The Woodlanders · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy.
Chapter 1
I
A stranger, later identified as Mr. Percombe, a master-barber from Sherton Abbas, arrives at the secluded hamlet of Little Hintock on a winter evening. He hitches a ride with Mrs. Dollery's carrier van and inquires about the way, eventually alighting to search for a specific dwelling. The chapter establishes the isolated, woodland setting and introduces the barber's mysterious errand.
Chapter 2
II
Barber Percombe visits Marty South at her cottage to persuade her to sell her hair to Mrs. Charmond, who wants it for a wig to wear abroad. Marty resists, valuing her appearance and independence, but Percombe leaves two sovereigns as an inducement. After he leaves, Marty checks on her ailing father, who obsesses over a tree he believes will kill him, and learns their cottage is life-hold property.
Chapter 3
III
Melbury reveals to his wife his plan to marry his daughter Grace to Giles Winterborne as a way to atone for a past wrong he did to Giles's father. Marty South overhears this conversation and realizes Giles is not for her, leading her to cut off her hair in despair. Giles later notices her shorn head and she runs away in shame.
Chapter 4
IV
Mr. Melbury prepares for Grace's return from school, ensuring everything is presentable. He sends Giles Winterborne to meet her in Sherton, hoping to encourage their union. The chapter describes the Melbury homestead and the daily life of the villagers, including Grammer Oliver and the workmen. Melbury receives a letter from Grace announcing her arrival, and he invites Giles to join him in driving home together.
Chapter 5
V
Giles Winterborne travels to Sherton Abbas, where he meets Grace Melbury after a year apart. Marty South, having sold her hair, walks to town and is given a ride by Giles, then later by Mrs. Charmond's carriage. The chapter explores perceptions of class, appearance, and the inner lives of the characters.
Chapter 6
VI
Giles Winterborne drives Grace Melbury home from town, but their conversation reveals a growing distance between them as Grace's mind dwells on fashionable city life rather than the rural world Giles inhabits. At the Melbury home, Giles is forgotten as the family discusses Mr. Melbury's favorable timber dealings with Mrs. Charmond. Later, Grace learns from Grammer Oliver about the eccentric Dr. Fitzpiers, who has offered to buy Grammer's body for anatomical study after her death.
Chapter 7
Chapter VII
At a woodland auction, Giles Winterborne absentmindedly bids against Grace's father, George Melbury, causing tension. Later, Giles learns that Grace has been invited to visit Mrs. Charmond at Hintock House, a development that stirs mixed feelings in him. The chapter highlights the shifting social dynamics and the growing distance between Giles and Grace.
Chapter 8
VIII
Grace Melbury visits Mrs. Charmond at Hintock House, where they discuss the manor's history, mantraps, and the new surgeon Fitzpiers. Meanwhile, Giles Winterborne, preoccupied with thoughts of winning Grace, plants fir-trees with Marty South, who suffers from a cold after cutting her hair.
Chapter 9
IX
Grace Melbury shares her excitement about a potential trip abroad with Mrs. Charmond, causing Giles Winterborne to feel insecure about their engagement. He decides to host a Christmas party to strengthen their bond, but the Melburys arrive early, catching him and his servant Creedle unprepared. Mr. Melbury, after visiting Giles's father's grave, commits to supporting the match.
Chapter 10
The Party at Winterborne's
Giles Winterborne hosts a party for the Melburys and other locals, but the evening is marred by mishaps—a snail on Grace's plate, a splash of hot food, and the crude behavior of guests like Bawtree and the hollow-turner. Mr. Melbury grows increasingly uneasy about Grace's suitability for Giles's rustic world, while Grace herself feels alienated, recalling her refined past. After the party, the Melburys walk home and discuss Fitzpiers, hinting at future tensions.
Chapter 11
XI
Mr. Melbury grapples with his reluctance to let Grace marry Giles Winterborne after her refined education, fearing she will sink back to rustic life. Grace feels bound by honor to her promise to Giles. Mrs. Charmond's sudden silence after Grace attended Giles's party fuels Melbury's regret. Giles visits with a new horse meant for a lady, hoping to improve his standing, but his lack of tact causes awkwardness. Time and familiarity begin to soften Grace's perception of Hintock life, while Melbury secretly hopes something will prevent the marriage.
