Thomas Hardy: Far from the Madding Crowd

Chapter 27: Hiving the Bees (continued)

"Surely you might? Nobody would know."

She shook her head, but with a weakened negation. "If I were to," she said, "I must bring Liddy too. Might I not?"

Troy looked far away. "I don't see why you want to bring her," he said coldly.

An unconscious look of assent in Bathsheba's eyes betrayed that something more than his coldness had made her also feel that Liddy would be superfluous in the suggested scene. She had felt it, even whilst making the proposal.

"Well, I won't bring Liddy--and I'll come. But only for a very short time," she added; "a very short time."

"It will not take five minutes," said Troy.