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

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
on his great brown arms — he looked a proper man, Mother — the very picture of a
handsome rustic — but you should have seen Mr. Gifford's face when I pointed out his
cousin."
"Well, my dear child, I cannot say you did wisely. You certainly chose a most
inopportune moment."
"Mother, I was determined to clinch the matter there and then, so I called out to Bertha
to rein up her horse, for I had a delightful surprise for her. ‘You must know that a
kinsman of yours lives here,’ said I, ‘your first cousin, Mr. Simon Fleetwood. I mean to
introduce him to you, and hope that you will be good friends, for there is no man in this
neighbourhood whom I esteem and respect more.’ And with that, while Cousin
Humphrey was frowning and cursing under his breath, and Bertha was puckering up her
brows and staring at me — for doubtless she had heard the story of her poor aunt's
disgrace — I called to Simon Fleetwood with all my might, and in two minutes he was
standing beside us in the lane. Ah, you should have seen Edward Gifford's face as he
took poor Fleetwood's earthy hand! I laughed in my sleeve, you may think, until I
chanced to look at Simon, and then I saw it was no laughing matter. He shook hands
because I told him, but at heart he was not reconciled."
Mrs. Charnock glanced at her with quick, puzzled anxiety. Rachel had become serious
for a moment, but presently laughed again gleefully. "But the cream of the matter is to
come," she cried. "After I had said what I could to smooth matters over between Simon
and Mr. Gifford, I presented him to Bertha — and then what do you think happened,
Mother? Bertha and Simon Fleetwood fell in love with each other at first sight. Now, is
not that a delightful climax? Is not that the very best possible way in which the feud
could
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come to an end? Bertha is her own mistress, you know; so she and Simon can marry,
and Simon can take his proper place in the world, and we shall have dear, pretty Bertha
for a neighbour."
Mrs. Charnock gazed at her, first with astonishment, then with amusement, finally her
face assumed an expression of relief. She fell to laughing all at once, almost