The passage below is from Jane Eyre by C. Bronte
The matrons, meantime, offered vinaigrettes and wielded fans; and again and again reiterated the expression of their concern that their warning had not been taken in time; and the elder gentlemen laughed, and the younger urged their services on the agitated fair ones.
On what’s going on : there’s party going on in Rochester’s mansion when a fortune teller offers to give women before marriage a fortune. Then four misses, one alone and three together, go to have heard their fortune. So comes the quotes passage.
On this passage I cannot figure out the meaning of the word, ‘fair.’ Dictionary presented 15 adjective meanings for this word. However I can not pinpoint which is suitable for this passage. Honestly I can not figure out bold faced ‘the younger urged their services on the agitated fair ones’ altogether.
Thanks.
matrons - older women elder gentlemen - older men younger ones - younger men fair ones - attractive (younger) women
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matrons - older women
elder gentlemen - older men
younger ones - younger men
fair ones - attractive (younger) women