for her husband, Venn returns the entire sum to her. Hardy, with his all-knowing narrative style, describes this as "anerror which afterwards helped to cause more misfortune than treble the loss of money could have done" [emphasis added]. Venn's error was innocent, as he merely sought to correct the cynical exploitation of the naive Cantle. Yet, this sequence of events was set in motion by Mrs. Yeobright's ill-judged decision to trust Cantle, who found himself amidst the gambling.

This detailed account highlights how chance magnifies the consequences of human mistakes in judgment (Mrs. Yeobright) and fact (Venn). The interaction between Mrs. Yeobright and Eustacia results in growing animosity, fueled by the mother's renewed suspicions about her daughter-in-law and Eustacia's confusion regarding the money Mrs. Yeobright mentioned. After several discussions with Venn, who is wary of Wildeve’s increasing interest in Eustacia, Mrs. Yeobright resolves to take the challenging first step toward reconciliation. Coincidentally, Clym has also decided to visit his mother to begin mending their relationship.

Mrs. Yeobright arrives at the worst possible time, on 31 August. Exhausted from the heat and unfamiliar manual labor, Clym has fallen asleep. Wildeve, feeling annoyed and increasingly threatened by Venn's interference, decides to visit Eustacia during the day. By coincidence, he arrives just before Mrs. Yeobright, but shortly after Clym has dozed off, dreaming of his mother. Eustacia, painfully reminded of her decision to marry Clym by Wildeve's refined appearance and manner, as well as the unpleasant encounter with Mrs. Yeobright, chooses not to answer the door. She assumes that the knocking will awaken Clym, thinking Mrs. Yeobright wants to see him anyway, and hopes Wildeve's presence won't need to be explained to either Mrs. Yeobright or Clym.

When Eustacia realizes that Clym is still asleep, she hesitantly opens the door, but it's already too late. Mrs. Yeobright catches a glimpse of a woman's face at the window and notices Clym’s tools near the gate, leading her to mistakenly assume that Clym is at home (which he is, though asleep) and that he “lets her shut the door against me!” She jumps to a grim conclusion, albeit a reasonable one, believing that Clym condones his wife's unwelcoming behavior toward his mother. This misunderstanding arises from the stubbornness of both parties, who failed to resolve their differences amicably, each waiting for the other to make the first move. When Mrs. Yeobright finally attempted reconciliation, circumstances tragically turned her effort into further estrangement.

The most evident instance of fate intervening in the Yeobright family's lives occurs during the unexpected and violent storm on the night Eustacia and Wildeve plan to escape to Budmouth. Although they had decided on their course of action days earlier, the storm was unforeseen, even on the evening of November 6. That night, the sound of the wind in Clym's fireplace feels like "the prologue to some tragedy." The storm's severity transforms their escape into a disaster, yet it is their decision to proceed despite the storm that seals their fate. Hardy describes the ominous weather over the heath as "like the rotten liver and lungs of some colossal animal," urging travelers to "dwell on nocturnal scenes of disaster." Although the storm is threatening, their choice to flee to Budmouth takes precedence. Thus, it is not the storm itself that causes their downfall, but their reckless decision to follow through with their plan on a night when travel is inadvisable.

Two factors complicate this argument. First, the escape plan originates from a well-intentioned mistake by Charley, the love-struck peasant who sought to cheer up Eustacia after her separation from Clym. Remembering her enjoyment of the Guy Fawkes Day bonfires the previous year, Charley secretly prepares one to lift her spirits. His actions, though meant kindly, inadvertently signal Wildeve. When Wildeve arrives, responding to this unintended call, Eustacia confides her profound despair. Torn between desire and compassion, Damon Wildeve agrees to help her escape from Egdon. Although there is no explicit mention of his intention to abandon Thomasin, most readers sense this outcome is implied in his decision. Charley's well-meant gesture, conducted in ignorance, becomes the catalyst for the ensuing disaster.

In a situation reminiscent of Tess's letter to Angel Clare in Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which goes unnoticed after slipping under the carpet, Clym writes a conciliatory note to his estranged wife. Their separation occurred following his discovery of the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Yeobright's death. Clym entrusts the letter to Michael Fairway, a peasant, to deliver it. However, Fairway forgets about the note, having tucked it into his clothing, and eventually delivers it to Captain Vye's home at ten o'clock at night. The Captain, absorbed in his drink and assuming Eustacia has gone to bed early, decides to give it to her the following morning. His daughter, meanwhile, is resting in preparation for her journey. As readers, we can only wonder if she might have reconsidered eloping with Wildeve if she had known Clym wanted to reconcile. In a manner akin to classical tragedy, fate magnifies the impact of human pride. Clym, fueled by pride and anger, waits for Eustacia to take the first step toward mending their relationship, despite having essentially driven her to return to her father's house. Although Eustacia and Wildeve have become involved since their chance meeting at the "gipsying," she turns to Wildeve again out of frustration, feeling abandoned by Clym's lack of intention to take her to Paris. Fate, through Michael Fairway's forgetfulness and a sudden storm, worsens the outcomes of human choices. The storm obscures the dangers of the heath, and a fortunate accident leads Thomasin, carrying her daughter, to Venn's van. Nevertheless, it is the decisions made by individuals that ultimately result in the tragedy in The Return of the Native. Hardy implies the tendency to blame fate for our actions when he describes Eustacia's response to Mrs. Yeobright's death: "instead of blaming herself for the issue she laid the fault upon the shoulders of some indistinct, colossal Prince of the World, who had framed her situation and ruled her lot." The author clearly disapproves of his character's easy escape from the determinist's dilemma: by attributing our wrongdoings to fate, in any form, we shirk moral responsibility. While Eustacia did not intend for Mrs. Yeobright's death, Hardy holds her accountable for the poor choices that led to her mother-in-law's despair.