Why they stared at her so helplessly, as if waiting
for the touch of some wand that should release them from terrestrial
constraint; what that chaos called consciousness, which spun in her at
this moment like a top, tended to, and began in. Her eyes fell together;
she was awake, yet she was asleep.
A word from her mother roused her. Without preface, and as the
continuation of a scene already progressing in her mind, Mrs. Henchard
said: "You remember the note sent to you and Mr. Farfrae--asking you to
meet some one in Durnover Barton--and that you thought it was a trick to
make fools of you?"
"Yes."
"It was not to make fools of you--it was done to bring you together.
'Twas I did it."
"Why?" said Elizabeth, with a start.
"I--wanted you to marry Mr. Farfrae."
"O mother!" Elizabeth-Jane bent down her head so much that she looked
quite into her own lap. But as her mother did not go on, she said, "What
reason?"
"Well, I had a reason. 'Twill out one day. I wish it could have been in
my time! But there--nothing is as you wish it! Henchard hates him."
"Perhaps they'll be friends again," murmured the girl.
"I don't know--I don't know." After this her mother was silent, and
dozed; and she spoke on the subject no more.
Some little time later on Farfrae was passing Henchard's house on a
Sunday morning, when he observed that the blinds were all down.
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