text: A character in this novel abandons a suicide attempt after seeing himself in the water, though it is later revealed that what he actually saw was a manikin dressed up like him.
full_question: A character in this novel abandons a suicide attempt after seeing himself in the water, though it is later revealed that what he actually saw was a manikin dressed up like him. In order to make amends with his daughter, that character in this novel brings her a goldfinch for her wedding, but it dies before it is found. This novel's title character swears off drinking for 21 years after accepting five guineas in exchange for his wife Susan at an auction. For 10 points name this Wessex novel that tells of  the decline of Michael Henchard, a work by Thomas Hardy.
first_sentence: A character in this novel abandons a suicide attempt after seeing himself in the water, though it is later revealed that what he actually saw was a manikin dressed up like him.