16 Sergaeant Troy leaves

16 Sergeant Troy leaves
　　When Bathsheba ran out of the house the previous night，Troy first replaced the coffin lid，then went upstairs to lie on his bed and wait miserably for the morning.
　　The day before，on Monday，he had waited for Fanny，as arranged，on the bridge just outside Casterbridge，for over an hour. He had Bathsheba's twenty pounds and seven pounds of his own to give Fanny. When she did not come，he became angry，remembering the last time she had failed to arrive，on her wedding day. In fact she was at that moment being put in her coffin at the workhouse，but he did not know that. He rode straight to the races at Budmouth and stayed there all afternoon. But he was still thinking of Fanny，and he did not risk any money on the horses. Only on his way home did he suddenly realize that illness could have prevented her from meeting him，and only when he entered the farmhouse that evening did he discover that she was dead.
　　On Tuesday morning Troy got up and，without even thinking about Bathsheba，went straight to the churchyard to find the position of Fanny's grave. He continued on foot to Casterbridge to order the best gravestone available for twenty-seven pounds，which was all the money he had. Having ar-ranged for it to be put on the grave that afternoon，he returned to Weatherbury in the evening，with a basket of flowering plants. The new gravestone was already in place，and he worked solidly for several hours in the churchyard，putting the plants carefully into the soft earth of her grave. When it start- ed raining，however，he decided to spend the rest of the night in the shelter of the church，and finish his planting in the morning.
　　The rain that night was unusually heavy，and water began to pour from a broken pipe on the church roof straight on to Fanny's grave. As the earth there had only recently been dug，the grave became a kind of muddy pool. Soon the plants were floating on top of the grave，and then were washed away in the stream of water flowing through the churchyard.
　　When Troy woke up，stiff and still tired，he went out of the church to finish work on the grave. The rain had stopped，and the sun was shining through the red and gold autumn leaves. The air was warm and clear. As Troy walked along the path，he noticed it was very muddy，and covered with plants. Surely these could not be the ones he had planted？He turned the corner and saw the damage the heavy rain had done.
　　The new gravestone was stained with mud，and there was a shallow hole in the grave，where the water had poured in. Nearly all the plants had been washed out of the grave.
　　This strange accident had a worse effect on Troy than any of his troubles，worse even than Fanny's death. He had tried to show his love for her，knowing that he had failed to do so when she was alive. Planting the flowers was also a way of softening his feelings of sadness and guilt at her death. And now his work had been destroyed！He was too depressed to start work on the grave again. He left it as it was，and went silently out of the churchyard A minute later he had left the village.
　　Meanwhile Bathsheba had spent a day and a night as a willing prisoner in a small bedroom in her house. Except when Liddy brought her food or messages，she kept the bedroom door locked so that her husband could not come in Liddy knew there was trouble between husband and wife，but did not know the reason. On Wednesday morning she brought breakfast up to Bathsheba.
　　‘What heavy rain we had in the night，ma'am！’she said.
　　‘Yes，and there was a strange noise from the churchyard. ’
　　‘Gabriel thinks it was water from a broken pipe on the church roof，and he's gone there to see. Are you going to the churchyard，ma'am，to look at Fanny's grave？’
　　‘Did Mr Troy come in last night？’Bathsheba asked anxiously.
　　‘No，ma'am，he didn't. And Laban Tall says he saw Mr Troy walking out of the village towards Budmouth，’replied Liddy.
　　Budmouth，thirteen miles away！At once Bathsheba's heart felt lighter. ‘Yes，Liddy，I need some fresh air. I'll go to see Fanny's grave，’she said，and after breakfast she walked almost cheerfully to the churchyard.
　　She saw the hole in the grave and the expensive new grave-stone，but did not think it could be Fanny's. She looked round for a plain grave. Then she noticed Gabriel reading the words on the gravestone，and her eyes followed his：
　　This stone was put up by Francis Troy in loving memory
　　of Fanny Robin，who died on October 9，1866，aged 20
　　Gabriel looked anxiously at her to see if she was upset，but she remained calm. She asked him to fill in the hole，and have the broken water pipe repaired. Finally，to show she did not hate the woman who had caused her such bitterness，she replanted the flowers herself，and cleaned the muddy grave-stone，so that the words could be read clearly. Then she went home.
　　Troy，meanwhile，was walking towards the south. He could not decide what to do next. All he knew was that he had to get away from Weatherbury. At the top of a hill he saw the sea，stretching for miles in front of him. Now he felt more cheerful，and decided to swim. So he climbed down the cliffs，undressed on the beach and jumped into the sea. The water was so smooth that he swam confidently out to where it was very deep. Here he was surprised and a little frightened to find that he was being carried further out to sea. He suddenly remembered that the Budmouth coast was famous for the num-ber of swimmers drowned there every year，and he began to be afraid that he would soon be one of them. However strongly he swam，the sea pulled him further away from the coast，and he was already beginning to feel tired and breathless. Just then he saw a small boat moving out to sea，towards a ship. With his right arm he swam，and with his left he waved wildly，shouting as loudly as he could. The sailors saw him at once，and rowed over to rescue him.




