Timepassed，andthehouseholdontheKnapbecameagainsereneunderthecomposinginfluencesofdailyroutine。Adesultory，verydesultorycorrespondence，draggedonbetweenSallyHallandDarton，who，notquiteknowinghowtotakeherpetulantwordsonthenightofherbrother’sdeath，hadcontinuedpassivethuslong。Helenaandherchildrenremainedatthedairy-house，almostofnecessity，andDartonthereforedeemeditadvisabletostayaway。
　　Oneday，sevenmonthslateron，whenMr。Dartonwasasusualathisfarm，twentymilesfromHintock，anotereachedhimfromHelena。
　　Shethankedhimforhiskindofferaboutherchildren，whichhermother-in-lawhaddulycommunicated，andstatedthatshewouldbegladtoacceptitasregardedtheeldest，theboy。Helenahad，intruth，goodneedtodoso，forherunclehadleftherpenniless，andallapplicationtosomerelativesinthenorthhadfailed。Therewas，besides，asshesaid，nogoodschoolnearHintocktowhichshecouldsendthechild。
　　Onafinesummerdaytheboycame。Hewasaccompaniedhalf-waybySallyandhismother——tothe’WhiteHorse，’atChalkNewton——wherehewashandedovertoDarton’sbailiffinashiningspring-cart，whometthemthere。
　　Hewasenteredasaday-scholaratapopularschoolatCasterbridge，threeorfourmilesfromDarton’s，havingfirstbeentaughtbyDartontorideaforest-pony，onwhichhecanteredtoandfromtheaforesaidfountofknowledge，andasDartonhopedbroughtawayapromisingheadfulofthesameateachdiurnalexpedition。ThethoughtfultaciturnityintowhichDartonhadlatterlyfallenwasquitedissipatedbythepresenceofthisboy。
　　WhentheChristmasholidayscameitwasarrangedthatheshouldspendthemwithhismother。Thejourneywas，forsomereasonorother，performedintwostages，asathiscoming，exceptthatDartoninpersontooktheplaceofthebailiff，andthattheboyandhimselfrodeonhorseback。
　　Reachingtherenowned’WhiteHorse，’DartoninquiredifMissandyoungMrs。HallweretheretomeetlittlePhilipastheyhadagreedtobe。HewasansweredbytheappearanceofHelenaaloneatthedoor。
　　’AtthelastmomentSallywouldnotcome，’shefaltered。
　　Thatmeetingpracticallysettledthepointtowardswhichtheselong-
　　severedpersonswereconverging。Butnothingwasbroachedaboutitforsometimeyet。SallyHallhad，infact，impartedthefirstdecisivemotiontoeventsbyrefusingtoaccompanyHelena。Shesoongavethemasecondmovebywritingthefollowingnote’[Private。]
　　’DEARCHARLES，——LivingheresolongandintimatelywithHelena，I
　　havenaturallylearntherhistory，especiallythatofitwhichreferstoyou。Iamsureshewouldacceptyouasahusbandatthepropertime，andIthinkyououghttogivehertheopportunity。YouinquireinanoldnoteifIamsorrythatIshowedtemperwhichitWASN’TthatnightwhenIheardyoutalkingtoher。No，Charles，I
　　amnotsorryatallforwhatIsaidthen——Yourssincerely，SALLY
　　HALL。’
　　Thussetintrain，thetransferofDarton’sheartbacktoitsoriginalquartersproceededbymerelapseoftime。InthefollowingJuly，DartonwenttohisfriendJaphethtoaskhimatlasttofulfilthebridalofficewhichhadbeeninabeyancesincethepreviousJanuarytwelvemonths。
　　’Withallmyheart，mano’constancy！’saidDairymanJohnswarmly。
