# Nicholas Long — Short Fiction character guide

> Nicholas Long in Short Fiction by Thomas Hardy.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Nicholas, dear Nicholas, Mr. Nicholas Long, Mr. Long, Long

**First appearance:** 0002-destiny-and-a-blue-cloak

## Snapshot

A rough-hewn farmer in love with a squire's daughter, who learns in a single afternoon how thoroughly the world can despise a man for rising above his station.

## Who they are

Nicholas Long comes up from the meadows to meet Christine in the Sallows, then hurries to market still wild and amphibious from the fields. When she cuts him in the street — stung by her father's lecture and the murmured words 'Mrs. Nicholas Long' — he reads her shame and blames himself first, then burns with indignation. The Squire's brutal note, accepting him only because he is despised, turns his courtship into a test of pride, and his wounded dignity shapes everything that follows.

## Relationships

### [Christine Everard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/characters/christine_everard)

_romantic_

Christine and Nicholas are lovers, their relationship fraught with emotional intensity and societal obstacles.

### [Christine Everard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/characters/christine_everard)

_romantic_

Christine and Nicholas are lovers, their relationship fraught with emotional intensity and societal obstacles.

### [Christine Everard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/characters/christine_everard)

_romantic_

Christine and Nicholas are lovers, their relationship fraught with emotional intensity and societal obstacles.

## In the story

### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/xvii)

Not present in this chapter.

### [The Waiting Supper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/the-waiting-supper)

Deeply affected by the waiting and uncertainty surrounding his relationship with Christine.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/i)

Proposes a secret marriage and immediate departure; has obtained a marriage license.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/ii)

Accompanies Christine to the church, carries a packed bag, and shows resolve by crossing difficult terrain to reach his farm.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iii)

Walks five miles to the feast to dance with Christine, performs the country dance with skill, and is the subject of rumors about a secret marriage.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/iv)

Nicholas is devoted to Christine but frustrated by her hesitation and the social obstacles they face.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/v)

Observes Christine's mortification, receives Squire Everard's contemptuous letter, and resolves to go into exile to free her.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vi)

Returns to Roy-Town after fifteen years abroad, having made a fortune in goldfields. He seeks Christine Everard and proposes marriage upon meeting her.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/vii)

Nicholas visits Christine regularly, plans their wedding, and is devastated when Bellston returns.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/viii)

Devotedly visits Christine for years, builds a cottage nearby, and eventually discovers Bellston's skeleton.

### [Absentmindedness in a Parish Choir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/chapters/absentmindedness-in-a-parish-choir)

Leader of the choir; brings brandy and beer to church and inadvertently starts playing a jig instead of the hymn.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/characters/nicholas_long
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_53_se/characters