Thomas Hardy
Far from the Madding Crowd
Preface
In reprinting this story for a new edition I am reminded that it was in the
chapters of Far from the Madding Crowd as they appeared month by month in a
popular magazine that I first ventured to adopt the word Wessex from the pages
of early English history and give it a fictitious significance as the existing
name of the district once included in that extinct kingdom The series of novels
I projected being mainly of the kind called local they seemed to require a
territorial definition of some sort to lend unity to their scene Finding that
the area of a single county did not afford a canvas large enough for this
purpose and that there were objections to an invented name I disinterred the
old one The region designated was known but vaguely and I was often asked even
by educated people where it lay However the press and the public were kind
enough to welcome the fanciful plan and willingly joined me in the anachronism
of imagining a Wessex population living under Queen Victoria a modern Wessex
of railways the penny post mowing and reaping machines union workhouses
lucifer matches labourers who could read and write and National school
children But I believe I am correct in stating that until the existence of
this contemporaneous Wessex in place of the usual counties was announced in the
present story in 1874 it had never been heard of in fiction and current
speech if at all and that the expression a Wessex peasant or a Wessex
custom would theretofore have been taken to refer to nothing later in date than
the Norman Conquest
I did not anticipate that this application of the word to modern story would
extend outside the chapters of these particular chronicles But it was soon
taken up elsewhere the first to adopt it being the now defunct Examiner which
in the impression bearing date July 15 1876 entitled one of its articles The
Wessex Labourer the article turning out to be no dissertation on farming during
the Heptarchy but on the modern peasant of the southwest counties
Since then the appellation which I had thought to reserve to the horizons
and landscapes of a partly real partly dreamcountry has become more and more
popular as a practical provincial definition and the dreamcountry has by
degrees solidified into a utilitarian region which people can go to take a
house in and write to the papers from But I ask all good and idealistic
readers to forget this and to refuse steadfastly to believe that there are any
inhabitants of a Victorian Wessex outside these volumes in which their lives and
conversations are detailed
Moreover the village called Weatherbury wherein the scenes of the present
story of the series are for the most part laid would perhaps be hardly
discernible by the explorer without help in any existing place nowadays
though at the time comparatively recent at which the tale was written a
sufficient reality to meet the descriptions both of backgrounds and personages
might have been traced easily enough The church remains by great good fortune
unrestored and intact1 and a few of the old houses but the ancient malthouse
which was formerly so characteristic of the parish has been pulled down these
twenty years also most of the thatched and dormered cottages that were once
lifeholds The heroines fine old Jacobean house would be found in the story to
have taken a witchs ride of a mile or more from its actual position though
with that difference its features are described as they still show themselves to
the sun and moonlight The game of prisonersbase which not so long ago seemed
to enjoy a perennial vitality in front of the wornout stocks may so far as I
can say be entirely unknown to the rising generation of schoolboys there The
practice of divination by Bible and key the regarding of valentines as things
of serious import the shearingsupper the long smockfrocks and the
harvesthome have too nearly disappeared in the wake of the old houses and
with them has gone it is said much of that love of fuddling to which the
village at one time was notoriously prone The change at the root of this has
been the recent supplanting of the class of stationary cottagers who carried on
the local traditions and humours by a population of more or less migratory
labourers which has led to a break of continuity in local history more fatal
than any other thing to the preservation of legend folklore close
intersocial relations and eccentric individualities For these the
indispensable conditions of existence are attachment to the soil of one
particular spot by generation after generation
TH
1895 1902
Chapter I
Description of Farmer Oak An Incident
When Farmer Oak smiled the corners of his mouth spread till they were within an
unimportant distance of his ears his eyes were reduced to chinks and diverging
wrinkles appeared round them extending upon his countenance like the rays in a
rudimentary sketch of the rising sun
His Christian name was Gabriel and on working days he was a young man of
sound judgment easy motions proper dress and general good character On
Sundays he was a man of misty views rather given to postponing and hampered by
his best clothes and umbrella upon the whole one who felt himself to occupy
morally that vast middle space of Laodicean neutrality which lay between the
Communion people of the parish and the drunken section that is he went to
church but yawned privately by the time the congregation reached the Nicene
creed and thought of what there would be for dinner when he meant to be
listening to the sermon Or to state his character as it stood in the scale of
public opinion when his friends and critics were in tantrums he was considered
rather a bad man when they were pleased he was rather a good man when they
were neither he was a man whose moral colour was a kind of pepperandsalt
mixture
Since he lived six times as many workingdays as Sundays Oaks appearance
in his old clothes was most peculiarly his own the mental picture formed by
his neighbours in imagining him being always dressed in that way He wore a
lowcrowned felt hat spread out at the base by tight jamming upon the head for
security in high winds and a coat like Dr Johnsons his lower extremities
being encased in ordinary leather leggings and boots emphatically large
affording to each foot a roomy apartment so constructed that any wearer might
stand in a river all day long and know nothing of damp their maker being a
conscientious man who endeavoured to compensate for any weakness in his cut by
unstinted dimension and solidity
Mr Oak carried about him by way of watch what may be called a small
silver clock in other words it was a watch as to shape and intention and a
small clock as to size This instrument being several years older than Oaks
grandfather had the peculiarity of going either too fast or not at all The
smaller of its hands too occasionally slipped round on the pivot and thus
though the minutes were told with precision nobody could be quite certain of
the hour they belonged to The stopping peculiarity of his watch Oak remedied by
thumps and shakes and he escaped any evil consequences from the other two
defects by constant comparisons with and observations of the sun and stars and
by pressing his face close to the glass of his neighbours windows till he
could discern the hour marked by the greenfaced timekeepers within It may be
mentioned that Oaks fob being difficult of access by reason of its somewhat
high situation in the waistband of his trousers which also lay at a remote
height under his waistcoat the watch was as a necessity pulled out by throwing
the body to one side compressing the mouth and face to a mere mass of ruddy
flesh on account of the exertion and drawing up the watch by its chain like a
bucket from a well
But some thoughtful persons who had seen him walking across one of his
fields on a certain December morning sunny and exceedingly mild might have
regarded Gabriel Oak in other aspects than these In his face one might notice
that many of the hues and curves of youth had tarried on to manhood there even
remained in his remoter crannies some relics of the boy His height and breadth
would have been sufficient to make his presence imposing had they been
exhibited with due consideration But there is a way some men have rural and
urban alike for which the mind is more responsible than flesh and sinew it is
a way of curtailing their dimensions by their manner of showing them And from a
quiet modesty that would have become a vestal which seemed continually to
impress upon him that he had no great claim on the worlds room Oak walked
unassumingly and with a faintly perceptible bend yet distinct from a bowing of
the shoulders This may be said to be a defect in an individual if he depends
for his valuation more upon his appearance than upon his capacity to wear well
which Oak did not
He had just reached the time of life at which young is ceasing to be the
prefix of man in speaking of one He was at the brightest period of masculine
growth for his intellect and his emotions were clearly separated he had passed
the time during which the influence of youth indiscriminately mingles them in
the character of impulse and he had not yet arrived at the stage wherein they
become united again in the character of prejudice by the influence of a wife
and family In short he was twentyeight and a bachelor
The field he was in this morning sloped to a ridge called Norcombe Hill
Through a spur of this hill ran the highway between Emminster and ChalkNewton
Casually glancing over the hedge Oak saw coming down the incline before him an
ornamental spring waggon painted yellow and gaily marked drawn by two horses
a waggoner walking alongside bearing a whip perpendicularly The waggon was
laden with household goods and window plants and on the apex of the whole sat a
woman young and attractive Gabriel had not beheld the sight for more than half
a minute when the vehicle was brought to a standstill just beneath his eyes
»The tailboard of the waggon is gone Miss« said the waggoner
»Then I heard it fall« said the girl in a soft though not particularly
low voice »I heard a noise I could not account for when we were coming up the
hill«
»Ill run back«
»Do« she answered
The sensible horses stood perfectly still and the waggoners steps sank
fainter and fainter in the distance
The girl on the summit of the load sat motionless surrounded by tables and
chairs with their legs upwards backed by an oak settle and ornamented in front
by pots of geraniums myrtles and cactuses together with a caged canary all
probably from the windows of the house just vacated There was also a cat in a
willow basket from the partlyopened lid of which she gazed with halfclosed
eyes and affectionately surveyed the small birds around
The handsome girl waited for some time idly in her place and the only sound
heard in the stillness was the hopping of the canary up and down the perches of
its prison Then she looked attentively downwards It was not at the bird nor
at the cat it was at an oblong package tied in paper and lying between them
She turned her head to learn if the waggoner were coming He was not yet in
sight and her eyes crept back to the package her thoughts seeming to run upon
what was inside it At length she drew the article into her lap and untied the
paper covering a small swing lookingglass was disclosed in which she
proceeded to survey herself attentively She parted her lips and smiled
It was a fine morning and the sun lighted up to a scarlet glow the crimson
jacket she wore and painted a soft lustre upon her bright face and dark hair
The myrtles geraniums and cactuses packed around her were fresh and green and
at such a leafless season they invested the whole concern of horses waggon
furniture and girl with a peculiar vernal charm What possessed her to indulge
in such a performance in the sight of the sparrows blackbirds and unperceived
farmer who were alone its spectators whether the smile began as a factitious
one to test her capacity in that art nobody knows it ended certainly in a
real smile She blushed at herself and seeing her reflection blush blushed the
more
The change from the customary spot and necessary occasion of such an act
from the dressing hour in a bedroom to a time of travelling out of doors lent
to the idle deed a novelty it did not intrinsically possess The picture was a
delicate one Womans prescriptive infirmity had stalked into the sunlight
which had clothed it in the freshness of an originality A cynical inference was
irresistible by Gabriel Oak as he regarded the scene generous though he fain
would have been There was no necessity whatever for her looking in the glass
She did not adjust her hat or pat her hair or press a dimple into shape or do
one thing to signify that any such intention had been her motive in taking up
the glass She simply observed herself as a fair product of Nature in the
feminine kind her thoughts seeming to glide into faroff though likely dramas
in which men would play a part vistas of probable triumphs the smiles being
of a phase suggesting that hearts were imagined as lost and won Still this was
but conjecture and the whole series of actions was so idly put forth as to make
it rash to assert that intention had any part in them at all
The waggoners steps were heard returning She put the glass in the paper
and the whole again into its place
When the waggon had passed on Gabriel withdrew from his point of espial
and descending into the road followed the vehicle to the turnpikegate some way
beyond the bottom of the hill where the object of his contemplation now halted
for the payment of toll About twenty steps still remained between him and the
gate when he heard a dispute It was a difference concerning twopence between
the persons with the waggon and the man at the tollbar
»Misesss niece is upon the top of the things and she says thats enough
that Ive offered ye you great miser and she wont pay any more« These were
the waggoners words
»Very well then misesss niece cant pass« said the turnpikekeeper
closing the gate
Oak looked from one to the other of the disputants and fell into a reverie
There was something in the tone of twopence remarkably insignificant Threepence
had a definite value as money it was an appreciable infringement on a days
wages and as such a higgling matter but twopence »Here« he said
stepping forward and handing twopence to the gatekeeper »let the young woman
pass« He looked up at her then she heard his words and looked down
Gabriels features adhered throughout their form so exactly to the middle
line between the beauty of St John and the ugliness of Judas Iscariot as
represented in a window of the church he attended that not a single lineament
could be selected and called worthy either of distinction or notoriety The
redjacketed and darkhaired maiden seemed to think so too for she carelessly
glanced over him and told her man to drive on She might have looked her thanks
to Gabriel on a minute scale but she did not speak them more probably she felt
none for in gaining her a passage he had lost her her point and we know how
women take a favour of that kind
The gatekeeper surveyed the retreating vehicle »Thats a handsome maid« he
said to Oak
»But she has her faults« said Gabriel
»True farmer«
»And the greatest of them is well what it is always«
»Beating people down ay tis so«
»O no«
»What then«
Gabriel perhaps a little piqued by the comely travellers indifference
glanced back to where he had witnessed her performance over the hedge and said
»Vanity«
Chapter II
Night The Flock An Interior Another Interior
It was nearly midnight on the eve of St Thomass the shortest day in the year
A desolating wind wandered from the north over the hill whereon Oak had watched
the yellow waggon and its occupant in the sunshine of a few days earlier
Norcombe Hill not far from lonely TollerDown was one of the spots which
suggest to a passerby that he is in the presence of a shape approaching the
indestructible as nearly as any to be found on earth It was a featureless
convexity of chalk and soil an ordinary specimen of those smoothlyoutlined
protuberances of the globe which may remain undisturbed on some great day of
confusion when far grander heights and dizzy granite precipices topple down
The hill was covered on its northern side by an ancient and decaying
plantation of beeches whose upper verge formed a line over the crest fringing
its arched curve against the sky like a mane Tonight these trees sheltered
the southern slope from the keenest blasts which smote the wood and floundered
through it with a sound as of grumbling or gushed over its crowning boughs in a
weakened moan The dry leaves in the ditch simmered and boiled in the same
breezes a tongue of air occasionally ferreting out a few and sending them
spinning across the grass A group or two of the latest in date amongst the dead
multitude had remained till this very midwinter time on the twigs which bore
them and in falling rattled against the trunks with smart taps
Between this halfwooded halfnaked hill and the vague still horizon that
its summit indistinctly commanded was a mysterious sheet of fathomless shade
the sounds from which suggested that what it concealed bore some reduced
resemblance to features here The thin grasses more or less coating the hill
were touched by the wind in breezes of differing powers and almost of differing
natures one rubbing the blades heavily another raking them piercingly
another brushing them like a soft broom The instinctive act of humankind was to
stand and listen and learn how the trees on the right and the trees on the left
wailed or chaunted to each other in the regular antiphonies of a cathedral
choir how hedges and other shapes to leeward then caught the note lowering it
to the tenderest sob and how the hurrying gust then plunged into the south to
be heard no more
The sky was clear remarkably clear and the twinkling of all the stars
seemed to be but throbs of one body timed by a common pulse The North Star was
directly in the winds eye and since evening the Bear had swung round it
outwardly to the east till he was now at a right angle with the meridian A
difference of colour in the stars oftener read of than seen in England was
really perceptible here The sovereign brilliancy of Sirius pierced the eye with
a steely glitter the star called Capella was yellow Aldebaran and Betelgueux
shone with a fiery red
To persons standing alone on a hill during a clear midnight such as this
the roll of the world eastward is almost a palpable movement The sensation may
be caused by the panoramic glide of the stars past earthly objects which is
perceptible in a few minutes of stillness or by the better outlook upon space
that a hill affords or by the wind or by the solitude but whatever be its
origin the impression of riding along is vivid and abiding The poetry of motion
is a phrase much in use and to enjoy the epic form of that gratification it is
necessary to stand on a hill at a small hour of the night and having first
expanded with a sense of difference from the mass of civilized mankind who are
dreamwrapt and disregardful of all such proceedings at this time long and
quietly watch your stately progress through the stars After such a nocturnal
reconnoitre it is hard to get back to earth and to believe that the
consciousness of such majestic speeding is derived from a tiny human frame
Suddenly an unexpected series of sounds began to be heard in this place up
against the sky They had a clearness which was to be found nowhere in the wind
and a sequence which was to be found nowhere in nature They were the notes of
Farmer Oaks flute
The tune was not floating unhindered into the open air it seemed muffled in
some way and was altogether too curtailed in power to spread high or wide It
came from the direction of a small dark object under the plantation hedge a
shepherds hut now presenting an outline to which an uninitiated person might
have been puzzled to attach either meaning or use
The image as a whole was that of a small Noahs Ark on a small Ararat
allowing the traditionary outlines and general form of the Ark which are
followed by toymakers and by these means are established in mens
imaginations among their firmest because earliest impressions to pass as an
approximate pattern The hut stood on little wheels which raised its floor
about a foot from the ground Such shepherds huts are dragged into the fields
when the lambing season comes on to shelter the shepherd in his enforced
nightly attendance
It was only latterly that people had begun to call Gabriel Farmer Oak
During the twelvemonth preceding this time he had been enabled by sustained
efforts of industry and chronic good spirits to lease the small sheepfarm of
which Norcombe Hill was a portion and stock it with two hundred sheep
Previously he had been a bailiff for a short time and earlier still a shepherd
only having from his childhood assisted his father in tending the flocks of
large proprietors till old Gabriel sank to rest
This venture unaided and alone into the paths of farming as master and not
as man with an advance of sheep not yet paid for was a critical juncture with
Gabriel Oak and he recognized his position clearly The first movement in his
new progress was the lambing of his ewes and sheep having been his speciality
from his youth he wisely refrained from deputing the task of tending them at
this season to a hireling or a novice
The wind continued to beat about the corners of the hut but the
fluteplaying ceased A rectangular space of light appeared in the side of the
hut and in the opening the outline of Farmer Oaks figure He carried a lantern
in his hand and closing the door behind him came forward and busied himself
about this nook of the field for nearly twenty minutes the lantern light
appearing and disappearing here and there and brightening him or darkening him
as he stood before or behind it
Oaks motions though they had a quiet energy were slow and their
deliberateness accorded well with his occupation Fitness being the basis of
beauty nobody could have denied that his steady swings and turns in and about
the flock had elements of grace Yet although if occasion demanded he could do
or think a thing with as mercurial a dash as can the men of towns who are more
to the manner born his special power morally physically and mentally was
static owing little or nothing to momentum as a rule
A close examination of the ground hereabout even by the wan starlight only
revealed how a portion of what would have been casually called a wild slope had
been appropriated by Farmer Oak for his great purpose this winter Detached
hurdles thatched with straw were stuck into the ground at various scattered
points amid and under which the whitish forms of his meek ewes moved and
rustled The ring of the sheepbell which had been silent during his absence
recommenced in tones that had more mellowness than clearness owing to an
increasing growth of surrounding wool This continued till Oak withdrew again
from the flock He returned to the hut bringing in his arms a newborn lamb
consisting of four legs large enough for a fullgrown sheep united by a
seemingly inconsiderable membrane about half the substance of the legs
collectively which constituted the animals entire body just at present
The little speck of life he placed on a wisp of hay before the small stove
where a can of milk was simmering Oak extinguished the lantern by blowing into
it and then pinching the snuff the cot being lighted by a candle suspended by a
twisted wire A rather hard couch formed of a few corn sacks thrown carelessly
down covered half the floor of this little habitation and here the young man
stretched himself along loosened his woollen cravat and closed his eyes In
about the time a person unaccustomed to bodily labour would have decided upon
which side to lie Farmer Oak was asleep
The inside of the hut as it now presented itself was cosy and alluring
and the scarlet handful of fire in addition to the candle reflecting its own
genial colour upon whatever it could reach flung associations of enjoyment even
over utensils and tools In the corner stood the sheepcrook and along a shelf
at one side were ranged bottles and canisters of the simple preparations
pertaining to ovine surgery and physic spirits of wine turpentine tar
magnesia ginger and castoroil being the chief On a triangular shelf across
the corner stood bread bacon cheese and a cup for ale or cider which was
supplied from a flagon beneath Beside the provisions lay the flute whose notes
had lately been called forth by the lonely watcher to beguile a tedious hour
The house was ventilated by two round holes like the lights of a ships cabin
with wood slides
The lamb revived by the warmth began to bleat and the sound entered
Gabriels ears and brain with an instant meaning as expected sounds will
Passing from the profoundest sleep to the most alert wakefulness with the same
ease that had accompanied the reverse operation he looked at his watch found
that the hourhand had shifted again put on his hat took the lamb in his arms
and carried it into the darkness After placing the little creature with its
mother he stood and carefully examined the sky to ascertain the time of night
from the altitudes of the stars
The Dogstar and Aldebaran pointing to the restless Pleiades were halfway
up the Southern sky and between them hung Orion which gorgeous constellation
never burnt more vividly than now as it soared forth above the rim of the
landscape Castor and Pollux with their quiet shine were almost on the meridian
the barren and gloomy Square of Pegasus was creeping round to the northwest
far away through the plantation Vega sparkled like a lamp suspended amid the
leafless trees and Cassiopeias chair stood daintily poised on the uppermost
boughs
»One oclock« said Gabriel
Being a man not without a frequent consciousness that there was some charm
in this life he led he stood still after looking at the sky as a useful
instrument and regarded it in an appreciative spirit as a work of art
superlatively beautiful For a moment he seemed impressed with the speaking
loneliness of the scene or rather with the complete abstraction from all its
compass of the sights and sounds of man Human shapes interferences troubles
and joys were all as if they were not and there seemed to be on the shaded
hemisphere of the globe no sentient being save himself he could fancy them all
gone round to the sunny side
Occupied thus with eyes stretched afar Oak gradually perceived that what
he had previously taken to be a star low down behind the outskirts of the
plantation was in reality no such thing It was an artificial light almost
close at hand
To find themselves utterly alone at night where company is desirable and
expected makes some people fearful but a case more trying by far to the nerves
is to discover some mysterious companionship when intuition sensation memory
analogy testimony probability induction every kind of evidence in the
logicians list have united to persuade consciousness that it is quite in
isolation
Farmer Oak went towards the plantation and pushed through its lower boughs
to the windy side A dim mass under the slope reminded him that a shed occupied
a place here the site being a cutting into the slope of the hill so that at
its back part the roof was almost level with the ground In front it was formed
of boards nailed to posts and covered with tar as a preservative Through
crevices in the roof and side spread streaks and dots of light a combination of
which made the radiance that had attracted him Oak stepped up behind where
leaning down upon the roof and putting his eye close to a hole he could see
into the interior clearly
The place contained two women and two cows By the side of the latter a
steaming branmash stood in a bucket One of the women was past middle age Her
companion was apparently young and graceful he could form no decided opinion
upon her looks her position being almost beneath his eye so that he saw her in
a birdseye view as Miltons Satan first saw Paradise She wore no bonnet or
hat but had enveloped herself in a large cloak which was carelessly flung over
her head as a covering
»There now well go home« said the elder of the two resting her knuckles
upon her hips and looking at their goingson as a whole »I do hope Daisy will
fetch round again now I have never been more frightened in my life but I dont
mind breaking my rest if she recovers«
The young woman whose eyelids were apparently inclined to fall together on
the smallest provocation of silence yawned without parting her lips to any
inconvenient extent whereupon Gabriel caught the infection and slightly yawned
in sympathy
»I wish we were rich enough to pay a man to do these things« she said
»As we are not we must do them ourselves« said the other »for you must
help me if you stay«
»Well my hat is gone however« continued the younger »It went over the
hedge I think The idea of such a slight wind catching it«
The cow standing erect was of the Devon breed and was encased in a tight
warm hide of rich Indian red as absolutely uniform from eyes to tail as if the
animal had been dipped in a dye of that colour her long back being
mathematically level The other was spotted grey and white Beside her Oak now
noticed a little calf about a day old looking idiotically at the two women
which showed that it had not long been accustomed to the phenomenon of eyesight
and often turning to the lantern which it apparently mistook for the moon
inherited instinct having as yet had little time for correction by experience
Between the sheep and the cows Lucina had been busy on Norcombe Hill lately
»I think we had better send for some oatmeal« said the elder woman
»theres no more bran«
»Yes aunt and Ill ride over for it as soon as it is light«
»But theres no sidesaddle«
»I can ride on the other trust me«
Oak upon hearing these remarks became more curious to observe her
features but this prospect being denied him by the hooding effect of the cloak
and by his aërial position he felt himself drawing upon his fancy for their
details In making even horizontal and clear inspections we colour and mould
according to the wants within us whatever our eyes bring in Had Gabriel been
able from the first to get a distinct view of her countenance his estimate of
it as very handsome or slightly so would have been as his soul required a
divinity at the moment or was ready supplied with one Having for some time
known the want of a satisfactory form to fill an increasing void within him his
position moreover affording the widest scope for his fancy he painted her a
beauty
By one of those whimsical coincidences in which Nature like a busy mother
seems to spare a moment from her unremitting labours to turn and make her
children smile the girl now dropped the cloak and forth tumbled ropes of black
hair over a red jacket Oak knew her instantly as the heroine of the yellow
waggon myrtles and lookingglass prosily as the woman who owed him twopence
They placed the calf beside its mother again took up the lantern and went
out the light sinking down the hill till it was no more than a nebula Gabriel
Oak returned to his flock
Chapter III
A Girl on Horseback Conversation
The sluggish day began to break Even its position terrestrially is one of the
elements of a new interest and for no particular reason save that the incident
of the night had occurred there Oak went again into the plantation Lingering
and musing here he heard the steps of a horse at the foot of the hill and soon
there appeared in view an auburn pony with a girl on its back ascending by the
path leading past the cattleshed She was the young woman of the night before
Gabriel instantly thought of the hat she had mentioned as having lost in the
wind possibly she had come to look for it He hastily scanned the ditch and
after walking about ten yards along it found the hat among the leaves Gabriel
took it in his hand and returned to his hut Here he ensconced himself and
peeped through the loophole in the direction of the riders approach
She came up and looked around then on the other side of the hedge Gabriel
was about to advance and restore the missing article when an unexpected
performance induced him to suspend the action for the present The path after
passing the cowshed bisected the plantation It was not a bridlepath merely
a pedestrians track and the boughs spread horizontally at a height not greater
than seven feet above the ground which made it impossible to ride erect beneath
them The girl who wore no ridinghabit looked around for a moment as if to
assure herself that all humanity was out of view then dexterously dropped
backwards flat upon the ponys back her head over its tail her feet against
its shoulders and her eyes to the sky The rapidity of her glide into this
position was that of a kingfisher its noiselessness that of a hawk Gabriels
eyes had scarcely been able to follow her The tall lank pony seemed used to
such doings and ambled along unconcerned Thus she passed under the level
boughs
The performer seemed quite at home anywhere between a horses head and its
tail and the necessity for this abnormal attitude having ceased with the
passage of the plantation she began to adopt another even more obviously
convenient than the first She had no sidesaddle and it was very apparent that
a firm seat upon the smooth leather beneath her was unattainable sideways
Springing to her accustomed perpendicular like a bowed sapling and satisfying
herself that nobody was in sight she seated herself in the manner demanded by
the saddle though hardly expected of the woman and trotted off in the
direction of Tewnell Mill
Oak was amused perhaps a little astonished and hanging up the hat in his
hut went again among his ewes An hour passed the girl returned properly
seated now with a bag of bran in front of her On nearing the cattleshed she
was met by a boy bringing a milkingpail who held the reins of the pony whilst
she slid off The boy led away the horse leaving the pail with the young woman
Soon soft spirts alternating with loud spirts came in regular succession
from within the shed the obvious sounds of a person milking a cow Gabriel took
the lost hat in his hand and waited beside the path she would follow in leaving
the hill
She came the pail in one hand hanging against her knee The left arm was
extended as a balance enough of it being shown bare to make Oak wish that the
event had happened in the summer when the whole would have been revealed There
was a bright air and manner about her now by which she seemed to imply that the
desirability of her existence could not be questioned and this rather saucy
assumption failed in being offensive because a beholder felt it to be upon the
whole true Like exceptional emphasis in the tone of a genius that which would
have made mediocrity ridiculous was an addition to recognized power It was with
some surprise that she saw Gabriels face rising like the moon behind the hedge
The adjustment of the farmers hazy conceptions of her charms to the
portrait of herself she now presented him with was less a diminution than a
difference The startingpoint selected by the judgment was her height She
seemed tall but the pail was a small one and the hedge diminutive hence
making allowance for error by comparison with these she could have been not
above the height to be chosen by women as best All features of consequence were
severe and regular It may have been observed by persons who go about the shires
with eyes for beauty that in Englishwomen a classicallyformed face is seldom
found to be united with a figure of the same pattern the highlyfinished
features being generally too large for the remainder of the frame that a
graceful and proportionate figure of eight heads usually goes off into random
facial curves Without throwing a Nymphean tissue over a milkmaid let it be
said that here criticism checked itself as out of place and looked at her
proportions with a long consciousness of pleasure From the contours of her
figure in its upper part she must have had a beautiful neck and shoulders but
since her infancy nobody had ever seen them Had she been put into a low dress
she would have run and thrust her head into a bush Yet she was not a shy girl
by any means it was merely her instinct to draw the line dividing the seen from
the unseen higher than they do it in towns
That the girls thoughts hovered about her face and form as soon as she
caught Oaks eyes conning the same page was natural and almost certain The
selfconsciousness shown would have been vanity if a little more pronounced
dignity if a little less Rays of male vision seem to have a tickling effect
upon virgin faces in rural districts she brushed hers with her hand as if
Gabriel had been irritating its pink surface by actual touch and the free air
of her previous movements was reduced at the same time to a chastened phase of
itself Yet it was the man who blushed the maid not at all
»I found a hat« said Oak
»It is mine« said she and from a sense of proportion kept down to a
small smile an inclination to laugh distinctly »it flew away last night«
»One oclock this morning«
»Well it was« She was surprised »How did you know« she said
»I was here«
»You are Farmer Oak are you not«
»That or thereabouts Im lately come to this place«
»A large farm« she inquired casting her eyes round and swinging back her
hair which was black in the shaded hollows of its mass but it being now an
hour past sunrise the rays touched its prominent curves with a colour of their
own
»No not large About a hundred« In speaking of farms the word acres is
omitted by the natives by analogy to such old expressions as a stag of ten
»I wanted my hat this morning« she went on »I had to ride to Tewnell
Mill«
»Yes you had«
»How do you know«
»I saw you«
»Where« she inquired a misgiving bringing every muscle of her lineaments
and frame to a standstill
»Here going through the plantation and all down the hill« said Farmer
Oak with an aspect excessively knowing with regard to some matter in his mind
as he gazed at a remote point in the direction named and then turned back to
meet his colloquists eyes
A perception caused him to withdraw his own eyes from hers as suddenly as if
he had been caught in a theft Recollection of the strange antics she had
indulged in when passing through the trees was succeeded in the girl by a
nettled palpitation and that by a hot face It was a time to see a woman redden
who was not given to reddening as a rule not a point in the milkmaid but was of
the deepest rosecolour From the Maidens Blush through all varieties of the
Provence down to the Crimson Tuscany the countenance of Oaks acquaintance
quickly graduated whereupon he in considerateness turned away his head
The sympathetic man still looked the other way and wondered when she would
recover coolness sufficient to justify him in facing her again He heard what
seemed to be the flitting of a dead leaf upon the breeze and looked She had
gone away
With an air between that of Tragedy and Comedy Gabriel returned to his work
Five mornings and evenings passed The young woman came regularly to milk
the healthy cow or to attend to the sick one but never allowed her vision to
stray in the direction of Oaks person His want of tact had deeply offended her
not by seeing what he could not help but by letting her know that he had seen
it For as without law there is no sin without eyes there is no indecorum and
she appeared to feel that Gabriels espial had made her an indecorous woman
without her own connivance It was food for great regret with him it was also a
contretemps which touched into life a latent heat he had experienced in that
direction
The acquaintanceship might however have ended in a slow forgetting but for
an incident which occurred at the end of the same week One afternoon it began
to freeze and the frost increased with evening which drew on like a stealthy
tightening of bonds It was a time when in cottages the breath of the sleepers
freezes to the sheets when round the drawingroom fire of a thickwalled
mansion the sitters backs are cold even whilst their faces are all aglow Many
a small bird went to bed supperless that night among the bare boughs
As the milkinghour drew near Oak kept his usual watch upon the cowshed At
last he felt cold and shaking an extra quantity of bedding round the yeaning
ewes he entered the hut and heaped more fuel upon the stove The wind came in at
the bottom of the door and to prevent it Oak laid a sack there and wheeled the
cot round a little more to the south Then the wind spouted in at a ventilating
hole of which there was one on each side of the hut
Gabriel had always known that when the fire was lighted and the door closed
one of these must be kept open that chosen being always on the side away from
the wind Closing the slide to windward he turned to open the other on second
thoughts the farmer considered that he would first sit down leaving both closed
for a minute or two till the temperature of the hut was a little raised He sat
down
His head began to ache in an unwonted manner and fancying himself weary by
reason of the broken rests of the preceding nights Oak decided to get up open
the slide and then allow himself to fall asleep He fell asleep however
without having performed the necessary preliminary
How long he remained unconscious Gabriel never knew During the first stages
of his return to perception peculiar deeds seemed to be in course of enactment
His dog was howling his head was aching fearfully somebody was pulling him
about hands were loosening his neckerchief
On opening his eyes he found that evening had sunk to dusk in a strange
manner of unexpectedness The young girl with the remarkably pleasant lips and
white teeth was beside him More than this astonishingly more his head was
upon her lap his face and neck were disagreeably wet and her fingers were
unbuttoning his collar
»Whatever is the matter« said Oak vacantly
She seemed to experience mirth but of too insignificant a kind to start
enjoyment
»Nothing now« she answered »since you are not dead It is a wonder you
were not suffocated in this hut of yours«
»Ah the hut« murmured Gabriel »I gave ten pounds for that hut But Ill
sell it and sit under thatched hurdles as they did in old times and curl up to
sleep in a lock of straw It played me nearly the same trick the other day«
Gabriel by way of emphasis brought down his fist upon the floor
»It was not exactly the fault of the hut« she observed in a tone which
showed her to be that novelty among women one who finished a thought before
beginning the sentence which was to convey it »You should I think have
considered and not have been so foolish as to leave the slides closed«
»Yes I suppose I should« said Oak absently He was endeavouring to catch
and appreciate the sensation of being thus with her his head upon her dress
before the event passed on into the heap of bygone things He wished she knew
his impressions but he would as soon have thought of carrying an odour in a net
as of attempting to convey the intangibilities of his feeling in the coarse
meshes of language So he remained silent
She made him sit up and then Oak began wiping his face and shaking himself
like a Samson »How can I thank ee« he said at last gratefully some of the
natural rusty red having returned to his face
»Oh never mind that« said the girl smiling and allowing her smile to
hold good for Gabriels next remark whatever that might prove to be
»How did you find me«
»I heard your dog howling and scratching at the door of the hut when I came
to the milking it was so lucky Daisys milking is almost over for the season
and I shall not come here after this week or the next The dog saw me and
jumped over to me and laid hold of my skirt I came across and looked round the
hut the very first thing to see if the slides were closed My uncle has a hut
like this one and I have heard him tell his shepherd not to go to sleep without
leaving a slide open I opened the door and there you were like dead I threw
the milk over you as there was no water forgetting it was warm and no use«
»I wonder if I should have died« Gabriel said in a low voice which was
rather meant to travel back to himself than to her
»O no« the girl replied She seemed to prefer a less tragic probability to
have saved a man from death involved talk that should harmonize with the dignity
of such a deed and she shunned it
»I believe you saved my life Miss I dont know your name I know your
aunts but not yours«
»I would just as soon not tell it rather not There is no reason either
why I should as you probably will never have much to do with me«
»Still I should like to know«
»You can inquire at my aunts she will tell you«
»My name is Gabriel Oak«
»And mine isnt You seem fond of yours in speaking it so decisively
Gabriel Oak«
»You see it is the only one I shall ever have and I must make the most of
it«
»I always think mine sounds odd and disagreeable«
»I should think you might soon get a new one«
»Mercy how many opinions you keep about you concerning other people
Gabriel Oak«
»Well Miss excuse the words I thought you would like them But I cant
match you I know in mapping out my mind upon my tongue I never was very
clever in my inside But I thank you Come give me your hand«
She hesitated somewhat disconcerted at Oaks oldfashioned earnest
conclusion to a dialogue lightly carried on »Very well« she said and gave him
her hand compressing her lips to a demure impassivity He held it but an
instant and in his fear of being too demonstrative swerved to the opposite
extreme touching her fingers with the lightness of a smallhearted person
»I am sorry« he said the instant after
»What for«
»Letting your hand go so quick«
»You may have it again if you like there it is« She gave him her hand
again
Oak held it longer this time indeed curiously long »How soft it is
being winter time too not chapped or rough or anything« he said
»There thats long enough« said she though without pulling it away »But
I suppose you are thinking you would like to kiss it You may if you want to«
»I wasnt thinking of any such thing« said Gabriel simply »but I will «
»That you wont« She snatched back her hand
Gabriel felt himself guilty of another want of tact
»Now find out my name« she said teasingly and withdrew
Chapter IV
Gabriels Resolve The Visit The Mistake
The only superiority in women that is tolerable to the rival sex is as a rule
that of the unconscious kind but a superiority which recognizes itself may
sometimes please by suggesting possibilities of capture to the subordinated man
This wellfavoured and comely girl soon made appreciable inroads upon the
emotional constitution of young Farmer Oak
Love being an extremely exacting usurer a sense of exorbitant profit
spiritually by an exchange of hearts being at the bottom of pure passions as
that of exorbitant profit bodily or materially is at the bottom of those of
lower atmosphere every morning Oaks feelings were as sensitive as the
moneymarket in calculations upon his chances His dog waited for his meals in a
way so like that in which Oak waited for the girls presence that the farmer was
quite struck with the resemblance felt it lowering and would not look at the
dog However he continued to watch through the hedge for her regular coming
and thus his sentiments towards her were deepened without any corresponding
effect being produced upon herself Oak had nothing finished and ready to say as
yet and not being able to frame love phrases which end where they begin
passionate tales
Full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing
he said no word at all
By making inquiries he found that the girls name was Bathsheba Everdene
and that the cow would go dry in about seven days He dreaded the eighth day
At last the eighth day came The cow had ceased to give milk for that year
and Bathsheba Everdene came up the hill no more Gabriel had reached a pitch of
existence he never could have anticipated a short time before He liked saying
Bathsheba as a private enjoyment instead of whistling turned over his taste to
black hair though he had sworn by brown ever since he was a boy isolated
himself till the space he filled in the public eye was contemptibly small Love
is a possible strength in an actual weakness Marriage transforms a distraction
into a support the power of which should be and happily often is in direct
proportion to the degree of imbecility it supplants Oak began now to see light
in this direction and said to himself »Ill make her my wife or upon my soul
I shall be good for nothing«
All this while he was perplexing himself about an errand on which he might
consistently visit the cottage of Bathshebas aunt
He found his opportunity in the death of a ewe mother of a living lamb On
a day which had a summer face and a winter constitution a fine January
morning when there was just enough blue sky visible to make cheerfullydisposed
people wish for more and an occasional gleam of silvery sunshine Oak put the
lamb into a respectable Sunday basket and stalked across the fields to the
house of Mrs Hurst the aunt George the dog walking behind with a
countenance of great concern at the serious turn pastoral affairs seemed to be
taking
Gabriel had watched the blue woodsmoke curling from the chimney with
strange meditation At evening he had fancifully traced it down the chimney to
the spot of its origin seen the hearth and Bathsheba beside it beside it in
her outdoor dress for the clothes she had worn on the hill were by association
equally with her person included in the compass of his affection they seemed at
this early time of his love a necessary ingredient of the sweet mixture called
Bathsheba Everdene
He had made a toilet of a nicelyadjusted kind of a nature between the
carefully neat and the carelessly ornate of a degree between finemarketday
and wet selection He thoroughly cleaned his silver watchchain with whiting
put new lacing straps to his boots looked to the brass eyeletholes went to
the inmost heart of the plantation for a new walkingstick and trimmed it
vigorously on his way back took a new handkerchief from the bottom of his
clothesbox put on the light waistcoat patterned all over with sprigs of an
elegant flower uniting the beauties of both rose and lily without the defects of
either and used all the hairoil he possessed upon his usually dry sandy and
inextricably curly hair till he had deepened it to a splendidly novel colour
between that of guano and Roman cement making it stick to his head like mace
round a nutmeg or wet seaweed round a boulder after the ebb
Nothing disturbed the stillness of the cottage save the chatter of a knot of
sparrows on the eaves one might fancy scandal and rumour to be no less the
staple topic of these little coteries on roofs than of those under them It
seemed that the omen was an unpropitious one for as the rather untoward
commencement of Oaks overtures just as he arrived by the garden gate he saw a
cat inside going into various arched shapes and fiendish convulsions at the
sight of his dog George The dog took no notice for he had arrived at an age at
which all superfluous barking was cynically avoided as a waste of breath in
fact he never barked even at the sheep except to order when it was done with
an absolutely neutral countenance as a sort of Comminationservice which
though offensive had to be gone through once now and then to frighten the flock
for their own good
A voice came from behind some laurelbushes into which the cat had run
»Poor dear Did a nasty brute of a dog want to kill it did he poor
dear«
»I beg yer pardon« said Oak to the voice »but George was walking on behind
me with a temper as mild as milk«
Almost before he had ceased speaking Oak was seized with a misgiving as to
whose ear was the recipient of his answer Nobody appeared and he heard the
person retreat among the bushes
Gabriel meditated and so deeply that he brought small furrows into his
forehead by sheer force of reverie Where the issue of an interview is as likely
to be a vast change for the worse as for the better any initial difference from
expectation causes nipping sensations of failure Oak went up to the door a
little abashed his mental rehearsal and the reality had had no common grounds
of opening
Bathshebas aunt was indoors »Will you tell Miss Everdene that somebody
would be glad to speak to her« said Mr Oak Calling ones self merely
Somebody without giving a name is not to be taken as an example of the
illbreeding of the rural world it springs from a refined modesty of which
townspeople with their cards and announcements have no notion whatever
Bathsheba was out The voice had evidently been hers
»Will you come in Mr Oak«
»Oh thank ee« said Gabriel following her to the fireplace »Ive brought
a lamb for Miss Everdene I thought she might like one to rear girls do«
»She might« said Mrs Hurst musingly »though shes only a visitor here If
you will wait a minute Bathsheba will be in«
»Yes I will wait« said Gabriel sitting down »The lamb isnt really the
business I came about Mrs Hurst In short I was going to ask her if shed
like to be married«
»And were you indeed«
»Yes Because if she would I should be very glad to marry her Dye know if
shes got any other young man hanging about her at all«
»Let me think« said Mrs Hurst poking the fire superfluously »Yes
bless you ever so many young men You see Farmer Oak shes so goodlooking
and an excellent scholar besides she was going to be a governess once you
know only she was too wild Not that her young men ever come here but Lord
in the nature of women she must have a dozen«
»Thats unfortunate« said Farmer Oak contemplating a crack in the stone
floor with sorrow »Im only an everyday sort of man and my only chance was in
being the first comer Well theres no use in my waiting for that was all I
came about so Ill take myself off homealong Mrs Hurst«
When Gabriel had gone about two hundred yards along the down he heard a
hoihoi uttered behind him in a piping note of more treble quality than that
in which the exclamation usually embodies itself when shouted across a field He
looked round and saw a girl racing after him waving a white handkerchief
Oak stood still and the runner drew nearer It was Bathsheba Everdene
Gabriels colour deepened hers was already deep not as it appeared from
emotion but from running
»Farmer Oak I « she said pausing for want of breath pulling up in
front of him with a slanted face and putting her hand to her side
»I have just called to see you« said Gabriel pending her further speech
»Yes I know that« she said panting like a robin her face red and moist
from her exertions like a peony petal before the sun dries off the dew »I
didnt know you had come to ask to have me or I should have come in from the
garden instantly I ran after you to say that my aunt made a mistake in
sending you away from courting me«
Gabriel expanded »Im sorry to have made you run so fast my dear« he
said with a grateful sense of favours to come »Wait a bit till youve found
your breath«
» It was quite a mistake aunts telling you I had a young man already«
Bathsheba went on »I havent a sweetheart at all and I never had one and I
thought that as times go with women it was such a pity to send you away
thinking that I had several«
»Really and truly I am glad to hear that« said Farmer Oak smiling one of
his long special smiles and blushing with gladness He held out his hand to
take hers which when she had eased her side by pressing it there was prettily
extended upon her bosom to still her loudbeating heart Directly he seized it
she put it behind her so that it slipped through his fingers like an eel
»I have a nice snug little farm« said Gabriel with half a degree less
assurance than when he had seized her hand
»Yes you have«
»A man has advanced me money to begin with but still it will soon be paid
off and though I am only an everyday sort of man I have got on a little since
I was a boy« Gabriel uttered a little in a tone to show her that it was the
complacent form of a great deal He continued »When we be married I am quite
sure I can work twice as hard as I do now«
He went forward and stretched out his arm again Bathsheba had overtaken him
at a point beside which stood a low stunted holly bush now laden with red
berries Seeing his advance take the form of an attitude threatening a possible
enclosure if not compression of her person she edged off round the bush
»Why Farmer Oak« she said over the top looking at him with rounded eyes
»I never said I was going to marry you«
»Well that is a tale« said Oak with dismay »To run after anybody like
this and then say you dont want him«
»What I meant to tell you was only this« she said eagerly and yet half
conscious of the absurdity of the position she had made for herself »that
nobody has got me yet as a sweetheart instead of my having a dozen as my aunt
said I hate to be thought mens property in that way though possibly I shall
be had some day Why if Id wanted you I shouldnt have run after you like
this twould have been the forwardest thing But there was no harm in hurrying
to correct a piece of false news that had been told you«
»Oh no no harm at all« But there is such a thing as being too generous
in expressing a judgment impulsively and Oak added with a more appreciative
sense of all the circumstances »Well I am not quite certain it was no harm«
»Indeed I hadnt time to think before starting whether I wanted to marry or
not for youd have been gone over the hill«
»Come« said Gabriel freshening again »think a minute or two Ill wait a
while Miss Everdene Will you marry me Do Bathsheba I love you far more than
common«
»Ill try to think« she observed rather more timorously »if I can think
out of doors my mind spreads away so«
»But you can give a guess«
»Then give me time« Bathsheba looked thoughtfully into the distance away
from the direction in which Gabriel stood
»I can make you happy« said he to the back of her head across the bush
»You shall have a piano in a year or two farmers wives are getting to have
pianos now and Ill practise up the flute right well to play with you in the
evenings«
»Yes I should like that«
»And have one of those little tenpound gigs for market and nice flowers
and birds cocks and hens I mean because they be useful« continued Gabriel
feeling balanced between poetry and practicality
»I should like it very much«
»And a frame for cucumbers like a gentleman and lady«
»Yes«
»And when the wedding was over wed have it put in the newspaper list of
marriages«
»Dearly I should like that«
»And the babies in the births every man jack of em And at home by the
fire whenever you look up there I shall be and whenever I look up there
will be you«
»Wait wait and dont be improper«
Her countenance fell and she was silent awhile He regarded the red berries
between them over and over again to such an extent that holly seemed in his
after life to be a cypher signifying a proposal of marriage Bathsheba
decisively turned to him
»No tis no use« she said »I dont want to marry you«
»Try«
»Ive tried hard all the time Ive been thinking for a marriage would be
very nice in one sense People would talk about me and think I had won my
battle and I should feel triumphant and all that But a husband «
»Well«
»Why hed always be there as you say whenever I looked up there hed
be«
»Of course he would I that is«
»Well what I mean is that I shouldnt mind being a bride at a wedding if I
could be one without having a husband But since a woman cant show off in that
way by herself I shant marry at least yet«
»Thats a terrible wooden story«
At this criticism of her statement Bathsheba made an addition to her dignity
by a slight sweep away from him
»Upon my heart and soul I dont know what a maid can say stupider than
that« said Oak »But dearest« he continued in a palliative voice »dont be
like it« Oak sighed a deep honest sigh none the less so in that being like
the sigh of a pine plantation it was rather noticeable as a disturbance of the
atmosphere »Why wont you have me« he appealed creeping round the holly to
reach her side
»I cannot« she said retreating
»But why« he persisted standing still at last in despair of ever reaching
her and facing over the bush
»Because I dont love you«
»Yes but «
She contracted a yawn to an inoffensive smallness so that it was hardly
illmannered at all »I dont love you« she said
»But I love you and as for myself I am content to be liked«
»O Mr Oak thats very fine Youd get to despise me«
»Never« said Mr Oak so earnestly that he seemed to be coming by the
force of his words straight through the bush and into her arms »I shall do one
thing in this life one thing certain that is love you and long for you
and keep wanting you till I die« His voice had a genuine pathos now and his
large brown hands perceptibly trembled
»It seems dreadfully wrong not to have you when you feel so much« she said
with a little distress and looking hopelessly around for some means of escape
from her moral dilemma »How I wish I hadnt run after you« However she seemed
to have a short cut for getting back to cheerfulness and set her face to signify
archness »It wouldnt do Mr Oak I want somebody to tame me I am too
independent and you would never be able to I know«
Oak cast his eyes down the field in a way implying that it was useless to
attempt argument
»Mr Oak« she said with luminous distinctness and common sense »you are
better off than I I have hardly a penny in the world I am staying with my
aunt for my bare sustenance I am better educated than you and I dont love
you a bit thats my side of the case Now yours you are a farmer just
beginning and you ought in common prudence if you marry at all which you
should certainly not think of doing at present to marry a woman with money who
would stock a larger farm for you than you have now«
Gabriel looked at her with a little surprise and much admiration
»Thats the very thing I had been thinking myself« he naïvely said
Farmer Oak had oneandahalf Christian characteristics too many to succeed
with Bathsheba his humility and a superfluous moiety of honesty Bathsheba was
decidedly disconcerted
»Well then why did you come and disturb me« she said almost angrily if
not quite an enlarging red spot rising in each cheek
»I cant do what I think would be would be «
»Right«
»No wise«
»You have made an admission now Mr Oak« she exclaimed with even more
hauteur and rocking her head disdainfully »After that do you think I could
marry you Not if I know it«
He broke in passionately »But dont mistake me like that Because I am open
enough to own what every man in my shoes would have thought of you make your
colours come up your face and get crabbed with me That about you not being good
enough for me is nonsense You speak like a lady all the parish notice it and
your uncle at Weatherbury is Ive heerd a large farmer much larger than ever
I shall be May I call in the evening or will you walk along with me o
Sundays I dont want you to make up your mind at once if youd rather not«
»No no I cannot Dont press me any more dont I dont love you so
twould be ridiculous« she said with a laugh
No man likes to see his emotions the sport of a merrygoround of
skittishness »Very well« said Oak firmly with the bearing of one who was
going to give his days and nights to Ecclesiastes for ever »Then Ill ask you
no more«
Chapter V
Departure of Bathsheba A Pastoral Tragedy
The news which one day reached Gabriel that Bathsheba Everdene had left the
neighbourhood had an influence upon him which might have surprised any who
never suspected that the more emphatic the renunciation the less absolute its
character
It may have been observed that there is no regular path for getting out of
love as there is for getting in Some people look upon marriage as a short cut
that way but it has been known to fail Separation which was the means that
chance offered to Gabriel Oak by Bathshebas disappearance though effectual
with people of certain humours is apt to idealize the removed object with
others notably those whose affection placid and regular as it may be flows
deep and long Oak belonged to the eventempered order of humanity and felt the
secret fusion of himself in Bathsheba to be burning with a finer flame now that
she was gone that was all
His incipient friendship with her aunt had been nipped by the failure of his
suit and all that Oak learnt of Bathshebas movements was done indirectly It
appeared that she had gone to a place called Weatherbury more than twenty miles
off but in what capacity whether as a visitor or permanently he could not
discover
Gabriel had two dogs George the elder exhibited an ebonytipped nose
surrounded by a narrow margin of pink flesh and a coat marked in random
splotches approximating in colour to white and slaty grey but the grey after
years of sun and rain had been scorched and washed out of the more prominent
locks leaving them of a reddishbrown as if the blue component of the grey had
faded like the indigo from the same kind of colour in Turners pictures In
substance it had originally been hair but long contact with sheep seemed to be
turning it by degrees into wool of a poor quality and staple
This dog had originally belonged to a shepherd of inferior morals and
dreadful temper and the result was that George knew the exact degrees of
condemnation signified by cursing and swearing of all descriptions better than
the wickedest old man in the neighbourhood Long experience had so precisely
taught the animal the difference between such exclamations as »Come in« and
»D ye come in« that he knew to a hairs breadth the rate of trotting back
from the ewes tails that each call involved if a staggerer with the
sheepcrook was to be escaped Though old he was clever and trustworthy still
The young dog Georges son might possibly have been the image of his
mother for there was not much resemblance between him and George He was
learning the sheepkeeping business so as to follow on at the flock when the
other should die but had got no further than the rudiments as yet still
finding an insuperable difficulty in distinguishing between doing a thing well
enough and doing it too well So earnest and yet so wrongheaded was this young
dog he had no name in particular and answered with perfect readiness to any
pleasant interjection that if sent behind the flock to help them on he did it
so thoroughly that he would have chased them across the whole county with the
greatest pleasure if not called off or reminded when to stop by the example of
old George
Thus much for the dogs On the further side of Norcombe Hill was a
chalkpit from which chalk had been drawn for generations and spread over
adjacent farms Two hedges converged upon it in the form of a V but without
quite meeting The narrow opening left which was immediately over the brow of
the pit was protected by a rough railing
One night when Farmer Oak had returned to his house believing there would
be no further necessity for his attendance on the down he called as usual to
the dogs previously to shutting them up in the outhouse till next morning Only
one responded old George the other could not be found either in the house
lane or garden Gabriel then remembered that he had left the two dogs on the
hill eating a dead lamb a kind of meat he usually kept from them except when
other food ran short and concluding that the young one had not finished his
meal he went indoors to the luxury of a bed which latterly he had only enjoyed
on Sundays
It was a still moist night Just before dawn he was assisted in waking by
the abnormal reverberation of familiar music To the shepherd the note of the
sheepbell like the ticking of the clock to other people is a chronic sound
that only makes itself noticed by ceasing or altering in some unusual manner
from the wellknown idle tinkle which signifies to the accustomed ear however
distant that all is well in the fold In the solemn calm of the awakening morn
that note was heard by Gabriel beating with unusual violence and rapidity This
exceptional ringing may be caused in two ways by the rapid feeding of the
sheep bearing the bell as when the flock breaks into new pasture which gives
it an intermittent rapidity or by the sheep starting off in a run when the
sound has a regular palpitation The experienced ear of Oak knew the sound he
now heard to be caused by the running of the flock with great velocity
He jumped out of bed dressed tore down the lane through a foggy dawn and
ascended the hill The forward ewes were kept apart from those among which the
fall of lambs would be later there being two hundred of the latter class in
Gabriels flock These two hundred seemed to have absolutely vanished from the
hill There were the fifty with their lambs enclosed at the other end as he had
left them but the rest forming the bulk of the flock were nowhere Gabriel
called at the top of his voice the shepherds call
»Ovey ovey ovey«
Not a single bleat He went to the hedge a gap had been broken through it
and in the gap were the footprints of the sheep Rather surprised to find them
break fence at this season yet putting it down instantly to their great
fondness for ivy in wintertime of which a great deal grew in the plantation he
followed through the hedge They were not in the plantation He called again
the valleys and furthest hills resounded as when the sailors invoked the lost
Hylas on the Mysian shore but no sheep He passed through the trees and along
the ridge of the hill On the extreme summit where the ends of the two
converging hedges of which we have spoken were stopped short by meeting the brow
of the chalkpit he saw the younger dog standing against the sky dark and
motionless as Napoleon at St Helena
A horrible conviction darted through Oak With a sensation of bodily
faintness he advanced at one point the rails were broken through and there he
saw the footprints of his ewes The dog came up licked his hand and made signs
implying that he expected some great reward for signal services rendered Oak
looked over the precipice The ewes lay dead and dying at its foot a heap of
two hundred mangled carcases representing in their condition just now at least
two hundred more
Oak was an intensely humane man indeed his humanity often tore in pieces
any politic intentions of his which bordered on strategy and carried him on as
by gravitation A shadow in his life had always been that his flock ended in
mutton that a day came and found every shepherd an arrant traitor to his
defenceless sheep His first feeling now was one of pity for the untimely fate
of these gentle ewes and their unborn lambs
It was a second to remember another phase of the matter The sheep were not
insured All the savings of a frugal life had been dispersed at a blow his
hopes of being an independent farmer were laid low possibly for ever
Gabriels energies patience and industry had been so severely taxed during the
years of his life between eighteen and eightandtwenty to reach his present
stage of progress that no more seemed to be left in him He leant down upon a
rail and covered his face with his hands
Stupors however do not last for ever and Farmer Oak recovered from his
It was as remarkable as it was characteristic that the one sentence he uttered
was in thankfulness
»Thank God I am not married what would she have done in the poverty now
coming upon me«
Oak raised his head and wondering what he could do listlessly surveyed the
scene By the outer margin of the pit was an oval pond and over it hung the
attenuated skeleton of a chromeyellow moon which had only a few days to last
the morning star dogging her on the left hand The pool glittered like a dead
mans eye and as the world awoke a breeze blew shaking and elongating the
reflection of the moon without breaking it and turning the image of the star to
a phosphoric streak upon the water All this Oak saw and remembered
As far as could be learnt it appeared that the poor young dog still under
the impression that since he was kept for running after sheep the more he ran
after them the better had at the end of his meal off the dead lamb which may
have given him additional energy and spirits collected all the ewes into a
corner driven the timid creatures through the hedge across the upper field
and by main force of worrying had given them momentum enough to break down a
portion of the rotten railing and so hurled them over the edge
Georges son had done his work so thoroughly that he was considered too good
a workman to live and was in fact taken and tragically shot at twelve oclock
that same day another instance of the untoward fate which so often attends
dogs and other philosophers who follow out a train of reasoning to its logical
conclusion and attempt perfectly consistent conduct in a world made up so
largely of compromise
Gabriels farm had been stocked by a dealer on the strength of Oaks
promising look and character who was receiving a percentage from the farmer
till such time as the advance should be cleared off Oak found that the value of
stock plant and implements which were really his own would be about sufficient
to pay his debts leaving himself a free man with the clothes he stood up in
and nothing more
Chapter VI
The Fair The Journey The Fire
Two months passed away We are brought on to a day in February on which was
held the yearly statute or hiring fair in the countytown of Casterbridge
At one end of the street stood from two to three hundred blithe and hearty
labourers waiting upon Chance all men of the stamp to whom labour suggests
nothing worse than a wrestle with gravitation and pleasure nothing better than
a renunciation of the same Among these carters and waggoners were
distinguished by having a piece of whipcord twisted round their hats thatchers
wore a fragment of woven straw shepherds held their sheepcrooks in their
hands and thus the situation required was known to the hirers at a glance
In the crowd was an athletic young fellow of somewhat superior appearance to
the rest in fact his superiority was marked enough to lead several ruddy
peasants standing by to speak to him inquiringly as to a farmer and to use Sir
as a finishing word His answer always was
»I am looking for a place myself a bailiffs Do ye know of anybody who
wants one«
Gabriel was paler now His eyes were more meditative and his expression was
more sad He had passed through an ordeal of wretchedness which had given him
more than it had taken away He had sunk from his modest elevation as pastoral
king into the very slimepits of Siddim but there was left to him a dignified
calm he had never before known and that indifference to fate which though it
often makes a villain of a man is the basis of his sublimity when it does not
And thus the abasement had been exaltation and the loss gain
In the morning a regiment of cavalry had left the town and a sergeant and
his party had been beating up for recruits through the four streets As the end
of the day drew on and he found himself not hired Gabriel almost wished that
he had joined them and gone off to serve his country Weary of standing in the
marketplace and not much minding the kind of work he turned his hand to he
decided to offer himself in some other capacity than that of bailiff
All the farmers seemed to be wanting shepherds Sheeptending was Gabriels
speciality Turning down an obscure street and entering an obscurer lane he
went up to a smiths shop
»How long would it take you to make a shepherds crook«
»Twenty minutes«
»How much«
»Two shillings«
He sat on a bench and the crook was made a stem being given him into the
bargain
He then went to a readymade clothes shop the owner of which had a large
rural connection As the crook had absorbed most of Gabriels money he
attempted and carried out an exchange of his overcoat for a shepherds
regulation smockfrock
This transaction having been completed he again hurried off to the centre of
the town and stood on the kerb of the pavement as a shepherd crook in hand
Now that Oak had turned himself into a shepherd it seemed that bailiffs were
most in demand However two or three farmers noticed him and drew near
Dialogues followed more or less in the subjoined form
»Where do you come from«
»Norcombe«
»Thats a long way«
»Fifteen miles«
»Whose farm were you upon last«
»My own«
This reply invariably operated like a rumour of cholera The inquiring
farmer would edge away and shake his head dubiously Gabriel like his dog was
too good to be trustworthy and he never made advance beyond this point
It is safer to accept any chance that offers itself and extemporize a
procedure to fit it than to get a good plan matured and wait for a chance of
using it Gabriel wished he had not nailed up his colours as a shepherd but had
laid himself out for anything in the whole cycle of labour that was required in
the fair It grew dusk Some merry men were whistling and singing by the
cornexchange Gabriels hand which had lain for some time idle in his
smockfrock pocket touched his flute which he carried there Here was an
opportunity for putting his dearly bought wisdom into practice
He drew out his flute and began to play Jockey to the Fair in the style of a
man who had never known a moments sorrow Oak could pipe with Arcadian
sweetness and the sound of the wellknown notes cheered his own heart as well
as those of the loungers He played on with spirit and in half an hour had
earned in pence what was a small fortune to a destitute man
By making inquiries he learnt that there was another fair at Shottsford the
next day
»How far is Shottsford«
»Ten miles tother side of Weatherbury«
Weatherbury It was where Bathsheba had gone two months before This
information was like coming from night into noon
»How far is it to Weatherbury«
»Five or six miles«
Bathsheba had probably left Weatherbury long before this time but the place
had enough interest attaching to it to lead Oak to choose Shottsford fair as his
next field of inquiry because it lay in the Weatherbury quarter Moreover the
Weatherbury folk were by no means uninteresting intrinsically If report spoke
truly they were as hardy merry thriving wicked a set as any in the whole
county Oak resolved to sleep at Weatherbury that night on his way to
Shottsford and struck out at once into the high road which had been recommended
as the direct route to the village in question
The road stretched through watermeadows traversed by little brooks whose
quivering surfaces were braided along their centres and folded into creases at
the sides or where the flow was more rapid the stream was pied with spots of
white froth which rode on in undisturbed serenity On the higher levels the
dead and dry carcases of leaves tapped the ground as they bowled along
helterskelter upon the shoulders of the wind and little birds in the hedges
were rustling their feathers and tucking themselves in comfortably for the
night retaining their places if Oak kept moving but flying away if he stopped
to look at them He passed by Yalbury Wood where the gamebirds were rising to
their roosts and heard the crackvoiced cockpheasants cuuck cuck and the
wheezy whistle of the hens
By the time he had walked three or four miles every shape in the landscape
had assumed a uniform hue of blackness He descended Yalbury Hill and could just
discern ahead of him a waggon drawn up under a great overhanging tree by the
roadside
On coming close he found there were no horses attached to it the spot
being apparently quite deserted The waggon from its position seemed to have
been left there for the night for beyond about half a truss of hay which was
heaped in the bottom it was quite empty Gabriel sat down on the shafts of the
vehicle and considered his position He calculated that he had walked a very
fair proportion of the journey and having been on foot since daybreak he felt
tempted to lie down upon the hay in the waggon instead of pushing on to the
village of Weatherbury and having to pay for a lodging
Eating his last slices of bread and ham and drinking from the bottle of
cider he had taken the precaution to bring with him he got into the lonely
waggon Here he spread half of the hay as a bed and as well as he could in the
darkness pulled the other half over him by way of bedclothes covering himself
entirely and feeling physically as comfortable as ever he had been in his
life Inward melancholy it was impossible for a man like Oak introspective far
beyond his neighbours to banish quite whilst conning the present untoward page
of his history So thinking of his misfortunes amorous and pastoral he fell
asleep shepherds enjoying in common with sailors the privilege of being able
to summon the god instead of having to wait for him
On somewhat suddenly awaking after a sleep of whose length he had no idea
Oak found that the waggon was in motion He was being carried along the road at
a rate rather considerable for a vehicle without springs and under
circumstances of physical uneasiness his head being dandled up and down on the
bed of the waggon like a kettledrumstick He then distinguished voices in
conversation coming from the forepart of the waggon His concern at this
dilemma which would have been alarm had he been a thriving man but misfortune
is a fine opiate to personal terror led him to peer cautiously from the hay
and the first sight he beheld was the stars above him Charless Wain was
getting towards a right angle with the Pole star and Gabriel concluded that it
must be about nine oclock in other words that he had slept two hours This
small astronomical calculation was made without any positive effort and whilst
he was stealthily turning to discover if possible into whose hands he had
fallen
Two figures were dimly visible in front sitting with their legs outside the
waggon one of whom was driving Gabriel soon found that this was the waggoner
and it appeared they had come from Casterbridge fair like himself
A conversation was in progress which continued thus
»Be as twill shes a fine handsome body as fars looks be concerned But
thats only the skin of the woman and these dandy cattle be as proud as a
lucifer in their insides«
»Ay so a do seem Billy Smallbury so a do seem« This utterance was
very shaky by nature and more so by circumstance the jolting of the waggon not
being without its effect upon the speakers larynx It came from the man who
held the reins
»Shes a very vain feymell so tis said here and there«
»Ah now If so be tis like that I cant look her in the face Lord no
not I hehhehheh Such a shy man as I be«
»Yes shes very vain Tis said that every night at going to bed she looks
in the glass to put on her nightcap properly«
»And not a married woman Oh the world«
»And a can play the peanner so tis said Can play so clever that a can
make a psalm tune sound as well as the merriest loose song a man can wish for«
»Dye tell ot A happy time for us and I feel quite a new man And how do
she pay«
»That I dont know Master Poorgrass«
On hearing these and other similar remarks a wild thought flashed into
Gabriels mind that they might be speaking of Bathsheba There were however no
grounds for retaining such a supposition for the waggon though going in the
direction of Weatherbury might be going beyond it and the woman alluded to
seemed to be the mistress of some estate They were now apparently close upon
Weatherbury and not to alarm the speakers unnecessarily Gabriel slipped out of
the waggon unseen
He turned to an opening in the hedge which he found to be a gate and
mounting thereon he sat meditating whether to seek a cheap lodging in the
village or to ensure a cheaper one by lying under some hay or corn stack The
crunching jangle of the waggon died upon his ear He was about to walk on when
he noticed on his left hand an unusual light appearing about half a mile
distant Oak watched it and the glow increased Something was on fire
Gabriel again mounted the gate and leaping down on the other side upon
what he found to be ploughed soil made across the field in the exact direction
of the fire The blaze enlarging in a double ratio by his approach and its own
increase showed him as he drew nearer the outlines of ricks beside it lighted
up to great distinctness A rickyard was the source of the fire His weary face
now began to be painted over with a rich orange glow and the whole front of his
smockfrock and gaiters was covered with a dancing shadow pattern of thorntwigs
the light reaching him through a leafless intervening hedge and the metallic
curve of his sheepcrook shone silverbright in the same abounding rays He came
up to the boundary fence and stood to regain breath It seemed as if the spot
was unoccupied by a living soul
The fire was issuing from a long strawstack which was so far gone as to
preclude a possibility of saving it A rick burns differently from a house As
the wind blows the fire inwards the portion in flames completely disappears
like melting sugar and the outline is lost to the eye However a hay or a
wheat rick well put together will resist combustion for a length of time if it
begins on the outside
This before Gabriels eyes was a rick of straw loosely put together and
the flames darted into it with lightning swiftness It glowed on the windward
side rising and falling in intensity like the coal of a cigar Then a
superincumbent bundle rolled down with a whisking noise flames elongated and
bent themselves about with a quiet roar but no crackle Banks of smoke went off
horizontally at the back like passing clouds and behind these burned hidden
pyres illuminating the semitransparent sheet of smoke to a lustrous yellow
uniformity Individual straws in the foreground were consumed in a creeping
movement of ruddy heat as if they were knots of red worms and above shone
imaginary fiery faces tongues hanging from lips glaring eyes and other impish
forms from which at intervals sparks flew in clusters like birds from a nest
Oak suddenly ceased from being a mere spectator by discovering the case to
be more serious than he had at first imagined A scroll of smoke blew aside and
revealed to him a wheatrick in startling juxtaposition with the decaying one
and behind this a series of others composing the main corn produce of the farm
so that instead of the strawstack standing as he had imagined comparatively
isolated there was a regular connection between it and the remaining stacks of
the group
Gabriel leapt over the hedge and saw that he was not alone The first man
he came to was running about in a great hurry as if his thoughts were several
yards in advance of his body which they could never drag on fast enough
»O man fire fire A good master and a bad servant is fire fire I
mane a bad servant and a good master O Mark Clark come And you Billy
Smallbury and you Maryann Money and you Jan Coggan and Matthew there«
Other figures now appeared behind this shouting man and among the smoke and
Gabriel found that far from being alone he was in a great company whose
shadows danced merrily up and down timed by the jigging of the flames and not
at all by their owners movements The assemblage belonging to that class of
society which casts its thoughts into the form of feeling and its feelings into
the form of commotion set to work with a remarkable confusion of purpose
»Stop the draught under the wheatrick« cried Gabriel to those nearest to
him The corn stood on stone staddles and between these tongues of yellow hue
from the burning straw licked and darted playfully If the fire once got under
this stack all would be lost
»Get a tarpaulin quick« said Gabriel
A rickcloth was brought and they hung it like a curtain across the
channel The flames immediately ceased to go under the bottom of the cornstack
and stood up vertical
»Stand here with a bucket of water and keep the cloth wet« said Gabriel
again
The flames now driven upwards began to attack the angles of the huge roof
covering the wheatstack
»A ladder« cried Gabriel
»The ladder was against the strawrick and is burnt to a cinder« said a
spectrelike form in the smoke
Oak seized the cut ends of the sheaves as if he were going to engage in the
operation of reeddrawing and digging in his feet and occasionally sticking in
the stem of his sheepcrook he clambered up the beetling face He at once sat
astride the very apex and began with his crook to beat off the fiery fragments
which had lodged thereon shouting to the others to get him a bough and a
ladder and some water
Billy Smallbury one of the men who had been on the waggon by this time
had found a ladder which Mark Clark ascended holding on beside Oak upon the
thatch The smoke at this corner was stifling and Clark a nimble fellow
having been handed a bucket of water bathed Oaks face and sprinkled him
generally whilst Gabriel now with a long beechbough in one hand in addition
to his crook in the other kept sweeping the stack and dislodging all fiery
particles
On the ground the groups of villagers were still occupied in doing all they
could to keep down the conflagration which was not much They were all tinged
orange and backed up by shadows of varying pattern Round the corner of the
largest stack out of the direct rays of the fire stood a pony bearing a young
woman on its back By her side was another woman on foot These two seemed to
keep at a distance from the fire that the horse might not become restive
»Hes a shepherd« said the woman on foot »Yes he is See how his crook
shines as he beats the rick with it And his smockfrock is burnt in two holes
I declare A fine young shepherd he is too maam«
»Whose shepherd is he« said the equestrian in a clear voice
»Dont know maam«
»Dont any of the others know«
»Nobody at all Ive asked em Quite a stranger they say«
The young woman on the pony rode out from the shade and looked anxiously
around
»Do you think the barn is safe« she said
»Dye think the barn is safe Jan Coggan« said the second woman passing on
the question to the nearest man in that direction
»Safe now leastwise I think so If this rick had gone the barn would have
followed Tis that bold shepherd up there that have done the most good he
sitting on the top o rick whizzing his great long arms about like a windmill«
»He does work hard« said the young woman on horseback looking up at
Gabriel through her thick woollen veil »I wish he was shepherd here Dont any
of you know his name«
»Never heard the mans name in my life or seed his form afore«
The fire began to get worsted and Gabriels elevated position being no
longer required of him he made as if to descend
»Maryann« said the girl on horseback »go to him as he comes down and say
that the farmer wishes to thank him for the great service he has done«
Maryann stalked off towards the rick and met Oak at the foot of the ladder
She delivered her message
»Where is your master the farmer« asked Gabriel kindling with the idea of
getting employment that seemed to strike him now
»Tisnt a master tis a mistress shepherd«
»A woman farmer«
»Ay a blieve and a rich one too« said a bystander »Lately a came here
from a distance Took on her uncles farm who died suddenly Used to measure
his money in halfpint cups They say now that sheve business in every bank in
Casterbridge and thinks no more of playing pitchandtoss sovereign than you
and I do pitchhalfpenny not a bit in the world shepherd«
»Thats she back there upon the pony« said Maryann »wi her face
acovered up in that black cloth with holes in it«
Oak his features smudged grimy and undiscoverable from the smoke and
heat his smockfrock burnt into holes and dripping with water the ash stem of
his sheepcrook charred six inches shorter advanced with the humility stern
adversity had thrust upon him up to the slight female form in the saddle He
lifted his hat with respect and not without gallantry stepping close to her
hanging feet he said in a hesitating voice
»Do you happen to want a shepherd maam«
She lifted the wool veil tied round her face and looked all astonishment
Gabriel and his coldhearted darling Bathsheba Everdene were face to face
Bathsheba did not speak and he mechanically repeated in an abashed and sad
voice
»Do you want a shepherd maam«
Chapter VII
Recognition A Timid Girl
Bathsheba withdrew into the shade She scarcely knew whether most to be amused
at the singularity of the meeting or to be concerned at its awkwardness There
was room for a little pity also for a very little exultation the former at his
position the latter at her own Embarrassed she was not and she remembered
Gabriels declaration of love to her at Norcombe only to think she had nearly
forgotten it
»Yes« she murmured putting on an air of dignity and turning again to him
