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 托伊中士离家出走 
　  
　　前一天晚上，芭丝谢芭跑到屋外后，托伊把棺木重新盖好，然后上楼躺下，痛苦地等待早晨到来。 
　　再前一天是星期一，他如约在卡斯特桥城外的那座桥上等待范妮，等了一个多小时。他拿着芭丝谢芭给的20镑和他自己的七镑，准备给范妮。她没有来，他便生气了，想起婚礼那天她也未到的情景。实际上，她此刻正在济贫院被放入棺材，而他却一无所知。他径直骑马去了巴德茅斯的赛马场，在那里逗留了一个下午。但是，他心里仍旧惦记着范妮，于是没有在赛马身上押钱。走在回家的路上，他才意识到她正生病，很可能无法赴约。那天晚上他回到家后才发现她已经死去了。 
　　星期二早晨，托伊起了床，想也没想芭丝谢芭，便到教堂墓地找到了范妮的坟墓。然后，他又继续步行前往卡斯特桥，用他所有的27镑订了一块好墓碑并请人于那天下午送到墓旁。傍晚时他带着一篮花苗回到威瑟伯里。他回去时，新墓碑已经安放到位，他在教堂墓地连续干了几个小时，把那些花苗栽到她坟上松软的土里。然而，天下起了雨，他决定在教堂里过夜，第二天早上把花苗栽完。 
　　那晚，雨下得异常的大，雨水从教堂顶上的一截破管子里径直倾泻到范妮的墓上。由于坟墓上的土是刚刚挖过的，所以坟墓变成了一个泥浆池。花苗很快漂了起来，接着又被流经墓地的雨水冲走了。 
　　托伊一觉醒来，浑身僵直，疲乏不堪。他走出教堂准备把活干完。雨已停了，阳光透过金红色的秋叶。天气温暖、清爽。托伊走在小路上，看到路上很泥泞，而且满是花苗。这些花苗不会是自己栽的那些吧？他拐过弯，看到了大雨所造成的损失。 
　　新墓碑上沾满泥土，坟墓上有一个坑，里面灌满了水。几乎所有的花苗都被冲走了。 
　　这一异常的事件对托伊的影响超过他所遇到过的任何困难，甚至超过范妮的死对他的影响。他本想表明一下自己对她的爱意，因为这点在她生前他没有能做到。栽种花苗也可以缓解一下她的死给他带来的伤感和内疚。现在他的努力竟这样毁于一旦！他沮丧之极，无法重新在墓上干活了，于是听其自然，默默走出了墓地。不一会儿，他便离开了村子。 
　　与此同时，芭丝谢芭将自己关在房内的一间小卧室里待了一天一夜。除了利蒂送饭、捎信外，她一直锁着卧室房门，以防丈夫进门。利蒂知道这夫妻二人在闹别扭，可又不知道为了什么。星期三早上，她又给芭丝谢芭送来了早饭。 
　　“昨晚的雨下得可是真大，太太！”她说。 
　　“是啊，教堂墓地那边也有奇怪的声响。” 
　　“盖伯瑞尔猜想是教堂顶上破管子里流水的声音，他到那儿察看去了。太太，你要去墓地看看范妮的墓吗？” 
　　“托伊先生昨晚回来过吗？”芭丝谢芭急切地问道。 
　　“没有，太太。拉班·托尔说他看见托伊先生出村向巴德茅斯去了。”利蒂答道。 
　　巴德茅斯？13英里远哪！芭丝谢芭立刻觉得心情轻松了。“利蒂，我去。我需要新鲜空气。我要去看看范妮的墓，”她说道。吃完早饭，她几乎是心情愉快地到了教堂墓地。 
　　她看到墓上的坑，也看到了那块昂贵的新墓碑，不过觉得那不会是范妮的。她四下观看，寻找一座简朴的坟墓，却注意到盖伯瑞尔正在念墓碑上的字，她的眼睛也跟着看下去： 
　　谨立此碑怀念可爱的范妮·罗宾。 
　　她于1866年10月9日逝世，年20岁。 
　　立碑人弗兰西斯·托伊 
　　盖伯瑞尔担忧地望着她，怕她心烦意乱，但她却保持着平静。她让他把坑填上，让人把破管子修理好。最后，为了显示她对这个使她如此痛苦的妇女并无怨恨，她亲自重栽了花苗，清洗干净满是泥土的墓碑，这样，上面的字便看得清楚了。干完这些事，她便回了家。 
　　这时，托伊正向南面走去。他难以确定下一步该干什么，他只知道自己必须离开威瑟伯里。他上了山顶，看到了大海，在他面前绵延数英里。此刻，他的心情好了一些，于是决定去游个泳。他从山崖上下去，到海滩上脱掉衣服跳进海水里。海水十分柔滑，他信心十足地游到了很深的地方。这时，他发现自己被冲向大海，觉得既意外，又有点恐惧。他忽然记起巴德茅斯海边每年淹死的人数之多，是很出名的，他也害怕自己成为其中的一员。但是，无论他多么用力，大海还是把他推离海岸，他已经觉得疲乏、呼吸急促了。 
　　就在此时，他看到一条小船出海驶向一艘轮船。他右手划水，左手狂乱地挥舞，一边大声呼喊。水手们立刻发现了他，于是划船过来把他救下。 
　　　    


 