HENCHARD and Elizabeth sat conversing by the fire. It was three weeks after Mrs Henchard's funeral; the candles were not lighted, and a restless, acrobatic flame, poised on a coal, called from the shady walls the smiles of all shapes that could respond - the old pier-glass, with gilt columns and huge entablature, the picture-frames, sundry knobs and handles, and the brass rosette at the bottom of each riband bell-pull on either side of the chimney-piece.
"Elizabeth, do you think much of old times?" said Henchard.
"Yes, sir; often," said she.
"Who do you put in your pictures of 'em?"
"Mother and father - nobody else hardly."
Henchard always looked like one bent on resisting pain when Elizabeth-Jane spoke of Richard Newson as "father". "Ah! I am out of all that, am I not?"he said... "Was Newson a kind father?"
"Yes, sir; very."
Henchard's face settled into an expression of stolid lonelines which gradually modulated into something softer. "Suppose I had been your real father?" he said. "Would you have cared for me as much as you cared for Richard Newson?""I can't think it," she said quickly. "I can think of no other as my father, except my father."Henchard's wife was dissevered from him by death; his friend and helper Farfrae by estrangement; Elizabeth-Jane by ignorance. It seemed to him that only one of them could possibly be recalled, and that was the girl.
His mind began vibrating between the wish to reveal himself to her and the policy of leaving well alone, till he could no longer sit still. He walked up and down, and then he came and stood behind her chair, looking down upon the top of her head. He could no longer restrain his impulse.
"What did your mother tell you about me - my history?" he asked.
"That you were related by marriage."
"She should have told more - before you knew me! Then my task would not have been such a hard one... Elizabeth, it is I who am your father, and not Richard Newson. Shame alone prevented your wretched parents from owning this to you while both of 'em were alive."The back of Elizabeth's head remained still, and her shoulders did not denote even the movements of breathing. Henchard went on: "I'd rather have your scorn, your fear, anything than your ignorance; 'tis that I hate.
Your mother and I were man and wife when we were young. What you saw was our second marriage. Your mother was too honest. We had thought each other dead - and - Newson became her husband."This was the nearest approach Henchard could make to the full truth.
As far as he personally was concerned he would have screened nothing; but he showed a respect for the young girl's *** and years worthy of a better man.
When he had gone on to give details which a whole series of slight unregarded incidents in her past life strangely corroborated; when, in short, she believed his story to be true, she became greatly agitated, and turning round to the table flung her face upon it weeping.
"Don't cry - don't cry!" said Henchard, with vehement pathos, "I can't bear it, I won't bear it. I am your father; why should you cry? Am I so dreadful, so hateful to 'ee? Don't take against me, Elizabeth-Jane!" he cried, grasping her wet hand. "Don't take against me - though I was a drinking man once and used your mother roughly - I'll be kinder to you than he was! I'll do anything, if you will only look upon me as your father!"She tried to stand up and confront him trustfully; but she could not;she was troubled at his presence, like the brethren at the avowal of Joseph.
"I don't want you to come to me all of a sudden," said Henchard in jerks, and moving like a great tree in a wind. "No, Elizabeth, I don't. I'll go away and not see you till tomorrow, or when you like; and then I'll show 'ee papers to prove my words. There, I am gone, and won't disturb you any more... 'Twas I that chose your name, my daughter; your mother wanted it Susan. There, don't forget 'twas I gave you your name!" He went out at the door and shut her softly in, and she heard him go away into the garden.
But he had not done. Before she had moved, or in any way recovered from the effect of his disclosure, he reappeared.
"One word more, Elizabeth," he said. "You'll take my surname now - hey?
Your mother was against it; but it will be much more pleasant to me. 'Tis legally yours, you know. But nobody need know that. You shall take it as if by choice. I'll talk to my lawyer - I don't know the law of it exactly;but will you do this - let me put a few lines into the newspaper that such is to be your name?""If it is my name I must have it, mustn't I?" she asked.
"Well, well; usage is everything in these matters.""I wonder why mother didn't wish it?"
"Oh some whim of the poor soul's. Now get a bit of paper and draw up a paragraph as I shall tell you. But let's have a light.""I can see by the firelight," she answered. "Yes - I'd rather.""Very well."
She got a piece of paper, and bending over the fender wrote at his dictation words which he had evidently got by heart from some advertisement or other - words to the effect that she, the writer, hitherto known as Elizabeth-Jane Newson, was going to call herself Elizabeth-Jane Henchard forthwith. It was done, and fastened up and directed to the office of the Casterbridge Chronicle.
"Now," said Henchard, with the blaze of satisfaction that he always emitted when he had carried his point - though tenderness softened it this time - I'll go upstairs and hunt for some documents that will prove it all to you. But I won't trouble you with them till tomorrow. Good-night, my Elizabeth-Jane!"He was gone before the bewildered girl could realize what it all meant, or adjust her filial sense to the new centre of gravity. She was thankful that he had left her to herself for the evening, and sat down over the fire. Here she remained in silence, and wept - not for her mother now, but for the genial sailor Richard Newson, to whom she seemed doing a wrong.