Far from the Madding Crowd Page #5

...they arrived at Tahiti...

...the paradisiacal island

of the South Seas...

...where everyone went naked,

as you can see.

And lavish entertainment

was offered to them.

Including dancing girls...

...and other delights of forbidden fruits.

But all was not beer and skittles,

ladies and gentlemen.

For to their horror and dismay...

...the captain and his crew

were present next day...

...as a human sacrifice...

...at which the unfortunate victim

was tied up...

...and done to death in...

Is it working better now, Parsons?

All right now, Mr. Boldwood, sir.

Oh, Mr. Boldwood.

- Good evening, Liddy.

- Good evening, sir.

Your mistress is back?

Well, um...

- She's tired?

- Rather, sir.

You think I might see her for a moment?

Oh, she cannot see you, sir, at present.

Um, not anyone.

Yes, I see. I see.

Um, would you tell her...

...that I called her?

- Yes, sir.

- Would you?

- Yes, sir. Good night.

Whoa, boy.

Much obliged to you, James.

Cheerio, Troy.

Sergeant Troy?

That's my name.

I'm William Boldwood.

Oh, yes, good evening.

I want a word with you.

About...

About her who lives up there.

And a woman you've cruelly wronged.

And should have married.

Do you really?

I wonder at your impertinence.

You're gonna have

a conversation with me.

Very well.

No need to raise your voice.

I know about you and Fanny Robin.

Do you, now?

You ought to marry her.

I suppose you're right.

Unfortunately, I can't.

Why not?

First of all, she's disappeared.

And secondly...

...I'm too poor.

I may as well speak plainly.

I don't wish to enter into the question

of right or wrong.

I intend a business transaction with you.

I see.

Leave Weatherbury, now...

...and you'll take 50 pounds with you.

Fanny will have 50 to prepare

for the marriage...

...and 500 for you

on the day of the wedding.

What do you say?

- Is that reasonable?

- Yes, very.

Fifty pounds, right away, did you say?

Yes.

Seems you've counted on me accepting.

I'm afraid she's expecting me.

I suppose I better wish her goodbye.

I don't see the necessity.

Can't you just go?

She'll only wander around looking for me.

You know women.

Tell you what.

You shall hear all I say to her.

It'll help you in your lovemaking

when I'm gone.

Wait there.

Frank, darling. Is that you?

Oh, Frank.

It's been so long.

You go in. I've left my bag.

I won't be a moment.

You see my difficulty.

- I'll kill you.

- And ruin her?

It would be a mistake to kill me.

Would it not?

It could be a mistake to kill you now.

Better kill yourself.

Far better.

She must love you.

She must love you indeed.

Troy, you've got to make her your wife.

Fanny or Bathsheba?

- I want to be quite sure I do what...

- Bathsheba. And I will help.

You shall have the same money

as before.

Anything you need.

As long as you do what is right.

She has a right to approve

of the arrangement...

...don't you agree?

Oh, Mr. Boldwood?

Now, what was the arrangement?

Fifty pounds to marry Fanny? Sorry, no.

Fifty pounds not to marry Fanny,

50 pounds to marry Bathsheba.

Only one snag, really.

Do you know what that is,

Mr. Boldwood?

We were married this morning.

Thank you, darling.

Let us pray.

Evening, Gabriel.

Evening, thank you.

Evening.

Good evening.

Gabriel. How are you?

Just tell the sergeant

I'd like a word with him, will you?

Right, Gabriel, right.

He won't listen, Gabriel.

Just tell him there's gonna be a storm.

The ricks must be covered or they'll

be ruined, the farm along with them.

All I need is five men for an hour or two.

I'll tell him, Gabriel.

Give us a speech, sergeant.

Aye, let's have a speech, sir.

Friends!

Give them an order, sergeant. Ha, ha.

Friends, this is more than just

a harvest home.

This is a wedding feast as well.

As you know, not so long ago...

...this lady and I were married.

And we've yet to celebrate the occasion.

Well, we're gonna celebrate now.

I want every man

to go happily home to bed.

So I've ordered a special nightcap

of hot brandy to be prepared.

Frank, Frank,

please don't give it to them.

- They really have had quite enough...

- I'll tell you what we'll do, friends.

We'll send the women home

to warm the beds.

And we men will stay and have a carouse

to ourselves. What do you say?

But let any man show a white feather, and

he can look elsewhere for a winter's work.

What about a song?

- It'll only do them harm.

You want a song?

Yeah. Yeah.

All right.

One of them military songs.

"Jolly Tinker."

Half an hour.

Whoo!

Gabriel!

Yes, ma'am?

- Is my husband up there?

He's still in the barn, ma'am.

What can I do?

Tie these ropes to the saddles, ma'am.

If you can.

Tight!

Hold on, Gabriel!

Hold on!

Well done, ma'am.

The storm's going around and around us,

luckily.

Can you take the weight, ma'am?

Gabriel...

...you must understand.

Listen, when I went to Budmouth...

...I meant to give up Mr. Troy.

I really did.

It doesn't matter.

I didn't mean to hurt anybody

or betray myself.

What's done is done.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Thank you a thousand times.

Go in, woman. Go in.

Half an hour?

Half an hour, indeed.

- I told you half an hour.

Oh.

I've been worried sick all night.

Good morning, sir.

- Morning.

Hello, my beauty.

Hela.

I'm sorry.

Mrs. Troy.

Now, come.

Worse than what it were

three years ago, isn't it?

- Have you seen Mr. Boldwood?

- I ain't seen him, no.

Good morning, sir.

Good morning, Oak.

How are you, sir?

Well. Very well.

It's a terrible sight, sir.

Possibly.

Whatever happened, it's my fault.

I don't believe I shall save

a tenth of my corn this year.

Oak...

...I've been a weak and foolish man.

I don't know what I can do.

It's this miserable grief.

I had some faint belief

in the mercy of God...

...before I lost that woman.

I know they will laugh about me

in the parish.

- I don't think so, sir.

- I think so, Oak.

However, no woman's

had power over me for long.

We were never really engaged.

I wasn't jilted, whatever they say, was I?

I won't give up.

I wasn't jilted.

She never promised.

I'll need 2 guineas on the white.

Make it 4.

Okay, I'll raise you 2.

I'll take it.

Not dodging the issue, are you, Troy?

- I'm not the one for that, Your Lordship.

- Still 50 guineas, then?

Fifty guineas? Hardly worth my coming.

- Make it a hundred.

- And 20?

If you've got it to lose.

Come on, my beauty.

Frank. Oh.

Frank.

Fanny?

My God, what are you doing here?

I wouldn't have come...

...but I need help.

Where have you been?

What's happened to you?

Why didn't you write to me?

I feared to.

Is that you, master?

- Yes. Yes.

Shall I be getting the boy

to give him a rubdown, sir?

Um, in a moment. In a moment.

- You can't stay here.

I know, I know.

I had to see you, Frank. I am going.

I'm going, Frank.

- Where?

- Casterbridge.

- Where will you stay?

- The workhouse.

You can't stay there.

Well, perhaps for tonight.

And tomorrow I'll come for you.

I'll bring all the money

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