And then he let fall a few crooked words and drove his
heels into the beast and galloped off in a proper fury of rage, cussing
the whole sex to hell and Cora Dene in particular.
With that she went in and told her aunt the tale; but now she was all
shame and grief, and after she'd given the details and said how James
White had cast her off, she vowed that her last day on earth had dawned.
"I'd call on the hills to cover me if they would do so," sobbed Cora. "But
as they will not, I'll call on the river, and I'll go and drown myself
to-night, for I can't face Little Silver no more after this downfall."
And Mrs. Dene, who had always thought a lot of James White and been proud
of the match, weren't particular helpful, nor yet comforting. In fact, she
was very disappointed about it and lost her temper with Cora. So the
bedraggled maiden went out of her sight and looked as never she'd looked
before. And on the evening of that day, under cover of darkness, she met
Nick Caunter and heard his news.
"'Tis in a nutshell and all very shameful, but very convenient," said
Nicholas. "White faced me about the amber heart after dinner, and axed me
where I'd bought it, and, took unawares, I said at Moreton. Then he told
me I was a liar and could clear out of Hartland at the end of my month.
And then I owned up that I'd found the blessed thing on the moor and
thought it would sound better in Mary Jane's ear if I said I'd bought it.
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