Atthisdate，andforseveralyearsafter，therewasahangmantoalmosteveryjail。Gertrudefound，oninquiry，thattheCasterbridgeofficialdweltinalonelycottagebyadeepslowriverflowingunderthecliffonwhichtheprisonbuildingsweresituate——
　　thestreambeingtheself-sameone，thoughshedidnotknowit，whichwateredtheSticklefordandHolmstokemeadslowerdowninitscourse。
　　Havingchangedherdress，andbeforeshehadeatenordrunk——forshecouldnottakehereasetillshehadascertainedsomeparticulars——
　　Gertrudepursuedherwaybyapathalongthewater-sidetothecottageindicated。Passingthustheoutskirtsofthejail，shediscernedonthelevelroofoverthegatewaythreerectangularlinesagainstthesky，wherethespeckshadbeenmovinginherdistantview；sherecognizedwhattheerectionwas，andpassedquicklyon。
　　Anotherhundredyardsbroughthertotheexecutioner’shouse，whichaboypointedoutItstoodclosetothesamestream，andwashardbyaweir，thewatersofwhichemittedasteadyroar。
　　Whileshestoodhesitatingthedooropened，andanoldmancameforthshadingacandlewithonehand。Lockingthedoorontheoutside，heturnedtoaflightofwoodenstepsfixedagainsttheendofthecottage，andbegantoascendthem，thisbeingevidentlythestaircasetohisbedroom。Gertrudehastenedforward，butbythetimeshereachedthefootoftheladderhewasatthetop。Shecalledtohimloudlyenoughtobeheardabovetheroaroftheweir；
　　helookeddownandsaid，’Whatd’yewanthere？’
　　’Tospeaktoyouaminute。’
　　Thecandle-light，suchasitwas，felluponherimploring，pale，upturnedface，andDaviesasthehangmanwascalledbackeddowntheladder。’Iwasjustgoingtobed，’hesaid；’“Earlytobedandearlytorise，“butIdon’tmindstoppingaminuteforsuchaoneasyou。Comeintohouse。’Hereopenedthedoor，andprecededhertotheroomwithin。
　　Theimplementsofhisdailywork，whichwasthatofajobbinggardener，stoodinacorner，andseeingprobablythatshelookedrural，hesaid，’IfyouwantmetoundertakecountryworkIcan’tcome，forIneverleaveCasterbridgeforgentlenorsimple——notI。
　　Myrealcallingisofficerofjustice，’headdedformally。
　　’Yes，yes！That’sit。To-morrow！’
　　’Ah！Ithoughtso。Well，what’sthematteraboutthat？’Tisnousetocomehereabouttheknot——folksdocomecontinually，butI
　　tell’emoneknotisasmercifulasanotherifyekeepitundertheear。Istheunfortunatemanarelation；or，Ishouldsay，perhaps’
　　lookingatherdress’apersonwho’sbeeninyouremploy？’
　　’No。Whattimeistheexecution？’
　　’Thesameasusual——twelveo’clock，orassoonafterastheLondonmail-coachgetsin。Wealwayswaitforthat，incaseofareprieve。’
　　’O——areprieve——Ihopenot！’shesaidinvoluntarily，’Well，——hee，hee！——asamatterofbusiness，sodoI！Butstill，ifeverayoungfellowdeservedtobeletoff，thisonedoes；onlyjustturnedeighteen，andonlypresentbychancewhentherickwasfired。
　　Howsomever，there’snotmuchriskofit，astheyareobligedtomakeanexampleofhim，therehavingbeensomuchdestructionofpropertythatwaylately。’
　　’Imean，’sheexplained，’thatIwanttotouchhimforacharm，acureofanaffliction，bytheadviceofamanwhohasprovedthevirtueoftheremedy。’
　　’Oyes，miss！NowIunderstand。I’vehadsuchpeoplecomeinpastyears。Butitdidn’tstrikemethatyoulookedofasorttorequireblood-turning。What’sthecomplaint？Thewrongkindforthis，I’llbebound。’
　　’Myarm。’Shereluctantlyshowedthewitheredskin。
　　’Ah——’tisalla-scram！’saidthehangman，examiningit。
　　’Yes，’saidshe。
　　’Well，’hecontinued，withinterest，’thatIStheclasso’subject，I’mboundtoadmit！Ilikethelookoftheplace；itistrulyassuitableforthecureasanyIeversaw。’Twasaknowing-manthatsent’ee，whoeverhewas。’
　　’Youcancontriveformeallthat’snecessary？’shesaidbreathlessly。
　　’Youshouldreallyhavegonetothegovernorofthejail，andyourdoctorwith’ee，andgivenyournameandaddress——that’showitusedtobedone，ifIrecollect。Still，perhaps，Icanmanageitforatriflingfee。’
　　’O，thankyou！Iwouldratherdoitthisway，asIshouldlikeitkeptprivate。’
　　’Lovernottoknow，eh？’
　　’No——husband。’
　　’Aha！Verywell。I’llgetee’atouchofthecorpse。’
　　’Whereisitnow？’shesaid，shuddering。
