"Perhaps not," she said, musingly. "When did you say we must be at the door—three o'clock?"
"Three o'clock this afternoon, ma'am, so to speak it."
"Very well—you go with it. A pretty waggon is better than an ugly hearse, after all. Joseph, have the new spring waggon with the blue body and red wheels, and wash it very clean. And, Joseph."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Carry with you some evergreens and flowers to put upon her coffin—indeed, gather a great many, and completely bury her in them. Get some boughs of laurustinus, and variegated box, and yew, and boy's-love; ay, and some bunches of chrysanthemum. And let old Pleasant draw her, because she knew him so well."
"I will, ma'am. I ought to have said that the Union, in the form of four labouring men, will meet me when I gets to our churchyard gate, and take her and bury her according to the rites of the Board of Guardians, as by law ordained."
"Dear me—Casterbridge Union—and is Fanny come to this!" said Bathsheba, musing. "I wish I had known of it sooner. I thought she was far away. How long has she lived there?"
"On'y been there a day or two."
