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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
calmed down, considered for a while silently, and finally desired me to send you to him
without delay. So you must wait upon him this evening, Simon.”
"Very good," replied the yeoman. "I will not fail to do so.”
“I would I knew your object," mused the lawyer, as he crossed the yard again. “It cannot
be the young lady, that is certain; and, much as you and yours have loved the
Charnocks, I doubt if the mere quixotic wish to help the family is strong enough for
such a step as this."
“It is very strong," put in Simon quietly.
“Then, deuce take it, this business with your cousin; you do not love him, I can see —
why then interfere?"
"You can conceive perhaps," returned the other, "that I may have a sufficiently strong
sense of family responsibility to desire to prevent one of my own kin from bringing
disgrace and unhappiness into a family which I honour."
[187]
“Is that the explanation?" cried the lawyer, turning round with a disgusted face; “upon
my soul, I did not think you would have been so foolish." He clicked his tongue against
his teeth and shook his head.
"Very insufficient, Simon, very insufficient; it was evidently not from your side of the
family that the young fellow Gifford took his shrewdness. Pooh! Pooh! A rubbishy tale,
a very flimsy excuse, young man. Let me tell you," he added sternly, pausing with his
foot on the step of the chaise, “I do not for one moment believe it, Simon Fleetwood."
An hour later Simon was ushered into the small study or office where the Squire usually
conducted matters of business. Mr. Charnock had drawn his high elbow-chair close to
the table, which faced the door, and looked up as he entered. A fine man still, though his
years were close upon seventy; his features clear-cut and handsome, yet bearing the
stamp of long self-indulgence. He fixed his eyes upon the young man, as he advanced
into the room, with a searching and somewhat haughty gaze.
“Sit down, Mr. Fleetwood," pointing to a chair at a little distance.
Simon obeyed.