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She suddenly caught the reins from his hands: he sprang from the carriage, and, lifting Zoe in his strong arms as if she had been but a child, set her on her feet, and supported her to the side of the prostrate man; the little crowd respectfully making way for her, at the words spoken by Ben in a voice half choked with emotion, "Hit's Marse Ed'ard's wife, gen'lemen."
Instinctively she fell back on the one link between herself and them. 'Ed'ard's took me to wife, she thought. The sweetest of vague new ideas stirred in her mind like leaf-buds within the bark of a spring tree. They brought a new expression to her face.
Reddin ne'er shows his face here; for the old lady said Him above looked after good folks, and Ed'ard's good. But I wish some un 'ud look after the bad uns, she thought, looking across the room to the north where Undern lay. 'My dear, wait a moment! said Mrs. Marston to Edward downstairs, as he was lighting her candle. I have something to tell you. I fear you must brace yourself.
'But he'll be angered. 'I'll make his nose bleed if he's got such cheek. 'Oh, he's coming, Mr. Reddin! I mun go. She turned away. Reddin followed. 'Why should he be angry? 'Because we're going to be wed to-morrow' Reddin whistled. 'And Foxy's coming, and all of 'em. And there's a clock as tick-tacks ever so sleepy, and a sleepy old lady, and Ed'ard's bought me a box full of clothes.
'If there's anybody there, she murmured, staring out into the consuming darkness that had absorbed every colour, every form, except the looming outline of God's Little Mountain against a watery moon-rise 'if there's anybody there, I'd be obleeged if you'd give an eye to our Foxy, as is lonesome in tub. It dunna matter about me, being under Ed'ard's roof.
I said it three times, it being Midsummer, and ghosses going to-and-agen and the death-pack about. He'll be bound to hearken to Ed'ard's prayer. She looked small and pitiful standing in the flickering candlelight. She turned again to the window, and Reddin went downstairs, quite overwhelmed and abashed. The house seemed eerier than ever, full of subdued complaints and whisperings.
A sense of immanent grief was on her, grey loneliness and fear of the future. He tried to comfort her. 'Dunna say ought! she sobbed. 'You canna run the words o'er your tongue comfortable like Ed'ard can! 'What do you want me to say? 'I dunno. I want our Foxy. 'I'll fetch her in the morning. 'No, you munna. She'm safe at Ed'ard's. Let her bide. I want to be at Ed'ard's, too.
And Edward is quiet too, as quiet as 'Oh! dunna, dunna! wailed Hazel. 'Is a pin sticking into you dear? 'No. Dunna say Ed'ard's quiet! Mrs. Marston looked amicably over her spectacles. 'My dear, why not? she asked. 'I dunna like that sort. 'Could you explain a little, dear? 'I dunna like quiet men nor quiet horses. My mam was quiet when she was dead. Everybody's quiet when they're dead.
The sheep looked more ancient than ever, less like old ladies at a concert than old ladies looking over their prayer-books at a blasphemer. 'My name inna Woodus. You'd ought to call me Mrs. Marston. For answer, he kissed her so that she cried out. 'That's to show if I'll call you Mrs. Marston. 'I'd liefer be. 'What? 'Ed'ard's missus than yourn. He ground a foxglove underfoot.
But Edward was not thinking. He was doing a much more strenuous thing feeling. Hazel wondered at the vividness of his eyes when he rose from his knees. 'I'm glad I'm Ed'ard's missus, and not Mr. Reddin's, she thought. She had not seen Reddin for a week, having, since their last meeting in the wood, been so much afraid of encountering him that she had scarcely left the house.
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