with a little warmth of cheek »I do want a shepherd But «
»Hes the very man maam« said one of the villagers quietly
Conviction breeds conviction »Ay that a is« said a second decisively
»The man truly« said a third with heartiness
»Hes all there« said number four fervidly
»Then will you tell him to speak to the bailiff« said Bathsheba
All was practical again now A summer eve and loneliness would have been
necessary to give the meeting its proper fulness of romance
The bailiff was pointed out to Gabriel who checking the palpitation within
his breast at discovering that this Ashtoreth of strange report was only a
modification of Venus the wellknown and admired retired with him to talk over
the necessary preliminaries of hiring
The fire before them wasted away »Men« said Bathsheba »you shall take a
little refreshment after this extra work Will you come to the house«
»We could knock in a bit and a drop a good deal freer Miss if so be yed
send it to Warrens Malthouse« replied the spokesman
Bathsheba then rode off into the darkness and the men straggled on to the
village in twos and threes Oak and the bailiff being left by the rick alone
»And now« said the bailiff finally »all is settled I think about your
coming and I am going homealong Goodnight to ye shepherd«
»Can you get me a lodging« inquired Gabriel
»That I cant indeed« he said moving past Oak as a Christian edges past
an offertoryplate when he does not mean to contribute »If you follow on the
road till you come to Warrens Malthouse where they are all gone to have their
snap of victuals I daresay some of em will tell you of a place Goodnight to
ye shepherd«
The bailiff who showed this nervous dread of loving his neighbour as
himself went up the hill and Oak walked on to the village still astonished at
the rencounter with Bathsheba glad of his nearness to her and perplexed at the
rapidity with which the unpractised girl of Norcombe had developed into the
supervising and cool woman here But some women only require an emergency to
make them fit for one
Obliged to some extent to forego dreaming in order to find the way he
reached the churchyard and passed round it under the wall where several ancient
trees grew There was a wide margin of grass along here and Gabriels footsteps
were deadened by its softness even at this indurating period of the year When
abreast of a trunk which appeared to be the oldest of the old he became aware
that a figure was standing behind it Gabriel did not pause in his walk and in
another moment he accidentally kicked a loose stone The noise was enough to
disturb the motionless stranger who started and assumed a careless position
It was a slim girl rather thinly clad
»Goodnight to you« said Gabriel heartily
»Goodnight« said the girl to Gabriel
The voice was unexpectedly attractive it was the low and dulcet note
suggestive of romance common in descriptions rare in experience
»Ill thank you to tell me if Im in the way for Warrens Malthouse«
Gabriel resumed primarily to gain the information indirectly to get more of
the music
»Quite right Its at the bottom of the hill And do you know « The girl
hesitated and then went on again »Do you know how late they keep open the
Bucks Head Inn« She seemed to be won by Gabriels heartiness as Gabriel had
been won by her modulations
»I dont know where the Bucks Head is or anything about it Do you think
of going there tonight«
»Yes « The woman again paused There was no necessity for any continuance
of speech and the fact that she did add more seemed to proceed from an
unconscious desire to show unconcern by making a remark which is noticeable in
the ingenuous when they are acting by stealth »You are not a Weatherbury man«
she said timorously
»I am not I am the new shepherd just arrived«
»Only a shepherd and you seem almost a farmer by your ways«
»Only a shepherd« Gabriel repeated in a dull cadence of finality His
thoughts were directed to the past his eyes to the feet of the girl and for
the first time he saw lying there a bundle of some sort She may have perceived
the direction of his face for she said coaxingly
»You wont say anything in the parish about having seen me here will you
at least not for a day or two«
»I wont if you wish me not to« said Oak
»Thank you indeed« the other replied »I am rather poor and I dont want
people to know anything about me« Then she was silent and shivered
»You ought to have a cloak on such a cold night« Gabriel observed »I would
advise ee to get indoors«
»O no Would you mind going on and leaving me I thank you much for what you
have told me«
»I will go on« he said adding hesitatingly »Since you are not very well
off perhaps you would accept this trifle from me It is only a shilling but it
is all I have to spare«
»Yes I will take it« said the stranger gratefully
She extended her hand Gabriel his In feeling for each others palm in the
gloom before the money could be passed a minute incident occurred which told
much Gabriels fingers alighted on the young womans wrist It was beating with
a throb of tragic intensity He had frequently felt the same quick hard beat in
the femoral artery of his lambs when overdriven It suggested a consumption too
great of a vitality which to judge from her figure and stature was already too
little
»What is the matter«
»Nothing«
»But there is«
»No no no Let your having seen me be a secret«
»Very well I will Goodnight again«
»Goodnight«
The young girl remained motionless by the tree and Gabriel descended into
the village of Weatherbury or Lower Longpuddle as it was sometimes called He
fancied that he had felt himself in the penumbra of a very deep sadness when
touching that slight and fragile creature But wisdom lies in moderating mere
impressions and Gabriel endeavoured to think little of this
Chapter VIII
The Malthouse The Chat News
Warrens Malthouse was enclosed by an old wall inwrapped with ivy and though
not much of the exterior was visible at this hour the character and purposes of
the building were clearly enough shown by its outline upon the sky From the
walls an overhanging thatched roof sloped up to a point in the centre upon
which rose a small wooden lantern fitted with louvreboards on all the four
sides and from these openings a mist was dimly perceived to be escaping into
the night air There was no window in front but a square hole in the door was
glazed with a single pane through which red comfortable rays now stretched out
upon the ivied wall in front Voices were to be heard inside
Oaks hand skimmed the surface of the door with fingers extended to an
ElymastheSorcerer pattern till he found a leathern strap which he pulled
This lifted a wooden latch and the door swung open
The room inside was lighted only by the ruddy glow from the kiln mouth
which shone over the floor with the streaming horizontality of the setting sun
and threw upwards the shadows of all facial irregularities in those assembled
around The stoneflag floor was worn into a path from the doorway to the kiln
and into undulations everywhere A curved settle of unplaned oak stretched along
one side and in a remote corner was a small bed and bedstead the owner and
frequent occupier of which was the maltster
This aged man was now sitting opposite the fire his frosty white hair and
beard overgrowing his gnarled figure like the grey moss and lichen upon a
leafless appletree He wore breeches and the lacedup shoes called anklejacks
he kept his eyes fixed upon the fire
Gabriels nose was greeted by an atmosphere laden with the sweet smell of
new malt The conversation which seemed to have been concerning the origin of
the fire immediately ceased and every one ocularly criticized him to the
degree expressed by contracting the flesh of their foreheads and looking at him
with narrowed eyelids as if he had been a light too strong for their sight
Several exclaimed meditatively after this operation had been completed
»Oh tis the new shepherd a blieve«
»We thought we heard a hand pawing about the door for the bobbin but
werent sure twere not a dead leaf blowed across« said another »Come in
shepherd sure ye be welcome though we dont know yer name«
»Gabriel Oak thats my name neighbours«
The ancient maltster sitting in the midst turned at this his turning being
as the turning of a rusty crane
»Thats never Gable Oaks grandson over at Norcombe never« he said as a
formula expressive of surprise which nobody was supposed to take literally
»My father and my grandfather were old men of the name of Gabriel« said the
shepherd placidly
»Thought I knowed the mans face as I seed him on the rick thought I did
And where be ye trading ot to now shepherd«
»Im thinking of biding here« said Mr Oak
»Knowed yer grandfather for years and years« continued the maltster the
words coming forth of their own accord as if the momentum previously imparted
had been sufficient
»Ah and did you«
»Knowed yer grandmother«
»And her too«
»Likewise knowed yer father when he was a child Why my boy Jacob there and
your father were sworn brothers that they were sure werent ye Jacob«
»Ay sure« said his son a young man about sixtyfive with a semibald
head and one tooth in the left centre of his upper jaw which made much of
itself by standing prominent like a milestone in a bank »But twas Joe had
most to do with him However my son William must have knowed the very man afore
us didnt ye Billy afore ye left Norcombe«
»No twas Andrew« said Jacobs son Billy a child of forty or
thereabouts who manifested the peculiarity of possessing a cheerful soul in a
gloomy body and whose whiskers were assuming a chinchilla shade here and there
»I can mind Andrew« said Oak »as being a man in the place when I was quite
a child«
»Ay the other day I and my youngest daughter Liddy were over at my
grandsons christening« continued Billy »We were talking about this very
family and twas only last Purification Day in this very world when the
usemoney is gied away to the secondbest poor folk you know shepherd and I
can mind the day because they all had to traypse up to the vestry yes this
very mans family«
»Come shepherd and drink Tis gape and swaller with us a drap of
sommit but not of much account« said the maltster removing from the fire his
eyes which were vermilionred and bleared by gazing into it for so many years
»Take up the Godforgiveme Jacob See if tis warm Jacob«
Jacob stooped to the Godforgiveme which was a twohandled tall mug
standing in the ashes cracked and charred with heat it was rather furred with
extraneous matter about the outside especially in the crevices of the handles
the innermost curves of which may not have seen daylight for several years by
reason of this encrustation thereon formed of ashes accidentally wetted with
cider and baked hard but to the mind of any sensible drinker the cup was no
worse for that being incontestably clean on the inside and about the rim It
may be observed that such a class of mug is called a Godforgiveme in
Weatherbury and its vicinity for uncertain reasons probably because its size
makes any given toper feel ashamed of himself when he sees its bottom in
drinking it empty
Jacob on receiving the order to see if the liquor was warm enough placidly
dipped his forefinger into it by way of thermometer and having pronounced it
nearly of the proper degree raised the cup and very civilly attempted to dust
some of the ashes from the bottom with the skirt of his smockfrock because
Shepherd Oak was a stranger
»A clane cup for the shepherd« said the maltster commandingly
»No not at all« said Gabriel in a reproving tone of considerateness »I
never fuss about dirt in its pure state and when I know what sort it is«
Taking the mug he drank an inch or more from the depth of its contents and duly
passed it to the next man »I wouldnt think of giving such trouble to
neighbours in washing up when theres so much work to be done in the world
already« continued Oak in a moister tone after recovering from the stoppage of
breath which is occasioned by pulls at large mugs
»A right sensible man« said Jacob
»True true it cant be gainsaid« observed a brisk young man Mark Clark
by name a genial and pleasant gentleman whom to meet anywhere in your travels
was to know to know was to drink with and to drink with was unfortunately to
pay for
»And heres a mouthful of bread and bacon that misess have sent shepherd
The cider will go down better with a bit of victuals Dont ye chaw quite close
shepherd for I let the bacon fall in the road outside as I was bringing it
along and may be tis rather gritty There tis clane dirt and we all know
what that is as you say and you baint a particular man we see shepherd«
»True true not at all« said the friendly Oak
»Dont let your teeth quite meet and you wont feel the sandiness at all
Ah tis wonderful what can be done by contrivance«
»My own mind exactly neighbour«
»Ah hes his grandfers own grandson his grandfer were just such a nice
unparticular man« said the maltster
»Drink Henry Fray drink« magnanimously said Jan Coggan a person who
held SaintSimonian notions of share and share alike where liquor was concerned
as the vessel showed signs of approaching him in its gradual revolution among
them
Having at this moment reached the end of a wistful gaze into midair Henry
did not refuse He was a man of more than middle age with eyebrows high up in
his forehead who laid it down that the law of the world was bad with a
longsuffering look through his listeners at the world alluded to as it
presented itself to his imagination He always signed his name Henery
strenuously insisting upon that spelling and if any passing schoolmaster
ventured to remark that the second e was superfluous and oldfashioned he
received the reply that Henery was the name he was christened and the name
he would stick to in the tone of one to whom orthographical differences were
matters which had a great deal to do with personal character
Mr Jan Coggan who had passed the cup to Henery was a crimson man with a
spacious countenance and private glimmer in his eye whose name had appeared on
the marriage register of Weatherbury and neighbouring parishes as best man and
chief witness in countless unions of the previous twenty years he also very
frequently filled the post of head godfather in baptisms of the subtlyjovial
kind
»Come Mark Clark come Thers plenty more in the barrel« said Jan
»Ay that I will tis my only doctor« replied Mr Clark who twenty
years younger than Jan Coggan revolved in the same orbit He secreted mirth on
all occasions for special discharge at popular parties
»Why Joseph Poorgrass ye hant had a drop« said Mr Coggan to a
selfconscious man in the background thrusting the cup towards him
»Such a modest man as he is« said Jacob Smallbury »Why yeve hardly had
strength of eye enough to look in our young misesss face so I hear Joseph«
All looked at Joseph Poorgrass with pitying reproach
»No Ive hardly looked at her at all« simpered Joseph reducing his body
smaller whilst talking apparently from a meek sense of undue prominence »And
when I seed her twas nothing but blushes with me«
»Poor feller« said Mr Clark
»Tis a curious nature for a man« said Jan Coggan
»Yes« continued Joseph Poorgrass his shyness which was so painful as a
defect filling him with a mild complacency now that it was regarded as an
interesting study »Twere blush blush blush with me every minute of the time
when she was speaking to me«
»I believe ye Joseph Poorgrass for we all know ye to be a very bashful
man«
»Tis a awkward gift for a man poor soul« said the maltster »And ye have
suffered from it a long time we know«
»Ay ever since I was a boy Yes mother was concerned to her heart about
it yes But twas all nought«
»Did ye ever go into the world to try and stop it Joseph Poorgrass«
»Oh ay tried all sorts o company They took me to Greenhill Fair and into
a great gay jerrygonimble show where there were womenfolk riding round
standing upon horses with hardly anything on but their smocks but it didnt
cure me a morsel And then I was put errandman at the Womens Skittle Alley at
the back of the Tailors Arms in Casterbridge Twas a horrible sinful
situation and a very curious place for a good man I had to stand and look
bady people in the face from morning till night but twas no use I was just
as bad as ever after all Blushes hev been in the family for generations There
tis a happy providence that I be no worse«
»True« said Jacob Smallbury deepening his thoughts to a profounder view of
the subject »Tis a thought to look at that ye might have been worse but even
as you be tis a very bad affliction for ee Joseph For ye see shepherd
though tis very well for a woman dang it all tis awkward for a man like him
poor feller«
»Tis tis« said Gabriel recovering from a meditation »Yes very
awkward for the man«
»Ay and hes very timid too« observed Jan Coggan »Once he had been
working late at Yalbury Bottom and had had a drap of drink and lost his way as
he was coming homealong through Yalbury Wood didnt ye Master Poorgrass«
»No no no not that story« expostulated the modest man forcing a laugh
to bury his concern
» And so a lost himself quite« continued Mr Coggan with an impassive
face implying that a true narrative like time and tide must run its course
and would respect no man »And as he was coming along in the middle of the
night much afeared and not able to find his way out of the trees nohow a
cried out Manalost manalost A owl in a tree happened to be crying
Whoowhoowhoo as owls do you know shepherd« Gabriel nodded »and Joseph
all in a tremble said Joseph Poorgrass of Weatherbury sir«
»No no now thats too much« said the timid man becoming a man of
brazen courage all of a sudden »I didnt say sir Ill take my oath I didnt
say Joseph Poorgrass o Weatherbury sir No no whats right is right and I
never said sir to the bird knowing very well that no man of a gentlemans rank
would be hollering there at that time o night Joseph Poorgrass of Weatherbury
thats every word I said and I shouldnt ha said that if t hadnt been for
Keeper Days metheglin There twas a merciful thing it ended where it did«
The question of which was right being tacitly waived by the company Jan
went on meditatively
»And hes the fearfullest man baint ye Joseph Ay another time ye were
lost by LambingDown Gate werent ye Joseph«
»I was« replied Poorgrass as if there were some conditions too serious
even for modesty to remember itself under this being one
»Yes that were the middle of the night too The gate would not open try
how he would and knowing there was the Devils hand in it he kneeled down«
»Ay« said Joseph acquiring confidence from the warmth of the fire the
cider and a perception of the narrative capabilities of the experience alluded
to
»My heart died within me that time but I kneeled down and said the Lords
Prayer and then the Belief right through and then the Ten Commandments in
earnest prayer But no the gate wouldnt open and then I went on with Dearly
Beloved Brethren and thinks I this makes four and tis all I know out of
book and if this dont do it nothing will and Im a lost man Well when I got
to Saying After Me I rose from my knees and found the gate would open yes
neighbours the gate opened the same as ever«
A meditation on the obvious inference was indulged in by all and during its
continuance each directed his vision into the ashpit which glowed like a desert
in the tropics under a vertical sun shaping their eyes long and liny partly
because of the light partly from the depth of the subject discussed
Gabriel broke the silence »What sort of a place is this to live at and
what sort of a misess is she to work under« Gabriels bosom thrilled gently as
he thus slipped under the notice of the assembly the innermost subject of his
heart
»We d know little of her nothing She only showed herself a few days ago
Her uncle was took bad and the doctor was called with his worldwide skill but
he couldnt save the man As I take it shes going to keep on the farm«
»Thats about the shape ot a blieve« said Jan Coggan »Ay tis a very
good family Id as soon be under em as under one here and there Her uncle was
a very fair sort of man Did ye know en shepherd a bachelorman«
»Not at all«
»I used to go to his house acourting my first wife Charlotte who was his
dairymaid Well a very goodhearted man were Farmer Everdene and I being a
respectable young fellow was allowed to call and see her and drink as much ale
as I liked but not to carry away any outside my skin I mane of course«
»Ay ay Jan Coggan we know yer maning«
»And so you see twas beautiful ale and I wished to value his kindness as
much as I could and not to be so illmannered as to drink only a thimbleful
which would have been insulting the mans generosity «
»True Master Coggan twould so« corroborated Mark Clark
» And so I used to eat a lot of salt fish afore going and then by the
time I got there I were as dry as a limebasket so thorough dry that that ale
would slip down ah twould slip down sweet Happy times heavenly times Such
lovely drunks as I used to have at that house You can mind Jacob You used to
go wi me sometimes«
»I can I can« said Jacob »That one too that we had at Bucks Head on a
White Monday was a pretty tipple«
»Twas But for a wet of the better class that brought you no nearer to the
horned man than you were afore you begun there was none like those in Farmer
Everdenes kitchen Not a single damn allowed no not a bare poor one even at
the most cheerful moment when all were blindest though the good old word of sin
thrown in here and there at such times is a great relief to a merry soul«
»True« said the maltster »Nater requires her swearing at the regular
times or shes not herself and unholy exclamations is a necessity of life«
»But Charlotte« continued Coggan »not a word of the sort would Charlotte
allow nor the smallest item of taking in vain Ay poor Charlotte I wonder
if she had the good fortune to get into Heaven when a died But a was never
much in lucks way and perhaps a went downwards after all poor soul«
»And did any of you know Miss Everdenes father and mother« inquired the
shepherd who found some difficulty in keeping the conversation in the desired
channel
»I knew them a little« said Jacob Smallbury »but they were townsfolk and
didnt live here Theyve been dead for years Father what sort of people were
misess father and mother«
»Well« said the maltster »he wasnt much to look at but she was a lovely
woman He was fond enough of her as his sweetheart«
»Used to kiss her scores and longhundreds o times so twas said«
observed Coggan
»He was very proud of her too when they were married as Ive been told«
said the maltster
»Ay« said Coggan »He admired her so much that he used to light the candle
three times a night to look at her«
»Boundless love I shouldnt have supposed it in the universe« murmured
Joseph Poorgrass who habitually spoke on a large scale in his moral
reflections
»Well to be sure« said Gabriel
»Oh tis true enough I knowed the man and woman both well Levi Everdene
that was the mans name sure Man saith I in my hurry but he were of a higher
circle of life than that a was a gentlemantailor really worth scores of
pounds And he became a very celebrated bankrupt two or three times«
»Oh I thought he was quite a common man« said Joseph
»O no no That man failed for heaps of money hundreds in gold and silver«
The maltster being rather short of breath Mr Coggan after absently
scrutinizing a coal which had fallen among the ashes took up the narrative
with a private twirl of his eye
»Well now youd hardly believe it but that man our Miss Everdenes
father was one of the ficklest husbands alive after a while Understand a
didnt want to be fickle but he couldnt help it The poor feller were faithful
and true enough to her in his wish but his heart would rove do what he would
He spoke to me in real tribulation about it once Coggan he said I could never
wish for a handsomer woman than Ive got but feeling shes ticketed as my
lawful wife I cant help my wicked heart wandering do what I will But at last
I believe he cured it by making her take off her weddingring and calling her by
her maiden name as they sat together after the shop was shut and so a would
get to fancy she was only his sweetheart and not married to him at all And as
soon as he could thoroughly fancy he was doing wrong and committing the seventh
a got to like her as well as ever and they lived on a perfect picture of mutel
love«
»Well twas a most ungodly remedy« murmured Joseph Poorgrass »but we
ought to feel deep cheerfulness that a happy Providence kept it from being any
worse You see he might have gone the bad road and given his eyes to
unlawfulness entirely yes gross unlawfulness so to say it«
»You see« said Billy Smallbury »the mans will was to do right sure
enough but his heart didnt chime in«
»He got so much better that he was quite godly in his later years wasnt
he Jan« said Joseph Poorgrass »He got himself confirmed over again in a more
serious way and took to saying Amen almost as loud as the clerk and he liked
to copy comforting verses from the tombstones He used too to hold the
moneyplate at Let Your Light so Shine and stand godfather to poor little
comebychance children and he kept a missionary box upon his table to nab
folks unawares when they called yes and he would box the charityboys ears
if they laughed in church till they could hardly stand upright and do other
deeds of piety natural to the saintly inclined«
»Ay at that time he thought of nothing but high things« added Billy
Smallbury »One day Parson Thirdly met him and said Goodmorning Mister
Everdene tis a fine day Amen said Everdene quite absentlike thinking only
of religion when he seed a parson Yes he was a very Christian man«
»Their daughter was not at all a pretty chiel at that time« said Henery
Fray »Never should have thought shed have growed up such a handsome body as
she is«
»Tis to be hoped her temper is as good as her face«
»Well yes but the baily will have most to do with the business and
ourselves Ah« Henery gazed into the ashpit and smiled volumes of ironical
knowledge
»A queer Christian like the Devils head in a cowl2 as the saying is«
volunteered Mark Clark
»He is« said Henery implying that irony must cease at a certain point
»Between we two man and man I believe that man would as soon tell a lie
Sundays as workingdays that I do so«
»Good faith you do talk« said Gabriel
»True enough« said the man of bitter moods looking round upon the company
with the antithetic laughter that comes from a keener appreciation of the
miseries of life than ordinary men are capable of »Ah theres people of one
sort and people of another but that man bless your souls«
Gabriel thought fit to change the subject »You must be a very aged man
malter to have sons growed up so old and ancient« he remarked
»Fathers so old that a cant mind his age can ye father« interposed
Jacob »And hes growed terrible crooked too lately« Jacob continued
surveying his fathers figure which was rather more bowed than his own
»Really one may say that father there is threedouble«
»Crooked folk will last a long while« said the maltster grimly and not in
the best humour
»Shepherd would like to hear the pedigree of yer life father wouldnt ye
shepherd«
»Ay that I should« said Gabriel with the heartiness of a man who had
longed to hear it for several months »What may your age be malter«
The maltster cleared his throat in an exaggerated form for emphasis and
elongating his gaze to the remotest point of the ashpit said in the slow
speech justifiable when the importance of a subject is so generally felt that
any mannerism must be tolerated in getting at it »Well I dont mind the year I
were born in but perhaps I can reckon up the places Ive lived at and so get
it that way I bode at Upper Longpuddle across there« nodding to the north
»till I were eleven I bode seven at Kingsbere« nodding to the east »where I
took to malting I went therefrom to Norcombe and malted there twoandtwenty
years and twoandtwenty years I was there turniphoeing and harvesting Ah I
knowed that old place Norcombe years afore you were thought of Master Oak«
Oak smiled sincere belief in the fact »Then I malted at Durnover four year
and four year turniphoeing and I was fourteen times eleven months at Millpond
St Judes« nodding northwestbynorth »Old Twills wouldnt hire me for more
than eleven months at a time to keep me from being chargeable to the parish if
so be I was disabled Then I was three year at Mellstock and Ive been here
oneandthirty year come Candlemas How much is that«
»Hundred and seventeen« chuckled another old gentleman given to mental
arithmetic and little conversation who had hitherto sat unobserved in a corner
»Well then thats my age« said the maltster emphatically
»O no father« said Jacob »Your turniphoeing were in the summer and your
malting in the winter of the same years and ye dont ought to count both
halves father«
»Chok it all I lived through the summers didnt I Thats my question I
suppose yell say next I be no age at all to speak of«
»Sure we shant« said Gabriel soothingly
»Ye be a very old aged person malter« attested Jan Coggan also
soothingly »We all know that and ye must have a wonderful talented
constitution to be able to live so long mustnt he neighbours«
»True true ye must malter wonderful« said the meeting unanimously
The maltster being now pacified was even generous enough to voluntarily
disparage in a slight degree the virtue of having lived a great many years by
mentioning that the cup they were drinking out of was three years older than he
While the cup was being examined the end of Gabriel Oaks flute became
visible over his smock pocket and Henery Fray exclaimed »Surely shepherd I
seed you blowing into a great flute by now at Casterbridge«
»You did« said Gabriel blushing faintly »Ive been in great trouble
neighbours and was driven to it I used not to be so poor as I be now«
»Never mind heart« said Mark Clark »You should take it carelesslike
shepherd and your time will come But we could thank ye for a tune if ye
baint too tired«
»Neither drum nor trumpet have I heard since Christmas« said Jan Coggan
»Come raise a tune Master Oak«
»That I will« said Gabriel pulling out his flute and putting it together
»A poor tool neighbours but such as I can do ye shall have and welcome«
Oak then struck up Jockey to the Fair and played that sparkling melody
three times through accenting the notes in the third round in a most artistic
and lively manner by bending his body in small jerks and tapping with his foot
to beat time
»He can blow the flute very well that a can« said a young married man
who having no individuality worth mentioning was known as Susan Talls husband
He continued »Id as lief as not be able to blow into a flute as well as that«
»Hes a clever man and tis a true comfort for us to have such a shepherd«
murmured Joseph Poorgrass in a soft cadence »We ought to feel full o
thanksgiving that hes not a player of bady songs instead of these merry tunes
for twould have been just as easy for God to have made the shepherd a loose low
man a man of iniquity so to speak it as what he is Yes for our wives and
daughters sakes we should feel real thanksgiving«
»True true real thanksgiving« dashed in Mark Clark conclusively not
feeling it to be of any consequence to his opinion that he had only heard about
a word and threequarters of what Joseph had said
»Yes« added Joseph beginning to feel like a man in the Bible »for evil do
thrive so in these times that ye may be as much deceived in the clanest shaved
and whitest shirted man as in the raggedest tramp upon the turnpike if I may
term it so«
»Ay I can mind yer face now shepherd« said Henery Fray criticizing
Gabriel with misty eyes as he entered upon his second tune »Yes now I see ee
blowing into the flute I know ee to be the same man I see play at Casterbridge
for yer mouth were scrimped up and yer eyes astaring out like a strangled mans
just as they be now«
»Tis a pity that playing the flute should make a man look such a
scarecrow« observed Mr Mark Clark with additional criticism of Gabriels
countenance the latter person jerking out with the ghastly grimace required by
the instrument the chorus of Dame Durden
Twas Moll´ and Bet´ and Doll´ and Kate´
And Dor´othy Drag´gle Tail´
»I hope you dont mind that young mans bad manners in naming your features«
whispered Joseph to Gabriel
»Not at all« said Mr Oak
»For by nature ye be a very handsome man shepherd« continued Joseph
Poorgrass with winning suavity
»Ay that ye be shepherd« said the company
»Thank you very much« said Oak in the modest tone good manners demanded
thinking however that he would never let Bathsheba see him playing the flute
in this resolve showing a discretion equal to that related of its sagacious
inventress the divine Minerva herself
»Ah when I and my wife were married at Norcombe Church« said the old
maltster not pleased at finding himself left out of the subject »we were
called the handsomest couple in the neighbourhood everybody said so«
»Danged if ye baint altered now malter« said a voice with the vigour
natural to the enunciation of a remarkably evident truism It came from the old
man in the background whose offensiveness and spiteful ways were barely atoned
for by the occasional chuckle he contributed to general laughs
»O no no« said Gabriel
»Dont ye play no more shepherd« said Susan Talls husband the young
married man who had spoken once before »I must be moving and when theres
tunes going on I seem as if hung in wires If I thought after Id left that
music was still playing and I not there I should be quite melancholylike«
»Whats yer hurry then Laban« inquired Coggan »You used to bide as late
as the latest«
»Well ye see neighbours I was lately married to a woman and shes my
vocation now and so ye see « The young man halted lamely
»New lords new laws as the saying is I suppose« remarked Coggan
»Ay a blieve ha ha« said Susan Talls husband in a tone intended to
imply his habitual reception of jokes without minding them at all The young man
then wished them goodnight and withdrew
Henery Fray was the first to follow Then Gabriel arose and went off with
Jan Coggan who had offered him a lodging A few minutes later when the
remaining ones were on their legs and about to depart Fray came back again in a
hurry Flourishing his finger ominously he threw a gaze teeming with tidings
just where his eye alighted by accident which happened to be in Joseph
Poorgrasss face
»O whats the matter whats the matter Henery«
said Joseph starting back
»Whats abrewing Henery« asked Jacob and Mark Clark
»Baily Pennyways Baily Pennyways I said so yes I said so«
»What found out stealing anything«
»Stealing it is The news is that after Miss Everdene got home she went out
again to see all was safe as she usually do and coming in found Baily
Pennyways creeping down the granary steps with half a bushel of barley She
fleed at him like a cat never such a tomboy as she is of course I speak with
closed doors«
»You do you do Henery«
»She fleed at him and to cut a long story short he owned to having
carried off five sack altogether upon her promising not to persecute him Well
hes turned out neck and crop and my question is whos going to be baily now«
The question was such a profound one that Henery was obliged to drink there
and then from the large cup till the bottom was distinctly visible inside
Before he had replaced it on the table in came the young man Susan Talls
husband in a still greater hurry
»Have ye heard the news thats all over parish«
»About Baily Pennyways«
»But besides that«
»No not a morsel of it« they replied looking into the very midst of
Laban Tall as if to meet his words halfway down his throat
»What a night of horrors« murmured Joseph Poorgrass waving his hands
spasmodically »Ive had the newsbell ringing in my left ear quite bad enough
for a murder and Ive seen a magpie all alone«
»Fanny Robin Miss Everdenes youngest servant cant be found Theyve
been wanting to lock up the door these two hours but she isnt come in And
they dont know what to do about going to bed for fear of locking her out They
wouldnt be so concerned if she hadnt been noticed in such low spirits these
last few days and Maryann d think the beginning of a crowners inquest has
happened to the poor girl«
»O tis burned tis burned« came from Joseph Poorgrasss dry lips
»No tis drowned« said Tall
»Or tis her fathers razor« suggested Billy Smallbury with a vivid sense
of detail
»Well Miss Everdene wants to speak to one or two of us before we go to
bed What with this trouble about the baily and now about the girl misess is
almost wild«
They all hastened up the lane to the farmhouse excepting the old maltster
whom neither news fire rain nor thunder could draw from his hole There as
the others footsteps died away he sat down again and continued gazing as
usual into the furnace with his red bleared eyes
From the bedroom window above their heads Bathshebas head and shoulders
robed in mystic white were dimly seen extended into the air
»Are any of my men among you« she said anxiously
»Yes maam several« said Susan Talls husband
»Tomorrow morning I wish two or three of you to make inquiries in the
villages round if they have seen such a person as Fanny Robin Do it quietly
there is no reason for alarm as yet She must have left whilst we were all at
the fire«
»I beg yer pardon but had she any young man courting her in the parish
maam« asked Jacob Smallbury
»I dont know« said Bathsheba
»Ive never heard of any such thing maam« said two or three
»It is hardly likely either« continued Bathsheba »For any lover of hers
might have come to the house if he had been a respectable lad The most
mysterious matter connected with her absence indeed the only thing which
gives me serious alarm is that she was seen to go out of the house by Maryann
with only her indoor working gown on not even a bonnet«
»And you mean maam excusing my words that a young woman would hardly go
to see her young man without dressing up« said Jacob turning his mental vision
upon past experiences »Thats true she would not maam«
»She had I think a bundle though I couldnt see very well« said a female
voice from another window which seemed that of Maryann »But she had no young
man about here Hers lives in Casterbridge and I believe hes a soldier«
»Do you know his name« Bathsheba said
»No mistress she was very close about it«
»Perhaps I might be able to find out if I went to Casterbridge barracks«
said William Smallbury
»Very well if she doesnt return tomorrow mind you go there and try to
discover which man it is and see him I feel more responsible than I should if
she had had any friends or relations alive I do hope she has come to no harm
through a man of that kind And then theres this disgraceful affair of the
bailiff but I cant speak of him now«
Bathsheba had so many reasons for uneasiness that it seemed she did not
think it worth while to dwell upon any particular one »Do as I told you then«
she said in conclusion closing the casement
»Ay ay mistress we will« they replied and moved away
That night at Coggans Gabriel Oak beneath the screen of closed eyelids
was busy with fancies and full of movement like a river flowing rapidly under
its ice Night had always been the time at which he saw Bathsheba most vividly
and through the slow hours of shadow he tenderly regarded her image now It is
rarely that the pleasures of the imagination will compensate for the pain of
sleeplessness but they possibly did with Oak tonight for the delight of
merely seeing her effaced for the time his perception of the great difference
between seeing and possessing
He also thought of plans for fetching his few utensils and books from
Norcombe The Young Mans Best Companion The Farriers Sure Guide The
Veterinary Surgeon Paradise Lost The Pilgrims Progress Robinson Crusoe
Ashs Dictionary and Walkingames Arithmetic constituted his library and
though a limited series it was one from which he had acquired more sound
information by diligent perusal than many a man of opportunities has done from a
furlong of laden shelves
Chapter IX
The Homestead A Visitor HalfConfidences
By daylight the bower of Oaks newfound mistress Bathsheba Everdene
presented itself as a hoary building of the early stage of Classic Renaissance
as regards its architecture and of a proportion which told at a glance that as
is so frequently the case it had once been the manorial hall upon a small
estate around it now altogether effaced as a distinct property and merged in
the vast tract of a nonresident landlord which comprised several such modest
demesnes
Fluted pilasters worked from the solid stone decorated its front and
above the roof the chimneys were panelled or columnar some coped gables with
finials and like features still retaining traces of their Gothic extraction
Soft brown mosses like faded velveteen formed cushions upon the stone tiling
and tufts of the houseleek or sengreen sprouted from the eaves of the low
surrounding buildings A gravel walk leading from the door to the road in front
was encrusted at the sides with more moss here it was a silvergreen variety
the nutbrown of the gravel being visible to the width of only a foot or two in
the centre This circumstance and the generally sleepy air of the whole
prospect here together with the animated and contrasting state of the reverse
façade suggested to the imagination that on the adaptation of the building for
farming purposes the vital principle of the house had turned round inside its
body to face the other way Reversals of this kind strange deformities
tremendous paralyses are often seen to be inflicted by trade upon edifices
either individual or in the aggregate as streets and towns which were
originally planned for pleasure alone
Lively voices were heard this morning in the upper rooms the main staircase
to which was of hard oak the balusters heavy as bedposts being turned and
moulded in the quaint fashion of their century the handrail as stout as a
parapettop and the stairs themselves continually twisting round like a person
trying to look over his shoulder Going up the floors above were found to have
a very irregular surface rising to ridges sinking into valleys and being just
then uncarpeted the face of the boards was seen to be eaten into innumerable
vermiculations Every window replied by a clang to the opening and shutting of
every door a tremble followed every bustling movement and a creak accompanied
a walker about the house like a spirit wherever he went
In the room from which the conversation proceeded Bathsheba and her
servantcompanion Liddy Smallbury were to be discovered sitting upon the
floor and sorting a complication of papers books bottles and rubbish spread
out thereon remnants from the household stores of the late occupier Liddy
the maltsters greatgranddaughter was about Bathshebas equal in age and her
face was a prominent advertisement of the lighthearted English country girl
The beauty her features might have lacked in form was amply made up for by
perfection of hue which at this wintertime was the softened ruddiness on a
surface of high rotundity that we meet with in a Terburg or a Gerard Douw and
like the presentations of those great colourists it was a face which kept well
back from the boundary between comeliness and the ideal Though elastic in
nature she was less daring than Bathsheba and occasionally showed some
earnestness which consisted half of genuine feeling and half of mannerliness
superadded by way of duty
Through a partlyopened door the noise of a scrubbingbrush led up to the
charwoman Maryann Money a person who for a face had a circular disc furrowed
less by age than by long gazes of perplexity at distant objects To think of her
was to get goodhumoured to speak of her was to raise the image of a dried
Normandy pippin
»Stop your scrubbing a moment« said Bathsheba through the door to her »I
hear something«
Maryann suspended the brush
The tramp of a horse was apparent approaching the front of the building
The paces slackened turned in at the wicket and what was most unusual came
up the mossy path close to the door The door was tapped with the end of a crop
or stick
»What impertinence« said Liddy in a low voice »To ride up the footpath
like that Why didnt he stop at the gate Lord tis a gentleman I see the top
of his hat«
»Be quiet« said Bathsheba
The further expression of Liddys concern was continued by aspect instead of
narrative
»Why doesnt Mrs Coggan go to the door« Bathsheba continued
Rattattattat resounded more decisively from Bathshebas oak
»Maryann you go« said she fluttering under the onset of a crowd of
romantic possibilities
»O maam see heres a mess«
The argument was unanswerable after a glance at Maryann
»Liddy you must« said Bathsheba
Liddy held up her hands and arms coated with dust from the rubbish they
were sorting and looked imploringly at her mistress
»There Mrs Coggan is going« said Bathsheba exhaling her relief in the
form of a long breath which had lain in her bosom a minute or more
The door opened and a deep voice said
»Is Miss Everdene at home«
»Ill see sir« said Mrs Coggan and in a minute appeared in the room
»Dear what a thirtover place this world is« continued Mrs Coggan a
wholesomelooking lady who had a voice for each class of remark according to the
emotion involved who could toss a pancake or twirl a mop with the accuracy of
pure mathematics and who at this moment showed hands shaggy with fragments of
dough and arms encrusted with flour »I am never up to my elbows Miss in
making a pudding but one of two things do happen either my nose must needs
begin tickling and I cant live without scratching it or somebody knocks at
the door Heres Mr Boldwood wanting to see you Miss Everdene«
A womans dress being a part of her countenance and any disorder in the one
being of the same nature with a malformation or wound in the other Bathsheba
said at once
»I cant see him in this state Whatever shall I do«
Notathomes were hardly naturalized in Weatherbury farmhouses so Liddy
suggested »Say youre a fright with dust and cant come down«
»Yes that sounds very well« said Mrs Coggan critically
»Say I cant see him that will do«
Mrs Coggan went downstairs and returned the answer as requested adding
however on her own responsibility »Miss is dusting bottles sir and is quite
a object thats why tis«
»Oh very well« said the deep voice indifferently »All I wanted to ask
was if anything had been heard of Fanny Robin«
»Nothing sir but we may know tonight William Smallbury is gone to
Casterbridge where her young man lives as is supposed and the other men be
inquiring about everywhere«
The horses tramp then recommenced and retreated and the door closed
»Who is Mr Boldwood« said Bathsheba
»A gentlemanfarmer at Little Weatherbury«
»Married«
»No miss«
»How old is he«
»Forty I should say very handsome rather sternlooking and rich«
»What a bother this dusting is I am always in some unfortunate plight or
other« Bathsheba said complainingly »Why should he inquire about Fanny«
»Oh because as she had no friends in her childhood he took her and put
her to school and got her her place here under your uncle Hes a very kind man
that way but Lord there«
»What«
»Never was such a hopeless man for a woman Hes been courted by sixes and
sevens all the girls gentle and simple for miles round have tried him Jane
Perkins worked at him for two months like a slave and the two Miss Taylors
spent a year upon him and he cost Farmer Ivess daughter nights of tears and
twenty pounds worth of new clothes but Lord the money might as well have
been thrown out of the window«
A little boy came up at this moment and looked in upon them This child was
one of the Coggans who with the Smallburys were as common among the families
of this district as the Avons and Derwents among our rivers He always had a
loosened tooth or a cut finger to show to particular friends which he did with
an air of being thereby elevated above the common herd of afflictionless
humanity to which exhibition people were expected to say Poor child with a
dash of congratulation as well as pity
»Ive got a pennee« said Master Coggan in a scanning measure
»Well who gave it you Teddy« said Liddy
»Misterr Boldwood He gave it to me for opening the gate«
»What did he say«
»He said Where are you going my little man and I said To Miss
Everdenes please and he said She is a staid woman isnt she my little man
and I said Yes«
»You naughty child What did you say that for«
»Cause he gave me the penny«
»What a pucker everything is in« said Bathsheba discontentedly when the
child had gone »Get away Maryann or go on with your scrubbing or do
something You ought to be married by this time and not here troubling me«
»Ay mistress so I did But what between the poor men I wont have and
the rich men who wont have me I stand as a pelican in the wilderness«
»Did anybody ever want to marry you miss« Liddy ventured to ask when they
were again alone »Lots of em I daresay«
Bathsheba paused as if about to refuse a reply but the temptation to say
yes since it really was in her power was irresistible by aspiring virginity
in spite of her spleen at having been published as old
»A man wanted to once« she said in a highly experienced tone and the
image of Gabriel Oak as the farmer rose before her
»How nice it must seem« said Liddy with the fixed features of mental
realization »And you wouldnt have him«
»He wasnt quite good enough for me«
»How sweet to be able to disdain when most of us are glad to say Thank
you I seem I hear it No sir Im your better or Kiss my foot sir my face
is for mouths of consequence And did you love him miss«
»Oh no But I rather liked him«
»Do you now«
»Of course not what footsteps are those I hear«
Liddy looked from a back window into the courtyard behind which was now
getting lowtoned and dim with the earliest films of night A crooked file of
men was approaching the back door The whole string of trailing individuals
advanced in the completest balance of intention like the remarkable creatures
known as Chain Salpæ which distinctly organized in other respects have one
will common to a whole family Some were as usual in snowwhite smockfrocks
of Russia duck and some in whiteybrown ones of drabbetmarked on the wrists
breasts backs and sleeves with honeycombwork Two or three women in pattens
brought up the rear
»The Philistines be upon us« said Liddy making her nose white against the
glass
»Oh very well Maryann go down and keep them in the kitchen till I am
dressed and then show them in to me in the hall«
Chapter X
Mistress and Men
Halfanhour later Bathsheba in finished dress and followed by Liddy entered
the upper end of the old hall to find that her men had all deposited themselves
on a long form and a settle at the lower extremity She sat down at a table and
opened the timebook pen in her hand with a canvas moneybag beside her From
this she poured a small heap of coin Liddy chose a position at her elbow and
began to sew sometimes pausing and looking round or with the air of a
privileged person taking up one of the halfsovereigns lying before her and
surveying it merely as a work of art while strictly preventing her countenance
from expressing any wish to possess it as money
»Now before I begin men« said Bathsheba »I have two matters to speak of
The first is that the bailiff is dismissed for thieving and that I have formed
a resolution to have no bailiff at all but to manage everything with my own
head and hands«
The men breathed an audible breath of amazement
»The next matter is have you heard anything of Fanny«
»Nothing maam«
»Have you done anything«
»I met Farmer Boldwood« said Jacob Smallbury »and I went with him and two
of his men and dragged Newmill Pond but we found nothing«
»And the new shepherd have been to Bucks Head by Yalbury thinking she had
gone there but nobody had seed her« said Laban Tall
»Hasnt William Smallbury been to Casterbridge«
»Yes maam but hes not yet come home He promised to be back by six«
»It wants a quarter to six at present« said Bathsheba looking at her
watch »I daresay hell be in directly Well now then« she looked into the
book »Joseph Poorgrass are you there«
»Yes sir maam I mane« said the person addressed »I be the personal
name of Poorgrass«
»And what are you«
»Nothing in my own eye In the eye of other people well I dont say it
though public thought will out«
»What do you do on the farm«
»I do do carting things all the year and in seed time I shoots the rooks
and sparrows and helps at pigkilling sir«
»How much to you«
»Please nine and ninepence and a good halfpenny where twas a bad one sir
maam I mane«
»Quite correct Now here are ten shillings in addition as a small present
as I am a new comer«
Bathsheba blushed slightly at the sense of being generous in public and
Henery Fray who had drawn up towards her chair lifted his eyebrows and fingers
to express amazement on a small scale
»How much do I owe you that man in the corner whats your name«
continued Bathsheba
»Matthew Moon maam« said a singular framework of clothes with nothing of
any consequence inside them which advanced with the toes in no definite
direction forwards but turned in or out as they chanced to swing
»Matthew Mark did you say speak out I shall not hurt you« inquired
the young farmer kindly
»Matthew Moon mem« said Henery Fray correctingly from behind her chair
to which point he had edged himself
»Matthew Moon« murmured Bathsheba turning her bright eyes to the book
»Ten and twopence halfpenny is the sum put down to you I see«
»Yes misess« said Matthew as the rustle of wind among dead leaves
»Here it is and ten shillings Now the next Andrew Randle you are a new
man I hear How came you to leave your last farm«
»Pppppplplplplllllease maam ppppplplplplplease
maam pleasempleasem «
»As a stammering man mem« said Henery Fray in an undertone »and they
turned him away because the only time he ever did speak plain he said his soul
was his own and other iniquities to the squire A can cuss mem as well as
you or I but a cant speak a common speech to save his life«
»Andrew Randle heres yours finish thanking me in a day or two
Temperance Miller oh heres another Soberness both women I suppose«
»Yesm Here we be a blieve« was echoed in shrill unison
»What have you been doing«
»Tending thrashingmachine and wimbling haybonds and saying Hoosh to the
cocks and hens when they go upon your seeds and planting Early Flourballs and
Thompsons Wonderfuls with a dibble«
»Yes I see Are they satisfactory women« she inquired softly of Henery
Fray
»O mem dont ask me Yielding women as scarlet a pair as ever was«
groaned Henery under his breath
»Sit down«
»Who mem«
»Sit down«
Joseph Poorgrass in the background twitched and his lips became dry with
fear of some terrible consequences as he saw Bathsheba summarily speaking and
Henery slinking off to a corner
»Now the next Laban Tall youll stay on working for me«
»For you or anybody that pays me well maam« replied the young married
man
»True the man must live« said a woman in the back quarter who had just
entered with clicking pattens
»What woman is that« Bathsheba asked
»I be his lawful wife« continued the voice with greater prominence of
manner and tone This lady called herself fiveandtwenty looked thirty passed
as thirtyfive and was forty She was a woman who never like some newly
married showed conjugal tenderness in public perhaps because she had none to
show
»Oh you are« said Bathsheba »Well Laban will you stay on«
»Yes hell stay maam« said again the shrill tongue of Labans lawful
wife
»Well he can speak for himself I suppose«
»O Lord not he maam A simple tool Well enough but a poor gawkhammer
mortal« the wife replied
»Hehhehheh« laughed the married man with a hideous effort of
appreciation for he was as irrepressibly goodhumoured under ghastly snubs as a
parliamentary candidate on the hustings
The names remaining were called in the same manner
»Now I think I have done with you« said Bathsheba closing the book and
shaking back a stray twine of hair »Has William Smallbury returned«
»No maam«
»The new shepherd will want a man under him« suggested Henery Fray trying
to make himself official again by a sideway approach towards her chair
»Oh he will Who can he have«
»Young Cain Ball is a very good lad« Henery said »and Shepherd Oak dont
mind his youth« he added turning with an apologetic smile to the shepherd who
had just appeared on the scene and was now leaning against the doorpost with
his arms folded
»No I dont mind that« said Gabriel
»How did Cain come by such a name« asked Bathsheba
»Oh you see mem his pore mother not being a Scriptureread woman made a
mistake at his christening thinking twas Abel killed Cain and called en Cain
meaning Abel all the time The parson put it right but twas too late for the
name could never be got rid of in the parish Tis very unfortunate for the
boy«
»It is rather unfortunate«
»Yes However we soften it down as much as we can and call him Cainy Ah
pore widowwoman she cried her heart out about it almost She was brought up by
a very heathen father and mother who never sent her to church or school and it
shows how the sins of the parents are visited upon the children mem«
Mr Fray here drew up his features to the mild degree of melancholy required
when the persons involved in the given misfortune do not belong to your own
family
»Very well then Cainy Ball to be undershepherd And you quite understand
your duties you I mean Gabriel Oak«
»Quite well I thank you Miss Everdene« said Shepherd Oak from the
doorpost »If I dont Ill inquire« Gabriel was rather staggered by the
remarkable coolness of her manner Certainly nobody without previous information
would have dreamt that Oak and the handsome woman before whom he stood had ever
been other than strangers But perhaps her air was the inevitable result of the
social rise which had advanced her from a cottage to a large house and fields
The case is not unexampled in high places When in the writings of the later
poets Jove and his family are found to have moved from their cramped quarters
on the peak of Olympus into the wide sky above it their words show a
proportionate increase of arrogance and reserve
Footsteps were heard in the passage combining in their character the
qualities both of weight and measure rather at the expense of velocity
All »Heres Billy Smallbury come from Casterbridge«
»And whats the news« said Bathsheba as William after marching to the
middle of the hall took a handkerchief from his hat and wiped his forehead from
its centre to its remoter boundaries
»I should have been sooner miss« he said »if it hadnt been for the
weather« He then stamped with each foot severely and on looking down his boots
were perceived to be clogged with snow
»Come at last is it« said Henery
»Well what about Fanny« said Bathsheba
»Well maam in round numbers shes run away with the soldiers« said
William
»No not a steady girl like Fanny«
»Ill tell ye all particulars When I got to Casterbridge Barracks they
said The Eleventh Dragoon Guards be gone away and new troops have come The
Eleventh left last week for Melchester and onwards The Route came from
Government like a thief in the night as is his nature to and afore the
Eleventh knew it almost they were on the march They passed near here«
Gabriel had listened with interest »I saw them go« he said
»Yes« continued William »they pranced down the street playing The Girl I
Left Behind Me so tis said in glorious notes of triumph Every lookerons
inside shook with the blows of the great drum to his deepest vitals and there
was not a dry eye throughout the town among the publichouse people and the
nameless women«
»But theyre not gone to any war«
»No maam but they be gone to take the places of them who may which is
very close connected And so I said to myself Fannys young man was one of the
regiment and shes gone after him There maam thats it in black and white«
»Did you find out his name«
»No nobody knew it I believe he was higher in rank than a private«
Gabriel remained musing and said nothing for he was in doubt
»Well we are not likely to know more tonight at any rate« said
Bathsheba »But one of you had better run across to Farmer Boldwoods and tell
him that much«
She then rose but before retiring addressed a few words to them with a
pretty dignity to which her mourning dress added a soberness that was hardly to
be found in the words themselves
»Now mind you have a mistress instead of a master I dont yet know my
powers or my talents in farming but I shall do my best and if you serve me
well so shall I serve you Dont any unfair ones among you if there are any
such but I hope not suppose that because Im a woman I dont understand the
difference between bad goingson and good«
All »Nom«
Liddy »Excellent well said«
»I shall be up before you are awake I shall be afield before you are up
and I shall have breakfasted before you are afield In short I shall astonish
you all«
All »Yesm«
»And so goodnight«
All »Goodnight maam«
Then this small thesmothete stepped from the table and surged out of the
hall her black silk dress licking up a few straws and dragging them along with
a scratching noise upon the floor Liddy elevating her feelings to the occasion
from a sense of grandeur floated off behind Bathsheba with a milder dignity not
entirely free from travesty and the door was closed
Chapter XI
Outside the Barracks Snow A Meeting
For dreariness nothing could surpass a prospect in the outskirts of a certain
town and military station many miles north of Weatherbury at a later hour on
this same snowy evening if that may be called a prospect of which the chief
constituent was darkness
It was a night when sorrow may come to the brightest without causing any
great sense of incongruity when with impressible persons love becomes
solicitousness hope sinks to misgiving and faith to hope when the exercise of
memory does not stir feelings of regret at opportunities for ambition that have
been passed by and anticipation does not prompt to enterprise
The scene was a public path bordered on the left hand by a river behind
which rose a high wall On the right was a tract of land partly meadow and
partly moor reaching at its remote verge to a wide undulating upland
The changes of the seasons are less obtrusive on spots of this kind than
amid woodland scenery Still to a close observer they are just as perceptible
the difference is that their media of manifestation are less trite and familiar
than such wellknown ones as the bursting of the buds or the fall of the leaf
Many are not so stealthy and gradual as we may be apt to imagine in considering
the general torpidity of a moor or waste Winter in coming to the country
hereabout advanced in wellmarked stages wherein might have been successively
observed the retreat of the snakes the transformation of the ferns the filling
of the pools a rising of fogs the embrowning by frost the collapse of the
fungi and an obliteration by snow
This climax of the series had been reached tonight on the aforesaid moor
and for the first time in the season its irregularities were forms without
features suggestive of anything proclaiming nothing and without more
character than that of being the limit of something else the lowest layer of a
firmament of snow From this chaotic skyful of crowding flakes the mead and moor
momentarily received additional clothing only to appear momentarily more naked
thereby The vast arch of cloud above was strangely low and formed as it were
the roof of a large dark cavern gradually sinking in upon its floor for the
instinctive thought was that the snow lining the heavens and that encrusting the
earth would soon unite into one mass without any intervening stratum of air at
all
We turn our attention to the lefthand characteristics which were flatness
in respect of the river verticality in respect of the wall behind it and
darkness as to both These features made up the mass If anything could be
darker than the sky it was the wall and if anything could be gloomier than the
wall it was the river beneath The indistinct summit of the façade was notched
and pronged by chimneys here and there and upon its face were faintly signified
the oblong shapes of windows though only in the upper part Below down to the
waters edge the flat was unbroken by hole or projection
An indescribable succession of dull blows perplexing in their regularity
sent their sound with difficulty through the fluffy atmosphere It was a
neighbouring clock striking ten The bell was in the open air and being
overlaid with several inches of muffling snow had lost its voice for the time
About this hour the snow abated ten flakes fell where twenty had fallen
then one had the room of ten Not long after a form moved by the brink of the
river
By its outline upon the colourless background a close observer might have
seen that it was small This was all that was positively discoverable though it
seemed human
The shape went slowly along but without much exertion for the snow though
sudden was not as yet more than two inches deep At this time some words were
spoken aloud
»One Two Three Four Five«
Between each utterance the little shape advanced about halfadozen yards
It was evident now that the windows high in the wall were being counted The
word Five represented the fifth window from the end of the wall
Here the spot stopped and dwindled smaller The figure was stooping Then a
morsel of snow flew across the river towards the fifth window It smacked
against the wall at a point several yards from its mark The throw was the idea
of a man conjoined with the execution of a woman No man who had ever seen bird
rabbit or squirrel in his childhood could possibly have thrown with such utter
imbecility as was shown here
Another attempt and another till by degrees the wall must have become
pimpled with the adhering lumps of snow At last one fragment struck the fifth
window
The river would have been seen by day to be of that deep smooth sort which
races middle and sides with the same gliding precision any irregularities of
speed being immediately corrected by a small whirlpool Nothing was heard in
reply to the signal but the gurgle and cluck of one of these invisible wheels
together with a few small sounds which a sad man would have called moans and a
happy man laughter caused by the flapping of the waters against trifling
objects in other parts of the stream
The window was struck again in the same manner
Then a noise was heard apparently produced by the opening of the window
This was followed by a voice from the same quarter
»Whos there«
The tones were masculine and not those of surprise The high wall being
that of a barrack and marriage being looked upon with disfavour in the army
assignations and communications had probably been made across the river before
tonight
»Is it Sergeant Troy« said the blurred spot in the snow tremulously
This person was so much like a mere shade upon the earth and the other
speaker so much a part of the building that one would have said the wall was
holding a conversation with the snow
»Yes« came suspiciously from the shadow »What girl are you«
»O Frank dont you know me« said the spot »Your wife Fanny Robin«
»Fanny« said the wall in utter astonishment
»Yes« said the girl with a halfsuppressed gasp of emotion
There was something in the womans tone which is not that of the wife and
there was a manner in the man which is rarely a husbands The dialogue went on
»How did you come here«
»I asked which was your window Forgive me«
»I did not expect you tonight Indeed I did not think you would come at
all It was a wonder you found me here I am orderly tomorrow«
»You said I was to come«
»Well I said that you might«
»Yes I mean that I might You are glad to see me Frank«
»O yes of course«
»Can you come to me«
»My dear Fan no The bugle has sounded the barrack gates are closed and I
have no leave We are all of us as good as in the county gaol till tomorrow
morning«
»Then I shant see you till then« The words were in a faltering tone of
disappointment
»How did you get here from Weatherbury«
»I walked some part of the way the rest by the carriers«
»I am surprised«
»Yes so am I And Frank when will it be«
»What«
»That you promised«
»I dont quite recollect«
»O you do Dont speak like that It weighs me to the earth It makes me say
what ought to be said first by you«
»Never mind say it«
»O must I it is when shall we be married Frank«
»Oh I see Well you have to get proper clothes«
»I have money Will it be by banns or license«
»Banns I should think«
»And we live in two parishes«
»Do we What then«
»My lodgings are in St Marys and this is not So they will have to be
published in both«
»Is that the law«
»Yes O Frank you think me forward I am afraid Dont dear Frank will
you for I love you so And you said lots of times you would marry me and
and I I I «
»Dont cry now It is foolish If I said so of course I will«
»And shall I put up the banns in my parish and will you in yours«
»Yes«
»Tomorrow«
»Not tomorrow Well settle in a few days«
»You have the permission of the officers«
»No not yet«
»O how is it You said you almost had before you left Casterbridge«
»The fact is I forgot to ask Your coming like this is so sudden and
unexpected«
»Yes yes it is It was wrong of me to worry you Ill go away now Will
you come and see me tomorrow at Mrs Twillss in North Street I dont like
to come to the Barracks There are bad women about and they think me one«
»Quite so Ill come to you my dear Goodnight«
»Goodnight Frank goodnight«
And the noise was again heard of a window closing The little spot moved
away When she passed the corner a subdued exclamation was heard inside the
wall
»Ho ho Sergeant ho ho« An expostulation followed but it was
indistinct and it became lost amid a low peal of laughter which was hardly
distinguishable from the gurgle of the tiny whirlpools outside
Chapter XII
Farmers A Rule An Exception
The first public evidence of Bathshebas decision to be a farmer in her own
person and by proxy no more was her appearance the following marketday in the
cornmarket at Casterbridge
The low though extensive hall supported by beams and pillars and latterly
dignified by the name of Corn Exchange was thronged with hot men who talked
among each other in twos and threes the speaker of the minute looking sideways
into his auditors face and concentrating his argument by a contraction of one
eyelid during delivery The greater number carried in their hands groundash
saplings using them partly as walkingsticks and partly for poking up pigs
sheep neighbours with their backs turned and restful things in general which
seemed to require such treatment in the course of their peregrinations During
conversations each subjected his sapling to great varieties of usage bending
it round his back forming an arch of it between his two hands overweighting
it on the ground till it reached nearly a semicircle or perhaps it was hastily
tucked under the arm whilst the samplebag was pulled forth and a handful of
corn poured into the palm which after criticism was flung upon the floor an
issue of events perfectly well known to halfadozen acute townbred fowls which
had as usual crept into the building unobserved and waited the fulfilment of
their anticipations with a highstretched neck and oblique eye
Among these heavy yeomen a feminine figure glided the single one of her sex
that the room contained She was prettily and even daintily dressed She moved
between them as a chaise between carts was heard after them as a romance after
sermons was felt among them like a breeze among furnaces It had required a
little determination far more than she had at first imagined to take up a
position here for at her first entry the lumbering dialogues had ceased nearly
every face had been turned towards her and those that were already turned
rigidly fixed there
Two or three only of the farmers were personally known to Bathsheba and to
these she had made her way But if she was to be the practical woman she had
intended to show herself business must be carried on introductions or none
and she ultimately acquired confidence enough to speak and reply boldly to men
merely known to her by hearsay Bathsheba too had her samplebags and by
degrees adopted the professional pour into the hand holding up the grains in
her narrow palm for inspection in perfect Casterbridge manner
Something in the exact arch of her upper unbroken row of teeth and in the
keenly pointed corners of her red mouth when with parted lips she somewhat
defiantly turned up her face to argue a point with a tall man suggested that
there was potentiality enough in that lithe slip of humanity for alarming
exploits of sex and daring enough to carry them out But her eyes had a
softness invariably a softness which had they not been dark would have
seemed mistiness as they were it lowered an expression that might have been
piercing to simple clearness
Strange to say of a woman in full bloom and vigour she always allowed her
interlocutors to finish their statements before rejoining with hers In arguing
on prices she held to her own firmly as was natural in a dealer and reduced
theirs persistently as was inevitable in a woman But there was an elasticity
in her firmness which removed it from obstinacy as there was a naïveté in her
cheapening which saved it from meanness
Those of the farmers with whom she had no dealings by far the greater part
were continually asking each other »Who is she« The reply would be
»Farmer Everdenes niece took on Weatherbury Upper Farm turned away the
baily and swears shell do everything herself«
The other man would then shake his head
»Yes tis a pity shes so headstrong« the first would say »But we ought
to be proud of her here she lightens up the old place Tis such a shapely
maid however that shell soon get picked up«
It would be ungallant to suggest that the novelty of her engagement in such
an occupation had almost as much to do with the magnetism as had the beauty of
her face and movements However the interest was general and this Saturdays
débût in the forum whatever it may have been to Bathsheba as the buying and
selling farmer was unquestionably a triumph to her as the maiden Indeed the
sensation was so pronounced that her instinct on two or three occasions was
merely to walk as a queen among these gods of the fallow like a little sister
of a little Jove and to neglect closing prices altogether
The numerous evidences of her power to attract were only thrown into greater
relief by a marked exception Women seem to have eyes in their ribbons for such
matters as these Bathsheba without looking within a right angle of him was
conscious of a black sheep among the flock
It perplexed her first If there had been a respectable minority on either
side the case would have been most natural If nobody had regarded her she
would have taken the matter indifferently such cases had occurred If
everybody this man included she would have taken it as a matter of course
people had done so before But the smallness of the exception made the mystery
She soon knew thus much of the recusants appearance He was a gentlemanly
man with full and distinctly outlined Roman features the prominences of which
glowed in the sun with a bronzelike richness of tone He was erect in attitude
and quiet in demeanour One characteristic preeminently marked him dignity
Apparently he had some time ago reached that entrance to middle age at which
a mans aspect naturally ceases to alter for the term of a dozen years or so
and artificially a womans does likewise Thirtyfive and fifty were his
limits of variation he might have been either or anywhere between the two
It may be said that married men of forty are usually ready and generous
enough to fling passing glances at any specimen of moderate beauty they may
discern by the way Probably as with persons playing whist for love the
consciousness of a certain immunity under any circumstances from that worst
possible ultimate the having to pay makes them unduly speculative Bathsheba
was convinced that this unmoved person was not a married man
When marketing was over she rushed off to Liddy who was waiting for her
beside the yellow gig in which they had driven to town The horse was put in
and on they trotted Bathshebas sugar tea and drapery parcels being packed
behind and expressing in some indescribable manner by their colour shape and
general lineaments that they were that young ladyfarmers property and the
grocer s and drapers no more
»Ive been through it Liddy and it is over I shant mind it again for
they will all have grown accustomed to seeing me there but this morning it was
as bad as being married eyes everywhere«
»I knowed it would be« Liddy said »Men be such a terrible class of society
to look at a body«
»But there was one man who had more sense than to waste his time upon me«
The information was put in this form that Liddy might not for a moment suppose
her mistress was at all piqued »A very goodlooking man« she continued
»upright about forty I should think Do you know at all who he could be«
Liddy couldnt think
»Cant you guess at all« said Bathsheba with some disappointment
»I havent a notion besides tis no difference since he took less notice
of you than any of the rest Now if hed taken more it would have mattered a
great deal«
Bathsheba was suffering from the reverse feeling just then and they bowled
along in silence A low carriage bowling along still more rapidly behind a
horse of unimpeachable breed overtook and passed them
»Why there he is« she said
Liddy looked »That Thats Farmer Boldwood of course tis the man you
couldnt see the other day when he called«
»Oh Farmer Boldwood« murmured Bathsheba and looked at him as he
outstripped them The farmer had never turned his head once but with eyes fixed
on the most advanced point along the road passed as unconsciously and
abstractedly as if Bathsheba and her charms were thin air
»Hes an interesting man dont you think so« she remarked
»O yes very Everybody owns it« replied Liddy
»I wonder why he is so wrapt up and indifferent and seemingly so far away
from all he sees around him«
»It is said but not known for certain that he met with some bitter
disappointment when he was a young man and merry A woman jilted him they say«
»People always say that and we know very well women scarcely ever jilt
men tis the men who jilt us I expect it is simply his nature to be so
reserved«
»Simply his nature I expect so miss nothing else in the world«
»Still tis more romantic to think he has been served cruelly poor thing
Perhaps after all he has«
»Depend upon it he has O yes miss he has I feel he must have«
»However we are very apt to think extremes of people I shouldnt wonder
after all if it wasnt a little of both just between the two rather cruelly
used and rather reserved«
»O dear no miss I cant think it between the two«
»Thats most likely«
»Well yes so it is I am convinced it is most likely You may take my
word miss that thats whats the matter with him«
Chapter XIII
Sortes Sanctorum The Valentine
It was Sunday afternoon in the farmhouse on the thirteenth of February Dinner
being over Bathsheba for want of a better companion had asked Liddy to come
and sit with her The mouldy pile was dreary in wintertime before the candles
were lighted and the shutters closed the atmosphere of the place seemed as old
as the walls every nook behind the furniture had a temperature of its own for
the fire was not kindled in this part of the house early in the day and
Bathshebas new piano which was an old one in other annals looked particularly
sloping and out of level on the warped floor before night threw a shade over its
less prominent angles and hid the unpleasantness Liddy like a little brook
though shallow was always rippling her presence had not so much weight as to
task thought and yet enough to exercise it
On the table lay an old quarto Bible bound in leather Liddy looking at it
said
»Did you ever find out miss who you are going to marry by means of the
Bible and key«
»Dont be so foolish Liddy As if such things could be«
»Well theres a good deal in it all the same«
»Nonsense child«
»And it makes your heart beat fearful Some believe in it some dont I
do«
»Very well lets try it« said Bathsheba bounding from her seat with that
total disregard of consistency which can be indulged in towards a dependent and
entering into the spirit of divination at once »Go and get the front door key«
Liddy fetched it »I wish it wasnt Sunday« she said on returning
»Perhaps tis wrong«
»Whats right week days is right Sundays« replied her mistress in a tone
which was a proof in itself
The book was opened the leaves drab with age being quite worn away at
muchread verses by the forefingers of unpractised readers in former days where
they were moved along under the line as an aid to the vision The special verse
in the Book of Ruth was sought out by Bathsheba and the sublime words met her
eye They slightly thrilled and abashed her It was Wisdom in the abstract
facing Folly in the concrete Folly in the concrete blushed persisted in her
intention and placed the key on the book A rusty patch immediately upon the
verse caused by previous pressure of an iron substance thereon told that this
was not the first time the old volume had been used for the purpose
»Now keep steady and be silent« said Bathsheba
The verse was repeated the book turned round Bathsheba blushed guiltily
»Who did you try« said Liddy curiously
»I shall not tell you«
»Did you notice Mr Boldwoods doings in church this morning miss« Liddy
continued adumbrating by the remark the track her thoughts had taken
»No indeed« said Bathsheba with serene indifference
»His pew is exactly opposite yours miss«
»I know it«
»And you did not see his goings on«
»Certainly I did not I tell you«
Liddy assumed a smaller physiognomy and shut her lips decisively
This move was unexpected and proportionately disconcerting »What did he
do« Bathsheba said perforce
»Didnt turn his head to look at you once all the service«
»Why should he« again demanded her mistress wearing a nettled look »I
didnt ask him to«
»Oh no But everybody else was noticing you and it was odd he didnt
There tis like him Rich and gentlemanly what does he care«
Bathsheba dropped into a silence intended to express that she had opinions
on the matter too abstruse for Liddys comprehension rather than that she had
nothing to say
»Dear me I had nearly forgotten the valentine I bought yesterday« she
exclaimed at length
»Valentine who for miss« said Liddy »Farmer Boldwood«
It was the single name among all possible wrong ones that just at this
moment seemed to Bathsheba more pertinent than the right
»Well no It is only for little Teddy Coggan I have promised him
something and this will be a pretty surprise for him Liddy you may as well
bring me my desk and Ill direct it at once«
Bathsheba took from her desk a gorgeously illuminated and embossed design in
postoctavo which had been bought on the previous marketday at the chief
stationers in Casterbridge In the centre was a small oval enclosure this was
left blank that the sender might insert tender words more appropriate to the
special occasion than any generalities by a printer could possibly be
»Heres a place for writing« said Bathsheba »What shall I put«
»Something of this sort I should think« returned Liddy promptly
»The rose is red
The violet blue
Carnations sweet
And so are you«
»Yes that shall be it It just suits itself to a chubbyfaced child like him«
said Bathsheba She inserted the words in a small though legible handwriting
enclosed the sheet in an envelope and dipped her pen for the direction
»What fun it would be to send it to the stupid old Boldwood and how he
would wonder« said the irrepressible Liddy lifting her eyebrows and indulging
in an awful mirth on the verge of fear as she thought of the moral and social
magnitude of the man contemplated
Bathsheba paused to regard the idea at full length Boldwoods had begun to
be a troublesome image a species of Daniel in her kingdom who persisted in
kneeling eastward when reason and common sense said that he might just as well
follow suit with the rest and afford her the official glance of admiration
which cost nothing at all She was far from being seriously concerned about his
nonconformity Still it was faintly depressing that the most dignified and
valuable man in the parish should withhold his eyes and that a girl like Liddy
should talk about it So Liddys idea was at first rather harassing than
piquant
»No I wont do that He wouldnt see any humour in it«
»Hed worry to death« said the persistent Liddy
»Really I dont care particularly to send it to Teddy« remarked her
mistress »Hes rather anaughty child sometimes«
»Yes that he is«
»Lets toss as men do« said Bathsheba idly »Now then head Boldwood
tail Teddy No we wont toss money on a Sunday that would be tempting the
devil indeed«
»Toss this hymnbook there cant be no sinfulness in that miss«
»Very well Open Boldwood shut Teddy No its more likely to fall open
Open Teddy shut Boldwood«
The book went fluttering in the air and came down shut
Bathsheba a small yawn upon her mouth took the pen and with offhand
serenity directed the missive to Boldwood
»Now light a candle Liddy Which seal shall we use Heres a unicorns head
theres nothing in that Whats this two doves no It ought to be
something extraordinary ought it not Lidd Heres one with a motto I
remember it is some funny one but I cant read it Well try this and if it
doesnt do well have another«
A large red seal was duly affixed Bathsheba looked closely at the hot wax
to discover the words
»Capital« she exclaimed throwing down the letter frolicsomely »Twould
upset the solemnity of a parson and clerk too«
Liddy looked at the words of the seal and read
»MARRY ME«
The same evening the letter was sent and was duly sorted in Casterbridge
postoffice that night to be returned to Weatherbury again in the morning
So very idly and unreflectingly was this deed done Of love as a spectacle
Bathsheba had a fair knowledge but of love subjectively she knew nothing
Chapter XIV
Effect of the Letter Sunrise
At dusk on the evening of St Valentines Day Boldwood sat down to supper as
usual by a beaming fire of aged logs Upon the mantelshelf before him was a
timepiece surmounted by a spread eagle and upon the eagles wings was the
letter Bathsheba had sent Here the bachelors gaze was continually fastening
itself till the large red seal became as a blot of blood on the retina of his
eye and as he ate and drank he still read in fancy the words thereon although
they were too remote for his sight
»MARRY ME«
The pert injunction was like those crystal substances which colourless
themselves assume the tone of objects about them Here in the quiet of
Boldwoods parlour where everything that was not grave was extraneous and
where the atmosphere was that of a Puritan Sunday lasting all the week the
letter and its dictum changed their tenor from the thoughtlessness of their
origin to a deep solemnity imbibed from their accessories now
Since the receipt of the missive in the morning Boldwood had felt the
symmetry of his existence to be slowly getting distorted in the direction of an
ideal passion The disturbance was as the first floating weed to Columbus the
contemptibly little suggesting possibilities of the infinitely great
The letter must have had an origin and a motive That the latter was of the
smallest magnitude compatible with its existence at all Boldwood of course
did not know And such an explanation did not strike him as a possibility even
It is foreign to a mystified condition of mind to realize of the mystifier that
the processes of approving a course suggested by circumstance and of striking
out a course from inner impulse would look the same in the result The vast
difference between starting a train of events and directing into a particular
groove a series already started is rarely apparent to the person confounded by
the issue
When Boldwood went to bed he placed the valentine in the corner of the
lookingglass He was conscious of its presence even when his back was turned
upon it It was the first time in Boldwoods life that such an event had
occurred The same fascination that caused him to think it an act which had a
deliberate motive prevented him from regarding it as an impertinence He looked
again at the direction The mysterious influences of night invested the writing
with the presence of the unknown writer Somebodys some womans hand had
travelled softly over the paper bearing his name her unrevealed eyes had
watched every curve as she formed it her brain had seen him in imagination the
while Why should she have imagined him Her mouth were the lips red or pale
plump or creased had curved itself to a certain expression as the pen went on
the corners had moved with all their natural tremulousness what had been the
expression
The vision of the woman writing as a supplement to the words written had
no individuality She was a misty shape and well she might be considering that
her original was at that moment sound asleep and oblivious of all love and
letterwriting under the sky Whenever Boldwood dozed she took a form and
comparatively ceased to be a vision when he awoke there was the letter
justifying the dream
The moon shone tonight and its light was not of a customary kind His
window admitted only a reflection of its rays and the pale sheen had that
reversed direction which snow gives coming upward and lighting up his ceiling
in an unnatural way casting shadows in strange places and putting lights where
shadows had used to be
The substance of the epistle had occupied him but little in comparison with
the fact of its arrival He suddenly wondered if anything more might be found in
the envelope than what he had withdrawn He jumped out of bed in the weird
light took the letter pulled out the flimsy sheet shook the envelope
searched it Nothing more was there Boldwood looked as he had a hundred times
the preceding day at the insistent red seal »Marry me« he said aloud
The solemn and reserved yeoman again closed the letter and stuck it in the
frame of the glass In doing so he caught sight of his reflected features wan
in expression and insubstantial in form He saw how closely compressed was his
mouth and that his eyes were widespread and vacant Feeling uneasy and
dissatisfied with himself for this nervous excitability he returned to bed
Then the dawn drew on The full power of the clear heaven was not equal to
that of a cloudy sky at noon when Boldwood arose and dressed himself He
descended the stairs and went out towards the gate of a field to the east
leaning over which he paused and looked around
It was one of the usual slow sunrises of this time of the year and the sky
pure violet in the zenith was leaden to the northward and murky to the east
where over the snowy down or ewelease on Weatherbury Upper Farm and
apparently resting upon the ridge the only half of the sun yet visible burnt
rayless like a red and flameless fire shining over a white hearthstone The
whole effect resembled a sunset as childhood resembles age
In other directions the fields and sky were so much of one colour by the
snow that it was difficult in a hasty glance to tell whereabouts the horizon
occurred and in general there was here too that beforementioned
preternatural inversion of light and shade which attends the prospect when the
garish brightness commonly in the sky is found on the earth and the shades of
earth are in the sky Over the west hung the wasting moon now dull and
greenishyellow like tarnished brass
Boldwood was listlessly noting how the frost had hardened and glazed the
surface of the snow till it shone in the red eastern light with the polish of
marble how in some portions of the slope withered grassbents encased in
icicles bristled through the smooth wan coverlet in the twisted and curved
shapes of old Venetian glass and how the footprints of a few birds which had
hopped over the snow whilst it lay in the state of a soft fleece were now
frozen to a short permanency A halfmuffled noise of light wheels interrupted
him Boldwood turned back into the road It was the mailcart a crazy
twowheeled vehicle hardly heavy enough to resist a puff of wind The driver
held out a letter Boldwood seized it and opened it expecting another anonymous
one so greatly are peoples ideas of probability a mere sense that precedent
will repeat itself
»I dont think it is for you sir« said the man when he saw Boldwoods
action »Though there is no name I think it is for your shepherd«
Boldwood looked then at the address
To the New Shepherd
Weather bury Farm
Near Casterbridge
»Oh what a mistake it is not mine Nor is it for my shepherd It is for
