`I know you cannot. But he stole in in my absence and robbed me. Why didn't he win you away before, when nobody would have been grieved? - when nobody would have been set tale-bearing. Now the people sneer at me - the very hills and sky seem to laugh at me till I blush shamefully for my folly. I have lost my respect, my good name, my standing - lost it, never to get it again. Go and marry your man - go on!'

`O sir - Mr Boldwood!'

`You may as well. I have no farther claim upon you. As for me, I had better go somewhere alone, and hide - and pray. I loved a woman once. I am now ashamed. When I am dead they'll say, Miserable love-sick man that he was. Heaven - heaven - if I had got jilted secretly, and the dishonour not known, and my position kept! But no matter, it is gone, and the woman not gained. Shame upon him - shame!'

His unreasonable anger terrified her, and she glided from him, without obviously moving, as she said, `I am only a girl - do not speak to me so!'

`All the time you knew - how very well you knew - that your new freak was my misery. Dazzled by brass and scarlet - O, Bathsheba - this is woman's folly indeed!'

She fired up at once. `You are taking too much upon yourself!' she said vehemently. `Everybody is upon me - everybody. It is unmanly to attack a woman so! I have nobody in the world to fight my battles for me; but no mercy is shown. Yet if a thousand of you sneer and say things against me, I will not be put down!'

`You'll chatter with him doubtless about me. Say to him, "Boldwood would have died for me." Yes, and you have given way to him, knowing him to be not the man for you. He has kissed you - claimed you as his. Do you hear - he has kissed you. Deny it!'

The most tragic woman is cowed by a tragic man, and although Boldwood was, in vehemence and glow, nearly her own self rendered into another sex, Bathsheba's cheek quivered. She gasped, `Leave me, sir - leave me! I am nothing to you. Let me go on!'

`Deny that he has kissed you.'

`I shall not.'

`Ha - then he has!' came hoarsely from the farmer.

`He has,' she said slowly, and, in spite of her fear, defiantly, `I am not ashamed to speak the truth.'

`Then curse him; and curse him!' said Boldwood, breaking into a whispered fury. `Whilst I would have given worlds to touch your hand, you have let a rake come in without right or ceremony and - Kiss you! Heaven's mercy - kiss you!... Ah, a time of his life shall come when he will have to repent, and think wretchedly of the pain he has caused another man; and then may he ache, and wish, and curse, and yearn - as I do now!'

`Don't, don't, O, don't pray down evil upon him!' she implored in a miserable cry. `Anything but that - anything. O, be Kind to him, sir, for I love him true!'

Boldwood's ideas had reached that point of fusion at which outline and consistency entirely disappear. The impending night appeared to concentrate in his eye. He did not hear her at all now.

`I'll punish him - by my soul, that will I! I'll meet him, soldier or no, and I'll horsewhip the untimely stripling for his reckless theft of my one delight. If he were a hundred men I'd horsewhip him--' He dropped his voice suddenly and unnaturally. `Bathsheba, sweet, lost coquette, pardon me! I've been blaming you, threatening you, behaving like a churl to you, when he's the greatest sinner. He stole your dear heart