Church
- Hetty and her aunt, Mrs. Poyser, are getting ready for church. And Hetty's lookin' good: "if ever a girl looked as if she had been made of roses, that girl was Hetty in her Sunday hat and frock" (18.3).
- Soon all the Poysers are ready, and set off in a "little procession" (18.4). Even old Martin, who is feeling a tad ill and will be staying home, has a part to play. He "opened the gate as he saw the family procession approaching, and held it wide open, leaning on his stick—pleased to do this bit of work" (18.9). How nice of him!
- The Poysers stroll along, Totty in her Sunday finery, Mr. and Mrs. harping on the other, less accomplished dairy farmers. The kids get into all sorts of mischief. The two little Poyser boys set off in search of a "speckled turkey's nest" (18.39).
- Soon enough, the Poysers reach the churchyard. Lots of people are gathered for Thias Bede's funeral. However, this is also a social occasion. The women trade gossip and recipes; the men lounge about.
- And then the gossip and recipes and lounging all come to an end. The crowd filters into the church and settles down. But they all rise when the service begins. They look on respectfully when Thias's funeral procession (really just Adam, Seth, Irwine, and Lisbeth, nothing fancy) enters the building.
- All of Hayslope is here in the church, from the high-and-mighty Donnithornes to the illiterate workers who are "following the service without any clear very comprehension indeed" (18.56).
- Yup, lots and lots and lots of people in this chapter. And there are two you'd better pay extra-special attention to. Hetty, for one, is sad that Arthur has stayed away from Mass, and spends the service "framing little indignant speeches to herself" (18.59). Adam, for another, is divided between hopeful love for Hetty and remorse toward his dead father. He beats himself up, emotionally, for being "so hot and out o' patience with people when they do wrong" (18.64).
- Mass is over. Mrs. Poyser comes over and consoles Lisbeth, but also reminds her that there are plenty of Bedes left. Hetty is making small talk with Mr. Craig, a Scottish gardener who "like a superior man, was very fond of giving information" (18.75).
- Mr. Craig spends a couple pages carrying on about farming, and the French, and lots of other things that couldn't be more distant from poor dead Thias Bede.
- Then Adam asks where Arthur is. Mr. Craig, who works on the Donnithorne estate, informs everyone that Arthur has "only gone to Eagledale for a bit o' fishing" (18.84).
- Now Adam is rid of Mr. Craig—and so are we. But Hetty has a whole day of annoyances and anxieties ahead of her. She leaves church feeling "disappointment and doubt," yet looking "towards the possibility of being with Arthur again" (18.87).