The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
"You seem very much pleased at what I tell you,” said Humphrey testily. "Perhaps 'tis
no news to you?"
“Bertha has not made any confidences to me on the subject," replied Miss Charnock
discreetly. "But if you are right in your suspicions I own I should be pleased."
Her calm, decided tone irritated Humphrey beyond measure: that this chit not much
more than midway through her teens should dare to interfere with his plans, and thus
openly to express satisfaction at their frustration — it was not to be borne in patience.
He would soon make her see her folly, and awe her into subjection.
"This seems to me a very foolish saying of yours," he remarked, with the cold
displeasure which usually impressed her. "I doubt if you could give any reasonable
motive for your satisfaction."
"Now, there you are wrong. Cousin Humphrey," retorted she. “I can give two most
excellent motives. To begin with, if Bertha has lost her heart to Simon Fleetwood, she
has doubtless cause to believe that he has lost his to her. If they marry she will have a
very good husband, and I shall have a very nice neighbour. I rejoice on both accounts,
for I am fond of Bertha."
"Perhaps you have suspected something of this attachment, then?"
“Perhaps I have, and perhaps I have not; but you may be quite sure that since I now hear
on such reliable authority that there are good grounds for believing in its existence, I
shall do my very best to further it."
"Then you are making a great mistake," cried Humphrey angrily. "It is most perverse
and wicked of you to meddle with so serious a matter. You are doing your friend an
injury."
[126]
Rachel twisted the end of her wax thread and gazed mockingly at the young man.
"Why so much warmth, Cousin?” she inquired. "It strikes me that you are very much
interested in Bertha Gifford's fortunes — or I should perhaps say — fortune."
She nibbled at the end of the thread, her head turned a little sideways, and her eyes
twinkling.