远离尘嚣-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　every　year，and　he　began　to　be　afraid　that　he　would　soon　be　one　of　them。　However　strongly　he　swam，the　sea　pulled　him　further　away　from　the　coast，and　he　was　already　beginning　to　feel　tired　and　breathless。　Just　then　he　saw　a　small　boat　moving　out　to　sea，towards　a　ship。　With　his　right　arm　he　swam，and　with　his　left　he　waved　wildly，shouting　as　loudly　as　he　could。　The　sailors　saw　him　at　once，and　rowed　over　to　rescue　him。　

　



　


17

Farmer　Boldwood　begins　to　hope

　

When　Troy　did　not　return，Bathsheba　felt　neither　happiness　nor　sadness。　She　had　no　hope　for　the　fu…ture。　She　was　sure　that　one　day　he　would　return，and　spend　the　rest　of　her　money。　Then　they　would　have　to　sell　the　farm。　She　could　do　nothing　to　prevent　it。

One　Saturday　at　Casterbridge　market，a　stranger　came　up　to　her。　‘I　must　tell　you，ma'am，’he　said，‘your　husband　is　dead。　’

‘No，it　can't　be　true！’gasped　Bathsheba。　Darkness　came　over　her　eyes，and　she　fell。　But　not　to　the　ground。　Boldwood，who　had　been　standing　in　a　corner　watching　her，ran　forward　to　catch　her。

‘Tell　me　more，’he　said　to　the　stranger，as　he　held　the　unconscious　girl　gently　in　his　arms。

‘The　police　found　her　husband's　clothes　on　the　beach。　He　must　have　been　swimming，and　drowned　off　the　Budmouth　coast。　’

There　was　a　strange　excitement　in　Boldwood's　face，but　he　said　nothing。　He　carried　her　to　a　private　room　at　the　hotel，where　she　could　rest　until　she　felt　well　enough　to　ride　home。

When　she　arrived　home，still　feeling　weak　and　confused，Liddy　had　already　heard　the　news。　‘Shall　we　get　some　black　clothes　made　for　you，ma'am？’said　the　maid，hesitating　a　little。

‘No，Liddy。　It　isn't　necessary。　You　see，I　think　he　may　still　be　alive。　I　feel—I　think　I'm　sure　he's　alive！’

But　the　following　Monday　Troy's　death　was　reported　in　the　local　newspaper。　A　witness　had　seen　him　in　deep　water，shouting　and　waving　for　help。　And　when　his　clothes　and　his　watch，found　on　the　beach，were　delivered　to　the　farmhouse，Bathsheba　began　to　doubt　that　he　was　alive。　She　opened　the　back　of　his　watch　case　and　took　out　the　curl　of　golden　hair。

‘He　was　Fanny's　and　she　was　his，’she　said　to　herself。　‘They　should　be　together。　I　mean　nothing　to　either　of　them。　Why　should　I　keep　her　hair？’She　held　the　curl　over　the　fire。　‘No，I　won't　burn　it，I'll　keep　it　in　memory　of　her，poor　thing！’

Through　the　autumn　and　winter　Bathsheba's　life　was　more　peaceful　She　no　longer　took　such　an　interest　in　the　farm，and　very　sensibly　appointed　Gabriel　Oak　her　farm　manager。　He　had　already　been　doing　the　job　unofficially，and　now　would　be　paid　for　it。　At　last　his　good　qualities　were　being　recognized。　Gabriel's　luck　had　certainly　changed。　Boldwood　could　not　concentrate　on　farming　these　days　either。　His　wheat　and　hay　had　all　been　so　damaged　by　the　rain　that　it　was　worthless。　Weatherbury　people　were　shocked　by　the　changes　they　had　no…ticed　recently　in　Farmer　Boldwood。　Soon　he　himself　realized　that　something　must　be　done，and　arranged　for　Gabriel　to　manage　his　farm　too。　So　Gabriel　was　responsible　for　both　the　important　farms　in　the　area，while　their　owners　sat　alone　in　their　lonely　farmhouses。

After　a　time　Boldwood　started　to　hope　that　one　day，if　Bathsheba　remarried　at　all，she　would　marry　him。　He　tried　to　maintain　a　friendly，businesslike　relationship　with　her，keeping　his　love　for　her　out　of　sight，until　the　right　moment　came　to　propose　again。　He　had　no　idea　how　long　he　would　have　to　wait　to　marry　her，but　he　was　prepared　to　wait　for　the　rest　of　his　life。

The　right　moment　did　not　come　until　the　following　summer　when　most　of　the　Weatherbury　people　attended　the　great　sheep　fair　at。　Greenhill。　Gabriel　was　there　with　Bathsheba's　and　Boldwood's　sheep，and　so　were　both　his　employers。　This　year　a　travelling　circus　put　up　its　tent　and　offered　the　public　a　horse…riding　show。　Most　of　Bathsheba's　farm　workers　were　already　in　the　tent，when　Bathsheba　herself　arrived　to　see　the　show。　At　the　back　of　the　tent，behind　a　curtain，were　the　circus　riders，and　one　of　them，pulling　on　his　boots，was　Sergeant　Troy。

