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As she reached the plateau, her head rising above its edge, she saw that Chavis and Kester were a good quarter of a mile from her and running toward some timber a few hundred yards beyond them. With a laugh that was almost derisive, Ruth whipped her pony and sent it flying over the plateau at an angle that took her almost directly away from the running men.
He sate down by her, and spoke to her in quite a different manner to that which he had used before, with a ready tact and art which some strange instinct or tempter 'close at his ear' supplied. 'Yes, darling, I knew yo' cared for him. I'll not say ill of him that is dead ay, dead and drowned whativer Kester may say before now; but if I chose I could tell tales.
She had promised herself more fully to Philip the night before than she had told Kester; and, with some pains and much patience, her cousin, her lover, alas! her future husband, had made the fact clear to the bewildered mind of her poor mother, who had all day long shown that her mind and heart were full of the subject, and that the contemplation of it was giving her as much peace as she could ever know.
'Nay, Kester she began; but suddenly changing, she said, 'God bless thee, my man; come in and lay thee down on t' settle, and I'll cover thee up wi' my cloak as hangs behind t' door. We're not many on us that love him, an' we'll be all on us under one roof, an' niver a stone wall or a lock betwixt us. So Kester took up his rest in the house-place that night, and none knew of it besides Bell.
Philip's very good, and kind, and he says he shall die if I will not marry him, and there's no home for mother and me, no home for her, for as for me I dunnot care what becomes on me; but if Charley's alive I cannot marry Philip no, not if he dies for want o' me and as for mother, poor mother, Kester, it's an awful strait; only first tell me if there's a chance, just one in a thousand, only one in a hundred thousand, as Charley were ta'en by t' gang? She was breathless by this time, what with her hurried words, and what with the beating of her heart.
The frosty air was mellowed by the warm and odorous breath of the cattle breath that hung about the place in faint misty clouds. There was only a dim light; such as it was, it was not dearly defined against the dark heavy shadow in which the old black rafters and manger and partitions were enveloped. As Charley came to the door, Kester was saying, 'Quiet wi' thee, wench!
But a reckon he'd ha' been glad to hear as a've getten a lodger. Here she nodded her head in the direction of the door opening out of the house-place into the 'lean-to', which Sylvia had observed on drawing near the cottage, and the recollection of the mention of which by Kester had enabled her to identify widow Dobson's dwelling. 'He's a-bed yonder, the latter continued, dropping her voice.
Philip's very good, and kind, and he says he shall die if I will not marry him, and there's no home for mother and me, no home for her, for as for me I dunnot care what becomes on me; but if Charley's alive I cannot marry Philip no, not if he dies for want o' me and as for mother, poor mother, Kester, it's an awful strait; only first tell me if there's a chance, just one in a thousand, only one in a hundred thousand, as Charley were ta'en by t' gang? She was breathless by this time, what with her hurried words, and what with the beating of her heart.
His two months were long past; and Sylvia had heard through the Fosters of some suitable and profitable employment for him, of which she thought he would be glad to know as soon as possible. It was now some time since she had been able to get so far as across the bridge; and, for aught she knew, Kester might already be come back from his expedition to the Cheviots. Kester was come back.
'Let alone that one thing, said Sylvia, 'he were a kind, good man. 'It were a big deal on a "one thing", though, said Kester. 'It just spoilt yo'r life, my poor lass; an' might ha' gone near to spoilin' Charley Kinraid's too. 'Men takes a deal more nor women to spoil their lives, said Sylvia, bitterly. 'Not a' mak' o' men.
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