Chapter 12
XII
Mr. Melbury, increasingly anxious about Grace's social standing, insists she examine his financial papers to understand her future inheritance. After a rude encounter with a hunter who disrespects Grace because she is walking with her father, Melbury vows she shall marry well, casting doubt on his earlier promise to Giles Winterborne. Meanwhile, news spreads that Marty South's father is failing, which threatens Giles's tenancy of his houses.
Chapter 13
XIII
John South's life is threatened by his fear of an elm tree, which he believes will fall and kill him. Giles Winterborne, whose property depends on South's life, tries to reassure him. Meanwhile, Grace Melbury, acting on her father's advice, tells Giles that their engagement is off. Giles remains stoic, but Grace feels regret. Later, Giles encounters Mrs. Charmond on the road, and Grace admires her hair, unaware of Marty's own loss of her hair.
Chapter 14
XIV
Giles Winterborne reflects on the precarious life-lease tenures of his properties, which would pass to Mrs. Charmond upon John South's death. He discovers an old letter suggesting he could add his own life to the lease for a nominal sum, but his father never acted on it. Meanwhile, John South's obsession with an elm tree intensifies; despite cutting it down to alleviate his fear, the shock of its absence causes his death. Dr. Fitzpiers attends to South and later admits his remedy may have killed him.
Chapter 15
Chapter XV
Following John South's death, Giles Winterborne loses his lifehold houses due to a missed renewal. Melbury, feeling guilt over dismissing Giles as Grace's suitor, advises him to appeal to Mrs. Charmond. Grace, moved by Giles's misfortune, secretly alters a prophetic scrawl on his wall from 'lose' to 'keep' regarding his Grace. Marty South is revealed as the original writer. Giles, interpreting the altered message as fate, formally releases Grace from their engagement.
Chapter 16
XVI
Dr. Fitzpiers, living in a modest cottage, observes passersby from his window and becomes fascinated with Grace Melbury after seeing her at her father's house. He discusses his philosophical views on love with Giles Winterborne during a carriage ride, while Winterborne, aware of Fitzpiers's interest, conceals Grace's identity. The chapter explores Fitzpiers's romantic idealism and Winterborne's quiet anguish.
Chapter 17
XVII
Grace Melbury visits the ill Grammer Oliver, who confesses she accepted Dr. Fitzpiers's offer of ten pounds for her brain after death and signed a paper, now fearing she will die of worry like John South. Despite her reluctance, Grace agrees to plead with Fitzpiers to cancel the bargain. The chapter also explores Fitzpiers's restless intellectual pursuits and growing loneliness in Hintock, which leads him to idealize Grace after glimpsing her.
Chapter 18
XVIII
Grace Melbury visits Dr. Fitzpiers to request the cancellation of Grammer Oliver's macabre bargain for her body after death. After an awkward encounter in which she first sees him asleep and then returns, she successfully retrieves the signed agreement. Fitzpiers, fascinated by Grace, refuses the money and reveals he had dreamed of her, blurring reality and fancy. The chapter ends with Fitzpiers showing Grace a microscope slide containing a fragment of John South's brain.
Chapter 19
XIX
Grace Melbury encounters Dr. Fitzpiers during a bark-ripping picnic in the woods, where he assists her after her horse becomes restless. Fitzpiers reflects on his intellectual and spiritual attraction to Grace, recognizing her as an exceptional being, though he considers a practical marriage with a woman of higher social standing impossible. Their acquaintance grows through brief, repeated encounters as spring arrives. Later, Grace mistakenly identifies Fitzpiers as Giles Winterborne, but corrects Marty South, asserting that Winterborne is nothing to her.
Chapter 20
XX
On Midsummer Eve, the village girls of Hintock gather in the woods to perform a traditional spell to glimpse their future husbands. Grace Melbury, accompanied by her stepmother, joins the group out of curiosity. Dr. Fitzpiers, now deeply infatuated with Grace, and Giles Winterborne, who has been dismissed as a suitor, both position themselves in her path. Following Mrs. Melbury's encouragement, Fitzpiers intercepts and embraces Grace as she runs back, declaring his claim over her. Meanwhile, Fitzpiers mistakenly chases Suke Damson, who mistakes him for her lover Timothy Tangs. The chapter highlights the tension between tradition and modernity, the shifting romantic dynamics, and the consequences of Giles's loss of his home.
