英语小说网

One Sunday afternoon, on the thirteenth of February, Bathsheba and Liddy were in the sitting-room together. It was a dull, cold day, and they were both very bored.

"Have you ever tried to discover who you're going to marry, miss," asked Liddy, "with a Bible and a key?"

"I don't believe in such foolish games, Liddy."

When Bathsheba first appeared at the weekly Caster-bridge market, where farmers bought and sold their wheat and animals, she caused a sensation. Men's heads turned to look at her, the only woman there. Like any woman, she was happy to be admired, but she was also determined to sell her wheat at a good price, and to do business with the other farmers like a man. There was one farmer, however, who did not seem to notice her, and this annoyed her a little. It was Mr Boldwood.

"Well, some people believe it works."

"Now you think of someone you could marry, miss," said Liddy, "then read aloud the words on that page, and if the Bible moves, perhaps you'll marry him."

"All right, let's try it," said Bathsheba suddenly, jumping up from her seat. Together they opened the big family Bible and put a key on a page.

"Who were you thinking of?" asked Liddy curiously.

"I'm not going to tell you," answered her mistress.

Bathsheba paused to consider. It was certainly a little depressing that the wealthiest and most important man in the area did not seem to admire her, as all the other men did.

"A valentine! Who's it for, miss? Farmer Boldwood?"

Bathsheba read the words, holding the Bible. As they watched, the Bible turned in her hands, and Bathsheba blushed.

"Why should he?" replied Bathsheba, annoyed. "I didn't ask him to look at me."

Bathsheba did not reply to this. After a few minutes she said, "Oh, I nearly forgot the valentine card I bought yesterday!"

"By the way, did you notice Mr Boldwood in church this morning?" asked Liddy, making it very clear who she was thinking of. "He didn't turn his head once to look at you!"

"No, of course not. It's for one of the village children, that sweet little boy of Jan Coggan's. I'll write the address on the envelope now, and we'll post it today."

"Oh no. But everybody else in church was looking at you."

"What fun it would be to send it to that silly old Boldwood!" laughed Liddy.

"MARRY ME".

"Now we need a seal," she said. "Look for an interesting one, Liddy. Ah, let's use this one. I can't remember what it says, but I know it's funny." When she had sealed the envelope, Bathsheba looked closely at the words left by the seal:

"We'll throw a coin to decide," she said lightly. "No, we shouldn't play with money on a Sunday. I know, we'll throw this book. If it comes down open, I'll send the valentine to Jan's son. If it comes down shut, I'll send it to Boldwood." The little book went up in the air and came down shut. Bathsheba immediately picked up her pen and wrote Boldwood's address on the envelope.

"Just right!" she cried. "That would make even a vicar laugh!" And so the valentine was sent, not for love, but as a joke. Bathsheba had no idea of the effect it would have.

It arrived at Mr Boldwood's house on the morning of St Valentine's Day,14th February He was puzzled, but strangely excited by it He had never received one before, and all day he thought about it. Who could the woman be who admired him so much that she sent him a valentine? He kept on looking at it, until the words on the large red seal danced in front of his tired eyes, and he could no longer read them. But he knew what they said:

"Marry me," he repeated to himself. He was too restless to sleep any more so he went out for a walk. He watched the sun rise over the snowy fields, and on his way home he met the postman, who handed him a letter. Boldwood took it quickly and opened it, thinking it could be from the sender of the valentine.

"Ah, there he is now," Boldwood added. "I'll take the letter to him myself." The shepherd started walking towards the malthouse, and Boldwood followed him, holding the letter.

Weatherbury Farm,

"I don't think it's for you, sir," said the postman. "I think it's for your shepherd."

"Oh, what a mistake! It isn't mine, or my shepherd's. It must be for Miss Everdene's shepherd. His name is Gabriel Oak."

Near Casterbridge.

The valentine had destroyed the peaceful routine of Boldwood's life. That night he dreamed of the unknown woman, and when he woke up very early, the first thing he saw was the valentine, with its message in red, on the table by his bed.

"MARRY ME".

At that moment he noticed a figure in a distant field.

Boldwood looked at the address on the envelope:

To the new shepherd,