nd thing, Liddy!" she said, in reckless
abandonment and grief. "Oh, I love him to very distraction and
misery and agony! Don't be frightened at me, though perhaps I am
enough to frighten any innocent woman. Come closer--closer." She
put her arms round Liddy's neck. "I must let it out to somebody; it
is wearing me away! Don't you yet know enough of me to see through
that miserable denial of mine? O God, what a lie it was! Heaven and
my Love forgive me. And don't you know that a woman who loves at
all thinks nothing of perjury when it is balanced against her love?
There, go out of the room; I want to be quite alone."

Liddy went towards the door.

"Liddy, come here. Solemnly swear to me that he's not a fast man;
that it is all lies they say about him!"

"But, miss, how can I say he is not if--"

"You graceless girl! How can you have the cruel heart to repeat what
they say? Unfeeling thing that you are.... But I'LL see if you or
anybody else in the village, or town either, dare do such a thing!"
She started off, pacing from fireplace to door, and back again.

"No, miss. I don't--I know it is not true!" said Liddy, frightened
at Bathsheba's unwonted vehemence.

"I suppose you only agree with me like that to please me. But,
Liddy, he CANNOT BE bad, as is said. Do you hear?"

"Yes, miss, yes."

"And you don't believe he is?"

"I don't know what to say, miss," said Liddy, beginning to cry. "If
I say No, you don't believe me; and if I say Yes, you rage at me!"

"Say you don't believe it--say you don't!"

"I don't believe him to be so bad as they make out."

"He is not bad at all.... My poor life and heart, how weak I
am!" she moaned, in a relaxed, desultory way, heedless of Liddy's
presence. "Oh, how I wish I had never seen him! Loving is misery
for women always. I shall never forgive God for making me a woman,
and dearly am I beginning to pay for the honour of owning a pretty
face." She freshened and turned to Liddy suddenly. "Mind this,
Lydia Smallbury, if you repeat anywhere a single word of what I have
said to you inside this closed door, I'll never trust you, or love
you, or have you with me a moment longer--not a moment!"

"I don't want to repeat anything," said Liddy, with womanly dignity
of a diminutive order; "but I don't wish to stay with you. And,
if you please, I'll go at the end of the harvest, or this week, or
to-day.... I don't see that I deserve to be put upon and stormed a