The Mayor of Casterbridge Chapter 31

In which the sombre tide of Henchard’s fortunes turns as an old indiscretion resurfaces with startling swiftness, casting him down from the heights of respectability into the shadows of social and financial despair. Amidst the chill of bankruptcy and the quiet restoration of his former business by others, Elizabeth-Jane’s steadfast sympathy leads her to seek the man who now dwells in solitude, a far cry from the prosperous days he once knew.