ThateveningSallywasmaking’pinners’forthemilkers，whowerenowincreasedbytwo，forhermotherandherselfnolongerjoinedinmilkingthecowsthemselves。Butuponthewholetherewaslittlechangeinthehouseholdeconomy，andnotmuchinitsappearance，beyondsuchminorparticularsasthatthecrackoverthewindow，whichhadbeenahundredyearscoming，wasatriflewider；thatthebeamswereashadeblacker；thattheinfluenceofmodernismhadsupplantedtheopenchimneycornerbyagrate；thatRebekah，whohadwornacapwhenshehadplentyofhair，hadleftitoffnowshehadscarceany，becauseitwasreportedthatcapswerenotfashionable；
　　andthatSally’sfacehadnaturallyassumedamorewomanlyandexperiencedcast。
　　Mrs。Hallwasactuallyliftingcoalswiththetongs，asshehadusedtodo。
　　’Fiveyearsagothisverynight，ifIamnotmistaken——’shesaid，layingonanember。
　　’Notthisverynight——though’twasonenightthisweek，’saidthecorrectSally。
　　’Well，’tisnearenough。FiveyearsagoMr。Dartoncametomarryyou，andmypoorboyPhilcamehometodie。’Shesighed。’Ah，Sally，’shepresentlysaid，’ifyouhadmanagedwellMr。Dartonwouldhavehadyou，Helenaornone。’
　　’Don’tbesentimentalaboutthat，mother，’beggedSally。’Ididn’tcaretomanagewellinsuchacase。ThoughIlikedhim，Iwasn’tsoanxious。Iwouldneverhavemarriedthemaninthemidstofsuchahitchasthatwas，’sheaddedwithdecision；’andIdon’tthinkI
　　wouldifheweretoaskmenow。’
　　’Iamnotsureaboutthat，unlessyouhaveanotherinyoureye。’
　　’Iwouldn’t；andI’lltellyouwhy。Icouldhardlymarryhimforloveatthistimeo’day。Andaswe’vequiteenoughtoliveonifwegiveupthedairyto-morrow，Ishouldhavenoneedtomarryforanymeanerreason……IamquitehappyenoughasIam，andthere’sanendofit。’
　　Nowitwasnotlongafterthisdialoguethattherecameamildrapatthedoor，andinamomentthereenteredRebekah，lookingasthoughaghosthadarrived。Thefactwasthatthataccomplishedskimmerandchurnernowaresidentinthehousehadoverheardthedesultoryobservationsbetweenmotheranddaughter，andonopeningthedoortoMr。Dartonthoughtthecoincidencemusthaveagrislymeaninginit。Mrs。Hallwelcomedthefarmerwithwarmsurprise，asdidSally，andforamomenttheyratherwantedwords。
　　’Canyoupushupthechimney-crookforme，MrDarton？thenotcheshitch，’saidthematron。Hedidit，andthehomelylittleactbridgedovertheawkwardconsciousnessthathehadbeenastrangerforfouryears。
　　Mrs。Hallsoonsawwhathehadcomefor，andlefttheprincipalstogetherwhileshewenttopreparehimalatetea，smilingatSally’srecenthastyassertionsofindifference，whenshesawhowcivilSallywas。Whenteawasreadyshejoinedthem。ShefanciedthatDartondidnotlooksoconfidentaswhenhehadarrived；butSallywasquitelight-hearted，andthemealpassedpleasantly。
　　Aboutsevenhetookhisleaveofthem。Mrs。Hallwentasfarasthedoortolighthimdowntheslope。Onthedoorstephesaidfrankly——
　　’Icametoaskyourdaughtertomarryme；chosethenightandeverything，withaneyetoafavourableanswer。Butshewon’t。’
　　’Thenshe’saveryungratefulgirl！’emphaticallysaidMrs。Hall。
　　Dartonpausedtoshapehissentence，andasked，’I——Isupposethere’snobodyelsemorefavoured？’
　　’Ican’tsaythatthereis，orthatthereisn’t，’answeredMrs。
　　Hall。’She’sprivateinsomethings。I’monyourside，however，Mr。Darton，andI’lltalktoher。’
　　’Thank’ee，thank’ee！’saidthefarmerinagayeraccent；andwiththisassurancethenotverysatisfactoryvisitcametoanend。
　　Dartondescendedtherootsofthesycamore，thelightwaswithdrawn，andthedoorclosed。Atthebottomoftheslopehenearlyranagainstamanabouttoascend。
　　’Canajack-o’-lentbelievehisfewsensesonsuchadarknight，orcan’the？’exclaimedonewhoseutteranceDartonrecognizedinamoment，despiteitsunexpectedness。’Idarenotswearhecan，thoughIfainwould！’ThespeakerwasJohns。
　　Dartonsaidhewasgladofthisopportunity，badasitwas，ofputtinganendtothesilenceofyears，andaskedthedairymanwhathewastravellingthatwayfor。
　　Japhethshowedtheoldjovialconfidenceinamoment。’I’mgoingtoseeyour——relations——astheyalwaysseemtome，’hesaid——’Mrs。HallandSally。Well，Charles，thefactisIfindthenaturalbarbarousnessofmanismuchincreasedbyabachelorlife，and，asyourleavingswerealwaysgoodenoughforme，I’mtryingcivilizationhere。’Henoddedtowardsthehouse。
