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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
It was not, however, considered safe to move her for some days; and meanwhile Rachel
came and went, bringing light and hope with her, as Simon often thought. Every tone of
her voice thrilled him; he listened for the sound of her foot; he came back to the house a
dozen times a day merely because she was there. At night he would stand beneath the
window of the room where she slept beside her mother, gazing at the little twinkling
light, mind and heart absorbed in a voiceless prayer of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
At last the time came for them to return to the Hall, and, with many expressions of
gratitude for their kindness and hospitality. Madam Charnock took leave of him and his
aunt. She was careful not to be one moment alone with Simon, and even in saying
farewell she scarcely dared to look him in the face. But as he attended her to the
carriage she stole a glance at him, half expecting to find his features convulsed with
despairing grief. But no such expression was there; his face was calm and even placid;
yet when his eyes, attracted by her gaze, were turned upon her she read there something
which frightened her —not anger, not even reproach, but steady determination.
[180]
During the next few days a period of calm seemed to succeed the blissful unrest of the
preceding week. The inhabitants of the Hall gave no sign, and Simon, often as he
walked abroad, heard no news of them, save that Mr. Humphrey had departed. One
afternoon, however, he resolved to take decided action for himself, and rode into the
town to pay a visit to Mr. Renshaw. He found that gentleman poring with knitted brows
over a pile of papers, and was received by him with anything but cordiality.
"Well, sir," began the old lawyer as soon as the door closed behind Simon, “a pretty
kettle of fish has come of your interference! You have made a nice mess of it yonder,
and got me in a deuced awkward corner."
Simon smiled, not at the variety of metaphors, but at his own thoughts, and sat down
unconcernedly.
"Now, Mr. Renshaw,” he said, "you must explain yourself. Since you have said so
much, you must say more. What is the real state of affairs at the Hall?”