Chapter 22 Summary

In this chapter, Hardy takes the reader back to Michael's visit to High-Place Hall in the previous chapter. He has been summoned by a letter from Lucetta, which describes how she has tried to free her name from the scandal he created, and that she now expects him to keep his promise and marry her. Henchard recalls that Lucetta had told him that she would inherit a fortune from her aunt, and suspects that Lucetta is Miss Templeman since this was her aunt's surname. After Elizabeth-Jane leaves, he receives another note from Lucetta. This note assures him that she did not plan to befriend Elizabeth-Jane, but that once she had done so she realized that this would give him the perfect excuse to visit her.

We then see Lucetta and Elizabeth-Jane interacting. Lucetta decides to go against an earlier resolution and discloses her...