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Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

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‘Ye desolate whirlwinds that rave,<br />

I charge you be good to my dear!<br />

She is all—she is all that I have,<br />

And the time of our parting is near!’<br />

‘Beautiful!’ said Una. ‘And did they like it?’ ‘Like it? They<br />

were overwhelmed—accablEs, as Rene says. My dear, if I hadn’t<br />

seen it, I shouldn’t have believed that I could have drawn tears,<br />

genuine tears, to the eyes of four grown men. But I did! Rene<br />

simply couldn’t endure it! He’s all French sensibility. He hid<br />

his face <strong>and</strong> said, “Assez, Mademoiselle! C’est plus fort que<br />

moi! Assez!” And Sir Arthur blew his nose <strong>and</strong> said, “Good<br />

Ged! This is worse than Assaye!” While Dad sat with the tears<br />

simply running down his cheeks.’<br />

‘And what did Doctor Break do?’<br />

‘He got up <strong>and</strong> pretended to look out of the window, but<br />

I saw his little fat shoulders jerk as if he had the hiccoughs.<br />

That was a triumph. I never suspected him of sensibility.’<br />

‘Oh, I wish I’d seen! I wish I’d been you,’said Una, clasping<br />

her h<strong>and</strong>s. Puck rustled <strong>and</strong> rose from the fern, just as a big<br />

<strong>Rewards</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Fairies</strong><br />

70<br />

blundering cock-chafer flew smack against Una’s cheek.<br />

When she had finished rubbing the place, Mrs Vincey called<br />

to her that Pansy had been fractious, or she would have come<br />

long before to help her strain <strong>and</strong> pour off. ‘It didn’t matter,’<br />

said Una; ‘I just waited. Is that old Pansy barging about the<br />

lower pasture now?’<br />

‘No,’ said Mrs Vincey, listening. ‘It sounds more like a horse<br />

being galloped middlin’ quick through the woods; but there’s<br />

no road there. I reckon it’s one of Gleason’s colts loose. Shall<br />

I see you up to the house, Miss Una?’<br />

‘Gracious, no! thank you. What’s going to hurt me?’ said<br />

Una, <strong>and</strong> she put her stool away behind the oak, <strong>and</strong> strolled<br />

home through the gaps that old Hobden kept open for her.

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