A story of a man of character by Thomas Hardy
Dramatised for broadcasting by Desmond Hawkins
Music composed for the serial by Ralph Vaughan Williams
3 —' A Form of Marriage'
Produced by Owen Reed ' in the BBC's West of England studios
Elizabeth-Jane's first hours in Casterbridge were filled with excitement. She had arrived with her mother, Susan Henchard , to seek a ' relation by marriage ' about whose present circumstances they knew nothing. How extremely pleasant therefore to discover that he was not in the stocks or the workhouse but was a prosperous corn-chandler and the respected Mayor of the town! Michael Henchard had indeed made his way in the world since the day when-as Susan's husband-he had sold her to a tailor.
Another new arrival at Casterbridge on that same night was Donald Farfrae , an ingenious and engaging young Scot who was able to be of some service to the Mayor and was then persuaded to remain as his business manager. When Elizabeth was sent by her mother to deliver a message to the Mayor she found Donald Farfrae already installed in his office. And in this casual and easy way the pattern of destiny begins to gather about them.