　　’I’velostmostofmygenteelfaircomplexionhaymakingthishotweather，’tistrue，butI’lldoyourbusinessaswellasthemthatlookbetter。Therebescentsandgoodhair-oilintheworldyet，thankGod，andthey’lltakeofftheroughesto’myedge。I’llcomplimenther。“Betterlatethannever，SallyHall，“I’llsay。’
　　’ItisnotSally，’saidDartonhurriedly。’ItisyoungMrs。Hall。’
　　Japheth’sface，assoonashereallycomprehended，becameapictureofreproachfuldismay。’NotSally？’hesaid。’WhynotSally？I
　　can’tbelieveit！YoungMrs。Hall！Well，well——where’syourwisdom？’
　　Dartonshortlyexplainedparticulars；butJohnswouldnotbereconciled。’Shewasawomanworthhavingifeverwomanwas，’hecried。’Andnowtolethergo！’
　　’ButIsupposeIcanmarrywhereIlike，’saidDarton。
　　’H’m，’repliedthedairyman，liftinghiseyebrowsexpressively。
　　’Thisdon’tbecomeyou，Charles——itreallydonot。IfIhaddonesuchathingyouwouldhaveswornIwasacurstno’thernfooltobedrawnoffthescentbysuchared-herringdoll-oll-oll。’
　　FarmerDartonrespondedinsuchsharptermstothislaconicopinionthatthetwofriendsfinallypartedinawaytheyhadneverpartedbefore。JohnswastobenogroomsmantoDartonafterall。Hehadflatlydeclined。Dartonwentoffsorry，andevenunhappy，particularlyasJaphethwasabouttoleavethatsideofthecounty，sothatthewordswhichhaddividedthemwerenotlikelytobeexplainedawayorsofteneddown。
　　AshorttimeaftertheinterviewDartonwasunitedtoHelenaatasimplematter-offactwedding；andsheandherlittlegirljoinedtheboywhohadalreadygrowntolookonDarton’shouseashome。
　　Forsomemonthsthefarmerexperiencedanunprecedentedhappinessandsatisfaction。Therehadbeenaflawinhislife，anditwasasneatlymendedaswashumanlypossible。Butafteraseasonthestreamofeventsfollowedlessclearly，andtherewereshadesinhisreveries。Helenawasafragilewoman，oflittlestayingpower，physicallyormorally，andsincethetimethathehadoriginallyknownher——eightortenyearsbefore——shehadbeenseverelytried。
　　Shehadlovedherselfout，inshort，andwasnowoccasionallygiventomoping。Sometimesshespokeregretfullyofthegentilitiesofherearlylife，andinsteadofcomparingherpresentstatewithherconditionasthewifeoftheunluckyHall，shemusedratheronwhatithadbeenbeforeshetookthefirstfatalstepofclandestinelymarryinghim。Shedidnotcaretopleasesuchpeopleasthosewithwhomshewasthrownasathrivingfarmer’swife。Sheallowedtheprettytriflesofagriculturaldomesticitytoglidebyherassorrydetails，andhaditnotbeenforthechildrenDarton’shousewouldhaveseemedbutlittlebrighterthanithadbeenbefore。
　　Thisledtooccasionalunpleasantness，untilDartonsometimesdeclaredtohimselfthatsuchendeavoursashistorectifyearlydeviationsoftheheartbyharkingbacktotheoldpointmostlyfailedofsuccess。’PerhapsJohnswasright，’hewouldsay。’I
　　shouldhavegoneonwithSally。Bettergowiththetideandmakethebestofitscoursethanstemitattheriskofacapsize。’Buthekepttheseunmelodiousthoughtstohimself，andwasoutwardlyconsiderateandkind。
　　Thissomewhatbarrentractofhislifehadextendedtolessthanayearandahalfwhenhisponderingswerecutshortbythelossofthewomantheyconcerned。Whenshewasinhergravehethoughtbetterofherthanwhenshehadbeenalive；thefarmwasaworseplacewithoutherthanwithher，afterall。Nowomanshortofdivinecouldhavegonethroughsuchanexperienceasherswithherfirsthusbandwithoutbecomingalittlesoured。Herstagnantsympathies，hersometimesunreasonablemanner，hadcoveredaheartfrankandwellmeaning，andoriginallyhopefulandwarm。Shelefthimatinyredinfantinwhitewrappings。Tomakelifeaseasyaspossibletothistouchingobjectbecameatoncehiscare。
