Constancy Without a Claim
He shears a sheep in record time and is praised, then scolded, while her attention has already moved toward Boldwood. The spring tides of his own advancement pass. He stays in the barn because the work is the work, not because hope is flattering him.
Key Insight
Constancy is not the same as self-erasure, and Hardy lets you feel the cost. Remaining useful while unseen is a virtue that can also become a habit of being overlooked. The question is whether you can stay decent without making a martyr of the staying.
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