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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
Charnock and to her honourable husband that is to be — otherwise to my most noble
self. I care little for your ill-will, Cousin Clod-hopper. A husband who deserves her, say
you? Truly I may lay claim to the title, for I am buying her dear, am I not, Renshaw?
Sly old Renshaw, who drives as hard a bargain as the Devil himself. But come, you old
sinner, I will forgive you much for the sake of that port. Fill up, fill up another glass to
Rachel; such wine as this shall be dedicated to no other name, I swear. Here's to Rachel
again, the cunning little jade, with her pretence of innocence all the time she is playing
her part so well! Now kind, now cruel—drawing me on, and then making belief to flout
me. Ha! Ha! my pretty madam, we'll settle these old scores some day. I bide my time
now, but later on my sweetheart shall find out who is master — eh, Renshaw? You were
too wise, old man, to take to yourself a wife, or was it too foolish? You preferred to
spend your substance on your cellar. But I will have all — I will buy me ruby lips as
well as ruby wine; I will have kisses and
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smiles at my order. Come, another glass! Ruby wine and ruby lips — bonny Rachel’s
lips!”
Ere he had set down the glass Simon leaped to his feet; one or two hasty strides brought
him to Gifford's side; he flung out his arm as though to strike him, but the other's
swaying form eluded him, and, before he could touch it, fell heavily to the floor.
“Now Simon, Simon!" cried the lawyer, his usually rubicund and jovial face blanched
and serious in a moment, while he laid a detaining hand upon the yeoman's arm. "How
is this, Simon? What would your honoured father say at your thus seeking a brawl
beneath my roof?"
"Sir," responded Simon hotly, "he would say that I did well. There are things that flesh
and blood cannot bear. If you can endure to hear your patron calumniated, and his
daughter insulted it is more than I can do. Mr. Renshaw, I wonder that you could stand
by and listen to that ruffian when a word from you must have silenced him."
"Now, Simon," said the old gentleman, lifting a warning finger, "wait a bit — wait a bit!
I could not speak that word. I am loth indeed to talk of professional matters to one who
is not actually concerned in them, but there has been too much said for me to keep the