-palmleys.md): The chapter recounts a long-standing feud between two women in Longpuddle, Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Palmley, stemming from a romantic rivalry. Mrs. Winter married the man Mrs. Palmley loved, and later, after Mrs. Palmley's s
- [Incident in the Life of Mr. George Crookhill](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/incident-in-the-life-of-mr-george-crookhill.md): George Crookhill, a petty thief, befriends a young farmer at an inn, swaps clothes with him while he sleeps, and takes his horse. The farmer later wakes, finds the swap, and seems oddly pleased. When Crookhill is capture
- [Netty Sargent's Copyhold](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/netty-sargent-s-copyhold.md): Netty Sargent lives with her uncle in a copyhold house that will revert to the Squire upon her uncle's death unless new lives are added. Her lover, Jasper Cliff, pressures her to ensure the renewal, but her uncle delays 
- [The Doctor’s Legend](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-doctor-s-legend.md): A doctor recounts a strange and tragic legend from his practice, involving a woman who marries a much older farmer under pressure, only to discover her former lover has returned too late. The tale explores themes of duty
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): A doctor recounts the story of a proud and cruel Squire who, in a fit of rage, chases a poor child for trespassing on his lawn, causing her to suffer an epileptic fit. The child's resulting illness causes her hair and te
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): The Squire's fortunes continue to rise: his wife bears a son and heir, he inherits a fortune, constructs a dubious pedigree, purchases an Abbey, and is eventually elevated to the peerage. His son grows up timid and sensi
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): The chapter recounts the story of a lord's heir who, after a series of unsettling events involving the discovery of ancient bones and a macabre artistic project, shoots himself in a tavern. The narrative explores themes 
- [A Group of Noble Dames](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-group-of-noble-dames.md): The chapter presents a collection of stories about noble ladies, introduced with a poetic epigraph from Milton's L'Allegro, suggesting themes of beauty, influence, and the lives of aristocratic women.
- [Part First: Before Dinner](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/part-first-before-dinner.md): The chapter introduces the setting and characters before a dinner event, establishing the social dynamics and personal tensions that will unfold.
- [Dame the First](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-first.md): Betty Dornell, in a desperate act to avoid her unwanted husband Stephen Reynard, deliberately exposes herself to smallpox by kissing a sick girl. Meanwhile, Squire Dornell, upon learning of Reynard's impending visit, tak
- [Dame the Second](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-second.md): Barbara, the daughter of Sir John Grebe, is pursued by the young Earl of Uplandtowers, who is determined to win her despite her lack of affection. She elopes with Edmond Willowes, a handsome but lower-born man, and they 
- [Dame the Third](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-third.md): The Marchioness of Stonehenge tells the story of Lady Caroline, a noblewoman who secretly marries a humble assistant steward, but after his sudden death, she persuades his former sweetheart Milly to claim she was his sec
- [Dame the Fourth](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-fourth.md): Lady Mottisfont, Philippa, marries Sir Ashley Mottisfont and accepts his foundling child Dorothy. She grows deeply attached to Dorothy, but the arrival of the beautiful Contessa creates tension. After the Contessa saves 
- [Part Second: After Dinner](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/part-second-after-dinner.md): The chapter continues the narrative after a dinner, exploring the interactions and developments among the characters.
- [Dame the Fifth: The Lady Icenway](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-fifth.md): Maria Heymere, a proud and beautiful young orphan, marries a Dutch planter named Anderling who reveals on their voyage to Guiana that he already has a wife. To preserve her dignity, she returns to England, pretends to be
- [Squire Petrick](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-sixth.md): Timothy Petrick, an old man who acquired vast estates through shrewd mortgage dealings, is on his deathbed. His grandson, also named Timothy, is married to Annetta, who gives birth to a son but dies soon after. On her de
- [Dame the Seventh](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-seventh.md): During the English Civil War, Lady Baxby's brother, a Parliamentarian commander, besieges Sherton Castle where she resides. Despite his pleas for her to leave, she refuses, declaring she would rather die in the ruins. Th
- [Dame the Eighth](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-eighth.md): The tragic tale of Lady Penelope, who, after a careless promise to marry three suitors, marries Sir John Gale only to suffer his cruelty, while her true love Sir William Hervy returns too late. Sir John dies, leaving her
- [Dame the Ninth: The Duchess of Hamptonshire](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-ninth.md): The chapter introduces the Duke of Hamptonshire, a coarse and unrefined nobleman, who becomes infatuated with the beautiful and innocent Emmeline Oldbourne, daughter of the stern rector. Despite a secret understanding be
- [Dame the Tenth: The Honourable Laura](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/dame-the-tenth.md): On a cold and gloomy Christmas Eve, a man and a young woman arrive at a remote hotel in Lower Wessex. The man, a foreign-looking individual, and the woman, who seems timid and young, are benighted and seek shelter. The s
- [To Please His Wife](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/to-please-his-wife.md): A story about a man who makes a series of decisions to satisfy his wife's desires, leading to unforeseen consequences and moral dilemmas.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Shadrach Jolliffe returns to Havenpool and offers a public thanksgiving at St. James's Church for his narrow escape from shipwreck. He reconnects with two young women, Emily Hanning and Joanna Phippard, and begins to cou
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Joanna and Shadrach Jolliffe take over a grocery shop after her mother's death, but the business struggles. Joanna grows increasingly discontented as she compares her life to Emily Lester's wealth and status. She pushes 
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Joanna Jolliffe, six years after her husband Shadrach and sons sailed away, still clings to the hope of their return. She lives in the house of Emily Lester, her former friend and rival, but remains bitter and isolated. 
