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‘Gabriel，you are kind to me！Oh why aren't the others here？Don't tell me，I know。 They're all drunk in the barn，aren't they？It was my husband's fault。 Gabriel，I want to tell you something。 ’The soft flashes of the dying lightning showed her face，very white against the black sky。 ‘I care about your good opinion of me，so I want to explain why I went to Bath that night。 It wasn't to marry Troy，it was to break off my relationship with him。 Perhaps you wonder why I married him then？Well，I suppose I must tell you。 It was because he told me he had seen a woman more beautiful than me，and said that if I wanted him as a husband，I must marry him at once！I was wild with love and jealousy，so I married him！’Gabriel did not reply。
‘I'll bring some more straw up to you，shall I？’she offered。
She made several more journeys before he noticed her tired－ness。 ‘I think you'd better go indoors now，’he said，as gently as a mother。 ‘I'll finish the work alone。 ’
‘If I'm useless，I'll go，’said Bathsheba。 ‘But，oh，if you fell…！’
‘You aren't useless，but you're tired。 You've done well。 ’
‘And you've done better，’she said gratefully。 ‘Thank you a thousand times，Gabriel！Goodnight。 ’
She disappeared in the darkness。 He went on thatching in a kind of dream。 She had spoken more warmly to him tonight than she had ever done when she was unmarried and free to speak as warmly as she liked。
The wind changed and became stronger。 At the same time heavy rain started falling。 As Gabriel worked on the top of the ricks，he suddenly remembered that，eight months before，he had been fighting against fire in the same place as desperately as he was fighting against water now—and for love of the same woman，who did not love him。
It was not until seven o'clock in the morning that Gabriel climbed down from the last rick，exhausted and wet to the skin。 He noticed figures coming out of the barn，walking slowly and painfully to their homes。 They all looked ashamed except Troy，who was whistling cheerfully as he entered the farmhouse。 None of them thought of looking at the ricks。
On his way back to Coggan's house，Gabriel met Boldwood。
‘How are you，sir？’asked Gabriel。
150
‘Yes，it's a wet day。 Oh，I'm very well，thank you。 ’
‘You look a little different，sir。 ’
‘No，you're wrong，Oak。 I'm just the same。 Nothing hurts me。 But you look tired。 ’
‘I've been working all night to get our ricks covered。 Never worked so hard in my life！Yours are safe of course，sir？’
‘Oh yes。 ’Boldwood added after a silence，‘What did you ask？’
‘Your ricks are all covered？’
‘No，none of them。 I forgot to tell the men to thatch them。 I expect most of my wheat will be destroyed in this rain。 ’
‘Forgot，’repeated Gabriel to himself。 It was difficult to believe that the most careful farmer in the area would lose all his harvest because of a moment's forgetfulness。 This would never have happened before Boldwood fell in love with Bathsheba。
Boldwood clearly wanted to talk，although it was still raining heavily。 ‘Oak，you knew I wanted to get married。 ’
‘I thought my mistress was going to marry you，’said Gabriel sympathetically。 ‘However，nothing that we expect ever happens。 ’
He spoke with the calmness of a man used to disaster。
‘Perhaps the villagers laugh at me，’said Boldwood with a pretended lightness。
‘Oh no，I don't think so。 ’
‘But the truth is that we were never engaged，so she never broke off the engagement，you see。 ’But Boldwood could not remain calm。 ‘Oh Gabriel，’he said wildly，‘I'm weak and foolish，and I feel it's better to die than to live！’After a silence，he continued more normally。 ‘I've accepted the fact of her refusal now。 I'm sorry，of course，but no woman has ever controlled my life。 Well，good morning。 ’
14
Bathsheba discovers the truth
Summer turned into autumn and one Saturday evening in October Bathsheba and her husband were riding home from Casterbridge market。
‘Yes，if it hadn't rained so hard，I'd have won two hundred pounds easily，my love，’Troy was saying。 ‘The horse I put my money on fell over in the mud，you see。 Such bad luck！’
‘But Frank，’said Bathsheba miserably，‘do you realize you've lost more than a hundred pounds in a month with this awful horse…racing？It's foolish of you to spend my money like that！You'll promise not to go to the next race，on Monday，won't you？’
‘It doesn't matter whether I go or not。 I've already put money on an excellent horse in the Monday race。 Don't cry，Bathsheba！If I'd known you were so cautious，I'd never have—’
