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CHAPTER XXXII - NIGHT -- HORSES TRAMPING
THE village of Weatherbury was quiet as the graveyard in its
midst, and the living were lying well-nigh as still as the
dead. The church clock struck eleven. The air was so empty
of other sounds that the whirr of the clock-work 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.
Bathsheba's crannied and mouldy halls were to-night 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 robber's
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 Coggan's, 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.
"That's our Dainty -- I'll swear to her step," said Jan.
"Mighty me! Won't mis'ess storm and call us stupids wen 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. "I'll be
responsible to Miss Everdene for what we do. Yes, we'll
follow."
"Faith, I don't see how," said Coggan. "All our horses are
too heavy for that trick except little Poppet, and what's
she between two of us? -- If we only had that pair over the
hedge we might do something."
"Which pair?"
"Mr. Boldwood's Tidy and Moll."
"Then wait here till I come hither again," said Gabriel. He
ran down the hill towards Farmer Boldwood's.
"Farmer Boldwood is not at home," said Maryann.
"All the better," said Coggan. "I know what he's 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 bare-backed?
there's 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 Boldwood's pastures, each pocketed his
halter to hide it from the horses, who, seeing the men
empty-handed, 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
animal's 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 Bathsheha's 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 road-metal grew softer and more rain had wetted its
surface to a somewhat plastic, but not muddy state. They
came to cross-roads. Coggan suddenly pulled up Moll and
slipped off.
"What's the matter?" said Gabriel.
"We must try to track 'em, since we can't 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 don't hear him. And the horse
is harnessed -- look at the ruts. Ay, that's our mare sure
enough!"
"How do you know?"
"Old Jimmy Harris only shoed her last week, and I'd 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 over-
drove her at starting, we shall catch 'em yet."
Again they hastened on, and entered Blackmore Vale.
Coggan's watch struck one. When they looked again the hoof-
marks were so spaced as to form a sort of zigzag if united,
like the lamps along a street.
"That's 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. "Let's 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 "Whew-w-w!"
"Lame," said Oak.
"Yes Dainty is lamed; the near-foot-afore," said Coggan
slowly staring still at the footprints.
"We'll push on," said Gabriel, remounting his humid steed.
Although the road along its greater part had been as good as
any turnpike-road 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, 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.
"Keep the gate close!" shouted Gabriel. "He has stolen the
horse!"
"Who?" said the turnpike-man.
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 -- I'll 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 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?"
"Perhaps not. Why, those are never Farmer Bold-wood'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 was we to know, if you left no account of your
doings?" expostulated Coggan, "and ladies don't 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 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. "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 gateman's 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, isn't it, Oak?" said
Coggan, curiously.
"Yes," said Gabriel, shortly.
"She won't be in Bath by no daylight!"
"Coggan, suppose we keep this night's work as quiet as we
can?"
"I am of one and the same mind."
"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 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
Boldwood's indignation had cooled; the second to listen to
Oak's entreaties, and Boldwood's 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 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 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 lover's 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 Liddy's 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
Bathsheba's 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.
This idea she proceeded to carry out, with what initial
success we have already seen.
Content of CHAPTER XXXII - NIGHT -- HORSES TRAMPING [Thomas Hardy's novel: Far From The Madding Crowd]
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