The Mayor of Casterbridge Chapter 17

In which Elizabeth-Jane finds herself troubled by the subtle social rebuke her dancing incurs and encounters Donald Farfrae amidst an evening’s walk, their conversation tinted with an uneasy promise and the shadow of impending change. Meanwhile, an uneasy rivalry grows between Farfrae and Henchard, bringing tension to both the marketplace and the home, as business and personal loyalties begin to fray under the strain of ambition and pride.