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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
She smiled a little malicious smile to herself, and returned lightly:—
"Well, as to the woman you are wooing. Cousin Humphrey, surely she must teach you,
and not I,"
"Alas, I am so backward a scholar, dear Rachel, conscious of my deficiencies, and yet
unable to remedy them. I fear to go before my mistress with my lesson unlearnt. Do but
give me a hint or two.”
She looked at him and heaved an impatient sigh. "Well, I suppose I must. What do you
wish to learn? Let us have an end of it quickly."
"Since we are rehearsing," said Humphrey, "let us imagine that you are the woman I
love and am anxious to win, and that I wish to ask a favour of you. Now, how must I set
about it?"
"You must ask for it on your knees, of course," replied Rachel promptly. “But you
should have begun by saying something pretty.”
"So be it! 'Tis a trifle inconvenient to fall upon one's knees, but I will obey my mentor at
all costs. Now, what pretty thing shall I say?"
"You are the best judge of that," she replied demurely.
He bent forward a little and said softly: "I cannot resist the witchery of those dancing
eyes."
"A little strong to begin with," commented Rachel, "and Bertha's eyes do not dance.
You had better substitute the word melting when you repeat the lesson in earnest, but, if
I were you, I should not hazard it too soon. Well, now go on,"
"But you should say something, surely?"
"Nay, 'tis my part to say nothing. I am very sure that Bertha will say nothing. But
proceed."
"Have you no word for me?" murmured Humphrey in a tone of mock entreaty, which
did not at all hide from Rachel an underlying and very real agitation. “Do you
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not see that you have made an impression on me which I find it impossible to resist?
This very day I was about to ask a favour of you. Do not be so cruel as to deny me”