as in T Hardy's Mayor of Casterbridge?

Sort of, Helen: mostly, the arrangement was totaly amicable, with both parties agreeing to the split. As I say, sometimes the woman had formed an attachment ot someone else, so the auction would be "fixed" - with the collusion of everyone present. It was more a ritual to formally announce that the arrangement between a pair of people had been renounced, and another arrangement sturck.

The husband would then, of course, be free to "jump the broomstick" with someone else.