　　AsthischildlearnttowalkandtalkDartonlearnttoseefeasibilityinaschemewhichpleasedhim。Revolvingtheexperimentwhichhehadhithertomadeuponlife，hefanciedhehadgainedwisdomfromhismistakesandcautionfromhismiscarriages。
　　Whattheschemewasneedsnopenetrationtodiscover。Oncemorehehadopportunitytorecastandrectifyhisill-wroughtsituationsbyreturningtoSallyHall，whostilllivedquietlyonunderhermother’sroofatHintock。Helenahadbeenawomantolendpathosandrefinementtoahome；Sallywasthewomantobrightenit。Shewouldnot，asHelenadid，despisetheruralsimplicitiesofafarmer’sfireside。Moreover，shehadapre-eminentqualificationforDarton’shousehold；nootherwomancouldmakesodesirableamothertoherbrother’stwochildrenandDarton’soneasSally——
　　whileDarton，nowthatHelenahadgone，wasamorepromisinghusbandforSallythanhehadeverbeenwhenliabletoremindersfromanuncuredsentimentalwound。
　　Dartonwasnotamantoactrapidly，andtheworkingoutofhisreparativedesignsmighthavebeendelayedforsometime。ButtherecameawintereveningpreciselyliketheonewhichhaddarkenedoverthatformerridetoHintock，andheaskedhimselfwhyheshouldpostponelonger，whentheverylandscapecalledforarepetitionofthatattempt。
　　Hetoldhismantosaddlethemare，bootedandspurredhimselfwithayoungerhorseman’snicety，kissedthetwoyoungestchildren，androdeoff。Tomakethejourneyacompleteparalleltothefirst，hewouldfainhavehadhisoldacquaintanceJaphethJohnswithhim。
　　ButJohns，alas！wasmissing。HisremovaltotheothersideofthecountyhadleftunrepairedthebreachwhichhadarisenbetweenhimandDarton；andthoughDartonhadforgivenhimahundredtimes，asJohnshadprobablyforgivenDarton，theeffortofreunioninpresentcircumstanceswasonenotlikelytobemade。
　　Hescrewedhimselfuptoascheerfulapitchashecouldwithouthisformercrony，andbecamecontentwithhisownthoughtsasherode，insteadofthewordsofacompanion。Thesunwentdown；theboughsappearedscratchedinlikeanetchingagainstthesky；oldcrookedmenwithfaggotsattheirbackssaid’Good-night，sir，’andDartonreplied’Good-night’rightheartily。
　　BythetimehereachedtheforkingroadsitwasgettingasdarkasithadbeenontheoccasionwhenJohnsclimbedthedirecting-post。
　　Dartonmadenomistakethistime。’NorshallIbeabletomistake，thankHeaven，whenIarrive，’hemurmured。Itgavehimpeculiarsatisfactiontothinkthattheproposedmarriage，likehisfirst，wasofthenatureofsettinginorderthingslongawry，andnotamomentaryfreakoffancy。
　　Nothinghinderedthesmoothnessofhisjourney，whichseemednothalfitsformerlength。Thoughdark，itwasonlybetweenfiveandsixo’clockwhenthebulkychimneysofMrs。Hall’sresidenceappearedinviewbehindthesycamore-tree。Onsecondthoughtsheretreatedandputupattheale-houseasinformertime；andwhenhehadplumedhimselfbeforetheinnmirror，calledforsomethingtodrink，andsmoothedouttheincipientwrinklesofcare，hewalkedontotheKnapwithaquickstep。