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them into the high road leading to Bath. | foolish of you not to know that I had taken Coggan recollected himself. "We shall have him now!" he exclaimed.

"Where?"

"Petiton Turnpike. The keeper of that gate is the sleepiest man between here and London - Dan Randall, that's 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.

"Hoy-a-hoy! Gate!"

It appeared that there had been a previous call which they had not noticed, for on their close approach the door of the turnpike house opened, and the keeper came out half-dressed, with a candle in his hand. The rays illumined the whole group.

Ga

"Keep the gate close!" shouted briel. "He has stolen the horse !" "Who?" said the turnpike man. Gabriel looked at the driver of the gig, and saw a woman Bathsheba, his

tress.

the trap and horse. I could neither wake Maryann nor get into the house, though I hammered for ten minutes against her window-sill. Fortunately, I could get the key of the coach-house, so I troubled no one further. Didn't you think it might be me?"

"Why should we, miss?"

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Perhaps not. Why, those are never Farmer Boldwood's horses! Goodness mercy! what have you been doing. bringing trouble upon me in this way? What! mustn't a lady move an inch from her door without being dogged like a thief?"

"But how were we to know, if you left no account of your doings," expostulated Coggan, "and ladies don't drive at these hours 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 coach-house doors that I had come back for the horse and gig, and driven off; that I could arouse nobody, and should return soon."

"But you'll consider, ma'am, that we couldn't 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 anybody's horses but Mr. Boldwood's."

"Dainty is lame, miss," said Coggan. mis-"Can you go on?"

On hearing his voice she had turned her face away from the light. Coggan had, however, caught sight of her in the meanwhile.

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Why, 'tis mistress- I'll take my oath!" he said, amazed.

"It was only a stone in her shoe. I dismounted 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 gateman's candle shimmering upon her quick, clear Bathsheba it certainly was, and she eyes as she did so passed through the had by this time done the trick she could gate, and was soon wrapped in the emdo so well in crises not of love, namely, bowering shades of mysterious summer mask a surprise by coolness of man-boughs. Coggan and Gabriel put about

ner.

"Well, Gabriel," she enquired quietly, "where are you going?"

their horses, and, fanned by the velvety air of this July night, retraced the road by which they had come.

"We thought- "began Gabriel. "I am driving to Bath," she said, tak-it, ing 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. then, were you following me?"

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We thought the horse was stole." "Well what a thing! How very

"A strange vagary, this of hers, isn't Oak?" said Coggan, curiously.

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'Yes," said Gabriel, shortly. " Coggan, suppose we keep this night's work as quiet as we can ?"

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Very well. We shall be home by three o'clock or so, and can creep into the parish like lambs."

Bathsheba's perturbed meditations by ing. She turned back towards the vilthe roadside had ultimately evolved a lage.

conclusion that there were only two Her walk was slow, for she wished not remedies for the present desperate state to enter Weatherbury till the cottagers of affairs. The first was merely to keep were in bed, and, particularly till BoldTroy away from Weatherbury till Bold- wood was secure. Her plan was now to wood's indignation had cooled; the sec-drive to Bath during the night, see Serond to listen to Oak's entreaties, and geant Troy in the morning before he set Boldwood's denunciations, and give up out to come to her, bid him farewell, and Troy altogether. 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 that she had been to Bath at all.

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 Troy's 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 the dilemma. A letter to keep him away could not reach him in time, even if he should be disposed to listen to it.

This idea she proceeded to carry out, with what 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 Gilpin's 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 oat-harvest began, and all the men were afield under a monochromatic Lammas sky, Was Bathsheba altogether blind to the amid the trembling air and short shadows obvious fact that the support of a lover's of noon. In-doors nothing was to be arms is not of a kind best calculated to heard save the droning of blue-bottle flies; assist a resolve to renounce him? Or out-of-doors the whetting of scythes and was she sophistically sensible, with a the hiss of tressy oat-ears rubbing tothrill of pleasure, that by adopting this gether as their perpendicular stalks of course of getting rid of him she was en-amber-yellow fell heavily to each swath. suring 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 the 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; it was most venturesome for a woman, at night, and alone.

Every drop of moisture not in the men's 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 But could she go on to Liddy's and other women were tying the bundles leave things to take their course? No, (oats being always sheafed on this farm), no, anything but that. Bathsheba was "but an unlucky token came to me infull of a stimulating turbulence, beside doors this morning. I went to unlock which caution vainly prayed for a hear- the door and dropped the key, and it feil

upon the stone floor and broke into two pieces. Breaking a key is a dreadful bodement. I wish mis'ess was home."

