Bathsheba was convinced that this unmoved person was not a married man.
When marketing was over, she rushed off to Liddy, who was waiting for her -- beside the yellowing in which they had driven to town. The horse was put in, and on they trotted Bathsheba's sugar, tea, and drapery parcels being packed behind, and expressing in some indescribable manner, by their colour, shape, and general lineaments, that they were that young ladyfarmer's property, and the grocer's and drapers no more.
"I've been through it, Liddy, and it is over. I shan't mind it again, for they will all have grown accustomed to seeing me there; but this morning it was as bad as being married -- eyes everywhere!"
"I knowed it would. be." Liddy said "Men be such a terrible class of society to look at a body."
"But there was one man who had more sense than to waste his time upon me." The information was put in this form that Liddy might not for a moment suppose her mistress was at all piqued. "A very good-looking man." she continued, "upright; about forty, I should think. Do you know at all who he could be?"
Liddy couldn't think.
"Can't you guess at all?" said Bathsheba with some disappointment.
"I haven't a notion; besides, 'tis no difference, since he took less notice of you than any of the rest. Now, if he'd taken more, it would have mattered a great deal."
Bathsheba was suffering from the reverse feeling just then, and they bowled along in silence. A low carriage, bowling along still more rapidly behind a horse of unimpeachable breed, overtook and passed them.
"Why, there he is!" she said.
Liddy looked. "That! That's Farmer Boldwood -of course 'tis -- the man you couldn't see the other day when he called."
"Oh, Farmer Boldwood." murmured Bathsheba, and looked at him as he outstripped them. The farmer had never turned his head once, but with eyes fixed on the most advanced point along the road, passed as unconsciously and abstractedly as if Bathsheba and her charms were thin air.
"He's an interesting man -- don't you think so?" she remarked.
"O yes, very. Everybody owns it." replied Liddy.
"I wonder why he is so wrapt up and indifferent, and seemingly so far away from all he sees around him," "It is said -- but not known for certain -- that he met with some bitter disappointment when he was a young man and merry. A woman jilted him, they say."
"People always say that -- and we know very well women scarcely ever jilt men; 'tis the men who jilt us.