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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
lose her life — at eight o'clock that evening, and should drive her thence to Preston,
where they would exchange the gig for a post-chaise. Travelling all night they would
easily accomplish the journey to Gretna Green — a distance of between seventy and
eighty miles — before the following morning was far advanced; and, having gone
through the formalities which were to bind them irrevocably to each other, would be on
their way home almost before their flight was discovered. It was possible, indeed, that
the whole affair might be kept secret, and that the quiet religious ceremony which the
young people hoped would follow these irregular proceedings might be the only
intimation which the world would receive of their union.
When Rachel left him, Simon returned home his heart throbbing tumultuously and his
brain in a whirl.
[247]
Surely never was there a day so long in passing; but at length the time was at hand. His
best and fleetest horse was harnessed to the gig, and a plentiful supply of rugs stowed
away beneath the seat, together with a soft warm cloak, which he added as an
afterthought It had belonged to his mother, and, as he took it from the lavender scented
cupboard and shook out the folds, he handled it with a curious reverent tenderness,
partly on her account, partly because it was now to enfold Rachel. This last
consideration seemed to make the fact of the nearness of their union more real to him.
In less than twenty-four hours she would be his wife; thenceforth his would be the
exclusive right of supplying all her needs: the food she ate, the clothes she wore would
be provided by him. Delightful thought! Precious privileges! Rachel the star, the queen,
the sweetheart, was now to be Rachel the wife.
The simple household of the Farm retired early, being generally astir as soon as it was
light in the morning; Simon, therefore, knew that his absence would not in all
probability be discovered until breakfast time on the morrow.
At the appointed place, Rachel stood waiting for him, darting out from behind a tree as
he reined up his horse.
“Everything is prospering with us," she cried gleefully, as she sprang up beside him.
"My father, you must know, banished me from his presence for the day, so I dined