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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
fellow's insolence is more than I can conceive. Pray, is he the husband whom you would
choose for your daughter?"
“Nay, I would not have chosen him," said Mrs. Charnock; "but the Power which guides
our lives is stronger and wiser than we. I believe that this is the man who is designed by
God to be our Rachel's husband. Nay, my dear," she went on, as the Squire would have
interrupted her impatiently, "we cannot interfere now; things have gone too far — you
cannot in honour draw back. Let us make the best of it. He is a good man — a gentleman
in the best sense of the word — and we shall keep our child near us."
“Upon my word, you go very fast," -retorted Mr. Charnock. "You have settled it all, it
seems. Pray, may I ask, does Rachel know all about the business? Does she know of the
mean way this precious lover of hers has wormed himself among us?”
[255]
Mrs. Charnock bent a startled, eager glance on Simon, who remained, however,
perfectly composed.
"I could not tell her," he said simply. "You know I gave you my word, Mr. Charnock,
not to drop a hint of it to any one."
"Well, and you'll please to keep your word," cried the Squire inconsequently. "By, I
must have been mad to stoop to such folly. But how could I believe you'd be so base as
to take advantage of my straits? There, go, go —get out of my sight! I must have time to
think over this."
"I will be patient," said Simon. "Take as much time as you like, sir. I do not believe that
you will break your promise, nor can I think you would thwart your only child."
He left the room, then, Madam Charnock accompanying him to the house door.
"I would," she said somewhat wistfully as they paused upon the threshold, "I would
Rachel knew the whole of this. If she should come to hear of it later I fear she will think
your silence strange."
"She cannot think it strange," he replied, "for I will, of course, explain how I was bound.
You see, the Squire still insists on silence; and it would be a pity to anger him further
now. But it scarcely matters after all. She would care as little as I how we were brought
together so that we were united in the end."