And as regards the heiress, the principle of
sale and purchase, if I may be forgiven the employment of common
terms, is still more religiously enforced. It is not often that the
heiress is given away; stolen she may be occasionally, much to the
indignation of Lord Chancellors and other guardians of such
property; the thief is very properly punished--imprisoned, if need
be. If handed over legitimately, her price is strictly exacted, not
always in money--that she possesses herself, maybe in sufficiency;
it enables her to bargain for other advantages no less serviceable
to her children--for title, place, position. In the same way the
Neolithic woman, herself of exceptional strength and ferocity, may
have been enabled to bestow a thought upon her savage lover's
beauty, his prehistoric charm of manner; thus in other directions no
less necessary assisting the development of the race."
"I cannot argue with you," said the Old Maid. "I know one case.
They were both poor; it would have made no difference to her, but it
did to him. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems to me that, as you say,
our instincts are given us to guide us.
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