ThemeresightofthetwainhadbeenenoughtosuggesttoherthatthedeadyoungmanwasRhoda’sson。Atthattimetherelativesofanexecutedconvicthadtheprivilegeofclaimingthebodyforburial，iftheychosetodoso；anditwasforthispurposethatLodgewasawaitingtheinquestwithRhoda。Hehadbeensummonedbyherassoonastheyoungmanwastakeninthecrime，andatdifferenttimessince；andhehadattendedincourtduringthetrial。Thiswasthe’holiday’hehadbeenindulginginoflate。
Thetwowretchedparentshadwishedtoavoidexposure；andhencehadcomethemselvesforthebody，awaggonandsheetforitsconveyanceandcoveringbeinginwaitingoutside。
Gertrude’scasewassoseriousthatitwasdeemedadvisabletocalltoherthesurgeonwhowasathand。Shewastakenoutofthejailintothetown；butsheneverreachedhomealive。Herdelicatevitality，sappedperhapsbytheparalyzedarm，collapsedunderthedoubleshockthatfollowedtheseverestrain，physicalandmental，towhichshehadsubjectedherselfduringtheprevioustwenty-fourhours。Herbloodhadbeen’turned’indeed——toofar。Herdeathtookplaceinthetownthreedaysafter。
HerhusbandwasneverseeninCasterbridgeagain；onceonlyintheoldmarket-placeatAnglebury，whichhehadsomuchfrequented，andveryseldominpublicanywhere。Burdenedatfirstwithmoodinessandremorse，heeventuallychangedforthebetter，andappearedasachastenedandthoughtfulman。SoonafterattendingthefuneralofhispooryoungwifehetookstepstowardsgivingupthefarmsinHolmstokeandtheadjoiningparish，and，havingsoldeveryheadofhisstock，hewentawaytoPort-Bredy，attheotherendofthecounty，livingthereinsolitarylodgingstillhisdeathtwoyearslaterofapainlessdecline。Itwasthenfoundthathehadbequeathedthewholeofhisnotinconsiderablepropertytoareformatoryforboys，subjecttothepaymentofasmallannuitytoRhodaBrook，ifshecouldbefoundtoclaimit。
Forsometimeshecouldnotbefound；buteventuallyshereappearedinheroldparish，——absolutelyrefusing，however，tohaveanythingtodowiththeprovisionmadeforher。Hermonotonousmilkingatthedairywasresumed，andfollowedformanylongyears，tillherformbecamebent，andheronceabundantdarkhairwhiteandwornawayattheforehead——perhapsbylongpressureagainstthecows。