Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, Chapters 29-42

Welcome back for our third discussion of the Wessex crowd. Now last week I pictured a Jerry Springer or Ricki Lake-like talk show where Fanny is a guest. The tag line would say, "My boss stole my man" and then they fight! Then Troy comes on and does his sword dance. Then Boldwood comes on with a cudgel and says Sheba is my fiance! Then Gabriel comes on with a ram who head butts them. Now it's much more tragic than that. As u/DernhelmLaughed said, it's the consequences of YOLO.

Summary

Bathsheba is besotted with Troy but tells no one. Gabriel can tell though. He thinks she's doing Boldwood a disfavor. Gabriel passes Boldwood in a wheat field and mentions that townspeople assume they will marry. No such thing will happen, according to Bathy. When Gabriel mentions Troy, Bathy says nyob. She tells him to leave her employ then changes her mind after he worries about what others will think. Bathy had said that Troy entered the church late by the tower door. Gabriel determined that was a lie. (Maury: You are not a churchgoer.)

Troy will be leaving for Bath for two days. He kissed her again. At home, Bathy writes a letter to Boldwood rejecting his offer of marriage. She overhears the servants talking about her and Troy. She tells them she has no love for him. Then she closes Liddy in the parlor and confesses her love for him. No matter what Liddy says, Bathy contradicts her. Troy is too fast, Troy is a perfect gentleman. Liddy better keep what she said a secret or she'll fire her. As long as Bathy stops being so changeable.

Liddy goes on holiday to see her sister and brother in law. Bathy tags along. She thought she could avoid Boldwood, but alas, he trudged upon the same road as she. He is still in love with her despite her letter. He asks for pity and she refuses. ("Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" comes to mind.) He regrets thinking she loved him, and she regrets sending the Valentine. It was that cursed Troy who stole her heart. If Troy were here, Boldwood would challenge him to a duel or horsehwip him (kinky!). She didn't tell him Troy was due back soon.

Back at Weatherbury, Maryann was awakened by two figures sneaking around in the barn. Bathy's horse Dainty was gone. Maryann runs to tell Coggan and Gabriel. They all suspect gypsies. Gabriel and Coggan "borrow" Boldwood's horses and track the thief. They realize it's Bathy on her way to Bath. (Can't a girl get any privacy when she sneaks off to see her lover?) Bathy stays in Bath for two weeks. Cainy Ball saw her with Troy. They sat in a park, and Bathy cried. They want Cainy to swear a solemn oath that he saw them together. He can't take that kind of pressure!

Bathy and Liddy return home. Boldwood calls on her and doesn't know she had been in Bath. Liddy shoos him away. Troy is in town, too, and Boldwood confronts him (speak softly and carry a big cudgel) about marrying Fanny. Troy lies and says he's too poor. Boldwood makes him an offer he can't refuse: he will pay them 50 pounds each then 500 pounds after they're married.

Boldwood hides in the dark and listens to Bathy and Troy's conversation. No one's home tonight, so he could come over. Oh, let me go get my bag and I'll be right there. Boldwood throttles him then lets him breathe. They've already done it, so he has to marry her. Boldwood magnanimously gives her up. He would still pay him 500 pounds.

Troy goes to Bathy's house and hands Boldwood his marriage announcement. Troy and Bathy already got married in Bath! He doesn't want his money anyway. Good thing he put the chain over the door. Troy doesn't even know where Fanny is.

The next morning, Oak and Coggan see Troy leaning out the upstairs window. Gabriel's heart is broken that she got married. Troy wishes to remodel the house. He throws a coin to Oak to drink to his health. Oak wouldn't deign to tale his patronizing money, so Coggan picks it up. Boldwood rides by looking forlorn.

The harvest supper and dance is held. Troy bought his discharge from the military so he can run the farm. (I liked Bathsheba better before she was married.) Gabriel suggests they should protect the harvest stored in the ricks (they really ought to listen to him. He saved her butt before). Troy brings out brandy and water for more partying. Oak read the signs from a toad, a slug, two spiders, and scared sheep that a huge storm is a brewing. All the men were passed out, unused to such strong liquor. It was up to Gabriel. He gets the granary key from Susan Tall and covers the barley and wheat sheaves with tarps and thatch. The sky darkened. Lightning strikes and Gabriel is holding a metal rod. Bathy can't sleep for worry and helps him. Lightning struck the rod, and luckily it was in the dirt. Lighting struck a tree in half. Then the weather calmed.

Bathy sat on the top of a stack and told Gabriel that she intended to break up with Troy.  He told her there was a woman he liked better...unless she married him then and there. It starts to rain. Gabriel saves the 700 pounds of harvest and gets thoroughly soaked. Boldwood walks by with an umbrella. He didn't cover his harvest at all. What's the point anyway? He confesses he's grieving Bathy.

Bathy and Troy ride into town. He bets on horse races and loses money. He doesn't care. A poor and weak woman walks past and asks Troy for directions. She collapses, and Troy knows it is his former lover Fanny. He gives her money and promises they will meet up on Monday. He won't tell his wife her name.

Fanny slept under a haystack. She uses two forked sticks as crutches. She pysches herself up to walk then crawl half a mile. A stray dog licks her hand and face then helps her to walk farther into Casterbridge. She rang the bell at a building and collapses. A man and two women bring her inside.

Troy asks Bathy for 20 pounds. If it's for the races, no. Their marriage has already soured. She gives him the money and catches him opening his watch to gaze at a coil of hair. It's blond unlike hers. Whose hair is it? He won't burn it, and they argue. She married him in haste and now repents at leisure for the independent goddess she used to be.

Troy left early on Monday. Bathy watches Boldwood and Gabriel pass each other on the road and entertains what could have been. Joseph Poorgrass brings apples and the news that Fanny Robin has died in a workhouse. Bathy takes it upon herself to fetch her body for burial. She did work for her household after all.

Bathy asks Liddy about Fanny and her fellow in the military. Her suspicions are correct that Troy was the fiancèe who dumped her.

Joseph drives a wagon to the almshouse where Fanny's coffin is deposited in the back and covered with boughs and plants. A man had wrote something on the coffin in chalk. Joseph stops at an inn for a drink with Coggan and Mark Clark. He gets too drunk and stays til six. Gabriel finds him and scolds him. Gabriel drives the wagon to the farm. It's too late for a funeral, so it's delayed til tomorrow. Bathy insists they bring the coffin into the parlor.

Gabriel wipes the chalk writing "and child" off the coffin. Troy is nowhere to be found. (And stay gone!)

(This post was too long to post at first, so the extras are in the comments.)