"Ah, yes." She walked on without turning her head, and for many steps nothing further was heard from her quarter than the rustle of her dress against the heavy corn-ears. Then she resumed rather tartly:—
"I don't quite understand what you meant by saying that Mr. Boldwood would naturally come to meet me."
"I meant on account of the wedding which they say is likely to take place between you and him, miss. Forgive my speaking plainly."
"They say what is not true," she returned quickly. "No marriage is likely to take place between us."
Gabriel now put forth his unobscured opinion, for the moment had come. "Well, Miss Everdene," he said, "putting aside what people say, I never in my life saw any courting if his is not a courting of you."
Bathsheba would probably have terminated the conversation there and then by flatly forbidding the subject, had not her conscious weakness of position allured her to palter and argue in endeavours to better it.
"Since this subject has been mentioned," she said very emphatically, "I am glad of the opportunity of clearing up a mistake which is very common and very provoking. I didn't definitely
