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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
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She quitted her place, as she spoke, and came round the table carefully carrying the
brimming cup. The look upon his face may be imagined, the love with which he caught
and kissed her hand; but it would be difficult to describe the strange and sweet
admixture of feelings with which he suffered the object of his worship to minister to
him. In the ideal marriage the wife must be in very truth a helpmeet, "A spirit, yet a
woman too ". The most chivalrous tenderness, the most passionate devotion on the
husband's part, does not prevent his gladly admitting this division of labour, this sharing
of duties. Were it otherwise, indeed, something would be wanting to the full blessedness
of the union. Rachel's attitude towards Simon this evening brought to him a foretaste of
that blessedness; he had hitherto dreamed of serving her, of devoting himself to her, and
now, the mere fact of her waiting upon him, half in play though it was, opened to him a
whole world of new delights, of deeper tendernesses.
The moments sped all too quickly until Madam Charnock came, half alarmed, and half
vexed, to look for her daughter; and though she chid her gently the mere sight of the
radiant faces caused her trouble to melt away; and she, too, drank a cup of Rachel's tea,
and walked with the lovers among the roses afterwards; and finally suffered Simon to
escort her and Rachel homewards till within a stone's throw of their own door. There
taking leave of them, he walked back through the dewy dusk, his steps once more
keeping time to the song his soul was singing; and when he reached the room all
perfumed with the memory of her presence, he threw himself upon his knees and
thanked God with a full heart for his great happiness.
Rachel came no more alone to his house, though sometimes she paid him little visits
accompanied by her
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mother, and hardly a day passed that they did not meet, either out of doors or at the
Hall. Simon, strong in the belief of his own rights, betook himself there boldly from
time to time, and was not denied admittance, though the Squire scowled when he met
him, and returned his greeting with scant civility. Mr. Charnock's mood at this time was