In which Elizabeth-Jane Farfrae, settled into her newfound domesticity, becomes moved by the discovery of a forgotten bird-cage in her garden and sets forth with her husband on a compassionate quest to find the estranged Henchard. Their search through the wild heath and humble cottages culminates in a somber revelation that leads Elizabeth-Jane to a quiet understanding of the man’s final wishes and the bittersweet reflection on the mercies and mysteries of life.