United States or Malawi ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
One afternoon, soon after Ellen had gone back to school for her second year, when Joanna was making plum jam in the kitchen, and getting very hot and sharp-tongued in the process, Mrs. Tolhurst saw a man go past the window on his way to the front door. "Lor, miss! There's Parson!" she cried, and the next minute came sounds of struggle with Joanna's rusty door-bell.
Tolhurst, Ellen, Mene Tekel she had never written so many letters in her life, but every day she thought of some fresh thing that would be left undone if she did not write about it. When she had finished her letters she went out and listened respectfully to the band. The afternoon was generally given up to some excursion or charabanc drive, and the day finished rather somnolently in the lounge.
I tell you, you just about shall go to it, ma'am, whether you care about it or not, and Arthur Alce shall take you." Thus the treat was arranged, and on Wednesday afternoon Alce drove to the door in his high, two-wheeled dog-cart, and Ellen climbed up beside him, under the supervision of Mrs. Tolhurst, whom Joanna, before setting out for market, had commissioned to "see as she went."
An' that guerilla, Ackert, hed been ridin' a hundred mile at a hand-gallop ter overhaul him, an' knowin' thar warn't but one outlet to Tanglefoot Cove, he expected ter capshur the Feds as they kem out agin. So he sot himself ter ambush Tolhurst, an' waited fur him up thar amongst the pines an' the laurel an' he waited an' waited! But Tolhurst never came!
But when she was alone she much preferred a friendly meal with Milly and Mrs. Tolhurst she even joined them in pouring her tea into her saucer, and sat with it cooling on her spread fingers, her elbow on the cloth. She unbent from mistress to fellow-worker, and they talked the scandal of a dozen farms. "It's as I said, at Yokes Court," said Mrs.
"I believe it's something for me to wear," she said finally, as they climbed out of the trap at the front door "a ring, Joanna.... I've always wanted a ring." "It's better than a ring," said Joanna, "leastways it's bigger," and she laughed to herself. She led the way upstairs, while Mrs. Tolhurst and old Stuppeny waltzed recriminatingly with Ellen's box.
Hither comes Major Tolhurst, one of my old acquaintance in Cromwell's time, and sometimes of our clubb, to see me, and I could do no less than carry him to the Mitre, and having sent for Mr. Beane, a merchant, a neighbour of mine, we sat and talked, Tolhurst telling me the manner of their collierys in the north. We broke up, and I home to dinner.
Tolhurst, "and all the more as he's been saying at the Woolpack that the Old Squire's been hanging around after the girl which reminds me, Miss Joanna, as I hear Mus' Martin's back this afternoon." "This afternoon! He said to-morrow morning." "Well, he's come this afternoon. Broadhurst met him driving from Rye station." "Then he's sure to be over to-night. You get the wine-glasses out, Mrs.
She fretted about Ansdore, and nearly drove her carter and her looker frantic with her last injunctions; she fretted about Ellen, and cautioned Mrs. Tolhurst to keep a strict watch over her "She's not to go up to late dinner at Great Ansdore without you fetch her home." On the other hand, she swaggered tremendously about the expensive and fashionable trip she was making.
So instead of writing her letter, she went and washed the tears off her face over the sink and sat down to a cup of tea and a piece of bread and dripping with Mrs. Tolhurst and Milly Pump.
Word Of The Day