Miss Everdenes You had better take it on to him Gabriel Oak and say I
opened it in mistake«
At this moment on the ridge up against the blazing sky a figure was
visible like the black snuff in the midst of a candleflame Then it moved and
began to bustle about vigorously from place to place carrying square skeleton
masses which were riddled by the same rays A small figure on all fours
followed behind The tall form was that of Gabriel Oak the small one that of
George the articles in course of transit were hurdles
»Wait« said Boldwood »Thats the man on the hill Ill take the letter to
him myself«
To Boldwood it was now no longer merely a letter to another man It was an
opportunity Exhibiting a face pregnant with intention he entered the snowy
field
Gabriel at that minute descended the hill towards the right The glow
stretched down in this direction now and touched the distant roof of Warrens
Malthouse whither the shepherd was apparently bent Boldwood followed at a
distance
Chapter XV
A Morning Meeting The Letter Again
The scarlet and orange light outside the malthouse did not penetrate to its
interior which was as usual lighted by a rival glow of similar hue radiating
from the hearth
The maltster after having lain down in his clothes for a few hours was now
sitting beside a threelegged table breakfasting off bread and bacon This was
eaten on the plateless system which is performed by placing a slice of bread
upon the table the meat flat upon the bread a mustard plaster upon the meat
and a pinch of salt upon the whole then cutting them vertically downwards with
a large pocketknife till wood is reached when the severed lump is impaled on
the knife elevated and sent the proper way of food
The maltsters lack of teeth appeared not to sensibly diminish his powers as
a mill He had been without them for so many years that toothlessness was felt
less to be a defect than hard gums an acquisition Indeed he seemed to approach
the grave as a hyperbolic curve approaches a straight line less directly as he
got nearer till it was doubtful if he would ever reach it at all
In the ashpit was a heap of potatoes roasting and a boiling pipkin of
charred bread called coffee for the benefit of whomsoever should call for
Warrens was a sort of clubhouse used as an alternative to the inn
»I say says I we get a fine day and then down comes a snapper at night«
was a remark now suddenly heard spreading into the malthouse from the door
which had been opened the previous moment The form of Henery Fray advanced to
the fire stamping the snow from his boots when about halfway there The speech
and entry had not seemed to be at all an abrupt beginning to the maltster
introductory matter being often omitted in this neighbourhood both from word
and deed and the maltster having the same latitude allowed him did not hurry
to reply He picked up a fragment of cheese by pecking upon it with his knife
as a butcher picks up skewers
Henery appeared in a drab kerseymere greatcoat buttoned over his
smockfrock the white skirts of the latter being visible to the distance of
about a foot below the coattails which when you got used to the style of
dress looked natural enough and even ornamental it certainly was
comfortable
Matthew Moon Joseph Poorgrass and other carters and waggoners followed at
his heels with great lanterns dangling from their hands which showed that they
had just come from the carthorse stables where they had been busily engaged
since four oclock that morning
»And how is she getting on without a baily« the maltster inquired
Henery shook his head and smiled one of the bitter smiles dragging all the
flesh of his forehead into a corrugated heap in the centre
»Shell rue it surely surely« he said »Benjy Pennyways were not a true
man or an honest baily as big a betrayer as Joey Iscariot himself But to
think she can carr on alone« He allowed his head to swing laterally three or
four times in silence »Never in all my creeping up never«
This was recognized by all as the conclusion of some gloomy speech which had
been expressed in thought alone during the shake of the head Henery meanwhile
retained several marks of despair upon his face to imply that they would be
required for use again directly he should go on speaking
»All will be ruined and ourselves too or theres no meat in gentlemens
houses« said Mark Clark
»A headstrong maid thats what she is and wont listen to no advice at
all Pride and vanity have ruined many a cobblers dog Dear dear when I think
o it I sorrows like a man in travel«
»True Henery you do Ive heard ye« said Joseph Poorgrass in a voice of
thorough attestation and with a wiredrawn smile of misery
»Twould do a martel man no harm to have whats under her bonnet« said
Billy Smallbury who had just entered bearing his one tooth before him »She
can spaik real language and must have some sense somewhere Do ye foller me«
»I do but no baily I deserved that place« wailed Henery signifying
wasted genius by gazing blankly at visions of a high destiny apparently visible
to him on Billy Smallburys smockfrock »There twas to be I suppose Your
lot is your lot and Scripture is nothing for if you do good you dont get
rewarded according to your works but be cheated in some mean way out of your
recompense«
»No no I dont agree withee there« said Mark Clark »Gods a perfect
gentleman in that respect«
»Good works good pay so to speak it« attested Joseph Poorgrass
A short pause ensued and as a sort of entr acte Henery turned and blew out
the lanterns which the increase of daylight rendered no longer necessary even
in the malthouse with its one pane of glass
»I wonder what a farmerwoman can want with a harpsichord dulcimer
pianner or whatever tis they dcall it« said the maltster »Liddy saith
sheve a new one«
»Got a pianner«
»Ay Seems her old uncles things were not good enough for her Sheve
bought all but everything new Theres heavy chairs for the stout weak and wiry
ones for the slender great watches getting on to the size of clocks to stand
upon the chimbleypiece«
»Pictures for the most part wonderful frames«
»And long horsehair settles for the drunk with horsehair pillows at each
end« said Mr Cark »Likewise lookingglasses for the pretty and lying books
for the wicked«
A firm loud tread was now heard stamping outside the door was opened about
six inches and somebody on the other side exclaimed
»Neighbours have ye got room for a few newborn lambs«
»Ay sure shepherd« said the conclave
The door was flung back till it kicked the wall and trembled from top to
bottom with the blow Mr Oak appeared in the entry with a steaming face
haybands wound about his ankles to keep out the snow a leather strap round his
waist outside the smockfrock and looking altogether an epitome of the worlds
health and vigour Four lambs hung in various embarrassing attitudes over his
shoulders and the dog George whom Gabriel had contrived to fetch from
Norcombe stalked solemnly behind
»Well Shepherd Oak and hows lambing this year if I mid say it« inquired
Joseph Poorgrass
»Terrible trying« said Oak »Ive been wet through twice aday either in
snow or rain this last fortnight Cainy and I havent tined our eyes tonight«
»A good few twins too I hear«
»Too many by half Yes tis a very queer lambing this year We shant have
done by Lady Day«
»And last year twer all over by Sexajessamine Sunday« Joseph remarked
»Bring on the rest Cain« said Gabriel »and then run back to the ewes
Ill follow you soon«
Cainy Ball a cheeryfaced young lad with a small circular orifice by way
of mouth advanced and deposited two others and retired as he was bidden Oak
lowered the lambs from their unnatural elevation wrapped them in hay and
placed them round the fire
»Weve no lambinghut here as I used to have at Norcombe« said Gabriel
»and tis such a plague to bring the weakly ones to a house If twasnt for
your place here malter I dont know what I should do this keen weather And
how is it with you today malter«
»Oh neither sick nor sorry shepherd but no younger«
»Ay I understand«
»Sit down Shepherd Oak« continued the ancient man of malt »And how was
the old place at Norcombe when ye went for your dog I should like to see the
old familiar spot but faith I shouldnt know a soul there now«
»I suppose you wouldnt Tis altered very much«
»Is it true that Dicky Hills wooden ciderhouse is pulled down«
»O yes years ago and Dickys cottage just above it«
»Well to be sure«
»Yes and Tompkinss old appletree is rooted that used to bear two
hogsheads of cider and no help from other trees«
»Rooted you dont say it Ah stirring times we live in stirring
times«
»And you can mind the old well that used to be in the middle of the place
Thats turned into a solid iron pump with a large stone trough and all
complete«
»Dear dear how the face of nations alter and what we live to see
nowadays Yes and tis the same here Theyve been talking but now of the
misesss strange doings«
»What have you been saying about her« inquired Oak sharply turning to the
rest and getting very warm
»These middleaged men have been pulling her over the coals for pride and
vanity« said Mark Clark »but I say let her have rope enough Bless her pretty
face shouldnt I like to do so upon her cherry lips« The gallant Mark Cark
here made a peculiar and wellknown sound with his own
»Mark« said Gabriel sternly »now you mind this none of that
dalliancetalk that smackandcoddle style of yours about Miss Everdene I
dont allow it Do you hear«
»With all my heart as Ive got no chance« replied Mr Clark cordially
»I suppose youve been speaking against her« said Oak turning to Joseph
Poorgrass with a very grim look
»No no not a word I tis a real joyful thing that shes no worse
thats what I say« said Joseph trembling and blushing with terror »Matthew
just said «
»Matthew Moon what have you been saying« asked Oak
»I Why ye know I wouldnt harm a worm no not one underground worm« said
Matthew Moon looking very uneasy
»Well somebody has and look here neighbours« Gabriel though one of the
quietest and most gentle men on earth rose to the occasion with martial
promptness and vigour »Thats my fist« Here he placed his fist rather smaller
in size than a common loaf in the mathematical centre of the maltsters little
table and with it gave a bump or two thereon as if to ensure that their eyes
all thoroughly took in the idea of fistiness before he went further »Now the
first man in the parish that I hear prophesying bad of our mistress why« here
the fist was raised and let fall as Thor might have done with his hammer in
assaying it »hell smell and taste that or Im a Dutchman«
All earnestly expressed by their features that their minds did not wander to
Holland for a moment on account of this statement but were deploring the
difference which gave rise to the figure and Mark Clark cried »Hear hear just
what I should ha said« The dog George looked up at the same time after the
shepherds menace and though he understood English but imperfectly began to
growl
»Now dont ye take on so shepherd and sit down« said Henery with a
deprecating peacefulness equal to anything of the kind in Christianity
»We hear that ye be a extraordinary good and clever man shepherd« said
Joseph Poorgrass with considerable anxiety from behind the maltsters bedstead
whither he had retired for safety »Tis a great thing to be clever Im sure«
he added making movements associated with states of mind rather than body »we
wish we were dont we neighbours«
»Ay that we do sure« said Matthew Moon with a small anxious laugh
towards Oak to show how very friendly disposed he was likewise
»Whos been telling you Im clever« said Oak
»Tis blowed about from pillar to post quite common« said Matthew »We hear
that ye can tell the time as well by the stars as we can by the sun and moon
shepherd«
»Yes I can do a little that way« said Gabriel as a man of medium
sentiments on the subject
»And that ye can make sundials and prent folks names upon their waggons
almost like copperplate with beautiful flourishes and great long tails A
excellent fine thing for ye to be such a clever man shepherd Joseph Poorgrass
used to prent to Farmer James Everdenes waggons before you came and a could
never mind which way to turn the Js and Es could ye Joseph« Joseph shook
his head to express how absolute was the fact that he couldnt
»And so you used to do em the wrong way like this didnt ye Joseph«
Matthew marked on the dusty floor with his whiphandle
JAMES
»And how Farmer James would cuss and call thee a fool wouldnt he Joseph
when a seed his name looking so insideoutlike« continued Matthew Moon with
feeling
»Ay a would« said Joseph meekly »But you see I wasnt so much to
blame for them Js and Es be such trying sons o witches for the memory to
mind whether they face backward or forward and I always had such a forgetful
memory too«
»Tis a bad affliction for ye being such a man of calamities in other
ways«
»Well tis but a happy Providence ordered that it should be no worse and
I feel my thanks As to shepherd there Im sure misess ought to have made ye
her baily such a fitting man fort as you be«
»I dont mind owning that I expected it« said Oak frankly »Indeed I hoped
for the place At the same time Miss Everdene has a right to be her own baily
if she choose and to keep me down to be a common shepherd only« Oak drew a
slow breath looked sadly into the bright ashpit and seemed lost in thoughts
not of the most hopeful hue
The genial warmth of the fire now began to stimulate the nearly lifeless
lambs to bleat and move their limbs briskly upon the hay and to recognize for
the first time the fact that they were born Their noise increased to a chorus
of baas upon which Oak pulled the milkcan from before the fire and taking a
small teapot from the pocket of his smockfrock filled it with milk and
taught those of the helpless creatures which were not to be restored to their
dams how to drink from the spout a trick they acquired with astonishing
aptitude
»And she dont even let ye have the skins of the dead lambs I hear«
resumed Joseph Poorgrass his eyes lingering on the operations of Oak with the
necessary melancholy
»I dont have them« said Gabriel
»Ye be very badly used shepherd« hazarded Joseph again in the hope of
getting Oak as an ally in lamentation after all »I think shes took against ye
that I do«
»O no not at all« replied Gabriel hastily and a sigh escaped him which
the deprivation of lamb skins could hardly have caused
Before any further remark had been added a shade darkened the door and
Boldwood entered the malthouse bestowing upon each a nod of a quality between
friendliness and condescension
»Ah Oak I thought you were here« he said »I met the mailcart ten
minutes ago and a letter was put into my hand which I opened without reading
the address I believe it is yours You must excuse the accident please«
»O yes not a bit of difference Mr Boldwood not a bit« said Gabriel
readily He had not a correspondent on earth nor was there a possible letter
coming to him whose contents the whole parish would not have been welcome to
peruse
Oak stepped aside and read the following in an unknown hand
»Dear Friend I do not know your name but I think these few lines will
reach you which I write to thank you for your kindness to me the night
I left Weatherbury in a reckless way I also return the money I owe you
which you will excuse my not keeping as a gift All has ended well and
I am happy to say I am going to be married to the young man who has
courted me for some time Sergeant Troy of the 11th Dragoon Guards
now quartered in this town He would I know object to my having
received anything except as a loan being a man of great respectability
and high honour indeed a nobleman by blood
I should be much obliged to you if you would keep the contents of
this letter a secret for the present dear friend We mean to surprise
Weatherbury by coming there soon as husband and wife though I blush to
state it to one nearly a stranger The sergeant grew up in Weatherbury
Thanking you again for your kindness
I am your sincere wellwisher
FANNY ROBIN«
»Have you read it Mr Boldwood« said Gabriel »if not you had better do so I
know you are interested in Fanny Robin«
Boldwood read the letter and looked grieved
»Fanny poor Fanny the end she is so confident of has not yet come she
should remember and may never come I see she gives no address«
»What sort of a man is this Sergeant Troy« said Gabriel
»Hm Im afraid not one to build much hope upon in such a case as this«
the farmer murmured »though hes a clever fellow and up to everything A
slight romance attaches to him too His mother was a French governess and it
seems that a secret attachment existed between her and the late Lord Severn She
was married to a poor medical man and soon after an infant was born and while
money was forthcoming all went on well Unfortunately for her boy his best
friends died and he got then a situation as second clerk at a lawyers in
Casterbridge He stayed there for some time and might have worked himself into
a dignified position of some sort had he not indulged in the wild freak of
enlisting I have much doubt if ever little Fanny will surprise us in the way
she mentions very much doubt A silly girl silly girl«
The door was hurriedly burst open again and in came running Cainy Ball out
of breath his mouth red and open like the bell of a penny trumpet from which
he coughed with noisy vigour and great distension of face
»Now Cain Ball« said Oak sternly »why will you run so fast and lose your
breath so Im always telling you of it«
»Oh I a puff of mee breath went the wrong way please Mister Oak
and made me cough hok hok«
»Well what have you come for«
»Ive run to tell ye« said the junior shepherd supporting his exhausted
youthful frame against the doorpost »that you must come directly Two more ewes
have twinned thats whats the matter Shepherd Oak«
»Oh thats it« said Oak jumping up and dismissing for the present his
thoughts on poor Fanny »You are a good boy to run and tell me Cain and you
shall smell a large plum pudding some day as a treat But before we go Cainy
bring the tarpot and well mark this lot and have done with em«
Oak took from his illimitable pockets a marking iron dipped it into the
pot and imprinted on the buttocks of the infant sheep the initials of her he
delighted to muse on B E which signified to all the region round that
henceforth the lambs belonged to Farmer Bathsheba Everdene and to no one else
»Now Cainy shoulder your two and off Good morning Mr Boldwood« The
shepherd lifted the sixteen large legs and four small bodies he had himself
brought and vanished with them in the direction of the lambing field hard by
their frames being now in a sleek and hopeful state pleasantly contrasting with
their deathsdoor plight of half an hour before
Boldwood followed him a little way up the field hesitated and turned back
He followed him again with a last resolve annihilating return On approaching
the nook in which the fold was constructed the farmer drew out his pocketbook
unfastened it and allowed it to lie open on his hand A letter was revealed
Bathshebas
»I was going to ask you Oak« he said with unreal carelessness »if you
know whose writing this is«
Oak glanced into the book and replied instantly with a flushed face »Miss
Everdenes«
Oak had coloured simply at the consciousness of sounding her name He now
felt a strangely distressing qualm from a new thought The letter could of
course be no other than anonymous or the inquiry would not have been necessary
Boldwood mistook his confusion sensitive persons are always ready with
their »Is it I« in preference to objective reasoning
»The question was perfectly fair« he returned and there was something
incongruous in the serious earnestness with which he applied himself to an
argument on a valentine »You know it is always expected that privy inquiries
will be made thats where the fun lies« If the word fun had been torture it
could not have been uttered with a more constrained and restless countenance
than was Boldwoods then
Soon parting from Gabriel the lonely and reserved man returned to his house
to breakfast feeling twinges of shame and regret at having so far exposed his
mood by those fevered questions to a stranger He again placed the letter on the
mantelpiece and sat down to think of the circumstances attending it by the
light of Gabriels information
Chapter XVI
All Saints and All Souls
On a weekday morning a small congregation consisting mainly of women and
girls rose from its knees in the mouldy nave of a church called All Saints in
the distant barracktown beforementioned at the end of a service without a
sermon They were about to disperse when a smart footstep entering the porch
and coming up the central passage arrested their attention The step echoed
with a ring unusual in a church it was the clink of spurs Everybody looked A
young cavalry soldier in a red uniform with the three chevrons of a sergeant
upon his sleeve strode up the aisle with an embarrassment which was only the
more marked by the intense vigour of his step and by the determination upon his
face to show none A slight flush had mounted his cheek by the time he had run
the gauntlet between these women but passing on through the chancel arch he
never paused till he came close to the altar railing Here for a moment he stood
alone
The officiating curate who had not yet doffed his surplice perceived the
newcomer and followed him to the communionspace He whispered to the soldier
and then beckoned to the clerk who in his turn whispered to an elderly woman
apparently his wife and they also went up the chancel steps
»Tis a wedding« murmured some of the women brightening »Lets wait«
The majority again sat down
There was a creaking of machinery behind and some of the young ones turned
their heads From the interior face of the west wall of the tower projected a
little canopy with a quarterjack and small bell beneath it the automaton being
driven by the same clock machinery that struck the large bell in the tower
Between the tower and the church was a close screen the door of which was kept
shut during services hiding this grotesque clockwork from sight At present
however the door was open and the egress of the jack the blows on the bell
and the mannikins retreat into the nook again were visible to many and
audible throughout the church
The jack had struck halfpast eleven
»Wheres the woman« whispered some of the spectators
The young sergeant stood still with the abnormal rigidity of the old pillars
around He faced the southeast and was as silent as he was still
The silence grew to be a noticeable thing as the minutes went on and nobody
else appeared and not a soul moved The rattle of the quarterjack again from
its niche its blows for threequarters its fussy retreat were almost
painfully abrupt and caused many of the congregation to start palpably
»I wonder where the woman is« a voice whispered again
There began now that slight shifting of feet that artificial coughing among
several which betrays a nervous suspense At length there was a titter But the
soldier never moved There he stood his face to the southeast upright as a
column his cap in his hand
The clock ticked on The women threw off their nervousness and titters and
giggling became more frequent Then came a dead silence Every one was waiting
for the end Some persons may have noticed how extraordinarily the striking of
quarters seems to quicken the flight of time It was hardly credible that the
jack had not got wrong with the minutes when the rattle began again the puppet
emerged and the four quarters were struck fitfully as before One could almost
be positive that there was a malicious leer upon the hideous creatures face
and a mischievous delight in its twitchings Then followed the dull and remote
resonance of the twelve heavy strokes in the tower above The women were
impressed and there was no giggle this time
The clergyman glided into the vestry and the clerk vanished The sergeant
had not yet turned every woman in the church was waiting to see his face and
he appeared to know it At last he did turn and stalked resolutely down the
nave braving them all with a compressed lip Two bowed and toothless old
almsmen then looked at each other and chuckled innocently enough but the sound
had a strange weird effect in that place
Opposite to the church was a paved square around which several overhanging
wood buildings of old time cast a picturesque shade The young man on leaving
the door went to cross the square when in the middle he met a little woman
The expression of her face which had been one of intense anxiety sank at the
sight of his nearly to terror
»Well« he said in a suppressed passion fixedly looking at her
»O Frank I made a mistake I thought that church with the spire was All
Saints and I was at the door at halfpast eleven to a minute as you said I
waited till a quarter to twelve and found then that I was in All Souls But I
wasnt much frightened for I thought it could be tomorrow as well«
»You fool for so fooling me But say no more«
»Shall it be tomorrow Frank« she asked blankly
»Tomorrow« and he gave vent to a hoarse laugh »I dont go through that
experience again for some time I warrant you«
»But after all« she expostulated in a trembling voice »the mistake was not
such a terrible thing Now dear Frank when shall it be«
»Ah when God knows« he said with a light irony and turning from her
walked rapidly away
Chapter XVII
In the MarketPlace
On Saturday Boldwood was in Casterbridge markethouse as usual when the
disturber of his dreams entered and became visible to him Adam had awakened
from his deep sleep and behold there was Eve The farmer took courage and for
the first time really looked at her
Material causes and emotional effects are not to be arranged in regular
equation The result from capital employed in the production of any movement of
a mental nature is sometimes as tremendous as the cause itself is absurdly
minute When women are in a freakish mood their usual intuition either from
carelessness or inherent defect seemingly fails to teach them this and hence
it was that Bathsheba was fated to be astonished today
Boldwood looked at her not slily critically or understandingly but
blankly at gaze in the way a reaper looks up at a passing train as something
foreign to his element and but dimly understood To Boldwood women had been
remote phenomena rather than necessary complements comets of such uncertain
aspect movement and permanence that whether their orbits were as geometrical
unchangeable and as subject to laws as his own or as absolutely erratic as
they superficially appeared he had not deemed it his duty to consider
He saw her black hair her correct facial curves and profile and the
roundness of her chin and throat He saw then the side of her eyelids eyes and
lashes and the shape of her ear Next he noticed her figure her skirt and the
very soles of her shoes
Boldwood thought her beautiful but wondered whether he was right in his
thought for it seemed impossible that this romance in the flesh if so sweet as
he imagined could have been going on long without creating a commotion of
delight among men and provoking more inquiry than Bathsheba had done even
though that was not a little To the best of his judgment neither nature nor art
could improve this perfect one of an imperfect many His heart began to move
within him Boldwood it must be remembered though forty years of age had
never before inspected a woman with the very centre and force of his glance
they had struck upon all his senses at wide angles
Was she really beautiful He could not assure himself that his opinion was
true even now He furtively said to a neighbour »Is Miss Everdene considered
handsome«
»O yes she was a good deal noticed the first time she came if you
remember A very handsome girl indeed«
A man is never more credulous than in receiving favourable opinions on the
beauty of a woman he is half or quite in love with a mere childs word on the
point has the weight of an RAs Boldwood was satisfied now
And this charming woman had in effect said to him Marry me Why should she
have done that strange thing Boldwoods blindness to the difference between
approving of what circumstances suggest and originating what they do not
suggest was well matched by Bathshebas insensibility to the possibly great
issues of little beginnings
She was at this moment coolly dealing with a dashing young farmer adding up
accounts with him as indifferently as if his face had been the pages of a
ledger It was evident that such a nature as his had no attraction for a woman
of Bathshebas taste But Boldwood grew hot down to his hands with an incipient
jealousy he trod for the first time the threshold of the injured lovers hell
His first impulse was to go and thrust himself between them This could be done
but only in one way by asking to see a sample of her corn Boldwood renounced
the idea He could not make the request it was debasing loveliness to ask it to
buy and sell and jarred with his conceptions of her
All this time Bathsheba was conscious of having broken into that dignified
stronghold at last His eyes she knew were following her everywhere This was
a triumph and had it come naturally such a triumph would have been the sweeter
to her for this piquing delay But it had been brought about by misdirected
ingenuity and she valued it only as she valued an artificial flower or a wax
fruit
Being a woman with some good sense in reasoning on subjects wherein her
heart was not involved Bathsheba genuinely repented that a freak which had owed
its existence as much to Liddy as to herself should ever have been undertaken
to disturb the placidity of a man she respected too highly to deliberately
tease
She that day nearly formed the intention of begging his pardon on the very
next occasion of their meeting The worst features of this arrangement were
that if he thought she ridiculed him an apology would increase the offence by
being disbelieved and if he thought she wanted him to woo her it would read
like additional evidence of her forwardness
Chapter XVIII
Boldwood in Meditation Regret
Boldwood was tenant of what was called Little Weatherbury Farm and his person
was the nearest approach to aristocracy that this remoter quarter of the parish
could boast of Genteel strangers whose god was their town who might happen to
be compelled to linger about this nook for a day heard the sound of light
wheels and prayed to see good society to the degree of a solitary lord or
squire at the very least but it was only Mr Boldwood going out for the day
They heard the sound of wheels yet once more and were reanimated to
expectancy it was only Mr Boldwood coming home again
His house stood recessed from the road and the stables which are to a farm
what a fireplace is to a room were behind their lower portions being lost amid
bushes of laurel Inside the blue door open halfway down were to be seen at
this time the backs and tails of halfadozen warm and contented horses standing
in their stalls and as thus viewed they presented alternations of roan and
bay in shapes like a Moorish arch the tail being a streak down the midst of
each Over these and lost to the eye gazing in from the outer light the mouths
of the same animals could be heard busily sustaining the abovenamed warmth and
plumpness by quantities of oats and hay The restless and shadowy figure of a
colt wandered about a loosebox at the end whilst the steady grind of all the
eaters was occasionally diversified by the rattle of a rope or the stamp of a
foot
Pacing up and down at the heels of the animals was Farmer Boldwood himself
This place was his almonry and cloister in one here after looking to the
feeding of his fourfooted dependants the celibate would walk and meditate of
an evening till the moons rays streamed in through the cobwebbed windows or
total darkness enveloped the scene
His squareframed perpendicularity showed more fully now than in the crowd
and bustle of the markethouse In this meditative walk his foot met the floor
with heel and toe simultaneously and his fine reddishfleshed face was bent
downwards just enough to render obscure the still mouth and the wellrounded
though rather prominent and broad chin A few clear and threadlike horizontal
lines were the only interruption to the otherwise smooth surface of his large
forehead
The phases of Boldwoods life were ordinary enough but his was not an
ordinary nature That stillness which struck casual observers more than
anything else in his character and habit and seemed so precisely like the rest
of inanition may have been the perfect balance of enormous antagonistic forces
positives and negatives in fine adjustment His equilibrium disturbed he was
in extremity at once If an emotion possessed him at all it ruled him a
feeling not mastering him was entirely latent Stagnant or rapid it was never
slow He was always hit mortally or he was missed
He had no light and careless touches in his constitution either for good or
for evil Stern in the outlines of action mild in the details he was serious
throughout all He saw no absurd sides to the follies of life and thus though
not quite companionable in the eyes of merry men and scoffers and those to whom
all things show life as a jest he was not intolerable to the earnest and those
acquainted with grief Being a man who read all the dramas of life seriously if
he failed to please when they were comedies there was no frivolous treatment to
reproach him for when they chanced to end tragically
Bathsheba was far from dreaming that the dark and silent shape upon which
she had so carelessly thrown a seed was a hotbed of tropic intensity Had she
known Boldwoods moods her blame would have been fearful and the stain upon her
heart ineradicable Moreover had she known her present power for good or evil
over this man she would have trembled at her responsibility Luckily for her
present unluckily for her future tranquillity her understanding had not yet
told her what Boldwood was Nobody knew entirely for though it was possible to
form guesses concerning his wild capabilities from old floodmarks faintly
visible he had never been seen at the high tides which caused them
Farmer Boldwood came to the stabledoor and looked forth across the level
fields Beyond the first enclosure was a hedge and on the other side of this a
meadow belonging to Bathshebas farm
It was now early spring the time of going to grass with the sheep when
they have the first feed of the meadows before these are laid up for mowing
The wind which had been blowing east for several weeks had veered to the
southward and the middle of spring had come abruptly almost without a
beginning It was that period in the vernal quarter when we may suppose the
Dryads to be waking for the season The vegetable world begins to move and swell
and the saps to rise till in the completest silence of lone gardens and
trackless plantations where everything seems helpless and still after the bond
and slavery of frost there are bustlings strainings united thrusts and
pullsalltogether in comparison with which the powerful tugs of cranes and
pulleys in a noisy city are but pigmy efforts
Boldwood looking into the distant meadows saw there three figures They
were those of Miss Everdene Shepherd Oak and Cainy Ball
When Bathshebas figure shone upon the farmers eyes it lighted him up as
the moon lights up a great tower A mans body is as the shell or the tablet
of his soul as he is reserved or ingenuous overflowing or selfcontained
There was a change in Boldwoods exterior from its former impassibleness and
his face showed that he was now living outside his defences for the first time
and with a fearful sense of exposure It is the usual experience of strong
natures when they love
At last he arrived at a conclusion It was to go across and inquire boldly
of her
The insulation of his heart by reserve during these many years without a
channel of any kind for disposable emotion had worked its effect It has been
observed more than once that the causes of love are chiefly subjective and
Boldwood was a living testimony to the truth of the proposition No mother
existed to absorb his devotion no sister for his tenderness no idle ties for
sense He became surcharged with the compound which was genuine lovers love
He approached the gate of the meadow Beyond it the ground was melodious
with ripples and the sky with larks the low bleating of the flock mingling
with both Mistress and man were engaged in the operation of making a lamb take
which is performed whenever an ewe has lost her own offspring one of the twins
of another ewe being given her as a substitute Gabriel had skinned the dead
lamb and was tying the skin over the body of the live lamb in the customary
manner whilst Bathsheba was holding open a little pen of four hurdles into
which the mother and foisted lamb were driven where they would remain till the
old sheep conceived an affection for the young one
Bathsheba looked up at the completion of the manoeuvre and saw the farmer by
the gate where he was overhung by a willow tree in full bloom Gabriel to whom
her face was as the uncertain glory of an April day was ever regardful of its
faintest changes and instantly discerned thereon the mark of some influence
from without in the form of a keenly selfconscious reddening He also turned
and beheld Boldwood
At once connecting these signs with the letter Boldwood had shown him
Gabriel suspected her of some coquettish procedure begun by that means and
carried on since he knew not how
Farmer Boldwood had read the pantomime denoting that they were aware of his
presence and the perception was as too much light turned upon his new
sensibility He was still in the road and by moving on he hoped that neither
would recognize that he had originally intended to enter the field He passed by
with an utter and overwhelming sensation of ignorance shyness and doubt
Perhaps in her manner there were signs that she wished to see him perhaps not
he could not read a woman The cabala of this erotic philosophy seemed to
consist of the subtlest meanings expressed in misleading ways Every turn look
word and accent contained a mystery quite distinct from its obvious import and
not one had ever been pondered by him until now
As for Bathsheba she was not deceived into the belief that Farmer Boldwood
had walked by on business or in idleness She collected the probabilities of the
case and concluded that she was herself responsible for Boldwoods appearance
there It troubled her much to see what a great flame a little wildfire was
likely to kindle Bathsheba was no schemer for marriage nor was she
deliberately a trifler with the affections of men and a censors experience on
seeing an actual flirt after observing her would have been a feeling of surprise
that Bathsheba could be so different from such a one and yet so like what a
flirt is supposed to be
She resolved never again by look or by sign to interrupt the steady flow
of this mans life But a resolution to avoid an evil is seldom framed till the
evil is so far advanced as to make avoidance impossible
Chapter XIX
The SheepWashing The Offer
Boldwood did eventually call upon her She was not at home »Of course not« he
murmured In contemplating Bathsheba as a woman he had forgotten the accidents
of her position as an agriculturist that being as much of a farmer and as
extensive a farmer as himself her probable whereabouts was outofdoors at
this time of the year This and the other oversights Boldwood was guilty of
were natural to the mood and still more natural to the circumstances The great
aids to idealization in love were present here occasional observation of her
from a distance and the absence of social intercourse with her visual
familiarity oral strangeness The smaller human elements were kept out of
sight the pettinesses that enter so largely into all earthly living and doing
were disguised by the accident of lover and lovedone not being on visiting
terms and there was hardly awakened a thought in Boldwood that sorry household
realities appertained to her or that she like all others had moments of
commonplace when to be least plainly seen was to be most prettily remembered
Thus a mild sort of apotheosis took place in his fancy whilst she still lived
and breathed within his own horizon a troubled creature like himself
It was the end of May when the farmer determined to be no longer repulsed by
trivialities or distracted by suspense He had by this time grown used to being
in love the passion now startled him less even when it tortured him more and
he felt himself adequate to the situation On inquiring for her at her house
they had told him she was at the sheepwashing and he went off to seek her
there
The sheepwashing pool was a perfectly circular basin of brickwork in the
meadows full of the clearest water To birds on the wing its glassy surface
reflecting the light sky must have been visible for miles around as a
glistening Cyclops eye in a green face The grass about the margin at this
season was a sight to remember long in a minor sort of way Its activity in
sucking the moisture from the rich damp sod was almost a process observable by
the eye The outskirts of this level watermeadow were diversified by rounded
and hollow pastures where just now every flower that was not a buttercup was a
daisy The river slid along noiselessly as a shade the swelling reeds and sedge
forming a flexible palisade upon its moist brink To the north of the mead were
trees the leaves of which were new soft and moist not yet having stiffened
and darkened under summer sun and drought their colour being yellow beside a
green green beside a yellow From the recesses of this knot of foliage the
loud notes of three cuckoos were resounding through the still air
Boldwood went meditating down the slopes with his eyes on his boots which
the yellow pollen from the buttercups had bronzed in artistic gradations A
tributary of the main stream flowed through the basin of the pool by an inlet
and outlet at opposite points of its diameter Shepherd Oak Jan Coggan Moon
Poorgrass Cain Ball and several others were assembled here all dripping wet
to the very roots of their hair and Bathsheba was standing by in a new
ridinghabit the most elegant she had ever worn the reins of her horse being
looped over her arm Flagons of cider were rolling about upon the green The
meek sheep were pushed into the pool by Coggan and Matthew Moon who stood by
the lower hatch immersed to their waists then Gabriel who stood on the brink
thrust them under as they swam along with an instrument like a crutch formed
for the purpose and also for assisting the exhausted animals when the wool
became saturated and they began to sink They were let out against the stream
and through the upper opening all impurities flowing away below Cainy Ball and
Joseph who performed this latter operation were if possible wetter than the
rest they resembled dolphins under a fountain every protuberance and angle of
their clothes dribbling forth a small rill
Boldwood came close and bade her good morning with such constraint that she
could not but think he had stepped across to the washing for its own sake
hoping not to find her there more she fancied his brow severe and his eye
slighting Bathsheba immediately contrived to withdraw and glided along by the
river till she was a stones throw off She heard footsteps brushing the grass
and had a consciousness that love was encircling her like a perfume Instead of
turning or waiting Bathsheba went further among the high sedges but Boldwood
seemed determined and pressed on till they were completely past the bend of the
river Here without being seen they could hear the splashing and shouts of the
washers above
»Miss Everdene« said the farmer
She trembled turned and said »Good morning« His tone was so utterly
removed from all she had expected as a beginning It was lowness and quiet
accentuated an emphasis of deep meanings their form at the same time being
scarcely expressed Silence has sometimes a remarkable power of showing itself
as the disembodied soul of feeling wandering without its carcase and it is then
more impressive than speech In the same way to say a little is often to tell
more than to say a great deal Boldwood told everything in that word
As the consciousness expands on learning that what was fancied to be the
rumble of wheels is the reverberation of thunder so did Bathshebas at her
intuitive conviction
»I feel almost too much to think« he said with a solemn simplicity »I
have come to speak to you without preface My life is not my own since I have
beheld you clearly Miss Everdene I come to make you an offer of marriage«
Bathsheba tried to preserve an absolutely neutral countenance and all the
motion she made was that of closing lips which had previously been a little
parted
»I am now fortyone years old« he went on »I may have been called a
confirmed bachelor and I was a confirmed bachelor I had never any views of
myself as a husband in my earlier days nor have I made any calculation on the
subject since I have been older But we all change and my change in this
matter came with seeing you I have telt lately more and more that my present
way of living is bad in every respect Beyond all things I want you as my
wife«
»I feel Mr Boldwood that though I respect you much I do not feel what
would justity me to in accepting your offer« she stammered
This giving back of dignity for dignity seemed to open the sluices of
feeling that Boldwood had as yet kept closed
»My life is a burden without you« he exclaimed in a low voice »I want you
I want you to let me say I love you again and again«
Bathsheba answered nothing and the mare upon her arm seemed so impressed
that instead of cropping the herbage she looked up
»I think and hope you care enough for me to listen to what I have to tell«
Bathshebas momentary impulse at hearing this was to ask why he thought
that till she remembered that far from being a conceited assumption on
Boldwoods part it was but the natural conclusion of serious reflection based
on deceptive premises of her own offering
»I wish I could say courteous flatteries to you« the farmer continued in an
easier tone »and put my rugged feeling into a graceful shape but I have
neither power nor patience to learn such things I want you for my wife so
wildly that no other feeling can abide in me but I should not have spoken out
had I not been led to hope«
»The valentine again O that valentine« she said to herself but not a word
to him
»If you can love me say so Miss Everdene If not dont say no«
»Mr Boldwood it is painful to have to say I am surprised so that I dont
know how to answer you with propriety and respect but am only just able to
speak out my feeling I mean my meaning that I am afraid I cant marry you
much as I respect you You are too dignified for me to suit you sir«
»But Miss Everdene«
»I I didnt I know I ought never to have dreamt of sending that
valentine forgive me sir it was a wanton thing which no woman with any
selfrespect should have done If you will only pardon my thoughtlessness I
promise never to «
»No no no Dont say thoughtlessness Make me think it was something more
that it was a sort of prophetic instinct the beginning of a feeling that you
would like me You torture me to say it was done in thoughtlessness I never
thought of it in that light and I cant endure it Ah I wish I knew how to win
you but that I cant do I can only ask if I have already got you If I have
not and it is not true that you have come unwittingly to me as I have to you I
can say no more«
»I have not fallen in love with you Mr Boldwood certainly I must say
that« She allowed a very small smile to creep for the first time over her
serious face in saying this and the white row of upper teeth and keenlycut
lips already noticed suggested an idea of heartlessness which was immediately
contradicted by the pleasant eyes
»But you will just think in kindness and condescension think if you
cannot bear with me as a husband I fear I am too old for you but believe me I
will take more care of you than would many a man of your own age I will protect
and cherish you with all my strength I will indeed You shall have no cares
be worried by no household affairs and live quite at ease Miss Everdene The
dairy superintendence shall be done by a man I can afford it well you shall
never have so much as to look out of doors at haymaking time or to think of
weather in the harvest I rather cling to the chaise because it is the same my
poor father and mother drove but if you dont like it I will sell it and you
shall have a ponycarriage of your own I cannot say how far above every other
idea and object on earth you seem to me nobody knows God only knows how
much you are to me«
Bathshebas heart was young and it swelled with sympathy for the
deepnatured man who spoke so simply
»Dont say it dont I can not bear you to feel so much and me to feel
nothing And I am afraid they will notice us Mr Boldwood Will you let the
matter rest now I can not think collectedly I did not know you were going to
say this to me O I am wicked to have made you suffer so« She was frightened
as well as agitated at his vehemence
»Say then that you dont absolutely refuse Do not quite refuse«
»I can do nothing I can not answer«
»I may speak to you again on the subiect«
»Yes«
»I may think of you«
»Yes I suppose you may think of me«
»And hope to obtain you«
»No do not hope Let us go on«
»I will call upon you again tomorrow«
»No please not Give me time«
»Yes I will give you any time« he said earnestly and gratefully »I am
happier now«
»No I beg you Dont be happier if happiness only comes from my agreeing
Be neutral Mr Boldwood I must think«
»I will wait« he said
And then she turned away Boldwood dropped his gaze to the ground and stood
long like a man who did not know where he was Realities then returned upon him
like the pain of a wound received in an excitement which eclipses it and he
too then went on
Chapter XX
Perplexity Grinding the Shears A Quarrel
»He is so disinterested and kind to offer me all that I can desire« Bathsheba
mused
Yet Farmer Boldwood whether by nature kind or the reverse to kind did not
exercise kindness here The rarest offerings of the purest loves are but a
selfindulgence and no generosity at all
Bathsheba not being the least in love with him was eventually able to look
calmly at his offer It was one which many women of her own station in the
neighbourhood and not a few of higher rank would have been wild to accept and
proud to publish In every point of view ranging from politic to passionate it
was desirable that she a lonely girl should marry and marry this earnest
welltodo and respected man He was close to her doors his standing was
sufficient his qualities were even supererogatory Had she felt which she did
not any wish whatever for the married state in the abstract she could not
reasonably have rejected him being a woman who frequently appealed to her
understanding for deliverance from her whims Boldwood as a means to marriage
was unexceptionable she esteemed and liked him yet she did not want him It
appears that ordinary men take wives because possession is not possible without
marriage and that ordinary women accept husbands because marriage is not
possible without possession with totally differing aims the method is the same
on both sides But the understood incentive on the womans part was wanting
here Besides Bathshebas position as absolute mistress of a farm and house was
a novel one and the novelty had not yet begun to wear off
But a disquiet filled her which was somewhat to her credit for it would
have affected few Beyond the mentioned reasons with which she combated her
objections she had a strong feeling that having been the one who began the
game she ought in honesty to accept the consequences Still the reluctance
remained She said in the same breath that it would be ungenerous not to marry
Boldwood and that she couldnt do it to save her life
Bathshebas was an impulsive nature under a deliberative aspect An
Elizabeth in brain and a Mary Stuart in spirit she often performed actions of
the greatest temerity with a manner of extreme discretion Many of her thoughts
were perfect syllogisms unluckily they always remained thoughts Only a few
were irrational assumptions but unfortunately they were the ones which most
frequently grew into deeds
The next day to that of the declaration she found Gabriel Oak at the bottom
of her garden grinding his shears for the sheepshearing All the surrounding
cottages were more or less scenes of the same operation the scurr of whetting
spread into the sky from all parts of the village as from an armoury previous to
a campaign Peace and war kiss each other at their hours of preparation
sickles scythes shears and pruninghooks ranking with swords bayonets and
lances in their common necessity for point and edge
Cainy Ball turned the handle of Gabriels grindstone his head performing a
melancholy seesaw up and down with each turn of the wheel Oak stood somewhat
as Eros is represented when in the act of sharpening his arrows his figure
slightly bent the weight of his body thrown over on the shears and his head
balanced sideways with a critical compression of the lips and contraction of
the eyelids to crown the attitude
His mistress came up and looked upon them in silence for a minute or two
then she said
»Cain go to the lower mead and catch the bay mare Ill turn the winch of
the grindstone I want to speak to you Gabriel«
Cain departed and Bathsheba took the handle Gabriel had glanced up in
intense surprise quelled its expression and looked down again Bathsheba
turned the winch and Gabriel applied the shears
The peculiar motion involved in turning a wheel has a wonderful tendency to
benumb the mind It is a sort of attenuated variety of Ixions punishment and
contributes a dismal chapter to the history of gaols The brain gets muddled
the head grows heavy and the bodys centre of gravity seems to settle by
degrees in a leaden lump somewhere between the eyebrows and the crown Bathsheba
felt the unpleasant symptoms after two or three dozen turns
»Will you turn Gabriel and let me hold the shears« she said »My head is
in a whirl and I cant talk«
Gabriel turned Bathsheba then began with some awkwardness allowing her
thoughts to stray occasionally from her story to attend to the shears which
required a little nicety in sharpening
»I wanted to ask you if the men made any observations on my going behind the
sedge with Mr Boldwood yesterday«
»Yes they did« said Gabriel »You dont hold the shears right miss I
knew you wouldnt know the way hold like this«
He relinquished the winch and enclosing her two hands completely in his own
taking each as we sometimes clasp a childs hand in teaching him to write
grasped the shears with her »Incline the edge so« he said
Hands and shears were inclined to suit the words and held thus for a
peculiarly long time by the instructor as he spoke
»That will do« exclaimed Bathsheba »Loose my hands I wont have them
held Turn the winch«
Gabriel freed her hands quietly retired to his handle and the grinding
went on
»Did the men think it odd« she said again
»Odd was not the idea miss«
»What did they say«
»That Farmer Boldwoods name and your own were likely to be flung over
pulpit together before the year was out«
»I thought so by the look of them Why theres nothing in it A more
foolish remark was never made and I want you to contradict it thats what I
came for«
Gabriel looked incredulous and sad but between his moments of incredulity
relieved
»They must have heard our conversation« she continued
»Well then Bathsheba« said Oak stopping the handle and gazing into her
face with astonishment
»Miss Everdene you mean« she said with dignity
»I mean this that if Mr Boldwood really spoke of marriage I baint going
to tell a story and say he didnt to please you I have already tried to please
you too much for my own good«
Bathsheba regarded him with roundeyed perplexity She did not know whether
to pity him for disappointed love of her or to be angry with him for having got
over it his tone being ambiguous
»I said I wanted you just to mention that it was not true I was going to be
married to him« she murmured with a slight decline in her assurance
»I can say that to them if you wish Miss Everdene And I could likewise
give an opinion to ee on what you have done«
»I daresay But I dont want your opinion«
»I suppose not« said Gabriel bitterly and going on with his turning his
words rising and falling in a regular swell and cadence as he stooped or rose
with the winch which directed them according to his position perpendicularly
into the earth or horizontally along the garden his eyes being fixed on a leaf
upon the ground
With Bathsheba a hastened act was a rash act but as does not always
happen time gained was prudence ensured It must be added however that time
was very seldom gained At this period the single opinion in the parish on
herself and her doings that she valued as sounder than her own was Gabriel
Oaks And the outspoken honesty of his character was such that on any subject
even that of her love for or marriage with another man the same
disinterestedness of opinion might be calculated on and be had for the asking
Thoroughly convinced of the impossibility of his own suit a high resolve
constrained him not to injure that of another This is a lovers most stoical
virtue as the lack of it is a lovers most venial sin Knowing he would reply
truly she asked the question painful as she must have known the subject would
be Such is the selfishness of some charming women Perhaps it was some excuse
for her thus torturing honesty to her own advantage that she had absolutely no
other sound judgment within easy reach
»Well what is your opinion of my conduct« she said quietly
»That it is unworthy of any thoughtful and meek and comely woman«
In an instant Bathshebas face coloured with the angry crimson of a Danby
sunset But she forbore to utter this feeling and the reticence of her tongue
only made the loquacity of her face the more noticeable
The next thing Gabriel did was to make a mistake
»Perhaps you dont like the rudeness of my reprimanding you for I know it
is rudeness but I thought it would do good«
She instantly replied sarcastically
»On the contrary my opinion of you is so low that I see in your abuse the
praise of discerning people«
»I am glad you dont mind it for I said it honestly and with every serious
meaning«
»I see But unfortunately when you try not to speak in jest you are
amusing just as when you wish to avoid seriousness you sometimes say a
sensible word«
It was a hard hit but Bathsheba had unmistakably lost her temper and on
that account Gabriel had never in his life kept his own better He said nothing
She then broke out
»I may ask I suppose where in particular my unworthiness lies In my not
marrying you perhaps«
»Not by any means« said Gabriel quietly »I have long given up thinking of
that matter«
»Or wishing it I suppose« she said and it was apparent that she expected
an unhesitating denial of this supposition
Whatever Gabriel felt he coolly echoed her words
»Or wishing it either«
A woman may be treated with a bitterness which is sweet to her and with a
rudeness which is not offensive Bathsheba would have submitted to an indignant
chastisement for her levity had Gabriel protested that he was loving her at the
same time the impetuosity of passion unrequited is bearable even if it stings
and anathematizes there is a triumph in the humiliation and a tenderness in
the strife This was what she had been expecting and what she had not got To
be lectured because the lecturer saw her in the cold morning light of
openshuttered disillusion was exasperating He had not finished either He
continued in a more agitated voice
»My opinion is since you ask it that you are greatly to blame for playing
pranks upon a man like Mr Boldwood merely as a pastime Leading on a man you
dont care for is not a praiseworthy action And even Miss Everdene if you
seriously inclined towards him you might have let him find it out in some way
of true lovingkindness and not by sending him a valentines letter«
Bathsheba laid down the shears
»I cannot allow any man to to criticize my private conduct« she
exclaimed »Nor will I for a minute So youll please leave the farm at the end
of the week«
It may have been a peculiarity at any rate it was a fact that when
Bathsheba was swayed by an emotion of an earthly sort her lower lip trembled
when by a refined emotion her upper or heavenward one Her nether lip quivered
now
»Very well so I will« said Gabriel calmly He had been held to her by a
beautiful thread which it pained him to spoil by breaking rather than by a
chain he could not break »I should be even better pleased to go at once« he
added
»Go at once then in Heavens name« said she her eyes flashing at his
though never meeting them »Dont let me see your face any more«
»Very well Miss Everdene so it shall be«
And he took his shears and went away from her in placid dignity as Moses
left the presence of Pharaoh
Chapter XXI
Troubles in the Fold A Message
Gabriel Oak had ceased to feed the Weatherbury flock for about fourandtwenty
hours when on Sunday afternoon the elderly gentlemen Joseph Poorgrass Matthew
Moon Fray and halfadozen others came running up to the house of the
mistress of the Upper Farm
»Whatever is the matter men« she said meeting them at the door just as
she was coming out on her way to church and ceasing in a moment from the close
compression of her two red lips with which she had accompanied the exertion of
pulling on a tight glove
»Sixty« said Joseph Poorgrass
»Seventy« said Moon
»Fiftynine« said Susan Talls husband
» Sheep have broke fence« said Fray
» And got into a field of young clover« said Tall
» Young clover« said Moon
» Clover« said Joseph Poorgrass
»And they be getting blasted« said Henery Fray
»That they be« said Joseph
»And will all die as dead as nits if they baint got out and cured« said
Tall
Josephs countenance was drawn into lines and puckers by his concern Frays
forehead was wrinkled both perpendicularly and crosswise after the pattern of a
portcullis expressive of a double despair Laban Talls lips were thin and his
face was rigid Matthews jaws sank and his eyes turned whichever way the
strongest muscle happened to pull them
»Yes« said Joseph »and I was sitting at home looking for Ephesians and
says I to myself Tis nothing but Corinthians and Thessalonians in this danged
Testament when who should come in but Henery there Joseph he said the sheep
have blasted theirselves «
With Bathsheba it was a moment when thought was speech and speech
exclamation Moreover she had hardly recovered her equanimity since the
disturbance which she had suffered from Oaks remarks
»Thats enough thats enough O you fools« she cried throwing the
parasol and Prayerbook into the passage and running out of doors in the
direction signified »To come to me and not go and get them out directly O
the stupid numskulls«
Her eyes were at their darkest and brightest now Bathshebas beauty
belonging rather to the demonian than to the angelic school she never looked so
well as when she was angry and particularly when the effect was heightened by
a rather dashing velvet dress carefully put on before a glass
All the ancient men ran in a jumbled throng after her to the cloverfield
Joseph sinking down in the midst when about halfway like an individual
withering in a world which was more and more insupportable Having once received
the stimulus that her presence always gave them they went round among the sheep
with a will The majority of the afflicted animals were lying down and could
not be stirred These were bodily lifted out and the others driven into the
adjoining field Here after the lapse of a few minutes several more fell down
and lay helpless and livid as the rest
Bathsheba with a sad bursting heart looked at these primest specimens of
her prime flock as they rolled there
Swoln with wind and the rank mist they drew
Many of them foamed at the mouth their breathing being quick and short whilst
the bodies of all were fearfully distended
»O what can I do what can I do« said Bathsheba helplessly »Sheep are
such unfortunate animals theres always something happening to them I never
knew a flock pass a year without getting into some scrape or other«
»Theres only one way of saving them« said Tall
»What way Tell me quick«
»They must be pierced in the side with a thing made on purpose«
»Can you do it Can I«
»No maam We cant nor you neither It must be done in a particular spot
If ye go to the right or left but an inch you stab the ewe and kill her Not
even a shepherd can do it as a rule«
»Then they must die« she said in a resigned tone
»Only one man in the neighbourhood knows the way« said Joseph now just
come up »He could cure em all if he were here«
»Who is he Lets get him«
»Shepherd Oak« said Matthew »Ah hes a clever man in talents«
»Ah that he is so« said Joseph Poorgrass
»True hes the man« said Laban Tall
»How dare you name that man in my presence« she said excitedly »I told you
never to allude to him nor shall you if you stay with me Ah« she added
brightening »Farmer Boldwood knows«
»O no maam« said Matthew »Two of his store ewes got into some vetches
tother day and were just like these He sent a man on horseback here
posthaste for Gable and Gable went and saved em Farmer Boldwood hev got the
thing they do it with Tis a holler pipe with a sharp pricker inside Isnt
it Joseph«
»Ay a holler pipe« echoed Joseph »Thats what tis«
»Ay sure thats the machine« chimed in Henery Fray reflectively with an
Oriental indifference to the flight of time
»Well« burst out Bathsheba »dont stand there with your ayes and your
sures talking at me Get somebody to cure the sheep instantly«
All then stalked off in consternation to get somebody as directed without
any idea of who it was to be In a minute they had vanished through the gate
and she stood alone with the dying flock
»Never will I send for him never« she said firmly
One of the ewes here contracted its muscles horribly extended itself and
jumped high into the air The leap was an astonishing one The ewe fell heavily
and lay still
Bathsheba went up to it The sheep was dead
»O what shall I do what shall I do« she again exclaimed wringing her
hands »I wont send for him No I wont«
The most vigorous expression of a resolution does not always coincide with
the greatest vigour of the resolution itself It is often flung out as a sort of
prop to support a decaying conviction which whilst strong required no
enunciation to prove it so The No I wont of Bathsheba meant virtually I
think I must
She followed her assistants through the gate and lifted her hand to one of
them Laban answered to her signal
»Where is Oak staying«
»Across the valley at Nest Cottage«
»Jump on the bay mare and ride across and say he must return instantly
that I say so«
Tall scrambled off to the field and in two minutes was on Poll the bay
barebacked and with only a halter by way of rein He diminished down the hill
Bathsheba watched So did all the rest Tall cantered along the bridlepath
through Sixteen Acres Sheeplands Middle Field The Flats Cappels Piece
shrank almost to a point crossed the bridge and ascended from the valley
through Springmead and Whitepits on the other side The cottage to which Gabriel
had retired before taking his final departure from the locality was visible as a
white spot on the opposite hill backed by blue firs Bathsheba walked up and
down The men entered the field and endeavoured to ease the anguish of the dumb
creatures by rubbing them Nothing availed
Bathsheba continued walking The horse was seen descending the hill and the
wearisome series had to be repeated in reverse order Whitepits Springmead
Cappels Piece The Flats Middle Field Sheeplands Sixteen Acres She hoped
Tall had had presence of mind enough to give the mare up to Gabriel and return
himself on foot The rider neared them It was Tall
»O what folly« said Bathsheba
Gabriel was not visible anywhere
»Perhaps he is already gone« she said
Tall came into the inclosure and leapt off his face tragic as Mortons
after the battle of Shrewsbury
»Well« said Bathsheba unwilling to believe that her verbal
lettredecachet could possibly have miscarried
»He says beggars mustnt be choosers« replied Laban
»What« said the young farmer opening her eyes and drawing in her breath
for an outburst Joseph Poorgrass retired a few steps behind a hurdle
»He says he shall not come onless you request en to come civilly and in a
proper manner as becomes any ooman begging a favour«
»Oh oh thats his answer Where does he get his airs Who am I then to
be treated like that Shall I beg to a man who has begged to me«
Another of the flock sprang into the air and fell dead
The men looked grave as if they suppressed opinion
Bathsheba turned aside her eyes full of tears The strait she was in
through pride and shrewishness could not be disguised longer she burst out
crying bitterly they all saw it and she attempted no further concealment
»I wouldnt cry about it miss« said William Smallbury compassionately
»Why not ask him softer like Im sure hed come then Gable is a true man in
that way«
Bathsheba checked her grief and wiped her eyes »O it is a wicked cruelty
to me it is it is« she murmured »And he drives me to do what I wouldnt
yes he does Tall come indoors«
After this collapse not very dignified for the head of an establishment
she went into the house Tall at her heels Here she sat down and hastily
scribbled a note between the small convulsive sobs of convalescence which follow
a fit of crying as a groundswell follows a storm The note was none the less
polite for being written in a hurry She held it at a distance was about to
fold it then added these words at the bottom
»Do not desert me Gabriel«
She looked a little redder in refolding it and closed her lips as if thereby
to suspend till too late the action of conscience in examining whether such
strategy were justifiable The note was despatched as the message had been and
Bathsheba waited indoors for the result
It was an anxious quarter of an hour that intervened between the messengers
departure and the sound of the horses tramp again outside She could not watch
this time but leaning over the old bureau at which she had written the letter
closed her eyes as if to keep out both hope and fear
The case however was a promising one Gabriel was not angry he was simply
neutral although her first command had been so haughty Such imperiousness
would have damned a little less beauty and on the other hand such beauty would
have redeemed a little less imperiousness
She went out when the horse was heard and looked up A mounted figure
passed between her and the sky and drew on towards the field of sheep the
rider turning his face in receding Gabriel looked at her It was a moment when
a womans eyes and tongue tell distinctly opposite tales Bathsheba looked full
of gratitude and she said
»O Gabriel how could you serve me so unkindly«
Such a tenderlyshaped reproach for his previous delay was the one speech in
the language that he could pardon for not being commendation of his readiness
now
Gabriel murmured a confused reply and hastened on She knew from the look
which sentence in her note had brought him Bathsheba followed to the field
Gabriel was already among the turgid prostrate forms He had flung off his
coat rolled up his shirtsleeves and taken from his pocket the instrument of
salvation It was a small tube or trochar with a lance passing down the inside
and Gabriel began to use it with a dexterity that would have graced a
hospitalsurgeon Passing his hand over the sheeps left flank and selecting
the proper point he punctured the skin and rumen with the lance as it stood in
the tube then he suddenly withdrew the lance retaining the tube in its place
A current of air rushed up the tube forcible enough to have extinguished a
candle held at the orifice
It has been said that mere ease after torment is delight for a time and the
countenances of these poor creatures expressed it now Fortynine operations
were successfully performed Owing to the great hurry necessitated by the
fargone state of some of the flock Gabriel missed his aim in one case and in
one only striking wide of the mark and inflicting a mortal blow at once upon
the suffering ewe Four had died three recovered without an operation The
total number of sheep which had thus strayed and injured themselves so
dangerously was fiftyseven
When the loveled man had ceased from his labours Bathsheba came and looked
him in the face
»Gabriel will you stay on with me« she said smiling winningly and not
troubling to bring her lips quite together again at the end because there was
going to be another smile soon
»I will« said Gabriel
And she smiled on him again
Chapter XXII
The Great Barn and the SheepShearers
Men thin away to insignificance and oblivion quite as often by not making the
most of good spirits when they have them as by lacking good spirits when they
are indispensable Gabriel lately for the first time since his prostration by
misfortune had been independent in thought and vigorous in action to a marked
extent conditions which powerless without an opportunity as an opportunity
without them is barren would have given him a sure lift upwards when the
favourable conjunction should have occurred But this incurable loitering beside
Bathsheba Everdene stole his time ruinously The spring tides were going by
without floating him off and the neap might soon come which could not
It was the first day of June and the sheepshearing season culminated the
landscape even to the leanest pasture being all health and colour Every green
was young every pore was open and every stalk was swollen with racing currents
of juice God was palpably present in the country and the devil had gone with
the world to town Flossy catkins of the later kinds fernsprouts like bishops
croziers the squareheaded moschatel the odd cuckoopint like an apoplectic
saint in a niche of malachite snowwhite ladiessmocks the toothwort
approximating to human flesh the enchanters nightshade and the blackpetaled
dolefulbells were among the quainter objects of the vegetable world in and
about Weatherbury at this teeming time and of the animal the metamorphosed
figures of Mr Jan Coggan the mastershearer the second and third shearers
who travelled in the exercise of their calling and do not require definition by
name Henery Fray the fourth shearer Susan Talls husband the fifth Joseph
Poorgrass the sixth young Cain Ball as assistantshearer and Gabriel Oak as
general supervisor None of these were clothed to any extent worth mentioning
each appearing to have hit in the matter of raiment the decent mean between a
high and low caste Hindoo An angularity of lineament and a fixity of facial
machinery in general proclaimed that serious work was the order of the day
They sheared in the great barn called for the nonce the Shearingbarn
which on groundplan resembled a church with transepts It not only emulated the
form of the neighbouring church of the parish but vied with it in antiquity
Whether the barn had ever formed one of a group of conventual buildings nobody
seemed to be aware no trace of such surroundings remained The vast porches at
the sides lofty enough to admit a waggon laden to its highest with corn in the
sheaf were spanned by heavypointed arches of stone broadly and boldly cut
whose very simplicity was the origin of a grandeur not apparent in erections
where more ornament has been attempted The dusky filmed chestnut roof braced
and tied in by huge collars curves and diagonals was far nobler in design
because more wealthy in material than ninetenths of those in our modern
churches Along each side wall was a range of striding buttresses throwing deep
shadows on the spaces between them which were perforated by lancet openings
combining in their proportions the precise requirements both of beauty and
ventilation
One could say about this barn what could hardly be said of either the
church or the castle akin to it in age and style that the purpose which had
dictated its original erection was the same with that to which it was still
applied Unlike and superior to either of those two typical remnants of
mediævalism the old barn embodied practices which had suffered no mutilation at
the hands of time Here at least the spirit of the ancient builders was at one
with the spirit of the modern beholder Standing before this abraded pile the
eye regarded its present usage the mind dwelt upon its past history with a
satisfied sense of functional continuity throughout a feeling almost of
gratitude and quite of pride at the permanence of the idea which had heaped it
up The fact that four centuries had neither proved it to be founded on a
mistake inspired any hatred of its purpose nor given rise to any reaction that
had battered it down invested this simple grey effort of old minds with a
repose if not a grandeur which a too curious reflection was apt to disturb in
its ecclesiastical and military compeers For once mediævalism and modernism had
a common standpoint The lanceolate windows the timeeaten archstones and
chamfers the orientation of the axis the misty chestnut work of the rafters
referred to no exploded fortifying art or wornout religious creed The defence
and salvation of the body by daily bread is still a study a religion and a
desire
Today the large side doors were thrown open towards the sun to admit a
bountiful light to the immediate spot of the shearers operations which was the
wood threshingfloor in the centre formed of thick oak black with age and
polished by the beating of flails for many generations till it had grown as
slippery and as rich in hue as the stateroom floors of an Elizabethan mansion
Here the shearers knelt the sun slanting in upon their bleached shirts tanned
arms and the polished shears they flourished causing these to bristle with a
thousand rays strong enough to blind a weakeyed man Beneath them a captive
sheep lay panting quickening its pants as misgiving merged in terror till it
quivered like the hot landscape outside
This picture of today in its frame of four hundred years ago did not
produce that marked contrast between ancient and modern which is implied by the
contrast of date In comparison with cities Weatherbury was immutable The
citizens Then is the rustics Now In London twenty or thirty years ago are
old times in Paris ten years or five in Weatherbury three or four score years
were included in the mere present and nothing less than a century set a mark on
its face or tone Five decades hardly modified the cut of a gaiter the
embroidery of a smockfrock by the breadth of a hair Ten generations failed to
alter the turn of a single phrase In these Wessex nooks the busy outsiders
ancient times are only old his old times are still new his present is
futurity
So the barn was natural to the shearers and the shearers were in harmony
with the barn
The spacious ends of the building answering ecclesiastically to nave and
chancel extremities were fenced off with hurdles the sheep being all collected
in a crowd within these two enclosures and in one angle a catchingpen was
formed in which three or four sheep were continuously kept ready for the
shearers to seize without loss of time In the background mellowed by tawny
shade were the three women Maryann Money and Temperance and Soberness Miller
gathering up the fleeces and twisting ropes of wool with a wimble for tying them
round They were indifferently well assisted by the old maltster who when the
malting season from October to April had passed made himself useful upon any of
the bordering farmsteads
Behind all was Bathsheba carefully watching the men to see that there was
no cutting or wounding through carelessness and that the animals were shorn
close Gabriel who flitted and hovered under her bright eyes like a moth did
not shear continuously half his time being spent in attending to the others and
selecting the sheep for them At the present moment he was engaged in handing
round a mug of mild liquor supplied from a barrel in the corner and cut pieces
of bread and cheese
Bathsheba after throwing a glance here a caution there and lecturing one
of the younger operators who had allowed his last finished sheep to go off among
the flock without restamping it with her initials came again to Gabriel as he
put down the luncheon to drag a frightened ewe to his shearstation flinging it
over upon its back with a dexterous twist of the arm He lopped off the tresses
about its head and opened up the neck and collar his mistress quietly looking
on
»She blushes at the insult« murmured Bathsheba watching the pink flush
which arose and overspread the neck and shoulders of the ewe where they were
left bare by the clicking shears a flush which was enviable for its delicacy
by many queens of coteries and would have been creditable for its promptness
to any woman in the world
Poor Gabriels soul was fed with a luxury of content by having her over him
her eyes critically regarding his skilful shears which apparently were going to
gather up a piece of the flesh at every close and yet never did so Like
Guildenstern Oak was happy in that he was not over happy He had no wish to
converse with her that his bright lady and himself formed one group
exclusively their own and containing no others in the world was enough
So the chatter was all on her side There is a loquacity that tells nothing
which was Bathshebas and there is a silence which says much that was
Gabriels Full of this dim and temperate bliss he went on to fling the ewe over
upon her other side covering her head with his knee gradually running the
shears line after line round her dewlap thence about her flank and back and
finishing over the tail
»Well done and done quickly« said Bathsheba looking at her watch as the
last snip resounded
»How long miss« said Gabriel wiping his brow
»Threeandtwenty minutes and a half since you took the first lock from its
forehead It is the first time that I have ever seen one done in less than half
an hour«
The clean sleek creature arose from its fleece how perfectly like
Aphrodite rising from the foam should have been seen to be realized looking
startled and shy at the loss of its garment which lay on the floor in one soft
cloud united throughout the portion visible being the inner surface only
which never before exposed was white as snow and without flaw or blemish of
the minutest kind
»Cain Ball«
»Yes Mister Oak here I be«
Cainy now runs forward with the tarpot B E is newly stamped upon the
shorn skin and away the simple dam leaps panting over the board into the
shirtless flock outside Then up comes Maryann throws the loose locks into the
middle of the fleece rolls it up and carries it into the background as
threeandahalf pounds of unadulterated warmth for the winter enjoyment of
persons unknown and far away who will however never experience the
superlative comfort derivable from the wool as it here exists new and pure
before the unctuousness of its nature whilst in a living state has dried
stiffened and been washed out rendering it just now as superior to anything
woollen as cream is superior to milkandwater
But heartless circumstance could not leave entire Gabriels happiness of
this morning The rams old ewes and twoshear ewes had duly undergone their
stripping and the men were proceeding with the shearlings and hogs when Oaks
belief that she was going to stand pleasantly by and time him through another
performance was painfully interrupted by Farmer Boldwoods appearance in the
extremest corner of the barn Nobody seemed to have perceived his entry but
there he certainly was Boldwood always carried with him a social atmosphere of
his own which everybody felt who came near him and the talk which Bathshebas
presence had somewhat suppressed was now totally suspended
He crossed over towards Bathsheba who turned to greet him with a carriage
of perfect ease He spoke to her in low tones and she instinctively modulated
her own to the same pitch and her voice ultimately even caught the inflection
of his She was far from having a wish to appear mysteriously connected with
him but woman at the impressionable age gravitates to the larger body not only
in her choice of words which is apparent every day but even in her shades of
tone and humour when the influence is great
What they conversed about was not audible to Gabriel who was too
independent to get near though too concerned to disregard The issue of their
dialogue was the taking of her hand by the courteous farmer to help her over the
spreadingboard into the bright June sunlight outside Standing beside the sheep
already shorn they went on talking again Concerning the flock Apparently not
Gabriel theorized not without truth that in quiet discussion of any matter
within reach of the speakers eyes these are usually fixed upon it Bathsheba
demurely regarded a contemptible straw lying upon the ground in a way which
suggested less ovine criticism than womanly embarrassment She became more or
less red in the cheek the blood wavering in uncertain flux and reflux over the
sensitive space between ebb and flood Gabriel sheared on constrained and sad
She left Boldwoods side and he walked up and down alone for nearly a
quarter of an hour Then she reappeared in her new ridinghabit of myrtlegreen
which fitted her to the waist as a rind fits its fruit and young Bob Coggan led
on her mare Boldwood fetching his own horse from the tree under which it had
been tied
Oaks eyes could not forsake them and in endeavouring to continue his
shearing at the same time that he watched Boldwoods manner he snipped the
sheep in the groin The animal plunged Bathsheba instantly gazed towards it
and saw the blood
»O Gabriel« she exclaimed with severe remonstrance »you who are so strict
with the other men see what you are doing yourself«
To an outsider there was not much to complain of in this remark but to Oak
who knew Bathsheba to be well aware that she herself was the cause of the poor
ewes wound because she had wounded the ewes shearer in a still more vital
part it had a sting which the abiding sense of his inferiority to both herself
and Boldwood was not calculated to heal But a manly resolve to recognize boldly
that he had no longer a lovers interest in her helped him occasionally to
conceal a feeling
»Bottle« he shouted in an unmoved voice of routine Cainy Ball ran up the
wound was anointed and the shearing continued
Boldwood gently tossed Bathsheba into the saddle and before they turned
away she again spoke out to Oak with the same dominative and tantalizing
graciousness
»I am going now to see Mr Boldwoods Leicesters Take my place in the barn
Gabriel and keep the men carefully to their work«
The horses heads were put about and they trotted away
Boldwoods deep attachment was a matter of great interest among all around
him but after having been pointed out for so many years as the perfect
exemplar of thriving bachelorship his lapse was an anticlimax somewhat
resembling that of St John Longs death by consumption in the midst of his
proofs that it was not a fatal disease
»That means matrimony« said Temperance Miller following them out of sight
with her eyes
»I reckon thats the size ot« said Coggan working along without looking
up
»Well better wed over the mixen than over the moor« said Laban Tall
turning his sheep
Henery Fray spoke exhibiting miserable eyes at the same time »I dont see
why a maid should take a husband when shes bold enough to fight her own
battles and dont want a home for tis keeping another woman out But let it
be for tis a pity he and she should trouble two houses«
As usual with decided characters Bathsheba invariably provoked the
criticism of individuals like Henery Fray Her emblazoned fault was to be too
pronounced in her objections and not sufficiently overt in her likings We
learn that it is not the rays which bodies absorb but those which they reject
that give them the colours they are known by and in the same way people are
specialized by their dislikes and antagonisms whilst their goodwill is looked
upon as no attribute at all
Henery continued in a more complaisant mood »I once hinted my mind to her
on a few things as nearly as a battered frame dared to do so to such a froward
piece You all know neighbours what a man I be and how I come down with my
powerful words when my pride is boiling wi scarn«
»We do we do Henery«
»So I said Mistress Everdene theres places empty and theres gifted men
willing but the spite no not the spite I didnt say spite but the
villainy of the contrarikind I said meaning womankind keeps em out That
wasnt too strong for her say«
»Passably well put«
»Yes and I would have said it had death and salvation overtook me for it
Such is my spirit when I have a mind«
»A true man and proud as a lucifer«
»You see the artfulness Why twas about being baily really but I didnt
put it so plain that she could understand my meaning so I could lay it on all
the stronger That was my depth However let her marry an she will Perhaps
tis high time I believe Farmer Boldwood kissed her behind the spearbed at the
sheepwashing tother day that I do«
»What a lie« said Gabriel
»Ah neighbour Oak howst know« said Henery mildly
»Because she told me all that passed« said Oak with a pharisaical sense
that he was not as other shearers in this matter
»Ye have a right to believe it« said Henery with dudgeon »a very true
right But I mid see a little distance into things To be longheaded enough for
a bailys place is a poor mere trifle yet a trifle more than nothing However
I look round upon life quite cool Do you heed me neighbours My words though
made as simple as I can mid be rather deep for some heads«
»O yes Henery we quite heed ye«
»A strange old piece goodmen whirled about from here to yonder as if I
were nothing A little warped too But I have my depths ha and even my great
depths I might gird at a certain shepherd brain to brain But no O no«
»A strange old piece ye say« interposed the maltster in a querulous
voice »At the same time ye be no old man worth naming no old man at all Yer
teeth baint half gone yet and whats a old mans standing if so be his teeth
baint gone Werent I stale in wedlock afore ye were out of arms Tis a poor
thing to be sixty when theres people far past four a boast weak as water«
It was the unvarying custom in Weatherbury to sink minor differences when
the maltster had to be pacified
»Weak as water yes« said Jan Coggan »Malter we feel ye to be a wonderful
veteran man and nobody can gainsay it«
»Nobody« said Joseph Poorgrass »Ye be a very rare old spectacle malter
and we all admire ye for that gift«
»Ay and as a young man when my senses were in prosperity I was likewise
liked by a goodfew who knowed me« said the maltster
»I thout doubt you was ithout doubt«
The bent and hoary man was satisfied and so apparently was Henery Fray
That matters should continue pleasant Maryann spoke who what with her brown
complexion and the working wrapper of rusty linsey had at present the mellow
hue of an old sketch in oils notably some of Nicholas Poussins
»Do anybody know of a crooked man or a lame or any secondhand fellow at
all that would do for poor me« said Maryann »A perfect one I dont expect to
get at my time of life If I could hear of such a thing twould do me more good
than toast and ale«
Coggan furnished a suitable reply Oak went on with his shearing and said
not another word Pestilent moods had come and teased away his quiet Bathsheba
had shown indications of anointing him above his fellows by installing him as
the bailiff that the farm imperatively required He did not covet the post
relatively to the farm in relation to herself as beloved by him and unmarried
to another he had coveted it His readings of her seemed now to be vapoury and
indistinct His lecture to her was he thought one of the absurdest mistakes
Far from coquetting with Boldwood she had trifled with himself in thus feigning
that she had trifled with another He was inwardly convinced that in accordance
with the anticipations of his easygoing and worseeducated comrades that day
would see Boldwood the accepted husband of Miss Everdene Gabriel at this time
of his life had outgrown the instinctive dislike which every Christian boy has
for reading the Bible perusing it now quite frequently and he inwardly said
»I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets« This
was mere exclamation the froth of the storm He adored Bathsheba just the
same
»We workfolk shall have some lordly junketing tonight« said Cainy Ball
