- Before Elizabeth-Jane goes in to see Henchard, another man arrives and sees him first.
- He says his name is Joshua Jopp, and that he's there to be the new manager.
- Henchard says sorry, he's already hired a new manager.
- Jopp says that Henchard almost promised him the job – he traveled all this way for the advertised job and Henchard had said it was his, assuming his references checked out.
- Henchard just shrugs and sends the man away.
- Elizabeth-Jane then goes in.
- Henchard reads her note and is very surprised, especially when she tells him her name is Elizabeth-Jane and that she is Susan's only daughter.
- He invites her into the house and asks about Susan.
- She tells him that "father" died last spring.
- He doesn't like to hear her refer to Newson as her father, but what does he expect?
- He doesn't say anything about it, of course.
- He says that he'd like to see Susan and writes a note to her.
- Elizabeth-Jane takes Susan the note.
- Susan reads it privately: Henchard asks her not to say anything to Elizabeth-Jane about the real story until they've spoken, and asks that she come and meet him at the edge of town in the ruins of a Roman coliseum.
- He also encloses five guineas.
- The five guineas are partly to help pay for their lodging at the hotel, but it's also symbolic: he's "buying her back" after having sold her to Newson for five guineas so long ago.