Rain: One Solitary Meets Another
- It's nearly daybreak, but Oak has managed to save most of the hay and barley from the rain. Toward the end of his work, he remembers how his first visit to this part of the world plunged him into the middle of a fire. Water and fire, man.
- He also remembers how much he'd loved Bathsheba, even though he knew they'd never be together.
- When he's finished with his work, he glances toward the barn and sees some men stumbling out of it, all of them drunk or hungover. All except for Sergeant Troy, that is, who walks out whistling. It seems like the guy has a much higher tolerance for alcohol than the rest of the men.
- All of them walk past without thinking once about how the hay and barley got covered up during the night.
- Gabriel runs into Farmer Boldwood, and each of them tells the other he doesn't look so great. Gabriel mentions that he's spent all night covering the hay and barley, and adds that of course Farmer Boldwood must have had this done, too. Boldwood, though, didn't protect any of his crops from the rain and doesn't care how much money he loses. This guy is deeply depressed.
- Boldwood and Gabriel talk briefly about how disappointed Boldwood has been by Bathsheba's marriage to Troy.
- After that, Boldwood just turns and walks away.