casting forth his thoughts in a new direction »This morning I see em making
the great puddens in the milkingpails lumps of fat as big as yer thumb
Mister Oak Ive never seed such splendid large knobs of fat before in the days
of my life they never used to be bigger than a horsebean And there was a
great black crock upon the brandise with his legs asticking out but I dont
know what was in within«
»And theres two bushels of biffins for applepies« said Maryann
»Well I hope to do my duty by it all« said Joseph Poorgrass in a
pleasant masticating manner of anticipation »Yes victuals and drink is a
cheerful thing and gives nerves to the nerveless if the form of words may be
used Tis the gospel of the body without which we perish so to speak it«
Chapter XXIII
Eventide A Second Declaration
For the shearingsupper a long table was placed on the grassplot beside the
house the end of the table being thrust over the sill of the wide parlour
window and a foot or two into the room Miss Everdene sat inside the window
facing down the table She was thus at the head without mingling with the men
This evening Bathsheba was unusually excited her red cheeks and lips
contrasting lustrously with the mazy skeins of her shadowy hair She seemed to
expect assistance and the seat at the bottom of the table was at her request
left vacant until after they had begun the meal She then asked Gabriel to take
the place and the duties appertaining to that end which he did with great
readiness
At this moment Mr Boldwood came in at the gate and crossed the green to
Bathsheba at the window He apologized for his lateness his arrival was
evidently by arrangement
»Gabriel« said she »will you move again please and let Mr Boldwood come
there«
Oak moved in silence back to his original seat
The gentlemanfarmer was dressed in cheerful style in a new coat and white
waistcoat quite contrasting with his usual sober suits of grey Inwardly too
he was blithe and consequently chatty to an exceptional degree So also was
Bathsheba now that he had come though the uninvited presence of Pennyways the
bailiff who had been dismissed for thett disturbed her equanimity for a while
Supper being ended Coggan began on his own private account without
reference to listeners
Ive lost my love and I care not
Ive lost my love and I care not
I shall soon have another
Thats better than tother
Ive lost my love and I care not
This lyric when concluded was received with a silently appreciative gaze at
the table implying that the performance like a work by those established
authors who are independent of notices in the papers was a wellknown delight
which required no applause
»Now Master Poorgrass your song« said Coggan
»I be all but in liquor and the gift is wanting in me« said Joseph
diminishing himself
»Nonsense woust never be so ungrateful Joseph never« said Coggan
expressing hurt feelings by an inflection of voice »And mistress is looking
hard at ye as much as to say Sing at once Joseph Poorgrass«
»Faith so she is well I must suffer it Just eye my features and see
if the telltale blood overheats me much neighbours«
»No yer blushes be quite reasonable« said Coggan
»I always tries to keep my colours from rising when a beautys eyes get
fixed on me« said Joseph diffidently »but if so be tis willed they do they
must«
»Now Joseph your song please« said Bathsheba from the window
»Well really maam« he replied in a yielding tone »I dont know what to
say It would be a poor plain ballet of my own composure«
»Hear hear« said the supperparty
Poorgrass thus assured trilled forth a flickering yet commendable piece of
sentiment the tune of which consisted of the keynote and another the latter
being the sound chiefly dwelt upon This was so successful that he rashly
plunged into a second in the same breath after a few false starts
I sow´ed th´e
I sow´ed
I sow´ed the´e seeds´ of´ love´
Iit was´ all´ i´in the´e spring´
Iin A´pril´ Ma´ay a´nd sun´ny´ June´
When sma´all bi´irds they´ do´ sing
»Well put out of hand« said Coggan at the end of the verse »They do sing was
a very taking paragraph«
»Ay and there was a pretty place at seeds of love and twas well heaved
out Though love is a nasty high corner when a mans voice is getting crazed
Next verse Master Poorgrass«
But during this rendering young Bob Coggan exhibited one of those anomalies
which will afflict little people when other persons are particularly serious in
trying to check his laughter he pushed down his throat as much of the
tablecloth as he could get hold of when after continuing hermetically sealed
for a short time his mirth burst out through his nose Joseph perceived it and
with hectic cheeks of indignation instantly ceased singing Coggan boxed Bobs
ears immediately
»Go on Joseph go on and never mind the young scamp« said Coggan »Tis
a very catching ballet Now then again the next bar Ill help ye to flourish
up the shrill notes where yer wind is rather wheezy
O the wi´illo´ow tree´ will´ twist´
And the wil´low´ tre´ee wi´ill twine´«
But the singer could not be set going again Bob Coggan was sent home for his
ill manners and tranquillity was restored by Jacob Smallbury who volunteered a
ballad as inclusive and interminable as that with which the worthy toper old
Silenus amused on a similar occasion the swains Chromis and Mnasylus and other
jolly dogs of his day
It was still the beaming time of evening though night was stealthily making
itself visible low down upon the ground the western lines of light raking the
earth without alighting upon it to any extent or illuminating the dead levels
at all The sun had crept round the tree as a last effort before death and then
began to sink the shearers lower parts becoming steeped in embrowning
twilight whilst their heads and shoulders were still enjoying day touched with
a yellow of selfsustained brilliancy that seemed inherent rather than acquired
The sun went down in an ochreous mist but they sat and talked on and grew
as merry as the gods in Homers heaven Bathsheba still remained enthroned
inside the window and occupied herself in knitting from which she sometimes
looked up to view the fading scene outside The slow twilight expanded and
enveloped them completely before the signs of moving were shown
Gabriel suddenly missed Farmer Boldwood from his place at the bottom of the
table How long he had been gone Oak did not know but he had apparently
withdrawn into the encircling dusk Whilst he was thinking of this Liddy brought
candles into the back part of the room overlooking the shearers and their
lively new flames shone down the table and over the men and dispersed among the
green shadows behind Bathshebas form still in its original position was now
again distinct between their eyes and the light which revealed that Boldwood
had gone inside the room and was sitting near her
Next came the question of the evening Would Miss Everdene sing to them the
song she always sang so charmingly The Banks of Allan Water before they went
home
After a moments consideration Bathsheba assented beckoning to Gabriel who
hastened up into the coveted atmosphere
»Have you brought your flute« she whispered
»Yes miss«
»Play to my singing then«
She stood up in the windowopening facing the men the candles behind her
Gabriel on her right hand immediately outside the sashframe Boldwood had
drawn up on her left within the room Her singing was soft and rather tremulous
at first but it soon swelled to a steady clearness Subsequent events caused
one of the verses to be remembered for many months and even years by more than
one of those who were gathered there
For his bride a soldier sought her
And a winning tongue had he
On the banks of Allan Water
None was gay as she
In addition to the dulcet piping of Gabriels flute Boldwood supplied a bass in
his customary profound voice uttering his notes so softly however as to
abstain entirely from making anything like an ordinary duet of the song they
rather formed a rich unexplored shadow which threw her tones into relief The
shearers reclined against each other as at suppers in the early ages of the
world and so silent and absorbed were they that her breathing could almost be
heard between the bars and at the end of the ballad when the last tone
loitered on to an inexpressible close there arose that buzz of pleasure which
is the attar of applause
It is scarcely necessary to state that Gabriel could not avoid noting the
farmers bearing tonight towards their entertainer Yet there was nothing
exceptional in his actions beyond what appertained to his time of performing
them It was when the rest were all looking away that Boldwood observed her
when they regarded her he turned aside when they thanked or praised he was
silent when they were inattentive he murmured his thanks The meaning lay in
the difference between actions none of which had any meaning of itself and the
necessity of being jealous which lovers are troubled with did not lead Oak to
underestimate these signs
Bathsheba then wished them goodnight withdrew from the window and retired
to the back part of the room Boldwood thereupon closing the sash and the
shutters and remaining inside with her Oak wandered away under the quiet and
scented trees Recovering from the softer impressions produced by Bathshebas
voice the shearers rose to leave Coggan turning to Pennyways as he pushed back
the bench to pass out
»I like to give praise where praise is due and the man deserves it that
a do so« he remarked looking at the worthy thief as if he were the
masterpiece of some worldrenowned artist
»Im sure I should never have believed it if we hadnt proved it so to
allude« hiccupped Joseph Poorgrass »that every cup every one of the best
knives and forks and every empty bottle be in their place as perfect now as at
the beginning and not one stole at all«
» Im sure I dont deserve half the praise you give me« said the virtuous
thief grimly
»Well Ill say this for Pennyways« added Coggan »that whenever he do
really make up his mind to do a noble thing in the shape of a good action as I
could see by his face he did tonight afore sitting down hes generally able to
carry it out Yes Im proud to say neighbours that hes stole nothing at
all«
»Well tis an honest deed and we thank ye for it Pennyways« said Joseph
to which opinion the remainder of the company subscribed unanimously
At this time of departure when nothing more was visible of the inside of
the parlour than a thin and still chink of light between the shutters a
passionate scene was in course of enactment there
Miss Everdene and Boldwood were alone Her cheeks had lost a great deal of
their healthful fire from the very seriousness of her position but her eye was
bright with the excitement of a triumph though it was a triumph which had
rather been contemplated than desired
She was standing behind a low armchair from which she had just risen and
he was kneeling in it inclining himself over its back towards her and holding
her hand in both his own His body moved restlessly and it was with what Keats
daintily calls a too happy happiness This unwonted abstraction by love of all
dignity from a man of whom it had ever seemed the chief component was in its
distressing incongruity a pain to her which quenched much of the pleasure she
derived from the proof that she was idolized
»I will try to love you« she was saying in a trembling voice quite unlike
her usual selfconfidence »And if I can believe in any way that I shall make
you a good wife I shall indeed be willing to marry you But Mr Boldwood
hesitation on so high a matter is honourable in any woman and I dont want to
give a solemn promise tonight I would rather ask you to wait a few weeks till
I can see my situation better«
»But you have every reason to believe that then «
»I have every reason to hope that at the end of the five or six weeks
between this time and harvest that you say you are going to be away from home
I shall be able to promise to be your wife« she said firmly »But remember this
distinctly I dont promise yet«
»It is enough I dont ask more I can wait on those dear words And now
Miss Everdene goodnight«
»Goodnight« she said graciously almost tenderly and Boldwood withdrew
with a serene smile
Bathsheba knew more of him now he had entirely bared his heart before her
even until he had almost worn in her eyes the sorry look of a grand bird without
the feathers that make it grand She had been awestruck at her past temerity
and was struggling to make amends without thinking whether the sin quite
deserved the penalty she was schooling herself to pay To have brought all this
about her ears was terrible but after a while the situation was not without a
fearful joy The facility with which even the most timid women sometimes acquire
a relish for the dreadful when that is amalgamated with a little triumph is
marvellous
Chapter XXIV
The Same Night The Fir Plantation
Among the multifarious duties which Bathsheba had voluntarily imposed upon
herself by dispensing with the services of a bailiff was the particular one of
looking round the homestead before going to bed to see that all was right and
safe for the night Gabriel had almost constantly preceded her in this tour
every evening watching her affairs as carefully as any specially appointed
officer of surveillance could have done but this tender devotion was to a great
extent unknown to his mistress and as much as was known was somewhat
thanklessly received Women are never tired of bewailing mans fickleness in
love but they only seem to snub his constancy
As watching is best done invisibly she usually carried a dark lantern in
her hand and every now and then turned on the light to examine nooks and
corners with the coolness of a metropolitan policeman This coolness may have
owed its existence not so much to her fearlessness of expected danger as to her
freedom from the suspicion of any her worst anticipated discovery being that a
horse might not be well bedded the fowls not all in or a door not closed
This night the buildings were inspected as usual and she went round to the
farm paddock Here the only sounds disturbing the stillness were steady
munchings of many mouths and stentorian breathings from all but invisible
noses ending in snores and puffs like the blowing of bellows slowly Then the
munching would recommence when the lively imagination might assist the eye to
discern a group of pinkwhite nostrils shaped as caverns and very clammy and
humid on their surfaces not exactly pleasant to the touch until one got used to
them the mouths beneath having a great partiality for closing upon any loose
end of Bathshebas apparel which came within reach of their tongues Above each
of these a still keener vision suggested a brown forehead and two staring though
not unfriendly eyes and above all a pair of whitish crescentshaped horns like
two particularly new moons an occasional stolid »moo« proclaiming beyond the
shade of a doubt that these phenomena were the features and persons of Daisy
Whitefoot Bonnylass JollyO Spot Twinkleeye etc etc the respectable
dairy of Devon cows belonging to Bathsheba aforesaid
Her way back to the house was by a path through a young plantation of
tapering firs which had been planted some years earlier to shelter the premises
from the north wind By reason of the density of the interwoven foliage overhead
it was gloomy there at cloudless noontide twilight in the evening dark as
midnight at dusk and black as the ninth plague of Egypt at midnight To
describe the spot is to call it a vast low naturally formed hall the plumy
ceiling of which was supported by slender pillars of living wood the floor
being covered with a soft dun carpet of dead spikelets and mildewed cones with
a tuft of grassblades here and there
This bit of the path was always the crux of the nights ramble though
before starting her apprehensions of danger were not vivid enough to lead her
to take a companion Slipping along here covertly as Time Bathsheba fancied she
could hear footsteps entering the track at the opposite end It was certainly a
rustle of footsteps Her own instantly fell as gently as snowflakes She
reassured herself by a remembrance that the path was public and that the
traveller was probably some villager returning home regretting at the same
time that the meeting should be about to occur in the darkest point of her
route even though only just outside her own door
The noise approached came close and a figure was apparently on the point
of gliding past her when something tugged at her skirt and pinned it forcibly to
the ground The instantaneous check nearly threw Bathsheba off her balance In
recovering she struck against warm clothes and buttons
»A rum start upon my soul« said a masculine voice a foot or so above her
head »Have I hurt you mate«
»No« said Bathsheba attempting to shrink away
»We have got hitched together somehow I think«
»Yes«
»Are you a woman«
»Yes«
»A lady I should have said«
»It doesnt matter«
»I am a man«
»Oh«
Bathsheba softly tugged again but to no purpose
»Is that a dark lantern you have I fancy so« said the man
»Yes«
»If youll allow me Ill open it and set you free«
A hand seized the lantern the door was opened the rays burst out from
their prison and Bathsheba beheld her position with astonishment
The man to whom she was hooked was brilliant in brass and scarlet He was a
soldier His sudden appearance was to darkness what the sound of a trumpet is to
silence Gloom the genius loci at all times hitherto was now totally
overthrown less by the lanternlight than by what the lantern lighted The
contrast of this revelation with her anticipations of some sinister figure in
sombre garb was so great that it had upon her the effect of a fairy
transformation
It was immediately apparent that the military mans spur had become
entangled in the gimp which decorated the skirt of her dress He caught a view
of her face
»Ill unfasten you in one moment miss« he said with newborn gallantry
»O no I can do it thank you« she hastily replied and stooped for the
performance
The unfastening was not such a trifling affair The rowel of the spur had so
wound itself among the gimp cords in those few moments that separation was
likely to be a matter of time
He too stooped and the lantern standing on the ground betwixt them threw
the gleam from its open side among the firtree needles and the blades of long
damp grass with the effect of a large glowworm It radiated upwards into their
faces and sent over half the plantation gigantic shadows of both man and woman
each dusky shape becoming distorted and mangled upon the treetrunks till it
wasted to nothing
He looked hard into her eyes when she raised them for a moment Bathsheba
looked down again for his gaze was too strong to be received pointblank with
her own But she had obliquely noticed that he was young and slim and that he
wore three chevrons upon his sleeve
Bathsheba pulled again
»You are a prisoner miss it is no use blinking the matter« said the
soldier drily »I must cut your dress if you are in such a hurry«
»Yes please do« she exclaimed helplessly
»It wouldnt be necessary if you could wait a moment« and he unwound a cord
from the little wheel She withdrew her own hand but whether by accident or
design he touched it Bathsheba was vexed she hardly knew why
His unravelling went on but it nevertheless seemed coming to no end She
looked at him again
»Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face« said the young sergeant
without ceremony
She coloured with embarrassment »Twas unwillingly shown« she replied
stiffly and with as much dignity which was very little as she could infuse
into a position of captivity
»I like you the better for that incivility miss« he said
»I should have liked I wish you had never shown yourself to me by
intruding here« She pulled again and the gathers of her dress began to give
way like liliputian musketry
»I deserve the chastisement your words give me But why should such a fair
and dutiful girl have such an aversion to her fathers sex«
»Go on your way please«
»What Beauty and drag you after me Do but look I never saw such a
tangle«
»O tis shameful of you you have been making it worse on purpose to keep
me here you have«
»Indeed I dont think so« said the sergeant with a merry twinkle
»I tell you you have« she exclaimed in high temper »I insist upon undoing
it Now allow me«
»Certainly miss I am not of steel« He added a sigh which had as much
archness in it as a sigh could possess without losing its nature altogether »I
am thankful for beauty even when tis thrown to me like a bone to a dog These
moments will be over too soon«
She closed her lips in a determined silence
Bathsheba was revolving in her mind whether by a bold and desperate rush she
could free herself at the risk of leaving her skirt bodily behind her The
thought was too dreadful The dress which she had put on to appear stately at
the supper was the head and front of her wardrobe not another in her stock
became her so well What woman in Bathshebas position not naturally timid and
within call of her retainers would have bought escape from a dashing soldier at
so dear a price
»All in good time it will soon be done I perceive« said her cool friend
»This trifling provokes and and «
»Not too cruel«
» Insults me«
»It is done in order that I may have the pleasure of apologizing to so
charming a woman which I straightway do most humbly madam« he said bowing
low
Bathsheba really knew not what to say
»Ive seen a good many women in my time« continued the young man in a
murmur and more thoughtfully than hitherto critically regarding her bent head
at the same time »but Ive never seen a woman so beautiful as you Take it or
leave it be offended or like it I dont care«
»Who are you then who can so well afford to despise opinion«
»No stranger Sergeant Troy I am staying in this place There it is
undone at last you see Your light fingers were more eager than mine I wish it
had been the knot of knots which theres no untying«
This was worse and worse She started up and so did he How to decently get
away from him that was her difficulty now She sidled off inch by inch the
lantern in her hand till she could see the redness of his coat no longer
»Ah Beauty goodbye« he said
She made no reply and reaching a distance of twenty or thirty yards
turned about and ran indoors
Liddy had just retired to rest In ascending to her own chamber Bathsheba
opened the girls door an inch or two and panting said
»Liddy is any soldier staying in the village sergeant somebody rather
gentlemanly for a sergeant and good looking a red coat with blue facings«
»No miss No I say but really it might be Sergeant Troy home on
furlough though I have not seen him He was here once in that way when the
regiment was at Casterbridge«
»Yes thats the name Had he a moustache no whiskers or beard«
»He had«
»What kind of a person is he«
»O miss I blush to name it a gay man But I know him to be very quick
and trim who might have made his thousands like a squire Such a clever young
dand as he is Hes a doctors son by name which is a great deal and hes an
earls son by nature«
»Which is a great deal more Fancy Is it true«
»Yes And he was brought up so well and sent to Casterbridge Grammar School
for years and years Learnt all languages while he was there and it was said he
got on so far that he could take down Chinese in shorthand but that I dont
answer for as it was only reported However he wasted his gifted lot and
listed a soldier but even then he rose to be a sergeant without trying at all
Ah such a blessing it is to be highborn nobility of blood will shine out even
in the ranks and files And is he really come home miss«
»I believe so Goodnight Liddy«
After all how could a cheerful wearer of skirts be permanently offended
with the man There are occasions when girls like Bathsheba will put up with a
great deal of unconventional behaviour When they want to be praised which is
often when they want to be mastered which is sometimes and when they want no
nonsense which is seldom Just now the first feeling was in the ascendant with
Bathsheba with a dash of the second Moreover by chance or by devilry the
ministrant was antecedently made interesting by being a handsome stranger who
had evidently seen better days
So she could not clearly decide whether it was her opinion that he had
insulted her or not
»Was ever anything so odd« she at last exclaimed to herself in her own
room »And was ever anything so meanly done as what I did to skulk away like
that from a man who was only civil and kind« Clearly she did not think his
barefaced praise of her person an insult now
It was a fatal omission of Boldwoods that he had never once told her she
was beautiful
Chapter XXV
The New Acquaintance Described
Idiosyncrasy and vicissitude had combined to stamp Sergeant Troy as an
exceptional being
He was a man to whom memories were an incumbrance and anticipations a
superfluity Simply feeling considering and caring for what was before his
eyes he was vulnerable only in the present His outlook upon time was as a
transient flash of the eye now and then that projection of consciousness into
days gone by and to come which makes the past a synonym for the pathetic and
the future a word for circumspection was foreign to Troy With him the past was
yesterday the future tomorrow never the day after
On this account he might in certain lights have been regarded as one of
the most fortunate of his order For it may be argued with great plausibility
that reminiscence is less an endowment than a disease and that expectation in
its only comfortable form that of absolute faith is practically an
impossibility whilst in the form of hope and the secondary compounds patience
impatience resolve curiosity it is a constant fluctuation between pleasure
and pain
Sergeant Troy being entirely innocent of the practice of expectation was
never disappointed To set against this negative gain there may have been some
positive losses from a certain narrowing of the higher tastes and sensations
which it entailed But limitation of the capacity is never recognized as a loss
by the loser therefrom in this attribute moral or æsthetic poverty contrasts
plausibly with material since those who suffer do not mind it whilst those who
mind it soon cease to suffer It is not a denial of anything to have been always
without it and what Troy had never enjoyed he did not miss but being fully
conscious that what sober people missed he enjoyed his capacity though really
less seemed greater than theirs
He was moderately truthful towards men but to women lied like a Cretan a
system of ethics above all others calculated to win popularity at the first
flush of admission into lively society and the possibility of the favour gained
being transitory had reference only to the future
He never passed the line which divides the spruce vices from the ugly and
hence though his morals had hardly been applauded disapproval of them had
frequently been tempered with a smile This treatment had led to his becoming a
sort of regrater of other mens gallantries to his own aggrandizement as a
Corinthian rather than to the moral profit of his hearers
His reason and his propensities had seldom any reciprocating influence
having separated by mutual consent long ago thence it sometimes happened that
while his intentions were as honourable as could be wished any particular deed
formed a dark background which threw them into fine relief The sergeants
vicious phases being the offspring of impulse and his virtuous phases of cool
meditation the latter had a modest tendency to be oftener heard of than seen
Troy was full of activity but his activities were less of a locomotive than
a vegetative nature and never being based upon any original choice of
foundation or direction they were exercised on whatever object chance might
place in their way Hence whilst he sometimes reached the brilliant in speech
because that was spontaneous he fell below the commonplace in action from
inability to guide incipient effort He had a quick comprehension and
considerable force of character but being without the power to combine them
the comprehension became engaged with trivialities whilst waiting for the will
to direct it and the force wasted itself in useless grooves through unheeding
the comprehension
He was a fairly welleducated man for one of middle class exceptionally
well educated for a common soldier He spoke fluently and unceasingly He could
in this way be one thing and seem another for instance he could speak of love
and think of dinner call on the husband to look at the wife be eager to pay
and intend to owe
The wondrous power of flattery in passados at woman is a perception so
universal as to be remarked upon by many people almost as automatically as they
repeat a proverb or say that they are Christians and the like without thinking
much of the enormous corollaries which spring from the proposition Still less
is it acted upon for the good of the complemental being alluded to With the
majority such an opinion is shelved with all those trite aphorisms which require
some catastrophe to bring their tremendous meanings thoroughly home When
expressed with some amount of reflectiveness it seems coordinate with a belief
that this flattery must be reasonable to be effective It is to the credit of
men that few attempt to settle the question by experiment and it is for their
happiness perhaps that accident has never settled it for them Nevertheless
that a male dissembler who by deluging her with untenable fictions charms the
female wisely may acquire powers reaching to the extremity of perdition is a
truth taught to many by unsought and wringing occurrences And some profess to
have attained to the same knowledge by experiment as aforesaid and jauntily
continue their indulgence in such experiments with terrible effect Sergeant
Troy was one
He had been known to observe casually that in dealing with womankind the
only alternative to flattery was cursing and swearing There was no third
method »Treat them fairly and you are a lost man« he would say
This philosophers public appearance in Weatherbury promptly followed his
arrival there A week or two after the shearing Bathsheba feeling a nameless
relief of spirits on account of Boldwoods absence approached her hayfields and
looked over the hedge towards the haymakers They consisted in about equal
proportions of gnarled and flexuous forms the former being the men the latter
the women who wore tilt bonnets covered with nankeen which hung in a curtain
upon their shoulders Coggan and Mark Cark were mowing in a less forward meadow
Clark humming a tune to the strokes of his scythe to which Jan made no attempt
to keep time with his In the first mead they were already loading hay the
women raking it into cocks and windrows and the men tossing it upon the waggon
From behind the waggon a bright scarlet spot emerged and went on loading
unconcernedly with the rest It was the gallant sergeant who had come hay for
pleasure and nobody could deny that he was doing the mistress of the farm real
knightservice by this voluntary contribution of his labour at a busy time
As soon as she had entered the field Troy saw her and sticking his
pitchfork into the ground and picking up his crop or cane he came forward
Bathsheba blushed with halfangry embarrassment and adjusted her eyes as well
as her feet to the direct line of her path
Chapter XXVI
Scene on the Verge of the HayMead
»Ah Miss Everdene« said the sergeant touching his diminutive cap »Little did
I think it was you I was speaking to the other night And yet if I had
reflected the Queen of the Cornmarket truth is truth at any hour of the day
or night and I heard you so named in Casterbridge yesterday the Queen of the
Cornmarket I say could be no other woman I step across now to beg your
forgiveness a thousand times for having been led by my feelings to express
myself too strongly for a stranger To be sure I am no stranger to the place I
am Sergeant Troy as I told you and I have assisted your uncle in these fields
no end of times when I was a lad I have been doing the same for you today«
»I suppose I must thank you for that Sergeant Troy« said the Queen of the
Cornmarket in an indifferently grateful tone
The sergeant looked hurt and sad »Indeed you must not Miss Everdene« he
said »Why could you think such a thing necessary«
»I am glad it is not«
»Why if I may ask without offence«
»Because I dont much want to thank you for anything«
»I am afraid I have made a hole with my tongue that my heart will never
mend O these intolerable times that illluck should follow a man for honestly
telling a woman she is beautiful Twas the most I said you must own that and
the least I could say that I own myself«
»There is some talk I could do without more easily than money«
»Indeed That remark is a sort of digression«
»No It means that I would rather have your room than your company«
»And I would rather have curses from you than kisses from any other woman
so Ill stay here«
Bathsheba was absolutely speechless And yet she could not help feeling that
the assistance he was rendering forbade a harsh repulse
»Well« continued Troy »I suppose there is a praise which is rudeness and
that may be mine At the same time there is a treatment which is injustice and
that may be yours Because a plain blunt man who has never been taught
concealment speaks out his mind without exactly intending it hes to be
snapped off like the son of a sinner«
»Indeed theres no such case between us« she said turning away »I dont
allow strangers to be bold and impudent even in praise of me«
»Ah it is not the fact but the method which offends you« he said
carelessly »But I have the sad satisfaction of knowing that my words whether
pleasing or offensive are unmistakably true Would you have had me look at you
and tell my acquaintance that you are quite a commonplace woman to save you
the embarrassment of being stared at if they come near you Not I I couldnt
tell any such ridiculous lie about a beauty to encourage a single woman in
England in too excessive a modesty«
»It is all pretence what you are saying« exclaimed Bathsheba laughing in
spite of herself at the sergeants sly method »You have a rare invention
Sergeant Troy Why couldnt you have passed by me that night and said nothing
that was all I meant to reproach you for«
»Because I wasnt going to Half the pleasure of a feeling lies in being
able to express it on the spur of the moment and I let out mine It would have
been just the same if you had been the reverse person ugly and old I should
have exclaimed about it in the same way«
»How long is it since you have been so afflicted with strong feeling then«
»Oh ever since I was big enough to know loveliness from deformity«
»Tis to be hoped your sense of the difference you speak of doesnt stop at
faces but extends to morals as well«
»I wont speak of morals or religion my own or anybody elses Though
perhaps I should have been a very good Christian if you pretty women hadnt made
me an idolater«
Bathsheba moved on to hide the irrepressible dimplings of merriment Troy
followed whirling his crop
»But Miss Everdene you do forgive me«
»Hardly«
»Why«
»You say such things«
»I said you were beautiful and Ill say so still for by so you are The
most beautiful ever I saw or may I fall dead this instant Why upon my «
»Dont dont I wont listen to you you are so profane« she said in a
restless state between distress at hearing him and a penchant to hear more
»I again say you are a most fascinating woman Theres nothing remarkable in
my saying so is there Im sure the fact is evident enough Miss Everdene my
opinion may be too forcibly let out to please you and for the matter of that
too insignificant to convince you but surely it is honest and why cant it be
excused«
»Because it it isnt a correct one« she femininely murmured
»O fie fie Am I any worse for breaking the third of that Terrible Ten
than you for breaking the ninth«
»Well it doesnt seem quite true to me that I am fascinating« she replied
evasively
»Not so to you then I say with all respect that if so it is owing to your
modesty Miss Everdene But surely you must have been told by everybody of what
everybody notices And you should take their words for it«
»They dont say so exactly«
»O yes they must«
»Well I mean to my face as you do« she went on allowing herself to be
further lured into a conversation that intention had rigorously forbidden
»But you know they think so«
»No that is I certainly have heard Liddy say they do but « She
paused
Capitulation that was the purport of the simple reply guarded as it was
capitulation unknown to herself Never did a fragile tailless sentence convey a
more perfect meaning The careless sergeant smiled within himself and probably
too the devil smiled from a loophole in Tophet for the moment was the
turningpoint of a career Her tone and mien signified beyond mistake that the
seed which was to lift the foundation had taken root in the chink the remainder
was a mere question of time and natural changes
»There the truth comes out« said the soldier in reply »Never tell me that
a young lady can live in a buzz of admiration without knowing something about
it Ah well Miss Everdene you are pardon my blunt way you are rather an
injury to our race than otherwise«
»How indeed« she said opening her eyes
»O it is true enough I may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb an old
country saying not of much account but it will do for a rough soldier and so
I will speak my mind regardless of your pleasure and without hoping or
intending to get your pardon Why Miss Everdene it is in this manner that your
good looks may do more harm than good in the world« The sergeant looked down
the mead in critical abstraction »Probably some one man on an average falls in
love with each ordinary woman She can marry him he is content and leads a
useful life Such women as you a hundred men always covet your eyes will
bewitch scores on scores into an unavailing fancy for you you can only marry
one of that many Out of these say twenty will endeavour to drown the bitterness
of despised love in drink twenty more will mope away their lives without a wish
or attempt to make a mark in the world because they have no ambition apart from
their attachment to you twenty more the susceptible person myself possibly
among them will be always draggling after you getting where they may just see
you doing desperate things Men are such constant fools The rest may try to
get over their passion with more or less success But all these men will be
saddened And not only those nintynine men but the ninetynine women they
might have married are saddened with them Theres my tale Thats why I say
that a woman so charming as yourself Miss Everdene is hardly a blessing to her
race«
The handsome sergeants features were during this speech as rigid and stern
as John Knoxs in addressing his gay young queen
Seeing she made no reply he said »Do you read French«
»No« I began »but when I got to the verbs father died« she said simply
»I do when I have an opportunity which latterly has not been often my
mother was a Parisienne and theres a proverb they have Qui aime bien châtie
bien He chastens who loves well Do you understand me«
»Ah« she replied and there was even a little tremulousness in the usually
cool girls voice »if you can only fight half as winningly as you can talk you
are able to make a pleasure of a bayonet wound« And then poor Bathsheba
instantly perceived her slip in making this admission in hastily trying to
retrieve it she went from bad to worse »Dont however suppose that I derive
any pleasure from what you tell me«
»I know you do not I know it perfectly« said Troy with much hearty
conviction on the exterior of his face and altering the expression to
moodiness »when a dozen men are ready to speak tenderly to you and give the
admiration you deserve without adding the warning you need it stands to reason
that my poor roughandready mixture of praise and blame cannot convey much
pleasure Fool as I may be I am not so conceited as to suppose that«
»I think you are conceited nevertheless« said Bathsheba looking askance
at a reed she was fitfully pulling with one hand having lately grown feverish
under the soldiers system of procedure not because the nature of his cajolery
was entirely unperceived but because its vigour was overwhelming
»I would not own it to anybody else nor do I exactly to you Still there
might have been some selfconceit in my foolish supposition the other night I
knew that what I said in admiration might be an opinion too often forced upon
you to give any pleasure but I certainly did think that the kindness of your
nature might prevent you judging an uncontrolled tongue harshly which you have
done and thinking badly of me and wounding me this morning when I am working
hard to save your hay«
»Well you need not think more of that perhaps you did not mean to be rude
to me by speaking out your mind indeed I believe you did not« said the shrewd
woman in painfully innocent earnest »And I thank you for giving help here But
but mind you dont speak to me again in that way or in any other unless I
speak to you«
»O Miss Bathsheba That is too hard«
»No it isnt Why is it«
»You will never speak to me for I shall not be here long I am soon going
back again to the miserable monotony of drill and perhaps our regiment will be
ordered out soon And yet you take away the one little ewelamb of pleasure that
I have in this dull life of mine Well perhaps generosity is not a womans most
marked characteristic«
»When are you going from here« she asked with some interest
»In a month«
»But how can it give you pleasure to speak to me«
»Can you ask Miss Everdene knowing as you do what my offence is based
on«
»If you do care so much for a silly trifle of that kind then I dont mind
doing it« she uncertainly and doubtingly answered »But you cant really care
for a word from me you only say so I think you only say so«
»Thats unjust but I wont repeat the remark I am too gratified to get
such a mark of your friendship at any price to cavil at the tone I do Miss
Everdene care for it You may think a man foolish to want a mere word just a
good morning Perhaps he is I dont know But you have never been a man
looking upon a woman and that woman yourself«
»Well«
»Then you know nothing of what such an experience is like and Heaven
forbid that you ever should«
»Nonsense flatterer What is it like I am interested in knowing«
»Put shortly it is not being able to think hear or look in any direction
except one without wretchedness nor there without torture«
»Ah sergeant it wont do you are pretending« she said shaking her
head »Your words are too dashing to be true«
»I am not upon the honour of a soldier«
»But why is it so Of course I ask for mere pastime«
»Because you are so distracting and I am so distracted«
»You look like it«
»I am indeed«
»Why you only saw me the other night«
»That makes no difference The lightning works instantaneously I loved you
then at once as I do now«
Bathsheba surveyed him curiously from the feet upward as high as she liked
to venture her glance which was not quite so high as his eyes
»You cannot and you dont« she said demurely »There is no such sudden
feeling in people I wont listen to you any longer Dear me I wish I knew what
oclock it is I am going I have wasted too much time here already«
»The sergeant looked at his watch and told her What havent you a watch
miss« he inquired
»I have not just at present I am about to get a new one«
»No You shall be given one Yes you shall A gift Miss Everdene a
gift«
And before she knew what the young man was intending a heavy gold watch was
in her hand
»It is an unusually good one for a man like me to possess« he quietly said
»That watch has a history Press the spring and open the back«
She did so
»What do you see«
»A crest and a motto«
»A coronet with five points and beneath Cedit amor rebus Love yields to
circumstance Its the motto of the Earls of Severn That watch belonged to the
last lord and was given to my mothers husband a medical man for his use till
I came of age when it was to be given to me It was all the fortune that ever I
inherited That watch has regulated imperial interests in its time the stately
ceremonial the courtly assignation pompous travels and lordly sleeps Now it
is yours«
»But Sergeant Troy I cannot take this I cannot« she exclaimed with
roundeyed wonder »A gold watch What are you doing Dont be such a
dissembler«
The sergeant retreated to avoid receiving back his gift which she held out
persistently towards him Bathsheba followed as he retired
»Keep it do Miss Everdene keep it« said the erratic child of impulse
»The fact of your possessing it makes it worth ten times as much to me A more
plebeian one will answer my purpose just as well and the pleasure of knowing
whose heart my old one beats against well I wont speak of that It is in far
worthier hands than ever it has been in before«
»But indeed I cant have it« she said in a perfect simmer of distress »O
how can you do such a thing that is if you really mean it Give me your dead
fathers watch and such a valuable one You should not be so reckless indeed
Sergeant Troy«
»I loved my father good but better I love you more Thats how I can do
it« said the sergeant with an intonation of such exquisite fidelity to nature
that it was evidently not all acted now Her beauty which whilst it had been
quiescent he had praised in jest had in its animated phases moved him to
earnest and though his seriousness was less than she imagined it was probably
more than he imagined himself
Bathsheba was brimming with agitated bewilderment and she said in
halfsuspicious accents of feeling »Can it be O how can it be that you care
for me and so suddenly You have seen so little of me I may not be really so
so nicelooking as I seem to you Please do take it O do I cannot and will
not have it Believe me your generosity is too great I have never done you a
single kindness and why should you be so kind to me«
A factitious reply had been again upon his lips but it was again suspended
and he looked at her with an arrested eye The truth was that as she now stood
excited wild and honest as the day her alluring beauty bore out so fully
the epithets he had bestowed upon it that he was quite startled at his temerity
in advancing them as false He said mechanically »Ah why« and continued to
look at her
»And my workfolk see me following you about the field and are wondering O
this is dreadful« she went on unconscious of the transmutation she was
effecting
»I did not quite mean you to accept it at first for it was my one poor
patent of nobility« he broke out bluntly »but upon my soul I wish you would
now Without any shamming come Dont deny me the happiness of wearing it for
my sake But you are too lovely even to care to be kind as others are«
»No no dont say so I have reasons for reserve which I cannot explain«
»Let it be then let it be« he said receiving back the watch at last »I
must be leaving you now And will you speak to me for these few weeks of my
stay«
»Indeed I will Yet I dont know if I will O why did you come and disturb
me so«
»Perhaps in setting a gin I have caught myself Such things have happened
Well will you let me work in your fields« he coaxed
»Yes I suppose so if it is any pleasure to you«
»Miss Everdene I thank you«
»No no«
»Goodbye«
The sergeant brought his hand to the cap on the slope of his head saluted
and returned to the distant group of haymakers
Bathsheba could not face the haymakers now Her heart erratically flitting
hither and thither from perplexed excitement hot and almost tearful she
retreated homeward murmuring »O what have I done What does it mean I wish I
knew how much of it was true«
Chapter XXVII
Hiving the Bees
The Weatherbury bees were late in their swarming this year It was in the latter
part of June and the day after the interview with Troy in the hayfield that
Bathsheba was standing in her garden watching a swarm in the air and guessing
their probable settling place Not only were they late this year but unruly
Sometimes throughout a whole season all the swarms would alight on the lowest
attainable bough such as part of a currantbush or espalier appletree next
year they would with just the same unanimity make straight off to the
uppermost member of some tall gaunt costard or quarrenden and there defy all
invaders who did not come armed with ladders and staves to take them
This was the case at present Bathshebas eyes shaded by one hand were
following the ascending multitude against the unexplorable stretch of blue till
they ultimately halted by one of the unwieldy trees spoken of A process
somewhat analogous to that of alleged formations of the universe time and times
ago was observable The bustling swarm had swept the sky in a scattered and
uniform haze which now thickened to a nebulous centre this glided on to a
bough and grew still denser till it formed a solid black spot upon the light
The men and women being all busily engaged in saving the hay even Liddy
had left the house for the purpose of lending a hand Bathsheba resolved to
hive the bees herself if possible She had dressed the hive with herbs and
honey fetched a ladder brush and crook made herself impregnable with armour
of leather gloves straw hat and large gauze veil once green but now faded to
snuff colour and ascended a dozen rungs of the ladder At once she heard not
ten yards off a voice that was beginning to have a strange power in agitating
her
»Miss Everdene let me assist you you should not attempt such a thing
alone«
Troy was just opening the garden gate
Bathsheba flung down the brush crook and empty hive pulled the skirt of
her dress tightly round her ankles in a tremendous flurry and as well as she
could slid down the ladder By the time she reached the bottom Troy was there
also and he stooped to pick up the hive
»How fortunate I am to have dropped in at this moment« exclaimed the
sergeant
She found her voice in a minute »What and will you shake them in for me«
she asked in what for a defiant girl was a faltering way though for a timid
girl it would have seemed a brave way enough
»Will I« said Troy »Why of course I will How blooming you are today«
Troy flung down his cane and put his foot on the ladder to ascend
»But you must have on the veil and gloves or youll be stung fearfully«
»Ah yes I must put on the veil and gloves Will you kindly show me how to
fix them properly«
»And you must have the broadbrimmed hat too for your cap has no brim to
keep the veil off and theyd reach your face«
»The broadbrimmed hat too by all means«
So a whimsical fate ordered that her hat should be taken off veil and all
attached and placed upon his head Troy tossing his own into a gooseberry
bush Then the veil had to be tied at its lower edge round his collar and the
gloves put on him
He looked such an extraordinary object in this guise that flurried as she
was she could not avoid laughing outright It was the removal of yet another
stake from the palisade of cold manners which had kept him off
Bathsheba looked on from the ground whilst he was busy sweeping and shaking
the bees from the tree holding up the hive with the other hand for them to fall
into She made use of an unobserved minute whilst his attention was absorbed in
the operation to arrange her plumes a little He came down holding the hive at
arms length behind which trailed a cloud of bees
»Upon my life« said Troy through the veil »holding up this hive makes
ones arm ache worse than a week of swordexercise« When the manoeuvre was
complete he approached her »Would you be good enough to untie me and let me
out I am nearly stifled inside this silk cage«
To hide her embarrassment during the unwonted process of untying the string
about his neck she said
»I have never seen that you spoke of«
»What«
»The swordexercise«
»Ah would you like to« said Troy
Bathsheba hesitated She had heard wondrous reports from time to time by
dwellers in Weatherbury who had by chance sojourned awhile in Casterbridge
near the barracks of this strange and glorious performance the swordexercise
Men and boys who had peeped through chinks or over walls into the barrackyard
returned with accounts of its being the most flashing affair conceivable
accoutrements and weapons glistening like stars here there around yet all
by rule and compass So she said mildly what she felt strongly
»Yes I should like to see it very much«
»And so you shall you shall see me go through it«
»No How«
»Let me consider«
»Not with a walkingstick I dont care to see that It must be a real
sword«
»Yes I know and I have no sword here but I think I could get one by the
evening Now will you do this«
Troy bent over her and murmured some suggestion in a low voice
»O no indeed« said Bathsheba blushing »Thank you very much but I
couldnt on any account«
»Surely you might Nobody would know«
She shook her head but with a weakened negation »If I were to« she said
»I must bring Liddy too Might I not«
Troy looked far away »I dont see why you want to bring her« he said
coldly
An unconscious look of assent in Bathshebas eyes betrayed that something
more than his coldness had made her also feel that Liddy would be superfluous in
the suggested scene She had felt it even whilst making the proposal
»Well I wont bring Liddy and Ill come But only for a very short time«
she added »a very short time«
»It will not take five minutes« said Troy
Chapter XXVIII
The Hollow amid the Ferns
The hill opposite Bathshebas dwelling extended a mile off into an
uncultivated tract of land dotted at this season with tall thickets of brake
fern plump and diaphanous from recent rapid growth and radiant in hues of
clear and untainted green
At eight oclock this midsummer evening whilst the bristling ball of gold
in the west still swept the tips of the ferns with its long luxuriant rays a
soft brushingby of garments might have been heard among them and Bathsheba
appeared in their midst their soft feathery arms caressing her up to her
shoulders She paused turned went back over the hill and halfway to her own
door whence she cast a farewell glance upon the spot she had just left having
resolved not to remain near the place after all
She saw a dim spot of artificial red moving round the shoulder of the rise
It disappeared on the other side
She waited one minute two minutes thought of Troys disappointment at
her nonfulfilment of a promised engagement till she again ran along the field
clambered over the bank and followed the original direction She was now
literally trembling and panting at this her temerity in such an errant
undertaking her breath came and went quickly and her eyes shone with an
infrequent light Yet go she must She reached the verge of a pit in the middle
of the ferns Troy stood in the bottom looking up towards her
»I heard you rustling through the fern before I saw you« he said coming up
and giving her his hand to help her down the slope
The pit was a saucershaped concave naturally formed with a top diameter
of about thirty feet and shallow enough to allow the sunshine to reach their
heads Standing in the centre the sky overhead was met by a circular horizon of
fern this grew nearly to the bottom of the slope and then abruptly ceased The
middle within the belt of verdure was floored with a thick flossy carpet of moss
and grass intermingled so yielding that the foot was halfburied within it
»Now« said Troy producing the sword which as he raised it into the
sunlight gleamed a sort of greeting like a living thing »first we have four
right and four left cuts four right and four left thrusts Infantry cuts and
guards are more interesting than ours to my mind but they are not so swashing
They have seven cuts and three thrusts So much as a preliminary Well next
our cut one is as if you were sowing your corn so« Bathsheba saw a sort of
rainbow upside down in the air and Troys arm was still again »Cut two as if
you were hedging so Three as if you were reaping so Four as if you were
threshing in that way Then the same on the left The thrusts are these one
two three four right one two three four left« He repeated them »Have
em again« he said »One two «
She hurriedly interrupted »Id rather not though I dont mind your twos
and fours but your ones and threes are terrible«
»Very well Ill let you off the ones and threes Next cuts points and
guards altogether« Troy duly exhibited them »Then theres pursuing practice
in this way« He gave the movements as before »There those are the stereotyped
forms The infantry have two most diabolical upward cuts which we are too
humane to use Like this three four«
»How murderous and bloodthirsty«
»They are rather deathy Now Ill be more interesting and let you see some
loose play giving all the cuts and points infantry and cavalry quicker than
lightning and as promiscuously with just enough rule to regulate instinct and
yet not to fetter it You are my antagonist with this difference from real
warfare that I shall miss you every time by one hairs breadth or perhaps two
Mind you dont flinch whatever you do«
»Ill be sure not to« she said invincibly
He pointed to about a yard in front of him
Bathshebas adventurous spirit was beginning to find some grains of relish
in these highly novel proceedings She took up her position as directed facing
Troy
»Now just to learn whether you have pluck enough to let me do what I wish
Ill give you a preliminary test«
He flourished the sword by way of introduction number two and the next
thing of which she was conscious was that the point and blade of the sword were
darting with a gleam towards her left side just above her hip then of their
reappearance on her right side emerging as it were from between her ribs
having apparently passed through her body The third item of consciousness was
that of seeing the same sword perfectly clean and free from blood held
vertically in Troys hand in the position technically called recover swords
All was as quick as electricity
»Oh« she cried out in affright pressing her hand to her side »Have you
run me through no you have not Whatever have you done«
»I have not touched you« said Troy quietly »It was mere sleight of hand
The sword passed behind you Now you are not afraid are you Because if you are
I cant perform I give my word that I will not only not hurt you but not once
touch you«
»I dont think I am afraid You are quite sure you will not hurt me«
»Quite sure«
»Is the sword very sharp«
»O no only stand as still as a statue Now«
In an instant the atmosphere was transformed to Bathshebas eyes Beams of
light caught from the low suns rays above around in front of her wellnigh
shut out earth and heaven all emitted in the marvellous evolutions of Troys
reflecting blade which seemed everywhere at once and yet nowhere specially
These circling gleams were accompanied by a keen rush that was almost a
whistling also springing from all sides of her at once In short she was
enclosed in a firmament of light and of sharp hisses resembling a skyfull of
meteors close at hand
Never since the broadsword became the national weapon had there been more
dexterity shown in its management than by the hands of Sergeant Troy and never
had he been in such splendid temper for the performance as now in the evening
sunshine among the ferns with Bathsheba It may safely be asserted with respect
to the closeness of his cuts that had it been possible for the edge of the
sword to leave in the air a permanent substance wherever it flew past the space
left untouched would have been almost a mould of Bathshebas figure
Behind the luminous streams of this aurora militaris she could see the hue
of Troys sword arm spread in a scarlet haze over the space covered by its
motions like a twanged harpstring and behind all Troy himself mostly facing
her sometimes to show the rear cuts half turned away his eye nevertheless
always keenly measuring her breadth and outline and his lips tightly closed in
sustained effort Next his movements lapsed slower and she could see them
individually The hissing of the sword had ceased and he stopped entirely
»That outer loose lock of hair wants tidying« he said before she had moved
or spoken »Wait Ill do it for you«
An arc of silver shone on her right side the sword had descended The lock
dropped to the ground
»Bravely borne« said Troy »You didnt flinch a shades thickness
Wonderful in a woman«
»It was because I didnt expect it O you have spoilt my hair«
»Only once more«
»No no I am afraid of you indeed I am« she cried
»I wont touch you at all not even your hair I am only going to kill that
caterpillar settling on you Now still«
It appeared that a caterpillar had come from the fern and chosen the front
of her bodice as his resting place She saw the point glisten towards her bosom
and seemingly enter it Bathsheba closed her eyes in the full persuasion that
she was killed at last However feeling just as usual she opened them again
»There it is look« said the sergeant holding his sword before her eyes
The caterpillar was spitted upon its point
»Why it is magic« said Bathsheba amazed
»O no dexterity I merely gave point to your bosom where the caterpillar
was and instead of running you through checked the extension a thousandth of an
inch short of your surface«
»But how could you chop off a curl of my hair with a sword that has no
edge«
»No edge This sword will shave like a razor Look here«
He touched the palm of his hand with the blade and then lifting it showed
her a thin shaving of scarfskin dangling therefrom
»But you said before beginning that it was blunt and couldnt cut me«
»That was to get you to stand still and so make sure of your safety The
risk of injuring you through your moving was too great not to force me to tell
you a fib to escape it«
She shuddered »I have been within an inch of my life and didnt know it«
»More precisely speaking you have been within half an inch of being pared
alive two hundred and ninetyfive times«
»Cruel cruel tis of you«
»You have been perfectly safe nevertheless My sword never errs« And Troy
returned the weapon to the scabbard
Bathsheba overcome by a hundred tumultuous feelings resulting from the
scene abstractedly sat down on a tuft of heather
»I must leave you now« said Troy softly »And Ill venture to take and keep
this in remembrance of you«
She saw him stoop to the grass pick up the winding lock which he had
severed from her manifold tresses twist it round his fingers unfasten a button
in the breast of his coat and carefully put it inside She felt powerless to
withstand or deny him He was altogether too much for her and Bathsheba seemed
as one who facing a reviving wind finds it blow so strongly that it stops the
breath
He drew near and said »I must be leaving you« He drew nearer still A
minute later and she saw his scarlet form disappear amid the ferny thicket
almost in a flash like a brand swiftly waved
That minutes interval had brought the blood beating into her face set her
stinging as if aflame to the very hollows of her feet and enlarged emotion to a
compass which quite swamped thought It had brought upon her a stroke resulting
as did that of Moses in Horeb in a liquid stream here a stream of tears She
felt like one who has sinned a great sin
The circumstance had been the gentle dip of Troys mouth downwards upon her
own He had kissed her
Chapter XXIX
Particulars of a Twilight Walk
We now see the element of folly distinctly mingling with the many varying
particulars which made up the character of Bathsheba Everdene It was almost
foreign to her intrinsic nature Introduced as lymph on the dart of Eros it
eventually permeated and coloured her whole constitution Bathsheba though she
had too much understanding to be entirely governed by her womanliness had too
much womanliness to use her understanding to the best advantage Perhaps in no
minor point does woman astonish her helpmate more than in the strange power she
possesses of believing cajoleries that she knows to be false except indeed
in that of being utterly sceptical on strictures that she knows to be true
Bathsheba loved Troy in the way that only selfreliant women love when they
abandon their selfreliance When a strong woman recklessly throws away her
strength she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw
away One source of her inadequacy is the novelty of the occasion She has never
had practice in making the best of such a condition Weakness is doubly weak by
being new
Bathsheba was not conscious of guile in this matter Though in one sense a
woman of the world it was after all that world of daylight coteries and green
carpets wherein cattle form the passing crowd and winds the busy hum where a
quiet family of rabbits or hares lives on the other side of your partywall
where your neighbour is everybody in the tything and where calculation is
confined to marketdays Of the fabricated tastes of good fashionable society
she knew but little and of the formulated selfindulgence of bad nothing at
all Had her utmost thoughts in this direction been distinctly worded and by
herself they never were they would only have amounted to such a matter as that
she felt her impulses to be pleasanter guides than her discretion Her love was
entire as a childs and though warm as summer it was fresh as spring Her
culpability lay in her making no attempt to control feeling by subtle and
careful inquiry into consequences She could show others the steep and thorny
way but reckd not her own rede
And Troys deformities lay deep down from a womans vision whilst his
embellishments were upon the very surface thus contrasting with homely Oak
whose defects were patent to the blindest and whose virtues were as metals in a
mine
The difference between love and respect was markedly shown in her conduct
Bathsheba had spoken of her interest in Boldwood with the greatest freedom to
Liddy but she had only communed with her own heart concerning Troy
All this infatuation Gabriel saw and was troubled thereby from the time of
his daily journey afield to the time of his return and on to the small hours
of many a night That he was not beloved had hitherto been his great sorrow
that Bathsheba was getting into the toils was now a sorrow greater than the
first and one which nearly obscured it It was a result which paralleled the
oftquoted observation of Hippocrates concerning physical pains
That is a noble though perhaps an unpromising love which not even the fear
of breeding aversion in the bosom of the one beloved can deter from combating
his or her errors Oak determined to speak to his mistress He would base his
appeal on what he considered her unfair treatment of Farmer Boldwood now absent
from home
An opportunity occurred one evening when she had gone for a short walk by a
path through the neighbouring cornfields It was dusk when Oak who had not been
far afield that day took the same path and met her returning quite pensively
as he thought
The wheat was now tall and the path was narrow thus the way was quite a
sunken groove between the embowing thicket on either side Two persons could not
walk abreast without damaging the crop and Oak stood aside to let her pass
»Oh is it Gabriel« she said »You are taking a walk too Goodnight«
»I thought I would come to meet you as it is rather late« said Oak
turning and following at her heels when she had brushed somewhat quickly by him
»Thank you indeed but I am not very fearful«
»O no but there are bad characters about«
»I never meet them«
Now Oak with marvellous ingenuity had been going to introduce the gallant
sergeant through the channel of bad characters But all at once the scheme broke
down it suddenly occurring to him that this was rather a clumsy way and too
barefaced to begin with He tried another preamble
»And as the man who would naturally come to meet you is away from home too
I mean Farmer Boldwood why thinks I Ill go« he said
»Ah yes« She walked on without turning her head and for many steps
nothing further was heard from her quarter than the rustle of her dress against
the heavy cornears Then she resumed rather tartly
»I dont quite understand what you meant by saying that Mr Boldwood would
naturally come to meet me«
»I meant on account of the wedding which they say is likely to take place
between you and him miss Forgive my speaking plainly«
»They say what is not true« she returned quickly »No marriage is likely to
take place between us«
Gabriel now put forth his unobscured opinion for the moment had come
»Well Miss Everdene« he said »putting aside what people say I never in my
life saw any courting if his is not a courting of you«
Bathsheba would probably have terminated the conversation there and then by
flatly forbidding the subject had not her conscious weakness of position
allured her to palter and argue in endeavours to better it
»Since this subject has been mentioned« she said very emphatically »I am
glad of the opportunity of clearing up a mistake which is very common and very
provoking I didnt definitely promise Mr Boldwood anything I have never cared
for him I respect him and he has urged me to marry him But I have given him
no distinct answer As soon as he returns I shall do so and the answer will be
that I cannot think of marrying him«
»People are full of mistakes seemingly«
»They are«
»The other day they said you were trifling with him and you almost proved
that you were not lately they have said that you be not and you straightway
begin to show «
»That I am I suppose you mean«
»Well I hope they speak the truth«
»They do but wrongly applied I dont trifle with him but then I have
nothing to do with him«
Oak was unfortunately led on to speak of Boldwoods rival in a wrong tone to
her after all »I wish you had never met that young Sergeant Troy miss« he
sighed
Bathshebas steps became faintly spasmodic »Why« she asked
»He is not good enough for ee«
»Did any one tell you to speak to me like this«
»Nobody at all«
»Then it appears to me that Sergeant Troy does not concern us here« she
said intractably »Yet I must say that Sergeant Troy is an educated man and
quite worthy of any woman He is well born«
»His being higher in learning and birth than the ruck o soldiers is
anything but a proof of his worth It shows his course to be downard«
»I cannot see what this has to do with our conversation Mr Troys course
is not by any means downward and his superiority is a proof of his worth«
»I believe him to have no conscience at all And I cannot help begging you
miss to have nothing to do with him Listen to me this once only this once I
dont say hes such a bad man as I have fancied I pray to God he is not But
since we dont exactly know what he is why not behave as if he might be bad
simply for your own safety Dont trust him mistress I ask you not to trust
him so«
»Why pray«
»I like soldiers but this one I do not like« he said sturdily »His
cleverness in his calling may have tempted him astray and what is mirth to the
neighbours is ruin to the woman When he tries to talk to ee again why not
turn away with a short Good day and when you see him coming one way turn the
other When he says anything laughable fail to see the point and dont smile
and speak of him before those who will report your talk as that fantastical man
or that Sergeant Whatshisname That man of a family that has come to the
dogs Dont be unmannerly towards en but harmlessuncivil and so get rid of
the man«
No Christmas robin detained by a windowpane ever pulsed as did Bathsheba
now
»I say I say again that it doesnt become you to talk about him Why he
should be mentioned passes me quite« she exclaimed desperately »I know this
thththat he is a thoroughly conscientious man blunt sometimes even to
rudeness but always speaking his mind about you plain to your face«
»Oh«
»He is as good as anybody in this parish He is very particular too about
going to church yes he is«
»I am afeard nobody ever saw him there I never did certainly«
»The reason of that is« she said eagerly »that he goes in privately by the
old tower door just when the service commences and sits at the back of the
gallery He told me so«
This supreme instance of Troys goodness fell upon Gabriels ears like the
thirteenth stroke of a crazy clock It was not only received with utter
incredulity as regarded itself but threw a doubt on all the assurances that had
preceded it
Oak was grieved to find how entirely she trusted him He brimmed with deep
feeling as he replied in a steady voice the steadiness of which was spoilt by
the palpableness of his great effort to keep it so
»You know mistress that I love you and shall love you always I only
mention this to bring to your mind that at any rate I would wish to do you no
harm beyond that I put it aside I have lost in the race for money and good
things and I am not such a fool as to pretend to ee now I am poor and you
have got altogether above me But Bathsheba dear mistress this I beg you to
consider that both to keep yourself well honoured among the workfolk and in
common generosity to an honourable man who loves you as well as I you should be
more discreet in your bearing towards this soldier«
»Dont dont dont« she exclaimed in a choking voice
»Are ye not more to me than my own affairs and even life« he went on
»Come listen to me I am six years older than you and Mr Boldwood is ten
years older than I and consider I do beg of ee to consider before it is too
late how safe you would be in his hands«
Oaks allusion to his own love for her lessened to some extent her anger
at his interference but she could not really forgive him for letting his wish
to marry her be eclipsed by his wish to do her good any more than for his
slighting treatment of Troy
»I wish you to go elsewhere« she commanded a paleness of face invisible to
the eye being suggested by the trembling words »Do not remain on this farm any
longer I dont want you I beg you to go«
»Thats nonsense« said Oak calmly »This is the second time you have
pretended to dismiss me and whats the use o it«
»Pretended You shall go sir your lecturing I will not hear I am
mistress here«
»Go indeed what folly will you say next Treating me like Dick Tom and
Harry when you know that a short time ago my position was as good as yours Upon
my life Bathsheba it is too barefaced You know too that I cant go without
putting things in such a strait as you wouldnt get out of I cant tell when
Unless indeed youll promise to have an understanding man as bailiff or
manager or something Ill go at once if youll promise that«
»I shall have no bailiff I shall continue to be my own manager« she said
decisively
»Very well then you should be thankful to me for biding How would the
farm go on with nobody to mind it but a woman But mind this I dont wish ee
to feel you owe me anything Not I What I do I do Sometimes I say I should be
as glad as a bird to leave the place for dont suppose Im content to be a
nobody I was made for better things However I dont like to see your concerns
going to ruin as they must if you keep in this mind I hate taking my own
measure so plain but upon my life your provoking ways make a man say what he
wouldnt dream of at other times I own to being rather interfering But you
know well enough how it is and who she is that I like too well and feel too
much like a fool about to be civil to her«
It is more than probable that she privately and unconsciously respected him
a little for this grim fidelity which had been shown in his tone even more than
in his words At any rate she murmured something to the effect that he might
stay if he wished She said more distinctly »Will you leave me alone now I
dont order it as a mistress I ask it as a woman and I expect you not to be
so uncourteous as to refuse«
»Certainly I will Miss Everdene« said Gabriel gently He wondered that the
request should have come at this moment for the strife was over and they were
on a most desolate hill far from every human habitation and the hour was
getting late He stood still and allowed her to get far ahead of him till he
could only see her form upon the sky
A distressing explanation of this anxiety to be rid of him at that point now
ensued A figure apparently rose from the earth beside her The shape beyond all
doubt was Troys Oak would not be even a possible listener and at once turned
back till a good two hundred yards were between the lovers and himself
Gabriel went home by way of the churchyard In passing the tower he thought
of what she had said about the sergeants virtuous habit of entering the church
unperceived at the beginning of service Believing that the little gallery door
alluded to was quite disused he ascended the external flight of steps at the
top of which it stood and examined it The pale lustre yet hanging in the
northwestern heaven was sufficient to show that a sprig of ivy had grown from
the wall across the door to a length of more than a foot delicately tying the
panel to the stone jamb It was a decisive proof that the door had not been
opened at least since Troy came back to Weatherbury
Chapter XXX
Hot Cheeks and Tearful Eyes
Half an hour later Bathsheba entered her own house There burnt upon her face
when she met the light of the candles the flush and excitement which were little
less than chronic with her now The farewell words of Troy who had accompanied
her to the very door still lingered in her ears He had bidden her adieu for
two days which were so he stated to be spent at Bath in visiting some
friends He had also kissed her a second time
It is only fair to Bathsheba to explain here a little fact which did not
come to light till a long time afterwards that Troys presentation of himself
so aptly at the roadside this evening was not by any distinctly preconcerted
arrangement He had hinted she had forbidden and it was only on the chance of
his still coming that she had dismissed Oak fearing a meeting between them just
then
She now sank down into a chair wild and perturbed by all these new and
fevering sequences Then she jumped up with a manner of decision and fetched
her desk from a side table
In three minutes without pause or modification she had written a letter to
Boldwood at his address beyond Casterbridge saying mildly but firmly that she
had well considered the whole subject he had brought before her and kindly given
her time to decide upon that her final decision was that she could not marry
him She had expressed to Oak an intention to wait till Boldwood came home
before communicating to him her conclusive reply But Bathsheba found that she
could not wait
It was impossible to send this letter till the next day yet to quell her
uneasiness by getting it out of her hands and so as it were setting the act
in motion at once she arose to take it to any one of the women who might be in
the kitchen
She paused in the passage A dialogue was going on in the kitchen and
Bathsheba and Troy were the subject of it
»If he marry her shell gie up farming«
»Twill be a gallant life but may bring some trouble between the mirth so
say I«
»Well I wish I had half such a husband«
Bathsheba had too much sense to mind seriously what her servitors said about
her but too much womanly redundance of speech to leave alone what was said till
it died the natural death of unminded things She burst in upon them
»Who are you speaking of« she asked
There was a pause before anybody replied At last Liddy said frankly »What
was passing was a bit of a word about yourself miss«
»I thought so Maryann and Liddy and Temperance now I forbid you to
suppose such things You know I dont care the least for Mr Troy not I
Everybody knows how much I hate him Yes« repeated the froward young person
»hate him«
»We know you do miss« said Liddy »and so do we all«
»I hate him too« said Maryann
»Maryann O you perjured woman How can you speak that wicked story« said
Bathsheba excitedly »You admired him from your heart only this morning in the
very world you did Yes Maryann you know it«
»Yes miss but so did you He is a wild scamp now and you are right to
hate him«
»Hes not a wild scamp How dare you to my face I have no right to hate
him nor you nor anybody But I am a silly woman What is it to me what he is
You know it is nothing I dont care for him I dont mean to defend his good
name not I Mind this if any of you say a word against him youll be dismissed
instantly«
She flung down the letter and surged back into the parlour with a big heart
and tearful eyes Liddy following her
»O miss« said mild Liddy looking pitifully into Bathshebas face »I am
sorry we mistook you so I did think you cared for him but I see you dont
now«
»Shut the door Liddy«
Liddy closed the door and went on »People always say such foolery miss
Ill make answer henceforard Of course a lady like Miss Everdene cant love
him Ill say it out in plain black and white«
Bathsheba burst out »O Liddy are you such a simpleton Cant you read
riddles Cant you see Are you a woman yourself«
Liddys clear eyes rounded with wonderment
»Yes you must be a blind thing Liddy« she said in reckless abandonment
and grief »O I love him to very distraction and misery and agony Dont be
frightened at me though perhaps I am enough to frighten any innocent woman
Come closer closer« She put her arms round Liddys neck »I must let it out
to somebody it is wearing me away Dont you yet know enough of me to see
through that miserable denial of mine O God what a lie it was Heaven and my
Love forgive me And dont you know that a woman who loves at all thinks nothing
of perjury when it is balanced against her love There go out of the room I
want to be quite alone«
Liddy went towards the door
»Liddy come here Solemnly swear to me that hes not a fast man that it is
all lies they say about him«
»But miss how can I say he is not if «
»You graceless girl How can you have the cruel heart to repeat what they
say Unfeeling thing that you are But Ill see if you or anybody else in the
village or town either dare do such a thing« She started off pacing from
fireplace to door and back again
»No miss I dont I know it is not true« said Liddy frightened at
Bathshebas unwonted vehemence
»I suppose you only agree with me like that to please me But Liddy he
cannot be bad as is said Do you hear«
»Yes miss yes«
»And you dont believe he is«
»I dont know what to say miss« said Liddy beginning to cry »If I say
No you dont believe me and if I say Yes you rage at me«
»Say you dont believe it say you dont«
»I dont believe him to be so bad as they make out«
»He is not bad at all My poor life and heart how weak I am« she
moaned in a relaxed desultory way heedless of Liddys presence »O how I
wish I had never seen him Loving is misery for women always I shall never
forgive God for making me a woman and dearly am I beginning to pay for the
honour of owning a pretty face« She freshened and turned to Liddy suddenly
»Mind this Lydia Smallbury if you repeat anywhere a single word of what I have
said to you inside this closed door Ill never trust you or love you or have
you with me a moment longer not a moment«
»I dont want to repeat anything« said Liddy with womanly dignity of a
diminutive order »but I dont wish to stay with you And if you please Ill
go at the end of the harvest or this week or today I dont see that I
deserve to be put upon and stormed at for nothing« concluded the small woman
bigly
»No no Liddy you must stay« said Bathsheba dropping from haughtiness to
entreaty with capricious inconsequence »You must not notice my being in a
taking just now You are not as a servant you are a companion to me Dear
dear I dont know what I am doing since this miserable ache o my heart has
weighted and worn upon me so What shall I come to I suppose I shall get
further and further into troubles I wonder sometimes if I am doomed to die in
the Union I am friendless enough God knows«
»I wont notice anything nor will I leave you« sobbed Liddy impulsively
putting up her lips to Bathshebas and kissing her
Then Bathsheba kissed Liddy and all was smooth again
»I dont often cry do I Lidd but you have made tears come into my eyes«
she said a smile shining through the moisture »Try to think him a good man
wont you dear Liddy«
»I will miss indeed«
»He is a sort of steady man in a wild way you know Thats better than to
be as some are wild in a steady way I am afraid thats how I am And promise
me to keep my secret do Liddy And do not let them know that I have been
crying about him because it will be dreadful for me and no good to him poor
thing«
»Deaths head himself shant wring it from me mistress if Ive a mind to
keep anything and Ill always be your friend« replied Liddy emphatically at
the same time bringing a few more tears into her own eyes not from any
particular necessity but from an artistic sense of making herself in keeping
with the remainder of the picture which seems to influence women at such times
»I think God likes us to be good friends dont you«
»Indeed I do«
»And dear miss you wont harry me and storm at me will you because you
seem to swell so tall as a lion then and it frightens me Do you know I fancy
you would be a match for any man when you are in one o your takings«
»Never do you« said Bathsheba slightly laughing though somewhat
seriously alarmed by this Amazonian picture of herself »I hope I am not a bold
sort of maid mannish« she continued with some anxiety
»O no not mannish but so almighty womanish that tis getting on that way
sometimes Ah miss« she said after having drawn her breath very sadly in and
sent it very sadly out »I wish I had half your failing that way Tis a great
protection to a poor maid in these illegitmate days«
Chapter XXXI
Blame Fury
The next evening Bathsheba with the idea of getting out of the way of Mr
Boldwood in the event of his returning to answer her note in person proceeded
to fulfil an engagement made with Liddy some few hours earlier Bathshebas
companion as a gage of their reconciliation had been granted a weeks holiday
to visit her sister who was married to a thriving hurdler and cattlecribmaker
living in a delightful labyrinth of hazel copse not far beyond Yalbury The
arrangement was that Miss Everdene should honour them by coming there for a day
or two to inspect some ingenious contrivances which this man of the woods had
introduced into his wares
Leaving her instructions with Gabriel and Maryann that they were to see
everything carefully locked up for the night she went out of the house just at
the close of a timely thundershower which had refined the air and daintily
bathed the coat of the land though all beneath was dry as ever Freshness was
exhaled in an essence from the varied contours of bank and hollow as if the
earth breathed maiden breath and the pleased birds were hymning to the scene
Before her among the clouds there was a contrast in the shape of lairs of
fierce light which showed themselves in the neighbourhood of a hidden sun
lingering on to the farthest northwest corner of the heavens that this
midsummer season allowed
She had walked nearly two miles of her journey watching how the day was
retreating and thinking how the time of deeds was quietly melting into the time
of thought to give place in its turn to the time of prayer and sleep when she
beheld advancing over Yalbury hill the very man she sought so anxiously to
elude Boldwood was stepping on not with that quiet tread of reserved strength
which was his customary gait in which he always seemed to be balancing two
thoughts His manner was stunned and sluggish now
Boldwood had for the first time been awakened to womans privileges in
tergiversation even when it involves another persons possible blight That
Bathsheba was a firm and positive girl far less inconsequent than her fellows
had been the very lung of his hope for he had held that these qualities would
lead her to adhere to a straight course for consistencys sake and accept him
though her fancy might not flood him with the iridescent hues of uncritical
love But the argument now came back as sorry gleams from a broken mirror The
discovery was no less a scourge than a surprise
He came on looking upon the ground and did not see Bathsheba till they were
less than a stones throw apart He looked up at the sound of her pitpat and
his changed appearance sufficiently denoted to her the depth and strength of the
feelings paralyzed by her letter
»Oh is it you Mr Boldwood« she faltered a guilty warmth pulsing in her
face
Those who have the power of reproaching in silence may find it a means more
effective than words There are accents in the eye which are not on the tongue
and more tales come from pale lips than can enter an ear It is both the
grandeur and the pain of the remoter moods that they avoid the pathway of sound
Boldwoods look was unanswerable
Seeing she turned a little aside he said »What are you afraid of me«
»Why should you say that« said Bathsheba
»I fancied you looked so« said he »And it is most strange because of its
contrast with my feeling for you«
She regained selfpossession fixed her eyes calmly and waited
»You know what that feeling is« continued Boldwood deliberately »A thing
strong as death No dismissal by a hasty letter affects that«
»I wish you did not feel so strongly about me« she murmured »It is
generous of you and more than I deserve but I must not hear it now«
»Hear it What do you think I have to say then I am not to marry you and
thats enough Your letter was excellently plain I want you to hear nothing
not I«
Bathsheba was unable to direct her will into any definite groove for freeing
herself from this fearfully awkward position She confusedly said »Good
evening« and was moving on Boldwood walked up to her heavily and dully
»Bathsheba darling is it final indeed«
»Indeed it is«
»O Bathsheba have pity upon me« Boldwood burst out »Gods sake yes I
am come to that low lowest stage to ask a woman for pity Still she is you
she is you«
Bathsheba commanded herself well But she could hardly get a clear voice for
what came instinctively to her lips »There is little honour to the woman in
that speech« It was only whispered for something unutterably mournful no less
than distressing in this spectacle of a man showing himself to be so entirely
the vane of a passion enervated the feminine instinct for punctilios
»I am beyond myself about this and am mad« he said »I am no stoic at all
to be supplicating here but I do supplicate to you I wish you knew what is in
me of devotion to you but it is impossible that In bare human mercy to a
lonely man dont throw me off now«
»I dont throw you off indeed how can I I never had you« In her
noonclear sense that she had never loved him she forgot for a moment her
thoughtless angle on that day in February
»But there was a time when you turned to me before I thought of you I
dont reproach you for even now I feel that the ignorant and cold darkness that
I should have lived in if you had not attracted me by that letter valentine
you call it would have been worse than my knowledge of you though it has
brought this misery But I say there was a time when I knew nothing of you
and cared nothing for you and yet you drew me on And if you say you gave me no
encouragement I cannot but contradict you«
»What you call encouragement was the childish game of an idle minute I have
bitterly repented of it ay bitterly and in tears Can you still go on
reminding me«
»I dont accuse you of it I deplore it I took for earnest what you insist
was jest and now this that I pray to be jest you say is awful wretched
earnest Our moods meet at wrong places I wish your feeling was more like mine
or my feeling more like yours O could I but have foreseen the torture that
trifling trick was going to lead me into how I should have cursed you but only
having been able to see it since I cannot do that for I love you too well But
it is weak idle drivelling to go on like this Bathsheba you are the first
woman of any shade or nature that I have ever looked at to love and it is the
having been so near claiming you for my own that makes this denial so hard to
bear How nearly you promised me But I dont speak now to move your heart and
make you grieve because of my pain it is no use that I must bear it my pain
would get no less by paining you«
»But I do pity you deeply O so deeply« she earnestly said
»Do no such thing do no such thing Your dear love Bathsheba is such a
vast thing beside your pity that the loss of your pity as well as your love is
no great addition to my sorrow nor does the gain of your pity make it sensibly
less O sweet how dearly you spoke to me behind the spearbed at the
washingpool and in the barn at the shearing and that dearest last time in the
evening at your home Where are your pleasant words all gone your earnest hope
to be able to love me Where is your firm conviction that you would get to care
