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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
"You interest me very much, Mr. Fleetwood," she said; "more than I can say. Let me
hear the whole story, I beg you. From the hints you have dropped, I fancy — I gather it
is in many respects like — well, it is of special interest to me. Tell me. I may be able to
help and befriend you, more perhaps than you think of. Do you really mean to say that
Rachel Charnock is actually your wife?"
Thus adjured, and encouraged by her very real concern and sympathy, Simon told his
tale; the lady listening in evident emotion, and now and then interrupting him by a little
interjection or a deep sigh.
At its conclusion silence fell between them, broken only by the leaping of the waves
upon the beach. Mrs. Fitzherbert sat gazing out to sea, her brows knit, apparently lost in
thought, and poor Simon, his transitory excitement passed, relapsed into his former
dejection. What a pitiful entanglement was this — each day seemed to render the
possibility of unravelling it more and more unlikely. His companion's voice broke in
suddenly upon his gloomy thoughts.
“Your story, Mr. Fleetwood, moves me deeply; I can sympathise with you, perhaps,
more fully than any other human being."
Simon turned his heavy eyes upon her in surprise, and then it suddenly flashed upon
him that there was in many respects a certain resemblance between his own situation
and that of the unfortunate lady at his
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side. Both he, the yeoman, and she, the noble dame, had fixed their affections too high
for happiness; each was secretly bound to a mate upon whom in the eyes of the world
they had no claim; both had most suffered where they had most loved The nearer each
was to the attainment of his or her dearest hope the better it would be for the other. They
had, above all, one thing in common — a great and wholly disinterested love. Mrs.
Fitzherbert had refused with scorn the titles and emoluments with which the Prince and
his party sought to endow her: her attachment to the man who had so grievously tried
her patience being entirely personal. Simon, as we know, had no keener desire than to
devote himself and all his substance to the service of his lady; his wish had been, not to
raise himself to her sphere, but to make her content in his.