 preserved he said, »Then I have not come in vain .... Now, for
instance, can ye charm away warts?«
    »Without trouble.«
    »Cure the evil?«
    »That I've done - with consideration - if they will wear the toad-bag by
night as well as by day.«
    »Forecast the weather?«
    »With labour and time.«
    »Then take this,« said Henchard. »'Tis a crown-piece. Now, what is the
harvest fortnight to be? When can I know?«
    »I've worked it out already, and you can know at once.« (The fact was that
five farmers had already been there on the same errand from different parts of
the country.) »By the sun, moon, and stars, by the clouds, the winds, the trees,
and grass, the candle-flame and swallows, the smell of the herbs; likewise by
the cats' eyes, the ravens, the leeches, the spiders, and the dungmixen, the
last fortnight in August will be - rain and tempest.«
    »You are not certain, of course?«
    »As one can be in a world where all's unsure. 'Twill be more like living in
Revelations this autumn than in England. Shall I sketch it out for 'ee in a
scheme?«
    »O no, no,« said Henchard. »I don't altogether believe in forecasts, come to
second thoughts on such. But I --«
    »You don't - you don't - 'tis quite understood,« said Wide-oh, without a
sound of scorn. »You have given me a crown because you've one too many. But
won't you join me at supper, now 'tis waiting and all?«
    Henchard would gladly have joined; for the savour of the stew had floated
from the cottage into the porch with such appetizing distinctness that the meat,
the onions, the pepper, and the herbs could be severally recognized by his nose.
But as sitting down to hob-and-nob there would have seemed to mark him too
implicitly as the weather-caster's apostle, he declined, and went his way.
    The next Saturday Henchard bought grain to such an enormous extent that
there was quite a talk about his purchases among his neighbours the lawyer, the
wine merchant, and the doctor; also on the next, and on all available days. When
his granaries were full to choking, all
