Far from the Madding Crowd Chapter VI

In which the annual hiring fair at Casterbridge serves as the setting for Gabriel Oak’s humble attempts to secure work, leading him to don the guise of a shepherd and venture towards Weatherbury, where circumstance draws him into the midst of a rick-yard fire. Amidst the flickering flames and rural tumult, an unexpected encounter unfolds beneath a woollen veil, quietly hinting at new beginnings.