over the gate,
and breathed a long breath. They heard low words come from him.

"I hope to God she'll come, or this night will be nothing but misery
to me! Oh my darling, my darling, why do you keep me in suspense
like this?"

He said this to himself, and they all distinctly heard it. Boldwood
remained silent after that, and the noise from indoors was again
just audible, until, a few minutes later, light wheels could be
distinguished coming down the hill. They drew nearer, and ceased at
the gate. Boldwood hastened back to the door, and opened it; and the
light shone upon Bathsheba coming up the path.

Boldwood compressed his emotion to mere welcome: the men marked her
light laugh and apology as she met him: he took her into the house;
and the door closed again.

"Gracious heaven, I didn't know it was like that with him!" said one
of the men. "I thought that fancy of his was over long ago."

"You don't know much of master, if you thought that," said Samway.

"I wouldn't he should know we heard what 'a said for the world,"
remarked a third.

"I wish we had told of the report at once," the first uneasily
continued. "More harm may come of this than we know of. Poor Mr.
Boldwood, it will be hard upon en. I wish Troy was in--Well, God
forgive me for such a wish! A scoundrel to play a poor wife such
tricks. Nothing has prospered in Weatherbury since he came here.
And now I've no heart to go in. Let's look into Warren's for a few
minutes first, shall us, neighbours?"

Samway, Tall, and Smallbury agreed to go to Warren's, and went out at
the gate, the remaining ones entering the house. The three soon drew
near the malt-house, approaching it from the adjoining orchard, and
not by way of the street. The pane of glass was illuminated as
usual. Smallbury was a little in advance of the rest when, pausing,
he turned suddenly to his companions and said, "Hist! See there."

The light from the pane was now perceived to be shining not upon the
ivied wall as usual, but upon some object close to the glass. It was
a human face.

"Let's come closer," whispered Samway; and they approached on tiptoe.
There was no disbelieving the report any longer. Troy's face was
almost close to the pane, and he was looking in. Not only was he
looking in, but he appeared to have been arrested by a conversation
which was in progress in the malt-house, the voices of the
interlocutors being those of Oak and the maltster.

"The sp