■ 16 托伊中士離家出走
　　前一天晚上，芭絲謝芭跑到屋外后，托伊把棺木重新蓋好，然后上樓躺下，痛苦地等待早晨到來。
　　再前一天是星期一，他如約在卡斯特橋城外的那座橋上等待范妮，等了一個多小時。他拿著芭絲謝芭給的20鎊和他自己的七鎊，準(zhǔn)備給范妮。她沒有來，他便生氣了，想起婚禮那天她也未到的情景。實(shí)際上，她此刻正在濟(jì)貧院被放入棺材，而他卻一無所知。他徑直騎馬去了巴德茅斯的賽馬場，在那里逗留了一個下午。但是，他心里仍舊惦記著范妮，于是沒有在賽馬身上押錢。走在回家的路上，他才意識到她正生病，很可能無法赴約。那天晚上他回到家后才發(fā)現(xiàn)她已經(jīng)死去了。
　　星期二早晨，托伊起了床，想也沒想芭絲謝芭，便到教堂墓地找到了范妮的墳?zāi)?。然后，他又繼續(xù)步行前往卡斯特橋，用他所有的27鎊訂了一塊好墓碑并請人于那天下午送到墓旁。傍晚時他帶著一籃花苗回到威瑟伯里。他回去時，新墓碑已經(jīng)安放到位，他在教堂墓地連續(xù)干了幾個小時，把那些花苗栽到她墳上松軟的土里。然而，天下起了雨，他決定在教堂里過夜，第二天早上把花苗栽完。
　　那晚，雨下得異常的大，雨水從教堂頂上的一截破管子里徑直傾瀉到范妮的墓上。由于墳?zāi)股系耐潦莿倓偼谶^的，所以墳?zāi)棺兂闪艘粋€泥漿池?；绾芸炱似饋?，接著又被流經(jīng)墓地的雨水沖走了。
　　托伊一覺醒來，渾身僵直，疲乏不堪。他走出教堂準(zhǔn)備把活干完。雨已停了，陽光透過金紅色的秋葉。天氣溫暖、清爽。托伊走在小路上，看到路上很泥濘，而且滿是花苗。這些花苗不會是自己栽的那些吧？他拐過彎，看到了大雨所造成的損失。
　　新墓碑上沾滿泥土，墳?zāi)股嫌幸粋€坑，里面灌滿了水。幾乎所有的花苗都被沖走了。
　　這一異常的事件對托伊的影響超過他所遇到過的任何困難，甚至超過范妮的死對他的影響。他本想表明一下自己對她的愛意，因?yàn)檫@點(diǎn)在她生前他沒有能做到。栽種花苗也可以緩解一下她的死給他帶來的傷感和內(nèi)疚。現(xiàn)在他的努力竟這樣毀于一旦！他沮喪之極，無法重新在墓上干活了，于是聽其自然，默默走出了墓地。不一會兒，他便離開了村子。
　　與此同時，芭絲謝芭將自己關(guān)在房內(nèi)的一間小臥室里待了一天一夜。除了利蒂送飯、捎信外，她一直鎖著臥室房門，以防丈夫進(jìn)門。利蒂知道這夫妻二人在鬧別扭，可又不知道為了什么。星期三早上，她又給芭絲謝芭送來了早飯。
　　“昨晚的雨下得可是真大，太太！”她說。
　　“是啊，教堂墓地那邊也有奇怪的聲響。”
　　“蓋伯瑞爾猜想是教堂頂上破管子里流水的聲音，他到那兒察看去了。太太，你要去墓地看看范妮的墓嗎？”
　　“托伊先生昨晚回來過嗎？”芭絲謝芭急切地問道。
　　“沒有，太太。拉班·托爾說他看見托伊先生出村向巴德茅斯去了。”利蒂答道。
　　巴德茅斯？13英里遠(yuǎn)哪！芭絲謝芭立刻覺得心情輕松了?！袄?，我去。我需要新鮮空氣。我要去看看范妮的墓，”她說道。吃完早飯，她幾乎是心情愉快地到了教堂墓地。
　　她看到墓上的坑，也看到了那塊昂貴的新墓碑，不過覺得那不會是范妮的。她四下觀看，尋找一座簡樸的墳?zāi)?，卻注意到蓋伯瑞爾正在念墓碑上的字，她的眼睛也跟著看下去：
　　謹(jǐn)立此碑懷念可愛的范妮·羅賓。
　　她于1866年10月9日逝世，年20歲。
　　立碑人弗蘭西斯·托伊
　　蓋伯瑞爾擔(dān)憂地望著她，怕她心煩意亂，但她卻保持著平靜。她讓他把坑填上，讓人把破管子修理好。最后，為了顯示她對這個使她如此痛苦的婦女并無怨恨，她親自重栽了花苗，清洗干凈滿是泥土的墓碑，這樣，上面的字便看得清楚了。干完這些事，她便回了家。
　　這時，托伊正向南面走去。他難以確定下一步該干什么，他只知道自己必須離開威瑟伯里。他上了山頂，看到了大海，在他面前綿延數(shù)英里。此刻，他的心情好了一些，于是決定去游個泳。他從山崖上下去，到海灘上脫掉衣服跳進(jìn)海水里。海水十分柔滑，他信心十足地游到了很深的地方。這時，他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己被沖向大海，覺得既意外，又有點(diǎn)恐懼。他忽然記起巴德茅斯海邊每年淹死的人數(shù)之多，是很出名的，他也害怕自己成為其中的一員。但是，無論他多么用力，大海還是把他推離海岸，他已經(jīng)覺得疲乏、呼吸急促了。
　　就在此時，他看到一條小船出海駛向一艘輪船。他右手劃水，左手狂亂地?fù)]舞，一邊大聲呼喊。水手們立刻發(fā)現(xiàn)了他，于是劃船過來把他救下。