Chapter 21
XXI
Giles Winterborne encounters a mysterious stranger in the woods near Hintock late at night. The stranger, who has lost his way and is seeking Hintock House, reveals himself to be an Italianized American and a former South Carolinian who left after the failure of the Southern cause. Giles guides him to the edge of the wood, but the stranger declines to accept payment and asks Giles to keep their meeting secret. Later, a report circulates that a gentleman had called at Hintock House after midnight, only to find Mrs. Charmond still in London.
Chapter 22
XXII
Mr. Melbury visits Fitzpiers under the pretense of seeking medical advice for Grace's cough, but Fitzpiers instead declares his romantic interest in her and asks for permission to court her. Melbury, thrilled by the prospect of his daughter marrying a man of old family, readily consents and returns home to inform Grace, who is ambivalent about the sudden arrangement. Fitzpiers sends a note to Grace before departing for medical meetings, and Melbury urges her to respond, anxious about securing the advantageous match.
Chapter 23
XXIII
Mr. Melbury takes Grace for a walk to persuade her of the advantages of marrying Dr. Fitzpiers, emphasizing the romantic history of the Fitzpiers family. Grace visits the ruins of Buckbury Fitzpiers Castle, feeling a novel fascination with Edgar's ancient lineage. Fitzpiers returns and visits the Melbury home, where an informal engagement is established. Over the summer, Grace yields to Fitzpiers's influence and they discuss a registry office wedding, which disturbs her. The chapter ends with Grace feeling intoxicated yet uncertain about her future.
Chapter 24
XXIV
Grace Melbury's father, George Melbury, pressures her to honor her engagement to Dr. Fitzpiers, threatening to disown her if she refuses. Grace, troubled by suspicions of Fitzpiers's infidelity, confronts him. Fitzpiers offers a plausible explanation involving a village girl with a toothache, and Grace reluctantly agrees to proceed with the marriage, insisting on a church ceremony. The chapter concludes with the wedding day arriving and Grace becoming Fitzpiers's wife.
Chapter 25
XXV
Fitzpiers and Grace return to Hintock to live in her father's house. Fitzpiers feels diminished by his marriage and resents the communal welcome from the neighbors. He learns that Mrs. Charmond has returned and has commented that he 'spoiled his chances' by marrying Grace. His practice declines, and he considers buying a practice in Budmouth to escape. He is called to attend Mrs. Charmond after a carriage accident, leaving Grace without a kiss.
Chapter 26
XXVI
Giles Winterborne, having lost his house, wanders the ruins of his former home. Mrs. Charmond's phaeton overturns on the rubble, and she sends for Dr. Fitzpiers. At Hintock House, Fitzpiers discovers that Mrs. Charmond is the same woman he met years ago in Heidelberg, rekindling an old romantic interest. He returns home to Grace, who questions him about the visit, but his mind is preoccupied with Mrs. Charmond.
Chapter 27
Chapter XXVII
Fitzpiers tells Grace he has declined the opportunity to buy a practice in Budmouth, disappointing her. He then visits Mrs. Charmond, who is in a melancholy mood and insists they must stop seeing each other. She reveals she is going away to Middleton Abbey. After he leaves, she learns from a maid that Grace was once engaged to Giles Winterborne, and realizes her own agent's refusal to renew Winterborne's leases contributed to the broken match. She resolves to do something for Winterborne.
Chapter 28
XXVIII
Grace discovers that Fitzpiers has been secretly visiting Mrs. Charmond at Middleton Abbey, using a patient as a pretext. She realizes her love for him was based on awe rather than deep affection. Later, while walking with Giles Winterborne, he absentmindedly caresses a flower she wears, revealing his lingering feelings and confirming the affair between Fitzpiers and Mrs. Charmond.
