"It is not worth arguing about.Well, I think I must turn homeward again, as the inn must not be left long in charge of the lad and the maid only."He went his way, his farewell being scarcely so courteous as his greeting.But Mrs.Yeobright knew him thoroughly by this time, and took little notice of his manner, good or bad.
When Wildeve was gone Mrs.Yeobright stood and considered what would be the best course to adopt with regard to the guineas, which she had not liked to entrust to Wildeve.
It was hardly credible that Thomasin had told him to ask for them, when the necessity for them had arisen from the difficulty of obtaining money at his hands.
At the same time Thomasin really wanted them, and might be unable to come to Blooms-End for another week at least.
To take or send the money to her at the inn would be impolite, since Wildeve would pretty surely be present, or would discover the transaction; and if, as her aunt suspected, he treated her less kindly than she deserved to be treated, he might then get the whole sum out of her gentle hands.
But on this particular evening Thomasin was at Mistover, and anything might be conveyed to her there without the knowledge of her husband.Upon the whole the opportunity was worth taking advantage of.
Her son, too, was there, and was now married.
There could be no more proper moment to render him his share of the money than the present.And the chance that would be afforded her, by sending him this gift, of showing how far she was from bearing him ill-will, cheered the sad mother's heart.
She went upstairs and took from a locked drawer a little box, out of which she poured a hoard of broad unworn guineas that had lain there many a year.There were a hundred in all, and she divided them into two heaps, fifty in each.
Tying up these in small canvas bags, she went down to the garden and called to Christian Cantle, who was loitering about in hope of a supper which was not really owed him.
Mrs.Yeobright gave him the moneybags, charged him to go to Mistover, and on no account to deliver them into any one's hands save her son's and Thomasin's.On further thought she deemed it advisable to tell Christian precisely what the two bags contained, that he might be fully impressed with their importance.Christian pocketed the moneybags, promised the greatest carefulness, and set out on his way.
"You need not hurry," said Mrs.Yeobright."It will be better not to get there till after dusk, and then nobody will notice you.Come back here to supper, if it is not too late."It was nearly nine o'clock when he began to ascend the vale towards Mistover; but the long days of summer being at their climax, the first obscurity of evening had only just begun to tan the landscape.At this point of his journey Christian heard voices, and found that they proceeded from a company of men and women who were traversing a hollow ahead of him, the tops only of their heads being visible.
He paused and thought of the money he carried.It was almost too early even for Christian seriously to fear robbery;nevertheless he took a precaution which ever since his boyhood he had adopted whenever he carried more than two or three shillings upon his person--a precaution somewhat like that of the owner of the Pitt Diamond when filled with similar misgivings.He took off his boots, untied the guineas, and emptied the contents of one little bag into the right boot, and of the other into the left, spreading them as flatly as possible over the bottom of each, which was really a spacious coffer by no means limited to the size of the foot.Pulling them on again and lacing them to the very top, he proceeded on his way, more easy in his head than under his soles.
His path converged towards that of the noisy company, and on coming nearer he found to his relief that they were several Egdon people whom he knew very well, while with them walked Fairway, of Blooms-End.
"What! Christian going too?" said Fairway as soon as he recognized the newcomer."You've got no young woman nor wife to your name to gie a gown-piece to, I'm sure.""What d'ye mean?" said Christian.
"Why, the raffle.The one we go to every year.
Going to the raffle as well as ourselves?""Never knew a word o't.Is it like cudgel playing or other sportful forms of bloodshed? I don't want to go, thank you, Mister Fairway, and no offence.""Christian don't know the fun o't, and 'twould be a fine sight for him," said a buxom woman."There's no danger at all, Christian.Every man puts in a shilling apiece, and one wins a gown-piece for his wife or sweetheart if he's got one.""Well, as that's not my fortune there's no meaning in it to me.But I should like to see the fun, if there's nothing of the black art in it, and if a man may look on without cost or getting into any dangerous wrangle?""There will be no uproar at all," said Timothy.
"Sure, Christian, if you'd like to come we'll see there's no harm done.""And no ba'dy gaieties, I suppose? You see, neighbours, if so, it would be setting father a bad example, as he is so light moral'd.But a gown-piece for a shilling, and no black art--'tis worth looking in to see, and it wouldn't hinder me half an hour.Yes, I'll come, if you'll step a little way towards Mistover with me afterwards, supposing night should have closed in, and nobody else is going that way?"One or two promised; and Christian, diverging from his direct path, turned round to the right with his companions towards the Quiet Woman.
When they entered the large common room of the inn they found assembled there about ten men from among the neighbouring population, and the group was increased by the new contingent to double that number.
