The Return of the Native: Book 2, Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

It is two days before Christmas. Eustacia is sitting home alone, upset that she is unlikely to see Clym before he returns to Paris. Because Egdon Heath is so remote, the community does not get together for Christmas, so even the holidays cannot bring Eustacia and Clym together. While sitting and moping, Eustacia hears a knock on the door. She answers it to find a group of mummers who want to use Captain Vye’s fuel-house to rehearse their play. Eustacia gives them permission to use it.

The mummers go to the fuel-house to rehearse, and Eustacia follows them. She learns that the play will be performed at the Yeobright’s place, which piques her interest. After the rehearsal, Eustacia invites a boy named Charley inside and asks him to tell her his lines. She repeats them back to him and then asks if she can have his role in the play. In return, she promises to pay him. Charley declines her offer but provides a counteroffer: he will give her his part if he can hold her hand for a half hour. Eustacia tells him she will do it for 15 minutes instead, and Charley agrees to her terms.

The next night, Charley returns and gives Eustacia his costume. The two of them hold hands for several minutes, though Charley ends the session early, insisting that he wants to save some of his time for later. Eustacia tells him that that’s fine, as long as he’s used up the whole 15 minutes by the end of the week. Then, Eustacia leaves to put on the costume. When she returns, Charley decides that he wants to use up more of his hand-holding time. Before long, he forgets about his time limit and unwittingly uses up all he has left. This pleases Eustacia and the two of them go their separate ways.