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XII. Farmers—A Rule—An Exception

           

           Thenumerousevidencesofherpowertoattractwereonlythrownintogreaterreliefbyamarkedexception.Womenseemtohaveeyesintheirribbonsforsuchmattersasthese.Bathsheba,withoutlookingwithinarightangleofhim,wasconsciousofablacksheepamongtheflock.

           Itperplexedherfirst.Iftherehadbeenarespectableminorityoneitherside,thecasewouldhavebeenmostnatural.Ifnobodyhadregardedher,shewouldhavetakenthematterindifferently—suchcaseshadoccurred.Ifeverybody,thismanincluded,shewouldhavetakenitasamatterofcourse—peoplehaddonesobefore.Butthesmallnessoftheexceptionmadethemystery.

           Shesoonknewthusmuchoftherecusant’sappearance.Hewasagentlemanlyman,withfullanddistinctlyoutlinedRomanfeatures,theprominencesofwhichglowedinthesunwithabronze-likerichnessoftone.Hewaserectinattitude,andquietindemeanour.Onecharacteristicpre-eminentlymarkedhim—dignity.

           Apparentlyhehadsometimeagoreachedthatentrancetomiddleageatwhichaman’saspectnaturallyceasestoalterforthetermofadozenyearsorso;and,artificially,awoman’sdoeslikewise.Thirty-fiveandfiftywerehislimitsofvariation—hemighthavebeeneither,oranywherebetweenthetwo.

           Itmaybesaidthatmarriedmenoffortyareusuallyreadyandgenerousenoughtoflingpassingglancesatanyspecimenofmoderatebeautytheymaydiscernbytheway.

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