Section III:

Section III focuses on developing Henry’s character.

“After Johnson had taken his supper in the kitchen, he went to his loft in the carriage-house and dressed himself with much care. No belle of a court circle could bestow more mind on a toilet than did Johnson. On second thought, he was more like a priest arraying himself for some parade of the church. As he emerged from his room and sauntered down the carriage drive, no one would have suspected him of ever having washed a buggy.”

After washing the wagon, Henry cleans up and dresses ostentatiously for a night out on the town.  The townspeople jest Henry in good humor for his appearance, but “Henry was not at all oblivious of the wake of wondering ejaculation that streamed out behind him. On other occasions he had reaped this same joy, and he always had an eye for the demonstration.” Henry visits Miss Bella Farragut where, it seems, not much at all happened as Bella and her family “bowed and smiled and ignored and imitated until a late hour, and if they had been the occupants of the most gorgeous salon in the world they could not have been more like three monkeys.” 

In this section, Henry is established as an outgoing, confident man with a sense of humor and egotism.  He dresses unlike anyone else in town to parade himself.  His demeanor and appearance fluster and stun the Farraguts. The townspeople like Henry and his peacock-like displays.  Bella is quite smitten with him.

Link to text:

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=CraMons.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=3&division=div2