PREFATORY NOTES
This somewhat frivolous narrative was produced as an interlude between stories of a more sober design, and it was given the sub-title of a comedy to indicate—though not quite accurately—the aim of the performance. A high degree of probability was not attempted in the arrangement of the incidents, and there was expected of the reader a certain lightness of mood, which should inform him with a good-natured willingness to accept the production in the spirit in which it was offered. The characters themselves, however, were meant to be consistent and human.

On its first appearance the novel suffered, perhaps deservedly, for what was involved in these intentions for its quality of unexpectedness in particular that unforgivable sin in the critic's sight—the immediate precursor of Ethelberta having been a purely rural tale. Moreover, in its choice of medium, and line of perspective, it undertook a delicate task: to excite interest in a drama if such a dignified word may be used in the connection wherein servants were as important as, or more important than, their masters; wherein the drawing-room was sketched in many cases from the point of view of the servants' hall. Such a reversal of the social foreground has, perhaps, since grown more welcome, and readers even of the finer crusted kind may now be disposed to pardon a writer for presenting the sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Chickerel as beings who come within the scope of a congenial regard.

Thomas Hardy December 1895.

P.S.—The surmise ventured upon in the note above—that the subject of this book was growing more welcome with the lapse of time—has been borne out by events. Imaginary circumstances that on its first publication were deemed eccentric and almost impossible are now paralleled on the stage and in novels, and accepted as reasonable and interesting pictures of life; which suggests that the comedy (or, more accurately, Satire)—issued in April 1876—appeared thirty-five years too soon. The artificial treatment perceptible in many of the pages was adopted for reasons that seemed good at the date of writing for a story of that class, and has not been changed.

Thomas Hardy August 1912.