The Mayor of Casterbridge Chapter 10

In which a new manager arrives unexpectedly to find that his appointment has been superseded, whilst Elizabeth-Jane conveys to Henchard a message from a relative thought long gone, stirring reflections and a sudden tenderness within him. The scene gently unfolds with Henchard’s invitation to meet this stranger and a cautious anticipation at the Three Mariners Inn, as quiet secrets and old ties begin to stir once more.