X. Mistress and Men

           Half-an-hourlaterBathsheba,infinisheddress,andfollowedbyLiddy,enteredtheupperendoftheoldhalltofindthathermenhadalldepositedthemselvesonalongformandasettleatthelowerextremity.Shesatdownatatableandopenedthetime-book,peninherhand,withacanvasmoney-bagbesideher.Fromthisshepouredasmallheapofcoin.Liddychoseapositionatherelbowandbegantosew,sometimespausingandlookinground,or,withtheairofaprivilegedperson,takinguponeofthehalf-sovereignslyingbeforeherandsurveyingitmerelyasaworkofart,whilestrictlypreventinghercountenancefromexpressinganywishtopossessitasmoney.

           "NowbeforeIbegin,men,"saidBathsheba,"Ihavetwomatterstospeakof.Thefirstisthatthebailiffisdismissedforthieving,andthatIhaveformedaresolutiontohavenobailiffatall,buttomanageeverythingwithmyownheadandhands."

           Themenbreathedanaudiblebreathofamazement.

           "Thenextmatteris,haveyouheardanythingofFanny?"

           "Nothing,ma’am."

           "Haveyoudoneanything?"

           "ImetFarmerBoldwood,"saidJacobSmallbury,"andIwentwithhimandtwoofhismen,anddraggedNewmillPond,butwefoundnothing."

           "AndthenewshepherdhavebeentoBuck’sHead,byYalbury,thinkingshehadgonethere,butnobodyhadseedher,"saidLabanTall.

           "Hasn’tWilliamSmallburybeentoCasterbridge?"

           "Yes,ma’am,buthe’snotyetcomehome.Hepromisedtobebackbysix."

           "Itwantsaquartertosixatpresent,"saidBathsheba,lookingatherwatch."Idaresayhe’llbeindirectly.