Reade_Griffith_Gaunt.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
woman in my condition ? am more your friend than to take
you at your word. what do you think am made of, to
go from one man to another, like that ? "
" your time, sweetheart ; only give me your hand."
"," said very gravely, " am beholden to
you ; but my duty it lies another way. is a young man
in these parts ( groaned) that was my follower for
two years and better. wronged him for one never name
now. must marry that poor lad, and make him happy, or
else live and die as am.
turned pale. " word : do you love him ? "
" have a regard for him."
" you love him ? "
" . wronged him, and owe him amends.
shall pay my debt."
bowed, and retired sick at heart, and deeply
mortified. looked after him and sighed.
day, as he walked disconsolate up and down, she
came to him and gave him her hand. " were a good
friend to me that bitter day," said she. " let me be
yours. not bide here : 'twill but vex you."
" am going, madam " said stiffly. " but
wait to see the man you prefer to me. he is not too
unworthy of you, 'll go, and trouble you no more. have
learned his name."
blushed : for she knew would bear no
comparison with .
next day took leave to observe that this
did not seem to appreciate her preference so
highly as he ought. " understand he has never been here."
coloured, but made no reply : and was
sorry he had taunted her. followed her about, and
showed her great attention, but not a word of love.
were fine trout streams in the neighbourhood, and
he busied himself fishing, and in the evening read aloud to
, and waited to see .
never came ; and, from a word let drop, he
saw that she was mortified. , being no tyro in love, he
told her he had business in , and must leave her for
a few days. he would return, and by that time perhaps
would be visible.
his main object was to try the effect of corre-
spondence.
day he sent her a long love-letter from .
, who, in absenting himself for a time, had
acted upon his sister's advice rather than his own natural
impulse, learned that received a letter every day.
was a thing unheard of in that parish.
then defied his sister's advice, and presented him-
self to ; when the following dialogue took place :
" home, ."
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you, ."
" , 'm single still, lass."
" hear."
e 'm come to say, let bygones be bygones."
" be it," said drily.
" have tried a gentleman ; now try a farrier."
" have ; and he did not stand the test."
" ."
" did you not come near me for ten days ? "
blushed up to the eyes. " ," said he, " 'll tell
you the truth. ' our advised me to leave you quiet
just at first."
", ay. was to be humbled, and made to smart for
my fault ; and then should be thankful to take you.
lad, if ever you should be really in love, take a friend's
advice ; listen to your own heart, and not to shallow advisers.
have mortified a poor sorrowful creature who was
going to make a sacrifice for you, and you have lost her
for ever."
" d'ye mean ? "
" mean that ye are to think no more of ."
" it is- true ye jade ; ye've gotten a fresh lover
already."
" no more than you know. you were the only man
on earth would not wed you, ."
retired home, and blew up his sister ; and
told her that she had " gotten him the sack again."
next day came back from , and
lowered her lashes for once at sight of him.
" ," said he, " has this shown a sense of your
goodness ?"
" has come, and gone."
then, with her usual frankness, told him what had
passed. " ," said she, with a smile, " you are partly to
blame ; for how could help comparing your behaviour to
me with his ? came to my side when was in trouble,
and showed me respect when expected scorn from all the
world. friend in need is a friend indeed ! "
" me, reward me ! " said gaily, " you
know the way."
" , but am too much your friend," said .
" less my friend, then, and more my darling."
pressed her, he urged her, he stuck to her, he pestered
her.
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snubbed, and evaded, and parried, and liked him all
the better for his pestering her.
last, one day, she said, " . thinks it will
be for your happiness, mil in six months' time ; but you
shall not marry in haste to repent at leisure. must
have time to learn two things whether you can be constant
to a simple woman like me, and whether can love again as
tenderly as you deserve to be loved."
his endeavours to shake this determination were vain.
had a terrible deal of quiet resolution.
retired to , and in a long letter, asked
. 's advice. replied characteristically.
began very soberly to say that she should be the last to
advise a marriage between persons of different conditions
in life. " , then," said she, " this is altogether
an exception. a flower grows on a dunghill, 'tis still a
flower, and not a part of the dunghill. has the essence
of gentility, and indeed her manners are better bred than
most of our ladies. is too much affectation abroad,
and that is your true vulgarity. ' my lady ' on to
' ,' and that dignified and quiet simplicity of
hers will cany her with credit through every court in
. think of her virtues (here the writer began
to lose her temper) where can you hope to find such
another ? she is a moral genius, and acts well, no matter
under what temptation, as surely as and
paint well. , sir, what do you seek in a wife ? ?
title ? family ? you possess them already ; you want
something in addition that will make you happy. ,
take that angelic goodness into your house, and you will
find, by your own absolute happiness, how ill your neigh-
bours have wived. my part, see but one objection :
the child. , if you are man enough to take the mother,
am woman enough to take the babe. one word, he
who has the sense to fall in love with such an angel, and
has not the sense to marry it, if he can, is a fool."
" poor friend, to what end think you
sent you down in the coach with her ? "
, thus advised, acted as he would have done
had the advice been just the opposite.
sent a love-letter by every post, and he often
received one in return ; only his were passionate, and hers
gentle and affectionate.
345
one day came a letter that was a mere cry of
distress.
" , my child is dying. shall do ? "
mounted his horse, and rode to her.
came too late. little boy had died suddenly of
croup, and was to be buried next morning.
poor mother received him upstairs, and her grief was
terrible. clung sobbing to him, and could not be com-
forted. she felt his coming. a mother's anguish
overpowered all.
by this fearful blow, her strength gave way for
a time, and she clung to , and told him she
had nothing left but him, and one day implored him not
to die and leave her.
said all he could think of to comfort her ;
and at the end of a fortnight persuaded her to leave the
" " and , as his wife.
had little power to resist now ; and indeed little
inclination.
were married by special licence, and spent a twelve-
month abroad.
the end of that time they returned to 's ,
and took her place there with the same dignified
simplicity that had adorned her in a humbler station.
had given her no lessons ; but she had ob-
served closely, for his sake ; and being already well educated,
and very quick and docile, she seldom made him blush,
except with pride.
were the happiest pair in . merci-
ful nature now found a larger field for its exercise, and,
backed by her husband's purse, she became the -
ful of the parish and the county.
day after she reached 's came an exqui-
site letter to her from . . sent an affectionate
reply.
the and the did not meet in society.
and . , being both singu-
larly brave and haughty people, rather despised this arrange-
ment.
it seems that, one day, when they were all four in
the , folk whispered and looked ; and both -
fith and surprised these glances, and
determined, by one impulse, it should never happen again.
346
it was quite understood that the and the
were not to be asked to the same party or ball.
wives, however, corresponded, and
easily induced . to co-operate with her in her
benevolent acts, especially in saving young women who had
been betrayed from sinking deeper.
a good many miles apart, could send
her stray sheep to service near . , and vice versa;
and so, merciful but discriminating, they saved many a poor
girl who had been weak, not wicked.
then, though they could not eat nor dance together
in earthly mansions, they could do good together; and,
methinks, in the eternal world, where years of social inter-
course will prove less than cobwebs, these their joint acts of
mercy will be links of a bright, strong chain, to bind their
souls in everlasting amity.
was a remarkable circumstance, that the one child of
's unhappy marriage died, but her nine children
by all grew to goodly men and women.
branch of the became remarkable for high principle
and good sense ; and this they owe to , and to
's courage in marrying her. was grand-
daughter to one of 's , and brought her
rare personal merit into their house, and also the best
blood of the old , than which there is no blood in
more rich in male courage, female chastity, and all
the virtues.