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'Tis Cain Ball," said Gabriel, pausing from whetting his reaphook.

thoughts to Bath and letting his eyes follow, "I've seed the world at last - yes - and I've seed our missis ahok-hokhok!"

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"Bother the boy!" said Gabriel. Oak was not bound by his agreement Something is always going the wrong to assist in the corn-field; but the har-way down your throat, so that you can't vest-month is an anxious time for a tell what's necessary to be told." farmer, and the corn was Bathsheba's, so he lent a hand.

"He's dressed up in his best clothes," said Matthew Moon. "He hev been away from home for a few days, since he's had that felon upon his finger; for a' said, since I can't work I'll have a hollerday."

"Ahok! there! Please, Mister Oak, a gnat have just flewed into my stomach, and brought the cough on again!” "Yes, that's 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

Gabriel.

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prompted

"A good time for one- an excellent time," said Joseph Poorgrass, straightening his back; for he, like some of the "I saw our mistress," continued the others, had a way of resting a while from junior shepherd, "and a soldier, walking his labour on such hot days for reasons along. And bymeby they got closer and preternaturally small; of which Cain closer, and then they went arm-in-crook, Ball's advent on a week-day in his Sun-like courting complete - hok-hok! like day clothes was one of the first magni- courting complete hok! courting tude. "'Twas a bad leg allowed me to complete Losing the thread of read the Pilgrim's Progress, and Mark his narrative at this point simultaneously Clark learnt Äll-Fours in a whitlow." with his loss of breath, their informant "Ay, and my father put his arm out of looked up and down the field apparently joint to have time to go courting," said for some clue to it. "Well, I see our Jan Coggan in an eclipsing tone, wiping mis'ess and a soldier - a-ha-a-wk!" his face with his shirt-sleeve and thrust- the boy!" said Gabriel. ing 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 hand 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 are eating? You'll choke yourself some day, that's what you'll do, Cain Ball."

"D

--

"Tis only my manner, Mister Oak, if ye'll excuse it," said Cain Ball, looking reproachfully at Oak, with eyes drenched in their own dew.

--

"Here's some cider for him that'll cure his throat," said Jan Coggan, lifting a flagon of cider, pulling out the cork, and applying the hole to Cainy's mouth; Joseph Poorgrass, in the meantime, beginning to think apprehensively of the serious consequences that would follow Cainy Ball's strangulation in his cough, and the history of his Bath adventure dying with him."

"For my poor self, I always say "Aplease 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."

"Hok-hok-hok!" replied Cain. crumb of my victuals went the wrong way-hok-hok! That's what 'tis, Mister Oak! And I've been visiting to Bath because I had a felon on my thumb; yes, and I've seen - ahok-hok !"

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 penduJum-wise.

"Yes," he continued, directing his VOL. VII. 332

LIVING AGE.

Mr. Coggan poured the liquor with unstinted liberality at the suffering Cain's 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 rarefied cider fog, which for a moment hung in the sunny air like a small exhalation.

"There's a great clumsy sneeze! Why can't ye have beiter manners, you young Sergeant Troy. And they sat there todog! 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 pore lad's cough is terrible unfortunate," said Matthew Moon. "And a great history on hand, too. Bump his back, shepherd."

"Tis my_natur," 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 boy's grandfather a truly nervous and modest man, even to genteel refinement. '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.'

tions. "And I think the soldier was gether for more than half-an-hour, talking moving things, and she once Was crying almost to death. And when they came out her eyes were shining and she was as white as a lily; and they looked into one another's faces, as desperately friendly as a man and woman can be."

"Gabriel's 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 in the shops, and great clouds in the sky, full of rain, and old wooden trees in the country round."

"You stun-poll! What will ye say next!" said Coggan.

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"Let en alone," interposed Joseph Poorgrass. "The boy's 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 knowl"Heh-heh! well, I wish to noise noth-edge of strange cities, and as such the ing abroad nothing at all," murmured boy's words should be suffered, so to Poorgrass diffidently. "But we are born speak it." to things that's true. Yet I would "And the people of Bath," continued rather trifle were hid; though, per- Cain, my never need to light their fires exhaps, a high nature is a little high, and at cept as a luxury, for the water springs my birth all things were possible to my up out of the earth ready boiled for use." Maker and he may have begrudged no "Tis true as the light," testified Matgifts.... But under your bushel, Jo-thew Moon. "I've heard other navigaseph under your bushel with you! A tors say the same thing." 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."

