CHAPTER TWO

Michael awoke the next morning alone in the soup tent. Bits of sunlight were shining through the torn parts of the tent walls. There on the ground lay something bright and silver. Upon looking more closely, he found that it was the wedding ring he had given to his wife. Suddenly, memories of the night before came back to him. He put his hands into his coat pocket and found the money from the sailor there.

It was real. He had sold his wife and child. They were gone forever. He got up slowly from the bar and walked out into the morning air.

All around the area, traveling entertainers and sellers were asleep in their wagons. The grass was still wet with morning dew, for the sun had just awakened.

Michael walked for at least a mile and then took a rest against a fence. He had several things to think about. First, he wondered if he or his wife had said his name in front of everyone. He did not think so. Second, he guessed that his wife had been serious about the trade. She must have been.

"Stupid, simple woman," he whispered to himself, "She knew that I was drunk! Why'd she have to go off with that man? Such a weak woman!"

After a while, his temper was replaced by regret. He decided to find his wife and child and to deal with the shame as best he could. But first, he had to make a promise to himself. The promise was a great one and required a proper setting. He looked about him and saw a village in the distance. In the center of the village he could see there was a church. He then decided that that was where he needed to go.

After three miles of walking, he finally arrived and went in through the front door of the church. At the very front of the row of seats, he got down on his knees and made his promise before God.

"I, Michael Henchard, promise never to take another drink of alcohol in the next twenty-one years of my life. If I break this promise, then God can strike me dead."

Immediately, he then began to look for his family. He asked around the village, but no one had seen anyone who fit the description. He asked around for several months, passing through village after village. No one seemed to know anything. One reason for his lack of success was that he did not tell anyone what had happened or why he was searching for these people. He was too ashamed.

Eventually, he arrived at the sea. There, he was told that some people who seemed to fit his description had left the area a long while ago. Michael then decided that it would be impossible to find them and gave up his search.

After several days and nights of walking, he eventually arrived in the town he had been thinking about making his home for quite some time. It was the town of Casterbridge.

(end of section)