Nine: Far From The Madding Crowd: Thomas Hardy: A Visitor

By daylight, the house of Bathsheba Everdene seemed a hoary building with a small estate around it. Fluted columns of solid stone decorated its front. Above the gabled roof, pairs of chimneys were linked by an arch. Soft brown mosses formed cushions upon stone tiles, and tufts of house-leek sprouted from the eaves manifested long neglect or absence of care and maintenance. 

The gravel walk leading from the door to the road in front was encrusted with moss at the sides. The manor of a petty lord was altered for farming purpose and this alteration was visible. This has added to the deformity of the building.

Inside, the staircase has heavy old fashioned balusters, stout handrails, twisting stairs. Going up, the floor is of very irregular surface, with ridges and valleys. Where uncarpeted the face of board is found eaten by worms. The windows, when opened clanged a loud noise. Every bustling movement is followed by a tremble. A creak accompanys the walker where ever he goes.

Bathsheba and her servant and companion, Liddy Smallbury were sitting on the floor of room and sorting out wanted and unwanted things among papers, books, bottles, and rubbish spread out thereon - all brought from the household stores of the late occupied. Liddy, the malster's great granddaughter was about Bathsheba's age. She was a light-hearted English country girl, pleasant and attractive. She was more flexible than Bathsheba, but less daring. Through a partly opened door, came the noise of scrubbing by Maryann Money a good-humoured domestic servant, who had a circular face, furrowed by long gazes at distant objects.

"I hear something," she suspended the brush.

The tramp of a horse was approaching the front of the building. The paces slackened, turned in at the long stretch, and came up the mossy path close to the door. The door was tapped with the end of the whip.

"What rudeness!" said Liddy in a low voice. "To ride up the footpath like that! Why didn't he stop at the gate? Lord! It's a gentleman! I see the top of his hat." 

"Be quiet," said Bathsheba.

"Why doesn't Mrs Coggan go to the door?" Bathsheba continued.

Rat-tat-tat! repeated the tap.

"Maryann, you go!" said she fluttering under the onset of a crowd of romantic possibilities.

"Oh, ma'am, see --- here's a mess!" 

"Liddy, you must," said Bathsheba after a glance at Maryann.

Liddy held up her hands and arms coated with dust from the rubbish they were sorting, and looked imploringly at Bathsheba.

"There -- Mrs Coggan is going!" said Bathsheba, relieved.

The door opened.

"Is Miss Everdene at home?" came in a deep voice.

"I will see, Sir," said Mrs Coggan, and in a minute reappeared before Bathsheba.

"Dear, Dear, what a world this universe is!" continued Mrs Coggan, a wholesome lady who could mix emotion in her words suitable to the occasion, and who could toss a pancake or twirl a mop with precision, but at this moment, hands shaggy with fragments of dough and arms encrusted with flour. In this situation her nose tickled, and she wanted to scratch it, but she said, "Here's Mr Boldwood wanting to see you, Miss Everdene." 

"I can't see him in this state, look me." said Bathsheba. She was in the midst of sorting, and her hair and attire were dishevelled. 'Not at home' is not a sound and proper answer. Liddy suggested, "Say you are all in dust and can't come down." 

"That sounds logical," said Mrs Coggan.

Mrs Coggan went down, and said, "Miss is dusting bottles, sir, and quite ---- " 

"Oh, very well," said a deep voice. "All I wanted to ask was, if anything had been heard of Fanny Robins?" 

"Nothing sir, we may know tonight. William Smallbury has gone to Casterbridge, where her young man lives. Other men will be enquiring about everywhere."

The horse's tramp recommenced, retreated and the door closed.

"Who is this gentleman?" asked Bathsheba.

"A farmer at lower Weatherbury." 

"Married?"

"No, miss." 

"Forty -- handsome -- rather stern -- very rich."

"What a bother this dusting! -- I am always in some unfortunate plight," Bathsheba complained. "Why should he inquire about Fanny?"

"As  she had nobody of her own in childhood, he took her and put her to a school, and got her place here under your uncle. A very kind man that way. But Lord -- there!

"Never was such a hopeful man for a woman. He has been courted by sixes and sevens. All the girls, gentle and simple, for miles round, have tried him. But no one succeeded."

A little boy came up at this moment, and looked in upon them. This child was one of Coggans, and Coggans were a popular name round here.

"I have got a pen-nee," said master Coggan.

"Well, who gave it to you, Teddy?" Said, Liddy.

"Mis-terr Boldwood! He gave it to me for opening the gate." 

"What did he say?" 

"He said to me, 'where are you going little man?' and I said, 'To Miss Everdene's please; and he said, 'she is a staid woman, isn't she little man? and I said yes.' "

"You naughty child, what did you say that for?"

"Because he gave me the penny."

"What a pucker everything is in!" said Bathsheba discontentedly, when the child had gone."

"Get away, Maryann, or go on with your scrubbing, or do something, you ought to be married by this time, and not here troubling me." 

"Aye, mistress, I don't want a poor man and the rich men don't want me. So I am here as a pelican in the wilderness!" After a few moments, when they were alone Liddy resumed the conversation, "Did anybody ever want to marry you, miss?" 

Bathsheba was angry, and at the same time she wanted to proclaim her virginity. "A man wanted to once," said she, and Gabriel Oak was in her mind.

"How nice," said Liddy with satisfaction, and you wouldn't have him?" 

"He wasn't quite enough for me." 

"How sweet to be able to refuse, when most of us submit. Did you love him, miss?" 

"Oh, no. I rather liked him." It is the first step to love: Liddy thought. "But do you now?" asked she.

"Of course not -- what steps are those I hear."  Bathsheba wanted a diversion.

Liddy looked through a back window into the courtyard, which looked dim at the fall of night. A crooked  line of men was approaching the backdoor.

" The Philistines are upon us," said Liddy making her nose white against the glass.

"Oh, very well, Maryann, go down and keep them in kitchen till I am dressed, and then show them in to me in the hall."

The End of the Chapter 

==============================Notes:-

Bathsheba's inheritance does not seem wealthy or prosperous.