Bathsheba Confesses to Liddy — Far from the Madding Crowd

Bathsheba walks into her house with her cheeks burning and Troy's goodbye still in her ears. He is off to Bath for two days, and he has kissed her a second time. Hardy adds a fair word on her behalf, which only came out long afterwards: Troy's appearance on the road was not planned. She had sent Oak away only on the chance that he might come. In three minutes she writes to Boldwood, mildly but firmly, that she cannot marry him. She had told Oak she would wait for Boldwood's return before answering. She finds she cannot wait.

She goes to give the letter to a servant, and stops in the passage. In the kitchen Maryann, Liddy and Temperance are talking about her and Troy. She bursts in and forbids them to suppose she cares for him. Everybody knows how she hates him, she says. When Maryann agrees, she rounds on her for telling such a wicked story, and when Liddy promises to deny it everywhere, she flings the letter down and sweeps back to the parlour.

Behind the shut door the pretence goes. Can Liddy not read riddles? She loves him to distraction. Then she makes Liddy swear that he is not a fast man, scolds her for hesitating, scolds her again for agreeing, and moans that she will never forgive God for making her a woman. Liddy threatens to leave. Bathsheba drops from haughtiness to pleading, calls her a companion and not a servant, and they kiss. She begs Liddy to think Troy a steady man in a wild way, which is better than being wild in a steady way, as she fears she is herself. Liddy promises to keep the secret, and cries a little more than she needs to, for the look of the picture.