▁young ▁she ph erd . ▁With ▁the ▁sav ings ▁of ▁a ▁f rug al ▁life , ▁and ▁a ▁loan , ▁he ▁has ▁le ased ▁and ▁stock ed ▁a ▁farm . ▁He ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁a ▁new com er ▁eight ▁years ▁his ▁junior , ▁Bath she ba ▁Ever den e , ▁a ▁proud ▁beauty ▁who ▁arriv es ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁her ▁a unt . ▁Over ▁time , ▁Bath she ba ▁and ▁Gabriel ▁grow ▁to ▁like ▁each ▁other ▁well ▁enough , ▁and ▁Bath she ba ▁even ▁saves ▁his ▁life ▁once . ▁However , ▁when ▁he ▁makes ▁her ▁an ▁un ad orn ed ▁offer ▁of ▁marriage , ▁she ▁ref uses ; ▁she ▁values ▁her ▁independence ▁too ▁much ▁and ▁him ▁too ▁little . ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁days , ▁she ▁moves ▁to ▁We ather bury , ▁a ▁village ▁some ▁miles ▁off . ▁ ▁When ▁next ▁they ▁meet , ▁their ▁circumstances ▁have ▁changed ▁dr ast ically . ▁An ▁in ex per ien ced ▁new ▁sheep dog ▁drives ▁Gabriel ' s ▁f lock ▁over ▁a ▁cl iff , ▁ru ining ▁him . ▁After ▁s elling ▁off ▁everything ▁of ▁value , ▁he ▁man ages ▁to ▁sett le ▁all ▁his ▁deb ts ▁but ▁emer ges ▁p enn il ess . ▁He ▁see ks ▁employ ment ▁at ▁a ▁h iring ▁fair ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁C aster bridge . ▁When ▁he ▁finds ▁none , ▁he ▁heads ▁to ▁another ▁such ▁fair ▁in ▁Sh ot ts ford , ▁a ▁town ▁about ▁ten ▁miles ▁from ▁We ather bury . ▁On ▁the ▁way , ▁he ▁happens