- [The Son's Veto](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-son-s-veto.md): Sophy, a rector's wife, is bound by her son's rigid class-consciousness after her husband's death. She longs to marry Sam, a former suitor, but her son Randolph vetoes the match, enforcing his late father's social standa
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Sophy, a lame woman in a wheeled chair, attends a concert with her schoolboy son, who corrects her grammar. The chapter flashes back to her youth as a parlourmaid in Gaymead, where she caught the eye of the widowed vicar
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): After Mr. Twycott's death, Sophy lives as a widow in a suburban villa, isolated and longing for her rural home. Her son grows distant, and she reconnects with Sam Hobson, a former suitor who now works as a market-gardene
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Sophy Twycott struggles with the decision to marry Sam Hobson, her former lover, while facing opposition from her son Randolph, who fears the marriage will degrade his social standing. After years of pleading and a force
- [On the Western Circuit](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/on-the-western-circuit.md): A story of love, deception, and social maneuvering set against the backdrop of the Western Circuit, where a young woman becomes entangled in a web of romantic and legal complications.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): Charles Bradford Raye, a young barrister, arrives in Melchester and is drawn to a steam-circus in the market-square. He becomes captivated by a pretty country girl riding a hobbyhorse, and after striking up a conversatio
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Edith Harnham observes her maidservant Anna with a mysterious young Londoner, Charles Bradford, at the Melchester fair. After a chance encounter where his hand mistakenly clasps hers, Mrs. Harnham becomes fascinated by h
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Charles Bradford Raye reflects on his impulsive affair with Anna, a young country girl he met during the Melchester fair. Despite his initial intentions, he finds himself drawn to her innocence and simplicity, and they s
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Anna receives a letter from Charles Bradford Raye but cannot read it due to her illiteracy. She turns to her mistress, Edith Harnham, who reads it and then composes a tender reply on Anna's behalf, using her own heartfel
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Raye is deeply moved by Anna's selfless letter and resolves to marry her. Anna is forced to leave Mrs. Harnham's house and returns to the Plain, asking Edith to continue the correspondence on her behalf. Edith, increasin
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Raye marries Anna in a London registry office, with Edith Harnham as companion. After the ceremony, Raye discovers that Anna cannot write and that Edith composed the passionate letters he received. He realizes he has spi
- [The Fiddler of the Reels](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-fiddler-of-the-reels.md): Car'line returns to her native Stickleford with her husband Ned and daughter, but a chance encounter at the Quiet Woman Inn with the mesmerizing fiddler Mop triggers a powerful, involuntary compulsion to dance. Despite h
- [Master John Horseleigh, Knight](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/master-john-horseleigh-knight.md): The chapter recounts the clandestine marriage of Sir John Horseleigh to Edith, a young widow, and the subsequent tragedy when her brother Roger returns from sea, discovers the secret, and fatally wounds Sir John in a con
- [An Imaginative Woman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/an-imaginative-woman.md): Ella Marchmill, a sensitive and imaginative woman married to a practical gunmaker, becomes infatuated with the poet Robert Trewe after renting his rooms for a seaside holiday. She reads his books, wears his clothes, and 
- [The Spectre of the Real](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-spectre-of-the-real.md): A story exploring the haunting gap between romantic expectation and marital reality, as a young couple confronts the spectre of their own unfulfilled lives.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): On a March night, Rosalys Ambrose meets her lover Jim Hayward secretly on the terrace of Ambrose Towers. They discuss the obstacles to their relationship—her mother's disapproval, Jim's lack of fortune, and the need for 
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Rosalys Ambrose leaves her home in Eaton Place to secretly marry Jim Durrant. Despite a superstitious omen involving a lame horse and an encounter with Jim's father, she proceeds to a gloomy church near a meat-market. Af
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Jim and Rosalys's secret marriage begins to sour as the initial passion fades, replaced by resentment, deceit, and bitter arguments over their lost freedom and the shame of concealment.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Rosalys and Jim, now married but estranged, meet again in August. Their conversations reveal mutual indifference and a desire to forget their secret marriage. Jim proposes they treat it as a mistake and move on, while Ro
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Seven years after Jim Durrant's departure, Rosalys Ambrose has inherited her family estate and is about to marry Lord Parkhurst, a heroic naval officer. She reflects on her past with Jim and the nullity of their marriage
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Rosalys Ambrose, on the eve of her wedding to Lord Parkhurst, is confronted by her long-absent husband Jim Durrant, who has returned after eight years. She struggles to write a letter to Lord Parkhurst revealing the trut
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): After a three-and-a-half-hour absence, Jim and Rosalys return to the silent lawn at dawn. Jim reveals he has a French mistress, Mélanie, whom he planned to marry if Rosalys were dead. Devastated, Rosalys initially writes
