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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
entire concurrence in her scheme for leaving her money in a lump to Cousin Pringle, but
expressed some curiosity as to the nature of the legacy she meant to bequeath to Miss
Charnock.
"Eh! 'tis naught of any consequence — nobbut my recipe book. I know she's one as ‘ull
valley it — and she has a taste, mind ye, Nephew — wonderful taste for such-like. Eh! I
reckon she'll be fain to have these old recipes. There's not the like to be found I’ th'
country now. The Christmas pudden is there, and orange cordial and damson cheese;
then there's a many recipes for possets, and such-like. I reckon she'll be fain to have it
— 'tis all wrote out fair by my mother hersel' — and I'd be fain to think as Miss
Charnock's name was in my will, I’ll reckon she'll not think it a liberty, but I'll ask
her before Mr. Renshaw sets it down. She sent me word she'd step up to see me this
afternoon. You might ask Lawyer Renshaw to call to-morrow morn, Nephew, and we's
get the matter settled."
The poor old lady had well-nigh exhausted herself with so much talking, but,
nevertheless, when Rachel came to see her she had a very important announcement' to
make, besides discussing the proposed legacy.
“Though I say it as shouldn't," she began, "our Simon is a good lad. That quiet to live
wi', that easy tempered! You might set what you like before him to eat and he'd never
complain; there's never a word out of him, bless him! Aye, me an' him has lived
together as happy as layrocks."
Rachel, with downcast eyes, remarked that Simon was, indeed, very good, and that he
appeared to be much concerned at his aunt's illness.
“He is that," agreed Miss Belinda, comfortably. "Dear o' me, whatever he'll do without
me I'm sure I can't think.”
[217]
"Perhaps he'll marry?” suggested the girl, with her eyes still fixed on Aunt Binney's
patchwork quilt.
“Well, I don't know, I’m sure, miss; I think somehow if Simon had reckoned to wed,
he'd ha' done it before now. Says I to him last night — we was talking about funerals
and that — says I, ‘Simon,' I said, ‘ye’re terrible staid in your ways. God knows if you'll