Troy Turns Up at Greenhill Fair — Far from the Madding Crowd

Greenhill is the Nijni Novgorod of South Wessex, and its sheep fair is the busiest, merriest, noisiest day of the year. Shepherds walk their flocks there for days, and Gabriel, Cain Ball, Boldwood's shepherd and old George bring up the joined flocks of Bathsheba and Boldwood, which are valuable and need watching. Hardy takes his time over the horns and fleeces, and then a huge new tent goes up for the Royal Hippodrome Performance of Turpin's Ride to York and the Death of Black Bess. Jan Coggan and Joseph Poorgrass are crushed up its ladder in the crowd, and Joseph's sixpence is so hot from his fist that the woman in spangles drops it.

Behind the canvas a young man is pulling on jack-boots, and we are told at once that he is Sergeant Troy. He was picked up by a brig, worked his passage to the United States, and made a living as a Professor of Fencing and Pugilism. Landing again in England, he put off going home from day to day, afraid of a spirited wife and a life of poverty with Fanny's ghost between them, until a travelling circus took him on for his horsemanship. Meanwhile Boldwood, who has watched all day for his chance, finds Bathsheba alone, and offers to find her a seat for the show. Oak is nowhere, so she goes in, and finds she is the only person on the red-cloth reserved bench. Troy, peeping through a slit, sees her sitting like a queen of the tournament. He is ashamed, tells the manager a creditor is in the tent, and plays Turpin without speaking a word. Poorgrass weeps at Tom King's death and helps carry Bess out on a shutter. If immortality means living in others' memories, Hardy says, Black Bess became immortal that day.

At the second show Troy catches Pennyways, his wife's sworn enemy, looking hard at his face. He puts on a borrowed beard and goes out to find him, not yet sure whether he wants to go home at all. Instead, outside the refreshment tent, he hears Bathsheba's voice, cuts two holes in the canvas, and watches Boldwood bring her tea. She leans so close that she is almost in his arms. He longs to go in and claim her, but cannot face being nicknamed Turpin by the whole parish.

Then Pennyways comes in and writes a note, 'Your husband is here. I've seen him. Who's the fool now?', and tosses it into her lap. Bathsheba will not read it. When she lets her hand drop beside the canvas to take a slice of bread and butter, Troy slips his hand under the cloth, snatches it, and runs, leaving her to scream. A little later he stands at the tent door among the dancers of Major Malley's Reel and whispers a few words to Pennyways. With a mutual glance the two men go into the night together.