Greene Ferne Farm · Chapter
Dawn explained
At dawn, Geoffrey and Margaret find their lost shepherd Jabez, who claims the 'Old One' led him astray.
What happens
At dawn, Geoffrey and Margaret find their lost shepherd Jabez, who claims the 'Old One' led him astray. They return to Warren House, where Geoffrey fetches a cart for the injured shepherd. The chapter also includes Geoffrey's reflective vigil outside the ancient cave where Margaret slept, as he contemplates love, time, and mortality.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Mortality
Geoffrey's reverie about ancient hills, the star, and the fleeting nature of love and life underscores the theme of time and mortality.
Nature and the Pastoral Ideal
The dawn landscape, the downs, the cave, and the shepherd's life evoke the pastoral ideal and humanity's connection to nature.
Characters to notice
- Geoffrey Newton
Awakens at dawn, tends to Margaret's safety, fetches a cart for Jabez, and reflects on love and the past.
- Margaret Estcourt
Sleeps in the ancient cave; later rides with Geoffrey to find Jabez and returns to Warren House.
- Jabez
Found lost on the downs with a sprained ankle; claims the 'Old One' led him astray; rescued by Geoffrey.
- Jenny
A stout woman at Warren House who helps Geoffrey with the horses and cart.
Key passages
“He be as hardy as a woodpile toad!”
He is extremely tough and resilient.
Jenny describes the aged Mr. Fisher's hardiness using a rustic simile.
“it wur the Ould Un hisself, it wur. He led I by th’ nause round and round”
It was the Devil himself who led me around in circles by the nose.
Jabez attributes his getting lost to supernatural mischief.