Far From the Madding Crowd: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

As Gabriel approaches the Malthouse, he hears voices inside. The room is lit only from the kiln, which casts a glow onto the owner, the maltster, an elderly man with white hair sitting by the fire. The conversation stops, and everyone looks up at Gabriel, recognizing him as the hero of the fire. The owner, learning his name, cries that he knew both Gabriel’s grandparents. His son, Jacob, says that his own son Billy might have known Gabriel, but Billy says it was his brother Andrew: Gabriel agrees. He was just talking about the Oaks with his youngest daughter Liddy, Billy says.

Jacob hands some malt to Gabriel, who says he doesn’t need a clean cup. Mark Clark approves of this. Jan Coggan gives an older man, Henry Fray, some of his own cup to drink. Henry always signs his name “Henery,” insisting that this was the name with which he was christened. Coggan invites Mark Clark, who is always amused and social, to join the drinking.

Coggan calls over to Joseph Poorgrass, saying he hasn’t drunk anything. Joseph tells the group that he blushes every time he sees the new mistress, though he’s always been shy. Jacob Smallbury tells Gabriel that such shyness is becoming for a woman, though awkward for a man: Gabriel agrees. The others chime in with more stories about Poorgrass’s bashfulness.

Gabriel asks what kind of place this farm is and what the mistress is like, but it appears that she’s only been here a few days. Coggan says he used to court his first wife Charlotte, a dairy maid, at Farmer Everdene’s, and he was kind and generous, plying him with ale. He’d eat salt beforehand so he could drink as much as possible. Coggan begins to talk ruefully of Charlotte’s death.

Trying to keep the conversation on track, Gabriel asks about Miss Everdene’s parents. They were town folk, Jacob says, and gentlemanly—but the husband lost hundreds of pounds in gold. He was a fickle husband, Coggan chimes in, whose will to be good wasn’t strong enough. Henery Fray remarks that Bathsheba was never that pretty then, and Coggan remarks he hopes her temper is as nice as her face.

Henery begins to complain about Bailiff Pennyway’s thieving ways, but Gabriel interrupts to remark that the maltster must be very old to have such aged sons. Jacob says his father’s so old he no longer minds his age. The maltster says he can’t recall the year he was born, but has lived in various places: he mentions each while nodding in its direction. After listing them all, he asks how many years that accounts for—another old man says a hundred and seventeen, so the maltster concludes that’s his age. But the cup they’re drinking out of, he adds, is older than himself.

Henery cries to Gabriel that he’s sure he saw him fluting at Casterbridge: Gabriel blushes and says he’s struggling to get by. Coggan asks Gabriel to play for them, and he does. A young man, Laban Tall (known mostly as “Susan Tall’s husband”), remarks that he can play well. Poorgrass remarks that he’s a clever man, and they should be grateful to have such a man for a shepherd, especially for their wives’ and daughters’ sakes. Even more so given how handsome he is, they all say. Gabriel thanks them modestly, but decides to himself that he’ll never let Bathsheba see him playing his flute (a wisdom worthy of Minerva).

Laban Tall is the first to leave, followed by Henery Fray. Gabriel leaves with Coggan, who’s offered him lodging. Then Henery returns, out of breath, to remark that Bathsheba has in fact caught Bailiff Pennyways stealing some barley. Miss Everdene flew at him, and he ran away.

As Henery rests, Laban Tall returns, remarking at more news: Fanny Robbin (Miss Everdene’s youngest servant) can’t be found. Mary-ann is worried something’s happened—Fanny was in low spirits recently. They all hasten up to the main house, except the maltster, who remains inside like always. From the bedroom window Bathsheba calls down to ask if any of the men can make inquiries about Fanny. Jacob asks if any young man in the parish has been courting her. No one thinks it’s the case: Bathsheba says any respectable lover would have come to the house. But she’s concerned that Fanny was last seen outside the house with only an indoor working gown on—not something to wear to her young man.

Then, though, Mary-ann says she did have a young man, a soldier in Casterbridge. Bathsheba asks Billy Smallbury to go tomorrow to find him. Uneasily, she wishes every goodnight. Meanwhile, Gabriel is just content at being able to see Bathsheba in the flesh.