　　’It？——HE，youmean；he’slivingyet。Justinsidethatlittlesmallwinderupthereintheglum。’Hesignifiedthejailonthecliffabove。
　　Shethoughtofherhusbandandherfriends。’Yes，ofcourse，’shesaid；’andhowamItoproceed？’
　　Hetookhertothedoor。’Now，doyoubewaitingatthelittlewicketinthewall，thatyou’llfindupthereinthelane，notlaterthanoneo’clock。Iwillopenitfromtheinside，asIshan’tcomehometodinnertillhe’scutdown。Good-night。Bepunctual；andifyoudon’twantanybodytoknow’ee，wearaveil。Ah——onceIhadsuchadaughterasyou！’
　　Shewentaway，andclimbedthepathabove，toassureherselfthatshewouldbeabletofindthewicketnextday。Itsoutlinewassoonvisibletoher——anarrowopeningintheouterwalloftheprisonprecincts。Thesteepwassogreatthat，havingreachedthewicket，shestoppedamomenttobreathe；and，lookingbackuponthewater-
　　sidecot，sawthehangmanagainascendinghisoutdoorstaircase。Heenteredtheloftorchambertowhichitled，andinafewminutesextinguishedhislight。
　　Thetownclockstruckten，andshereturnedtotheWhiteHartasshehadcome。
　　Itwasoneo’clockonSaturday。GertrudeLodge，havingbeenadmittedtothejailasabovedescribed，wassittinginawaiting-
　　roomwithinthesecondgate，whichstoodunderaclassicarchwayofashlar，thencomparativelymodern，andbearingtheinscription，’COVNTYJAIL:1793。’Thishadbeenthefacadeshesawfromtheheaththedaybefore。Nearathandwasapassagetotheroofonwhichthegallowsstood。
　　Thetownwasthronged，andthemarketsuspended；butGertrudehadseenscarcelyasoul。Havingkeptherroomtillthehouroftheappointment，shehadproceededtothespotbyawaywhichavoidedtheopenspacebelowthecliffwherethespectatorshadgathered；
　　butshecould，evennow，hearthemultitudinousbabbleoftheirvoices，outofwhichroseatintervalsthehoarsecroakofasinglevoiceutteringthewords，’Lastdyingspeechandconfession！’Therehadbeennoreprieve，andtheexecutionwasover；butthecrowdstillwaitedtoseethebodytakendown。
　　Soonthepersistentgirlheardatramplingoverhead，thenahandbeckonedtoher，and，followingdirections，shewentoutandcrossedtheinnerpavedcourtbeyondthegatehouse，herkneestremblingsothatshecouldscarcelywalk。Oneofherarmswasoutofitssleeve，andonlycoveredbyhershawl。
　　Onthespotatwhichshehadnowarrivedweretwotrestles，andbeforeshecouldthinkoftheirpurposesheheardheavyfeetdescendingstairssomewhereatherback。Turnherheadshewouldnot，orcouldnot，and，rigidinthisposition，shewasconsciousofaroughcoffinpassinghershoulder，bornebyfourmen。Itwasopen，andinitlaythebodyofayoungman，wearingthesmockfrockofarustic，andfustianbreeches。Thecorpsehadbeenthrownintothecoffinsohastilythattheskirtofthesmockfrockwashangingover。Theburdenwastemporarilydepositedonthetrestles。
　　Bythistimetheyoungwoman’sstatewassuchthatagraymistseemedtofloatbeforehereyes，onaccountofwhich，andtheveilshewore，shecouldscarcelydiscernanything:itwasasthoughshehadnearlydied，butwasheldupbyasortofgalvanism。
　　’Now！’saidavoicecloseathand，andshewasjustconsciousthatthewordhadbeenaddressedtoher。
　　Byalaststrenuouseffortsheadvanced，atthesametimehearingpersonsapproachingbehindher。Shebaredherpoorcurstarm；andDavies，uncoveringthefaceofthecorpse，tookGertrude’shand，andhelditsothatherarmlayacrossthedeadman’sneck，uponalinethecolourofanunripeblackberry，whichsurroundedit。
　　Gertrudeshrieked:’theturno’theblood，’predictedbytheconjuror，hadtakenplace。Butatthatmomentasecondshriekrenttheairoftheenclosure:itwasnotGertrude’s，anditseffectuponherwastomakeherstartround。
　　ImmediatelybehindherstoodRhodaBrook，herfacedrawn，andhereyesredwithweeping。BehindRhodastoodGertrude’sownhusband；
　　hiscountenancelined，hiseyesdim，butwithoutatear。
　　’D-nyou！whatareyoudoinghere？’hesaidhoarsely。
　　’Hussy——tocomebetweenusandourchildnow！’criedRhoda。’ThisisthemeaningofwhatSatanshowedmeinthevision！Youarelikeheratlast！’Andclutchingthebarearmoftheyoungerwoman，shepulledherunresistinglybackagainstthewall。ImmediatelyBrookhadloosenedherholdthefragileyoungGertrudesliddownagainstthefeetofherhusband。Whenheliftedherupshewasunconscious。