for me very much Really forgotten really«
She checked emotion looked him quietly and clearly in the face and said in
her low firm voice »Mr Boldwood I promised you nothing Would you have had
me a woman of clay when you paid me that furthest highest compliment a man can
pay a woman telling her he loves her I was bound to show some feeling if I
would not be a graceless shrew Yet each of those pleasures was just for the day
the day just for the pleasure How was I to know that what is a pastime to all
other men was death to you Have reason do and think more kindly of me«
»Well never mind arguing never mind One thing is sure you were all but
mine and now you are not nearly mine Everything is changed and that by you
alone remember You were nothing to me once and I was contented you are now
nothing to me again and how different the second nothing is from the first
Would to God you had never taken me up since it was only to throw me down«
Bathsheba in spite of her mettle began to feel unmistakable signs that she
was inherently the weaker vessel She strove miserably against this femininity
which would insist upon supplying unbidden emotions in stronger and stronger
current She had tried to elude agitation by fixing her mind on the trees sky
any trivial object before her eyes whilst his reproaches fell but ingenuity
could not save her now
»I did not take you up surely I did not« she answered as heroically as
she could »But dont be in this mood with me I can endure being told I am in
the wrong if you will only tell it me gently O sir will you not kindly
forgive me and look at it cheerfully«
»Cheerfully Can a man fooled to utter heartburning find a reason for being
merry If I have lost how can I be as if I had won Heavens you must be
heartless quite Had I known what a fearfully bitter sweet this was to be how I
would have avoided you and never seen you and been deaf to you I tell you all
this but what do you care You dont care«
She returned silent and weak denials to his charges and swayed her head
desperately as if to thrust away the words as they came showering about her
ears from the lips of the trembling man in the climax of life with his bronzed
Roman face and fine frame
»Dearest dearest I am wavering even now between the two opposites of
recklessly renouncing you and labouring humbly for you again Forget that you
have said No and let it be as it was Say Bathsheba that you only wrote that
refusal to me in fun come say it to me«
»It would be untrue and painful to both of us You overrate my capacity for
love I dont possess half the warmth of nature you believe me to have An
unprotected childhood in a cold world has beaten gentleness out of me«
He immediately said with more resentment »That may be true somewhat but
ah Miss Everdene it wont do as a reason You are not the cold woman you would
have me believe No no It isnt because you have no feeling in you that you
dont love me You naturally would have me think so you would hide from me
that you have a burning heart like mine You have love enough but it is turned
into a new channel I know where«
The swift music of her heart became hubbub now and she throbbed to
extremity He was coming to Troy He did then know what had occurred And the
name fell from his lips the next moment
»Why did Troy not leave my treasure alone« he asked fiercely »When I had
no thought of injuring him why did he force himself upon your notice Before he
worried you your inclination was to have me when next I should have come to you
your answer would have been Yes Can you deny it I ask can you deny it«
She delayed the reply but was too honest to withhold it »I cannot« she
whispered
»I know you cannot But he stole in in my absence and robbed me Why didnt
he win you away before when nobody would have been grieved when nobody would
have been set talebearing Now the people sneer at me the very hills and sky
seem to laugh at me till I blush shamefully for my folly I have lost my
respect my good name my standing lost it never to get it again Go and
marry your man go on«
»O sir Mr Boldwood«
»You may as well I have no further claim upon you As for me I had better
go somewhere alone and hide and pray I loved a woman once I am now ashamed
When I am dead theyll say Miserable lovesick man that he was Heaven heaven
if I had got jilted secretly and the dishonour not known and my position
kept But no matter it is gone and the woman not gained Shame upon him
shame«
His unreasonable anger terrified her and she glided from him without
obviously moving as she said »I am only a girl do not speak to me so«
»All the time you knew how very well you knew that your new freak was my
misery Dazzled by brass and scarlet O Bathsheba this is womans folly
indeed«
She fired up at once »You are taking too much upon yourself« she said
vehemently »Everybody is upon me everybody It is unmanly to attack a woman
so I have nobody in the world to fight my battles for me but no mercy is
shown Yet if a thousand of you sneer and say things against me I will not be
put down«
»Youll chatter with him doubtless about me Say to him Boldwood would have
died for me Yes and you have given way to him knowing him to be not the man
for you He has kissed you claimed you as his Do you hear he has kissed
you Deny it«
The most tragic woman is cowed by a tragic man and although Boldwood was
in vehemence and glow nearly her own self rendered into another sex
Bathshebas cheek quivered She gasped »Leave me sir leave me I am nothing
to you Let me go on«
»Deny that he has kissed you«
»I shall not«
»Ha then he has« came hoarsely from the farmer
»He has« she said slowly and in spite of her fear defiantly »I am not
ashamed to speak the truth«
»Then curse him and curse him« said Boldwood breaking into a whispered
fury »Whilst I would have given worlds to touch your hand you have let a rake
come in without right or ceremony and kiss you Heavens mercy kiss you
Ah a time of his life shall come when he will have to repent and think
wretchedly of the pain he has caused another man and then may he ache and
wish and curse and yearn as I do now«
»Dont dont O dont pray down evil upon him« she implored in a
miserable cry »Anything but that anything O be kind to him sir for I love
him true«
Boldwoods ideas had reached that point of fusion at which outline and
consistency entirely disappear The impending night appeared to concentrate in
his eye He did not hear her at all now
»Ill punish him by my soul that will I Ill meet him soldier or no
and Ill horsewhip the untimely stripling for this reckless theft of my one
delight If he were a hundred men Id horsewhip him « He dropped his voice
suddenly and unnaturally »Bathsheba sweet lost coquette pardon me Ive been
blaming you threatening you behaving like a churl to you when hes the
greatest sinner He stole your dear heart away with his unfathomable lies It
is a fortunate thing for him that hes gone back to his regiment that hes
away up the country and not here I hope he may not return here just yet I
pray God he may not come into my sight for I may be tempted beyond myself O
Bathsheba keep him away yes keep him away from me«
For a moment Boldwood stood so inertly after this that his soul seemed to
have been entirely exhaled with the breath of his passionate words He turned
his face away and withdrew and his form was soon covered over by the twilight
as his footsteps mixed in with the low hiss of the leafy trees
Bathsheba who had been standing motionless as a model all this latter time
flung her hands to her face and wildly attempted to ponder on the exhibition
which had just passed away Such astounding wells of fevered feeling in a still
man like Mr Boldwood were incomprehensible dreadful Instead of being a man
trained to repression he was what she had seen him
The force of the farmers threats lay in their relation to a circumstance
known at present only to herself her lover was coming back to Weatherbury in
the course of the very next day or two Troy had not returned to his distant
barracks as Boldwood and others supposed but had merely gone to visit some
acquaintance in Bath and had yet a week or more remaining to his furlough
She felt wretchedly certain that if he revisited her just at this nick of
time and came into contact with Boldwood a fierce quarrel would be the
consequence She panted with solicitude when she thought of possible injury to
Troy The least spark would kindle the farmers swift feelings of rage and
jealousy he would lose his selfmastery as he had this evening Troys
blitheness might become aggressive it might take the direction of derision and
Boldwoods anger might then take the direction of revenge
With almost a morbid dread of being thought a gushing girl this guideless
woman too well concealed from the world under a manner of carelessness the warm
depths of her strong emotions But now there was no reserve In her distraction
instead of advancing further she walked up and down beating the air with her
fingers pressing her brow and sobbing brokenly to herself Then she sat down
on a heap of stones by the wayside to think There she remained long Above the
dark margin of the earth appeared foreshores and promontories of coppery cloud
bounding a green and pellucid expanse in the western sky Amaranthine glosses
came over them then and the unresting world wheeled her round to a contrasting
prospect eastward in the shape of indecisive and palpitating stars She gazed
upon their silent throes amid the shades of space but realized none at all Her
troubled spirit was far away with Troy
Chapter XXXII
Night Horses Tramping
The village of Weatherbury was quiet as the graveyard in its midst and the
living were lying wellnigh as still as the dead The church clock struck
eleven The air was so empty of other sounds that the whirr of the clockwork
immediately before the strokes was distinct and so was also the click of the
same at their close The notes flew forth with the usual blind obtuseness of
inanimate things flapping and rebounding among walls undulating against the
scattered clouds spreading through their interstices into unexplored miles of
space
Bathshebas crannied and mouldy halls were tonight occupied only by Maryann
Liddy being as was stated with her sister whom Bathsheba had set out to
visit A few minutes after eleven had struck Maryann turned in her bed with a
sense of being disturbed She was totally unconscious of the nature of the
interruption to her sleep It led to a dream and the dream to an awakening
with an uneasy sensation that something had happened She left her bed and
looked out of the window The paddock abutted on this end of the building and
in the paddock she could just discern by the uncertain gray a moving figure
approaching the horse that was feeding there The figure seized the horse by the
forelock and led it to the corner of the field Here she could see some object
which circumstances proved to be a vehicle for after a few minutes spent
apparently in harnessing she heard the trot of the horse down the road mingled
with the sound of light wheels
Two varieties only of humanity could have entered the paddock with the
ghostlike glide of that mysterious figure They were a woman and a gipsy man A
woman was out of the question in such an occupation at this hour and the comer
could be no less than a thief who might probably have known the weakness of the
household on this particular night and have chosen it on that account for his
daring attempt Moreover to raise suspicion to conviction itself there were
gipsies in Weatherbury Bottom
Maryann who had been afraid to shout in the robbers presence having seen
him depart had no fear She hastily slipped on her clothes stumped down the
disjointed staircase with its hundred creaks ran to Coggans the nearest
house and raised an alarm Coggan called Gabriel who now again lodged in his
house as at first and together they went to the paddock Beyond all doubt the
horse was gone
»Hark« said Gabriel
They listened Distinct upon the stagnant air came the sounds of a trotting
horse passing up Longpuddle Lane just beyond the gipsies encampment in
Weatherbury Bottom
»Thats our Dainty Ill swear to her step« said Jan
»Mighty me Wont misess storm and call us stupids when she comes back«
moaned Maryann »How I wish it had happened when she was at home and none of us
had been answerable«
»We must ride after« said Gabriel decisively »Ill be responsible to Miss
Everdene for what we do Yes well follow«
»Faith I dont see how« said Coggan »All our horses are too heavy for
that trick except little Poppet and whats she between two of us If we only
had that pair over the hedge we might do something«
»Which pair«
»Mr Boldwoods Tidy and Moll«
»Then wait here till I come hither again« said Gabriel He ran down the
hill towards Farmer Boldwoods
»Farmer Boldwood is not at home« said Maryann
»All the better« said Coggan »I know what hes gone for«
Less than five minutes brought up Oak again running at the same pace with
two halters dangling from his hand
»Where did you find em« said Coggan turning round and leaping upon the
hedge without waiting for an answer
»Under the eaves I knew where they were kept« said Gabriel following him
»Coggan you can ride barebacked theres no time to look for saddles«
»Like a hero« said Jan
»Maryann you go to bed« Gabriel shouted to her from the top of the hedge
Springing down into Boldwoods pastures each pocketed his halter to hide it
from the horses who seeing the men emptyhanded docilely allowed themselves
to be seized by the mane when the halters were dexterously slipped on Having
neither bit nor bridle Oak and Coggan extemporized the former by passing the
rope in each case through the animals mouth and looping it on the other side
Oak vaulted astride and Coggan clambered up by aid of the bank when they
ascended to the gate and galloped off in the direction taken by Bathshebas
horse and the robber Whose vehicle the horse had been harnessed to was a matter
of some uncertainty
Weatherbury Bottom was reached in three or four minutes They scanned the
shady green patch by the roadside The gipsies were gone
»The villains« said Gabriel »Which way have they gone I wonder«
»Straight on as sure as God made little apples« said Jan
»Very well we are better mounted and must overtake em« said Oak »Now
on at full speed«
No sound of the rider in their van could now be discovered The roadmetal
grew softer and more clayey as Weatherbury was left behind and the late rain
had wetted its surface to a somewhat plastic but not muddy state They came to
crossroads Coggan suddenly pulled up Moll and slipped off
»Whats the matter« said Gabriel
»We must try to track em since we cant hear em« said Jan fumbling in
his pockets He struck a light and held the match to the ground The rain had
been heavier here and all foot and horse tracks made previous to the storm had
been abraded and blurred by the drops and they were now so many little scoops
of water which reflected the flame of the match like eyes One set of tracks
was fresh and had no water in them one pair of ruts was also empty and not
small canals like the others The footprints forming this recent impression
were full of information as to pace they were in equidistant pairs three or
four feet apart the right and left foot of each pair being exactly opposite one
another
»Straight on« Jan exclaimed »Tracks like that mean a stiff gallop No
wonder we dont hear him And the horse is harnessed look at the ruts Ay
thats our mare sure enough«
»How do you know«
»Old Jimmy Harris only shoed her last week and Id swear to his make among
ten thousand«
»The rest of the gipsies must ha gone on earlier or some other way« said
Oak »You saw there were no other tracks«
»True« They rode along silently for a long weary time Coggan carried an
old pinchbeck repeater which he had inherited from some genius in his family
and it now struck one He lighted another match and examined the ground again
»Tis a canter now« he said throwing away the light »A twisty rickety
pace for a gig The fact is they overdrove her at starting we shall catch em
yet«
Again they hastened on and entered Blackmore Vale Coggans watch struck
two When they looked again the hoofmarks were so spaced as to form a sort of
zigzag if united like the lamps along a street
»Thats a trot I know« said Gabriel
»Only a trot now« said Coggan cheerfully »We shall overtake him in time«
They pushed rapidly on for yet two or three miles »Ah a moment« said Jan
»Lets see how she was driven up this hill Twill help us« A light was
promptly struck upon his gaiters as before and the examination made
»Hurrah« said Coggan »She walked up here and well she might We shall
get them in two miles for a crown«
They rode three and listened No sound was to be heard save a millpond
trickling hoarsely through a hatch and suggesting gloomy possibilities of
drowning by jumping in Gabriel dismounted when they came to a turning The
tracks were absolutely the only guide as to the direction that they now had and
great caution was necessary to avoid confusing them with some others which had
made their appearance lately
»What does this mean though I guess« said Gabriel looking up at Coggan
as he moved the match over the ground about the turning Coggan who no less
than the panting horses had latterly shown signs of weariness again
scrutinized the mystic characters This time only three were of the regular
horseshoe shape Every fourth was a dot
He screwed up his face and emitted a long »whewww«
»Lame« said Oak
»Yes Dainty is lamed the nearfootafore« said Coggan slowly staring
still at the footprints
»Well push on« said Gabriel remounting his humid steed
Although the road along its greater part had been as good as any
turnpikeroad in the country it was nominally only a byway The last turning
had brought them into the high road leading to Bath Coggan recollected himself
»We shall have him now« he exclaimed
»Where«
»Sherton Turnpike The keeper of that gate is the sleepiest man between here
and London Dan Randall thats his name knowed en for years when he was at
Casterbridge gate Between the lameness and the gate tis a done job«
They now advanced with extreme caution Nothing was said until against a
shady background of foliage five white bars were visible crossing their route
a little way ahead
»Hush we are almost close« said Gabriel
»Amble on upon the grass« said Coggan
The white bars were blotted out in the midst by a dark shape in front of
them The silence of this lonely time was pierced by an exclamation from that
quarter
»Hoyahoy Gate«
It appeared that there had been a previous call which they had not noticed
for on their close approach the door of the turnpikehouse opened and the
keeper came out halfdressed with a candle in his hand The rays illumined the
whole group
»Keep the gate close« shouted Gabriel »He has stolen the horse«
»Who« said the turnpikeman
Gabriel looked at the driver of the gig and saw a woman Bathsheba his
mistress
On hearing his voice she had turned her face away from the light Coggan
had however caught sight of her in the meanwhile
»Why tis mistress Ill take my oath« he said amazed
Bathsheba it certainly was and she had by this time done the trick she
could do so well in crises not of love namely mask a surprise by coolness of
manner
»Well Gabriel« she inquired quietly »where are you going«
»We thought « began Gabriel
»I am driving to Bath« she said taking for her own use the assurance that
Gabriel lacked »An important matter made it necessary for me to give up my
visit to Liddy and go off at once What then were you following me«
»We thought the horse was stole«
»Well what a thing How very foolish of you not to know that I had taken
the trap and horse I could neither wake Maryann nor get into the house though
I hammered for ten minutes against her windowsill Fortunately I could get the
key of the coachhouse so I troubled no one further Didnt you think it might
be me«
»Why should we miss«
»Perhaps not Why those are never Farmer Boldwoods horses Goodness mercy
what have you been doing bringing trouble upon me in this way What mustnt a
lady move an inch from her door without being dogged like a thief«
»But how was we to know if you left no account of your doings«
expostulated Coggan »and ladies dont drive at these hours miss as a jineral
rule of society«
»I did leave an account and you would have seen it in the morning I wrote
in chalk on the coachhouse doors that I had come back for the horse and gig and
driven off that I could arouse nobody and should return soon«
»But youll consider maam that we couldnt see that till it got
daylight«
»True« she said and though vexed at first she had too much sense to blame
them long or seriously for a devotion to her that was as valuable as it was
rare She added with a very pretty grace »Well I really thank you heartily for
taking all this trouble but I wish you had borrowed anybodys horses but Mr
Boldwoods«
»Dainty is lame miss« said Coggan »Can ye go on«
»It was only a stone in her shoe I got down and pulled it out a hundred
yards back I can manage very well thank you I shall be in Bath by daylight
Will you now return please«
She turned her head the gatemans candle shimmering upon her quick clear
eyes as she did so passed through the gate and was soon wrapped in the
embowering shades of mysterious summer boughs Coggan and Gabriel put about
their horses and fanned by the velvety air of this July night retraced the
road by which they had come
»A strange vagary this of hers isnt it Oak« said Coggan curiously
»Yes« said Gabriel shortly
»She wont be in Bath by no daylight«
»Coggan suppose we keep this nights work as quiet as we can«
»I am of one and the same mind«
»Very well We shall be home by three oclock or so and can creep into the
parish like lambs«
Bathshebas perturbed meditations by the roadside had ultimately evolved a
conclusion that there were only two remedies for the present desperate state of
affairs The first was merely to keep Troy away from Weatherbury till Boldwoods
indignation had cooled the second to listen to Oaks entreaties and Boldwoods
denunciations and give up Troy altogether
Alas Could she give up this new love induce him to renounce her by saying
she did not like him could no more speak to him and beg him for her good to
end his furlough in Bath and see her and Weatherbury no more
It was a picture full of misery but for a while she contemplated it firmly
allowing herself nevertheless as girls will to dwell upon the happy life she
would have enjoyed had Troy been Boldwood and the path of love the path of duty
inflicting upon herself gratuitous tortures by imagining him the lover of
another woman after forgetting her for she had penetrated Troys nature so far
as to estimate his tendencies pretty accurately but unfortunately loved him no
less in thinking that he might soon cease to love her indeed considerably
more
She jumped to her feet She would see him at once Yes she would implore
him by word of mouth to assist her in this dilemma A letter to keep him away
could not reach him in time even if he should be disposed to listen to it
Was Bathsheba altogether blind to the obvious fact that the support of a
lovers arms is not of a kind best calculated to assist a resolve to renounce
him Or was she sophistically sensible with a thrill of pleasure that by
adopting this course for getting rid of him she was ensuring a meeting with him
at any rate once more
It was now dark and the hour must have been nearly ten The only way to
accomplish her purpose was to give up her idea of visiting Liddy at Yalbury
return to Weatherbury Farm put the horse into the gig and drive at once to
Bath The scheme seemed at first impossible the journey was a fearfully heavy
one even for a strong horse at her own estimate and she much underrated the
distance It was most venturesome for a woman at night and alone
But could she go on to Liddys and leave things to take their course No
no anything but that Bathsheba was full of a stimulating turbulence beside
which caution vainly prayed for a hearing She turned back towards the village
Her walk was slow for she wished not to enter Weatherbury till the
cottagers were in bed and particularly till Boldwood was secure Her plan was
now to drive to Bath during the night see Sergeant Troy in the morning before
he set out to come to her bid him farewell and dismiss him then to rest the
horse thoroughly herself to weep the while she thought starting early the
next morning on her return journey By this arrangement she could trot Dainty
gently all the day reach Liddy at Yalbury in the evening and come home to
Weatherbury with her whenever they chose so nobody would know she had been to
Bath at all
Such was Bathshebas scheme But in her topographical ignorance as a late
comer to the place she misreckoned the distance of her journey as not much more
than half what it really was Her idea however she proceeded to carry out
with what initial success we have already seen
Chapter XXXIII
In the Sun A Harbinger
A week passed and there were no tidings of Bathsheba nor was there any
explanation of her Gilpins rig
Then a note came for Maryann stating that the business which had called her
mistress to Bath still detained her there but that she hoped to return in the
course of another week
Another week passed The oatharvest began and all the men were afield
under a monochromatic Lammas sky amid the trembling air and short shadows of
noon Indoors nothing was to be heard save the droning of bluebottle flies
outofdoors the whetting of scythes and the hiss of tressy oatears rubbing
together as their perpendicular stalks of amberyellow fell heavily to each
swath Every drop of moisture not in the mens bottles and flagons in the form
of cider was raining as perspiration from their foreheads and cheeks Drought
was everywhere else
They were about to withdraw for a while into the charitable shade of a tree
in the fence when Coggan saw a figure in a blue coat and brass buttons running
to them across the field
»I wonder who that is« he said
»I hope nothing is wrong about mistress« said Maryann who with some other
women was tying the bundles oats being always sheafed on this farm »but an
unlucky token came to me indoors this morning I went to unlock the door and
dropped the key and it fell upon the stone floor and broke into two pieces
Breaking a key is a dreadful bodement I wish misess was home«
»Tis Cain Ball« said Gabriel pausing from whetting his reaphook
Oak was not bound by his agreement to assist in the cornfield but the
harvest month is an anxious time for a farmer and the corn was Bathshebas so
he lent a hand
»Hes dressed up in his best clothes« said Matthew Moon »He hev been away
from home for a few days since hes had that felon upon his finger for a
said since I cant work Ill have a hollerday«
»A good time for one a excellent time« said Joseph Poorgrass
straightening his back for he like some of the others had a way of resting a
while from his labour on such hot days for reasons preternaturally small of
which Cain Balls advent on a weekday in his Sundayclothes was one of the
first magnitude »Twas a bad leg allowed me to read the Pilgrims Progress and
Mark Clark learnt AllFours in a whitlow«
»Ay and my father put his arm out of joint to have time to go courting«
said Jan Coggan in an eclipsing tone wiping his face with his shirtsleeve and
thrusting back his hat upon the nape of his neck
By this time Cainy was nearing the group of harvesters and was perceived to
be carrying a large slice of bread and ham in one hand from which he took
mouthfuls as he ran the other being wrapped in a bandage When he came close
his mouth assumed the bell shape and he began to cough violently
»Now Cainy« said Gabriel sternly »How many more times must I tell you to
keep from running so fast when you be eating Youll choke yourself some day
thats what youll do Cain Ball«
»Hokhokhok« replied Cain »A crumb of my victuals went the wrong way
hokhok Thats what tis Mister Oak And Ive been visiting to Bath because I
had a felon on my thumb yes and Ive seen ahokhok«
Directly Cain mentioned Bath they all threw down their hooks and forks and
drew round him Unfortunately the erratic crumb did not improve his narrative
powers and a supplementary hindrance was that of a sneeze jerking from his
pocket his rather large watch which dangled in front of the young man
pendulumwise
»Yes« he continued directing his thoughts to Bath and letting his eyes
follow »Ive seed the world at last yes and Ive seed our misess
ahokhokhok«
»Bother the boy« said Gabriel »Something is always going the wrong way
down your throat so that you cant tell whats necessary to be told«
»Ahok there Please Mister Oak a gnat have just fleed into my stomach and
brought the cough on again«
»Yes thats just it Your mouth is always open you young rascal«
»Tis terrible bad to have a gnat fly down yer throat pore boy« said
Matthew Moon
»Well at Bath you saw « prompted Gabriel
»I saw our mistress« continued the junior shepherd »and a sojer walking
along And bymeby they got closer and closer and then they went armincrook
like courting complete hokhok like courting complete hok courting
complete « Losing the thread of his narrative at this point simultaneously
with his loss of breath their informant looked up and down the field apparently
for some clue to it »Well I see our misess and a soldier ahaawk«
»Damn the boy« said Gabriel
»Tis only my manner Mister Oak if yell excuse it« said Cain Ball
looking reproachfully at Oak with eyes drenched in their own dew
»Heres some cider for him thatll cure his throat« said Jan Coggan
lifting a flagon of cider pulling out the cork and applying the hole to
Cainys mouth Joseph Poorgrass in the meantime beginning to think
apprehensively of the serious consequences that would follow Cainy Balls
strangulation in his cough and the history of his Bath adventures dying with
him
»For my poor self I always say please God afore I do anything« said
Joseph in an unboastful voice »and so should you Cain Ball Tis a great
safeguard and might perhaps save you from being choked to death some day«
Mr Coggan poured the liquor with unstinted liberality at the suffering
Cains circular mouth half of it running down the side of the flagon and half
of what reached his mouth running down outside his throat and half of what ran
in going the wrong way and being coughed and sneezed around the persons of the
gathered reapers in the form of a cider fog which for a moment hung in the
sunny air like a small exhalation
»Theres a great clumsy sneeze Why cant ye have better manners you young
dog« said Coggan withdrawing the flagon
»The cider went up my nose« cried Cainy as soon as he could speak »and
now tis gone down my neck and into my poor dumb felon and over my shiny
buttons and all my best cloze«
»The poor lads cough is terrible onfortunate« said Matthew Moon »And a
great history on hand too Bump his back shepherd«
»Tis my nater« mourned Cain »Mother says I always was so excitable when
my feelings were worked up to a point«
»True true« said Joseph Poorgrass »The Balls were always a very excitable
family I knowed the boys grandfather a truly nervous and modest man even to
genteel refinery Twas blush blush with him almost as much as tis with me
not but that tis a fault in me«
»Not at all Master Poorgrass« said Coggan »Tis a very noble quality in
ye«
»Hehheh well I wish to noise nothing abroad nothing at all« murmured
Poorgrass diffidently »But we be born to things thats true Yet I would
rather my trifle were hid though perhaps a high nater is a little high and
at my birth all things were possible to my Maker and he may have begrudged no
gifts But under your bushel Joseph under your bushel with ee A strange
desire neighbours this desire to hide and no praise due Yet there is a
Sermon on the Mount with a calendar of the blessed at the head and certain meek
men may be named therein«
»Cainys grandfather was a very clever man« said Matthew Moon »Invented a
appletree out of his own head which is called by his name to this day the
Early Ball You know em Jan A Quarrenden grafted on a Tom Putt and a
Ratheripe upon top o that again Tis trew a used to bide about in a
publichouse wi a ooman in a way he had no business to by rights but there
a were a clever man in the sense of the term«
»Now then« said Gabriel impatiently »what did you see Cain«
»I seed our misess go into a sort of a park place where theres seats and
shrubs and flowers armincrook with a sojer« continued Cainy firmly and with
a dim sense that his words were very effective as regarded Gabriels emotions
»And I think the sojer was Sergeant Troy And they sat there together for more
than halfanhour talking moving things and she once was crying amost to
death And when they came out her eyes were shining and she was as white as a
lily and they looked into one anothers faces as far gone friendly as a man
and woman can be«
Gabriels features seemed to get thinner »Well what did you see besides«
»Oh all sorts«
»White as a lily You are sure twas she«
»Yes«
»Well what besides«
»Great glass windows to the shops and great clouds in the sky full of
rain and old wooden trees in the country round«
»You stunpoll What will ye say next« said Coggan
»Let en alone« interposed Joseph Poorgrass »The boys maning is that the
sky and the earth in the kingdom of Bath is not altogether different from ours
here Tis for our good to gain knowledge of strange cities and as such the
boys words should be suffered so to speak it«
»And the people of Bath« continued Cain »never need to light their fires
except as a luxury for the water springs up out of the earth ready boiled for
use«
»Tis true as the light« testified Matthew Moon »Ive heard other
navigators say the same thing«
»They drink nothing else there« said Cain »and seem to enjoy it to see
how they swaller it down«
»Well it seems a barbarian practice enough to us but I daresay the natives
think nothing o it« said Matthew
»And dont victuals spring up as well as drink« asked Coggan twirling his
eye
»No I own to a blot there in Bath a true blot God didnt provide em
with victuals as well as drink and twas a drawback I couldnt get over at
all«
»Well tis a curious place to say the least« observed Moon »and it must
be a curious people that live therein«
»Miss Everdene and the soldier were walking about together you say« said
Gabriel returning to the group
»Ay and she wore a beautiful goldcolour silk gown trimmed with black
lace that would have stood alone ithout legs inside if required Twas a very
winsome sight and her hair was brushed splendid And when the sun shone upon
the bright gown and his red coat my how handsome they looked You could see
em all the length of the street«
»And what then« murmured Gabriel
»And then I went into Griffins to hae my boots hobbed and then I went to
Riggss battycake shop and asked em for a penneth of the cheapest and nicest
stales that were all but bluemouldy but not quite And whilst I was chawing
em down I walked on and seed a clock with a face as big as a baking trendle «
»But thats nothing to do with mistress«
»Im coming to that if youll leave me alone Mister Oak« remonstrated
Cainy »If you excites me perhaps youll bring on my cough and then I shant
be able to tell ye nothing«
»Yes let him tell it his own way« said Coggan
Gabriel settled into a despairing attitude of patience and Cainy went on
»And there were great large houses and more people all the week long than
at Weatherbury clubwalking on White Tuesdays And I went to grand churches and
chapels And how the parson would pray Yes he would kneel down and put up his
hands together and make the holy gold rings on his fingers gleam and twinkle in
yer eyes that hed earned by praying so excellent well Ah yes I wish I
lived there«
»Our poor Parson Thirdly cant get no money to buy such rings« said Matthew
Moon thoughtfully »And as good a man as ever walked I dont believe poor
Thirdly have a single one even of humblest tin or copper Such a great ornament
as theyd be to him on a dull aternoon when hes up in the pulpit lighted by
the wax candles But tis impossible poor man Ah to think how unequal things
be«
»Perhaps hes made of different stuff than to wear em« said Gabriel
grimly »Well thats enough of this Go on Cainy quick«
»Oh and the new style of pasons wear moustaches and long beards«
continued the illustrious traveller »and look like Moses and Aaron complete
and make we fokes in the congregation feel all over like the children of
Israel«
»A very right feeling very« said Joseph Poorgrass
»And theres two religions going on in the nation now High Church and High
Chapel And thinks I Ill play fair so I went to High Church in the morning
and High Chapel in the afternoon«
»A right and proper boy« said Joseph Poorgrass
»Well at High Church they pray singing and worship all the colours of the
rainbow and at High Chapel they pray preaching and worship drab and whitewash
only And then I didnt see no more of Miss Everdene at all«
»Why didnt you say so afore then« exclaimed Oak with much
disappointment
»Ah« said Matthew Moon »shell wish her cake dough if so be shes over
intimate with that man«
»Shes not over intimate with him« said Gabriel indignantly
»She would know better« said Coggan »Our misess has too much sense under
they knots of black hair to do such a mad thing«
»You see hes not a coarse ignorant man for he was well brought up« said
Matthew dubiously »Twas only wildness that made him a soldier and maids
rather like your man of sin«
»Now Cain Ball« said Gabriel restlessly »can you swear in the most awful
form that the woman you saw was Miss Everdene«
»Cain Ball you be no longer a babe and suckling« said Joseph in the
sepulchral tone the circumstances demanded »and you know what taking an oath
is Tis a horrible testament mind ye which you say and seal with your
bloodstone and the prophet Matthew tells us that on whomsoever it shall fall
it will grind him to powder Now before all the workfolk here assembled can
you swear to your words as the shepherd asks ye«
»Please no Mister Oak« said Cainy looking from one to the other with
great uneasiness at the spiritual magnitude of the position »I dont mind
saying tis true but I dont like to say tis damn true if thats what you
mane«
»Cain Cain how can you« asked Joseph sternly »You be asked to swear in a
holy manner and you swear like wicked Shimei the son of Gera who cursed as he
came Young man fie«
»No I dont Tis you want to squander a pore boys soul Joseph Poorgrass
thats what tis« said Cain beginning to cry »All I mane is that in common
truth twas Miss Everdene and Sergeant Troy but in the horrible sohelpme
truth that ye want to make of it perhaps twas somebody else«
»Theres no getting at the rights of it« said Gabriel turning to his work
»Cain Ball youll come to a bit of bread« groaned Joseph Poorgrass
Then the reapers hooks were flourished again and the old sounds went on
Gabriel without making any pretence of being lively did nothing to show that
he was particularly dull However Coggan knew pretty nearly how the land lay
and when they were in a nook together he said
»Dont take on about her Gabriel What difference does it make whose
sweetheart she is since she cant be yours«
»Thats the very thing I say to myself« said Gabriel
Chapter XXXIV
Home Again A Trickster
That same evening at dusk Gabriel was leaning over Coggans gardengate taking
an upanddown survey before retiring to rest
A vehicle of some kind was softly creeping along the grassy margin of the
lane From it spread the tones of two women talking The tones were natural and
not at all suppressed Oak instantly knew the voices to be those of Bathsheba
and Liddy
The carriage came opposite and passed by It was Miss Everdenes gig and
Liddy and her mistress were the only occupants of the seat Liddy was asking
questions about the city of Bath and her companion was answering them
listlessly and unconcernedly Both Bathsheba and the horse seemed weary
The exquisite relief of finding that she was here again safe and sound
overpowered all reflection and Oak could only luxuriate in the sense of it All
grave reports were forgotten
He lingered and lingered on till there was no difference between the
eastern and western expanses of sky and the timid hares began to limp
courageously round the dim hillocks Gabriel might have been there an additional
halfhour when a dark form walked slowly by »Goodnight Gabriel« the passer
said
It was Boldwood »Goodnight sir« said Gabriel
Boldwood likewise vanished up the road and Oak shortly afterwards turned
indoors to bed
Farmer Boldwood went on towards Miss Everdenes house He reached the front
and approaching the entrance saw a light in the parlour The blind was not
drawn down and inside the room was Bathsheba looking over some papers or
letters Her back was towards Boldwood He went to the door knocked and waited
with tense muscles and an aching brow
Boldwood had not been outside his garden since his meeting with Bathsheba in
the road to Yalbury Silent and alone he had remained in moody meditation on
womans ways deeming as essentials of the whole sex the accidents of the single
one of their number he had ever closely beheld By degrees a more charitable
temper had pervaded him and this was the reason of his sally tonight He had
come to apologize and beg forgiveness of Bathsheba with something like a sense
of shame at his violence having but just now learnt that she had returned
only from a visit to Liddy as he supposed the Bath escapade being quite
unknown to him
He inquired for Miss Everdene Liddys manner was odd but he did not notice
it She went in leaving him standing there and in her absence the blind of the
room containing Bathsheba was pulled down Boldwood augured ill from that sign
Liddy came out
»My mistress cannot see you sir« she said
The farmer instantly went out by the gate He was unforgiven that was the
issue of it all He had seen her who was to him simultaneously a delight and a
torture sitting in the room he had shared with her as a peculiarly privileged
guest only a little earlier in the summer and she had denied him an entrance
there now
Boldwood did not hurry homeward It was ten oclock at least when walking
deliberately through the lower part of Weatherbury he heard the carriers
spring van entering the village The van ran to and from a town in a northern
direction and it was owned and driven by a Weatherbury man at the door of
whose house it now pulled up The lamp fixed to the head of the hood illuminated
a scarlet and gilded form who was the first to alight
»Ah« said Boldwood to himself »come to see her again«
Troy entered the carriers house which had been the place of his lodging on
his last visit to his native place Boldwood was moved by a sudden
determination He hastened home In ten minutes he was back again and made as
if he were going to call upon Troy at the carriers But as he approached some
one opened the door and came out He heard this person say »Goodnight« to the
inmates and the voice was Troys This was strange coming so immediately after
his arrival Boldwood however hastened up to him Troy had what appeared to be
a carpetbag in his hand the same that he had brought with him It seemed as
if he were going to leave again this very night
Troy turned up the hill and quickened his pace Boldwood stepped forward
»Sergeant Troy«
»Yes Im Sergeant Troy«
»Just arrived from up the country I think«
»Just arrived from Bath«
»I am William Boldwood«
»Indeed«
The tone in which this word was uttered was all that had been wanted to
bring Boldwood to the point
»I wish to speak a word with you« he said
»What about«
»About her who lives just ahead there and about a woman you have wronged«
»I wonder at your impertinence« said Troy moving on
»Now look here« said Boldwood standing in front of him »wonder or not
you are going to hold a conversation with me«
Troy heard the dull determination in Boldwoods voice looked at his
stalwart frame then at the thick cudgel he carried in his hand He remembered
it was past ten oclock It seemed worth while to be civil to Boldwood
»Very well Ill listen with pleasure« said Troy placing his bag on the
ground »only speak low for somebody or other may overhear us in the farmhouse
there«
»Well then I know a good deal concerning your Fanny Robins attachment
to you I may say too that I believe I am the only person in the village
excepting Gabriel Oak who does know it You ought to marry her«
»I suppose I ought Indeed I wish to but I cannot«
»Why«
Troy was about to utter something hastily he then checked himself and said
»I am too poor« His voice was changed Previously it had had a devilmaycare
tone It was the voice of a trickster now
Boldwoods present mood was not critical enough to notice tones He
continued »I may as well speak plainly and understand I dont wish to enter
into the questions of right or wrong womans honour and shame or to express
any opinion on your conduct I intend a business transaction with you«
»I see« said Troy »Suppose we sit down here«
An old tree trunk lay under the hedge immediately opposite and they sat
down
»I was engaged to be married to Miss Everdene« said Boldwood »but you came
and «
»Not engaged« said Troy
»As good as engaged«
»If I had not turned up she might have become engaged to you«
»Hang might«
»Would then«
»If you had not come I should certainly yes certainly have been
accepted by this time If you had not seen her you might have been married to
Fanny Well theres too much difference between Miss Everdenes station and
your own for this flirtation with her ever to benefit you by ending in marriage
So all I ask is dont molest her any more Marry Fanny Ill make it worth your
while«
»How will you«
»Ill pay you well now Ill settle a sum of money upon her and Ill see
that you dont suffer from poverty in the future Ill put it clearly Bathsheba
is only playing with you you are too poor for her as I said so give up wasting
your time about a great match youll never make for a moderate and rightful
match you may make tomorrow take up your carpetbag turn about leave
Weatherbury now this night and you shall take fifty pounds with you Fanny
shall have fifty to enable her to prepare for the wedding when you have told me
where she is living and she shall have five hundred paid down on her
weddingday«
In making this statement Boldwoods voice revealed only too clearly a
consciousness of the weakness of his position his aims and his method His
manner had lapsed quite from that of the firm and dignified Boldwood of former
times and such a scheme as he had now engaged in he would have condemned as
childishly imbecile only a few months ago We discern a grand force in the lover
which he lacks whilst a free man but there is a breadth of vision in the free
man which in the lover we vainly seek Where there is much bias there must be
some narrowness and love though added emotion is subtracted capacity
Boldwood exemplified this to an abnormal degree he knew nothing of Fanny
Robins circumstances or whereabouts he knew nothing of Troys possibilities
yet that was what he said
»I like Fanny best« said Troy »and if as you say Miss Everdene is out of
my reach why I have all to gain by accepting your money and marrying Fan But
shes only a servant«
»Never mind do you agree to my arrangement«
»I do«
»Ah« said Boldwood in a more elastic voice »O Troy if you like her
best why then did you step in here and injure my happiness«
»I love Fanny best now« said Troy »But Bathsh Miss Everdene inflamed me
and displaced Fanny for a time It is over now«
»Why should it be over so soon And why then did you come here again«
»There are weighty reasons Fifty pounds at once you said«
»I did« said Boldwood »and here they are fifty sovereigns« He handed
Troy a small packet
»You have everything ready it seems that you calculated on my accepting
them« said the sergeant taking the packet
»I thought you might accept them« said Boldwood
»Youve only my word that the programme shall be adhered to whilst I at any
rate have fifty pounds«
»I had thought of that and I have considered that if I cant appeal to your
honour I can trust to your well shrewdness well call it not to lose five
hundred pounds in prospect and also make a bitter enemy of a man who is willing
to be an extremely useful friend«
»Stop listen« said Troy in a whisper
A light pitpat was audible upon the road just above them
»By George tis she« he continued »I must go on and meet her«
»She who«
»Bathsheba«
»Bathsheba out alone at this time o night« said Boldwood in amazement
and starting up »Why must you meet her«
»She was expecting me tonight and I must now speak to her and wish her
goodbye according to your wish«
»I dont see the necessity of speaking«
»It can do no harm and shell be wandering about looking for me if I
dont You shall hear all I say to her It will help you in your lovemaking
when I am gone«
»Your tone is mocking«
»O no And remember this if she does not know what has become of me she
will think more about me than if I tell her flatly I have come to give her up«
»Will you confine your words to that one point Shall I hear every word
you say«
»Every word Now sit still there and hold my carpet bag for me and mark
what you hear«
The light footstep came closer halting occasionally as if the walker
listened for a sound Troy whistled a double note in a soft fluty tone
»Come to that is it« murmured Boldwood uneasily
»You promised silence« said Troy
»I promise again«
Troy stepped forward
»Frank dearest is that you« The tones were Bathshebas
»O God« said Boldwood
»Yes« said Troy to her
»How late you are« she continued tenderly »Did you come by the carrier I
listened and heard his wheels entering the village but it was some time ago
and I had almost given you up Frank«
»I was sure to come« said Frank »You knew I should did you not«
»Well I thought you would« she said playfully »and Frank it is so
lucky Theres not a soul in my house but me tonight Ive packed them all off
so nobody on earth will know of your visit to your ladys bower Liddy wanted to
go to her grandfathers to tell him about her holiday and I said she might stay
with them till tomorrow when youll be gone again«
»Capital« said Troy »But dear me I had better go back for my bag
because my slippers and brush and comb are in it you run home whilst I fetch
it and Ill promise to be in your parlour in ten minutes«
»Yes« She turned and tripped up the hill again
During the progress of this dialogue there was a nervous twitching of
Boldwoods tightly closed lips and his face became bathed in a clammy dew He
now started forward towards Troy Troy turned to him and took up the bag
»Shall I tell her I have come to give her up and cannot marry her« said the
soldier mockingly
»No no wait a minute I want to say more to you more to you« said
Boldwood in a hoarse whisper
»Now said Troy you see my dilemma Perhaps I am a bad man the victim of
my impulses led away to do what I ought to leave undone I cant however
marry them both And I have two reasons for choosing Fanny First I like her
best upon the whole and second you make it worth my while«
At the same instant Boldwood sprang upon him and held him by the neck Troy
felt Boldwoods grasp slowly tightening The move was absolutely unexpected
»A moment« he gasped »You are injuring her you love«
»Well what do you mean« said the farmer
»Give me breath« said Troy
Boldwood loosened his hand saying »By Heaven Ive a mind to kill you«
»And ruin her«
»Save her«
»Oh how can she be saved now unless I marry her«
Boldwood groaned He reluctantly released the soldier and flung him back
against the hedge »Devil you torture me« said he
Troy rebounded like a ball and was about to make a dash at the farmer but
he checked himself saying lightly
»It is not worth while to measure my strength with you Indeed it is a
barbarous way of settling a quarrel I shall shortly leave the army because of
the same conviction Now after that revelation of how the land lies with
Bathsheba twould be a mistake to kill me would it not«
»Twould be a mistake to kill you« repeated Boldwood mechanically with a
bowed head
»Better kill yourself«
»Far better«
»Im glad you see it«
»Troy make her your wife and dont act upon what I arranged just now The
alternative is dreadful but take Bathsheba I give her up She must love you
indeed to sell soul and body to you so utterly as she has done Wretched woman
deluded woman you are Bathsheba«
»But about Fanny«
»Bathsheba is a woman well to do« continued Boldwood in nervous anxiety
»and Troy she will make a good wife and indeed she is worth your hastening
on your marriage with her«
»But she has a will not to say a temper and I shall be a mere slave to
her I could do anything with poor Fanny Robin«
»Troy« said Boldwood imploringly »Ill do anything for you only dont
desert her pray dont desert her Troy«
»Which poor Fanny«
»No Bathsheba Everdene Love her best Love her tenderly How shall I get
you to see how advantageous it will be to you to secure her at once«
»I dont wish to secure her in any new way«
Boldwoods arm moved spasmodically towards Troys person again He repressed
the instinct and his form drooped as with pain
Troy went on
»I shall soon purchase my discharge and then «
»But I wish you to hasten on this marriage It will be better for you both
You love each other and you must let me help you to do it«
»How«
»Why by settling the five hundred on Bathsheba instead of Fanny to enable
you to marry at once No she wouldnt have it of me Ill pay it down to you on
the weddingday«
Troy paused in secret amazement at Boldwoods wild infatuation He
carelessly said »And am I to have anything now«
»Yes if you wish to But I have not much additional money with me I did
not expect this but all I have is yours«
Boldwood more like a somnambulist than a wakeful man pulled out the large
canvas bag he carried by way of a purse and searched it
»I have twentyone pounds more with me« he said »Two notes and a
sovereign But before I leave you I must have a paper signed «
»Pay me the money and well go straight to her parlour and make any
arrangement you please to secure my compliance with your wishes But she must
know nothing of this cash business«
»Nothing nothing« said Boldwood hastily »Here is the sum and if youll
come to my house well write out the agreement for the remainder and the terms
also«
»First well call upon her«
»But why Come with me tonight and go with me tomorrow to the
surrogates«
»But she must be consulted at any rate informed«
»Very well go on«
They went up the hill to Bathshebas house When they stood at the entrance
Troy said »Wait here a moment« Opening the door he glided inside leaving the
door ajar
Boldwood waited In two minutes a light appeared in the passage Boldwood
then saw that the chain had been fastened across the door Troy appeared inside
carrying a bedroom candlestick
»What did you think I should break in« said Boldwood contemptuously
»Oh no it is merely my humour to secure things Will you read this a
moment Ill hold the light«
Troy handed a folded newspaper through the slit between door and doorpost
and put the candle close »Thats the paragraph« he said placing his finger on
a line
Boldwood looked and read
»Marriages
On the 17th inst at St Ambroses Church Bath by the Rev G
Mincing BA Francis Troy only son of the late Edward Troy Esq
MD of Weatherbury and sergeant 11th Dragoon Guards to Bathsheba
only surviving daughter of the late Mr John Everdene of Casterbridge«
»This may be called Fort meeting Feeble hey Boldwood« said Troy A low gurgle
of derisive laughter followed the words
The paper fell from Boldwoods hands Troy continued
»Fifty pounds to marry Fanny Good Twenty one pounds not to marry
Fanny but Bathsheba Good Finale already Bathshebas husband Now
Boldwood yours is the ridiculous fate which always attends interference
between a man and his wife And another word Bad as I am I am not such
a villain as to make the marriage or misery of any woman a matter of
huckster and sale Fanny has long ago left me I dont know where she
is I have searched everywhere Another word yet You say you love
Bathsheba yet on the merest apparent evidence you instantly believe in
her dishonour A fig for such love Now that Ive taught you a lesson
take your money back again«
»I will not I will not« said Boldwood in a hiss
»Anyhow I wont have it« said Troy contemptuously He wrapped the packet of
gold in the notes and threw the whole into the road
Boldwood shook his clenched fist at him »You juggler of Satan You black
hound But Ill punish you yet mark me Ill punish you yet«
Another peal of laughter Troy then closed the door and locked himself in
Throughout the whole of that night Boldwoods dark form might have been seen
walking about the hills and downs of Weatherbury like an unhappy Shade in the
Mournful Fields by Acheron
Chapter XXXV
At an Upper Window
It was very early the next morning a time of sun and dew The confused
beginnings of many birds songs spread into the healthy air and the wan blue of
the heaven was here and there coated with thin webs of incorporeal cloud which
were of no effect in obscuring day All the lights in the scene were yellow as
to colour and all the shadows were attenuated as to form The creeping plants
about the old manorhouse were bowed with rows of heavy water drops which had
upon objects behind them the effect of minute lenses of high magnifying power
Just before the clock struck five Gabriel Oak and Coggan passed the village
cross and went on together to the fields They were yet barely in view of their
mistresss house when Oak fancied he saw the opening of a casement in one of
the upper windows The two men were at this moment partially screened by an
elder bush now beginning to be enriched with black bunches of fruit and they
paused before emerging from its shade
A handsome man leaned idly from the lattice He looked east and then west
in the manner of one who makes a first morning survey The man was Sergeant
Troy His red jacket was loosely thrown on but not buttoned and he had
altogether the relaxed bearing of a soldier taking his ease
Coggan spoke first looking quietly at the window
»She has married him« he said
Gabriel had previously beheld the sight and he now stood with his back
turned making no reply
»I fancied we should know something today« continued Coggan »I heard
wheels pass my door just after dark you were out somewhere« He glanced round
upon Gabriel »Good heavens above us Oak how white your face is you look like
a corpse«
»Do I« said Oak with a faint smile
»Lean on the gate Ill wait a bit«
»All right all right«
They stood by the gate awhile Gabriel listlessly staring at the ground His
mind sped into the future and saw there enacted in years of leisure the scenes
of repentance that would ensue from this work of haste That they were married
he had instantly decided Why had it been so mysteriously managed It had become
known that she had had a fearful journey to Bath owing to her miscalculating
the distance that the horse had broken down and that she had been more than
two days getting there It was not Bathshebas way to do things furtively With
all her faults she was candour itself Could she have been entrapped The union
was not only an unutterable grief to him it amazed him notwithstanding that he
had passed the preceding week in a suspicion that such might be the issue of
Troys meeting her away from home Her quiet return with Liddy had to some
extent dispersed the dread Just as that imperceptible motion which appears like
stillness is infinitely divided in its properties from stillness itself so had
his hope undistinguishable from despair differed from despair indeed
In a few minutes they moved on again towards the house The sergeant still
looked from the window
»Morning comrades« he shouted in a cheery voice when they came up
Coggan replied to the greeting »Baint ye going to answer the man« he then
said to Gabriel »Id say good morning you neednt spend a hapeth of meaning
upon it and yet keep the man civil«
Gabriel soon decided too that since the deed was done to put the best face
upon the matter would be the greatest kindness to her he loved
»Good morning Sergeant Troy« he returned in a ghastly voice
»A rambling gloomy house this« said Troy smiling
»Why they may not be married« suggested Coggan »Perhaps shes not
there«
Gabriel shook his head The soldier turned a little towards the east and
the sun kindled his scarlet coat to an orange glow
»But it is a nice old house« responded Gabriel
»Yes I suppose so but I feel like new wine in an old bottle here My
notion is that sashwindows should be put throughout and these old wainscoted
walls brightened up a bit or the oak cleared quite away and the walls
papered«
»It would be a pity I think«
»Well no A philosopher once said in my hearing that the old builders who
worked when art was a living thing had no respect for the work of builders who
went before them but pulled down and altered as they thought fit and why
shouldnt we Creation and preservation dont do well together says he and a
million of antiquarians cant invent a style My mind exactly I am for making
this place more modern that we may be cheerful whilst we can«
The military man turned and surveyed the interior of the room to assist his
ideas of improvement in this direction Gabriel and Coggan began to move on
»Oh Coggan« said Troy as if inspired by a recollection »do you know if
insanity has ever appeared in Mr Boldwoods family«
Jan reflected for a moment
»I once heard that an uncle of his was queer in his head but I dont know
the rights ot« he said
»It is of no importance« said Troy lightly »Well I shall be down in the
fields with you some time this week but I have a few matters to attend to
first So goodday to you We shall of course keep on just as friendly terms
as usual Im not a proud man nobody is ever able to say that of Sergeant Troy
However what is must be and heres halfacrown to drink my health men«
Troy threw the coin dexterously across the front plot and over the fence
towards Gabriel who shunned it in its fall his face turning to an angry red
Coggan twirled his eye edged forward and caught the money in its ricochet upon
the road
»Very well you keep it Coggan« said Gabriel with disdain and almost
fiercely »As for me Ill do without gifts from him«
»Dont show it too much« said Coggan musingly »For if hes married to her
mark my words hell buy his discharge and be our master here Therefore tis
well to say Friend outwardly though you say Troublehouse within«
»Well perhaps it is best to be silent but I cant go further than that I
cant flatter and if my place here is only to be kept by smoothing him down my
place must be lost«
A horseman whom they had for some time seen in the distance now appeared
close beside them
»Theres Mr Boldwood« said Oak »I wonder what Troy meant by his
question«
Coggan and Oak nodded respectfully to the farmer just checked their paces
to discover if they were wanted and finding they were not stood back to let
him pass on
The only signs of the terrible sorrow Boldwood had been combating through
the night and was combating now were the want of colour in his welldefined
face the enlarged appearance of the veins in his forehead and temples and the
sharper lines about his mouth The horse bore him away and the very step of the
animal seemed significant of dogged despair Gabriel for a minute rose above
his own grief in noticing Boldwoods He saw the square figure sitting erect
upon the horse the head turned to neither side the elbows steady by the hips
the brim of the hat level and undisturbed in its onward glide until the keen
edges of Boldwoods shape sank by degrees over the hill To one who knew the man
and his story there was something more striking in this immobility than in a
collapse The clash of discord between mood and matter here was forced painfully
home to the heart and as in laughter there are more dreadful phases than in
tears so was there in the steadiness of this agonized man an expression deeper
than a cry
Chapter XXXVI
Wealth in Jeopardy The Revel
One night at the end of August when Bathshebas experiences as a married woman
were still new and when the weather was yet dry and sultry a man stood
motionless in the stackyard of Weatherbury Upper Farm looking at the moon and
sky
The night had a sinister aspect A heated breeze from the south slowly
fanned the summits of lofty objects and in the sky dashes of buoyant cloud were
sailing in a course at right angles to that of another stratum neither of them
in the direction of the breeze below The moon as seen through these films had
a lurid metallic look The fields were sallow with the impure light and all
were tinged in monochrome as if beheld through stained glass The same evening
the sheep had trailed homeward head to tail the behaviour of the rooks had been
confused and the horses had moved with timidity and caution
Thunder was imminent and taking some secondary appearances into
consideration it was likely to be followed by one of the lengthened rains which
mark the close of dry weather for the season Before twelve hours had passed a
harvest atmosphere would be a bygone thing
Oak gazed with misgiving at eight naked and unprotected ricks massive and
heavy with the rich produce of onehalf the farm for that year He went on to
the barn
This was the night which had been selected by Sergeant Troy ruling now in
the room of his wife for giving the harvest supper and dance As Oak
approached the building the sound of violins and a tambourine and the regular
jigging of many feet grew more distinct He came close to the large doors one
of which stood slightly ajar and looked in
The central space together with the recess at one end was emptied of all
incumbrances and this area covering about twothirds of the whole was
appropriated for the gathering the remaining end which was piled to the
ceiling with oats being screened off with sailcloth Tufts and garlands of
green foliage decorated the walls beams and extemporized chandeliers and
immediately opposite to Oak a rostrum had been erected bearing a table and
chairs Here sat three fiddlers and beside them stood a frantic man with his
hair on end perspiration streaming down his cheeks and a tambourine quivering
in his hand
The dance ended and on the black oak floor in the midst a new row of
couples formed for another
»Now maam and no offence I hope I ask what dance you would like next«
said the first violin
»Really it makes no difference« said the clear voice of Bathsheba who
stood at the inner end of the building observing the scene from behind a table
covered with cups and viands Troy was lolling beside her
»Then« said the fiddler »Ill venture to name that the right and proper
thing is The Soldiers Joy there being a gallant soldier married into the farm
hey my sonnies and gentlemen all«
»It shall be The Soldiers Joy« exclaimed a chorus
»Thanks for the compliment« said the sergeant gaily taking Bathsheba by
the hand and leading her to the top of the dance »For though I have purchased
my discharge from Her Most Gracious Majestys regiment of cavalry the 11th
Dragoon Guards to attend to the new duties awaiting me here I shall continue a
soldier in spirit and feeling as long as I live«
So the dance began As to the merits of The Soldiers Joy there cannot be
and never were two opinions It has been observed in the musical circles of
Weatherbury and its vicinity that this melody at the end of threequarters of
an hour of thunderous footing still possesses more stimulative properties for
the heel and toe than the majority of other dances at their first opening The
Soldiers Joy has too an additional charm in being so admirably adapted to
the tambourine aforesaid no mean instrument in the hands of a performer who
understands the proper convulsions spasms St Vituss dances and fearful
frenzies necessary when exhibiting its tones in their highest perfection
The immortal tune ended a fine DD rolling forth from the bassviol with the
sonorousness of a cannonade and Gabriel delayed his entry no longer He avoided
Bathsheba and got as near as possible to the platform where Sergeant Troy was
now seated drinking brandyandwater though the others drank without exception
cider and ale Gabriel could not easily thrust himself within speaking distance
of the sergeant and he sent a message asking him to come down for a moment
The sergeant said he could not attend
»Will you tell him then« said Gabriel »that I only stepped athart to say
that a heavy rain is sure to fall soon and that something should be done to
protect the ricks«
»Mr Troy says it will not rain« returned the messenger »and he cannot
stop to talk to you about such fidgets«
In juxtaposition with Troy Oak had a melancholy tendency to look like a
candle beside gas and ill at ease he went out again thinking he would go home
for under the circumstances he had no heart for the scene in the barn At the
door he paused for a moment Troy was speaking
»Friends it is not only the harvest home that we are celebrating tonight
but this is also a Wedding Feast A short time ago I had the happiness to lead
to the altar this lady your mistress and not until now have we been able to
give any public flourish to the event in Weatherbury That it may be thoroughly
well done and that every man may go happy to bed I have ordered to be brought
here some bottles of brandy and kettles of hot water A treblestrong goblet
will be handed round to each guest«
Bathsheba put her hand upon his arm and with upturned pale face said
imploringly »No dont give it to them pray dont Frank It will only do
them harm they have had enough of everything«
»True we dont wish for no more thank ye« said one or two
»Pooh« said the sergeant contemptuously and raised his voice as if lighted
up by a new idea »Friends« he said »well send the womenfolk home Tis time
they were in bed Then we cockbirds will have a jolly carouse to ourselves If
any of the men show the white feather let them look elsewhere for a winters
work«
Bathsheba indignantly left the barn followed by all the women and children
The musicians not looking upon themselves as company slipped quietly away to
their springwaggon and put in the horse Thus Troy and the men on the farm were
left sole occupants of the place Oak not to appear unnecessarily disagreeable
stayed a little while then he too arose and quietly took his departure
followed by a friendly oath from the sergeant for not staying to a second round
of grog
Gabriel proceeded towards his home In approaching the door his toe kicked
something which felt and sounded soft leathery and distended like a
boxingglove It was a large toad humbly travelling across the path Oak took it
up thinking it might be better to kill the creature to save it from pain but
finding it uninjured he placed it again among the grass He knew what this
direct message from the Great Mother meant And soon came another
When he struck a light indoors there appeared upon the table a thin
glistening streak as if a brush of varnish had been lightly dragged across it
Oaks eyes followed the serpentine sheen to the other side where it led up to a
huge brown gardenslug which had come indoors tonight for reasons of its own
It was Natures second way of hinting to him that he was to prepare for foul
weather
Oak sat down meditating for nearly an hour During this time two black
spiders of the kind common in thatched houses promenaded the ceiling
ultimately dropping to the floor This reminded him that if there was one class
of manifestation on this matter that he thoroughly understood it was the
instincts of sheep He left the room ran across two or three fields towards the
flock got upon a hedge and looked over among them
They were crowded close together on the other side around some furze bushes
and the first peculiarity observable was that on the sudden appearance of Oaks
head over the fence they did not stir or run away They had now a terror of
something greater than their terror of man But this was not the most noteworthy
feature they were all grouped in such a way that their tails without a single
exception were towards that half of the horizon from which the storm
threatened There was an inner circle closely huddled and outside these they
radiated wider apart the pattern formed by the flock as a whole not being
unlike a vandyked lace collar to which the clump of furzebushes stood in the
position of a wearers neck
This was enough to reestablish him in his original opinion He knew now
that he was right and that Troy was wrong Every voice in nature was unanimous
in bespeaking change But two distinct translations attached to these dumb
expressions Apparently there was to be a thunderstorm and afterwards a cold
continuous rain The creeping things seemed to know all about the later rain
but little of the interpolated thunderstorm whilst the sheep knew all about
the thunderstorm and nothing of the later rain
This complication of weathers being uncommon was all the more to be feared
Oak returned to the stackyard All was silent here and the conical tips of the
ricks jutted darkly into the sky There were five wheatricks in this yard and
three stacks of barley The wheat when threshed would average about thirty
quarters to each stack the barley at least forty Their value to Bathsheba
and indeed to anybody Oak mentally estimated by the following simple
calculation
5 x 30 150 quarters 500l
3 x 40 120 qu arters 250l
Total 750l
Seven hundred and fifty pounds in the divinest form that money can wear that
of necessary food for man and beast should the risk be run of deteriorating
this bulk of corn to less than half its value because of the instability of a
woman »Never if I can prevent it« said Gabriel
Such was the argument that Oak set outwardly before him But man even to
himself is a palimpsest having an ostensible writing and another beneath the
lines It is possible that there was this golden legend under the utilitarian
one »I will help to my last effort the woman I have loved so dearly«
He went back to the barn to endeavour to obtain assistance for covering the
ricks that very night All was silent within and he would have passed on in the
belief that the party had broken up had not a dim light yellow as saffron by
contrast with the greenish whiteness outside streamed through a knothole in
the folding doors
Gabriel looked in An unusual picture met his eye
The candles suspended among the evergreens had burnt down to their sockets
and in some cases the leaves tied about them were scorched Many of the lights
had quite gone out others smoked and stank grease dropping from them upon the
floor Here under the table and leaning against forms and chairs in every
conceivable attitude except the perpendicular were the wretched persons of all
the workfolk the hair of their heads at such low levels being suggestive of
mops and brooms In the midst of these shone red and distinct the figure of
Sergeant Troy leaning back in a chair Coggan was on his back with his mouth
open buzzing forth snores as were several others the united breathings of the
horizontal assemblage forming a subdued roar like London from a distance Joseph
Poorgrass was curled round in the fashion of a hedgehog apparently in attempts
to present the least possible portion of his surface to the air and behind him
was dimly visible an unimportant remnant of William Smallbury The glasses and
cups still stood upon the table a waterjug being overturned from which a
small rill after tracing its course with marvellous precision down the centre
of the long table fell into the neck of the unconscious Mark Clark in a
steady monotonous drip like the dripping of a stalactite in a cave
Gabriel glanced hopelessly at the group which with one or two exceptions
composed all the ablebodied men upon the farm He saw at once that if the ricks
were to be saved that night or even the next morning he must save them with
his own hands
A faint tingting resounded from under Coggans waistcoat It was Coggans
watch striking the hour of two
Oak went to the recumbent form of Matthew Moon who usually undertook the
rough thatching of the homestead and shook him The shaking was without effect
Gabriel shouted in his ear »Wheres your thatchingbeetle and rickstick
and spars«
»Under the staddles« said Moon mechanically with the unconscious
promptness of a medium
Gabriel let go his head and it dropped upon the floor like a bowl He then
went to Susan Talls husband
»Wheres the key of the granary«
No answer The question was repeated with the same result To be shouted to
at night was evidently less of a novelty to Susan Talls husband than to Matthew
Moon Oak flung down Talls head into the corner again and turned away
To be just the men were not greatly to blame for this painful and
demoralizing termination to the evenings entertainment Sergeant Troy had so
strenuously insisted glass in hand that drinking should be the bond of their
union that those who wished to refuse hardly liked to be so unmannerly under
the circumstances Having from their youth up been entirely unaccustomed to any
liquor stronger than cider or mild ale it was no wonder that they had
succumbed one and all with extraordinary uniformity after the lapse of about
an hour
Gabriel was greatly depressed This debauch boded ill for that wilful and
fascinating mistress whom the faithful man even now felt within him as the
embodiment of all that was sweet and bright and hopeless
He put out the expiring lights that the barn might not be endangered
closed the door upon the men in their deep and oblivious sleep and went again
into the lone night A hot breeze as if breathed from the parted lips of some
dragon about to swallow the globe fanned him from the south while directly
opposite in the north rose a grim misshapen body of cloud in the very teeth of
the wind So unnaturally did it rise that one could fancy it to be lifted by
machinery from below Meanwhile the faint cloudlets had flown back into the
southeast corner of the sky as if in terror of the large cloud like a young
brood gazed in upon by some monster
Going on to the village Oak flung a small stone against the window of Laban
Talls bedroom expecting Susan to open it but nobody stirred He went round to
the back door which had been left unfastened for Labans entry and passed in
to the foot of the staircase
»Mrs Tall Ive come for the key of the granary to get at the
rickcloths« said Oak in a stentorian voice
»Is that you« said Mrs Susan Tall half awake
»Yes« said Gabriel
»Come along to bed do you drawlatching rogue keeping a body awake like
this«
»It isnt Laban tis Gabriel Oak I want the key of the granary«
»Gabriel What in the name of fortune did you pretend to be Laban for«
»I didnt I thought you meant «
»Yes you did What do you want here«
»The key of the granary«
»Take it then Tis on the nail People coming disturbing women at this time
of night ought «
Gabriel took the key without waiting to hear the conclusion of the tirade
Ten minutes later his lonely figure might have been seen dragging four large
waterproof coverings across the yard and soon two of these heaps of treasure in
grain were covered snug two cloths to each Two hundred pounds were secured
Three wheatstacks remained open and there were no more cloths Oak looked
under the staddles and found a fork He mounted the third pile of wealth and
began operating adopting the plan of sloping the upper sheaves one over the
other and in addition filling the interstices with the material of some
untied sheaves
So far all was well By this hurried contrivance Bathshebas property in
wheat was safe for at any rate a week or two provided always that there was not
much wind
Next came the barley This it was only possible to protect by systematic
thatching Time went on and the moon vanished not to reappear It was the
farewell of the ambassador previous to war The night had a haggard look like a
sick thing and there came finally an utter expiration of air from the whole
heaven in the form of a slow breeze which might have been likened to a death
And now nothing was heard in the yard but the dull thuds of the beetle which
drove in the spars and the rustle of thatch in the intervals
Chapter XXXVII
The Storm The Two Together
A light flapped over the scene as if reflected from phosphorescent wings
crossing the sky and a rumble filled the air It was the first move of the
approaching storm
The second peal was noisy with comparatively little visible lightning
Gabriel saw a candle shining in Bathshebas bedroom and soon a shadow swept to
and fro upon the blind
Then there came a third flash Manoeuvres of a most extraordinary kind were
going on in the vast firmamental hollows overhead The lightning now was the
colour of silver and gleamed in the heavens like a mailed army Rumbles became
rattles Gabriel from his elevated position could see over the landscape at
least halfadozen miles in front Every hedge bush and tree was distinct as
in a line engraving In a paddock in the same direction was a herd of heifers
and the forms of these were visible at this moment in the act of galloping about
in the wildest and maddest confusion flinging their heels and tails high into
the air their heads to earth A poplar in the immediate foreground was like an
ink stroke on burnished tin Then the picture vanished leaving the darkness so
intense that Gabriel worked entirely by feeling with his hands
He had stuck his rickingrod or poniard as it was indifferently called a
long iron lance polished by handling into the stack used to support the
sheaves instead of the support called a groom used on houses A blue light
appeared in the zenith and in some indescribable manner flickered down near the
top of the rod It was the fourth of the larger flashes A moment later and
there was a smack smart clear and short Gabriel felt his position to be
anything but a safe one and he resolved to descend
Not a drop of rain had fallen as yet He wiped his weary brow and looked
again at the black forms of the unprotected stacks Was his life so valuable to
him after all What were his prospects that he should be so chary of running
risk when important and urgent labour could not be carried on without such
risk He resolved to stick to the stack However he took a precaution Under
the staddles was a long tethering chain used to prevent the escape of errant
horses This he carried up the ladder and sticking his rod through the clog at
one end allowed the other end of the chain to trail upon the ground The spike
attached to it he drove in Under the shadow of this extemporized
lightningconductor he felt himself comparatively safe
Before Oak had laid his hands upon his tools again out leapt the fifth
flash with the spring of a serpent and the shout of a fiend It was green as an
emerald and the reverberation was stunning What was this the light revealed to
him In the open ground before him as he looked over the ridge of the rick was
a dark and apparently female form Could it be that of the only venturesome
woman in the parish Bathsheba The form moved on a step then he could see no
more
»Is that you maam« said Gabriel to the darkness
»Who is there« said the voice of Bathsheba
»Gabriel I am on the rick thatching«
»O Gabriel and are you I have come about them The weather awoke me
and I thought of the corn I am so distressed about it can we save it anyhow
I cannot find my husband Is he with you«
»He is not here«
»Do you know where he is«
»Asleep in the barn«
»He promised that the stacks should be seen to and now they are all
neglected Can I do anything to help Liddy is afraid to come out Fancy finding
you here at such an hour Surely I can do something«
»You can bring up some reedsheaves to me one by one maam if you are not
afraid to come up the ladder in the dark« said Gabriel »Every moment is
precious now and that would save a good deal of time It is not very dark when
the lightning has been gone a bit«
»Ill do anything« she said resolutely She instantly took a sheaf upon her
shoulder clambered up close to his heels placed it behind the rod and
descended for another At her third ascent the rick suddenly brightened with the
brazen glare of shining majolica every knot in every straw was visible On the
slope in front of him appeared two human shapes black as jet The rick lost its
sheen the shapes vanished Gabriel turned his head It had been the sixth
flash which had come from the east behind him and the two dark forms on the
slope had been the shadows of himself and Bathsheba
Then came the peal It hardly was credible that such a heavenly light could
be the parent of such a diabolical sound
»How terrible« she exclaimed and clutched him by the sleeve Gabriel
turned and steadied her on her aerial perch by holding her arm At the same
moment while he was still reversed in his attitude there was more light and
he saw as it were a copy of the tall poplar tree on the hill drawn in black on
the wall of the barn It was the shadow of that tree thrown across by a
secondary flash in the west
The next flare came Bathsheba was on the ground now shouldering another
sheaf and she bore its dazzle without flinching thunder and all and again
ascended with the load There was then a silence everywhere for four or five
minutes and the crunch of the spars as Gabriel hastily drove them in could
again be distinctly heard He thought the crisis of the storm had passed But
there came a burst of light
»Hold on« said Gabriel taking the sheaf from her shoulder and grasping
her arm again
Heaven opened then indeed The flash was almost too novel for its
inexpressibly dangerous nature to be at once realized and they could only
comprehend the magnificence of its beauty It sprang from east west north
south and was a perfect dance of death The forms of skeletons appeared in the
air shaped with blue fire for bones dancing leaping striding racing
around and mingling altogether in unparalleled confusion With these were
intertwined undulating snakes of green and behind these was a broad mass of
lesser light Simultaneously came from every part of the tumbling sky what may
be called a shout since though no shout ever came near it it was more of the
nature of a shout than of anything else earthly In the meantime one of the
grisly forms had alighted upon the point of Gabriels rod to run invisibly down
it down the chain and into the earth Gabriel was almost blinded and he could
feel Bathshebas warm arm tremble in his hand a sensation novel and thrilling
enough but love life everything human seemed small and trifling in such
close juxtaposition with an infuriated universe
Oak had hardly time to gather up these impressions into a thought and to
see how strangely the red feather of her hat shone in this light when the tall
tree on the hill before mentioned seemed on fire to a white heat and a new one
among these terrible voices mingled with the last crash of those preceding It
was a stupefying blast harsh and pitiless and it fell upon their ears in a
dead flat blow without that reverberation which lends the tones of a drum to
more distant thunder By the lustre reflected from every part of the earth and
from the wide domical scoop above it he saw that the tree was sliced down the
whole length of its tall straight stem a huge riband of bark being apparently
flung off The other portion remained erect and revealed the bared surface as a
strip of white down the front The lightning had struck the tree A sulphurous
smell filled the air then all was silent and black as a cave in Hinnom
»We had a narrow escape« said Gabriel hurriedly »You had better go down«
Bathsheba said nothing but he could distinctly hear her rhythmical pants
and the recurrent rustle of the sheaf beside her in response to her frightened
pulsations She descended the ladder and on second thoughts he followed her
The darkness was now impenetrable by the sharpest vision They both stood still
at the bottom side by side Bathsheba appeared to think only of the weather
Oak thought only of her just then At last he said
»The storm seems to have passed now at any rate«
»I think so too« said Bathsheba »Though there are multitudes of gleams
look«
The sky was now filled with an incessant light frequent repetition melting
into complete continuity as an unbroken sound results from the successive
strokes on a gong
»Nothing serious« said he »I cannot understand no rain falling But Heaven
be praised it is all the better for us I am now going up again«
»Gabriel you are kinder than I deserve I will stay and help you yet O
why are not some of the others here«
»They would have been here if they could« said Oak in a hesitating way
»O I know it all all« she said adding slowly »They are all asleep in
the barn in a drunken sleep and my husband among them Thats it is it not
Dont think I am a timid woman and cant endure things«
»I am not certain« said Gabriel »I will go and see«
He crossed to the barn leaving her there alone He looked through the
chinks of the door All was in total darkness as he had left it and there
still arose as at the former time the steady buzz of many snores
He felt a zephyr curling about his cheek and turned It was Bathshebas
breath she had followed him and was looking into the same chink
He endeavoured to put off the immediate and painful subject of their
thoughts by remarking gently »If youll come back again miss maam and hand
up a few more it would save much time«
Then Oak went back again ascended to the top stepped off the ladder for
greater expedition and went on thatching She followed but without a sheaf
»Gabriel« she said in a strange and impressive voice
Oak looked up at her She had not spoken since he left the barn The soft
and continual shimmer of the dying lightning showed a marble face high against
the black sky of the opposite quarter Bathsheba was sitting almost on the apex
of the stack her feet gathered up beneath her and resting on the top round of
the ladder
»Yes mistress« he said
»I suppose you thought that when I galloped away to Bath that night it was
on purpose to be married«
»I did at last not at first« he answered »somewhat surprised at the
abruptness with which this new subject was broached«
»And others thought so too«
»Yes«
»And you blamed me for it«
»Well a little«
»I thought so Now I care a little for your good opinion and I want to
explain something I have longed to do it ever since I returned and you looked
so gravely at me For if I were to die and I may die soon it would be
dreadful that you should always think mistakenly of me Now listen«
Gabriel ceased his rustling
»I went to Bath that night in the full intention of breaking off my
engagement to Mr Troy It was owing to circumstances which occurred after I got
there that that we were married Now do you see the matter in a new light«
»I do somewhat«
»I must I suppose say more now that I have begun And perhaps its no
harm for you are certainly under no delusion that I ever loved you or that I
can have any object in speaking more than that object I have mentioned Well I
was alone in a strange city and the horse was lame And at last I didnt know
what to do I saw when it was too late that scandal might seize hold of me for
meeting him alone in that way But I was coming away when he suddenly said he
had that day seen a woman more beautiful than I and that his constancy could
not be counted on unless I at once became his And I was grieved and troubled
« She cleared her voice and waited a moment as if to gather breath »And
then between jealousy and distraction I married him« she whispered with
desperate impetuosity
Gabriel made no reply
»He was not to blame for it was perfectly true about about his seeing
somebody else« she quickly added »And now I dont wish for a single remark
from you upon the subject indeed I forbid it I only wanted you to know that
misunderstood bit of my history before a time comes when you could never know
it You want some more sheaves«
She went down the ladder and the work proceeded Gabriel soon perceived a
languor in the movements of his mistress up and down and he said to her gently
as a mother
»I think you had better go indoors now you are tired I can finish the rest
alone If the wind does not change the rain is likely to keep off«
»If I am useless I will go« said Bathsheba in a flagging cadence »But O
if your life should be lost«
»You are not useless but I would rather not tire you longer You have done
well«
»And you better« she said gratefully »Thank you for your devotion a
thousand times Gabriel Goodnight I know you are doing your very best for
me«
She diminished in the gloom and vanished and he heard the latch of the
gate fall as she passed through He worked in a reverie now musing upon her