Chapter 29
XXIX
Grace and her father Melbury grow increasingly anxious as Fitzpiers fails to return home. Melbury reflects on his regret over pushing Grace to marry Fitzpiers instead of Giles Winterborne. Grace confronts Suke Damson about her teeth, realizing Fitzpiers's story about drawing Suke's tooth was likely a lie. Fitzpiers is eventually found asleep on his horse, Darling, having called out 'Felice' in his sleep, confirming his affair with Mrs. Charmond. Grace begins to emotionally detach from her husband.
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Melbury becomes increasingly suspicious of Fitzpiers's relationship with Mrs. Charmond, observing their covert interactions at church and in the woods. He urges Grace to confront Mrs. Charmond, but Grace, having realized her true feelings for Giles Winterborne, remains passive and detached. Fitzpiers, discontented with his marriage, laments his lost freedom, while Grace's heart turns back to Giles.
Chapter 31
XXXI
Melbury, tormented by Grace's unhappiness and Fitzpiers's affair with Mrs. Charmond, seeks out Giles Winterborne to unburden his guilt and regret. He confesses his past wrong in winning Giles's father's sweetheart and his broken vow to give Grace to Giles. Melbury reveals that Grace still loves Giles and despises the refinements he bought her. He resolves to appeal to Mrs. Charmond directly, despite learning of her past as an actress. Meanwhile, rumors of the affair spread through Hintock. Giles, though wounded, remains stoic and advises Melbury to try Mrs. Charmond's generosity.
Chapter 32
XXXII
George Melbury, determined to confront Mrs. Charmond about her affair with his son-in-law Fitzpiers, visits Hintock House early in the morning. Despite Giles Winterborne's attempt to dissuade him, Melbury waits for hours and finally pleads with Mrs. Charmond to end the relationship for the sake of his daughter Grace. Mrs. Charmond, initially indignant and claiming ignorance of the gossip, is deeply shaken by the encounter and later retreats into the woods in distress.
Chapter 33
XXXIII
Grace Melbury, anxious about her father's absence, walks through the woods and encounters Giles Winterborne. Meanwhile, Mrs. Charmond speaks with Marty South and then approaches Grace. The two women walk deep into the woods, where Mrs. Charmond confesses her love for Fitzpiers and reveals the depth of her affair with him. Grace, shocked and hurt, maintains a cold composure, and they part with a tense understanding.
Chapter 34
XXXIV
Fitzpiers returns from London to find Grace away visiting a friend. He learns of Mrs. Charmond's imminent departure for the Continent and, unable to resist, rides to the Manor House. Meanwhile, Melbury returns from fetching Grace, discovers Fitzpiers's absence, and follows him to the Manor House, where he witnesses Fitzpiers and Mrs. Charmond slipping out together.
Chapter 35
XXXV
Fitzpiers, drunk and returning from London, reveals to Melbury his regret over marrying Grace and his desire for Felice Charmond, leading Melbury to throw him from his horse. Meanwhile, Suke Damson and Felice Charmond separately arrive at the Melbury home, distraught over rumors of Fitzpiers's accident, and Grace confronts them with a mix of bitterness and compassion.
Chapter 36
XXXVI
Felice Charmond, after overhearing Melbury's news, returns to the Manor House in a state of turmoil, resolved to escape her passionate bondage to Fitzpiers. Her resolve is shattered when Fitzpiers appears at her window, wounded and bloody after an attack by Melbury. She hides him in a lumber-room, tends to his injuries, and helps him write a letter to Grace to divert suspicion. Despite her intentions to break free, her love and pity bind her further to him.
Chapter 37
XXXVII
Grace's health deteriorates due to fear of Fitzpiers's return, exacerbated by the discovery of his hat. Dr. Jones advises Melbury to assure Grace that her marriage will be dissolved. Melbury, influenced by Fred Beaucock, writes to Grace claiming she will soon be free and encourages her to rekindle her relationship with Giles Winterborne.
Chapter 38
XXXVIII
Giles Winterborne is stunned by Melbury's suggestion that he might eventually claim Grace after her divorce. He doubts the possibility, aware of the social and legal barriers. Meanwhile, Grace, relieved by the prospect of the 'new law,' recovers her spirits. A subsequent meeting in Sherton reveals the gap between her acquired tastes and Giles's humble offerings, causing mutual distress.
