And far deeper than that she saw, because not only did the maiden discover
that Caunter was thinking a million times more about her than the other
girl; but to her undying amazement she found that Nicholas was working on
her heart very fierce indeed and that, though he played the game to the
best of his powers and respected her engagement and stood up for James
White and said he was a good man, though mean as an east wind and so on,
yet she very well knew what had happened to the pair of 'em, and being a
brave woman and much the cleverest of the four, she faced the situation in
secret and put it to herself in plain English.
Meantime, Cora's aunt was casting about for her own comfort, after the
girl should wed with White, and planning her arrangements without a
thought that clouds were in the sky.
And then came the amber heart into the affair, and to Cora's immense
astonishment James gave her a gift.
Him and his sister had talked on the subject of presents and she'd told
him that 'twas rather a surprise to her that Nicholas hadn't produced no
tokening ring as yet, and James had supported Nicholas in that matter, and
said money was money, and his cowman hadn't got much at best and far too
little anyway to waste ten shillings in sentiment.
"Let him keep his money for the wedding-ring," said James. "That you must
have, though even that's a silly waste in my opinion.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218