story and upon the contradictoriness of that feminine heart which had caused
her to speak more warmly to him tonight than she ever had done whilst unmarried
and free to speak as warmly as she chose
He was disturbed in his meditation by a grating noise from the coachhouse
It was the vane on the roof turning round and this change in the wind was the
signal for a disastrous rain
Chapter XXXVIII
Rain One Solitary Meets Another
It was now five oclock and the dawn was promising to break in hues of drab and
ash
The air changed its temperature and stirred itself more vigorously Cool
breezes coursed in transparent eddies round Oaks face The wind shifted yet a
point or two and blew stronger In ten minutes every wind of heaven seemed to be
roaming at large Some of the thatching on the wheatstacks was now whirled
fantastically aloft and had to be replaced and weighted with some rails that
lay near at hand This done Oak slaved away again at the barley A huge drop of
rain smote his face the wind snarled round every corner the trees rocked to
the bases of their trunks and the twigs clashed in strife Driving in spars at
any point and on any system inch by inch he covered more and more safely from
ruin this distracting impersonation of seven hundred pounds The rain came on in
earnest and Oak soon felt the water to be tracking cold and clammy routes down
his back Ultimately he was reduced wellnigh to a homogeneous sop and the dyes
of his clothes trickled down and stood in a pool at the foot of the ladder The
rain stretched obliquely through the dull atmosphere in liquid spines unbroken
in continuity between their beginnings in the clouds and their points in him
Oak suddenly remembered that eight months before this time he had been
fighting against fire in the same spot as desperately as he was fighting against
water now and for a futile love of the same woman As for her But Oak was
generous and true and dismissed his reflections
It was about seven oclock in the dark leaden morning when Gabriel came down
from the last stack and thankfully exclaimed »It is done« He was drenched
weary and sad and yet not so sad as drenched and weary for he was cheered by
a sense of success in a good cause
Faint sounds came from the barn and he looked that way Figures stepped
singly and in pairs through the doors all walking awkwardly and abashed save
the foremost who wore a red jacket and advanced with his hands in his pockets
whistling The others shambled after with a consciencestricken air the whole
procession was not unlike Flaxmans group of the suitors tottering on towards
the infernal regions under the conduct of Mercury The gnarled shapes passed
into the village Troy their leader entering the farmhouse Not a single one
of them had turned his face to the ricks or apparently bestowed one thought
upon their condition
Soon Oak too went homeward by a different route from theirs In front of
him against the wet glazed surface of the lane he saw a person walking yet more
slowly than himself under an umbrella The man turned and plainly started he
was Boldwood
»How are you this morning sir« said Oak
»Yes it is a wet day Oh I am well very well I thank you quite well«
»I am glad to hear it sir«
Boldwood seemed to awake to the present by degrees »You look tired and ill
Oak« he said then desultorily regarding his companion
»I am tired You look strangely altered sir«
»I Not a bit of it I am well enough What put that into your head«
»I thought you didnt look quite so topping as you used to that was all«
»Indeed then you are mistaken« said Boldwood shortly »Nothing hurts me
My constitution is an iron one«
»Ive been working hard to get our ricks covered and was barely in time
Never had such a struggle in my life Yours of course are safe sir«
»O yes« Boldwood added after an interval of silence »What did you ask
Oak«
»Your ricks are all covered before this time«
»No«
»At any rate the large ones upon the stone staddles«
»They are not«
»Them under the hedge«
»No I forgot to tell the thatcher to set about it«
»Nor the little one by the stile«
»Nor the little one by the stile I overlooked the ricks this year«
»Then not a tenth of your corn will come to measure sir«
»Possibly not«
»Overlooked them« repeated Gabriel slowly to himself It is difficult to
describe the intensely dramatic effect that announcement had upon Oak at such a
moment All the night he had been feeling that the neglect he was labouring to
repair was abnormal and isolated the only instance of the kind within the
circuit of the county Yet at this very time within the same parish a greater
waste had been going on uncomplained of and disregarded A few months earlier
Boldwoods forgetting his husbandry would have been as preposterous an idea as a
sailor forgetting he was in a ship Oak was just thinking that whatever he
himself might have suffered from Bathshebas marriage here was a man who had
suffered more when Boldwood spoke in a changed voice that of one who yearned
to make a confidence and relieve his heart by an outpouring
»Oak you know as well as I that things have gone wrong with me lately I
may as well own it I was going to get a little settled in life but in some way
my plan has come to nothing«
»I thought my mistress would have married you« said Gabriel not knowing
enough of the full depths of Boldwoods love to keep silence on the farmers
account and determined not to evade discipline by doing so on his own
»However it is so sometimes and nothing happens that we expect« he added
with the repose of a man whom misfortune had inured rather than subdued
»I daresay I am a joke about the parish« said Boldwood as if the subject
came irresistibly to his tongue and with a miserable lightness meant to express
his indifference
»O no I dont think that«
» But the real truth of the matter is that there was not as some fancy
any jilting on her part No engagement ever existed between me and Miss
Everdene People say so but it is untrue she never promised me« Boldwood
stood still now and turned his wild face to Oak »O Gabriel« he continued »I
am weak and foolish and I dont know what and I cant fend off my miserable
grief I had some faint belief in the mercy of God till I lost that woman
Yes He prepared a gourd to shade me and like the prophet I thanked Him and was
glad But the next day He prepared a worm to smite the gourd and wither it and
I feel it is better to die than to live«
A silence followed Boldwood aroused himself from the momentary mood of
confidence into which he had drifted and walked on again resuming his usual
reserve
»No Gabriel« he resumed with a carelessness which was like the smile on
the countenance of a skull »it was made more of by other people than ever it
was by us I do feel a little regret occasionally but no woman ever had power
over me for any length of time Well good morning I can trust you not to
mention to others what has passed between us two here«
Chapter XXXIX
Coming Home A Cry
On the turnpike road between Casterbridge and Weatherbury and about three
miles from the former place is Yalbury Hill one of those steep long ascents
which pervade the highways of this undulating part of South Wessex In returning
from market it is usual for the farmers and other giggentry to alight at the
bottom and walk up
One Saturday evening in the month of October Bathshebas vehicle was duly
creeping up this incline She was sitting listlessly in the second seat of the
gig whilst walking beside her in a farmers marketing suit of unusually
fashionable cut was an erect wellmade young man Though on foot he held the
reins and whip and occasionally aimed light cuts at the horses ear with the
end of the lash as a recreation This man was her husband formerly Sergeant
Troy who having bought his discharge with Bathshebas money was gradually
transforming himself into a farmer of a spirited and very modern school People
of unalterable ideas still insisted upon calling him Sergeant when they met him
which was in some degree owing to his having still retained the wellshaped
moustache of his military days and the soldierly bearing inseparable from his
form and training
»Yes if it hadnt been for that wretched rain I should have cleared two
hundred as easy as looking my love« he was saying »Dont you see it altered
all the chances To speak like a book I once read wet weather is the narrative
and fine days are the episodes of our countrys history now isnt that true«
»But the time of year is come for changeable weather«
»Well yes The fact is these autumn races are the ruin of everybody Never
did I see such a day as twas Tis a wild open place just out of Budmouth and
a drab sea rolled in towards us like liquid misery Wind and rain good Lord
Dark Why twas as black as my hat before the last race was run Twas five
oclock and you couldnt see the horses till they were almost in leave alone
colours The ground was as heavy as lead and all judgment from a fellows
experience went for nothing Horses riders people were all blown about like
ships at sea Three booths were blown over and the wretched folk inside crawled
out upon their hands and knees and in the next field were as many as a dozen
hats at one time Ay Pimpernel regularly stuck fast when about sixty yards
off and when I saw Policy stepping on it did knock my heart against the lining
of my ribs I assure you my love«
»And you mean Frank« said Bathsheba sadly her voice was painfully
lowered from the fulness and vivacity of the previous summer » that you have
lost more than a hundred pounds in a month by this dreadful horseracing O
Frank it is cruel it is foolish of you to take away my money so We shall have
to leave the farm that will be the end of it«
»Humbug about cruel Now there tis again turn on the waterworks thats
just like you«
»But youll promise me not to go to Budmouth second meeting wont you« she
implored Bathsheba was at the full depth for tears but she maintained a dry
eye
»I dont see why I should in fact if it turns out to be a fine day I was
thinking of taking you«
»Never never Ill go a hundred miles the other way first I hate the sound
of the very word«
»But the question of going to see the race or staying at home has very
little to do with the matter Bets are all booked safely enough before the race
begins you may depend Whether it is a bad race for me or a good one will have
very little to do with our going there next Monday«
»But you dont mean to say that you have risked anything on this one too«
she exclaimed with an agonized look
»There now dont you be a little fool Wait till you are told Why
Bathsheba you have lost all the pluck and sauciness you formerly had and upon
my life if I had known what a chickenhearted creature you were under all your
boldness Id never have I know what«
A flash of indignation might have been seen in Bathshebas dark eyes as she
looked resolutely ahead after this reply They moved on without further speech
some earlywithered leaves from the trees which hooded the road at this spot
occasionally spinning downward across their path to the earth
A woman appeared on the brow of the hill The ridge was in a cutting so
that she was very near the husband and wife before she became visible Troy had
turned towards the gig to remount and whilst putting his foot on the step the
woman passed behind him
Though the overshadowing trees and the approach of eventide enveloped them
in gloom Bathsheba could see plainly enough to discern the extreme poverty of
the womans garb and the sadness of her face
»Please sir do you know at what time Casterbridge Unionhouse closes at
night«
The woman said these words to Troy over his shoulder
Troy started visibly at the sound of the voice yet he seemed to recover
presence of mind sufficient to prevent himself from giving way to his impulse to
suddenly turn and face her He said slowly
»I dont know«
The woman on hearing him speak quickly looked up examined the side of his
face and recognized the soldier under the yeomans garb Her face was drawn
into an expression which had gladness and agony both among its elements She
uttered an hysterical cry and fell down
»O poor thing« exclaimed Bathsheba instantly preparing to alight
»Stay where you are and attend to the horse« said Troy peremptorily
throwing her the reins and the whip »Walk the horse to the top Ill see to the
woman«
»But I «
»Do you hear Clk Poppet«
The horse gig and Bathsheba moved on
»How on earth did you come here I thought you were miles away or dead Why
didnt you write to me« said Troy to the woman in a strangely gentle yet
hurried voice as he lifted her up
»I feared to«
»Have you any money«
»None«
»Good Heaven I wish I had more to give you Heres wretched the merest
trifle It is every farthing I have left I have none but what my wife gives me
you know and I cant ask her now«
The woman made no answer
»I have only another moment« continued Troy »and now listen Where are you
going tonight Casterbridge Union«
»Yes I thought to go there«
»You shant go there yet wait Yes perhaps for tonight I can do nothing
better worse luck Sleep there tonight and stay there tomorrow Monday is
the first free day I have and on Monday morning at ten exactly meet me on
Greys Bridge just out of the town Ill bring all the money I can muster You
shant want Ill see that Fanny then Ill get you a lodging somewhere
Goodbye till then I am a brute but goodbye«
After advancing the distance which completed the ascent of the hill
Bathsheba turned her head The woman was upon her feet and Bathsheba saw her
withdrawing from Troy and going feebly down the hill by the third milestone
from Casterbridge Troy then came on towards his wife stepped into the gig
took the reins from her hand and without making any observation whipped the
horse into a trot He was rather agitated
»Do you know who that woman was« said Bathsheba looking searchingly into
his face
»I do« he said looking boldly back into hers
»I thought you did« said she with angry hauteur and still regarding him
»Who is she«
He suddenly seemed to think that frankness would benefit neither of the
women
»Nothing to either of us« he said »I know her by sight«
»What is her name«
»How should I know her name«
»I think you do«
»Think if you will and be « The sentence was completed by a smart cut of
the whip round Poppets flank which caused the animal to start forward at a
wild pace No more was said
Chapter XL
On Casterbridge Highway
For a considerable time the woman walked on Her steps became feebler and she
strained her eyes to look afar upon the naked road now indistinct amid the
penumbræ of night At length her onward walk dwindled to the merest totter and
she opened a gate within which was a haystack Underneath this she sat down and
presently slept
When the woman awoke it was to find herself in the depths of a moonless and
starless night A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky
shutting out every speck of heaven and a distant halo which hung over the town
of Casterbridge was visible against the black concave the luminosity appearing
the brighter by its great contrast with the circumscribing darkness Towards
this weak soft glow the woman turned her eyes
»If I could only get there« she said »Meet him the day after tomorrow
God help me Perhaps I shall be in my grave before then«
A manorhouse clock from the far depths of shadow struck the hour one in a
small attenuated tone After midnight the voice of a clock seems to lose in
breadth as much as in length and to diminish its sonorousness to a thin
falsetto
Afterwards a light two lights arose from the remote shade and grew
larger A carriage rolled along the road and passed the gate It probably
contained some late dinersout The beams from one lamp shone for a moment upon
the crouching woman and threw her face into vivid relief The face was young in
the groundwork old in the finish the general contours were flexuous and
childlike but the finer lineaments had begun to be sharp and thin
The pedestrian stood up apparently with a revived determination and looked
around The road appeared to be familiar to her and she carefully scanned the
fence as she slowly walked along Presently there became visible a dim white
shape it was another milestone She drew her fingers across its face to feel
the marks
»Two more« she said
She leant against the stone as a means of rest for a short interval then
bestirred herself and again pursued her way For a slight distance she bore up
bravely afterwards flagging as before This was beside a lone copsewood
wherein heaps of white chips strewn upon the leafy ground showed that woodmen
had been faggoting and making hurdles during the day Now there was not a
rustle not a breeze not the faintest clash of twigs to keep her company The
woman looked over the gate opened it and went in Close to the entrance stood
a row of faggots bound and unbound together with stakes of all sizes
For a few seconds the wayfarer stood with that tense stillness which
signifies itself to be not the end but merely the suspension of a previous
motion Her attitude was that of a person who listens either to the external
world of sound or to the imagined discourse of thought A close criticism might
have detected signs proving that she was intent on the latter alternative
Moreover as was shown by what followed she was oddly exercising the faculty of
invention upon the speciality of the clever Jacquet Droz the designer of
automatic substitutes for human limbs
By the aid of the Casterbridge aurora and by feeling with her hands the
woman selected two sticks from the heaps These sticks were nearly straight to
the height of three or four feet where each branched into a fork like the
letter Y She sat down snapped off the small upper twigs and carried the
remainder with her into the road She placed one of these forks under each arm
as a crutch tested them timidly threw her whole weight upon them so little
that it was and swung herself forward The girl had made for herself a
material aid
The crutches answered well The pat of her feet and the tap of her sticks
upon the highway were all the sounds that came from the traveller now She had
passed the last milestone by a good long distance and began to look wistfully
towards the bank as if calculating upon another milestone soon The crutches
though so very useful had their limits of power Mechanism only transfers
labour being powerless to supersede it and the original amount of exertion was
not cleared away it was thrown into the body and arms She was exhausted and
each swing forward became fainter At last she swayed sideways and fell
Here she lay a shapeless heap for ten minutes and more The morning wind
began to boom dully over the flats and to move afresh dead leaves which had
lain still since yesterday The woman desperately turned round upon her knees
and next rose to her feet Steadying herself by the help of one crutch she
essayed a step then another then a third using the crutches now as
walkingsticks only Thus she progressed till descending Mellstock Hill another
milestone appeared and soon the beginning of an ironrailed fence came into
view She staggered across to the first post clung to it and looked around
The Casterbridge lights were now individually visible It was getting
towards morning and vehicles might be hoped for if not expected soon She
listened There was not a sound of life save that acme and sublimation of all
dismal sounds the bark of a fox its three hollow notes being rendered at
intervals of a minute with the precision of a funeral bell
»Less than a mile« the woman murmured »No more« she added after a
pause »The mile is to the countyhall and my restingplace is on the other
side Casterbridge A little over a mile and there I am« After an interval she
again spoke »Five or six steps to a yard six perhaps I have to go seventeen
hundred yards A hundred times six six hundred Seventeen times that O pity
me Lord«
Holding to the rails she advanced thrusting one hand forward upon the
rail then the other then leaning over it whilst she dragged her feet on
beneath
This woman was not given to soliloquy but extremity of feeling lessens the
individuality of the weak as it increases that of the strong She said again in
the same tone »Ill believe that the end lies five posts forward and no
further and so get strength to pass them«
This was a practical application of the principle that a halffeigned and
fictitious faith is better than no faith at all
She passed five posts and held on to the fifth
»Ill pass five more by believing my longedfor spot is at the next fifth I
can do it«
She passed five more
»It lies only five further«
She passed five more
»But it is five further«
She passed them
»That stone bridge is the end of my journey« she said when the bridge over
the Froom was in view
She crawled to the bridge During the effort each breath of the woman went
into the air as if never to return again
»Now for the truth of the matter« she said sitting down »The truth is
that I have less than half a mile« Selfbeguilement with what she had known all
the time to be false had given her strength to come over half a mile that she
would have been powerless to face in the lump The artifice showed that the
woman by some mysterious intuition had grasped the paradoxical truth that
blindness may operate more vigorously than prescience and the shortsighted
effect more than the farseeing that limitation and not comprehensiveness is
needed for striking a blow
The halfmile stood now before the sick and weary woman like a stolid
Juggernaut It was an impassive King of her world The road here ran across
Durnover Moor open to the road on either side She surveyed the wide space the
lights herself sighed and lay down against a guardstone of the bridge
Never was ingenuity exercised so sorely as the traveller here exercised
hers Every conceivable aid method stratagem mechanism by which these last
desperate eight hundred yards could be overpassed by a human being unperceived
was revolved in her busy brain and dismissed as impracticable She thought of
sticks wheels crawling she even thought of rolling But the exertion
demanded by either of these latter two was greater than to walk erect The
faculty of contrivance was worn out Hopelessness had come at last
»No further« she whispered and closed her eyes
From the stripe of shadow on the opposite side of the bridge a portion of
shade seemed to detach itself and move into isolation upon the pale white of the
road It glided noiselessly towards the recumbent woman
She became conscious of something touching her hand it was softness and it
was warmth She opened her eyes and the substance touched her face A dog was
licking her cheek
He was a huge heavy and quiet creature standing darkly against the low
horizon and at least two feet higher than the present position of her eyes
Whether Newfoundland mastiff bloodhound or what not it was impossible to
say He seemed to be of too strange and mysterious a nature to belong to any
variety among those of popular nomenclature Being thus assignable to no breed
he was the ideal embodiment of canine greatness a generalization from what was
common to all Night in its sad solemn and benevolent aspect apart from its
stealthy and cruel side was personified in this form Darkness endows the small
and ordinary ones among mankind with poetical power and even the suffering
woman threw her idea into figure
In her reclining position she looked up to him just as in earlier times she
had when standing looked up to a man The animal who was as homeless as she
respectfully withdrew a step or two when the woman moved and seeing that she
did not repulse him he licked her hand again
A thought moved within her like lightning »Perhaps I can make use of him
I might do it then«
She pointed in the direction of Casterbridge and the dog seemed to
misunderstand he trotted on Then finding she could not follow he came back
and whined
The ultimate and saddest singularity of womans effort and invention was
reached when with a quickened breathing she rose to a stooping posture and
resting her two little arms upon the shoulders of the dog leant firmly thereon
and murmured stimulating words Whilst she sorrowed in her heart she cheered
with her voice and what was stranger than that the strong should need
encouragement from the weak was that cheerfulness should be so well stimulated
by such utter dejection Her friend moved forward slowly and she with small
mincing steps moved forward beside him half her weight being thrown upon the
animal Sometimes she sank as she had sunk from walking erect from the
crutches from the rails The dog who now thoroughly understood her desire and
her incapacity was frantic in his distress on these occasions he would tug at
her dress and run forward She always called him back and it was now to be
observed that the woman listened for human sounds only to avoid them It was
evident that she had an object in keeping her presence on the road and her
forlorn state unknown
Their progress was necessarily very slow They reached the bottom of the
town and the Casterbridge lamps lay before them like fallen Pleiads as they
turned to the left into the dense shade of a deserted avenue of chestnuts and
so skirted the borough Thus the town was passed and the goal was reached
On this muchdesired spot outside the town rose a picturesque building
Originally it had been a mere case to hold people The shell had been so thin
so devoid of excrescence and so closely drawn over the accommodation granted
that the grim character of what was beneath showed through it as the shape of a
body is visible under a windingsheet
Then Nature as if offended lent a hand Masses of ivy grew up completely
covering the walls till the place looked like an abbey and it was discovered
that the view from the front over the Casterbridge chimneys was one of the
most magnificent in the county A neighbouring earl once said that he would give
up a years rental to have at his own door the view enjoyed by the inmates from
theirs and very probably the inmates would have given up the view for his
years rental
This stone edifice consisted of a central mass and two wings whereon stood
as sentinels a few slim chimneys now gurgling sorrowfully to the slow wind In
the wall was a gate and by the gate a bellpull formed of a hanging wire The
woman raised herself as high as possible upon her knees and could just reach
the handle She moved it and fell forwards in a bowed attitude her face upon
her bosom
It was getting on towards six oclock and sounds of movement were to be
heard inside the building which was the haven of rest to this wearied soul A
little door by the large one was opened and a man appeared inside He discerned
the panting heap of clothes went back for a light and came again He entered a
second time and returned with two women
These lifted the prostrate figure and assisted her in through the doorway
The man then closed the door
»How did she get here« said one of the women
»The Lord knows« said the other
»There is a dog outside« murmured the overcome traveller »Where is he
gone He helped me«
»I stoned him away« said the man
The little procession then moved forward the man in front bearing the
light the two bony women next supporting between them the small and supple
one Thus they entered the house and disappeared
Chapter XLI
Suspicion Fanny is Sent for
Bathsheba said very little to her husband all that evening of their return from
market and he was not disposed to say much to her He exhibited the unpleasant
combination of a restless condition with a silent tongue The next day which
was Sunday passed nearly in the same manner as regarded their taciturnity
Bathsheba going to church both morning and afternoon This was the day before
the Budmouth races In the evening Troy said suddenly
»Bathsheba could you let me have twenty pounds«
Her countenance instantly sank »Twenty pounds« she said
»The fact is I want it badly« The anxiety upon Troys face was unusual and
very marked It was a culmination of the mood he had been in all the day
»Ah for those races tomorrow«
Troy for the moment made no reply Her mistake had its advantages to a man
who shrank from having his mind inspected as he did now »Well suppose I do
want it for races« he said at last
»O Frank« Bathsheba replied and there was such a volume of entreaty in
the words »Only such a few weeks ago you said that I was far sweeter than all
your other pleasures put together and that you would give them all up for me
and now wont you give up this one which is more a worry than a pleasure Do
Frank Come let me fascinate you by all I can do by pretty words and pretty
looks and everything I can think of to stay at home Say yes to your wife
say yes«
The tenderest and softest phases of Bathshebas nature were prominent now
advanced impulsively for his acceptance without any of the disguises and
defences which the wariness of her character when she was cool too frequently
threw over them Few men could have resisted the arch yet dignified entreaty of
the beautiful face thrown a little back and sideways in the wellknown attitude
that expresses more than the words it accompanies and which seems to have been
designed for these special occasions Had the woman not been his wife Troy
would have succumbed instantly as it was he thought he would not deceive her
longer
»The money is not wanted for racing debts at all« he said
»What is it for« she asked »You worry me a great deal by these mysterious
responsibilities Frank«
Troy hesitated He did not now love her enough to allow himself to be
carried too far by her ways Yet it was necessary to be civil »You wrong me by
such a suspicious manner« he said »Such straitwaistcoating as you treat me to
is not becoming in you at so early a date«
»I think that I have a right to grumble a little if I pay« she said with
features between a smile and a pout
»Exactly and the former being done suppose we proceed to the latter
Bathsheba fun is all very well but dont go too far or you may have cause to
regret something«
She reddened »I do that already« she said quickly
»What do you regret«
»That my romance has come to an end«
»All romances end at marriage«
»I wish you wouldnt talk like that You grieve me to my soul by being smart
at my expense«
»You are dull enough at mine I believe you hate me«
»Not you only your faults I do hate them«
»Twould be much more becoming if you set yourself to cure them Come lets
strike a balance with the twenty pounds and be friends«
She gave a sigh of resignation »I have about that sum here for household
expenses If you must have it take it«
»Very good Thank you I expect I shall have gone away before you are in to
breakfast tomorrow«
»And must you go Ah there was a time Frank when it would have taken a
good many promises to other people to drag you away from me You used to call me
darling then But it doesnt matter to you how my days are passed now«
»I must go in spite of sentiment« Troy as he spoke looked at his watch
and apparently actuated by non lucendo principles opened the case at the back
revealing snugly stowed within it a small coil of hair
Bathshebas eyes had been accidentally lifted at that moment and she saw
the action and saw the hair She flushed in pain and surprise and some words
escaped her before she had thought whether or not it was wise to utter them »A
womans curl of hair« she said »O Frank whose is that«
Troy had instantly closed his watch He carelessly replied as one who
cloaked some feelings that the sight had stirred »Why yours of course Whose
should it be I had quite forgotten that I had it«
»What a dreadful fib Frank«
»I tell you I had forgotten it« he said loudly
»I dont mean that it was yellow hair«
»Nonsense«
»Thats insulting me I know it was yellow Now whose was it I want to
know«
»Very well Ill tell you so make no more ado It is the hair of a young
woman I was going to marry before I knew you«
»You ought to tell me her name then«
»I cannot do that«
»Is she married yet«
»No«
»Is she alive«
»Yes«
»Is she pretty«
»Yes«
»It is wonderful how she can be poor thing under such an awful
affliction«
»Affliction what affliction« he inquired quickly
»Having hair of that dreadful colour«
»Oh ho I like that« said Troy recovering himself »Why her hair has
been admired by everybody who has seen her since she has worn it loose which
has not been long It is beautiful hair People used to turn their heads to look
at it poor girl«
»Pooh thats nothing thats nothing« she exclaimed in incipient accents
of pique »If I cared for your love as much as I used to I could say people had
turned to look at mine«
»Bathsheba dont be so fitful and jealous You knew what married life would
be like and shouldnt have entered it if you feared these contingencies«
Troy had by this time driven her to bitterness her heart was big in her
throat and the ducts to her eyes were painfully full Ashamed as she was to
show emotion at last she burst out
»This is all I get for loving you so well Ah when I married you your life
was dearer to me than my own I would have died for you how truly I can say
that I would have died for you And now you sneer at my foolishness in marrying
you O is it kind to me to throw my mistake in my face Whatever opinion you
may have of my wisdom you should not tell me of it so mercilessly now that I
am in your power«
»I cant help how things fall out« said Troy »upon my heart women will be
the death of me«
»Well you shouldnt keep peoples hair Youll burn it wont you Frank«
Frank went on as if he had not heard her »There are considerations even
before my consideration for you reparations to be made ties you know nothing
of If you repent of marrying so do I«
Trembling now she put her hand upon his arm saying in mingled tones of
wretchedness and coaxing »I only repent it if you dont love me better than any
woman in the world I dont otherwise Frank You dont repent because you
already love somebody better than you love me do you«
»I dont know Why do you say that«
»You wont burn that curl You like the woman who owns that pretty hair
yes it is pretty more beautiful than my miserable black mane Well it is no
use I cant help being ugly You must like her best if you will«
»Until today when I took it from a drawer I have never looked upon that
bit of hair for several months that I am ready to swear«
»But just now you said ties and then that woman we met«
»Twas the meeting with her that reminded me of the hair«
»Is it hers then«
»Yes There now that you have wormed it out of me I hope you are content«
»And what are the ties«
»Oh that meant nothing a mere jest«
»A mere jest« she said in mournful astonishment »Can you jest when I am
so wretchedly in earnest Tell me the truth Frank I am not a fool you know
although I am a woman and have my womans moments Come treat me fairly« she
said looking honestly and fearlessly into his face »I dont want much bare
justice thats all Ah once I felt I could be content with nothing less than
the highest homage from the husband I should choose Now anything short of
cruelty will content me Yes the independent and spirited Bathsheba is come to
this«
»For Heavens sake dont be so desperate« Troy said snappishly rising as
he did so and leaving the room
Directly he had gone Bathsheba burst into great sobs dryeyed sobs which
cut as they came without any softening by tears But she determined to repress
all evidences of feeling She was conquered but she would never own it as long
as she lived Her pride was indeed brought low by despairing discoveries of her
spoliation by marriage with a less pure nature than her own She chafed to and
fro in rebelliousness like a caged leopard her whole soul was in arms and the
blood fired her face Until she had met Troy Bathsheba had been proud of her
position as a woman it had been a glory to her to know that her lips had been
touched by no mans on earth that her waist had never been encircled by a
lovers arm She hated herself now In those earlier days she had always
nourished a secret contempt for girls who were the slaves of the first
goodlooking young fellow who should choose to salute them She had never taken
kindly to the idea of marriage in the abstract as did the majority of women she
saw about her In the turmoil of her anxiety for her lover she had agreed to
marry him but the perception that had accompanied her happiest hours on this
account was rather that of selfsacrifice than of promotion and honour Although
she scarcely knew the divinitys name Diana was the goddess whom Bathsheba
instinctively adored That she had never by look word or sign encouraged a
man to approach her that she had felt herself sufficient to herself and had
in the independence of her girlish heart fancied there was a certain degradation
in renouncing the simplicity of a maiden existence to become the humbler half of
an indifferent matrimonial whole were facts now bitterly remembered O if she
had never stooped to folly of this kind respectable as it was and could only
stand again as she had stood on the hill at Norcombe and dare Troy or any
other man to pollute a hair of her head by his interference
The next morning she rose earlier than usual and had the horse saddled for
her ride round the farm in the customary way When she came in at halfpast
eight their usual hour for breakfasting she was informed that her husband
had risen taken his breakfast and driven off to Casterbridge with the gig and
Poppet
After breakfast she was cool and collected quite herself in fact and she
rambled to the gate intending to walk to another quarter of the farm which she
still personally superintended as well as her duties in the house would permit
continually however finding herself preceded in forethought by Gabriel Oak
for whom she began to entertain the genuine friendship of a sister Of course
she sometimes thought of him in the light of an old lover and had momentary
imaginings of what life with him as a husband would have been like also of life
with Boldwood under the same conditions But Bathsheba though she could feel
was not much given to futile dreaming and her musings under this head were
short and entirely confined to the times when Troys neglect was more than
ordinarily evident
She saw coming up the road a man like Mr Boldwood It was Mr Boldwood
Bathsheba blushed painfully and watched The farmer stopped when still a long
way off and held up his hand to Gabriel Oak who was in a footpath across the
field The two men then approached each other and seemed to engage in earnest
conversation
Thus they continued for a long time Joseph Poorgrass now passed near them
wheeling a barrow of apples up the hill to Bathshebas residence Boldwood and
Gabriel called to him spoke to him for a few minutes and then all three
parted Joseph immediately coming up the hill with his barrow
Bathsheba who had seen this pantomime with some surprise experienced great
relief when Boldwood turned back again »Well whats the message Joseph« she
said
He set down his barrow and putting upon himself the refined aspect that a
conversation with a lady required spoke to Bathsheba over the gate
»Youll never see Fanny Robin no more use nor principal maam«
»Why«
»Because shes dead in the Union«
»Fanny dead never«
»Yes maam«
»What did she die from«
»I dont know for certain but I should be inclined to think it was from
general neshness of constitution She was such a limber maid that a could stand
no hardship even when I knowed her and a went like a candlesnoff so tis
said She was took bad in the morning and being quite feeble and worn out she
died in the evening She belongs by law to our parish and Mr Boldwood is going
to send a waggon at three this afternoon to fetch her home here and bury her«
»Indeed I shall not let Mr Boldwood do any such thing I shall do it
Fanny was my uncles servant and although I only knew her for a couple of
days she belongs to me How very very sad this is the idea of Fanny being
in a workhouse« Bathsheba had begun to know what suffering was and she spoke
with real feeling »Send across to Mr Boldwoods and say that Mrs Troy
will take upon herself the duty of fetching an old servant of the family We
ought not to put her in a waggon well get a hearse«
»There will hardly be time maam will there«
»Perhaps not« she said musingly »When did you say we must be at the door
three oclock«
»Three oclock this afternoon maam so to speak it«
»Very well you go with it A pretty waggon is better than an ugly hearse
after all Joseph have the new spring waggon with the blue body and red wheels
and wash it very clean And Joseph «
»Yes maam«
»Carry with you some evergreens and flowers to put upon her coffin indeed
gather a great many and completely bury her in them Get some boughs of
laurustinus and variegated box and yew and boyslove ay and some bunches
of chrysanthemum And let old Pleasant draw her because she knew him so well«
»I will maam I ought to have said that the Union in the form of four
labouring men will meet me when I gets to our churchyard gate and take her and
bury her according to the rites of the Board of Guardians as by law ordained«
»Dear me Casterbridge Union and is Fanny come to this« said Bathsheba
musing »I wish I had known of it sooner I thought she was far away How long
has she lived there«
»Ony been there a day or two«
»Oh then she has not been staying there as a regular inmate«
»No She first went to live in a garrisontown tother side o Wessex and
since then shes been picking up a living at seampstering in Melchester for
several months at the house of a very respectable widowwoman who takes in work
of that sort She only got handy the Unionhouse on Sunday morning a blieve
and tis supposed here and there that she had traipsed every step of the way
from Melchester Why she left her place I cant say for I dont know and as to
a lie why I wouldnt tell it Thats the short of the story maam«
»Ahh«
No gem ever flashed from a rosy ray to a white one more rapidly than changed
the young wifes countenance whilst this word came from her in a longdrawn
breath »Did she walk along our turnpikeroad« she said in a suddenly restless
and eager voice
»I believe she did Maam shall I call Liddy You baint well maam
surely You look like a lily so pale and fainty«
»No dont call her it is nothing When did she pass Weatherbury«
»Last Saturday night«
»That will do Joseph now you may go«
»Certainly maam«
»Joseph come hither a moment What was the colour of Fanny Robins hair«
»Really mistress now that tis put to me so judgeandjury like I cant
call to mind if yell believe me«
»Never mind go on and do what I told you Stop well no go on«
She turned herself away from him that he might no longer notice the mood
which had set its sign so visibly upon her and went indoors with a distressing
sense of faintness and a beating brow About an hour after she heard the noise
of the waggon and went out still with a painful consciousness of her bewildered
and troubled look Joseph dressed in his best suit of clothes was putting in
the horse to start The shrubs and flowers were all piled in the waggon as she
had directed Bathsheba hardly saw them now
»Whose sweetheart did you say Joseph«
»I dont know maam«
»Are you quite sure«
»Yes maam quite sure«
»Sure of what«
»Im sure that all I know is that she arrived in the morning and died in the
evening without further parley What Oak and Mr Boldwood told me was only these
few words Little Fanny Robin is dead Joseph Gabriel said looking in my face
in his steady old way I was very sorry and I said Ah and how did she come
to die Well shes dead in Casterbridge Union he said and perhaps tisnt
much matter about how she came to die She reached the Union early Sunday
morning and died in the afternoon thats clear enough Then I asked what
shed been doing lately and Mr Boldwood turned round to me then and left off
spitting a thistle with the end of his stick He told me about her having lived
by seampstering in Melchester as I mentioned to you and that she walked
therefrom at the end of last week passing near here Saturday night in the dusk
They then said I had better just name a hent of her death to you and away they
went Her death might have been brought on by biding in the night wind you
know maam for people used to say shed go off in a decline she used to cough
a good deal in winter time« »However tisnt much odds to us about that now
for tis all over«
»Have you heard a different story at all« She looked at him so intently
that Josephs eyes quailed
»Not a word mistress I assure ee« he said »Hardly anybody in the parish
knows the news yet«
»I wonder why Gabriel didnt bring the message to me himself He mostly
makes a point of seeing me upon the most trifling errand« These words were
merely murmured and she was looking upon the ground
»Perhaps he was busy maam« Joseph suggested »And sometimes he seems to
suffer from things upon his mind connected with the time when he was better off
than a is now As rather a curious item but a very understanding shepherd
and learned in books«
»Did anything seem upon his mind whilst he was speaking to you about this«
»I cannot but say that there did maam He was terrible down and so was
Farmer Boldwood«
»Thank you Joseph That will do Go on now or youll be late«
Bathsheba still unhappy went indoors again In the course of the afternoon
she said to Liddy who had been informed of the occurrence »What was the colour
of poor Fanny Robins hair Do you know I cannot recollect I only saw her for
a day or two«
»It was light maam but she wore it rather short and packed away under
her cap so that you would hardly notice it But I have seen her let it down
when she was going to bed and it looked beautiful then Real golden hair«
»Her young man was a soldier was he not«
»Yes In the same regiment as Mr Troy He says he knew him very well«
»What Mr Troy says so How came he to say that«
»One day I just named it to him and asked him if he knew Fannys young man
He said O yes he knew the young man as well as he knew himself and that there
wasnt a man in the regiment he liked better«
»Ah Said that did he«
»Yes and he said there was a strong likeness between himself and the other
young man so that sometimes people mistook them «
»Liddy for Heavens sake stop your talking« said Bathsheba with the
nervous petulance that comes from worrying perceptions
Chapter XLII
Joseph and his Burden Bucks Head
A Wall bounded the site of Casterbridge Unionhouse except along a portion of
the end Here a high gable stood prominent and it was covered like the front
with a mat of ivy In this gable was no window chimney ornament or
protuberance of any kind The single feature appertaining to it beyond the
expanse of dark green leaves was a small door
The situation of the door was peculiar The sill was three or four feet
above the ground and for a moment one was at a loss for an explanation of this
exceptional altitude till ruts immediately beneath suggested that the door was
used solely for the passage of articles and persons to and from the level of a
vehicle standing on the outside Upon the whole the door seemed to advertise
itself as a species of Traitors Gate translated to another sphere That entry
and exit hereby was only at rare intervals became apparent on noting that tufts
of grass were allowed to flourish undisturbed in the chinks of the sill
As the clock over the Southstreet Almshouse pointed to five minutes to
three a blue spring waggon picked out with red and containing boughs and
flowers passed the end of the street and up towards this side of the building
Whilst the chimes were yet stammering out a shattered form of Malbrook Joseph
Poorgrass rang the bell and received directions to back his waggon against the
high door under the gable The door then opened and a plain elm coffin was
slowly thrust forth and laid by two men in fustian along the middle of the
vehicle
One of the men then stepped up beside it took from his pocket a lump of
chalk and wrote upon the cover the name and a few other words in a large
scrawling hand We believe that they do these things more tenderly now and
provide a plate He covered the whole with a black cloth threadbare but
decent the tailboard of the waggon was returned to its place one of the men
handed a certificate of registry to Poorgrass and both entered the door
closing it behind them Their connection with her short as it had been was
over for ever
Joseph then placed the flowers as enjoined and the evergreens around the
flowers till it was difficult to divine what the waggon contained he smacked
his whip and the rather pleasing funeral car crept down the hill and along the
road to Weatherbury
The afternoon drew on apace and looking to the right towards the sea as he
walked beside the horse Poorgrass saw strange clouds and scrolls of mist
rolling over the long ridges which girt the landscape in that quarter They came
in yet greater volumes and indolently crept across the intervening valleys and
around the withered papery flags of the moor and river brinks Then their dank
spongy forms closed in upon the sky It was a sudden overgrowth of atmospheric
fungi which had their roots in the neighbouring sea and by the time that horse
man and corpse entered Yalbury Great Wood these silent workings of an
invisible hand had reached them and they were completely enveloped this being
the first arrival of the autumn fogs and the first fog of the series
The air was as an eye suddenly struck blind The waggon and its load rolled
no longer on the horizontal division between clearness and opacity but were
imbedded in an elastic body of a monotonous pallor throughout There was no
perceptible motion in the air not a visible drop of water fell upon a leaf of
the beeches birches and firs composing the wood on either side The trees
stood in an attitude of intentness as if they waited longingly for a wind to
come and rock them A startling quiet overhung all surrounding things so
completely that the crunching of the waggonwheels was as a great noise and
small rustles which had never obtained a hearing except by night were
distinctly individualized
Joseph Poorgrass looked round upon his sad burden as it loomed faintly
through the flowering laurustinus then at the unfathomable gloom amid the high
trees on each hand indistinct shadowless and spectrelike in their monochrome
of grey He felt anything but cheerful and wished he had the company even of a
child or dog Stopping the horse he listened Not a footstep or wheel was
audible anywhere around and the dead silence was broken only by a heavy
particle falling from a tree through the evergreens and alighting with a smart
rap upon the coffin of poor Fanny The fog had by this time saturated the trees
and this was the first dropping of water from the overbrimming leaves The
hollow echo of its fall reminded the waggoner painfully of the grim Leveller
Then hard by came down another drop then two or three Presently there was a
continual tapping of these heavy drops upon the dead leaves the road and the
travellers The nearer boughs were beaded with the mist to the greyness of aged
men and the rustyred leaves of the beeches were hung with similar drops like
diamonds on auburn hair
At the roadside hamlet called RoyTown just beyond this wood was the old
inn Bucks Head It was about a mile and a half from Weatherbury and in the
meridian times of stagecoach travelling had been the place where many coaches
changed and kept their relays of horses All the old stabling was now pulled
down and little remained besides the habitable inn itself which standing a
little way back from the road signified its existence to people far up and down
the highway by a sign hanging from the horizontal bough of an elm on the
opposite side of the way
Travellers for the variety tourist had hardly developed into a distinct
species at this date sometimes said in passing when they cast their eyes up
to the signbearing tree that artists were fond of representing the signboard
hanging thus but that they themselves had never before noticed so perfect an
instance in actual working order It was near this tree that the waggon was
standing into which Gabriel Oak crept on his first journey to Weatherbury but
owing to the darkness the sign and the inn had been unobserved
The manners of the inn were of the oldestablished type Indeed in the
minds of its frequenters they existed as unalterable formulæ eg
Rap with the bottom of your pint for more liquor
For tobacco shout
In calling for the girl in waiting say Maid
Ditto for the landlady Old Soul etc etc
It was a relief to Josephs heart when the friendly signboard came in view and
stopping his horse immediately beneath it he proceeded to fulfil an intention
made a long time before His spirits were oozing out of him quite He turned the
horses head to the green bank and entered the hostel for a mug of ale
Going down into the kitchen of the inn the floor of which was a step below
the passage which in its turn was a step below the road outside what should
Joseph see to gladden his eyes but two coppercoloured discs in the form of the
countenances of Mr Jan Coggan and Mr Mark Clark These owners of the two most
appreciative throats in the neighbourhood within the pale of respectability
were now sitting face to face over a threelegged circular table having an iron
rim to keep cups and pots from being accidentally elbowed off they might have
been said to resemble the setting sun and the full moon shining visàvis across
the globe
»Why tis neighbour Poorgrass« said Mark Clark »Im sure your face dont
praise your mistresss table Joseph«
»Ive had a very pale companion for the last four miles« said Joseph
indulging in a shudder toned down by resignation »And to speak the truth twas
beginning to tell upon me I assure ye I hant seed the colour of victuals or
drink since breakfast time this morning and that was no more than a dewbit
afield«
»Then drink Joseph and dont restrain yourself« said Coggan handing him
a hooped mug threequarters full
Joseph drank for a moderately long time then for a longer time saying as
he lowered the jug »Tis pretty drinking very pretty drinking and is more
than cheerful on my melancholy errand so to speak it«
»True drink is a pleasant delight« said Jan as one who repeated a truism
so familiar to his brain that he hardly noticed its passage over his tongue
and lifting the cup Coggan tilted his head gradually backwards with closed
eyes that his expectant soul might not be diverted for one instant from its
bliss by irrelevant surroundings
»Well I must be on again« said Poorgrass »Not but that I should like
another nip with ye but the parish might lose confidence in me if I was seed
here«
»Where be ye trading ot to today then Joseph«
»Back to Weatherbury Ive got poor little Fanny Robin in my waggon outside
and I must be at the churchyard gates at a quarter to five with her«
»Ay Ive heard of it And so shes nailed up in parish boards after all
and nobody to pay the bell shilling and the grave halfcrown«
»The parish pays the grave halfcrown but not the bell shilling because
the bells a luxery but a can hardly do without the grave poor body However
I expect our mistress will pay all«
»A pretty maid as ever I see But whats yer hurry Joseph The poor womans
dead and you cant bring her to life and you may as well sit down comfortable
and finish another with us«
»I dont mind taking just the least thimbleful ye can dream of more with ye
sonnies But only a few minutes because tis as tis«
»Of course youll have another drop A mans twice the man afterwards You
feel so warm and glorious and you whop and slap at your work without any
trouble and everything goes on like sticks abreaking Too much liquor is bad
and leads us to that horned man in the smoky house but after all many people
havent the gift of enjoying a wet and since we be highly favoured with a power
that way we should make the most ot«
»True« said Mark Clark »Tis a talent the Lord has mercifully bestowed
upon us and we ought not to neglect it But what with the parsons and clerks
and schoolpeople and serious teaparties the merry old ways of good life have
gone to the dogs upon my carcase they have«
»Well really I must be onward again now« said Joseph
»Now now Joseph nonsense The poor woman is dead isnt she and whats
your hurry«
»Well I hope Providence wont be in a way with me for my doings« said
Joseph again sitting down »Ive been troubled with weak moments lately tis
true Ive been drinky once this month already and I did not go to church
aSunday and I dropped a curse or two yesterday so I dont want to go too far
for my safety Your next world is your next world and not to be squandered
offhand«
»I believe ye to be a chapelmember Joseph That I do«
»Oh no no I dont go so far as that«
»For my part« said Coggan »Im staunch Church of England«
»Ay and faith so be I« said Mark Clark
»I wont say much for myself I dont wish to« Coggan continued with that
tendency to talk on principles which is characteristic of the barleycorn »But
Ive never changed a single doctrine Ive stuck like a plaster to the old faith
I was born in Yes theres this to be said for the Church a man can belong to
the Church and bide in his cheerful old inn and never trouble or worry his mind
about doctrines at all But to be a meetinger you must go to chapel in all
winds and weathers and make yerself as frantic as a skit Not but that
chapelmembers be clever chaps enough in their way They can lift up beautiful
prayers out of their own heads all about their families and shipwracks in the
newspaper«
»They can they can« said Mark Clark with corroborative feeling »but we
Churchmen you see must have it all printed aforehand or dang it all we
should no more know what to say to a great gaffer like the Lord than babes
unborn«
»Chapelfolk be more handinglove with them above than we« said Joseph
thoughtfully
»Yes« said Coggan »We know very well that if anybody do go to heaven they
will Theyve worked hard for it and they deserve to have it such as tis I
baint such a fool as to pretend that we who stick to the Church have the same
chance as they because we know we have not But I hate a feller wholl change
his old ancient doctrines for the sake of getting to heaven Id as soon turn
kingsevidence for the few pounds you get Why neighbours when every one of
my taties were frosted our Pason Thirdly were the man who gave me a sack for
seed though he hardly had one for his own use and no money to buy em If it
hadnt been for him I shouldnt hae had a tatie to put in my garden Dye think
Id turn after that No Ill stick to my side and if we be in the wrong so be
it Ill fall with the fallen«
»Well said very well said« observed Joseph »However folks I must be
moving now upon my life I must Pason Thirdly will be waiting at the church
gates and theres the woman abiding outside in the waggon«
»Joseph Poorgrass dont be so miserable Pason Thirdly wont mind Hes a
generous man hes found me in tracts for years and Ive consumed a good many
in the course of a long and shady life but hes never been the man to cry out
at the expense Sit down«
The longer Joseph Poorgrass remained the less his spirit was troubled by
the duties which devolved upon him this afternoon The minutes glided by
uncounted until the evening shades began perceptibly to deepen and the eyes of
the three were but sparkling points on the surface of darkness Coggans
repeater struck six from his pocket in the usual still small tones
At that moment hasty steps were heard in the entry and the door opened to
admit the figure of Gabriel Oak followed by the maid of the inn bearing a
candle He stared sternly at the one lengthy and two round faces of the sitters
which confronted him with the expressions of a fiddle and a couple of
warmingpans Joseph Poorgrass blinked and shrank several inches into the
background
»Upon my soul Im ashamed of you tis disgraceful Joseph disgraceful«
said Gabriel indignantly »Coggan you call yourself a man and dont know
better than this«
Coggan looked up indefinitely at Oak one or other of his eyes occasionally
opening and closing of its own accord as if it were not a member but a dozy
individual with a distinct personality
»Dont take on so shepherd« said Mark Clark looking reproachfully at the
candle which appeared to possess special features of interest for his eyes
»Nobody can hurt a dead woman« at length said Coggan with the precision of
a machine »All that could be done for her is done shes beyond us and why
should a man put himself in a tearing hurry for lifeless clay that can neither
feel nor see and dont know what you do with her at all If shed been alive I
would have been the first to help her If she now wanted victuals and drink Id
pay for it money down But shes dead and no speed of ours will bring her to
life The womans past us time spent upon her is throwed away why should we
hurry to do whats not required Drink shepherd and be friends for tomorrow
we may be like her«
»We may« added Mark Clark emphatically at once drinking himself to run no
further risk of losing his chance by the event alluded to Jan meanwhile merging
his additional thoughts of tomorrow in a song
»Tomorrow tomorrow
And while peace and plenty I find at my board
With a heart free from sickness and sorrow
With my friends will I share what today may afford
And let them spread the table tomorrow
Tomorrow tomor«
»Do hold thy horning Jan« said Oak and turning upon Poorgrass »as for you
Joseph who do your wicked deeds in such confoundedly holy ways you are as
drunk as you can stand«
»No Shepherd Oak no Listen to reason shepherd All thats the matter
with me is the affliction called a multiplying eye and thats how it is I look
double to you I mean you look double to me«
»A multiplying eye is a very bad thing« said Mark Clark
»It always comes on when I have been in a publichouse a little time« said
Joseph Poorgrass meekly »Yes I see two of every sort as if I were some holy
man living in the times of King Noah and entering into the ark Yyyyes«
he added becoming much affected by the picture of himself as a person thrown
away and shedding tears »I feel too good for England I ought to have lived in
Genesis by rights like the other men of sacrifice and then I shouldnt have
bbbeen called a dddrunkard in such a way«
»I wish youd show yourself a man of spirit and not sit whining there«
»Show myself a man of spirit Ah well let me take the name of drunkard
humbly let me be a man of contrite knees let it be I know that I always do
say Please God afore I do anything from my getting up to my going down of the
same and I be willing to take as much disgrace as there is in that holy act
Hah yes But not a man of spirit Have I ever allowed the toe of pride to be
lifted against my hinder parts without groaning manfully that I question the
right to do so I inquire that query boldly«
»We cant say that you have Hero Poorgrass« admitted Jan
»Never have I allowed such treatment to pass unquestioned Yet the shepherd
says in the face of that rich testimony that I be not a man of spirit Well let
it pass by and death is a kind friend«
Gabriel seeing that neither of the three was in a fit state to take charge
of the waggon for the remainder of the journey made no reply but closing the
door again upon them went across to where the vehicle stood now getting
indistinct in the fog and gloom of this mildewy time He pulled the horses head
from the large patch of turf it had eaten bare readjusted the boughs over the
coffin and drove along through the unwholesome night
It had gradually become rumoured in the village that the body to be brought
and buried that day was all that was left of the unfortunate Fanny Robin who had
followed the Eleventh from Casterbridge through Melchester and onwards But
thanks to Boldwoods reticence and Oaks generosity the lover she had followed
had never been individualized as Troy Gabriel hoped that the whole truth of the
matter might not be published till at any rate the girl had been in her grave
for a few days when the interposing barriers of earth and time and a sense
that the events had been somewhat shut into oblivion would deaden the sting
that revelation and invidious remark would have for Bathsheba just now
By the time that Gabriel reached the old manorhouse her residence which
lay in his way to the church it was quite dark A man came from the gate and
said through the fog which hung between them like blown flour
»Is that Poorgrass with the corpse«
Gabriel recognized the voice as that of the parson
»The corpse is here sir« said Gabriel
»I have just been to inquire of Mrs Troy if she could tell me the reason of
the delay I am afraid it is too late now for the funeral to be performed with
proper decency Have you the registrars certificate«
»No« said Gabriel »I expect Poorgrass has that and hes at the Bucks
Head I forgot to ask him for it«
»Then that settles the matter Well put off the funeral till tomorrow
morning The body may be brought on to the church or it may be left here at the
farm and fetched by the bearers in the morning They waited more than an hour
and have now gone home«
Gabriel had his reasons for thinking the latter a most objectionable plan
notwithstanding that Fanny had been an inmate of the farmhouse for several
years in the lifetime of Bathshebas uncle Visions of several unhappy
contingencies which might arise from this delay flitted before him But his will
was not law and he went indoors to inquire of his mistress what were her wishes
on he subject He found her in an unusual mood her eyes as she looked up to him
were suspicious and perplexed as with some antecedent thought Troy had not yet
returned At first Bathsheba assented with a mien of indifference to his
proposition that they should go on to the church at once with their burden but
immediately afterwards following Gabriel to the gate she swerved to the
extreme of solicitousness on Fannys account and desired that the girl might be
brought into the house Oak argued upon the convenience of leaving her in the
waggon just as she lay now with her flowers and green leaves about her merely
wheeling the vehicle into the coachhouse till the morning but to no purpose
»It is unkind and unchristian« she said »to leave the poor thing in a
coachhouse all night«
»Very well then« said the parson »And I will arrange that the funeral
shall take place early tomorrow Perhaps Mrs Troy is right in feeling that we
cannot treat a dead fellowcreature too thoughtfully We must remember that
though she may have erred grievously in leaving her home she is still our
sister and it is to be believed that Gods uncovenanted mercies are extended
towards her and that she is a member of the flock of Christ«
The parsons words spread into the heavy air with a sad yet unperturbed
cadence and Gabriel shed an honest tear Bathsheba seemed unmoved Mr Thirdly
then left them and Gabriel lighted a lantern Fetching three other men to
assist him they bore the unconscious truant indoors placing the coffin on two
benches in the middle of a little sittingroom next the hall as Bathsheba
directed
Every one except Gabriel Oak then left the room He still indecisively
lingered beside the body He was deeply troubled at the wretchedly ironical
aspect that circumstances were putting on with regard to Troys wife and at his
own powerlessness to counteract them In spite of his careful manoeuvring all
this day the very worst event that could in any way have happened in connection
with the burial had happened now Oak imagined a terrible discovery resulting
from this afternoons work that might cast over Bathshebas life a shade which
the interposition of many lapsing years might but indifferently lighten and
which nothing at all might altogether remove
Suddenly as in a last attempt to save Bathsheba from at any rate
immediate anguish he looked again as he had looked before at the chalk
writing upon the coffinlid The scrawl was this simple one Fanny Robin and
child Gabriel took his handkerchief and carefully rubbed out the two latter
words leaving visible the inscription Fanny Robin only He then left the room
and went out quietly by the front door
Chapter XLIII
Fannys Revenge
»Do you want me any longer maam« inquired Liddy at a later hour the same
evening standing by the door with a chamber candlestick in her hand and
addressing Bathsheba who sat cheerless and alone in the large parlour beside
the first fire of the season
»No more tonight Liddy«
»Ill sit up for master if you like maam I am not at all afraid of Fanny
if I may sit in my own room and have a candle She was such a childlike nesh
young thing that her spirit couldnt appear to anybody if it tried Im quite
sure«
»O no no You go to bed Ill sit up for him myself till twelve oclock
and if he has not arrived by that time I shall give him up and go to bed too«
»It is halfpast ten now«
»Oh is it«
»Why dont you sit upstairs maam«
»Why dont I« said Bathsheba desultorily »It isnt worth while theres a
fire here Liddy« She suddenly exclaimed in an impulsive and excited whisper
»Have you heard anything strange said of Fanny« The words had no sooner escaped
her than an expression of unutterable regret crossed her face and she burst
into tears
»No not a word« said Liddy looking at the weeping woman with
astonishment »What is it makes you cry so maam has anything hurt you« She
came to Bathshebas side with a face full of sympathy
»No Liddy I dont want you any more I can hardly say why I have taken so
to crying lately I never used to cry Goodnight«
Liddy then left the parlour and closed the door
Bathsheba was lonely and miserable now not lonelier actually than she had
been before her marriage but her loneliness then was to that of the present
time as the solitude of a mountain is to the solitude of a cave And within the
last day or two had come these disquieting thoughts about her husbands past
Her wayward sentiment that evening concerning Fannys temporary restingplace
had been the result of a strange complication of impulses in Bathshebas bosom
Perhaps it would be more accurately described as a determined rebellion against
her prejudices a revulsion from a lower instinct of uncharitableness which
would have withheld all sympathy from the dead woman because in life she had
preceded Bathsheba in the attentions of a man whom Bathsheba had by no means
ceased from loving though her love was sick to death just now with the gravity
of a further misgiving
In five or ten minutes there was another tap at the door Liddy reappeared
and coming in a little way stood hesitating until at length she said »Maryann
has just heard something very strange but I know it isnt true And we shall be
sure to know the rights of it in a day or two«
»What is it«
»Oh nothing connected with you or us maam It is about Fanny That same
thing you have heard«
»I have heard nothing«
»I mean that a wicked story is got to Weatherbury within this last hour
that « Liddy came close to her mistress and whispered the remainder of the
sentence slowly into her ear inclining her head as she spoke in the direction
of the room where Fanny lay
Bathsheba trembled from head to foot
»I dont believe it« she said excitedly »And theres only one name written
on the coffincover«
»Nor I maam And a good many others dont for we should surely have been
told more about it if it had been true dont you think so maam«
»We might or we might not«
Bathsheba turned and looked into the fire that Liddy might not see her
face Finding that her mistress was going to say no more Liddy glided out
closed the door softly and went to bed
Bathshebas face as she continued looking into the fire that evening might
have excited solicitousness on her account even among those who loved her least
The sadness of Fanny Robins fate did not make Bathshebas glorious although
she was the Esther to this poor Vashti and their fates might be supposed to
stand in some respects as contrasts to each other When Liddy came into the room
a second time the beautiful eyes which met hers had worn a listless weary look
When she went out after telling the story they had expressed wretchedness in
full activity Her simple country nature fed on oldfashioned principles was
troubled by that which would have troubled a woman of the world very little
both Fanny and her child If she had one being dead
Bathsheba had grounds for conjecturing a connection between her own history
and the dimly suspected tragedy of Fannys end which Oak and Boldwood never for
a moment credited her with possessing The meeting with the lonely woman on the
previous Saturday night had been unwitnessed and unspoken of Oak may have had
the best of intentions in withholding for as many days as possible the details
of what had happened to Fanny but had he known that Bathshebas perceptions had
already been exercised in the matter he would have done nothing to lengthen the
minutes of suspense she was now undergoing when the certainty which must
terminate it would be the worst fact suspected after all
She suddenly felt a longing desire to speak to some one stronger than
herself and so get strength to sustain her surmised position with dignity and
her carking doubts with stoicism Where could she find such a friend nowhere in
the house She was by far the coolest of the women under her roof Patience and
suspension of judgment for a few hours were what she wanted to learn and there
was nobody to teach her Might she but go to Gabriel Oak but that could not
be What a way Oak had she thought of enduring things Boldwood who seemed so
much deeper and higher and stronger in feeling than Gabriel had not yet learnt
any more than she herself the simple lesson which Oak showed a mastery of by
every turn and look he gave that among the multitude of interests by which he
was surrounded those which affected his personal wellbeing were not the most
absorbing and important in his eyes Oak meditatively looked upon the horizon of
circumstances without any special regard to his own standpoint in the midst
That was how she would wish to be But then Oak was not racked by incertitude
upon the inmost matter of his bosom as she was at this moment Oak knew all
about Fanny that she wished to know she felt convinced of that If she were to
go to him now at once and say no more than these few words What is the truth of
the story he would feel bound in honour to tell her It would be an
inexpressible relief No further speech would need to be uttered He knew her so
well that no eccentricity of behaviour in her would alarm him
She flung a cloak round her went to the door and opened it Every blade
every twig was still The air was yet thick with moisture though somewhat less
dense than during the afternoon and a steady smack of drops upon the fallen
leaves under the boughs was almost musical in its soothing regularity It seemed
better to be out of the house than within it and Bathsheba closed the door and
walked slowly down the lane till she came opposite to Gabriels cottage where
he now lived alone having left Coggans house through being pinched for room
There was a light in one window only and that was downstairs The shutters were
not closed nor was any blind or curtain drawn over the window neither robbery
nor observation being a contingency which could do much injury to the occupant
of the domicile Yes it was Gabriel himself who was sitting up he was reading
From her standingplace in the road she could see him plainly sitting quite
still his light curly head upon his hand and only occasionally looking up to
snuff the candle which stood beside him At length he looked at the clock
seemed surprised at the lateness of the hour closed his book and arose He was
going to bed she knew and if she tapped it must be done at once
Alas for her resolve She felt she could not do it Not for worlds now could
she give a hint about her misery to him much less ask him plainly for
information on the cause of Fannys death She must suspect and guess and
chafe and bear it all alone
Like a homeless wanderer she lingered by the bank as if lulled and
fascinated by the atmosphere of content which seemed to spread from that little
dwelling and was so sadly lacking in her own Gabriel appeared in an upper
room placed his light in the windowbench and then knelt down to pray The
contrast of the picture with her rebellious and agitated existence at this same
time was too much for her to bear to look upon longer It was not for her to
make a truce with trouble by any such means She must tread her giddy
distracting measure to its last note as she had begun it With a swollen heart
she went again up the lane and entered her own door
More fevered now by a reaction from the first feelings which Oaks example
had raised in her she paused in the hall looking at the door of the room
wherein Fanny lay She locked her fingers threw back her head and strained her
hot hands rigidly across her forehead saying with a hysterical sob »Would to
God you would speak and tell me your secret Fanny O I hope hope it is not
true that there are two of you If I could only look in upon you for one
little minute I should know all«
A few moments passed and she added slowly »And I will«
Bathsheba in after times could never gauge the mood which carried her
through the actions following this murmured resolution on this memorable evening
of her life She went to the lumbercloset for a screwdriver At the end of a
short though undefined time she found herself in the small room quivering with
emotion a mist before her eyes and an excruciating pulsation in her brain
standing beside the uncovered coffin of the girl whose conjectured end had so
entirely engrossed her and saying to herself in a husky voice as she gazed
within
»It was best to know the worst and I know it now«
She was conscious of having brought about this situation by a series of
actions done as by one in an extravagant dream of following that idea as to
method which had burst upon her in the hall with glaring obviousness by
gliding to the top of the stairs assuring herself by listening to the heavy
breathing of her maids that they were asleep gliding down again turning the
handle of the door within which the young girl lay and deliberately setting
herself to do what if she had anticipated any such undertaking at night and
alone would have horrified her but which when done was not so dreadful as
was the conclusive proof of her husbands conduct which came with knowing beyond
doubt the last chapter of Fannys story
Bathshebas head sank upon her bosom and the breath which had been bated in
suspense curiosity and interest was exhaled now in the form of a whispered
wail »Ohhh« she said and the silent room added length to her moan
Her tears fell fast beside the unconscious pair in the coffin tears of a
complicated origin of a nature indescribable almost indefinable except as
other than those of simple sorrow Assuredly their wonted fires must have lived
in Fannys ashes when events were so shaped as to chariot her hither in this
natural unobtrusive yet effectual manner The one feat alone that of dying
by which a mean condition could be resolved into a grand one Fanny had
achieved And to that had destiny subjoined this rencounter tonight which had
in Bathshebas wild imagining turned her companions failure to success her
humiliation to triumph her lucklessness to ascendency it had thrown over
herself a garish light of mockery and set upon all things about her an ironical
smile
Fannys face was framed in by that yellow hair of hers and there was no
longer much room for doubt as to the origin of the curl owned by Troy In
Bathshebas heated fancy the innocent white countenance expressed a dim
triumphant consciousness of the pain she was retaliating for her pain with all
the merciless rigour of the Mosaic law Burning for burning wound for wound
strife for strife
Bathsheba indulged in contemplations of escape from her position by
immediate death which thought she though it was an inconvenient and awful
way had limits to its inconvenience and awfulness that could not be overpassed
whilst the shames of life were measureless Yet even this scheme of extinction
by death was but tamely copying her rivals method without the reasons which had
glorified it in her rivals case She glided rapidly up and down the room as
was mostly her habit when excited her hands hanging clasped in front of her as
she thought and in part expressed in broken words »O I hate her yet I dont
mean that I hate her for it is grievous and wicked and yet I hate her a
little Yes my flesh insists upon hating her whether my spirit is willing or
no If she had only lived I could have been angry and cruel towards her with
some justification but to be vindictive towards a poor dead woman recoils upon
myself O God have mercy I am miserable at all this«
Bathsheba became at this moment so terrified at her own state of mind that
she looked around for some sort of refuge from herself The vision of Oak
kneeling down that night recurred to her and with the imitative instinct which
animates women she seized upon the idea resolved to kneel and if possible
pray Gabriel had prayed so would she
She knelt beside the coffin covered her face with her hands and for a time
the room was silent as a tomb Whether from a purely mechanical or from any
other cause when Bathsheba arose it was with a quieted spirit and a regret for
the antagonistic instincts which had seized upon her just before
In her desire to make atonement she took flowers from a vase by the window
and began laying them around the dead girls head Bathsheba knew no other way
of showing kindness to persons departed than by giving them flowers She knew
not how long she remained engaged thus She forgot time life where she was
what she was doing A slamming together of the coachhouse doors in the yard
brought her to herself again An instant after the front door opened and
closed steps crossed the hall and her husband appeared at the entrance to the
room looking in upon her
He beheld it all by degrees stared in stupefaction at the scene as if he
thought it an illusion raised by some fiendish incantation Bathsheba pallid as
a corpse on end gazed back at him in the same wild way
So little are instinctive guesses the fruit of a legitimate induction that
at this moment as he stood with the door in his hand Troy never once thought
of Fanny in connection with what he saw His first confused idea was that
somebody in the house had died
»Well what« said Troy blankly
»I must go I must go« said Bathsheba to herself more than to him She
came with a dilated eye towards the door to push past him
»Whats the matter in Gods name whos dead« said Troy
»I cannot say let me go out I want air« she continued
»But no stay I insist« He seized her hand and then volition seemed to
leave her and she went off into a state of passivity He still holding her
came up the room and thus hand in hand Troy and Bathsheba approached the
coffins side
The candle was standing on a bureau close by them and the light slanted
down distinctly enkindling the cold features of both mother and babe Troy
looked in dropped his wifes hand knowledge of it all came over him in a lurid
sheen and he stood still
So still he remained that he could be imagined to have left in him no motive
power whatever The clashes of feeling in all directions confounded one another
produced a neutrality and there was motion in none
»Do you know her« said Bathsheba in a small enclosed echo as from the
interior of a cell
»I do« said Troy
»Is it she«
»It is«
He had originally stood perfectly erect And now in the wellnigh congealed
immobility of his frame could be discerned an incipient movement as in the
darkest night may be discerned light after a while He was gradually sinking
forwards The lines of his features softened and dismay modulated to
illimitable sadness Bathsheba was regarding him from the other side still with
parted lips and distracted eyes Capacity for intense feeling is proportionate
to the general intensity of the nature and perhaps in all Fannys sufferings
much greater relatively to her strength there never was a time when she suffered
in an absolute sense what Bathsheba suffered now
What Troy did was to sink upon his knees with an indefinable union of
remorse and reverence upon his face and bending over Fanny Robin gently
kissed her as one would kiss an infant asleep to avoid awakening it
At the sight and sound of that to her unendurable act Bathsheba sprang
towards him All the strong feelings which had been scattered over her existence
since she knew what feeling was seemed gathered together into one pulsation
now The revulsion from her indignant mood a little earlier when she had
meditated upon compromised honour forestalment eclipse in maternity by
another was violent and entire All that was forgotten in the simple and still
strong attachment of wife to husband She had sighed for her selfcompleteness
then and now she cried aloud against the severance of the union she had
deplored She flung her arms round Troys neck exclaiming wildly from the
deepest deep of her heart
»Dont dont kiss them O Frank I cant bear it I cant I love you
better than she did kiss me too Frank kiss me You will Frank kiss me too
«
There was something so abnormal and startling in the childlike pain and
simplicity of this appeal from a woman of Bathshebas calibre and independence
that Troy loosening her tightly clasped arms from his neck looked at her in
bewilderment It was such an unexpected revelation of all women being alike at
heart even those so different in their accessories as Fanny and this one beside
him that Troy could hardly seem to believe her to be his proud wife Bathsheba
Fannys own spirit seemed to be animating her frame But this was the mood of a
few instants only When the momentary surprise had passed his expression
changed to a silencing imperious gaze
»I will not kiss you« he said pushing her away
Had the wife now but gone no further Yet perhaps under the harrowing
circumstances to speak out was the one wrong act which can be better
understood if not forgiven in her than the right and politic one her rival
being now but a corpse All the feeling she had been betrayed into showing she
drew back to herself again by a strenuous effort of selfcommand
»What have you to say as your reason« she asked her bitter voice being
strangely low quite that of another woman now
»I have to say that I have been a bad blackhearted man« he answered
»And that this woman is your victim and I not less than she«
»Ah dont taunt me madam This woman is more to me dead as she is than
ever you were or are or can be If Satan had not tempted me with that face of
yours and those cursed coquetries I should have married her I never had
another thought till you came in my way Would to God that I had but it is all
too late I deserve to live in torment for this« He turned to Fanny then »But
never mind darling« he said »in the sight of Heaven you are my very very
wife«
At these words there arose from Bathshebas lips a long low cry of
measureless despair and indignation such a wail of anguish as had never before
been heard within those oldinhabited walls It was the Tetelestai of her union
with Troy
»If shes that what am I« she added as a continuation of the same
cry and sobbing pitifully and the rarity with her of such abandonment only
made the condition more dire
»You are nothing to me nothing« said Troy heartlessly »A ceremony before
a priest doesnt make a marriage I am not morally yours«
A vehement impulse to flee from him to run from this place hide and
escape his words at any price not stopping short of death itself mastered
Bathsheba now She waited not an instant but turned to the door and ran out
Chapter XLIV
Under a Tree Reaction
Bathsheba went along the dark road neither knowing nor caring about the
direction or issue of her flight The first time that she definitely noticed her
position was when she reached a gate leading into a thicket overhung by some
large oak and beech trees On looking into the place it occurred to her that
she had seen it by daylight on some previous occasion and that what appeared
like an impassable thicket was in reality a brake of fern now withering fast
She could think of nothing better to do with her palpitating self than to go in
here and hide and entering she lighted on a spot sheltered from the damp fog
by a reclining trunk where she sank down upon a tangled couch of fronds and
stems She mechanically pulled some armfuls round her to keep off the breezes
and closed her eyes
Whether she slept or not that night Bathsheba was not clearly aware But it
was with a freshened existence and a cooler brain that a long time afterwards
she became conscious of some interesting proceedings which were going on in the
trees above her head and around
A coarsethroated chatter was the first sound
It was a sparrow just waking
Next Cheeweezeweezeweeze from another retreat
It was a finch
Third Tinktinktinktinkachink from the hedge
It was a robin
Chuckchuckchuck overhead
A squirrel
Then from the road With my ratata and my rumtumtum
It was a ploughboy Presently he came opposite and she believed from his
voice that he was one of the boys on her own farm He was followed by a
shambling tramp of heavy feet and looking through the ferns Bathsheba could
just discern in the wan light of daybreak a team of her own horses They stopped
to drink at a pond on the other side of the way She watched them flouncing into
the pool drinking tossing up their heads drinking again the water dribbling
from their lips in silver threads There was another flounce and they came out
of the pond and turned back again towards the farm
She looked further around Day was just dawning and beside its cool air and
colours her heated actions and resolves of the night stood out in lurid
contrast She perceived that in her lap and clinging to her hair were red and
yellow leaves which had come down from the tree and settled silently upon her
during her partial sleep Bathsheba shook her dress to get rid of them when
multitudes of the same family lying round about her rose and fluttered away in
the breeze thus created like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing
There was an opening towards the east and the glow from the as yet unrisen
sun attracted her eyes thither From her feet and between the beautiful
yellowing ferns with their feathery arms the ground sloped downwards to a
hollow in which was a species of swamp dotted with fungi A morning mist hung
over it now a fulsome yet magnificent silvery veil full of light from the
sun yet semiopaque the hedge behind it being in some measure hidden by its
hazy luminousness Up the sides of this depression grew sheaves of the common
rush and here and there a peculiar species of flag the blades of which
glistened in the emerging sun like scythes But the general aspect of the swamp
was malignant From its moist and poisonous coat seemed to be exhaled the
essences of evil things in the earth and in the waters under the earth The
fungi grew in all manner of positions from rotting leaves and tree stumps some
exhibiting to her listless gaze their clammy tops others their oozing gills
Some were marked with great splotches red as arterial blood others were
saffron yellow and others tall and attenuated with stems like macaroni Some
were leathery and of richest browns The hollow seemed a nursery of pestilences
small and great in the immediate neighbourhood of comfort and health and
Bathsheba arose with a tremor at the thought of having passed the night on the
brink of so dismal a place
There were now other footsteps to be heard along the road Bathshebas
nerves were still unstrung she crouched down out of sight again and the
pedestrian came into view He was a schoolboy with a bag slung over his
shoulder containing his dinner and a book in his hand He paused by the gate
and without looking up continued murmuring words in tones quite loud enough to
reach her ears
»O Lord O Lord O Lord O Lord O Lord that I know out o book Give us
give us give us give us give us that I know Grace that grace that grace
that grace that that I know« Other words followed to the same effect The
boy was of the dunce class apparently the book was a psalter and this was his
way of learning the collect In the worst attacks of trouble there appears to be
always a superficial film of consciousness which is left disengaged and open to
the notice of trifles and Bathsheba was faintly amused at the boys method
till he too passed on
By this time stupor had given place to anxiety and anxiety began to make
room for hunger and thirst A form now appeared upon the rise on the other side
of the swamp halfhidden by the mist and came towards Bathsheba The woman
for it was a woman approached with her face askance as if looking earnestly
on all sides of her When she got a little further round to the left and drew