- [A Committeeman of "The Terror"](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-committeeman-of-the-terror.md): An elderly woman recounts a story from her mother's past about Mademoiselle V——, a French governess who becomes engaged to a man she later discovers was a member of the Revolutionary Committee of Public Safety. Tormented
- [The Duke's Reappearance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-duke-s-reappearance.md): Christopher Swetman shelters a mysterious stranger on the night of July 6, 1685, who is later suspected to be the Duke of Monmouth after the Battle of Sedgemoor. The stranger borrows clothes, helps with chores, and attem
- [The Grave by the Handpost](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-grave-by-the-handpost.md): On a dark Christmas night, the Chalk-Newton choir witnesses the burial of Sergeant Samuel Holway at a crossroads after his suicide. His son Luke Holway, who had written a letter that drove his father to despair, arrives 
- [A Changed Man](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/a-changed-man.md): The chapter explores the transformation of a man who undergoes a profound change in character, likely due to a significant event or realization, and examines the consequences of this change on his relationships and circu
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): The chapter introduces the setting of Casterbridge and the arrival of the —th Hussars, a crack regiment with a splendid band. The invalid narrator, living in a house with an oriel window, observes the town and learns of 
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Captain Maumbry and Laura Northbrook become engaged and marry, despite initial skepticism from observers. Their courtship and marriage are marked by public fascination and apparent happiness, as they become a popular cou
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Captain Maumbry's growing friendship with the curate Mr. Sainway leads to a profound personal transformation. After Sainway's death, Maumbry decides to leave the army and enter the Church, causing distress to his wife La
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): Captain John Maumbry returns to the town as a clergyman, much to the dismay of the community who lament his transformation from a dashing soldier to a dull preacher. His wife, Laura, struggles with the change and express
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): During a cholera epidemic in Casterbridge, Mr. Maumbry isolates his wife Laura at Creston near Budmouth for her safety. While he tirelessly fights the plague, Laura begins a flirtation with Lieutenant Vannicock. When she
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Laura leaves her husband Jack Maumbry to elope with Lieutenant Vannicock, but upon witnessing Maumbry's selfless labor amid a cholera outbreak, she abandons her plan and returns to help him, leading to Maumbry falling il
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii.md): Mr. Maumbry dies from overexertion during a pestilence. Laura, now free, buries him after placing her own elopement note in his coffin. When her lover Vannicock visits six weeks later, their passion has cooled; they drif
- [Enter a Dragoon](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/enter-a-dragoon.md): The narrator describes visiting a dilapidated cottage-residence in Mellstock parish, slated for demolition, and reflects on the many abrupt family incidents that occurred there, particularly during the tenure of Mr. Jaco
- [I](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i.md): The chapter opens with a commotion at the Paddocks' house, where Selina has received a letter from her former fiancé, a sergeant-major of dragoons whom she believed died in the Battle of the Alma. Neighbors gather at the
- [II](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii.md): Selina Paddock is torn between her former fiancé, Sergeant-Major John Clark, who has returned alive despite being reported killed, and the kind Mr. Miller, who has agreed to marry her and provide for her son Johnny. As C
- [III](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii.md): Selina and Sergeant-Major Clark reunite after three years, dancing and reminiscing about their failed wedding. Selina reveals she was engaged to Mr. Bartholomew Miller, believing Clark dead, but Clark's unexpected arriva
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv.md): During a dance, Selina reveals to Sergeant-Major Clark that she was about to marry another man, Bartholomew Miller. Clark becomes ill, collapses, and dies of heart failure. Despite Selina's guilt, the doctor and coroner 
- [V](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v.md): Selina, now calling herself Mrs. John Clark, lives a quiet life as a widow in all but law, running a small fruit and vegetable shop in Chalk-Newton. She tends Clark's grave and dreams of what might have been. Bartholomew
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi.md): Selina continues her visits to the sergeant-major's grave, only to discover that he had a legitimate widow and son. The widow explains that she and Clark married but separated after a quarrel, and she had not attended hi
- [Blue Jimmy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/blue-jimmy.md): This chapter recounts the story of Blue Jimmy, a notorious horse thief from the West of England, whose real name was James Clace. Despite being a wealthy farmer, he compulsively stole over a hundred horses, risking the d
- [Old Mrs. Chundle](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/old-mrs-chundle.md): A curate new to the parish meets an elderly deaf woman, Mrs. Chundle, who initially deceives him about attending church. He tries to help her hear the service with an ear trumpet and later a sound tube, but both fail. De

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