Far From the Madding Crowd Chapter 29 Summary

Particulars of a Twilight Walk

  • Bathsheba is now in love with Sergeant Troy, but she won't let anyone know about it. Nonetheless, it doesn't take long for Gabriel Oak to realize that she's in love.
  • One night, Gabriel meets her during an evening walk and advises her against getting involved with Sergeant Troy. Bathsheba tells him to mind his own business or she'll fire him… again.
  • Oak says that Sergeant Troy is a bad man. Bathsheba counters by saying that Troy goes to church every Sunday through a secret little side door. That's why Oak has never seen him attend a service.
  • Finally, Bathsheba commands Oak to go away, as in leave the farm. But this time, Oak ignores her request and tells her that they both know she's not going to fire him.
  • As he leaves, Oak sees Troy emerge from the fields to stand and talk to Bathsheba. He realizes that the whole reason she went for a walk to begin with was to meet up with Troy.
  • On his way home, Oak walks by the church and checks out the little side door that Troy supposedly uses to go in. It is completely overgrown with ivy, meaning that no one has used it in years. In other words, Troy has no problem telling flat-out lies to Bathsheba.