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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
but there was a limit to his forbearance, and even had the matter not touched him so
deeply, he would not have permitted any one with whom he had to deal to draw back
after having gone so far.
His resolution was settled, therefore, and his plan of action determined; he would hold
Madam Charnock to her word. And for the rest, what difficulties could he not
overcome, what feats could he not accomplish to win sweet Rachel's love? Once secure
of the right to woo her on an equal footing, how could he fail to make her love him,
seeing that he loved her so much, and that there was nothing in all the world that he
would not do for her sake?
All at once he rose and crossed the room to the bookcase in the comer, taking from the
lowest shelf the great family Bible, the fly-leaves of which contained crabbed records of
the births, marriages, and deaths of so many generations of Fleetwoods. But Simon did
not pause to consider these entries now; he turned the pages rapidly until he came to
that on which was set forth the story which Rachel loved so well — the story of her
namesake. He read it slowly through, breaking off now and then to lean back in his
chair and meditate with a smiling face. Closing the book at last, he
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replaced it on the shelf, and then paused, listening to the sound of footsteps overhead.
When all was still again he murmured half aloud, "There shall be no Leah, my
sweet!"Then suddenly throwing up his arms, he prayed earnestly: "God, my God, give
her to me!"
[179]
CHAPTER XVI.
So on he fares, and to the border comes,
Of Eden. —Milton.
Mrs. Charnock's constitution was, as her husband said, an excellent one; she soon
rallied from the shock, and her injuries proved for the most part to be mere contusions.