After　being　rescued，Troy　had　decided　to　stay　on　the　ship　and　work　as　a　sailor，but　he　was　not　happy　with　this　travelling　life，and　finally　returned　to　England。　He　hesitated　to　go　back　to　Bathsheba　and　a　comfortable　life　on　the　farm。　Perhaps　Bathsheba　would　fail　at　farming　and　then　he　would　be　respon…sible　for　her。　And　anyway，perhaps　she　would　not　welcome　him　back。　For　the　moment　he　was　working　as　actor　and　horse…rider　with　the　circus。　So　it　was　with　no　plans　for　the　future　that　Troy　found　himself　at　Greenhill　fair，dangerously　close　to　Weatherbury。

When　he　looked　through　a　hole　in　the　curtain　to　see　the　audience，he　was　horrified　to　see　his　wife。　She　looked　more　beautiful　than　he　remembered。　Perhaps　she　would　laugh　at　him，a　nobleman's　son，working　in　a　circus！As　he　rode　into　the　tent，he　was　careful　to　keep　his　face　away　from　her，and　remain　wrapped　in　his　cloak。　She　did　not　seem　to　recognize　him。

When　the　show　was　over，Troy　went　out　into　the　darkness。　In　the　large　tent　where　meals　and　drinks　were　being　served，he　saw　Bathsheba　talking　to　a　man。　Was　she　forgetting　her　husband　so　soon？thought　Troy　angrily。　He　decided　to　listen　to　their　conversation，and　knelt　down　outside　the　tent，making　a　little　hole　with　his　knife　in　the　heavy　cotton　so　that　he　could　see　the　two　people　inside。

She　was　drinking　a　cup　of　tea，which　Boldwood　had　just　brought　her。　Troy　watched　her　every　movement。　She　was　as　handsome　as　ever，and　she　belonged　to　him。　After　a　few　moments　Troy　got　up　and　walked　slowly　from　the　tent。　He　was　considering　what　to　do　next。

Meanwhile　Boldwood　had　offered　to　ride　back　to　Weather…bury　with　Bathsheba，as　it　was　getting　late，and　she　accepted。　Her　pity　for　the　man　she　had　hurt　so　deeply　made　her　behave　more　kindly　towards　him　than　was　perhaps　sensible。　Her　kind…ness　made　poor　Boldwood　dream　of　their　future　marriage，and　suddenly，unable　to　stop　himself，he　said，‘Mrs　Troy，will　you　marry　again　some　day？’

‘You　forget　that　my　husband's　death　has　never　been　proved，so　I　may　not　really　be　a　widow，’she　said，confused。　‘I've　a　feeling　he's　alive，and　I'm　not　thinking　of　marrying　anyone　else。　’

‘Do　you　know，Bathsheba，that　according　to　the　lawyers，you　can　remarry　seven　years　after　your　husband's　supposed　death，that　is，six　years　from　now？Could　you—promise　to　marry　me　then？’

‘I　don't　know。　Six　years　is　too　far　away。　I'm　bitterly　sorry　I　behaved　so　stupidly　towards　you，but—I　can　promise　I'll　never　marry　another　man　while　you　want　me　to　be　your　wife，but—’

‘You　could　put　right　the　mistake　you　made　by　promising　to　be　my　wife　in　six　years’time！’There　was　wild　hope　in　his　eyes。

‘Oh，what　shall　I　do？I　don't　love　you，but　if　I　can　give　you　happiness　by　just　promising，then　I　will—consider—and　promise—soon。　Shall　we　say，by　Christmas？’

‘You'll　promise　at　Christmas。　Well，I'll　say　no　more。　’

As　Christmas　came　nearer，Bathsheba　became　more　anxious，and　one　day　she　confessed　her　difficulty　to　Gabriel。

‘The　saddest　reason　of　all　for　agreeing　to　his　proposal，’she　said，‘is　that　if　I　don't，I'm　afraid　he'll　go　mad。　His　feelings　are　so　extreme。　I　don't　say　that　because　I'm　vain，but　I　believe　I　hold　that　man's　future　in　my　hands。　Oh　Gabriel，it's　a　terrible　worry！’

‘Then　why　don't　you　promise，ma'am？I　don't　think　people　would　think　it　wrong。　The　only　thing　that　makes　it　wrong　in　my　view　is　that　you　don't　love　him。　’

‘That　is　my　punishment，Gabriel，for　playing　that　foolish　trick　with　the　valentine　on　him。　’Gabriel　had　given　her　a　reasonable，sensible　answer，as　she　knew　he　would，but　she　felt　annoyed　with　his　cool　advice。　Not　once　had　he　spoken　of　his　love　for　her，or　said　that　he　could　wait　for　her　too。　She　would　have　refused　him　of　course，but　at　least　it　would　have　shown　that　he　still　admired　her。　

　



　


18

Mr　Boldwood's　Christmas　party

　

For　months　Weatherbury　people　had　been　discussing　the　party　that　Mr　Boldwood　was　going　to　give　just　before　Christmas，and　now　the　day　had　finally　arrived。　Bathsheba　was　getting　ready　for　it。

‘I'm　upset，Liddy，it's　foolish　of　me，I　know，’she　said。　‘I　wis