FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41  
42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   >>   >|  
As soon as she had spoken them she wished the words unsaid. Her dislike to Miss Pucker amounted almost to hatred. She felt bitterly even towards her own eldest daughter. She looked timidly into Rachel's face and unconsciously construed into their true meaning those lines which formed themselves on the girl's brow and over her eyes. "Well, mamma; and what else?" said Rachel. "Dorothea thinks that perhaps you are going into Baslehurst to meet him again." "And suppose I am?" From the tone in which this question was asked it was clear to Mrs. Ray that she was expected to answer it. And yet what answer could she make? It had never occurred to her that her child would take upon herself to defend such conduct as that imputed to her, or that any question would be raised as to the propriety or impropriety of the proceeding. She was by no means prepared to show why it was so very terrible and iniquitous. She regarded it as a sin,--known to be a sin generally,--as is stealing or lying. "Suppose I am going to walk with him again? what then?" "Oh, Rachel, who is he? I don't even know his name. I didn't believe it, when Dorothea told me; only as she did tell me I thought I ought to mention it. Oh dear, oh dear! I hope there is nothing wrong. You were always so good;--I can't believe anything wrong of you." "No, mamma;--don't. Don't think evil of me." "I never did, my darling." "I am not going into Baslehurst to walk with Mr. Rowan;--for I suppose it is him you mean." "I don't know, my dear; I never heard the young man's name." "It is Mr. Rowan. I did walk with him along the churchyard path when that woman with her sharp squinting eyes saw me. He does belong to the brewery. He is related in some way to the Tappitts, and was a nephew of old Mrs. Bungall's. He is there as a clerk, and they say he is to be a partner,--only I don't think he ever will, for he quarrels with Mr. Tappitt." "Dear, dear!" said Mrs. Ray. "And now, mamma, you know as much about him as I do; only this, that he went to Exeter this morning, and does not come back till Monday, so that it is impossible that I should meet him in Baslehurst this evening;--and it was very unkind of Dolly to say so; very unkind indeed." Then Rachel gave way and began to cry. It certainly did seem to Mrs. Ray that Rachel knew a good deal about Mr. Rowan. She knew of his kith and kin, she knew of his prospects and what was like to mar his prospects, and sh
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41  
42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Rachel

 

Baslehurst

 

answer

 

suppose

 

question

 
unkind
 

Dorothea

 

prospects

 
darling
 
nephew

impossible

 
evening
 
Monday
 
Exeter
 

morning

 

related

 
brewery
 

Tappitts

 

mention

 

belong


squinting

 
Bungall
 

Tappitt

 

quarrels

 

partner

 

churchyard

 

terrible

 
meaning
 

construed

 

timidly


unconsciously

 
formed
 

thinks

 
looked
 
daughter
 
unsaid
 

dislike

 

wished

 

spoken

 

Pucker


eldest

 
bitterly
 

amounted

 

hatred

 

iniquitous

 

regarded

 

prepared

 

generally

 

stealing

 

thought