05-04-远离尘嚣 [5]
a very ordinary man，and my only chance was being the first to ask to marry her. Well，that was all I came for. I'd better go home now， Mrs Hurst. ’
He had gone halfway across the first field when he heard a cry behind him. He turned，and saw a girl running after him. It was Bathsheba. Gabriel blushed.
‘Farmer Oak，’she called breathlessly，‘I want to say——my aunt made a mistake when she told you I had a lot of young men courting me. In fact，I haven't got any，and I've never had any. ’
‘I am glad to hear that！’said Gabriel，with a wide smile，holding out his hand to take hers. But she pulled her hand away quickly. ‘I have a nice comfortable little farm，’he added，a little less confidently. ‘And when we are married，I'm sure I can work twice as hard as I do now，and earn more. ’
He stretched out his arm towards her. Bathsheba moved rapidly behind a tree to avoid him. ‘But，Farmer Oak，’she said in surprise，‘I never said I was going to marry you. ’
‘Well！’said Gabriel，disappointed. ‘To run after me like this， and then say you don't want me！’
‘I only wanted to explain that my aunt was wrong，’she answered eagerly. ‘Anyway，I had to run to catch up with you，so I didn't have time to decide whetherl wanted to marry or not. ’
‘Just think for a minute or two，’replied Gabriel hopefully. ‘I'll wait a while， Miss Everdene. Will you marry me？ Do，Bathsheba. I love you very much！’
‘I'll try to think，’she answered. ‘Give me time，’and she looked away from him at the distant hills.
‘I can make you happy，’he said to the back of her head ‘You shall have a piano，and I'll practise the flute to play with you in the evenings. ’
‘Yes，I'd like that. ’
‘And at home by the fire，whenever you look up，there I'll be，and whenever I look up， there you'll be. ’
‘Wait，let me think！’She was silent for a while，and then turned to him. ‘No，’she said，‘I don't want to marry you. It'd be nice to have a wedding，but having a husband——well，he'd always be there. As you say，whenever I looked up，there he'd be. ’
‘Of course he would——it would be me. ’
‘that's the problem. I wouldn't mind being a bride，if I could be one without having a husband. But as a woman can't be a bride alone，I won't marry，at least not yet. ’
‘What a silly thing for a girl to say！’ cried Gabriel. And then he said softly，‘But darling，think again！’He moved round the tree to reach her. ‘Why won't you have me？’
‘Because I don't love you，’she replied， moving away.
‘But I love you——and I'm happy to be liked，if that's all you feel for me. ’He spoke more seriously than he had ever spoken before. ‘Only one thing is certain in this life——I shall love you，and want you，and keep on wanting you until I die. ’His feelings were plain to see in his honest face，and his large brown hands were trembling.
‘It seems wrong not to accept you when you feel so strongly，’she replied unhappily. ‘I wish I hadn't run after you！But we wouldn't be happy together，Mr Oak. I'm too independent. I need a husband who can keep me in order， and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to do that. ’
Gabriel looked hopelessly away and did not reply.
‘And，Mr Oak，’she continued in a clear voice，‘I'm so poor that my aunt has to provide a home for me. You're just starting your farming business. It would be much more sensi-ble for you to marry a woman with money. Then you could buy more sheep and improve your farm. ’
‘That's just what I'd been thinking！’ answered Gabriel in surprise.
What common sense she had，he thought admiringly.
‘Well then，why did you ask to marry me？’she said angrily.
‘I can't do what I think would be——sensible. I must do what my heart tells me. ’He did not see the trap
He had gone halfway across the first field when he heard a cry behind him. He turned，and saw a girl running after him. It was Bathsheba. Gabriel blushed.
‘Farmer Oak，’she called breathlessly，‘I want to say——my aunt made a mistake when she told you I had a lot of young men courting me. In fact，I haven't got any，and I've never had any. ’
‘I am glad to hear that！’said Gabriel，with a wide smile，holding out his hand to take hers. But she pulled her hand away quickly. ‘I have a nice comfortable little farm，’he added，a little less confidently. ‘And when we are married，I'm sure I can work twice as hard as I do now，and earn more. ’
He stretched out his arm towards her. Bathsheba moved rapidly behind a tree to avoid him. ‘But，Farmer Oak，’she said in surprise，‘I never said I was going to marry you. ’
‘Well！’said Gabriel，disappointed. ‘To run after me like this， and then say you don't want me！’
‘I only wanted to explain that my aunt was wrong，’she answered eagerly. ‘Anyway，I had to run to catch up with you，so I didn't have time to decide whetherl wanted to marry or not. ’
‘Just think for a minute or two，’replied Gabriel hopefully. ‘I'll wait a while， Miss Everdene. Will you marry me？ Do，Bathsheba. I love you very much！’
‘I'll try to think，’she answered. ‘Give me time，’and she looked away from him at the distant hills.
‘I can make you happy，’he said to the back of her head ‘You shall have a piano，and I'll practise the flute to play with you in the evenings. ’
‘Yes，I'd like that. ’
‘And at home by the fire，whenever you look up，there I'll be，and whenever I look up， there you'll be. ’
‘Wait，let me think！’She was silent for a while，and then turned to him. ‘No，’she said，‘I don't want to marry you. It'd be nice to have a wedding，but having a husband——well，he'd always be there. As you say，whenever I looked up，there he'd be. ’
‘Of course he would——it would be me. ’
‘that's the problem. I wouldn't mind being a bride，if I could be one without having a husband. But as a woman can't be a bride alone，I won't marry，at least not yet. ’
‘What a silly thing for a girl to say！’ cried Gabriel. And then he said softly，‘But darling，think again！’He moved round the tree to reach her. ‘Why won't you have me？’
‘Because I don't love you，’she replied， moving away.
‘But I love you——and I'm happy to be liked，if that's all you feel for me. ’He spoke more seriously than he had ever spoken before. ‘Only one thing is certain in this life——I shall love you，and want you，and keep on wanting you until I die. ’His feelings were plain to see in his honest face，and his large brown hands were trembling.
‘It seems wrong not to accept you when you feel so strongly，’she replied unhappily. ‘I wish I hadn't run after you！But we wouldn't be happy together，Mr Oak. I'm too independent. I need a husband who can keep me in order， and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to do that. ’
Gabriel looked hopelessly away and did not reply.
‘And，Mr Oak，’she continued in a clear voice，‘I'm so poor that my aunt has to provide a home for me. You're just starting your farming business. It would be much more sensi-ble for you to marry a woman with money. Then you could buy more sheep and improve your farm. ’
‘That's just what I'd been thinking！’ answered Gabriel in surprise.
What common sense she had，he thought admiringly.
‘Well then，why did you ask to marry me？’she said angrily.
‘I can't do what I think would be——sensible. I must do what my heart tells me. ’He did not see the trap