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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
other folk's clooes, I'd ha' said 'twas a spirit.’ But I fotched her in, and made up a bit o'
fire. But, eh! I'm all of a shake still."
"All’s well that ends well, isn't it, Susan?" cried Simon, taking her by both hands. "But
you mustn't call this lady Miss Charnock any more. This lady is Mrs. Fleetwood. Wish
me joy, old woman; wish me joy!"
And of a sudden he caught her round the neck, as he had been wont to do in his boyish
days. Susan's first impulse was to imprint a hearty salute on her master's bronzed cheek,
but in the next moment she pushed him from her.
"Nay, lad; dunnot go for to tell me sich tales. For shame of ye — makkin' a fool o' th'
owd woman. Wed indeed — you as was breakin' your heart a two-three days ago about
the ill news yo'd had. I'll not believe it — why, wheer's the ring?"
Silence greeted her words; and wagging her head
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triumphantly, the old woman left the room, pausing at the door to announce that it was
enough for her to know as they'd made it up, and were feelin' comfortable together.
"Simon," said Rachel, when they were alone, "you must give me back my ring — never,
never to be parted with again. No, no —" as, drawing it, from his finger, he would have
put it on her own, "not like that —I must be on my knees. Let us kneel down here by
our hearth, and let us plight our troth again."
The vows which bound them to each other had been made in impetuous passion, with
wilfulness of heart; swift retribution had followed these unhallowed rites. "I knew there
could not be a blessing,” Simon had said, and he had bent his head beneath the
chastising hand. But now, as husband and wife knelt side by side before the altar of
their home, and said the solemn words, with what love and fervour, what humble
trusting faith, was there no blessing? Did not He who reads all hearts look lovingly
upon the trembling hope of theirs, and seal and sanctify this renewal of their pledge?
As they rose to their feet Susan hurried in again:—
"Miss, dear, I made bold to send word to Madam as you was here. Eh, she's been in sich
a way, yo' cannot think. I reckon she must ha’ knowed our mester had gone to look for
yo’, for she bid me let her know the instant minute he come home; so when ye towd me,