folk inside crawled out upon their hands and knees; and in the next field were as many as a dozen hats at one time. Aye, Pimpernel regularly stuck fast when about sixty yards off, and when I saw Policy stepping on, it did knock my heart against the lining of my ribs, I assure you, my love!"
"And you mean, Frank," said Bathsheba, sadly—her voice was painfully lowered from the fulness and vivacity of the previous summer—"that you have lost more than a hundred pounds in a month by this dreadful horse-racing? Oh, Frank, it is cruel; it is foolish of you to take away my money so the farm; that will be the We shall have to leave end of it!"
"Humbug about cruel. Now, there 'tis again—turn on the waterworks; that's just like you."
"But you'll promise me not to go to Budmouth races next week, won't you?" she implored. Bathsheba was at the full depth for tears, but she maintained a dry eye.
"I don't see why I should; in fact, if it turns out to be a fine day, I was thinking of taking you."
"Never, never! I'll go a hundred miles the other way first. I hate the sound of the very word!"
"But the question of going to see the race
