He dwelt on Mary
Jane first, however, and said he was a lot put about in that quarter and
shamed of himself and wishful to give her a bit of a gift for the sake of
peace.
"Such things must be done gradual and decent," he said. "'Tis clear as
light I can't marry her now, because I moved like a blind man and made a
shocking mistake; but I've only been tokened to the woman a month, though
it seems like eternity, and afore I cut loose, I must carry on a bit
longer and let the shock come gradual."
"I know very well how it is with you, Nick," she answered. "Such things
will happen and 'tis very ill-convenient; but, I'm tolerable
understanding, the more so because I'm finding myself in much the same
sort of a mess as you."
They skated on thin ice, of course, and Nicholas found silence the safest
when along with Cora; but they opened out bit by bit, and they both knew
very well by now that they was meant for each other and no other parties
whatsoever.
Then began the craft of Cora, and such was the amazing cleverness of the
woman, doubtless quickened by love, that she worked single-handed, and
whereas a lesser female might have taken Nicholas into her confidence, she
did not, but struck a far-reaching stroke for them both, all unknown by
him. She hoped it might happen as she'd planned for it to do, and reckoned
no great harm would result if it failed; but her arts and her knowledge of
Caunter's habit of mind carried her through and advanced the tricky and
parlous affair a pretty good stage.
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