“ A woman may be treated with a bitterness which is sweet to her, and with a rudeness which is not offensive. ”
Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd (1874). copy citation
| Author | Thomas Hardy |
|---|---|
| Source | Far from the Madding Crowd |
| Topic | rudeness bitterness |
| Date | 1874 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/107/107-h/107-h.htm |
Context
“"I have long given up thinking of that matter."
"Or wishing it, I suppose," she said; and it was apparent that she expected an unhesitating denial of this supposition.
Whatever Gabriel felt, he coolly echoed her words—
"Or wishing it either."
A woman may be treated with a bitterness which is sweet to her, and with a rudeness which is not offensive. Bathsheba would have submitted to an indignant chastisement for her levity had Gabriel protested that he was loving her at the same time; the impetuosity of passion unrequited is bearable, even if it stings and anathematizes—there is a triumph in the humiliation, and a tenderness in the strife.”
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