The Romantic Adventures of a Milkmaid by Thomas Hardy
page 89 of 132 (67%)
page 89 of 132 (67%)
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'Doubtless he will--what are they?'
'That I shall not be made to live with him till I am in the mind for it; and that my having him shall be kept unknown for the present.' 'Well, what do you think of it, Hayward?' 'Anything that you or she may wish I'll do, my noble lord,' said Jim. 'Well, her request is not unreasonable, seeing that the proceedings are, on my account, a little hurried. So we'll proceed. You rather expected this, from my allusion to a ceremony in my note, did you not, Margery?' 'Yes, sir,' said she, with an effort. 'Good; I thought so; you looked so little surprised.' We now leave the scene in the bedroom for a spot not many yards off. When the carriage seen by Margery at the door was driving up to Mount Lodge it arrested the attention, not only of the young girl, but of a man who had for some time been moving slowly about the opposite lawn, engaged in some operation while he smoked a short pipe. A short observation of his doings would have shown that he was sheltering some delicate plants from an expected frost, and that he was the gardener. When the light at the door fell upon the entering forms of parson and lawyer--the former a stranger, the latter known to him-- the gardener walked thoughtfully round the house. Reaching the small side-entrance he was further surprised to see it noiselessly open to |
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