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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
“Perhaps I do," said Rachel; and she got up very quickly and ran away.
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CHAPTER XXI.
A fine puss gentleman that's all perfume;
The sight's enough. — COWPER.
The wood known as the Three Corners stretched its dusky triangular length in the midst
of a marshy tract of ground, mere waste land, but seldom invaded by man or beast, save
at certain seasons of the year when the “withies,” or willows, which throve apace in that
sodden soil were cut by the inhabitants of the nearest hamlet, and sold to the gipsy folk
who passed their way. A bye-path across the fields of Charnleigh Manor led to the
wood on the hither side, but the only public approach to the Three Corners was a sandy
lane, deeply indented with ruts, and almost impassable in winter.
It was along this lane that Simon made his way, to hold tryst with Sir Walter Brooke, a
little before the hour which that worthy had mentioned in his letter to Rachel. Swinging
along at a rapid pace, he skirted the deep ditch which bordered this wood, and which,
draining the soil in some measure, made of the peaty banks above a congenial dwellingplace
for the magnificent undergrowth of rhododendrons which in spring turned the
lonely spot into a very fairy bower; as he turned the corner, and prepared to follow the
narrow path, which, striking off from the lane aforesaid, led across a roughly
constructed foot-bridge to the centre of the wood, he came to an abrupt stop, whistling
under his breath. Lo! at the farther turn of the lane, and drawn up well
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beneath the shelter of the wood, he described a post-chaise. A pair of powerful horses
were harnessed to this vehicle, and the postboy sat in his place, flicking idly at his boots
with his whip. After pausing to take in these details Simon pursued his original course
with compressed lips, and a heavy frown upon his brow.