Because Bathsheba was not at all in love with Farmer Boldwood，she was able to consider his proposal of marriage calmly. It was an offer which many women of good family in the area would have been delighted to accept. He was serious，respectable and rich. If she had wanted a husband，she could not have found a good reason for refusing to marry him. But she was still enjoying her new position as mistress of a farm and house，and although she respected and liked him，she did not want to marry him However she was honest enough to feel that，as she had begun the courting by sending him the valentine，she ought not to refuse him now. There was only one person whose opinion she trusted more than her own，and that person was Gabriel Oak. So the next day she decided to ask his advice. She found him with Jan Coggan，sharpening the shears which would be used to shear the sheep.

‘Jan，go and help Joseph with the horses，’she ordered. ‘I'll help you，Gabriel. I want to talk to you. ’

The shears were sharpened on a stone which was turned by a wheel，which was itself turned by a handle. Bathsheba could not manage the handle，so she held the shears while Gabriel turned the handle. ‘You aren't holding them right，miss，’he told her. ‘Let me show you how He let go of the handle，and put his large hands round hers，to hold the shears. ‘Like that，’he said，continuing to hold her hands for a peculiarly long time.

‘That's enough，’said Bathsheba. ‘I don't want my hands held！Turn the handle！’They went on sharpening the shears. ‘Gabriel，what do the men think about me and Mr Bold-wood？’

‘They say you'll marry him before the end of the year，miss. ’

‘What a foolish thing to say！I want you to contradict it，Gabriel. ’

‘Well，Bathsheba！’said Gabriel，staring at her in surprise.

‘Miss Everdene，you mean，’she said.

‘Well，if Mr Boldwood really asked you to marry him，I'm not going to contradict that，just to please you. ’

‘I said I wanted you just to say it wasn't true that I was going to marry him，’she said，less confidently.

‘I can say that，if you wish，Miss Everdene. I could also give my opinion of the way you've behaved. ’

He continued with his work. Bathsheba knew that he would always give his honest opinion，even if she asked him whether she should marry another man，and there was nobody else she could trust. ‘Well，what is your opinion of my behaviour？’she asked.

‘No good，respectable woman would behave like that，’he replied. ‘You should never have sent him that valentine. ’

Bathsheba blushed angrily. ‘Luckily I don't care about your opinion！Why do you think I'm not good or respectable，I wonder？Because I didn't agree to marry you，perhaps！’

‘Not at all. ’said Gabriel quietly. ‘I've long ago stopped thinking about that. ’

‘Or wishing it，I suppose，’she said，expecting him to protest that he still loved her.

‘Or wishing It，’repeated Gabriel calmly.

Bathsheba would not have minded being spoken to angrily by Gabriel for her thoughtlessness，if only he had told her he loved her. But his cold words of blame annoyed her greatly.

‘I cannot allow any man to accuse me of bad behaviour！’ she cried. ‘So you will leave the farm at the end of the week！’

‘All right，I will，’said Gabriel calmly. ‘In fact I would rather go at once. ’

‘Go at once then！’she replied angrily. ‘Don't let me see your face any more. ’

‘Very well，Miss Everdene. ’And so be took his shears and walked quietly away.

It was only twenty－four hours after Gabriel had left the farm that three men came running to report a disaster to Bathsheba.

‘Sixty of your sheep—’said Joseph Poorgrass，breathless.

‘Have broken through throgh the gate said Billy，also breathless.

‘And got into a field of young clover！’said Laban Tall.

‘They're eating the clover，and they're all swollen up！’

‘They'll all die if someone doesn't do something！’

‘Oh you fools！’cried Bathsheba. ‘Go straight to the field and get them out！’ She rushed towards the clover field，followed by the men. Her sheep were all lying down，their stomachs badly swollen. Joseph，Billy and Laban carried the sheep back into their own field，where the poor creatures lay helplessly without moving.

‘Oh，what can I do，what can............