He did not finish what he was saying。 Just then they noticed a woman walking towards them。 Although it was almost dark，they could see that she was poorly dressed。
‘Please，sir，do you know what time the Casterbridge workhouse closes？’she asked in a voice of extreme sadness。
Troy jumped in surprise，but kept his face turned away from her before replying，‘I don't know。 ’
When the woman hear him speak，and looked up to his face，her expression showed both pain and happiness。 She gave a cry，and fell to the ground，unconscious。
‘Oh poor thing！’cried Bathsheba。 ‘I'll help her！’
‘No，stay on your horse，and take mine！’ordered Troy，jumping down。 ‘Take the horses to the top of the hill。 ’
Bathsheba obeyed，and moved away。 Troy lifted up the woman。
‘I thought you were far away，or dead！’he told her，in a strangely gentle voice。 ‘Why didn't you write to me，Fanny？’
‘I was afraid to。 ’
‘Have you any money？No？Here's all I have，it's not much。 I can't ask my wife for any more at the moment。 ’The woman said nothing。 ’Listen，’continued Troy，‘I'll have to leave you now。 You're going to the Casterbridge workhouse？Well，stay there for tonight and tomorrow anyway，but I'll find somewhere better for you。 I'll meet you on Monday morning at ten o'clock on the bridge just outside town。 I'll bring you all the money I can。 Goodbye！’
At the top of the hill Bathsheba turned and saw the woman walking slowly on towards Casterbridge。 Troy soon caught up with his wife。 He looked very upset。
‘Who is that woman？Bathsheba looked closely into his face。
‘She's not important to either of us，’he replied coldly。
‘I think you know her，’Bathsheba went on。
‘I don't care what you think！’he answered，and they continued their ride in silence。
The two miles to Casterbridge seemed a very long way to the woman，who was tired and ill。 Sometimes she walked，sometimes she rested a little，beside the road。 All through the night her eyes were fixed on the lights of Casterbridge，the end of her journey。 At six o'clock the next morning she finally fell in front of the door of the workhouse，and the people there took her in。
Bathsheba and her husband did not speak much that evening，or the following day。 But on Sunday evening Troy said suddenly，‘Bathsheba，could you let me have twenty pounds？I need it。 ’
‘Ah！’she said sadly，‘for the races tomorrow。 Oh，Frank，only a few weeks ago you said I was far sweeter than all your other pleasures！Now won't you stop risking money on horses，which is more a worry than a pleasure？Say yes to your wife，Frank，say yes！’Her beautiful face would have persuaded most men，including Troy if he had not been married to her，but he no longer loved her enough to agree to anything she wanted。
‘Well，the money isn't for racing anyway，’he said。 ‘Don't keep me short of money，Bathsheba，or you'll be sorry。 ’
‘I'm sorry already，’she replied，‘sorry that our love has come to an end。 ’
‘Love always ends after marriage。 I think you hate me。 ’
‘No，not you。 I only hate your faults。 ’
‘Then why not help me to improve？Come，let's be friends。 Just give me the twenty pounds。 ’
‘Well，here's the money。 Take it。 ’
‘Thank you。 I expect I'll be away before breakfast tomor…row。 ’
‘Must you go，Frank？Stay with me！There was a time when you used to call me darling。 Now you don't care how I spend my time。 ’
‘I must go，’said Troy，taking out his watch。 He opened the back of the watch case，and Bathsheba，who happened to be looking，saw that there was a curl of hair hidden inside。
‘Oh Frank！’she gasped。 ‘A woman's hair！Whose is it？’
Troy closed the watch immediately and replied carelessly，‘Why，yours of course。 I'd quite forgotten I had it。 ’
‘You're lying，Frank。 It's yellow hair。 Mine is darker。 ’
‘Well，all right，if I must tell you，it's the hair of a young woman I was going to marry before I met you。 ’
‘Tell me her name！Is she married？’
‘I can't tell you her name，but she's single。 ’
‘Is she alive？Is she pretty？’
‘Yes to both questions。 ’
‘How can she be pretty，poor thing，with hair that colour？’
‘Her hair has been admired by everybody who's seen her。 It's beautiful hair！Don't be jealous，Bathsheba！You shouldn't have married me if you didn't trust me！’
‘This is all I get for loving you so much！’cried Bathsheba bitterly。 ‘I would have died for you when I married you，and now you laugh at my foolishness in marrying you！But you'll bu