Chapter 39
XXXIX
Grace and Giles grapple with the painful revelation that her marriage to Fitzpiers cannot be undone by a mere stroke of the pen. Melbury, having discovered the truth, forbids them from walking together. Giles, tormented by guilt and a sense of his own unworthiness, resolves to repulse Grace for her own good, while Grace, torn between her father's desperate wishes and her own feelings, longs to reconcile with Giles before her father returns.
Chapter 40
XL
Grace Melbury lives in seclusion, fearing to encounter Giles Winterborne. She receives a letter from her estranged husband Fitzpiers, asking her to meet him at the harbor to join him abroad. Her father Melbury refuses to let her go. Fitzpiers then decides to return to Hintock, prompting Grace to flee into the woods to avoid him. She seeks refuge at Giles Winterborne's hut, where she finds him alone, roasting a rabbit by the fire.
Chapter 41
XLI
Grace flees to Giles Winterborne's hut in the woods to escape her husband, Dr. Fitzpiers. Giles selflessly gives up his home to her, sleeping in a rough shelter outside despite his failing health. He provides for her needs while keeping his illness hidden, and they communicate through the window. Grace expresses her deep feelings for Giles but insists she must honor her marriage vows. Giles grows weaker as he endures the rain and cold, determined to protect her.
Chapter 42
XLII
Grace, having fled to Giles Winterborne's hut after his self-sacrifice, tends to him as he falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his life, she overcomes her fear of exposure and runs to fetch Dr. Fitzpiers, her estranged husband, recognizing his professional skill as the only hope. The chapter contrasts her devoted nursing with Fitzpiers's repentant readiness to resume his practice, and ends with Grace waiting anxiously for Giles, who has not returned.
Chapter 43
XLIII
Grace Melbury tends to the dying Giles Winterborne in his hut. Dr. Fitzpiers arrives and pronounces that Giles is beyond help. Giles dies peacefully. Fitzpiers reveals that Felice Charmond is also dead, killed in a quarrel linked to Marty South's letter about her hair. Grace, overwhelmed with grief, returns to her father's house on the condition that Fitzpiers leaves. He complies and departs.
Chapter 44
XLIV
Fitzpiers, tormented by Grace's claim of infidelity, returns to Little Hintock and encounters Marty South, who reveals Giles Winterborne's sacrifice. Grace falls ill but recovers using a febrifuge Fitzpiers left behind. She and Marty visit Giles's grave, where Grace realizes Marty understood Giles more deeply than she ever did.
Chapter 45
XLV
Grace receives a Valentine's Day love letter from Fitzpiers, who proposes a meeting. She agrees on the condition that Marty South accompanies her. At the meeting, Fitzpiers encounters Suke Damson and Tim Tangs on their wedding day. Grace seeks Fitzpiers's professional opinion on whether she contributed to Giles Winterborne's death. Fitzpiers reassures her, but she remains steadfast in her grief, declaring her heart is in the grave with Giles. Fitzpiers pleads for reconciliation, acknowledging his past wrongs.
Chapter 46
XLVI
Grace Melbury remains secluded, visiting Giles Winterborne's grave with Marty South. Fitzpiers pursues her, promising reform and renouncing his philosophical studies. Grace admits she considered Giles her betrothed lover, causing Fitzpiers pain. Meanwhile, Tim Tangs grows suspicious of Fitzpiers's visits, linking them to his wife Suke Damson, who secretly watches for Fitzpiers on the eve of their emigration.
Chapter 47
XLVII
Grace narrowly escapes a mantrap set by Tim Tangs, leading to an emotional reunion with Fitzpiers. They reconcile, and Fitzpiers reveals he has bought a practice in the Midlands, asking Grace to join him. They wander through the woods, and Grace agrees to go with him, though she worries about her father's reaction.
Chapter 48
XLVIII
Melbury becomes alarmed when Grace fails to return home, leading a search party that discovers the mantrap with fragments of her clothing. Following reports of a lady matching her description walking with a gentleman toward Sherton, they trace her to the Earl of Wessex Hotel. Meanwhile, Marty South waits in vain for Grace to join her in placing flowers on Giles Winterborne's grave, eventually going alone and vowing her undying devotion to him.
