Summary
Bathsheba makes her nightly rounds of the farm, a duty she's taken on herself since dismissing her bailiff. Gabriel has been secretly doing these same checks, watching over her affairs without recognition or thanks. Tonight, walking through the dark fir plantation near her home, Bathsheba literally gets tangled up with a stranger when his military spur catches in her dress. The man turns out to be Sergeant Troy, a dashing soldier in brilliant red uniform whose sudden appearance transforms the gloomy scene. As he works to free her dress, Troy boldly compliments her beauty with shameless directness. Bathsheba is flustered, torn between offense and intrigue. She learns from her maid Liddy that Troy is well-educated, from good family, but has wasted his advantages by enlisting as a common soldier. Back in her room, Bathsheba can't decide if she was insulted or charmed. The chapter ends with a crucial realization: Boldwood, her persistent suitor, has never once told her she was beautiful. This chance encounter introduces a new romantic complication that will challenge everything Bathsheba thought she wanted. Troy represents dangerous charm and immediate gratification, contrasting sharply with Gabriel's steady devotion and Boldwood's respectful but passionless pursuit.
Coming Up in Chapter 25
Liddy provides more details about the mysterious Sergeant Troy's background and reputation. Bathsheba will discover just how much trouble a charming soldier can bring to a quiet farming community.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
THE SAME NIGHT—THE FIR PLANTATION Among the multifarious duties which Bathsheba had voluntarily imposed upon herself by dispensing with the services of a bailiff, was the particular one of looking round the homestead before going to bed, to see that all was right and safe for the night. Gabriel had almost constantly preceded her in this tour every evening, watching her affairs as carefully as any specially appointed officer of surveillance could have done; but this tender devotion was to a great extent unknown to his mistress, and as much as was known was somewhat thanklessly received. Women are never tired of bewailing man’s fickleness in love, but they only seem to snub his constancy. As watching is best done invisibly, she usually carried a dark lantern in her hand, and every now and then turned on the light to examine nooks and corners with the coolness of a metropolitan policeman. This coolness may have owed its existence not so much to her fearlessness of expected danger as to her freedom from the suspicion of any; her worst anticipated discovery being that a horse might not be well bedded, the fowls not all in, or a door not closed. This night the buildings were inspected as usual, and she went round to the farm paddock. Here the only sounds disturbing the stillness were steady munchings of many mouths, and stentorian breathings from all but invisible noses, ending in snores and puffs like the blowing of bellows slowly. Then the munching would recommence, when the lively imagination might assist the eye to discern a group of pink-white nostrils, shaped as caverns, and very clammy and humid on their surfaces, not exactly pleasant to the touch until one got used to them; the mouths beneath having a great partiality for closing upon any loose end of Bathsheba’s apparel which came within reach of their tongues. Above each of these a still keener vision suggested a brown forehead and two staring though not unfriendly eyes, and above all a pair of whitish crescent-shaped horns like two particularly new moons, an occasional stolid “moo!” proclaiming beyond the shade of a doubt that these phenomena were the features and persons of Daisy, Whitefoot, Bonny-lass, Jolly-O, Spot, Twinkle-eye, etc., etc.—the respectable dairy of Devon cows belonging to Bathsheba aforesaid. Her way back to the house was by a path through a young plantation of tapering firs, which had been planted some years earlier to shelter the premises from the north wind. By reason of the density of the interwoven foliage overhead, it was gloomy there at cloudless noontide, twilight in the evening, dark as midnight at dusk, and black as the ninth plague of Egypt at midnight. To describe the spot is to call it a vast, low, naturally formed hall, the plumy ceiling of which was supported by slender pillars of living wood, the floor being covered with a soft dun carpet of dead spikelets and mildewed cones, with a tuft of grass-blades here and...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Instant Magnetism
We become most vulnerable to manipulation when someone offers us exactly what we've been emotionally starving for.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone exploits your unmet needs by offering exactly what you've been missing.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone's compliments feel too perfectly timed—ask yourself what they might want before you respond.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Bailiff
A farm manager hired to oversee daily operations, handle workers, and make business decisions. In Hardy's time, wealthy landowners typically employed bailiffs rather than managing farms themselves.
Modern Usage:
Like hiring a general manager for your business - someone to handle the day-to-day so you don't have to micromanage everything yourself.
Dark lantern
A portable lamp with a shutter that could hide or reveal light instantly. Used for security checks or secretive activities since you could move unseen until you chose to illuminate something.
Modern Usage:
Similar to using your phone's flashlight when checking your house at night - you control when and where the light shows.
Military spur
A metal device with spikes worn on a soldier's boot heel to control horses. Spurs were also symbols of military rank and authority, especially for cavalry officers.
Modern Usage:
Like wearing expensive shoes or jewelry that shows your status - it tells people something about your position and lifestyle.
Fir plantation
An area where fir trees were deliberately planted in rows for timber harvesting. These dark, dense groves created secluded spaces away from the main farm buildings.
Modern Usage:
Like the wooded area behind a subdivision - a place where you might unexpectedly run into someone away from the usual foot traffic.
Sergeant rank
A non-commissioned officer rank above private but below lieutenant. For someone from good family, enlisting as a sergeant rather than buying an officer's commission suggested financial problems or scandal.
