"Don't you see, mum, that word wur meant to sound like the word at the
end of the first line what he wrote in crosses. And you know, mum,
there's someone in this house whose name do have the same sort of sound
as jelly."
"Ah, but she b'ain't so soft," added Bessie. "And he wrote she was so
bewitching, drinking cocoa in the kitchen. That was a rhyme, mum."
"I have heard quite enough," said Mrs. Drake wearily. "I wish to
goodness I had never seen the fellow," she murmured.
The following week she visited the Captain's grave, staying longer than
usual, and scribbling industriously on scraps of paper the whole
evening. Next day the exodus took place, Kezia and Nellie accompanying
the ladies to the seaside, while George remained in solitary possession.
As any pretence of industry was no longer necessary, he settled down to
enjoy a honeymoon with indolence, until a letter arrived to waken him
completely.
It appeared that Mrs. Drake had written to Percy, informing him of all
George had said and not done; also asking for information about the
floating of companies and the construction of railways, as, she
explained, George had decided to build one across Dartmoor, and was
inviting Miss Yard and herself to become debenture holders.
Percy's answer had crushed the poor lady entirely. He explained that, as
George of course was perfectly well aware, to obtain a position as
station-master it would be necessary to enter the service of the railway
company as a clerk, and work upwards gradually. As for building a
railway, that was not the recreation of a single individual, but a
superhuman undertaking, which in the first place would require to be
discussed by some of the greatest financial magnates upon earth for half
a century--at least such was his own impression--before Parliament could
even be approached; and then another half century would probably be
demanded for the arrangement of preliminary details; and after that a
new generation would have to begin the work all over again. While the
suggestion of a railway across Dartmoor could appeal only to a
Parliament with a sense of humour.
Accordingly Mrs. Drake disowned her nephew. She ordered him to depart
from Highfield, declaring also her intention of not returning to
Windward House while he remained there. For his maintenance she was
prepared to allow the sum of ten shillings weekly so long as she might
live. Should he delay in taking his departure, Percy would instruct
some gentleman learned in the law to hasten the eviction. And if he
took anything in the house away with him, he would thereby forfeit all
benefits under her will.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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