　　’NotwithSally——tomarryher？’saidDarton，feelingsomethinglikearilloficewaterbetweenhisshoulders。
　　’Yes，bythehelpofProvidenceandmypersonalcharms。AndIthinkIshallgether。Iamthisroadeveryweek——mypresentdairyisonlyfourmilesoff，youknow，andIseeherthroughthewindow。
　　’TisratheroddthatIwasgoingtospeakpracticalto-nighttoherforthefirsttime。You’vejustcalled？’
　　’Yes，forashortwhile。Butshedidn’tsayawordaboutyou。’
　　’Agoodsign，agoodsign。Nowthatdecidesme。I’llswingthemalletandgetheranswerthisverynightasIplanned。’
　　Afewmoreremarks，andDarton，wishinghisfriendjoyofSallyinaslightlyhollowtoneofjocularity，badehimgood-bye。Johnspromisedtowriteparticulars，andascended，andwaslostintheshadeofthehouseandtree。ArectangleoflightappearedwhenJohnswasadmitted，andallwasdarkagain。
　　’HappyJapheth！’saidDarton。’Thisthenistheexplanation！’
　　Hedeterminedtoreturnhomethatnight。Inaquarterofanhourhepassedoutofthevillage，andthenextdaywentabouthisswede-
　　liftingandstoringasifnothinghadoccurred。
　　HewaitedandwaitedtohearfromJohnswhetherthewedding-daywasfixed:butnolettercame。Helearntnotasingleparticulartill，meetingJohnsonedayatahorse-auction，Dartonexclaimedgenially——
　　rathermoregeniallythanhefelt——’Whenisthejoyfuldaytobe？’
　　TohisgreatsurpriseareciprocityofgladnesswasnotconspicuousinJohns。’Notatall，’hesaid，inaverysubduedtone。’’Tisabadjob；shewon’thaveme。’
　　Dartonheldhisbreathtillhesaidwithtreacheroussolicitude，’Tryagain——’tiscoyness。’
　　’Ono，’saidJohnsdecisively。’There’sbeennoneofthat。Wetalkeditoverdozensoftimesinthemostfairandsquareway。Shetellsmeplainly，Idon’tsuither。’Twouldbesimplyannoyinghertoaskheragain。Ah，Charles，youthrewaprizeawaywhenyouletherslipfiveyearsago。’
　　’Idid——Idid，’saidDarton。
　　Hereturnedfromthatauctionwithanewsetoffeelingsinplay。
　　HehadcertainlymadeasurprisingmistakeinthinkingJohnshissuccessfulrival。ItreallyseemedasifhemighthopeforSallyafterall。
　　Thistime，beingratherpressedbybusiness，Dartonhadrecoursetopen-and-ink，andwroteherasmanlyandstraightforwardaproposalasanywomancouldwishtoreceive。Thereplycamepromptly:-
　　’DEARMR。DARTON，——Iamassensibleasanywomancanbeofthegoodnessthatleadsyoutomakemethisofferasecondtime。BetterwomenthanIwouldbeproudofthehonour，forwhenIreadyournicelongspeechesonmangold-wurzel，andsuchliketopics，attheCasterbridgeFarmers’Club，Idofeelitanhonour，Iassureyou。
　　Butmyanswerisjustthesameasbefore。Iwillnottrytoexplainwhat，intruth，Icannotexplain——myreasons；IwillsimplysaythatImustdeclinetobemarriedtoyou。Withgoodwishesasinformertimes，Iam，yourfaithfulfriend，’SALLYHALL。’
　　Dartondroppedtheletterhopelessly。Beyondthenegative，therewasjustapossibilityofsarcasminit——’nicelongspeechesonmangold-wurzel’hadasuspicioussound。However，sarcasmornone，therewastheanswer，andhehadtobecontent。
　　Heproceededtoseekreliefinabusinesswhichatthistimeengrossedmuchofhisattention——thatofclearingupacuriousmistakejustcurrentinthecounty，thathehadbeennearlyruinedbytherecentfailureofalocalbank。AfarmernamedDartonhadlostheavily，andthesimilarityofnamehadprobablyledtotheerror。Beliefinitwassopersistentthatitdemandedseveraldaysofletter-writingtosetmattersstraight，andpersuadetheworldthathewasassolventaseverhehadbeeninhislife。Hehadhardlyconcludedthisworryingtaskwhen，tohisdelight，anotherletterarrivedinthehandwritingofSally。
　　Dartontoreitopen；itwasveryshort。
　　’DEARMR。DARTON，——Wehavebeensoalarmedtheselastfewdaysbythereportthatyouwereruinedbythestoppageof——’sBank，that，nowitiscontradictedIhasten，bymymother’swish，tosayhowtrulygladwearetofindthereisnofoundationforthereport。
　　Afteryourkindnesstomypoorbrother’schildren，Icandonolessthanwriteatsuchamoment。Wehadaletterfromeachofthemafewdaysago——Yourfaithfulfriend，’SALLYHALL。’
　　’Mercenarylittlewoman！’saidDartontohimselfwithasmile。
　　’Thenthatwasthesecretofherrefusalthistime——shethoughtI
　　wasruined。’