Modern Usage:
Like someone with a college degree working as a shift supervisor instead of management - suggests they had advantages but something went wrong.
Metropolitan policeman
Professional police officers in London, known for their systematic, methodical approach to investigation. They represented modern, efficient law enforcement compared to rural constables.
Modern Usage:
Like comparing a trained security professional to someone just keeping an eye on things - one is thorough and systematic, the other is casual.
Characters in This Chapter
Bathsheba Everdene
Protagonist
Takes on the traditionally male role of farm management, doing her own security rounds. Gets literally entangled with Troy, showing how unprepared she is for his type of direct, physical charm.
Modern Equivalent:
The woman who insists on handling everything herself at work, then gets flustered when someone completely different from her usual types shows interest
Gabriel Oak
Devoted protector
Secretly does the same security rounds as Bathsheba, protecting her without recognition. His invisible care contrasts sharply with Troy's bold, attention-grabbing approach.
Modern Equivalent:
The reliable friend who always has your back but never gets credit, while the flashy newcomer gets all the attention
Sergeant Troy
Romantic catalyst
Makes a dramatic entrance that literally entangles Bathsheba. His immediate, bold compliments about her beauty create instant attraction and confusion.
Modern Equivalent:
The charming bad boy with a mysterious past who shows up and immediately disrupts everyone's carefully planned life
Liddy
Informant/confidante
Provides crucial background about Troy's education and family status, helping Bathsheba understand why this soldier is different from what she expected.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who always knows everyone's backstory and fills you in on the gossip about the new person you just met
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Women are never tired of bewailing man's fickleness in love, but they only seem to snub his constancy."
Context: Explaining how Bathsheba doesn't appreciate Gabriel's steady devotion
Hardy points out the irony that women complain about men being unreliable in love, yet often dismiss or take for granted the men who are consistently devoted to them.
In Today's Words:
Women always complain that men are flaky and unreliable, but then they ignore the guys who are actually there for them every day.
"I am not such a fool as to believe you capable of the praise you bestow."
Context: Responding to Troy's bold compliments about her beauty
Bathsheba tries to maintain dignity and skepticism, but her response shows she's both flattered and flustered by his directness. She's not used to such bold attention.
In Today's Words:
I'm not stupid enough to believe you really mean all these compliments you're throwing around.
"It is always did seem to me that your mouth was made more to be kissed than to utter complaints."
Context: Troy's shameless flirtation while freeing her dress from his spur
Troy's boldness is shocking for the era and for Bathsheba's experience. This direct, physical compliment contrasts completely with the respectful distance maintained by her other suitors.
In Today's Words:
You'd look better smiling than complaining - and I'd rather be kissing you than listening to you argue.
Thematic Threads
Recognition
In This Chapter
Troy is the first man to directly tell Bathsheba she's beautiful, filling a void that Gabriel's devotion and Boldwood's respect never addressed
Development
Introduced here as a crucial missing element in all her relationships
In Your Life:
You might crave acknowledgment at work or compliments from your partner that you're not receiving
Class
In This Chapter
Troy represents the dangerous allure of someone who's fallen from higher status—educated but enlisted, refined but reckless
Development
Builds on earlier class tensions between Bathsheba's rise and Gabriel's fall
In Your Life:
You might be drawn to people whose current circumstances don't match their background or potential
Boldness
In This Chapter
Troy's shameless directness contrasts sharply with the careful, respectful approaches of her other suitors
Development
Introduced here as a new force that disrupts established patterns
In Your Life:
You might find yourself attracted to people who break social rules you've been following
Vulnerability
In This Chapter
Bathsheba gets literally tangled up with Troy, physically caught and emotionally off-balance
Development
Continues her pattern of being most vulnerable when she thinks she's in control
In Your Life:
You might find yourself most susceptible to poor judgment when you're trying to handle everything alone
Timing
In This Chapter
Troy appears during Bathsheba's solitary night rounds, when she's isolated and her defenses are down
Development
Builds on how crucial moments happen when characters are alone and unguarded
In Your Life:
You might make your worst decisions when you're tired, stressed, or isolated from your usual support systems
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What makes Troy's approach to Bathsheba so different from Gabriel's and Boldwood's?
analysis • surface - 2
Why is Bathsheba so affected by Troy calling her beautiful, especially when she realizes Boldwood never has?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen someone become vulnerable to manipulation because they were 'starving' for something - attention, recognition, affection, or respect?
application • medium - 4
How can you tell the difference between someone genuinely meeting your needs versus someone exploiting what you're missing?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the danger of letting our emotional hungers make our decisions for us?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Identify Your Emotional Blind Spots
Think about what you're currently 'starving for' in your life - maybe it's recognition at work, affection at home, or respect from family. Write down three things you've been missing or wanting. Then, for each one, imagine someone suddenly offering exactly that. What would make you suspicious versus grateful?
Consider:
- •People who give us exactly what we're missing often want something in return
- •When we're emotionally hungry, we make decisions with our feelings instead of our judgment
- •The healthiest approach is to address your needs directly before you're desperate
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone offered you exactly what you were missing. Looking back, what were their true motivations? How did your emotional state affect your judgment in that situation?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 25: Meeting the Charming Manipulator
In the next chapter, you'll discover to spot someone who lives only in the moment without learning from consequences, and learn charm without substance can be more dangerous than obvious flaws. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.