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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
Jane, suddenly releasing Simon, plunged her hand into her large pocket, which was tied
by a ribbon round her waist, and drawing out her prayer-book produced a handkerchief,
which had been lying, neatly folded, beneath the cover. With this she wiped her eyes,
and then, having restored it to its original folds, replaced it
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with the prayer-book in her pocket, Simon staring at her the while with large, solemn
blue eyes; then she clutched his hand again, and said in a different tone:— "Lord, I must
be getting’ awhoam; Missus'll be lookin' out for me."
The friends parted, and Jane hurried along, sighing every now and then in a manner
which impressed Simon very much. He forgot all about his personal grievances, and
peered up at her compassionately from under his broad-brimmed hat.
"Jane,” he said at length, "what makes you so sorry?"
"Ah, Master Simon," returned Jane, with a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of
her heart,” I'm feelin’ remorseful — that's what I am."
"What's remorseful?” inquired Simon. "Why, didn't yo' hear i' th' sermon to-day as we
mun all be remorseful — sorry for aught as we've done wrong?" Simon eyed her
queerly.
“Are you feeling sorry, Jane, for your sins, like the sermon said?"
"I'm feelin' mighty sorry jest now. Master Simon," said Jane with another sigh.
"For everything, Jane?"
Jane laughed. "Thou'rt a funny little lad, for sure. Of course I’m sorry for everythin'."
Simon wondered within himself whether Jane remembered having denied that she broke
the sugar-bowl, and whether she was properly sorry for that. The problem occupied his
mind during the rest of the homeward walk, and even overshadowed the roast beef and
cherry tart of which he usually partook so gleefully on Sunday. After dinner he sat on
his little stool at his father's feet cogitating still. His mother was lying down upstairs.
Aunt Binney, with a book of Pious Reflections open on her
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