nearer Bathsheba could see the newcomers profile against the sunny sky and
knew the wavy sweep from forehead to chin with neither angle nor decisive line
anywhere about it to be the familiar contour of Liddy Smallbury
Bathshebas heart bounded with gratitude in the thought that she was not
altogether deserted and she jumped up »O Liddy« she said or attempted to
say but the words had only been framed by her lips there came no sound She
had lost her voice by exposure to the clogged atmosphere all these hours of
night
»O maam I am so glad I have found you« said the girl as soon as she saw
Bathsheba
»You cant come across« Bathsheba said in a whisper which she vainly
endeavoured to make loud enough to reach Liddys ears Liddy not knowing this
stepped down upon the swamp saying as she did so »It will bear me up I
think«
Bathsheba never forgot that transient little picture of Liddy crossing the
swamp to her there in the morning light Iridescent bubbles of dank subterranean
breath rose from the sweating sod beside the waitingmaids feet as she trod
hissing as they burst and expanded away to join the vapoury firmament above
Liddy did not sink as Bathsheba had anticipated
She landed safely on the other side and looked up at the beautiful though
pale and weary face of her young mistress
»Poor thing« said Liddy with tears in her eyes »Do hearten yourself up a
little maam However did «
»I cant speak above a whisper my voice is gone for the present« said
Bathsheba hurriedly »I suppose the damp air from that hollow has taken it away
Liddy dont question me mind Who sent you anybody«
»Nobody I thought when I found you were not at home that something cruel
had happened I fancy I heard his voice late last night and so knowing
something was wrong «
»Is he at home«
»No he left just before I came out«
»Is Fanny taken away«
»Not yet She will soon be at nine oclock«
»We wont go home at present then Suppose we walk about in this wood«
Liddy without exactly understanding everything or anything in this
episode assented and they walked together further among the trees
»But you had better come in maam and have something to eat You will die
of a chill«
»I shall not come indoors yet perhaps never«
»Shall I get you something to eat and something else to put over your head
besides that little shawl«
»If you will Liddy«
Liddy vanished and at the end of twenty minutes returned with a cloak hat
some slices of bread and butter a teacup and some hot tea in a little china
jug
»Is Fanny gone« said Bathsheba
»No« said her companion pouring out the tea
Bathsheba wrapped herself up and ate and drank sparingly Her voice was then
a little clearer and a trifling colour returned to her face »Now well walk
about again« she said
They wandered about the wood for nearly two hours Bathsheba replying in
monosyllables to Liddys prattle for her mind ran on one subject and one only
She interrupted with
»I wonder if Fanny is gone by this time«
»I will go and see«
She came back with the information that the men were just taking away the
corpse that Bathsheba had been inquired for that she had replied to the effect
that her mistress was unwell and could not be seen
»Then they think I am in my bedroom«
»Yes« Liddy then ventured to add »You said when I first found you that you
might never go home again you didnt mean it maam«
»No Ive altered my mind It is only women with no pride in them who run
away from their husbands There is one position worse than that of being found
dead in your husbands house from his illusage and that is to be found alive
through having gone away to the house of somebody else Ive thought of it all
this morning and Ive chosen my course A runaway wife is an encumbrance to
everybody a burden to herself and a byword all of which make up a heap of
misery greater than any that comes by staying at home though this may include
the trifling items of insult beating and starvation Liddy if ever you marry
God forbid that you ever should youll find yourself in a fearful
situation but mind this dont you flinch Stand your ground and be cut to
pieces Thats what Im going to do«
»O mistress dont talk so« said Liddy taking her hand »but I knew you
had too much sense to bide away May I ask what dreadful thing it is that has
happened between you and him«
»You may ask but I may not tell«
In about ten minutes they returned to the house by a circuitous route
entering at the rear Bathsheba glided up the back stairs to a disused attic
and her companion followed
»Liddy« she said with a lighter heart for youth and hope had begun to
reassert themselves »you are to be my confidante for the present somebody
must be and I choose you Well I shall take up my abode here for a while
Will you get a fire lighted put down a piece of carpet and help me to make the
place comfortable Afterwards I want you and Maryann to bring up that little
stump bedstead in the small room and the bed belonging to it and a table and
some other things What shall I do to pass the heavy time away«
»Hemming handkerchiefs is a very good thing« said Liddy
»O no no I hate needlework I always did«
»Knitting«
»And that too«
»You might finish your sampler Only the carnations and peacocks want
filling in and then it could be framed and glazed and hung beside your aunts
maam«
»Samplers are out of date horribly countrified No Liddy Ill read
Bring up some books not new ones I havent heart to read anything new«
»Some of your uncles old ones maam«
»Yes Some of those we stowed away in boxes« A faint gleam of humour passed
over her face as she said »Bring Beaumont and Fletchers Maids Tragedy and
the Mourning Bride and let me see Night Thoughts and the Vanity of Human
Wishes«
»And that story of the black man who murdered his wife Desdemona It is a
nice dismal one that would suit you excellent just now«
»Now Lidd youve been looking into my books without telling me and I
said you were not to How do you know it would suit me It wouldnt suit me at
all«
»But if the others do «
»No they dont and I wont read dismal books Why should I read dismal
books indeed Bring me Love in a Village and the Maid of the Mill and Doctor
Syntax and some volumes of the Spectator«
All that day Bathsheba and Liddy lived in the attic in a state of barricade
a precaution which proved to be needless as against Troy for he did not appear
in the neighbourhood or trouble them at all Bathsheba sat at the window till
sunset sometimes attempting to read at other times watching every movement
outside without much purpose and listening without much interest to every
sound
The sun went down almost bloodred that night and a livid cloud received
its rays in the east Up against this dark background the west front of the
church tower the only part of the edifice visible from the farmhouse windows
rose distinct and lustrous the vane upon the summit bristling with rays
Hereabouts at six oclock the young men of the village gathered as was their
custom for a game of Prisoners base The spot had been consecrated to this
ancient diversion from time immemorial the old stocks conveniently forming a
base facing the boundary of the churchyard in front of which the ground was
trodden hard and bare as a pavement by the players She could see the brown and
black heads of the young lads darting about right and left their white
shirtsleeves gleaming in the sun whilst occasionally a shout and a peal of
hearty laughter varied the stillness of the evening air They continued playing
for a quarter of an hour or so when the game concluded abruptly and the
players leapt over the wall and vanished round to the other side behind a
yewtree which was also half behind a beech now spreading in one mass of
golden foliage on which the branches traced black lines
»Why did the baseplayers finish their game so suddenly« Bathsheba
inquired the next time that Liddy entered the room
»I think twas because two men came just then from Casterbridge and began
putting up a grand carved tombstone« said Liddy »The lads went to see whose it
was«
»Do you know« Bathsheba asked
»I dont« said Liddy
Chapter XLV
Troys Romanticism
When Troys wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was
to cover the dead from sight This done he ascended the stairs and throwing
himself down upon the bed dressed as he was he waited miserably for the
morning
Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last fourandtwenty hours His
day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions
regarding it There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new
line of conduct not more in ourselves it seems than in circumscribing
events which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of
amelioration
Twenty pounds having been secured from Bathsheba he had managed to add to
the sum every farthing he could muster on his own account which had been seven
pounds ten With this money twentyseven pounds ten in all he had hastily
driven from the gate that morning to keep his appointment with Fanny Robin
On reaching Casterbridge he left the horse and trap at an inn and at five
minutes before ten came back to the bridge at the lower end of the town and sat
himself upon the parapet The clocks struck the hour and no Fanny appeared In
fact at that moment she was being robed in her graveclothes by two attendants
at the Union poorhouse the first and last tiringwomen the gentle creature had
ever been honoured with The quarter went the half hour A rush of recollection
came upon Troy as he waited this was the second time she had broken a serious
engagement with him In anger he vowed it should be the last and at eleven
oclock when he had lingered and watched the stones of the bridge till he knew
every lichen upon their faces and heard the chink of the ripples underneath
till they oppressed him he jumped from his seat went to the inn for his gig
and in a bitter mood of indifference concerning the past and recklessness about
the future drove on to Budmouth races
He reached the racecourse at two oclock and remained either there or in
the town till nine But Fannys image as it had appeared to him in the sombre
shadows of that Saturday evening returned to his mind backed up by Bathshebas
reproaches He vowed he would not bet and he kept his vow for on leaving the
town at nine oclock in the evening he had diminished his cash only to the
extent of a few shillings
He trotted slowly homeward and it was now that he was struck for the first
time with a thought that Fanny had been really prevented by illness from keeping
her promise This time she could have made no mistake He regretted that he had
not remained in Casterbridge and made inquiries Reaching home he quietly
unharnessed the horse and came indoors as we have seen to the fearful shock
that awaited him
As soon as it grew light enough to distinguish objects Troy arose from the
coverlet of the bed and in a mood of absolute indifference to Bathshebas
whereabouts and almost oblivious of her existence he stalked downstairs and
left the house by the back door His walk was towards the churchyard entering
which he searched around till he found a newly dug unoccupied grave the grave
dug the day before for Fanny The position of this having been marked he
hastened on to Casterbridge only pausing and musing for a while at the hill
whereon he had last seen Fanny alive
Reaching the town Troy descended into a side street and entered a pair of
gates surmounted by a board bearing the words »Lester stone and marble mason«
Within were lying about stones of all sizes and designs inscribed as being
sacred to the memory of unnamed persons who had not yet died
Troy was so unlike himself now in look word and deed that the want of
likeness was perceptible even to his own consciousness His method of engaging
himself in this business of purchasing a tomb was that of an absolutely
unpractised man He could not bring himself to consider calculate or
economize He waywardly wished for something and he set about obtaining it like
a child in a nursery »I want a good tomb« he said to the man who stood in a
little office within the yard »I want as good a one as you can give me for
twentyseven pounds«
It was all the money he possessed
»That sum to include everything«
»Everything Cutting the name carriage to Weatherbury and erection And I
want it now at once«
»We could not get anything special worked this week«
»I must have it now«
»If you would like one of these in stock it could be got ready immediately«
»Very well« said Troy impatiently »Lets see what you have«
»The best I have in stock is this one« said the stonecutter going into a
shed »Heres a marble headstone beautifully crocketed with medallions beneath
of typical subjects heres the footstone after the same pattern and heres the
coping to enclose the grave The polishing alone of the set cost me eleven
pounds the slabs are the best of their kind and I can warrant them to resist
rain and frost for a hundred years without flying«
»And how much«
»Well I could add the name and put it up at Weatherbury for the sum you
mention«
»Get it done today and Ill pay the money now«
The man agreed and wondered at such a mood in a visitor who wore not a
shred of mourning Troy then wrote the words which were to form the inscription
settled the account and went away In the afternoon he came back again and
found that the lettering was almost done He waited in the yard till the tomb
was packed and saw it placed in the cart and starting on its way to
Weatherbury giving directions to the two men who were to accompany it to
inquire of the sexton for the grave of the person named in the inscription
It was quite dark when Troy came out of Casterbridge He carried rather a
heavy basket upon his arm with which he strode moodily along the road resting
occasionally at bridges and gates whereon he deposited his burden for a time
Midway on his journey he met returning in the darkness the men and the waggon
which had conveyed the tomb He merely inquired if the work was done and on
being assured that it was passed on again
Troy entered Weatherbury churchyard about ten oclock and went immediately
to the corner where he had marked the vacant grave early in the morning It was
on the obscure side of the tower screened to a great extent from the view of
passers along the road a spot which until lately had been abandoned to heaps
of stones and bushes of alder but now it was cleared and made orderly for
interments by reason of the rapid filling of the ground elsewhere
Here now stood the tomb as the men had stated snowwhite and shapely in the
gloom consisting of head and foot stone and enclosing border of marblework
uniting them In the midst was mould suitable for plants
Troy deposited his basket beside the tomb and vanished for a few minutes
When he returned he carried a spade and a lantern the light of which he
directed for a few moments upon the marble whilst he read the inscription He
hung his lantern on the lowest bough of the yewtree and took from his basket
flowerroots of several varieties There were bundles of snowdrop hyacinth and
crocus bulbs violets and double daisies which were to bloom in early spring
and of carnations pinks picotees lilies of the valley forgetmenot
summers farewell meadowsaffron and others for the later seasons of the year
Troy laid these out upon the grass and with an impassive face set to work
to plant them The snowdrops were arranged in a line on the outside of the
coping the remainder within the enclosure of the grave The crocuses and
hyacinths were to grow in rows some of the summer flowers he placed over her
head and feet the lilies and forgetmenots over her heart The remainder were
dispersed in the spaces between these
Troy in his prostration at this time had no perception that in the
futility of these romantic doings dictated by a remorseful reaction from
previous indifference there was any element of absurdity Deriving his
idiosyncrasies from both sides of the Channel he showed at such junctures as
the present the inelasticity of the Englishman together with that blindness to
the line where sentiment verges on mawkishness characteristic of the French
It was a cloudy muggy and very dark night and the rays from Troys
lantern spread into the two old yews with a strange illuminating power
flickering as it seemed up to the black ceiling of cloud above He felt a
large drop of rain upon the back of his hand and presently one came and entered
one of the holes of the lantern whereupon the candle sputtered and went out
Troy was weary and it being now not far from midnight and the rain threatening
to increase he resolved to leave the finishing touches of his labour until the
day should break He groped along the wall and over the graves in the dark till
he found himself round at the north side Here he entered the porch and
reclining upon the bench within fell asleep
Chapter XLVI
The Gurgoyle Its Doings
The tower of Weatherbury Church was a square erection of fourteenthcentury
date having two stone gurgoyles on each of the four faces of its parapet Of
these eight carved protuberances only two at this time continued to serve the
purpose of their erection that of spouting the water from the lead roof
within One mouth in each front had been closed by bygone churchwardens as
superfluous and two others were broken away and choked a matter not of much
consequence to the wellbeing of the tower for the two mouths which still
remained open and active were gaping enough to do all the work
It has been sometimes argued that there is no truer criterion of the
vitality of any given artperiod than the power of the masterspirits of that
time in grotesque and certainly in the instance of Gothic art there is no
disputing the proposition Weatherbury tower was a somewhat early instance of
the use of an ornamental parapet in parish as distinct from cathedral churches
and the gurgoyles which are the necessary correlatives of a parapet were
exceptionally prominent of the boldest cut that the hand could shape and of
the most original design that a human brain could conceive There was so to
speak that symmetry in their distortion which is less the characteristic of
British than of Continental grotesques of the period All the eight were
different from each other A beholder was convinced that nothing on earth could
be more hideous than those he saw on the north side until he went round to the
south Of the two on this latter face only that at the southeastern corner
concerns the story It was too human to be called like a dragon too impish to
be like a man too animal to be like a fiend and not enough like a bird to be
called a griffin This horrible stone entity was fashioned as if covered with a
wrinkled hide it had short erect ears eyes starting from their sockets and
its fingers and hands were seizing the corners of its mouth which they thus
seemed to pull open to give free passage to the water it vomited The lower row
of teeth was quite washed away though the upper still remained Here and thus
jutting a couple of feet from the wall against which its feet rested as a
support the creature had for four hundred years laughed at the surrounding
landscape voicelessly in dry weather and in wet with a gurgling and snorting
sound
Troy slept on in the porch and the rain increased outside Presently the
gurgoyle spat In due time a small stream began to trickle through the seventy
feet of aerial space between its mouth and the ground which the waterdrops
smote like duckshot in their accelerated velocity The stream thickened in
substance and increased in power gradually spouting further and yet further
from the side of the tower When the rain fell in a steady and ceaseless torrent
the stream dashed downward in volumes
We follow its course to the ground at this point of time The end of the
liquid parabola has come forward from the wall has advanced over the plinth
mouldings over a heap of stones over the marble border into the midst of
Fanny Robins grave
The force of the stream had until very lately been received upon some
loose stones spread thereabout which had acted as a shield to the soil under
the onset These during the summer had been cleared from the ground and there
was now nothing to resist the downfall but the bare earth For several years the
stream had not spouted so far from the tower as it was doing on this night and
such a contingency had been overlooked Sometimes this obscure corner received
no inhabitant for the space of two or three years and then it was usually but a
pauper a poacher or other sinner of undignified sins
The persistent torrent from the gurgoyles jaws directed all its vengeance
into the grave The rich tawny mould was stirred into motion and boiled like
chocolate The water accumulated and washed deeper down and the roar of the
pool thus formed spread into the night as the head and chief among other noises
of the kind created by the deluging rain The flowers so carefully planted by
Fannys repentant lover began to move and writhe in their bed The
winterviolets turned slowly upside down and became a mere mat of mud Soon the
snowdrop and other bulbs danced in the boiling mass like ingredients in a
cauldron Plants of the tufted species were loosened rose to the surface and
floated off
Troy did not awake from his comfortless sleep till it was broad day Not
having been in bed for two nights his shoulders felt stiff his feet tender and
his head heavy He remembered his position arose shivered took the spade and
again went out
The rain had quite ceased and the sun was shining through the green brown
and yellow leaves now sparkling and varnished by the raindrops to the
brightness of similar effects in the landscapes of Ruysdael and Hobbema and
full of all those infinite beauties that arise from the union of water and
colour with high lights The air was rendered so transparent by the heavy fall
of rain that the autumn hues of the middle distance were as rich as those near
at hand and the remote fields intercepted by the angle of the tower appeared in
the same plane as the tower itself
He entered the gravel path which would take him behind the tower The path
instead of being stony as it had been the night before was browned over with a
thin coating of mud At one place in the path he saw a tuft of stringy roots
washed white and clean as a bundle of tendons He picked it up surely it could
not be one of the primroses he had planted He saw a bulb another and another
as he advanced Beyond doubt they were the crocuses With a face of perplexed
dismay Troy turned the corner and then beheld the wreck the stream had made
The pool upon the grave had soaked away into the ground and in its place
was a hollow The disturbed earth was washed over the grass and pathway in the
guise of the brown mud he had already seen and it spotted the marble tombstone
with the same stains Nearly all the flowers were washed clean out of the
ground and they lay roots upwards on the spots whither they had been splashed
by the stream
Troys brow became heavily contracted He set his teeth closely and his
compressed lips moved as those of one in great pain This singular accident by
a strange confluence of emotions in him was felt as the sharpest sting of all
Troys face was very expressive and any observer who had seen him now would
hardly have believed him to be a man who had laughed and sung and poured
lovetrifles into a womans ear To curse his miserable lot was at first his
impulse but even that lowest stage of rebellion needed an activity whose
absence was necessarily antecedent to the existence of the morbid misery which
wrung him The sight coming as it did superimposed upon the other dark scenery
of the previous days formed a sort of climax to the whole panorama and it was
more than he could endure Sanguine by nature Troy had a power of eluding grief
by simply adjourning it He could put off the consideration of any particular
spectre till the matter had become old and softened by time The planting of
flowers on Fannys grave had been perhaps but a species of elusion of the
primary grief and now it was as if his intention had been known and
circumvented
Almost for the first time in his life Troy as he stood by this dismantled
grave wished himself another man It is seldom that a person with much animal
spirit does not feel that the fact of his life being his own is the one
qualification which singles it out as a more hopeful life than that of others
who may actually resemble him in every particular Troy had felt in his
transient way hundreds of times that he could not envy other people their
condition because the possession of that condition would have necessitated a
different personality when he desired no other than his own He had not minded
the peculiarities of his birth the vicissitudes of his life the meteorlike
uncertainty of all that related to him because these appertained to the hero of
his story without whom there would have been no story at all for him and it
seemed to be only in the nature of things that matters would right themselves at
some proper date and wind up well This very morning the illusion completed its
disappearance and as it were all of a sudden Troy hated himself The
suddenness was probably more apparent than real A coral reef which just comes
short of the ocean surface is no more to the horizon than if it had never been
begun and the mere finishing stroke is what often appears to create an event
which has long been potentially an accomplished thing
He stood and meditated a miserable man Whither should he go »He that is
accursed let him be accursed still« was the pitiless anathema written in this
spoliated effort of his newborn solicitousness A man who has spent his primal
strength in journeying in one direction has not much spirit left for reversing
his course Troy had since yesterday faintly reversed his but the merest
opposition had disheartened him To turn about would have been hard enough under
the greatest providential encouragement but to find that Providence far from
helping him into a new course or showing any wish that he might adopt one
actually jeered his first trembling and critical attempt in that kind was more
than nature could bear
He slowly withdrew from the grave He did not attempt to fill up the hole
replace the flowers or do anything at all He simply threw up his cards and
forswore his game for that time and always Going out of the churchyard silently
and unobserved none of the villagers having yet risen he passed down some
fields at the back and emerged just as secretly upon the high road Shortly
afterwards he had gone from the village
Meanwhile Bathsheba remained a vountary prisoner in the attic The door was
kept locked except during the entries and exits of Liddy for whom a bed had
been arranged in a small adjoining room The light of Troys lantern in the
churchyard was noticed about ten oclock by the maidservant who casually
glanced from the window in that direction whilst taking her supper and she
called Bathshebas attention to it They looked curiously at the phenomenon for
a time until Liddy was sent to bed
Bathsheba did not sleep very heavily that night When her attendant was
unconscious and softly breathing in the next room the mistress of the house was
still looking out of the window at the faint gleam spreading from among the
trees not in a steady shine but blinking like a revolving coastlight though
this appearance failed to suggest to her that a person was passing and repassing
in front of it Bathsheba sat here till it began to rain and the light
vanished when she withdrew to lie restlessly in her bed and reenact in a worn
mind the lurid scene of yesternight
Almost before the first faint sign of dawn appeared she arose again and
opened the window to obtain a full breathing of the new morning air the panes
being now wet with trembling tears left by the night rain each one rounded with
a pale lustre caught from primrosehued slashes through a cloud low down in the
awakening sky From the trees came the sound of steady dripping upon the drifted
leaves under them and from the direction of the church she could hear another
noise peculiar and not intermittent like the rest the purl of water falling
into a pool
Liddy knocked at eight oclock and Bathsheba unlocked the door
»What a heavy rain weve had in the night maam« said Liddy when her
inquiries about breakfast had been made
»Yes very heavy«
»Did you hear the strange noise from the churchyard«
»I heard one strange noise Ive been thinking it must have been the water
from the tower spouts«
»Well thats what the shepherd was saying maam Hes now gone on to see«
»Oh Gabriel has been here this morning«
»Only just looked in in passing quite in his old way which I thought he
had left off lately But the tower spouts used to spatter on the stones and we
are puzzled for this was like the boiling of a pot«
Not being able to read think or work Bathsheba asked Liddy to stay and
breakfast with her The tongue of the more childish woman still ran upon recent
events »Are you going across to the church maam« she asked
»Not that I know of« said Bathsheba
»I thought you might like to go and see where they have put Fanny The trees
hide the place from your window«
Bathsheba had all sorts of dreads about meeting her husband »Has Mr Troy
been in tonight« she said
»No maam I think hes gone to Budmouth«
Budmouth The sound of the word carried with it a much diminished
perspective of him and his deeds there were thirteen miles interval betwixt
them now She hated questioning Liddy about her husbands movements and indeed
had hitherto sedulously avoided doing so but now all the house knew that there
had been some dreadful disagreement between them and it was futile to attempt
disguise Bathsheba had reached a stage at which people cease to have any
appreciative regard for public opinion
»What makes you think he has gone there« she said
»Laban Tall saw him on the Budmouth road this morning before breakfast«
Bathsheba was momentarily relieved of that wayward heaviness of the past
twentyfour hours which had quenched the vitality of youth in her without
substituting the philosophy of maturer years and she resolved to go out and
walk a little way So when breakfast was over she put on her bonnet and took a
direction towards the church It was nine oclock and the men having returned
to work again from their first meal she was not likely to meet many of them in
the road Knowing that Fanny had been laid in the reprobates quarter of the
graveyard called in the parish behind church which was invisible from the
road it was impossible to resist the impulse to enter and look upon a spot
which from nameless feelings she at the same time dreaded to see She had been
unable to overcome an impression that some connection existed between her rival
and the light through the trees
Bathsheba skirted the buttress and beheld the hole and the tomb its
delicately veined surface splashed and stained just as Troy had seen it and left
it two hours earlier On the other side of the scene stood Gabriel His eyes
too were fixed on the tomb and her arrival having been noiseless she had not
as yet attracted his attention Bathsheba did not at once perceive that the
grand tomb and the disturbed grave were Fannys and she looked on both sides
and around for some humbler mound earthed up and clodded in the usual way Then
her eye followed Oaks and she read the words with which the inscription
opened
Erected by Francis Troy in Beloved Memory of Fanny Robin
Oak saw her and his first act was to gaze inquiringly and learn how she
received this knowledge of the authorship of the work which to himself had
caused considerable astonishment But such discoveries did not much affect her
now Emotional convulsions seemed to have become the commonplaces of her
history and she bade him good morning and asked him to fill in the hole with
the spade which was standing by Whilst Oak was doing as she desired Bathsheba
collected the flowers and began planting them with that sympathetic
manipulation of roots and leaves which is so conspicuous in a womans gardening
and which flowers seem to understand and thrive upon She requested Oak to get
the churchwardens to turn the leadwork at the mouth of the gurgoyle that hung
gaping down upon them that by this means the stream might be directed sideways
and a repetition of the accident prevented Finally with the superfluous
magnanimity of a woman whose narrower instincts have brought down bitterness
upon her instead of love she wiped the mud spots from the tomb as if she rather
liked its words than otherwise and went home again3
Chapter XLVII
Adventures by the Shore
Troy wandered along towards the south A composite feeling made up of disgust
with the to him humdrum tediousness of a farmers life gloomy images of her
who lay in the churchyard remorse and a general averseness to his wifes
society impelled him to seek a home in any place on earth save Weatherbury The
sad accessories of Fannys end confronted him as vivid pictures which threatened
to be indelible and made life in Bathshebas house intolerable At three in the
afternoon he found himself at the foot of a slope more than a mile in length
which ran to the ridge of a range of hills lying parallel with the shore and
formed a monotonous barrier between the basin of cultivated country inland and
the wilder scenery of the coast Up the hill stretched a road nearly straight
and perfectly white the two sides approaching each other in a gradual taper
till they met the sky at the top about two miles off Throughout the length of
this narrow and irksome inclined plane not a sign of life was visible on this
garish afternoon Troy toiled up the road with a languor and depression greater
than any he had experienced for many a day and year before The air was warm and
muggy and the top seemed to recede as he approached
At last he reached the summit and a wide and novel prospect burst upon him
with an effect almost like that of the Pacific upon Balboas gaze The broad
steely sea marked only by faint lines which had a semblance of being etched
thereon to a degree not deep enough to disturb its general evenness stretched
the whole width of his front and round to the right where near the town and
port of Budmouth the sun bristled down upon it and banished all colour to
substitute in its place a clear oily polish Nothing moved in sky land or sea
except a frill of milkwhite foam along the nearer angles of the shore shreds of
which licked the contiguous stones like tongues
He descended and came to a small basin of sea enclosed by the cliffs Troys
nature freshened within him he thought he would rest and bathe here before
going further He undressed and plunged in Inside the cove the water was
uninteresting to a swimmer being smooth as a pond and to get a little of the
ocean swell Troy presently swam between the two projecting spurs of rock which
formed the pillars of Hercules to this miniature Mediterranean Unfortunately
for Troy a current unknown to him existed outside which unimportant to craft
of any burden was awkward for a swimmer who might be taken in it unawares Troy
found himself carried to the left and then round in a swoop out to sea
He now recollected the place and its sinister character Many bathers had
there prayed for a dry death from time to time and like Gonzalo also had been
unanswered and Troy began to deem it possible that he might be added to their
number Not a boat of any kind was at present within sight but far in the
distance Budmouth lay upon the sea as it were quietly regarding his efforts
and beside the town the harbour showed its position by a dim meshwork of ropes
and spars After wellnigh exhausting himself in attempts to get back to the
mouth of the cove in his weakness swimming several inches deeper than was his
wont keeping up his breathing entirely by his nostrils turning upon his back a
dozen times over swimming en papillon and so on Troy resolved as a last
resource to tread water at a slight incline and so endeavour to reach the shore
at any point merely giving himself a gentle impetus inwards whilst carried on
in the general direction of the tide This necessarily a slow process he found
to be not altogether so difficult and though there was no choice of a
landingplace the objects on shore passing by him in a sad and slow procession
he perceptibly approached the extremity of a spit of land yet further to the
right now well defined against the sunny portion of the horizon While the
swimmers eyes were fixed upon the spit as his only means of salvation on this
side of the Unknown a moving object broke the outline of the extremity and
immediately a ships boat appeared manned with several sailor lads her bows
towards the sea
All Troys vigour spasmodically revived to prolong the struggle yet a little
further Swimming with his right arm he held up his left to hail them
splashing upon the waves and shouting with all his might From the position of
the setting sun his white form was distinctly visible upon the now deephued
bosom of the sea to the east of the boat and the men saw him at once Backing
their oars and putting the boat about they pulled towards him with a will and
in five or six minutes from the time of his first halloo two of the sailors
hauled him in over the stern
They formed part of a brigs crew and had come ashore for sand Lending him
what little clothing they could spare among them as a slight protection against
the rapidly cooling air they agreed to land him in the morning and without
further delay for it was growing late they made again towards the roadstead
where their vessel lay
And now night drooped slowly upon the wide watery levels in front and at no
great distance from them where the shoreline curved round and formed a long
riband of shade upon the horizon a series of points of yellow light began to
start into existence denoting the spot to be the site of Budmouth where the
lamps were being lighted along the parade The cluck of their oars was the only
sound of any distinctness upon the sea and as they laboured amid the thickening
shades the lamplights grew larger each appearing to send a flaming sword deep
down into the waves before it until there arose among other dim shapes of the
kind the form of the vessel for which they were bound
Chapter XLVIII
Doubts Arise Doubts Linger
Bathsheba underwent the enlargement of her husbands absence from hours to days
with a slight feeling of surprise and a slight feeling of relief yet neither
sensation rose at any time far above the level commonly designated as
indifference She belonged to him the certainties of that position were so well
defined and the reasonable probabilities of its issue so bounded that she
could not speculate on contingencies Taking no further interest in herself as a
splendid woman she acquired the indifferent feelings of an outsider in
contemplating her probable fate as a singular wretch for Bathsheba drew herself
and her future in colours that no reality could exceed for darkness Her
original vigorous pride of youth had sickened and with it had declined all her
anxieties about coming years since anxiety recognizes a better and a worse
alternative and Bathsheba had made up her mind that alternatives on any
noteworthy scale had ceased for her Soon or later and that not very late
her husband would be home again And then the days of their tenancy of the Upper
Farm would be numbered There had originally been shown by the agent to the
estate some distrust of Bathshebas tenure as James Everdenes successor on the
score of her sex and her youth and her beauty but the peculiar nature of her
uncles will his own frequent testimony before his death to her cleverness in
such a pursuit and her vigorous marshalling of the numerous flocks and herds
which came suddenly into her hands before negotiations were concluded had won
confidence in her powers and no further objections had been raised She had
latterly been in great doubt as to what the legal effects of her marriage would
be upon her position but no notice had been taken as yet of her change of name
and only one point was clear that in the event of her own or her husbands
inability to meet the agent at the forthcoming January rentday very little
consideration would be shown and for that matter very little would be
deserved Once out of the farm the approach of poverty would be sure
Hence Bathsheba lived in a perception that her purposes were broken off She
was not a woman who could hope on without good materials for the process
differing thus from the less farsighted and energetic though more petted ones
of the sex with whom hope goes on as a sort of clockwork which the merest food
and shelter are sufficient to wind up and perceiving clearly that her mistake
had been a fatal one she accepted her position and waited coldly for the end
The first Saturday after Troys departure she went to Casterbridge alone a
journey she had not before taken since her marriage On this Saturday Bathsheba
was passing slowly on foot through the crowd of rural businessmen gathered as
usual in front of the markethouse who were as usual gazed upon by the burghers
with feelings that those healthy lives were dearly paid for by exclusion from
possible aldermanship when a man who had apparently been following her said
some words to another on her left hand Bathshebas ears were keen as those of
any wild animal and she distinctly heard what the speaker said though her back
was towards him
»I am looking for Mrs Troy Is that she there«
»Yes thats the young lady I believe« said the person addressed
»I have some awkward news to break to her Her husband is drowned«
As if endowed with the spirit of prophecy Bathsheba gasped out »No it is
not true it cannot be true« Then she said and heard no more The ice of
selfcommand which had latterly gathered over her was broken and the currents
burst forth again and overwhelmed her A darkness came into her eyes and she
fell
But not to the ground A gloomy man who had been observing her from under
the portico of the old cornexchange when she passed through the group without
stepped quickly to her side at the moment of her exclamation and caught her in
his arms as she sank down
»What is it« said Boldwood looking up at the bringer of the big news as
he supported her
»Her husband was drowned this week while bathing in Lulwind Cove A
coastguardsman found his clothes and brought them into Budmouth yesterday«
Thereupon a strange fire lighted up Boldwoods eye and his face flushed
with the suppressed excitement of an unutterable thought Everybodys glance was
now centred upon him and the unconscious Bathsheba He lifted her bodily off the
ground and smoothed down the folds of her dress as a child might have taken a
stormbeaten bird and arranged its ruffled plumes and bore her along the
pavement to the Kings Arms Inn Here he passed with her under the archway into
a private room and by the time he had deposited so lothly the precious
burden upon a sofa Bathsheba had opened her eyes Remembering all that had
occurred she murmured »I want to go home«
Boldwood left the room He stood for a moment in the passage to recover his
senses The experience had been too much for his consciousness to keep up with
and now that he had grasped it it had gone again For those few heavenly golden
moments she had been in his arms What did it matter about her not knowing it
She had been close to his breast he had been close to hers
He started onward again and sending a woman to her went out to ascertain
all the facts of the case These appeared to be limited to what he had already
heard He then ordered her horse to be put into the gig and when all was ready
returned to inform her He found that though still pale and unwell she had in
the meantime sent for the Budmouth man who brought the tidings and learnt from
him all there was to know
Being hardly in a condition to drive home as she had driven to town
Boldwood with every delicacy of manner and feeling offered to get her a
driver or to give her a seat in his phaeton which was more comfortable than
her own conveyance These proposals Bathsheba gently declined and the farmer at
once departed
About halfanhour later she invigorated herself by an effort and took her
seat and the reins as usual in external appearance much as if nothing had
happened She went out of the town by a tortuous back street and drove slowly
along unconscious of the road and the scene The first shades of evening were
showing themselves when Bathsheba reached home where silently alighting and
leaving the horse in the hands of the boy she proceeded at once upstairs Liddy
met her on the landing The news had preceded Bathsheba to Weatherbury by
halfanhour and Liddy looked inquiringly into her mistresss face Bathsheba
had nothing to say
She entered her bedroom and sat by the window and thought and thought till
night enveloped her and the extreme lines only of her shape were visible
Somebody came to the door knocked and opened it
»Well what is it Liddy« she said
»I was thinking there must be something got for you to wear« said Liddy
with hesitation
»What do you mean«
»Mourning«
»No no no« said Bathsheba hurriedly
»But I suppose there must be something done for poor «
»Not at present I think It is not necessary«
»Why not maam«
»Because hes still alive«
»How do you know that« said Liddy amazed
»I dont know it But wouldnt it have been different or shouldnt I have
heard more or wouldnt they have found him Liddy or I dont know how it
is but death would have been different from how this is I am perfectly
convinced that he is still alive«
Bathsheba remained firm in this opinion till Monday when two circumstances
conjoined to shake it The first was a short paragraph in the local newspaper
which beyond making by a methodizing pen formidable presumptive evidence of
Troys death by drowning contained the important testimony of a young Mr
Barker MD of Budmouth who spoke to being an eyewitness of the accident in
a letter to the editor In this he stated that he was passing over the cliff on
the remoter side of the cove just as the sun was setting At that time he saw a
bather carried along in the current outside the mouth of the cove and guessed
in an instant that there was but a poor chance for him unless he should be
possessed of unusual muscular powers He drifted behind a projection of the
coast and Mr Barker followed along the shore in the same direction But by the
time that he could reach an elevation sufficiently great to command a view of
the sea beyond dusk had set in and nothing further was to be seen
The other circumstance was the arrival of his clothes when it became
necessary for her to examine and identify them though this had virtually been
done long before by those who inspected the letters in his pockets It was so
evident to her in the midst of her agitation that Troy had undressed in the full
conviction of dressing again almost immediately that the notion that anything
but death could have prevented him was a perverse one to entertain
Then Bathsheba said to herself that others were assured in their opinion
strange that she should not be A strange reflection occurred to her causing
her face to flush Suppose that Troy had followed Fanny into another world Had
he done this intentionally yet contrived to make his death appear like an
accident Nevertheless this thought of how the apparent might differ from the
real made vivid by her bygone jealousy of Fanny and the remorse he had shown
that night did not blind her to the perception of a likelier difference less
tragic but to herself far more disastrous
When alone late that evening beside a small fire and much calmed down
Bathsheba took Troys watch into her hand which had been restored to her with
the rest of the articles belonging to him She opened the case as he had opened
it before her a week ago There was the little coil of pale hair which had been
as the fuze to this great explosion
»He was hers and she was his they should be gone together« she said »I am
nothing to either of them and why should I keep her hair« She took it in her
hand and held it over the fire »No Ill not burn it Ill keep it in memory
of her poor thing« she added snatching back her hand
Chapter XLIX
Oaks Advancement A Great Hope
The later autumn and the winter drew on apace and the leaves lay thick upon the
turf of the glades and the mosses of the woods Bathsheba having previously
been living in a state of suspended feeling which was not suspense now lived in
a mood of quietude which was not precisely peacefulness While she had known him
to be alive she could have thought of his death with equanimity but now that it
might be she had lost him she regretted that he was not hers still She kept
the farm going raked in her profits without caring keenly about them and
expended money on ventures because she had done so in bygone days which though
not long gone by seemed infinitely removed from her present She looked back
upon that past over a great gulf as if she were now a dead person having the
faculty of meditation still left in her by means of which like the mouldering
gentlefolk of the poets story she could sit and ponder what a gift life used
to be
However one excellent result of her general apathy was the longdelayed
installation of Oak as bailiff but he having virtually exercised that function
for a long time already the change beyond the substantial increase of wages it
brought was little more than a nominal one addressed to the outside world
Boldwood lived secluded and inactive Much of his wheat and all his barley
of that season had been spoilt by the rain It sprouted grew into intricate
mats and was ultimately thrown to the pigs in armfuls The strange neglect
which had produced this ruin and waste became the subject of whispered talk
among all the people round and it was elicited from one of Boldwoods men that
forgetfulness had nothing to do with it for he had been reminded of the danger
to his corn as many times and as persistently as inferiors dared to do The
sight of the pigs turning in disgust from the rotten ears seemed to arouse
Boldwood and he one evening sent for Oak Whether it was suggested by
Bathshebas recent act of promotion or not the farmer proposed at the interview
that Gabriel should undertake the superintendence of the Lower Farm as well as
of Bathshebas because of the necessity Boldwood felt for such aid and the
impossibility of discovering a more trustworthy man Gabriels malignant star
was assuredly setting fast
Bathsheba when she learnt of this proposal for Oak was obliged to consult
her at first languidly objected She considered that the two farms together
were too extensive for the observation of one man Boldwood who was apparently
determined by personal rather than commercial reasons suggested that Oak should
be furnished with a horse for his sole use when the plan would present no
difficulty the two farms lying side by side Boldwood did not directly
communicate with her during these negotiations only speaking to Oak who was
the gobetween throughout All was harmoniously arranged at last and we now see
Oak mounted on a strong cob and daily trotting the length and breadth of about
two thousand acres in a cheerful spirit of surveillance as if the crops all
belonged to him the actual mistress of the onehalf and the master of the
other sitting in their respective homes in gloomy and sad seclusion
Out of this there arose during the spring succeeding a talk in the parish
that Gabriel Oak was feathering his nest fast
»Whatever dye think« said Susan Tall »Gable Oak is coming it quite the
dand He now wears shining boots with hardly a hob in em two or three times
aweek and a tall hat aSundays and a hardly knows the name of smockfrock
When I see people strut enough to be cut up into bantam cocks I stand dormant
with wonder and says no more«
It was eventually known that Gabriel though paid a fixed wage by Bathsheba
independent of the fluctuations of agricultural profits had made an engagement
with Boldwood by which Oak was to receive a share of the receipts a small
share certainly yet it was money of a higher quality than mere wages and
capable of expansion in a way that wages were not Some were beginning to
consider Oak a near man for though his condition had thus far improved he
lived in no better style than before occupying the same cottage paring his own
potatoes mending his stockings and sometimes even making his bed with his own
hands But as Oak was not only provokingly indifferent to public opinion but a
man who clung persistently to old habits and usages simply because they were
old there was room for doubt as to his motives
A great hope had latterly germinated in Boldwood whose unreasoning devotion
to Bathsheba could only be characterized as a fond madness which neither time
nor circumstance evil nor good report could weaken or destroy This fevered
hope had grown up again like a grain of mustardseed during the quiet which
followed the hasty conjecture that Troy was drowned He nourished it fearfully
and almost shunned the contemplation of it in earnest lest facts should reveal
the wildness of the dream Bathsheba having at last been persuaded to wear
mourning her appearance as she entered the church in that guise was in itself a
weekly addition to his faith that a time was coming very far off perhaps yet
surely nearing when his waiting on events should have its reward How long he
might have to wait he had not yet closely considered What he would try to
recognize was that the severe schooling she had been subjected to had made
Bathsheba much more considerate than she had formerly been of the feelings of
others and he trusted that should she be willing at any time in the future to
marry any man at all that man would be himself There was a substratum of good
feeling in her her selfreproach for the injury she had thoughtlessly done him
might be depended upon now to a much greater extent than before her infatuation
and disappointment It would be possible to approach her by the channel of her
good nature and to suggest a friendly businesslike compact between them for
fulfilment at some future day keeping the passionate side of his desire
entirely out of her sight Such was Boldwoods hope
To the eyes of the middleaged Bathsheba was perhaps additionally charming
just now Her exuberance of spirit was pruned down the original phantom of
delight had shown herself to be not too bright for human natures daily food
and she had been able to enter this second poetical phase without losing much of
the first in the process
Bathshebas return from a two months visit to her old aunt at Norcombe
afforded the impassioned and yearning farmer a pretext for inquiring directly
after her now possibly in the ninth month of her widowhood and endeavouring
to get a notion of her state of mind regarding him This occurred in the middle
of the haymaking and Boldwood contrived to be near Liddy who was assisting in
the fields
»I am glad to see you out of doors Lydia« he said pleasantly
She simpered and wondered in her heart why he should speak so frankly to
her
»I hope Mrs Troy is quite well after her long absence« he continued in a
manner expressing that the coldesthearted neighbour could scarcely say less
about her
»She is quite well sir«
»And cheerful I suppose«
»Yes cheerful«
»Fearful did you say«
»O no I merely said she was cheerful«
»Tells you all her affairs«
»No sir«
»Some of them«
»Yes sir«
»Mrs Troy puts much confidence in you Lydia and very wisely perhaps«
»She do sir Ive been with her all through her troubles and was with her
at the time of Mr Troys going and all And if she were to marry again I expect
I should bide with her«
»She promises that you shall quite natural« said the strategic lover
throbbing throughout him at the presumption which Liddys words appeared to
warrant that his darling had thought of remarriage
»No she doesnt promise it exactly I merely judge on my own account«
»Yes yes I understand When she alludes to the possibility of marrying
again you conclude «
»She never do allude to it sir« said Liddy thinking how very stupid Mr
Boldwood was getting
»Of course not« he returned hastily his hope falling again »You neednt
take quite such long reaches with your rake Lydia short and quick ones are
best Well perhaps as she is absolute mistress again now it is wise of her to
resolve never to give up her freedom«
»My mistress did certainly once say though not seriously that she supposed
she might marry again at the end of seven years from last year if she cared to
risk Mr Troys coming back and claiming her«
»Ah six years from the present time Said that she might She might marry
at once in every reasonable persons opinion whatever the lawyers may say to
the contrary«
»Have you been to ask them« said Liddy innocently
»Not I« said Boldwood growing red »Liddy you neednt stay here a minute
later than you wish so Mr Oak says I am now going on a little further
Goodafternoon«
He went away vexed with himself and ashamed of having for this one time in
his life done anything which could be called underhand Poor Boldwood had no
more skill in finesse than a batteringram and he was uneasy with a sense of
having made himself to appear stupid and what was worse mean But he had
after all lighted upon one fact by way of repayment It was a singularly fresh
and fascinating fact and though not without its sadness it was pertinent and
real In little more than six years from this time Bathsheba might certainly
marry him There was something definite in that hope for admitting that there
might have been no deep thought in her words to Liddy about marriage they
showed at least her creed on the matter
This pleasant notion was now continually in his mind Six years were a long
time but how much shorter than never the idea he had for so long been obliged
to endure Jacob had served twice seven years for Rachel what were six for such
a woman as this He tried to like the notion of waiting for her better than that
of winning her at once Boldwood felt his love to be so deep and strong and
eternal that it was possible she had never yet known its full volume and this
patience in delay would afford him an opportunity of giving sweet proof on the
point He would annihilate the six years of his life as if they were minutes
so little did he value his time on earth beside her love He would let her see
all those six years of intangible ethereal courtship how little care he had for
anything but as it bore upon the consummation
Meanwhile the early and the late summer brought round the week in which
Greenhill Fair was held This fair was frequently attended by the folk of
Weatherbury
Chapter L
The Sheep Fair Troy Touches His Wifes Hand
Greenhill was the Nijni Novgorod of South Wessex and the busiest merriest
noisiest day of the whole statute number was the day of the sheep fair This
yearly gathering was upon the summit of a hill which retained in good
preservation the remains of an ancient earthwork consisting of a huge rampart
and entrenchment of an oval form encircling the top of the hill though somewhat
broken down here and there To each of the two chief openings on opposite sides
a winding road ascended and the level green space of ten or fifteen acres
enclosed by the bank was the site of the fair A few permanent erections dotted
the spot but the majority of visitors patronized canvas alone for resting and
feeding under during the time of their sojourn here
Shepherds who attended with their flocks from long distances started from
home two or three days or even a week before the fair driving their charges a
few miles each day not more than ten or twelve and resting them at night in
hired fields by the wayside at previously chosen points where they fed having
fasted since morning The shepherd of each flock marched behind a bundle
containing his kit for the week strapped upon his shoulders and in his hand his
crook which he used as the staff of his pilgrimage Several of the sheep would
get worn and lame and occasionally a lambing occurred on the road To meet
these contingencies there was frequently provided to accompany the flocks from
the remoter points a pony and waggon into which the weakly ones were taken for
the remainder of the journey
The Weatherbury Farms however were no such long distance from the hill
and those arrangements were not necessary in their case But the large united
flocks of Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood formed a valuable and imposing multitude
which demanded much attention and on this account Gabriel in addition to
Boldwoods shepherd and Cain Ball accompanied them along the way through the
decayed old town of Kingsbere and upward to the plateau old George the dog
of course behind them
When the autumn sun slanted over Greenhill this morning and lighted the dewy
flat upon its crest nebulous clouds of dust were to be seen floating between
the pairs of hedges which streaked the wide prospect around in all directions
These gradually converged upon the base of the hill and the flocks became
individually visible climbing the serpentine ways which led to the top Thus
in a slow procession they entered the opening to which the roads tended
multitude after multitude horned and hornless blue flocks and red flocks
buff flocks and brown flocks even green and salmontinted flocks according to
the fancy of the colourist and custom of the farm Men were shouting dogs were
barking with greatest animation but the thronging travellers in so long a
journey had grown nearly indifferent to such terrors though they still bleated
piteously at the unwontedness of their experiences a tall shepherd rising here
and there in the midst of them like a gigantic idol amid a crowd of prostrate
devotees
The great mass of sheep in the fair consisted of South Downs and the old
Wessex horned breeds to the latter class Bathshebas and Farmer Boldwoods
mainly belonged These filed in about nine oclock their vermiculated horns
lopping gracefully on each side of their cheeks in geometrically perfect
spirals a small pink and white ear nestling under each horn Before and behind
came other varieties perfect leopards as to the full rich substance of their
coats and only lacking the spots There were also a few of the Oxfordshire
breed whose wool was beginning to curl like a childs flaxen hair though
surpassed in this respect by the effeminate Leicesters which were in turn less
curly than the Cotswolds But the most picturesque by far was a small flock of
Exmoors which chanced to be there this year Their pied faces and legs dark
and heavy horns tresses of wool hanging round their swarthy foreheads quite
relieved the monotony of the flocks in that quarter
All these bleating panting and weary thousands had entered and were penned
before the morning had far advanced the dog belonging to each flock being tied
to the corner of the pen containing it Alleys for pedestrians intersected the
pens which soon became crowded with buyers and sellers from far and near
In another part of the hill an altogether different scene began to force
itself upon the eye towards midday A circular tent of exceptional newness and
size was in course of erection here As the day drew on the flocks began to
change hands lightening the shepherds responsibilities and they turned their
attention to this tent and inquired of a man at work there whose soul seemed
concentrated on tying a bothering knot in no time what was going on
»The Royal Hippodrome Performance of Turpins Ride to York and the Death of
Black Bess« replied the man promptly without turning his eyes or leaving off
tying
As soon as the tent was completed the band struck up highly stimulating
harmonies and the announcement was publicly made Black Bess standing in a
conspicuous position on the outside as a living proof if proof were wanted of
the truth of the oracular utterances from the stage over which the people were
to enter These were so convinced by such genuine appeals to heart and
understanding both that they soon began to crowd in abundantly among the
foremost being visible Jan Coggan and Joseph Poorgrass who were holiday keeping
here today
»Thats the great ruffen pushing me« screamed a woman in front of Jan over
her shoulder at him when the rush was at its fiercest
»How can I help pushing ye when the folk behind push me« said Coggan in a
deprecating tone turning his head towards the aforesaid folk as far as he could
without turning his body which was jammed as in a vice
There was a silence then the drums and trumpets again sent forth their
echoing notes The crowd was again ecstasied and gave another lurch in which
Coggan and Poorgrass were again thrust by those behind upon the women in front
»O that helpless feymels should be at the mercy of such ruffens« exclaimed
one of these ladies again as she swayed like a reed shaken by the wind
»Now« said Coggan appealing in an earnest voice to the public at large as
it stood clustered about his shoulderblades »did ye ever hear such a
onreasonable woman as that Upon my carcase neighbours if I could only get out
of this cheesewring the damn women might eat the show for me«
»Dont ye lose yer temper Jan« implored Joseph Poorgrass in a whisper
»They might get their men to murder us for I think by the shine of their eyes
that they be a sinful form of womankind«
Jan held his tongue as if he had no objection to be pacified to please a
friend and they gradually reached the foot of the ladder Poorgrass being
flattened like a jumpingjack and the sixpence for admission which he had got
ready halfanhour earlier having become so reeking hot in the tight squeeze of
his excited hand that the woman in spangles brazen rings set with glass
diamonds and with chalked face and shoulders who took the money of him
hastily dropped it again from a fear that some trick had been played to burn her
fingers So they all entered and the cloth of the tent to the eyes of an
observer on the outside became bulged into innumerable pimples such as we
observe on a sack of potatoes caused by the various human heads backs and
elbows at high pressure within
At the rear of the large tent there were two small dressingtents One of
these allotted to the male performers was partitioned into halves by a cloth
and in one of the divisions there was sitting on the grass pulling on a pair of
jackboots a young man whom we instantly recognize as Sergeant Troy
Troys appearance in this position may be briefly accounted for The brig
aboard which he was taken in Budmouth Roads was about to start on a voyage
though somewhat short of hands Troy read the articles and joined but before
they sailed a boat was despatched across the bay to Lulwind Cove as he had half
expected his clothes were gone He ultimately worked his passage to the United
States where he made a precarious living in various towns as Professor of
Gymnastics Sword Exercise Fencing and Pugilism A few months were sufficient
to give him a distaste for this kind of life There was a certain animal form of
refinement in his nature and however pleasant a strange condition might be
whilst privations were easily warded off it was disadvantageously coarse when
money was short There was ever present too the idea that he could claim a
home and its comforts did he but choose to return to England and Weatherbury
Farm Whether Bathsheba thought him dead was a frequent subject of curious
conjecture To England he did return at last but the fact of drawing nearer to
Weatherbury abstracted its fascinations and his intention to enter his old
groove at that place became modified It was with gloom he considered on landing
at Liverpool that if he were to go home his reception would be of a kind very
unpleasant to contemplate for what Troy had in the way of emotion was an
occasional fitful sentiment which sometimes caused him as much inconvenience as
emotion of a strong and healthy kind Bathsheba was not a woman to be made a
fool of or a woman to suffer in silence and how could he endure existence with
a spirited wife to whom at first entering he would be beholden for food and
lodging Moreover it was not at all unlikely that his wife would fail at her
farming if she had not already done so and he would then become liable for her
maintenance and what a life such a future of poverty with her would be the
spectre of Fanny constantly between them harrowing his temper and embittering
her words Thus for reasons touching on distaste regret and shame commingled
he put off his return from day to day and would have decided to put it off
altogether if he could have found anywhere else the readymade establishment
which existed for him there
At this time the July preceding the September in which we find him at
Greenhill Fair he fell in with a travelling circus which was performing in the
outskirts of a northern town Troy introduced himself to the manager by taming a
restive horse of the troupe hitting a suspended apple with a pistolbullet
fired from the animals back when in full gallop and other feats For his
merits in these all more or less based upon his experiences as a
dragoonguardsman Troy was taken into the company and the play of Turpin was
prepared with a view to his personation of the chief character Troy was not
greatly elated by the appreciative spirit in which he was undoubtedly treated
but he thought the engagement might afford him a few weeks for consideration It
was thus carelessly and without having formed any definite plan for the future
that Troy found himself at Greenhill Fair with the rest of the company on this
day
And now the mild autumn sun got lower and in front of the pavilion the
following incident had taken place Bathsheba who was driven to the fair that
day by her odd man Poorgrass had like every one else read or heard the
announcement that Mr Francis the Great Cosmopolitan Equestrian and Roughrider
would enact the part of Turpin and she was not yet too old and careworn to be
without a little curiosity to see him This particular show was by far the
largest and grandest in the fair a horde of little shows grouping themselves
under its shade like chickens around a hen The crowd had passed in and
Boldwood who had been watching all the day for an opportunity of speaking to
her seeing her comparatively isolated came up to her side
»I hope the sheep have done well today Mrs Troy« he said nervously
»O yes thank you« said Bathsheba colour springing up in the centre of her
cheeks »I was fortunate enough to sell them all just as we got upon the hill
so we hadnt to pen at all«
»And now you are entirely at leisure«
»Yes except that I have to see one more dealer in two hours time
otherwise I should be going home I was looking at this large tent and the
announcement Have you ever seen the play of Turpins Ride to York Turpin was a
real man was he not«
»O yes perfectly true all of it Indeed I think Ive heard Jan Coggan
say that a relation of his knew Tom King Turpins friend quite well«
»Coggan is rather given to strange stories connected with his relations we
must remember I hope they can all be believed«
»Yes yes we know Coggan But Turpin is true enough You have never seen it
played I suppose«
»Never I was not allowed to go into these places when I was young Hark
Whats that prancing How they shout«
»Black Bess just started off I suppose Am I right in supposing you would
like to see the performance Mrs Troy Please excuse my mistake if it is one
but if you would like to Ill get a seat for you with pleasure« Perceiving
that she hesitated he added »I myself shall not stay to see it Ive seen it
before«
Now Bathsheba did care a little to see the show and had only withheld her
feet from the ladder because she feared to go in alone She had been hoping that
Oak might appear whose assistance in such cases was always accepted as an
inalienable right but Oak was nowhere to be seen and hence it was that she
said »Then if you will just look in first to see if theres room I think I
will go in for a minute or two«
And so a short time after this Bathsheba appeared in the tent with Boldwood
at her elbow who taking her to a reserved seat again withdrew
This feature consisted of one raised bench in a very conspicuous part of the
circle covered with red cloth and floored with a piece of carpet and
Bathsheba immediately found to her confusion that she was the single reserved
individual in the tent the rest of the crowded spectators one and all
standing on their legs on the borders of the arena where they got twice as good
a view of the performance for half the money Hence as many eyes were turned
upon her enthroned alone in this place of honour against a scarlet background
as upon the ponies and clown who were engaged in preliminary exploits in the
centre Turpin not having yet appeared Once there Bathsheba was forced to make
the best of it and remain she sat down spreading her skirts with some dignity
over the unoccupied space on each side of her and giving a new and feminine
aspect to the pavilion In a few minutes she noticed the fat red nape of
Coggans neck among those standing just below her and Joseph Poorgrasss
saintly profile a little further on
The interior was shadowy with a peculiar shade The strange luminous
semiopacities of fine autumn afternoons and eves intensified into Rembrandt
effects the few yellow sunbeams which came through holes and divisions in the
canvas and spirted like jets of golddust across the dusky blue atmosphere of
haze pervading the tent until they alighted on inner surfaces of cloth
opposite and shone like little lamps suspended there
Troy on peeping from his dressingtent through a slit for a reconnoitre
before entering saw his unconscious wife on high before him as described
sitting as queen of the tournament He started back in utter confusion for
although his disguise effectually concealed his personality he instantly felt
that she would be sure to recognize his voice He had several times during the
day thought of the possibility of some Weatherbury person or other appearing and
recognizing him but he had taken the risk carelessly If they see me let them
he had said But here was Bathsheba in her own person and the reality of the
scene was so much intenser than any of his prefigurings that he felt he had not
half enough considered the point
She looked so charming and fair that his cool mood about Weatherbury people
was changed He had not expected her to exercise this power over him in the
twinkling of an eye Should he go on and care nothing He could not bring
himself to do that Beyond a politic wish to remain unknown there suddenly
arose in him now a sense of shame at the possibility that his attractive young
wife who already despised him should despise him more by discovering him in so
mean a condition after so long a time He actually blushed at the thought and
was vexed beyond measure that his sentiments of dislike towards Weatherbury
should have led him to dally about the country in this way
But Troy was never more clever than when absolutely at his wits end He
hastily thrust aside the curtain dividing his own little dressing space from
that of the manager and proprietor who now appeared as the individual called
Tom King as far down as his waist and as the aforesaid respectable manager
thence to his toes
»Heres the devil to pay« said Troy
»Hows that«
»Why theres a blackguard creditor in the tent I dont want to see wholl
discover me and nab me as sure as Satan if I open my mouth Whats to be done«
»You must appear now I think«
»I cant«
»But the play must proceed«
»Do you give out that Turpin has got a bad cold and cant speak his part
but that hell perform it just the same without speaking«
The proprietor shook his head
»Anyhow play or no play I wont open my mouth« said Troy firmly
»Very well then let me see I tell you how well manage« said the other
who perhaps felt it would be extremely awkward to offend his leading man just at
this time »I wont tell em anything about your keeping silence go on with the
piece and say nothing doing what you can by a judicious wink now and then and
a few indomitable nods in the heroic places you know Theyll never find out
that the speeches are omitted«
This seemed feasible enough for Turpins speeches were not many or long
the fascination of the piece lying entirely in the action and accordingly the
play began and at the appointed time Black Bess leapt into the grassy circle
amid the plaudits of the spectators At the turnpike scene where Bess and
Turpin are hotly pursued at midnight by the officers and the halfawake
gatekeeper in his tasselled nightcap denies that any horseman has passed Coggan
uttered a broadchested Well done which could be heard all over the fair above
the bleating and Poorgrass smiled delightedly with a nice sense of dramatic
contrast between our hero who coolly leaps the gate and halting justice in the
form of his enemies who must needs pull up cumbersomely and wait to be let
through At the death of Tom King he could not refrain from seizing Coggan by
the hand and whispering with tears in his eyes »Of course hes not really
shot Jan only seemingly« And when the last sad scene came on and the body
of the gallant and faithful Bess had to be carried out on a shutter by twelve
volunteers from among the spectators nothing could restrain Poorgrass from
lending a hand exclaiming as he asked Jan to join him »Twill be something to
tell of at Warrens in future years Jan and hand down to our children« For
many a year in Weatherbury Joseph told with the air of a man who had had
experiences in his time that he touched with his own hand the hoof of Bess as
she lay upon the board upon his shoulder If as some thinkers hold immortality
consists in being enshrined in others memories then did Black Bess become
immortal that day if she never had done so before
Meanwhile Troy had added a few touches to his ordinary makeup for the
character the more effectually to disguise himself and though he had felt
faint qualms on first entering the metamorphosis effected by judiciously lining
his face with a wire rendered him safe from the eyes of Bathsheba and her men
Nevertheless he was relieved when it was got through
There was a second performance in the evening and the tent was lighted up
Troy had taken his part very quietly this time venturing to introduce a few
speeches on occasion and was just concluding it when whilst standing at the
edge of the circle contiguous to the first row of spectators he observed within
a yard of him the eye of a man darted keenly into his side features Troy
hastily shifted his position after having recognized in the scrutineer the
knavish bailiff Pennyways his wifes sworn enemy who still hung about the
outskirts of Weatherbury
At first Troy resolved to take no notice and abide by circumstances That he
had been recognized by this man was highly probable yet there was room for a
doubt Then the great objection he had felt to allowing news of his proximity to
precede him to Weatherbury in the event of his return based on a feeling that
knowledge of his present occupation would discredit him still further in his
wifes eyes returned in full force Moreover should he resolve not to return
at all a tale of his being alive and being in the neighbourhood would be
awkward and he was anxious to acquire a knowledge of his wifes temporal
affairs before deciding which to do
In this dilemma Troy at once went out to reconnoitre It occurred to him
that to find Pennyways and make a friend of him if possible would be a very
wise act He had put on a thick beard borrowed from the establishment and in
this he wandered about the fairfield It was now almost dark and respectable
people were getting their carts and gigs ready to go home
The largest refreshment booth in the fair was provided by an innkeeper from
a neighbouring town This was considered an unexceptionable place for obtaining
the necessary food and rest Host Trencher as he was jauntily called by the
local newspaper being a substantial man of high repute for catering through all
the country round The tent was divided into first and secondclass
compartments and at the end of the firstclass division was a yet further
enclosure for the most exclusive fenced off from the body of the tent by a
luncheonbar behind which the host himself stood bustling about in white apron
and shirtsleeves and looking as if he had never lived anywhere but under
canvas all his life In these penetralia were chairs and a table which on
candles being lighted made quite a cosy and luxurious show with an urn plated
tea and coffee pots china teacups and plum cakes
Troy stood at the entrance to the booth where a gipsywoman was frying
pancakes over a little fire of sticks and selling them at a penny apiece and
looked over the heads of the people within He could see nothing of Pennyways
but he soon discerned Bathsheba through an opening into the reserved space at
the further end Troy thereupon retreated went round the tent into the
darkness and listened He could hear Bathshebas voice immediately inside the
canvas she was conversing with a man A warmth overspread his face surely she
was not so unprincipled as to flirt in a fair He wondered if then she
reckoned upon his death as an absolute certainty To get at the root of the
matter Troy took a penknife from his pocket and softly made two little cuts
crosswise in the cloth which by folding back the corners left a hole the size
of a wafer Close to this he placed his face withdrawing it again in a movement
of surprise for his eye had been within twelve inches of the top of Bathshebas
head It was too near to be convenient He made another hole a little to one
side and lower down in a shaded place beside her chair from which it was easy
and safe to survey her by looking horizontally
Troy took in the scene completely now She was leaning back sipping a cup
of tea that she held in her hand and the owner of the male voice was Boldwood
who had apparently just brought the cup to her Bathsheba being in a negligent
mood leant so idly against the canvas that it was pressed to the shape of her
shoulder and she was in fact as good as in Troys arms and he was obliged to
keep his breast carefully backward that she might not feel its warmth through
the cloth as he gazed in
Troy found unexpected chords of feeling to be stirred again within him as
they had been stirred earlier in the day She was handsome as ever and she was
his It was some minutes before he could counteract his sudden wish to go in
and claim her Then he thought how the proud girl who had always looked down
upon him even whilst it was to love him would hate him on discovering him to be
a strolling player Were he to make himself known that chapter of his life must
at all risks be kept for ever from her and from the Weatherbury people or his
name would be a byword throughout the parish He would be nicknamed Turpin as
long as he lived Assuredly before he could claim her these few past months of
his existence must be entirely blotted out
»Shall I get you another cup before you start maam« said Farmer Boldwood
»Thank you« said Bathsheba »But I must be going at once It was great
neglect in that man to keep me waiting here till so late I should have gone two
hours ago if it had not been for him I had no idea of coming in here but
theres nothing so refreshing as a cup of tea though I should never have got
one if you hadnt helped me«
Troy scrutinized her cheek as lit by the candles and watched each varying
shade thereon and the white shelllike sinuosities of her little ear She took
out her purse and was insisting to Boldwood on paying for her tea for herself
when at this moment Pennyways entered the tent Troy trembled here was his
scheme for respectability endangered at once He was about to leave his hole of
espial attempt to follow Pennyways and find out if the exbailiff had
recognized him when he was arrested by the conversation and found he was too
late
»Excuse me maam« said Pennyways »Ive some private information for your
ear alone«
»I cannot hear it now« she said coldly That Bathsheba could not endure
this man was evident in fact he was continually coming to her with some tale
or other by which he might creep into favour at the expense of persons
maligned
»Ill write it down« said Pennyways confidently He stooped over the table
pulled a leaf from a warped pocketbook and wrote upon the paper in a round
hand
»Your husband is here Ive seen him Whos the fool now«
This he folded small and handed towards her Bathsheba would not read it
she would not even put out her hand to take it Pennyways then with a laugh of
derision tossed it into her lap and turning away left her
From the words and action of Pennyways Troy though he had not been able to
see what the exbailiff wrote had not a moments doubt that the note referred
to him Nothing that he could think of could be done to check the exposure
»Curse my luck« he whispered and added imprecations which rustled in the gloom
like a pestilent wind Meanwhile Boldwood said taking up the note from her lap
»Dont you wish to read it Mrs Troy If not Ill destroy it«
»Oh well« said Bathsheba carelessly »perhaps it is unjust not to read it
but I can guess what it is about He wants me to recommend him or it is to tell
me of some little scandal or another connected with my workpeople Hes always
doing that«
Bathsheba held the note in her right hand Boldwood handed towards her a
plate of cut breadandbutter when in order to take a slice she put the note
into her left hand where she was still holding the purse and then allowed her
hand to drop beside her close to the canvas The moment had come for saving his
game and Troy impulsively felt that he would play the card For yet another
time he looked at the fair hand and saw the pink fingertips and the blue
veins of the wrist encircled by a bracelet of coral chippings which she wore
how familiar it all was to him Then with the lightning action in which he was
such an adept he noiselessly slipped his hand under the bottom of the
tentcloth which was far from being pinned tightly down lifted it a little
way keeping his eye to the hole snatched the note from her fingers dropped
the canvas and ran away in the gloom towards the bank and ditch smiling at the
scream of astonishment which burst from her Troy then slid down on the outside
of the rampart hastened round in the bottom of the entrenchment to a distance
of a hundred yards ascended again and crossed boldly in a slow walk towards
the front entrance of the tent His object was now to get to Pennyways and
prevent a repetition of the announcement until such time as he should choose
Troy reached the tent door and standing among the groups there gathered
looked anxiously for Pennyways evidently not wishing to make himself prominent
by inquiring for him One or two men were speaking of a daring attempt that had
just been made to rob a young lady by lifting the canvas of the tent beside her
It was supposed that the rogue had imagined a slip of paper which she held in
her hand to be a bank note for he had seized it and made off with it leaving
her purse behind His chagrin and disappointment at discovering its
worthlessness would be a good joke it was said However the occurrence seemed
to have become known to few for it had not interrupted a fiddler who had
lately begun playing by the door of the tent nor the four bowed old men with
grim countenances and walkingsticks in hand who were dancing Major Malleys
Reel to the tune Behind these stood Pennyways Troy glided up to him beckoned
and whispered a few words and with a mutual glance of concurrence the two men
went into the night together
Chapter LI
Bathsheba Talks with Her Outrider
The arrangement for getting back again to Weatherbury had been that Oak should
take the place of Poorgrass in Bathshebas conveyance and drive her home it
being discovered late in the afternoon that Joseph was suffering from his old
complaint a multiplying eye and was therefore hardly trustworthy as coachman
and protector to a woman But Oak had found himself so occupied and was full of
so many cares relative to those portions of Boldwoods flocks that were not
disposed of that Bathsheba without telling Oak or anybody resolved to drive
home herself as she had many times done from Casterbridge Market and trust to
her good angel for performing the journey unmolested But having fallen in with
Farmer Boldwood accidentally on her part at least at the refreshmenttent she
found it impossible to refuse his offer to ride on horseback beside her as
escort It had grown twilight before she was aware but Boldwood assured her
that there was no cause for uneasiness as the moon would be up in halfanhour
Immediately after the incident in the tent she had risen to go now
absolutely alarmed and really grateful for her old lovers protection though
regretting Gabriels absence whose company she would have much preferred as
being more proper as well as more pleasant since he was her own managingman
and servant This however could not be helped she would not on any
consideration treat Boldwood harshly having once already illused him and the
moon having risen and the gig being ready she drove across the hilltop in the
wending ways which led downwards to oblivious obscurity as it seemed for the
moon and the hill it flooded with light were in appearance on a level the rest
of the world lying as a vast shady concave between them Boldwood mounted his
horse and followed in close attendance behind Thus they descended into the
lowlands and the sounds of those left on the hill came like voices from the
sky and the lights were as those of a camp in heaven They soon passed the
merry stragglers in the immediate vicinity of the hill traversed Kingsbere and
got upon the high road
The keen instincts of Bathsheba had perceived that the farmers staunch
devotion to herself was still undiminished and she sympathized deeply The
sight had quite depressed her this evening had reminded her of her folly she
wished anew as she had wished many months ago for some means of making
reparation for her fault Hence her pity for the man who so persistently loved
on to his own injury and permanent gloom had betrayed Bathsheba into an
injudicious considerateness of manner which appeared almost like tenderness
and gave new vigour to the exquisite dream of a Jacobs seven years service in
poor Boldwoods mind
He soon found an excuse for advancing from his position in the rear and
rode close by her side They had gone two or three miles in the moonlight
speaking desultorily across the wheel of her gig concerning the fair farming
Oaks usefulness to them both and other indifferent subjects when Boldwood
said suddenly and simply
»Mrs Troy you will marry again some day«
This pointblank query unmistakably confused her and it was not till a
minute or more had elapsed that she said »I have not seriously thought of any
such subject«
»I quite understand that Yet your late husband has been dead nearly one
year and «
»You forget that his death was never absolutely proved and may not have
taken place so that I may not be really a widow« she said catching at the
straw of escape that the fact afforded
»Not absolutely proved perhaps but it was proved circumstantially A man
saw him drowning too No reasonable person has any doubt of his death nor have
you maam I should imagine«
»O yes I have or I should have acted differently« she said gently »From
the first I have had a strange unaccountable feeling that he could not have
perished But I have been able to explain that in several ways since Even were
I half persuaded that I shall see him no more I am far from thinking of
marriage with another I should be very contemptible to indulge in such a
thought«
They were silent now awhile and having struck into an unfrequented track
across a common the creaks of Boldwoods saddle and her gig springs were all
the sounds to be heard Boldwood ended the pause
»Do you remember when I carried you fainting in my arms into the Kings
Arms in Casterbridge Every dog has his day that was mine«
»I know I know it all« she said hurriedly
»I for one shall never cease regretting that events so fell out as to deny
you to me«
»I too am very sorry« she said and then checked herself »I mean you
know I am sorry you thought I «
»I have always this dreary pleasure in thinking over those past times with
you that I was something to you before he was anything and that you belonged
almost to me But of course thats nothing You never liked me«
»I did and respected you too«
»Do you now«
»Yes«
»Which«
»How do you mean which«
»Do you like me or do you respect me«
»I dont know at least I cannot tell you It is difficult for a woman to
define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs
My treatment of you was thoughtless inexcusable wicked I shall eternally
regret it If there had been anything I could have done to make amends I would
most gladly have done it there was nothing on earth I so longed to do as to
repair the error But that was not possible«
»Dont blame yourself you were not so far in the wrong as you suppose
Bathsheba suppose you had real complete proof that you are what in fact you
are a widow would you repair the old wrong to me by marrying me«
»I cannot say I shouldnt yet at any rate«
»But you might at some future time of your life«
»O yes I might at some time«
»Well then do you know that without further proof of any kind you may
marry again in about six years from the present subject to nobodys objection
or blame«
»O yes« she said quickly »I know all that But dont talk of it seven
or six years where may we all be by that time«
»They will soon glide by and it will seem an astonishingly short time to
look back upon when they are past much less than to look forward to now«
»Yes yes I have found that in my own experience«
»Now listen once more« Boldwood pleaded »If I wait that time will you
marry me You own that you owe me amends let that be your way of making them«
»But Mr Boldwood six years «
»Do you want to be the wife of any other man«
»No indeed I mean that I dont like to talk about this matter now Perhaps
it is not proper and I ought not to allow it Let us drop it My husband may be
living as I said«
»Of course Ill drop the subject if you wish But propriety has nothing to
do with reasons I am a middleaged man willing to protect you for the
remainder of our lives On your side at least there is no passion or blamable
haste on mine perhaps there is But I cant help seeing that if you choose
from a feeling of pity and as you say a wish to make amends to make a
bargain with me for a farahead time an agreement which will set all things
right and make me happy late though it may be there is no fault to be found
with you as a woman Hadnt I the first place beside you Havent you been
almost mine once already Surely you can say to me as much as this you will
have me back again should circumstances permit Now pray speak O Bathsheba
promise it is only a little promise that if you marry again you will marry
me«
His tone was so excited that she almost feared him at this moment even
whilst she sympathized It was a simple physical fear the weak of the strong
there was no emotional aversion or inner repugnance She said with some
distress in her voice for she remembered vividly his outburst on the Yalbury
Road and shrank from a repetition of his anger
»I will never marry another man whilst you wish me to be your wife whatever
comes but to say more you have taken me so by surprise «
»But let it stand in these simple words that in six years time you will
be my wife Unexpected accidents well not mention because those of course
must be given way to Now this time I know you will keep your word«
»Thats why I hesitate to give it«
»But do give it Remember the past and be kind«
She breathed and then said mournfully »O what shall I do I dont love
you and I much fear that I never shall love you as much as a woman ought to
love a husband If you sir know that and I can yet give you happiness by a
mere promise to marry at the end of six years if my husband should not come
back it is a great honour to me And if you value such an act of friendship
from a woman who doesnt esteem herself as she did and has little love left
why I I will «
»Promise«
» Consider if I cannot promise soon«
»But soon is perhaps never«
»O no it is not I mean soon Christmas well say«
»Christmas« He said nothing further till he added »Well Ill say no more
to you about it till that time«
Bathsheba was in a very peculiar state of mind which showed how entirely the
soul is the slave of the body the ethereal spirit dependent for its quality
upon the tangible flesh and blood It is hardly too much to say that she felt
coerced by a force stronger than her own will not only into the act of
promising upon this singularly remote and vague matter but into the emotion of
fancying that she ought to promise When the weeks intervening between the night
of this conversation and Christmas day began perceptibly to diminish her
anxiety and perplexity increased
One day she was led by an accident into an oddly confidential dialogue with
Gabriel about her difficulty It afforded her a little relief of a dull and
cheerless kind They were auditing accounts and something occurred in the
course of their labours which led Oak to say speaking of Boldwood »Hell never
forget you maam never«
Then out came her trouble before she was aware and she told him how she had
again got into the toils what Boldwood had asked her and how he was expecting
her assent »The most mournful reason of all for my agreeing to it« she said
sadly »and the true reason why I think to do so for good or for evil is this
it is a thing I have not breathed to a living soul as yet I believe that if I
dont give my word hell go out of his mind«
»Really do ye« said Gabriel gravely
»I believe this« she continued with reckless frankness »and Heaven knows
I say it in a spirit the very reverse of vain for I am grieved and troubled to
my soul about it I believe I hold that mans future in my hand His career
depends entirely upon my treatment of him O Gabriel I tremble at my
responsibility for it is terrible«
»Well I think this much maam as I told you years ago« said Oak »that
his life is a total blank whenever he isnt hoping for ee but I cant suppose
I hope that nothing so dreadful hangs on to it as you fancy His natural
manner has always been dark and strange you know But since the case is so sad
and oddlike why dont ye give the conditional promise I think I would«
»But is it right Some rash acts of my past life have taught me that a
watched woman must have very much circumspection to retain only a very little
credit and I do want and long to be discreet in this And six years why we
may all be in our graves by that time even if Mr Troy does not come back
again which he may not impossibly do Such thoughts give a sort of absurdity to
the scheme Now isnt it preposterous Gabriel However he came to dream of it
I cannot think But is it wrong You know you are older than I«
»Eight years older maam«
»Yes eight years and is it wrong«
»Perhaps it would be an uncommon agreement for a man and woman to make I
dont see anything really wrong about it« said Oak slowly »In fact the very
thing that makes it doubtful if you ought to marry en under any condition that
is your not caring about him for I may suppose «
»Yes you may suppose that love is wanting« she said shortly »Love is an
utterly bygone sorry worn miserable thing with me for him or any one else«
»Well your want of love seems to me the one thing that takes away harm from
such an agreement with him If wild heat had to do wi it making ye long to
overcome the awkwardness about your husbands vanishing it mid be wrong but a
coldhearted agreement to oblige a man seems different somehow The real sin
maam in my mind lies in thinking of ever wedding wi a man you dont love
honest and true«
»That Im willing to pay the penalty of« said Bathsheba firmly »You know
Gabriel this is what I cannot get off my conscience that I once seriously
injured him in sheer idleness If I had never played a trick upon him he would
never have wanted to marry me O if I could only pay some heavy damages in money
to him for the harm I did and so get the sin off my soul that way Well
theres the debt which can only be discharged in one way and I believe I am
bound to do it if it honestly lies in my power without any consideration of my
own future at all When a rake gambles away his expectations the fact that it
is an inconvenient debt doesnt make him the less liable Ive been a rake and
the single point I ask you is considering that my own scruples and the fact
that in the eye of the law my husband is only missing will keep any man from
marrying me until seven years have passed am I free to entertain such an idea
even though tis a sort of penance for it will be that I hate the act of
marriage under such circumstances and the class of women I should seem to
belong to by doing it«
»It seems to me that all depends upon wher you think as everybody else do
that your husband is dead«
»I shall get to I suppose because I cannot help feeling what would have
brought him back long before this time if he had lived«
»Well then in a religious sense you will be as free to think o marrying
again as any real widow of one years standing But why dont ye ask Mr
Thirdlys advice on how to treat Mr Boldwood«
»No When I want a broadminded opinion for general enlightenment distinct
from special advice I never go to a man who deals in the subject
professionally So I like the parsons opinion on law the lawyers on
doctoring the doctors on business and my businessmans that is yours on
morals«
»And on love «
»My own«
»Im afraid theres a hitch in that argument« said Oak with a grave smile
She did not reply at once and then saying »Good evening Mr Oak« went
away
She had spoken frankly and neither asked nor expected any reply from
Gabriel more satisfactory than that she had obtained Yet in the centremost
parts of her complicated heart there existed at this minute a little pang of
disappointment for a reason she would not allow herself to recognize Oak had
not once wished her free that he might marry her himself had not once said »I
could wait for you as well as he« That was the insect sting Not that she would
have listened to any such hypothesis O no for wasnt she saying all the time
that such thoughts of the future were improper and wasnt Gabriel far too poor
a man to speak sentiment to her Yet he might have just hinted about that old
love of his and asked in a playful offhand way if he might speak of it It
would have seemed pretty and sweet if no more and then she would have shown
how kind and inoffensive a womans No can sometimes be But to give such cool
advice the very advice she had asked for it ruffled our heroine all the
afternoon
Chapter LII
Converging Courses
I
Christmaseve came and a party that Boldwood was to give in the evening was the
great subject of talk in Weatherbury It was not that the rarity of Christmas
parties in the parish made this one a wonder but that Boldwood should be the
giver The announcement had had an abnormal and incongruous sound as if one
should hear of croquetplaying in a cathedral aisle or that some muchrespected
judge was going upon the stage That the party was intended to be a truly jovial
one there was no room for doubt A large bough of mistletoe had been brought
from the woods that day and suspended in the hall of the bachelors home Holly
and ivy had followed in armfuls From six that morning till past noon the huge
wood fire in the kitchen roared and sparkled at its highest the kettle the
saucepan and the threelegged pot appearing in the midst of the flames like
Shadrach Meshach and Abednego moreover roasting and basting operations were
continually carried on in front of the genial blaze
As it grew later the fire was made up in the large long hall into which the
staircase descended and all encumbrances were cleared out for dancing The log
which was to form the backbrand of the evening fire was the uncleft trunk of a
tree so unwieldy that it could be neither brought nor rolled to its place and
accordingly two men were to be observed dragging and heaving it in by chains and
levers as the hour of assembly drew near
In spite of all this the spirit of revelry was wanting in the atmosphere of
the house Such a thing had never been attempted before by its owner and it was
now done as by a wrench Intended gaieties would insist upon appearing like
solemn grandeurs the organization of the whole effort was carried out coldly by
hirelings and a shadow seemed to move about the rooms saying that the
proceedings were unnatural to the place and the lone man who lived therein and
hence not good
II
Bathsheba was at this time in her room dressing for the event She had called
for candles and Liddy entered and placed one on each side of her mistresss
glass
»Dont go away Liddy« said Bathsheba almost timidly »I am foolishly
agitated I cannot tell why I wish I had not been obliged to go to this dance
but theres no escaping now I have not spoken to Mr Boldwood since the autumn
when I promised to see him at Christmas on business but I had no idea there was
to be anything of this kind«
»But I would go now« said Liddy who was going with her for Boldwood had
been indiscriminate in his invitations
»Yes I shall make my appearance of course« said Bathsheba »But I am the
cause of the party and that upsets me Dont tell Liddy«
»O no maam You the cause of it maam«
»Yes I am the reason of the party I If it had not been for me there
would never have been one I cant explain any more theres no more to be
explained I wish I had never seen Weatherbury«
»Thats wicked of you to wish to be worse off than you are«
»No Liddy I have never been free from trouble since I have lived here and
this party is likely to bring me more Now fetch my black silk dress and see
how it sits upon me«
»But you will leave off that surely maam You have been a widowlady
fourteen months and ought to brighten up a little on such a night as this«
»Is it necessary No I will appear as usual for if I were to wear any
light dress people would say things about me and I should seem to be rejoicing
when I am solemn all the time The party doesnt suit me a bit but never mind
stay and help to finish me off«
III
Boldwood was dressing also at this hour A tailor from Casterbridge was with
him assisting him in the operation of trying on a new coat that had just been
brought home
Never had Boldwood been so fastidious unreasonable about the fit and
generally difficult to please The tailor walked round and round him tugged at
the waist pulled the sleeve pressed out the collar and for the first time in
his experience Boldwood was not bored Times had been when the farmer had
exclaimed against all such niceties as childish but now no philosophic or hasty
rebuke whatever was provoked by this man for attaching as much importance to a
crease in the coat as to an earthquake in South America Boldwood at last
expressed himself nearly satisfied and paid the bill the tailor passing out of
the door just as Oak came in to report progress for the day
»Oh Oak« said Boldwood »I shall of course see you here tonight Make
yourself merry I am determined that neither expense nor trouble shall be
spared«
»Ill try to be here sir though perhaps it may not be very early« said
Gabriel quietly »I am glad indeed to see such a change in ee from what it
used to be«
»Yes I must own it I am bright tonight cheerful and more than cheerful
so much so that I am almost sad again with the sense that all of it is passing
away And sometimes when I am excessively hopeful and blithe a trouble is
looming in the distance so that I often get to look upon gloom in me with
content and to fear a happy mood Still this may be absurd I feel that it is
absurd Perhaps my day is dawning at last«
»I hope it ill be a long and a fair one«
»Thank you thank you Yet perhaps my cheerfulness rests on a slender hope
And yet I trust my hope It is faith not hope I think this time I reckon with
my host Oak my hands are a little shaky or something I cant tie this
neckerchief properly Perhaps you will tie it for me The fact is I have not
been well lately you know«
»I am sorry to hear that sir«
»Oh its nothing I want it done as well as you can please Is there any
late knot in fashion Oak«
»I dont know sir« said Oak His tone had sunk to sadness
Boldwood approached Gabriel and as Oak tied the neckerchief the farmer went
on feverishly
»Does a woman keep her promise Gabriel«
»If it is not inconvenient to her she may«
» Or rather an implied promise«
»I wont answer for her implying« said Oak with faint bitterness »Thats
a word as full o holes as a sieve with them«
»Oak dont talk like that You have got quite cynical lately how is it
We seem to have shifted our positions I have become the young and hopeful man
and you the old and unbelieving one However does a woman keep a promise not
to marry but to enter on an engagement to marry at some time Now you know
women better than I tell me«
»I am afeard you honour my understanding too much However she may keep
such a promise if it is made with an honest meaning to repair a wrong«
»It has not gone far yet but I think it will soon yes I know it will«
he said in an impulsive whisper »I have pressed her upon the subject and she
inclines to be kind to me and to think of me as a husband at a long future
time and thats enough for me How can I expect more She has a notion that a
woman should not marry within seven years of her husbands disappearance that
her own self shouldnt I mean because his body was not found It may be
merely this legal reason which influences her or it may be a religious one but
she is reluctant to talk on the point Yet she has promised implied that she
will ratify an engagement tonight«
»Seven years« murmured Oak
»No no its no such thing« he said with impatience »Five years nine
months and a few days Fifteen months nearly have passed since he vanished and
is there anything so wonderful in an engagement of little more than five years«
»It seems long in a forward view Dont build too much upon such promises
sir Remember you have once ben deceived Her meaning may be good but there
shes young yet«
»Deceived Never« said Boldwood vehemently »She never promised me at that
first time and hence she did not break her promise If she promises me shell
marry me Bathsheba is a woman to her word«
IV
Troy was sitting in a corner of The White Hart tavern at Casterbridge smoking
and drinking a steaming mixture from a glass A knock was given at the door and
Pennyways entered
»Well have you seen him« Troy inquired pointing to a chair
»Boldwood«
»No Lawyer Long«
»He wadn at home I went there first too«
»Thats a nuisance«
»Tis rather I suppose«
»Yet I dont see that because a man appears to be drowned and was not he
should be liable for anything I shant ask any lawyer not I«
»But thats not it exactly If a man changes his name and so forth and
takes steps to deceive the world and his own wife hes a cheat and that in the
eye of the law is ayless a rogue and that is ayless a lammocken vagabond and
thats a punishable situation«
»Haha Well done Pennyways« Troy had laughed but it was with some
anxiety that he said »Now what I want to know is this do you think theres
really anything going on between her and Boldwood Upon my soul I should never
have believed it How she must detest me Have you found out whether she has
encouraged him«
»I haent been able to learn Theres a deal of feeling on his side
seemingly but I dont answer for her I didnt know a word about any such thing
till yesterday and all I heard then was that she was gwine to the party at his
house tonight This is the first time she has ever gone there they say And
they say that sheve not so much as spoke to him since they were at Greenhill
Fair but what can folk believe ot However shes not fond of him quite
offish and quite careless I know«
»Im not so sure of that Shes a handsome woman Pennyways is she not
Own that you never saw a finer or more splendid creature in your life Upon my
honour when I set eyes upon her that day I wondered what I could have been made
of to be able to leave her by herself so long And then I was hampered with that
bothering show which Im free of at last thank the stars« He smoked on
awhile and then added »How did she look when you passed by yesterday«
»Oh she took no great heed of me ye may well fancy but she looked well
enough fars I know Just flashed her haughty eyes upon my poor scram body and
then let them go past me to what was yond much as if Id been no more than a
leafless tree She had just got off her mare to look at the last wringdown of
cider for the year she had been riding and so her colours were up and her
breath rather quick so that her bosom plimmed and fell plimmed and fell
every time plain to my eye Ay and there were the fellers round her wringing
down the cheese and bustling about and saying Ware o the pommy maam twill
spoil yer gown Never mind me says she Then Gabe brought her some of the new
cider and she must needs go drinking it through a strawmote and not in a
nateral way at all Liddy says she bring indoors a few gallons and Ill make
some ciderwine Sergeant I was no more to her than a morsel of scroff in the
fuelhouse«
»I must go and find her out at once O yes I see that I must go Oak is
head man still isnt he«
»Yes a blieve And at Little Weatherbury Farm too He manages
everything«
»Twill puzzle him to manage her or any other man of his compass«
»I dont know about that She cant do without him and knowing it well hes
pretty independent And sheve a few soft corners to her mind though Ive never
been able to get into one the devils int«
»Ah baily shes a notch above you and you must own it a higher class of
animal a finer tissue However stick to me and neither this haughty goddess
dashing piece of womanhood Junowife of mine Juno was a goddess you know
nor anybody else shall hurt you But all this wants looking into I perceive
What with one thing and another I see that my work is well cut out for me«
V
»How do I look tonight Liddy« said Bathsheba giving a final adjustment to
her dress before leaving the glass
»I never saw you look so well before Yes Ill tell you when you looked
like it that night a year and a half ago when you came in so wildlike and
scolded us for making remarks about you and Mr Troy«
»Everybody will think that I am setting myself to captivate Mr Boldwood I
suppose« she murmured »At least theyll say so Cant my hair be brushed down
a little flatter I dread going yet I dread the risk of wounding him by
staying away«
»Anyhow maam you cant well be dressed plainer than you are unless you
go in sackcloth at once Tis your excitement is what makes you look so
noticeable tonight«
»I dont know whats the matter I feel wretched at one time and buoyant at
another I wish I could have continued quite alone as I have been for the last
year or so with no hopes and no fears and no pleasure and no grief«
»Now just suppose Mr Boldwood should ask you only just suppose it to
run away with him what would you do maam«
»Liddy none of that« said Bathsheba gravely »Mind I wont hear joking
on any such matter Do you hear«
»I beg pardon maam But knowing what rum things we women be I just said
however I wont speak of it again«
»No marrying for me yet for many a year if ever twill be for reasons
very very different from those you think or others will believe Now get my
cloak for it is time to go«
VI
»Oak« said Boldwood »before you go I want to mention what has been passing in
my mind lately that little arrangement we made about your share in the farm I
mean That share is small too small considering how little I attend to
business now and how much time and thought you give to it Well since the
world is brightening for me I want to show my sense of it by increasing your
proportion in the partnership Ill make a memorandum of the arrangement which
struck me as likely to be convenient for I havent time to talk about it now
and then well discuss it at our leisure My intention is ultimately to retire
from the management altogether and until you can take all the expenditure upon
your shoulders Ill be a sleeping partner in the stock Then if I marry her
and I hope I feel I shall why «
»Pray dont speak of it sir« said Oak hastily »We dont know what may
happen So many upsets may befall ee Theres many a slip as they say and I
would advise you I know youll pardon me this once not to be too sure«
»I know I know But the feeling I have about increasing your share is on
account of what I know of you Oak I have learnt a little about your secret
your interest in her is more than that of bailiff for an employer But you have
behaved like a man and I as a sort of successful rival successful partly
through your goodness of heart should like definitely to show my sense of your
friendship under what must have been a great pain to you«
»O thats not necessary thank ee« said Oak hurriedly »I must get used
to such as that other men have and so shall I«
Oak then left him He was uneasy on Boldwoods account for he saw anew that
this constant passion of the farmer made him not the man he once had been
As Boldwood continued awhile in his room alone ready and dressed to
receive his company the mood of anxiety about his appearance seemed to pass
away and to be succeeded by a deep solemnity He looked out of the window and
regarded the dim outline of the trees upon the sky and the twilight deepening
to darkness
Then he went to a locked closet and took from a locked drawer therein a
small circular case the size of a pillbox and was about to put it into his
pocket But he lingered to open the cover and take a momentary glance inside It
contained a womans fingerring set all the way round with small diamonds and
from its appearance had evidently been recently purchased Boldwoods eyes dwelt
upon its many sparkles a long time though that its material aspect concerned
him little was plain from his manner and mien which were those of a mind
following out the presumed thread of that jewels future history
The noise of wheels at the front of the house became audible Boldwood
closed the box stowed it away carefully in his pocket and went out upon the
landing The old man who was his indoor factotum came at the same moment to the
foot of the stairs
»They be coming sir lots of em afoot and adriving«
»I was coming down this moment Those wheels I heard is it Mrs Troy«
»No sir tis not she yet«
A reserved and sombre expression had returned to Boldwoods face again but
it poorly cloaked his feelings when he pronounced Bathshebas name and his
feverish anxiety continued to show its existence by a galloping motion of his
fingers upon the side of his thigh as he went down the stairs
VII
»How does this cover me« said Troy to Pennyways »Nobody would recognize me
now Im sure«
He was buttoning on a heavy grey overcoat of Noachian cut with cape and
high collar the latter being erect and rigid like a girdling wall and nearly
reaching to the verge of a travelling cap which was pulled down over his ears
Pennyways snuffed the candle and then looked up and deliberately inspected
Troy
»Youve made up your mind to go then« he said
»Made up my mind Yes of course I have«
»Why not write to her Tis a very queer corner that you have got into
sergeant You see all these things will come to light if you go back and they
wont sound well at all Faith if I was you Id even bide as you be a single
man of the name of Francis A good wife is good but the best wife is not so
good as no wife at all Now thats my outspoke mind and Ive been called a
longheaded feller here and there«
»All nonsense« said Troy angrily »There she is with plenty of money and
a house and farm and horses and comfort and here am I living from hand to
mouth a needy adventurer Besides it is no use talking now it is too late
and I am glad of it Ive been seen and recognized here this very afternoon I
should have gone back to her the day after the fair if it hadnt been for you
talking about the law and rubbish about getting a separation and I dont put
it off any longer What the deuce put it into my head to run away at all I
cant think Humbugging sentiment thats what it was But what man on earth
was to know that his wife would be in such a hurry to get rid of his name«
»I should have known it Shes bad enough for anything«
»Pennyways mind who you are talking to«
»Well sergeant all I say is this that if I were you Id go abroad again
where I came from tisnt too late to do it now I wouldnt stir up the
business and get a bad name for the sake of living with her for all that about
your playacting is sure to come out you know although you think otherwise My
eyes and limbs therell be a racket if you go back just now in the middle of
Boldwoods Christmasing«
»Hm yes I expect I shall not be a very welcome guest if he has her
there« said the sergeant with a slight laugh »A sort of Alonzo the Brave and
when I go in the guests will sit in silence and fear and all laughter and
pleasure will be hushed and the lights in the chamber burn blue and the worms
Ugh horrible Ring for some more brandy Pennyways I felt an awful shudder
just then Well what is there besides A stick I must have a walkingstick«
Pennyways now felt himself to be in something of a difficulty for should
Bathsheba and Troy become reconciled it would be necessary to regain her good
opinion if he would secure the patronage of her husband
»I sometimes think she likes you yet and is a good woman at bottom« he
said as a saving sentence »But theres no telling to a certainty from a bodys
outside Well youll do as you like about going of course sergeant and as
for me Ill do as you tell me«
»Now let me see what the time is« said Troy after emptying his glass in
one draught as he stood »Halfpast six oclock I shall not hurry along the
road and shall be there then before nine«
Chapter LIII
Concurritur Horæ Momento
Outside the front of Boldwoods house a group of men stood in the dark with
their faces towards the door which occasionally opened and closed for the
passage of some guest or servant when a golden rod of light would stripe the
ground for the moment and vanish again leaving nothing outside but the glowworm
shine of the pale lamp amid the evergreens over the door
»He was seen in Casterbridge this afternoon so the boy said« one of them
remarked in a whisper »And I for one believe it His body was never found you
know«
»Tis a strange story« said the next »You may depend upont that she knows
nothing about it«
»Not a word«
»Perhaps he dont mean that she shall« said another man
»If hes alive and here in the neighbourhood he means mischief« said the
first »Poor young thing I do pity her if tis true Hell drag her to the
dogs«
»O no hell settle down quiet enough« said one disposed to take a more
hopeful view of the case
»What a fool she must have been ever to have had anything to do with the
man She is so selfwilled and independent too that one is more minded to say
it serves her right than pity her«
»No no I dont hold with ee there She was no otherwise than a girl mind
and how could she tell what the man was made of If tis really true tis too
hard a punishment and more than she ought to hae Hullo whos that« This
was to some footsteps that were heard approaching
»William Smallbury« said a dim figure in the shades coming up and joining
them »Dark as a hedge tonight isnt it I all but missed the plank over the
river athart there in the bottom never did such a thing before in my life Be
ye any of Boldwoods workfolk« He peered into their faces
»Yes all o us We met here a few minutes ago«
»Oh I hear now thats Sam Samway thought I knowed the voice too Going
in«
»Presently But I say William« Samway whispered »have ye heard this
strange tale«
»What that about Sergeant Troy being seen dye mean souls« said
Smallbury also lowering his voice
»Ay in Casterbridge«
»Yes I have Laban Tall named a hint of it to me but now but I dont
think it Hark here Laban comes himself a blieve« A footstep drew near
»Laban«
»Yes tis I« said Tall
»Have ye heard any more about that«
»No« said Tall joining the group »And Im inclined to think wed better
keep quiet If so be tis not true twill flurry her and do her much harm to
repeat it and if so be tis true twill do no good to forestall her time o
trouble God send that it mid be a lie for though Henery Fray and some of em
do speak against her shes never been anything but fair to me Shes hot and
hasty but shes a brave girl wholl never tell a lie however much the truth may
harm her and Ive no cause to wish her evil«
»She never do tell womens little lies thats true and tis a thing that
can be said of very few Ay all the harm she thinks she says to yer face
theres nothing underhand wi her«
They stood silent then every man busied with his own thoughts during which
interval sounds of merriment could be heard within Then the front door again
opened the rays streamed out the wellknown form of Boldwood was seen in the
rectangular area of light the door closed and Boldwood walked slowly down the
path
»Tis master« one of the men whispered as he neared them »Wed better
stand quiet hell go in again directly He would think it unseemly o us to be
loitering here«
Boldwood came on and passed by the men without seeing them they being
under the bushes on the grass He paused leant over the gate and breathed a
long breath They heard low words come from him
»I hope to God shell come or this night will be nothing but misery to me
O my darling my darling why do you keep me in suspense like this«
He said this to himself and they all distinctly heard it Boldwood remained
silent after that and the noise from indoors was again just audible until a
few minutes later light wheels could be distinguished coming down the hill
They drew nearer and ceased at the gate Boldwood hastened back to the door
and opened it and the light shone upon Bathsheba coming up the path
Boldwood compressed his emotion to mere welcome the men marked her light
laugh and apology as she met him he took her into the house and the door
closed again
»Gracious heaven I didnt know it was like that with him« said one of the
men »I thought that fancy of his was over long ago«
»You dont know much of master if you thought that« said Samway
»I wouldnt he should know we heard what a said for the world« remarked a
third
»I wish we had told of the report at once« the first uneasily continued
»More harm may come of this than we know of Poor Mr Boldwood it will be hard
upon en I wish Troy was in Well God forgive me for such a wish A scoundrel
to play a poor wife such tricks Nothing has prospered in Weatherbury since he
came here And now Ive no heart to go in Lets look into Warrens for a few
minutes first shall us neighbours«
Samway Tall and Smallbury agreed to go to Warrens and went out at the
gate the remaining ones entering the house The three soon drew near the
malthouse approaching it from the adjoining orchard and not by way of the
street The pane of glass was illuminated as usual Smallbury was a little in
advance of the rest when pausing he turned suddenly to his companions and
said »Hist See there«
The light from the pane was now perceived to be shining not upon the ivied
wall as usual but upon some object close to the glass It was a human face
»Lets come closer« whispered Samway and they approached on tiptoe There
was no disbelieving the report any longer Troys face was almost close to the
pane and he was looking in Not only was he looking in but he appeared to have
been arrested by a conversation which was in progress in the malthouse the
voices of the interlocutors being those of Oak and the maltster
»The spree is all in her honour isnt it hey« said the old man
»Although he made believe tis only keeping up o Christmas«
»I cannot say« replied Oak
»O tis true enough faith I cannot understand Farmer Boldwood being such a
fool at his time of life as to ho and hanker after thik woman in the way a do
and she not care a bit about en«
The men after recognizing Troys features withdrew across the orchard as
quietly as they had come The air was big with Bathshebas fortunes tonight
every word everywhere concerned her When they were quite out of earshot all by
one instinct paused
»It gave me quite a turn his face« said Tall breathing
»And so it did me« said Samway »Whats to be done«
»I dont see that tis any business of ours« Smallbury murmured dubiously
»But it is Tis a thing which is everybodys business« said Samway »We
know very well that masters on a wrong tack and that shes quite in the dark
and we should let em know at once Laban you know her best youd better go
and ask to speak to her«
»I baint fit for any such thing« said Laban nervously »I should think
William ought to do it if anybody Hes oldest«
»I shall have nothing to do with it« said Smallbury »Tis a ticklish
business altogether Why hell go on to her himself in a few minutes yell
see«
»We dont know that he will Come Laban«
»Very well if I must I must I suppose« Tall reluctantly answered »What
must I say«
»Just ask to see master«
»O no I shant speak to Mr Boldwood If I tell anybody twill be
mistress«
»Very well« said Samway
Laban then went to the door When he opened it the hum of bustle rolled out
as a wave upon a still strand the assemblage being immediately inside the hall
and was deadened to a murmur as he closed it again Each man waited intently
and looked around at the dark tree tops gently rocking against the sky and
occasionally shivering in a slight wind as if he took interest in the scene
which neither did One of them began walking up and down and then came to where
he started from and stopped again with a sense that walking was a thing not
worth doing now
»I should think Laban must have seen mistress by this time« said Smallbury
breaking the silence »Perhaps she wont come and speak to him«
The door opened Tall appeared and joined them
»Well« said both
»I didnt like to ask for her after all« Laban faltered out »They were all
in such a stir trying to put a little spirit into the party Somehow the fun
seems to hang fire though everythings there that a heart can desire and I
couldnt for my soul interfere and throw damp upon it if twas to save my
life I couldnt«
»I suppose we had better all go in together« said Samway gloomily
»Perhaps I may have a chance of saying a word to master«
So the men entered the hall which was the room selected and arranged for
the gathering because of its size The younger men and maids were at last just
beginning a dance Bathsheba had been perplexed how to act for she was not much
more than a slim young maid herself and the weight of stateliness sat heavy
upon her Sometimes she thought she ought not to have come under any
circumstances then she considered what cold unkindness that would have been
and finally resolved upon the middle course of staying for about an hour only
and gliding off unobserved having from the first made up her mind that she
could on no account dance sing or take any active part in the proceedings
Her allotted hour having been passed in chatting and looking on Bathsheba
told Liddy not to hurry herself and went to the small parlour to prepare for
departure which like the hall was decorated with holly and ivy and well
lighted up
Nobody was in the room but she had hardly been there a moment when the
master of the house entered
»Mrs Troy you are not going« he said »Weve hardly begun«
»If youll excuse me I should like to go now«
Her manner was restive for she remembered her promise and imagined what he
was about to say »But as it is not late« she added »I can walk home and
leave my man and Liddy to come when they choose«
»Ive been trying to get an opportunity of speaking to you« said Boldwood
»You know perhaps what I long to say«
Bathsheba silently looked on the floor
»You do give it« he said eagerly
»What« she whispered
»Now thats evasion Why the promise I dont want to intrude upon you at
all or to let it become known to anybody But do give your word A mere
business compact you know between two people who are beyond the influence of
passion« Boldwood knew how false this picture was as regarded himself but he
had proved that it was the only tone in which she would allow him to approach
her »A promise to marry me at the end of five years and threequarters You owe
it to me«
»I feel that I do« said Bathsheba »that is if you demand it But I am a
changed woman an unhappy woman and not not «
»You are still a very beautiful woman« said Boldwood Honesty and pure
conviction suggested the remark unaccompanied by any perception that it might
have been adopted by blunt flattery to soothe and win her
However it had not much effect now for she said in a passionless murmur
which was in itself a proof of her words I have no feeling in the matter at
all And I dont at all know what is right to do in my difficult position and I
have nobody to advise me But I give my promise if I must I give it as the
rendering of a debt conditionally of course on my being a widow
»Youll marry me between five and six years hence«
»Dont press me too hard Ill marry nobody else«
»But surely you will name the time or theres nothing in the promise at
all«
»O I dont know pray let me go« she said her bosom beginning to rise »I
am afraid what to do I want to be just to you and to be that seems to be
wronging myself and perhaps it is breaking the commandments There is
considerable doubt of his death and then it is dreadful let me ask a
solicitor Mr Boldwood if I ought or no«
»Say the words dear one and the subject shall be dismissed a blissful
loving intimacy of six years and then marriage O Bathsheba say them« he
begged in a husky voice unable to sustain the forms of mere friendship any
longer »Promise yourself to me I deserve it indeed I do for I have loved you
more than anybody in the world And if I said hasty words and showed
uncalledfor heat of manner towards you believe me dear I did not mean to
distress you I was in agony Bathsheba and I did not know what I said You
wouldnt let a dog suffer what I have suffered could you but know it Sometimes
I shrink from your knowing what I have felt for you and sometimes I am
distressed that all of it you never will know Be gracious and give up a little
to me when I would give up my life for you«
The trimmings of her dress as they quivered against the light showed how
agitated she was and at last she burst out crying »And youll not press me
about anything more if I say in five or six years« she sobbed when she had
power to frame the words
»Yes then Ill leave it to time«
»Very well If he does not return Ill marry you in six years from this
day if we both live« she said solemnly
»And youll take this as a token from me«
Boldwood had come close to her side and now he clasped one of her hands in
both his own and lifted it to his breast
»What is it Oh I cannot wear a ring« she exclaimed on seeing what he
held »besides I wouldnt have a soul know that its an engagement Perhaps it
is improper Besides we are not engaged in the usual sense are we Dont
insist Mr Boldwood dont« In her trouble at not being able to get her hand
away from him at once she stamped passionately on the floor with one foot and
tears crowded to her eyes again
»It means simply a pledge no sentiment the seal of a practical compact«
he said more quietly but still retaining her hand in his firm grasp »Come
now« And Boldwood slipped the ring on her finger
»I cannot wear it« she said weeping as if her heart would break »You
frighten me almost So wild a scheme Please let me go home«
»Only tonight wear it just tonight to please me«
Bathsheba sat down in a chair and buried her face in her handkerchief
though Boldwood kept her hand yet At length she said in a sort of hopeless
whisper
»Very well then I will tonight if you wish it so earnestly Now loosen
my hand I will indeed I will wear it tonight«
»And it shall be the beginning of a pleasant secret courtship of six years
with a wedding at the end«
»It must be I suppose since you will have it so« she said fairly beaten
into nonresistance
Boldwood pressed her hand and allowed it to drop in her lap »I am happy
now« he said »God bless you«
He left the room and when he thought she might be sufficiently composed
sent one of the maids to her Bathsheba cloaked the effects of the late scene as
she best could followed the girl and in a few moments came downstairs with her
hat and cloak on ready to go To get to the door it was necessary to pass
through the hall and before doing so she paused on the bottom of the staircase
which descended into one corner to take a last look at the gathering
There was no music or dancing in progress just now At the lower end which
had been arranged for the workfolk specially a group conversed in whispers
and with clouded looks Boldwood was standing by the fireplace and he too
though so absorbed in visions arising from her promise that he scarcely saw
anything seemed at that moment to have observed their peculiar manner and
their looks askance
»What is it you are in doubt about men« he said
One of them turned and replied uneasily »It was something Laban heard of
thats all sir«
»News Anybody married or engaged born or dead« inquired the farmer
gaily »Tell it to us Tall One would think from your looks and mysterious ways
that it was something very dreadful indeed«
»O no sir nobody is dead« said Tall
»I wish somebody was« said Samway in a whisper
»What do you say Samway« asked Boldwood somewhat sharply »If you have
anything to say speak out if not get up another dance«
»Mrs Troy has come downstairs« said Samway to Tall »If you want to tell
her you had better do it now«
»Do you know what they mean« the farmer asked Bathsheba across the room
»I dont in the least« said Bathsheba
There was a smart rapping at the door One of the men opened it instantly
and went outside
»Mrs Troy is wanted« he said on returning
»Quite ready« said Bathsheba »Though I didnt tell them to send«
»It is a stranger maam« said the man by the door
»A stranger« she said
»Ask him to come in« said Boldwood
The message was given and Troy wrapped up to his eyes as we have seen him
stood in the doorway
There was an unearthly silence all looking towards the newcomer Those who
had just learnt that he was in the neighbourhood recognized him instantly those
who did not were perplexed Nobody noted Bathsheba She was leaning on the
stairs Her brow had heavily contracted her whole face was pallid her lips
apart her eyes rigidly staring at their visitor
Boldwood was among those who did not notice that he was Troy »Come in come
in« he repeated cheerfully »and drain a Christmas beaker with us stranger«
Troy next advanced into the middle of the room took off his cap turned
down his coatcollar and looked Boldwood in the face Even then Boldwood did
not recognize that the impersonator of Heavens persistent irony towards him
who had once before broken in upon his bliss scourged him and snatched his
delight away had come to do these things a second time Troy began to laugh a
mechanical laugh Boldwood recognized him now
Troy turned to Bathsheba The poor girls wretchedness at this time was
beyond all fancy or narration She had sunk down on the lowest stair and there
she sat her mouth blue and dry and her dark eyes fixed vacantly upon him as
if she wondered whether it were not all a terrible illusion
Then Troy spoke »Bathsheba I come here for you«
She made no reply
»Come home with me come«
Bathsheba moved her feet a little but did not rise
Troy went across to her
»Come madam do you hear what I say« he said peremptorily
A strange voice came from the fireplace a voice sounding far off and
confined as if from a dungeon Hardly a soul in the assembly recognized the
thin tones to be those of Boldwood Sudden despair had transformed him
»Bathsheba go with your husband«
Nevertheless she did not move The truth was that Bathsheba was beyond the
pale of activity and yet not in a swoon She was in a state of mental gutta
serena her mind was for the minute totally deprived of light at the same time
that no obscuration was apparent from without
Troy stretched out his hand to pull her towards him when she quickly shrank
back This visible dread of him seemed to irritate Troy and he seized her arm
and pulled it sharply Whether his grasp pinched her or whether his mere touch
was the cause was never known but at the moment of his seizure she writhed
and gave a quick low scream
The scream had been heard but a few seconds when it was followed by a sudden
deafening report that echoed through the room and stupefied them all The oak
partition shook with the concussion and the place was filled with grey smoke
In bewilderment they turned their eyes to Boldwood At his back as he stood
before the fireplace was a gunrack as is usual in farmhouses constructed to
hold two guns When Bathsheba had cried out in her husbands grasp Boldwoods
face of gnashing despair had changed The veins had swollen and a frenzied look
had gleamed in his eye He had turned quickly taken one of the guns cocked it
and at once discharged it at Troy
Troy fell The distance apart of the two men was so small that the charge of
shot did not spread in the least but passed like a bullet into his body He
uttered a long guttural sigh there was a contraction an extension then his
muscles relaxed and he lay still
Boldwood was seen through the smoke to be now again engaged with the gun It
was doublebarrelled and he had meanwhile in some way fastened his
handkerchief to the trigger and with his foot on the other end was in the act
of turning the second barrel upon himself Samway his man was the first to see
this and in the midst of the general horror darted up to him Boldwood had
already twitched the handkerchief and the gun exploded a second time sending
its contents by a timely blow from Samway into the beam which crossed the
ceiling
»Well it makes no difference« Boldwood gasped »There is another way for
me to die«
Then he broke from Samway crossed the room to Bathsheba and kissed her
hand He put on his hat opened the door and went into the darkness nobody
thinking of preventing him
Chapter LIV
After the Shock
Boldwood passed into the high road and turned in the direction of Casterbridge
Here he walked at an even steady pace over Yalbury Hill along the dead level
beyond mounted Mellstock Hill and between eleven and twelve oclock crossed
the Moor into the town The streets were nearly deserted now and the waving
lampflames only lighted up rows of grey shopshutters and strips of white
paving upon which his step echoed as he passed along He turned to the right
and halted before an archway of heavy stonework which was closed by an
ironstudded pair of doors This was the entrance to the gaol and over it a
lamp was fixed the light enabling the wretched traveller to find a bellpull
The small wicket at last opened and a porter appeared Boldwood stepped
forward and said something in a low tone when after a delay another man
came Boldwood entered and the door was closed behind him and he walked the
world no more
Long before this time Weatherbury had been thoroughly aroused and the wild
deed which had terminated Boldwoods merrymaking became known to all Of those
out of the house Oak was one of the first to hear of the catastrophe and when
he entered the room which was about five minutes after Boldwoods exit the
scene was terrible All the female guests were huddled aghast against the walls
like sheep in a storm and the men were bewildered as to what to do As for
Bathsheba she had changed She was sitting on the floor beside the body of
Troy his head pillowed in her lap where she had herself lifted it With one
hand she held her handkerchief to his breast and covered the wound though
scarcely a single drop of blood had flowed and with the other she tightly
clasped one of his The household convulsion had made her herself again The
temporary coma had ceased and activity had come with the necessity for it
Deeds of endurance which seem ordinary in philosophy are rare in conduct and
Bathsheba was astonishing all around her now for her philosophy was her
conduct and she seldom thought practicable what she did not practise She was
of the stuff of which great mens mothers are made She was indispensable to
high generation hated at tea parties feared in shops and loved at crises
Troy recumbent in his wifes lap formed now the sole spectacle in the middle of
the spacious room
»Gabriel« she said automatically when he entered turning up a face of
which only the well lines remained to tell him it was hers all else in the
picture having faded quite »Ride to Casterbridge instantly for a surgeon It
is I believe useless but go Mr Boldwood has shot my husband«
Her statement of the fact in such quiet and simple words came with more
force than a tragic declamation and had somewhat the effect of setting the
distorted images in each mind present into proper focus Oak almost before he
had comprehended anything beyond the briefest abstract of the event hurried out
of the room saddled a horse and rode away Not till he had ridden more than a
mile did it occur to him that he would have done better by sending some other
man on this errand remaining himself in the house What had become of Boldwood
He should have been looked after Was he mad had there been a quarrel Then
how had Troy got there Where had he come from How did this remarkable
reappearance effect itself when he was supposed by many to be at the bottom of
the sea Oak had in some measure been prepared for the presence of Troy by
hearing a rumour of his return just before entering Boldwoods house but before
he had weighed that information this fatal event had been superimposed
However it was too late now to think of sending another messenger and he rode
on in the excitement of these selfinquiries not discerning when about three
miles from Casterbridge a squarefigured pedestrian passing along under the
dark hedge in the same direction as his own
The miles necessary to be traversed and other hindrances incidental to the
lateness of the hour and the darkness of the night delayed the arrival of Mr
Aldritch the surgeon and more than three hours passed between the time at
which the shot was fired and that of his entering the house Oak was
additionally detained in Casterbridge through having to give notice to the
authorities of what had happened and he then found that Boldwood had also
entered the town and delivered himself up
In the meantime the surgeon having hastened into the hall at Boldwoods
found it in darkness and quite deserted He went on to the back of the house
where he discovered in the kitchen an old man of whom he made inquiries
»Shes had him took away to her own house sir« said his informant
»Who has« said the doctor
»Mrs Troy A was quite dead sir«
This was astonishing information »She had no right to do that« said the
doctor »There will have to be an inquest and she should have waited to know
what to do«
»Yes sir it was hinted to her that she had better wait till the law was
known But she said law was nothing to her and she wouldnt let her dear
husbands corpse bide neglected for folks to stare at for all the crowners in
England«
Mr Aldritch drove at once back again up the hill to Bathshebas The first
person he met was poor Liddy who seemed literally to have dwindled smaller in
these few latter hours »What has been done« he said
»I dont know sir« said Liddy with suspended breath »My mistress has
done it all«
»Where is she«
»Upstairs with him sir When he was brought home and taken upstairs she
said she wanted no further help from the men And then she called me and made
me fill the bath and after that told me I had better go and lie down because I
looked so ill Then she locked herself into the room alone with him and would
not let a nurse come in or anybody at all But I thought Id wait in the next
room in case she should want me I heard her moving about inside for more than
an hour but she only came out once and that was for more candles because hers
had burnt down into the socket She said we were to let her know when you or Mr
Thirdly came sir«
Oak entered with the parson at this moment and they all went upstairs
together preceded by Liddy Smallbury Everything was silent as the grave when
they paused on the landing Liddy knocked and Bathshebas dress was heard
rustling across the room the key turned in the lock and she opened the door
Her looks were calm and nearly rigid like a slightly animated bust of
Melpomene
»Oh Mr Aldritch you have come at last« she murmured from her lips
merely and threw back the door »Ah and Mr Thirdly Well all is done and
anybody in the world may see him now« She then passed by him crossed the
landing and entered another room
Looking into the chamber of death she had vacated they saw by the light of
the candles which were on the drawers a tall straight shape lying at the further
end of the bedroom wrapped in white Everything around was quite orderly The
doctor went in and after a few minutes returned to the landing again where Oak
and the parson still waited
»It is all done indeed as she says« remarked Mr Aldritch in a subdued
voice »The body has been undressed and properly laid out in grave clothes
Gracious Heaven this mere girl She must have the nerve of a stoic«
»The heart of a wife merely« floated in a whisper about the ears of the
three and turning they saw Bathsheba in the midst of them Then as if at that
instant to prove that her fortitude had been more of will than of spontaneity
she silently sank down between them and was a shapeless heap of drapery on the
floor The simple consciousness that superhuman strain was no longer required
had at once put a period to her power to continue it
They took her away into a further room and the medical attendance which had
been useless in Troys case was invaluable in Bathshebas who fell into a
series of faintingfits that had a serious aspect for a time The sufferer was
got to bed and Oak finding from the bulletins that nothing really dreadful was
to be apprehended on her score left the house Liddy kept watch in Bathshebas
chamber where she heard her mistress moaning in whispers through the dull slow
hours of that wretched night »O it is my fault how can I live O Heaven how
can I live«
Chapter LV
The March Following Bathsheba Boldwood
We pass rapidly on into the month of March to a breezy day without sunshine
frost or dew On Yalbury Hill about midway between Weatherbury and
Casterbridge where the turnpike road passes over the crest a numerous
concourse of people had gathered the eyes of the greater number being
frequently stretched afar in a northerly direction The groups consisted of a
throng of idlers a party of javelinmen and two trumpeters and in the midst
were carriages one of which contained the high sheriff With the idlers many
of whom had mounted to the top of a cutting formed for the road were several
Weatherbury men and boys among others Poorgrass Coggan and Cain Ball
At the end of halfanhour a faint dust was seen in the expected quarter
and shortly after a travellingcarriage bringing one of the two judges on the
Western Circuit came up the hill and halted on the top The judge changed
carriages whilst a flourish was blown by the bigcheeked trumpeters and a
procession being formed of the vehicles and javelinmen they all proceeded
towards the town excepting the Weatherbury men who as soon as they had seen
the judge move off returned home again to their work
»Joseph I zeed you squeezing close to the carriage« said Coggan as they
walked »Did ye notice my lord judges face«
»I did« said Poorgrass »I looked hard at en as if I would read his very
soul and there was mercy in his eyes or to speak with the exact truth
required of us at this solemn time in the eye that was towards me«
»Well I hope for the best« said Coggan »though bad that must be However
I shant go to the trial and Id advise the rest of ye that baint wanted to
bide away Twill disturb his mind more than anything to see us there staring at
him as if he were a show«
»The very thing I said this morning« observed Joseph »Justice is come to
weigh him in the balances I said in my reflectious way and if hes found
wanting so be it unto him and a bystander said Hear hear A man who can talk
like that ought to be heard But I dont like dwelling upon it for my few words
are my few words and not much though the speech of some men is rumoured abroad
as though by nature formed for such«
»So tis Joseph And now neighbours as I said every man bide at home«
The resolution was adhered to and all waited anxiously for the news next
day Their suspense was diverted however by a discovery which was made in the
afternoon throwing more light on Boldwoods conduct and condition than any
details which had preceded it
That he had been from the time of Greenhill Fair until the fatal Christmas
Eve in excited and unusual moods was known to those who had been intimate with
him but nobody imagined that there had shown in him unequivocal symptoms of the
mental derangement which Bathsheba and Oak alone of all others and at different
times had momentarily suspected In a locked closet was now discovered an
extraordinary collection of articles There were several sets of ladies dresses
in the piece of sundry expensive materials silks and satins poplins and
velvets all of colours which from Bathshebas style of dress might have been
judged to be her favourites There were two muffs sable and ermine Above all
there was a case of jewellery containing four heavy gold bracelets and several
lockets and rings all of fine quality and manufacture These things had been
bought in Bath and other towns from time to time and brought home by stealth
They were all carefully packed in paper and each package was labelled Bathsheba
Boldwood a date being subjoined six years in advance in every instance
These somewhat pathetic evidences of a mind crazed with care and love were
the subject of discourse in Warrens malthouse when Oak entered from
Casterbridge with tidings of the sentence He came in the afternoon and his
face as the kiln glow shone upon it told the tale sufficiently well Boldwood
as every one supposed he would do had pleaded guilty and had been sentenced to
death
The conviction that Boldwood had not been morally responsible for his later
acts now became general Facts elicited previous to the trial had pointed
strongly in the same direction but they had not been of sufficient weight to
lead to an order for an examination into the state of Boldwoods mind It was
astonishing now that a presumption of insanity was raised how many collateral
circumstances were remembered to which a condition of mental disease seemed to
afford the only explanation among others the unprecedented neglect of his
corn stacks in the previous summer
A petition was addressed to the Home Secretary advancing the circumstances
which appeared to justify a request for a reconsideration of the sentence It
was not numerously signed by the inhabitants of Casterbridge as is usual in
such cases for Boldwood had never made many friends over the counter The shops
thought it very natural that a man who by importing direct from the producer
had daringly set aside the first great principle of provincial existence
namely that God made country villages to supply customers to country towns
should have confused ideas about the Decalogue The prompters were a few
merciful men who had perhaps too feelingly considered the facts latterly
unearthed and the result was that evidence was taken which it was hoped might
remove the crime in a moral point of view out of the category of wilful
murder and lead it to be regarded as a sheer outcome of madness
The upshot of the petition was waited for in Weatherbury with solicitous
interest The execution had been fixed for eight oclock on a Saturday morning
about a fortnight after the sentence was passed and up to Friday afternoon no
answer had been received At that time Gabriel came from Casterbridge Gaol
whither he had been to wish Boldwood goodbye and turned down a bystreet to
avoid the town When past the last house he heard a hammering and lifting his
bowed head he looked back for a moment Over the chimneys he could see the upper
part of the gaol entrance rich and glowing in the afternoon sun and some
moving figures were there They were carpenters lifting a post into a vertical
position within the parapet He withdrew his eyes quickly and hastened on
It was dark when he reached home and half the village was out to meet him
»No tidings« Gabriel said wearily »And Im afraid theres no hope Ive
been with him more than two hours«
»Do ye think he really was out of his mind when he did it« said Smallbury
»I cant honestly say that I do« Oak replied »However that we can talk of
another time Has there been any change in mistress this afternoon«
»None at all«
»Is she downstairs«
»No And getting on so nicely as she was too Shes but very little better
now again than she was at Christmas She keeps on asking if you be come and if
theres news till ones wearied out wi answering her Shall I go and say
youve come«
»No« said Oak »Theres a chance yet but I couldnt stay in town any
longer after seeing him too So Laban Laban is here isnt he«
»Yes« said Tall
»What Ive arranged is that you shall ride to town the last thing tonight
leave here about nine and wait a while there getting home about twelve If
nothing has been received by eleven tonight they say theres no chance at
all«
»I do so hope his life will be spared« said Liddy »If it is not shell go
out of her mind too Poor thing her sufferings have been dreadful she deserves
anybodys pity«
»Is she altered much« said Coggan
»If you havent seen poor mistress since Christmas you wouldnt know her«
said Liddy »Her eyes are so miserable that shes not the same woman Only two
years ago she was a romping girl and now shes this«
Laban departed as directed and at eleven oclock that night several of the
villagers strolled along the road to Casterbridge and awaited his arrival
among them Oak and nearly all the rest of Bathshebas men Gabriels anxiety
was great that Boldwood might be saved even though in his conscience he felt
that he ought to die for there had been qualities in the farmer which Oak
loved At last when they all were weary the tramp of a horse was heard in the
distance
First dead as if on turf it trode
Then clattering on the village road
In other pace than forth he yode
»We shall soon know now one way or other« said Coggan and they all stepped
down from the bank on which they had been standing into the road and the rider
pranced into the midst of them
»Is that you Laban« said Gabriel
»Yes tis come Hes not to die Tis confinement during Her Majestys
pleasure«
»Hurrah« said Coggan with a swelling heart »Gods above the devil yet«
Chapter LVI
Beauty in Loneliness After All
Bathsheba revived with the spring The utter prostration that had followed the
low fever from which she had suffered diminished perceptibly when all
uncertainty upon every subject had come to an end
But she remained alone now for the greater part of her time and stayed in
the house or at furthest went into the garden She shunned every one even
Liddy and could be brought to make no confidences and to ask for no sympathy
As the summer drew on she passed more of her time in the open air and began
to examine into farming matters from sheer necessity though she never rode out
or personally superintended as at former times One Friday evening in August she
walked a little way along the road and entered the village for the first time
since the sombre event of the preceding Christmas None of the old colour had as
yet come to her cheek and its absolute paleness was heightened by the jet black
of her gown till it appeared preternatural When she reached a little shop at
the other end of the place which stood nearly opposite to the churchyard
Bathsheba heard singing inside the church and she knew that the singers were
practising She crossed the road opened the gate and entered the graveyard
the high sills of the church windows effectually screening her from the eyes of
those gathered within Her stealthy walk was to the nook wherein Troy had worked
at planting flowers upon Fanny Robins grave and she came to the marble
tombstone
A motion of satisfaction enlivened her face as she read the complete
inscription First came the words of Troy himself
ERECTED BY FRANCIS TROY
IN BELOVED MEMORY OF
FANNY ROBIN
WHO DIED OCTOBER 9 18
AGED 20 YEARS
Underneath this was now inscribed in new letters
IN THE SAME GRAVE LIE
THE REMAINS OF THE AFORESAID
FRANCIS TROY
WHO DIED DECEMBER 24TH 18
AGED 26 YEARS
Whilst she stood and read and meditated the tones of the organ began again in
the church and she went with the same light step round to the porch and
listened The door was closed and the choir was learning a new hymn Bathsheba
was stirred by emotions which latterly she had assumed to be altogether dead
within her The little attenuated voices of the children brought to her ear in
distinct utterance the words they sang without thought or comprehension
Lead kindly Light amid the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on
Bathshebas feeling was always to some extent dependent upon her whim as is the
case with many other women Something big came into her throat and an uprising
to her eyes and she thought that she would allow the imminent tears to flow if
they wished They did flow and plenteously and one fell upon the stone bench
beside her Once that she had begun to cry for she hardly knew what she could
not leave off for crowding thoughts she knew too well She would have given
anything in the world to be as those children were unconcerned at the meaning
of their words because too innocent to feel the necessity for any such
expression All the impassioned scenes of her brief experience seemed to revive
with added emotion at that moment and those scenes which had been without
emotion during enactment had emotion then Yet grief came to her rather as a
luxury than as the scourge of former times
Owing to Bathshebas face being buried in her hands she did not notice a
form which came quietly into the porch and on seeing her first moved as if to
retreat then paused and regarded her Bathsheba did not raise her head for some
time and when she looked round her face was wet and her eyes drowned and dim
»Mr Oak« exclaimed she disconcerted »how long have you been here«
»A few minutes maam« said Oak respectfully
»Are you going in« said Bathsheba and there came from within the church as
from a prompter
I loved the garish day and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will remember not past years
»I was« said Gabriel »I am one of the bass singers you know I have sung bass
for several months«
»Indeed I wasnt aware of that Ill leave you then«
Which I have loved long since and lost awhile
sang the children
»Dont let me drive you away mistress I think I wont go in tonight«
»O no you dont drive me away«
Then they stood in a state of some embarrassment Bathsheba trying to wipe
her dreadfully drenched and inflamed face without his noticing her At length
Oak said »Ive not seen you I mean spoken to you since ever so long have
I« But he feared to bring distressing memories back and interrupted himself
with »Were you going into church«
»No« she said »I came to see the tombstone privately to see if they had
cut the inscription as I wished Mr Oak you neednt mind speaking to me if
you wish to on the matter which is in both our minds at this moment«
»And have they done it as you wished« said Oak
»Yes Come and see it if you have not already«
So together they went and read the tomb »Eight months ago« Gabriel
murmured when he saw the date »It seems like yesterday to me«
»And to me as if it were years ago long years and I had been dead
between And now I am going home Mr Oak«
Oak walked after her »I wanted to name a small matter to you as soon as I
could« he said with hesitation »Merely about business and I think I may just
mention it now if youll allow me«
»O yes certainly«
»It is that I may soon have to give up the management of your farm Mrs
Troy The fact is I am thinking of leaving England not yet you know next
spring«
»Leaving England« she said in surprise and genuine disappointment »Why
Gabriel what are you going to do that for«
»Well Ive thought it best« Oak stammered out »California is the spot
Ive had in my mind to try«
»But it is understood everywhere that you are going to take poor Mr
Boldwoods farm on your own account«
»Ive had the refusal o it tis true but nothing is settled yet and I
have reasons for giving up I shall finish out my year there as manager for the
trustees but no more«
»And what shall I do without you Oh Gabriel I dont think you ought to go
away Youve been with me so long through bright times and dark times such
old friends as we are that it seems unkind almost I had fancied that if you
leased the other farm as master you might still give a helping look across at
mine And now going away«
»I would have willingly«
»Yet now that I am more helpless than ever you go away«
»Yes thats the ill fortune o it« said Gabriel in a distressed tone
»And it is because of that very helplessness that I feel bound to go Good
afternoon maam« he concluded in evident anxiety to get away and at once
went out of the churchyard by a path she could follow on no pretence whatever
Bathsheba went home her mind occupied with a new trouble which being
rather harassing than deadly was calculated to do good by diverting her from the
chronic gloom of her life She was set thinking a great deal about Oak and of
his wish to shun her and there occurred to Bathsheba several incidents of her
latter intercourse with him which trivial when singly viewed amounted
together to a perceptible disinclination for her society It broke upon her at
length as a great pain that her last old disciple was about to forsake her and
flee He who had believed in her and argued on her side when all the rest of the
world was against her had at last like the others become weary and neglectful
of the old cause and was leaving her to fight her battles alone
Three weeks went on and more evidence of his want of interest in her was
forthcoming She noticed that instead of entering the small parlour or office
where the farm accounts were kept and waiting or leaving a memorandum as he
had hitherto done during her seclusion Oak never came at all when she was
likely to be there only entering at unseasonable hours when her presence in
that part of the house was least to be expected Whenever he wanted directions
he sent a message or note with neither heading nor signature to which she was
obliged to reply in the same offhand style Poor Bathsheba began to suffer now
from the most torturing sting of all a sensation that she was despised
The autumn wore away gloomily enough amid these melancholy conjectures and
Christmasday came completing a year of her legal widowhood and two years and
a quarter of her life alone On examining her heart it appeared beyond measure
strange that the subject of which the season might have been supposed suggestive
the event in the hall at Boldwoods was not agitating her at all but
instead an agonizing conviction that everybody abjured her for what she could
not tell and that Oak was the ringleader of the recusants Coming out of
church that day she looked round in hope that Oak whose bass voice she had
heard rolling out from the gallery overhead in a most unconcerned manner might
chance to linger in her path in the old way There he was as usual coming down
the path behind her But on seeing Bathsheba turn he looked aside and as soon
as he got beyond the gate and there was the barest excuse for a divergence he
made one and vanished
The next morning brought the culminating stroke she had been expecting it
long It was a formal notice by letter from him that he should not renew his
engagement with her for the following Ladyday
Bathsheba actually sat and cried over this letter most bitterly She was
aggrieved and wounded that the possession of hopeless love from Gabriel which
she had grown to regard as her inalienable right for life should have been
withdrawn just at his own pleasure in this way She was bewildered too by the
prospect of having to rely on her own resources again it seemed to herself that
she never could again acquire energy sufficient to go to market barter and
sell Since Troys death Oak had attended all sales and fairs for her
transacting her business at the same time with his own What should she do now
Her life was becoming a desolation
So desolate was Bathsheba this evening that in an absolute hunger for pity
and sympathy and miserable in that she appeared to have outlived the only true
friendship she had ever owned she put on her bonnet and cloak and went down to
Oaks house just after sunset guided on her way by the pale primrose rays of a
crescent moon a few days old
A lively firelight shone from the window but nobody was visible in the
room She tapped nervously and then thought it doubtful if it were right for a
single woman to call upon a bachelor who lived alone although he was her
manager and she might be supposed to call on business without any real
impropriety Gabriel opened the door and the moon shone upon his forehead
»Mr Oak« said Bathsheba faintly
»Yes I am Mr Oak« said Gabriel »Who have I the honour O how stupid of
me not to know you mistress«
»I shall not be your mistress much longer shall I Gabriel« she said in
pathetic tones
»Well no I suppose But come in maam Oh and Ill get a light« Oak
replied with some awkwardness
»No not on my account«
»It is so seldom that I get a lady visitor that Im afraid I havent proper
accommodation Will you sit down please Heres a chair and theres one too
I am sorry that my chairs all have wood seats and are rather hard but I was
thinking of getting some new ones« Oak placed two or three for her
»They are quite easy enough for me«
So down she sat and down sat he the fire dancing in their faces and upon
the old furniture
all asheenen
Wi long years o handlen4
that formed Oaks array of household possessions which sent back a dancing
reflection in reply It was very odd to these two persons who knew each other
passing well that the mere circumstance of their meeting in a new place and in
a new way should make them so awkward and constrained In the fields or at her
house there had never been any embarrassment but now that Oak had become the
entertainer their lives seemed to be moved back again to the days when they were
strangers
»Youll think it strange that I have come but «
»O no not at all«
»But I thought Gabriel I have been uneasy in the belief that I have
offended you and that you are going away on that account It grieved me very
much and I couldnt help coming«
»Offended me As if you could do that Bathsheba«
»Havent I« she asked gladly »But what are you going away for else«
»I am not going to emigrate you know I wasnt aware that you would wish me
not to when I told ee or I shouldnt have thought of doing it« he said
simply »I have arranged for Little Weatherbury Farm and shall have it in my
own hands at Ladyday You know Ive had a share in it for some time Still
that wouldnt prevent my attending to your business as before hadnt it been
that things have been said about us«
»What« said Bathsheba in surprise »Things said about you and me What are
they«
»I cannot tell you«
»It would be wiser if you were to I think You have played the part of
mentor to me many times and I dont see why you should fear to do it now«
»It is nothing that you have done this time The top and tail ot is this
that Im sniffing about here and waiting for poor Boldwoods farm with a
thought of getting you some day«
»Getting me What does that mean«
»Marrying of ee in plain British You asked me to tell so you mustnt
blame me«
Bathsheba did not look quite so alarmed as if a cannon had been discharged
by her ear which was what Oak had expected »Marrying me I didnt know it was
that you meant« she said quietly »Such a thing as that is too absurd too
soon to think of by far«
»Yes of course it is too absurd I dont desire any such thing I should
think that was plain enough by this time Surely surely you be the last person
in the world I think of marrying It is too absurd as you say«
»Too sssoon were the words I used«
»I must beg your pardon for correcting you but you said too absurd and so
do I«
»I beg your pardon too« she returned with tears in her eyes »Too soon was
what I said But it doesnt matter a bit not at all but I only meant too
soon Indeed I didnt Mr Oak and you must believe me«
Gabriel looked her long in the face but the firelight being faint there was
not much to be seen »Bathsheba« he said tenderly and in surprise and coming
closer »If I only knew one thing whether you would allow me to love you and
win you and marry you after all If I only knew that«
»But you never will know« she murmured
»Why«
»Because you never ask«
»Oh Oh« said Gabriel with a low laugh of joyousness »My own dear «
»You ought not to have sent me that harsh letter this morning« she
interrupted »It shows you didnt care a bit about me and were ready to desert
me like all the rest of them It was very cruel of you considering I was the
first sweetheart that you ever had and you were the first I ever had and I
shall not forget it«
»Now Bathsheba was ever anybody so provoking« he said laughing »You
know it was purely that I as an unmarried man carrying on a business for you
as a very taking young woman had a proper hard part to play more particular
that people knew I had a sort of feeling for ee and I fancied from the way we
were mentioned together that it might injure your good name Nobody knows the
heat and fret I have been caused by it«
»And was that all«
»All«
»O how glad I am I came« she exclaimed thankfully as she rose from her
seat »I have thought so much more of you since I fancied you did not want even
to see me again But I must be going now or I shall be missed Why Gabriel«
she said with a slight laugh as they went to the door »it seems exactly as if
I had come courting you how dreadful«
»And quite right too« said Oak »Ive danced at your skittish heels my
beautiful Bathsheba for many a long mile and many a long day and it is hard
to begrudge me this one visit«
He accompanied her up the hill explaining to her the details of his
forthcoming tenure of the other farm They spoke very little of their mutual
feelings pretty phrases and warm expressions being probably unnecessary between
such tried friends Theirs was that substantial affection which arises if any
arises at all when the two who are thrown together begin first by knowing the
rougher sides of each others character and not the best till further on the
romance growing up in the interstices of a mass of hard prosaic reality This
goodfellowship camaraderie usually occurring through similarity of
pursuits is unfortunately seldom superadded to love between the sexes because
men and women associate not in their labours but in their pleasures merely
Where however happy circumstance permits its development the compounded
feeling proves itself to be the only love which is strong as death that love
which many waters cannot quench nor the floods drown beside which the passion
usually called by the name is evanescent as steam
Chapter LVII
A Foggy Night and Morning Conclusion
»The most private secret plainest wedding that it is possible to have«
Those had been Bathshebas words to Oak one evening some time after the
event of the preceding chapter and he meditated a full hour by the clock upon
how to carry out her wishes to the letter
»A license O yes it must be a license« he said to himself at last »Very
well then first a license«
On a dark night a few days later Oak came with mysterious steps from the
surrogates door in Casterbridge On the way home he heard a heavy tread in
front of him and overtaking the man found him to be Coggan They walked
together into the village until they came to a little lane behind the church
leading down to the cottage of Laban Tall who had lately been installed as
clerk of the parish and was yet in mortal terror at church on Sundays when he
heard his lone voice among certain hard words of the Psalms whither no man
ventured to follow him
»Well goodnight Coggan« said Oak »Im going down this way«
»Oh« said Coggan surprised »whats going on tonight then make so bold
Mr Oak«
It seemed rather ungenerous not to tell Coggan under the circumstances for
Coggan had been true as steel all through the time of Gabriels unhappiness
about Bathsheba and Gabriel said »You can keep a secret Coggan«
»Youve proved me and you know«
»Yes I have and I do know Well then mistress and I mean to get married
tomorrow morning«
»Heavens high tower And yet Ive thought of such a thing from time to
time true I have But keeping it so close Well there tis no consarn of
mine and I wish ee joy o her«
»Thank you Coggan But I assure ee that this great hush is not what I
wished for at all or what either of us would have wished if it hadnt been for
certain things that would make a gay wedding seem hardly the thing Bathsheba
has a great wish that all the parish shall not be in church looking at her
shes shylike and nervous about it in fact so I be doing this to humour
her«
»Ay I see quite right too I suppose I must say And you be now going
down to the clerk«
»Yes you may as well come with me«
»I am afeard your labour in keeping it close will be throwed away« said
Coggan as they walked along »Labe Talls old woman will horn it all over
parish in halfanhour«
»So she will upon my life I never thought of that« said Oak pausing
»Yet I must tell him tonight I suppose for hes working so far off and
leaves early«
»Ill tell ee how we could tackle her« said Coggan »Ill knock and ask to
speak to Laban outside the door you standing in the background Then hell come
out and you can tell yer tale Shell never guess what I want en for and Ill
make up a few words about the farmwork as a blind«
This scheme was considered feasible and Coggan advanced boldly and rapped
at Mrs Talls door Mrs Tall herself opened it
»I wanted to have a word with Laban«
»Hes not at home and wont be this side of eleven oclock Heve been
forced to go over to Yalbury since shutting out work I shall do quite as well«
»I hardly think you will Stop a moment« and Coggan stepped round the
corner of the porch to consult Oak
»Whos tother man then« said Mrs Tall
»Only a friend« said Coggan
»Say hes wanted to meet mistress near churchhatch tomorrow morning at
ten« said Oak in a whisper »That he must come without fail and wear his best
clothes«
»The clothes will floor us as safe as houses« said Coggan
»It cant be helped« said Oak »Tell her«
So Coggan delivered the message »Mind het or wet blow or snow he must
come« added Jan »Tis very particular indeed The fact is tis to witness
her sign some lawwork about taking shares wi another farmer for a long span o
years There thats what tis and now Ive told ee Mother Tall in a way I
shouldnt ha done if I hadnt loved ee so hopeless well«
Coggan retired before she could ask any further and next they called at the
vicars in a manner which excited no curiosity at all Then Gabriel went home
and prepared for the morrow
»Liddy« said Bathsheba on going to bed that night »I want you to call me at
seven oclock tomorrow in case I shouldnt wake«
»But you always do wake afore then maam«
»Yes but I have something important to do which Ill tell you of when the
time comes and its best to make sure«
Bathsheba however awoke voluntarily at four nor could she by any
contrivance get to sleep again About six being quite positive that her watch
had stopped during the night she could wait no longer She went and tapped at
Liddys door and after some labour awoke her
»But I thought it was I who had to call you« said the bewildered Liddy
»And it isnt six yet«
»Indeed it is how can you tell such a story Liddy I know it must be ever
so much past seven Come to my room as soon as you can I want you to give my
hair a good brushing«
When Liddy came to Bathshebas room her mistress was already waiting Liddy
could not understand this extraordinary promptness »Whatever is going on
maam« she said
»Well Ill tell you« said Bathsheba with a mischievous smile in her
bright eyes »Farmer Oak is coming here to dine with me today«
»Farmer Oak and nobody else you two alone«
»Yes«
»But is it safe maam after whats been said« asked her companion
dubiously »A womans good name is such a perishable article that «
Bathsheba laughed with a flushed cheek and whispered in Liddys ear
although there was nobody present Then Liddy stared and exclaimed »Souls
alive what news It makes my heart go quite bumpitybump«
»It makes mine rather furious too« said Bathsheba »However theres no
getting out of it now«
It was a damp disagreeable morning Nevertheless at twenty minutes to ten
oclock Oak came out of his house and
Went up the hill side
With that sort of stride
A man puts out when walking in search of a bride
and knocked at Bathshebas door Ten minutes later a large and a smaller
umbrella might have been seen moving from the same door and through the mist
along the road to the church The distance was not more than a quarter of a
mile and these two sensible persons deemed it unnecessary to drive An observer
must have been very close indeed to discover that the forms under the umbrellas
were those of Oak and Bathsheba arminarm for the first time in their lives
Oak in a greatcoat extending to his knees and Bathsheba in a cloak that reached
her clogs Yet though so plainly dressed there was a certain rejuvenated
appearance about her
As though a rose should shut and be a bud again
Repose had again incarnadined her cheeks and having at Gabriels request
arranged her hair this morning as she had worn it years ago on Norcombe Hill
she seemed in his eyes remarkably like the girl of that fascinating dream
which considering that she was now only three or fourandtwenty was perhaps
not very wonderful In the church were Tall Liddy and the parson and in a
remarkably short space of time the deed was done
The two sat down very quietly to tea in Bathshebas parlour in the evening
of the same day for it had been arranged that Farmer Oak should go there to
live since he had as yet neither money house nor furniture worthy of the
name though he was on a sure way towards them whilst Bathsheba was
comparatively in a plethora of all three
Just as Bathsheba was pouring out a cup of tea their ears were greeted by
the firing of a cannon followed by what seemed like a tremendous blowing of
trumpets in the front of the house
»There« said Oak laughing »I knew those fellows were up to something by
the look on their faces«
Oak took up the light and went into the porch followed by Bathsheba with a
shawl over her head The rays fell upon a group of male figures gathered upon
the gravel in front who when they saw the newlymarried couple in the porch
set up a loud »Hurrah« and at the same moment bang again went the cannon in the
background followed by a hideous clang of music from a drum tambourine
clarionet serpent hautboy tenorviol and doublebass the only remaining
relics of the true and original Weatherbury band venerable wormeaten
instruments which had celebrated in their own persons the victories of
Marlborough under the fingers of the forefathers of those who played them now
The performers came forward and marched up to the front
»Those bright boys Mark Clark and Jan are at the bottom of all this« said
Oak »Come in souls and have something to eat and drink wi me and my wife«
»Not tonight« said Mr Clark with evident selfdenial »Thank ye all the
same but well call at a more seemly time However we couldnt think of
letting the day pass without a note of admiration of some sort If ye could send
a drop of somat down to Warrens why so it is Heres long life and happiness
to neighbour Oak and his comely bride«
»Thank ye thank ye all« said Gabriel »A bit and a drop shall be sent to
Warrens for ye at once I had a thought that we might very likely get a salute
of some sort from our old friends and I was saying so to my wife but now«
»Faith« said Coggan in a critical tone turning to his companions »the
man hev learnt to say my wife in a wonderful naterel way considering how very
youthful he is in wedlock as yet hey neighbours all«
»I never heerd a skilful old married feller of twenty years standing pipe
my wife in a more used note than a did« said Jacob Smallbury »It might have
been a little more true to nater ift had been spoke a little chillier but that
wasnt to be expected just now«
»That improvement will come wi time« said Jan twirling his eye
Then Oak laughed and Bathsheba smiled for she never laughed readily now
and their friends turned to go
»Yes I suppose thats the size ot« said Joseph Poorgrass with a cheerful
sigh as they moved away »and I wish him joy o her though I were once or twice
upon saying today with holy Hosea in my scripture manner which is my second
nature Ephraim is joined to idols let him alone But since tis as tis why
it might have been worse and I feel my thanks accordingly«
Notes
1 This is no longer the case 1912
2 This phrase is a conjectural emendation of the unintelligible expression as
the Devil said to the Owl used by the natives
3 The local tower and churchyard do not answer precisely to the foregoing
description
4 W Barnes