"They drink nothing else there," said Cain, "and seem to enjoy it, to see how they swaller it down."

"Well, it seems a barbarous practice enough to us, but I daresay the natives think nothing of it," said Matthew.

"And don't victuals spring up as well as drink?" asked Coggan, twirling his -the eye.

"Cainy's grandfather was a very clever man," said Matthew Moon. "Invented a apple-tree out of his own head, which is called by his name to this day Early Ball. You know 'em, Jan? A Quarrington grafted on a Tom Putt, and a Rathe-ripe upon top o' that again. 'Tis trew a' used to bide about in a public-house in a way he had no business to by rights, but there'a were a very clever man in the sense of the term." "Now, then," said Gabriel impatiently, “what did you see, Cain ?”

"I seed our mis'ess go into a sort of a park place, where there's seats, and shrubs, and flowers, arm-in-crook with a soldier," continued Cainy firmly, and with a dim sense that his words were very effective as regarded Gabriel's emo

"No I own to a blot there in Bath a true blot. God didn't provide 'em with victuals as well as drink, and 'twas a drawback I couldn't 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.

66

Ay, and she wore a beautiful goldcolour silk gown, trimmed with black lace, that would have stood alone without legs inside if required. 'Twas a very winsome sight; and her hair was brushed

splendid. And when the sun shone upon | I went to High Church in the morning, the bright gown and his red coat-my! and High Chapel in the afternoon." how handsome they looked. You could see 'em all the length of the street."

"And then what?" murmured Gabriel. "And then I went into Griffin's to have my boots hobbed, and then I went to Riggy's batty-cake shop, and asked 'em for a penneth of the cheapest and nicest stales, that were all but blue-mouldy 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 that's nothing to do with mistress!"

"I'm coming to that, if you'll leave me alone, Mister Oak!" remonstrated Cainy. "If you excites me, perhaps you'll bring on my cough, and then I shan't be able to tell ye nothing."

"Yes-let him tell it his own way," said Coggan.

"A right and proper boy," said Joseph Poorgrass.

66

Well, at High Church they pray singing, and believe in all the colours of the rainbow; and at High Chapel they pray preaching, and believe in drab and whitewash only. And then I didn't see no more of Miss Everdene at all."

"Why didn't you say so before, then?" exclaimed Oak, with much disappointment.

"Ah," said Matthew Moon, “she'll wish her cake dough if so be she's over intimate with that man."

"She's not over intimate with him," said Gabriel, indignantly.

"She would know better," said Coggan. "Our mis'ess has too much sense under those knots of black hair to do such a mad thing."

"You see, he's 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."

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 club-walking on White Tuesdays. And I went to grand church- “Now, Cain Ball,” said Gabriel, restes and chapels. And how the parsonlessly, "can you swear in the most awful would pray! Yes, he would kneel down, form that the woman you saw was Miss and put up his hands together, and make Everdene?" the holy gold rings on his fingers gleam and twinkle in yer eyes, that he'd earned by praying so excellent well! - Ah yes, I wish I lived there."

"Cain Ball, you are no longer a babe and suckling," said Joseph in the sepulchral tone the circumstances demanded, "and you know what taking an oath is. "Our poor Parson Thirdly can't get no 'Tis a horrible testament, mind ye, which money to buy such rings," said Matthew you say and seal with your blood-stone, Moon thoughtfully. "And as good a man and the prophet Matthew tells us that on as ever walked. I don't believe poor whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him Thirdly have a single one, even of hum-to powder. Now, before all the workblest tin or copper. Such a great ornament as they'd be to him on a dull afternoon, when he's up in the pulpit lighted by the wax candles! But 'tis impossible, poor man. Ah, to think how unequal things be."

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Perhaps he's made of different stuff than to wear 'em," said Gabriel, grimly. "Well, that's enough of this. Go on, Cainy-quick."

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Óh and the new style of parsons 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 there's two religions going on in the nation now High Church and High Chapel. And, thinks I, I'll play fair; so

folk here assembled can you swear to your word 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 don't mind saying 'tis true, but I don't like to say 'tis dtrue, if that's what you mane.'

"Cain, Cain, how can you!" said Joseph sternly. "You are 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!"

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"No, I don't! 'Tis you want to squander a poor boy's soul, Joseph Poorgrass that's 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 so-help-me truth that ye want to make of it perhaps 'twas somebody else."

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