The Return of the Native

Deliver my heart from this fearful, lonely place.

Send me a great love from somewhere,

or else I shall die.

Truly, I shall die.

Come on, grandpa.

Look.

The brightest fire around,

and the witch doesn't even bother to tend it.

Dare ye not say her name?

Nobody's saying her name.

Or is it bad luck?

Eustacia.

Eustacia vye.

I'm not afraid to say her name.

Charley, you do chores for her grandfather.

Maybe she's got you under her spell, too.

Evil things have happened

since she come two year ago... Garden crops withered,

cows with the bloat.

Look!

She's conjured up a wee ghost to feed her fire.

That's no wee ghost.

That's my son Johnny.

She'll put a spell on him for sure,

just like all the other young men round here.

You ought to get yourself married.

Single sleepers are the ones who see ghosts.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

That's the bed that I lie on.

Diggory venn.

You gave us a start, reddleman.

That so?

My Van's on the road below.

I'm looking for the direction of blooms-end

or the quiet woman inn.

It's been nearly two years

since I've been through here.

The north road will take you to both,

but the inn won't be serving tonight.

Damon wildeve got married today.

We'll be taking the road ourselves

to serenade the newly marrieds.

Well, I thank you for the directions.

Good night to you all.

Aye. Aye. Good night, aye.

The reddleman's coming here is a sign.

Last night, I had a dream of a death's head.

No.

Two years ago,

Diggory venn was as white-skinned as any of us

till he took up selling reddle to sheep men.

Popping up like that out of the fire...

It was a sign, I say.

Hello?

Everything all right in there?

Hello there.

It's captain vye, isn't it?

Aye. Reddleman.

Isn't that thomasin yeobright,

the maiden from blooms-end who was to be married today?

I take, by your look, the bridegroom's not aboard.

The simple truth is

there was some mistake in the marriage license,

which can easily be corrected.

Or maybe you're a kidnapper,

and you've stolen her for your own.

What makes you so full of romantic notions?

Your granddaughter eustacia vye came to live with you.

She's from budmouth, isn't she?

The young ones today... Night, reddleman.

Good night, captain.

Diggory...

Was it just my good fortune

you happened along to give me a ride?

I'm a poor one to ask about good fortune.

You have every right to take pleasure in my misfortune.

Go ahead.

I could never take pleasure

in a day that was bad for you.

Thomas in.

Walk on.

Eustacia.

I learned something on the road home that'll shock ye.

Not likely, in this dull place.

Thomas in yeobright from blooms-end...

Her marriage today never came off.

Something about a mix-up with the license.

Aye, that's Damon wildeve for ye.

I hear he's free and easy with every female

without gaps in her smile.

None of them mind.

Life is so drab in this awful Heath.

A man of roguish reputation is like a fresh breeze.

I expect a letter any day

saying we're not blood relations.

Enough of that fire now.

I don't want the fire, anyway.

I'm supposed to be home.

Keep the fire up,

and I'll give you the crooked sixpence.

Steady now.

This isn't the place for you, reddleman.

Rejected suitors don't belong outside the bridal chamber

on the wedding night.

Thomas in.

What are you doing here... With him?

Please, aunt.

Thank you, Diggory, for bringing me back.

What's happened?

There's been no wedding.

No wedding?

It's been the worst day of my life.

My dear.

How could he do this?

I can explain.

It's from Mr. Wildeve's lips I want the answers.

You come with me.

I'm so sorry you ran from the church

in such anger this morning.

I really was not to blame.

I think you were very much to blame.

It was a stupid mistake.

I got the license in budmouth.

It wasn't valid in angle bury,

and, um, well... That's the whole of it.

Indeed it is not.

'Tis a great injury to my family and to me,

and one I cannot easily forgive.

For someone who so strongly objected to the marriage

because you thought me unworthy,

you seem uncommonly put out.

Damon, please don't make things worse.

There's no need to adopt that tone with me.

While thomasin lives under my roof,

she's under my protection...

And she will always have my love.

Tamsie, mine.

I really do have every intention

of completing the marriage.

No.

My dear.

If my son clym were home, you would not be so careless

with his cousin's feelings.

Come. We're going home.

He can tell them you've retired.

We'll talk more of this later.

Yay! Hooray! Hurrah! Yay!

We've come to serenade your wedding,

now that all the bonfires have died down.

All but one, I see.

Here.

There's your crooked sixpence.

Now hurry home now.

You did well with the fire.

I've come.

You give me no peace.

How clever you are, Damon,

to invent something about the license

to put off the marriage.

You love me best.

Wrong. If not for the wrong town,

I'd be a married man tonight.

You'd have only a 10-year-old boy to tend your fire.

Is this the face you'd cast aside

for the sake of thomasin yeobright?

It was to save my sanity.

You might go to sleep with thomasin,

but which face will you see in your dreams?

Then I'll ask again.

Will you leave this dog hole of an england

and come with me?

You know, I find the idea of Paris very exciting.

You will, then?

But I have this great fear now

that the excitement might not last.

I once gave you sleepless nights.

Admit it.

What happened?

Ask me again... When the hurt of today has healed.

There are times I wish you'd never come to egdon Heath.

There's never a time that I wish I had.

'Tis my cross, my misery, and it shall be my death.

What is it you really want, eustacia?

To be loved...

To madness.

Riddles.

You may tempt me,

but I won't give myself to you anymore.

You've said as much before.

I need time to think.

How long?

Maybe you are a witch.

You can keep me in pain until morning.

Kiss me good night.

Here.

Suffer only until you get home.

So, you remembered where home was.

Where have you been?

Tending the fire for miss eustacia.

As if I didn't know.