Autobiographical fiction; England -- Fiction; Feminist fiction; Governesses -- Fiction; Single women -- Fiction
Sometimes, such thoughts would give me trouble enough; but sometimes I
could quiet them with thinking—it is not the man, it is his goodness
that I love. “Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are honest and of good report, think on these
things.” We do well to worship God in His works; and I know none of
them in which so many of His attributes—so much of His own spirit
shines, as in this His faithful servant; whom to know and not to
appreciate, were obtuse insensibility in me, who have so little else to
occupy my heart.
Almost immediately after the conclusion of the service, Miss Murray
left the church. We had to stand in the porch, for it was raining, and
the carriage was not yet come. I wondered at her coming forth so
hastily, for neither young Meltham nor Squire Green was there; but I
soon found it was to secure an interview with Mr. Weston as he came
out, which he presently did. Having saluted us both, he would have
passed on, but she detained him; first with observations upon the
disagreeable weather, and then with asking if he would be so kind as to
come some time to-morrow to see the granddaughter of the old woman who
kept the porter’s lodge, for the girl was ill of a fever, and wished to
see him. He promised to do so.
“And at what time will you be most likely to come, Mr. Weston? The old
woman will like to know when to expect you—you know such people think
more about having their cottages in order when decent people come to
see them than we are apt to suppose.”
Here was a wonderful instance of consideration from the thoughtless
Miss Murray. Mr. Weston named an hour in the morning at which he would
endeavour to be there. By this time the carriage was ready, and the
footman was waiting, with an open umbrella, to escort Miss Murray
through the churchyard. I was about to follow; but Mr. Weston had an
umbrella too, and offered me the benefit of its shelter, for it was
raining heavily.
“No, thank you, I don’t mind the rain,” I said. I always lacked common
sense when taken by surprise.
“But you don’t _like_ it, I suppose?—an umbrella will do you no harm at
any rate,” he replied, with a smile that showed he was not offended; as
a man of worse temper or less penetration would have been at such a
refusal of his aid. I could not deny the truth of his assertion, and so
went with him to the carriage; he even offered me his hand on getting
in: an unnecessary piece of civility, but I accepted that too, for fear
of giving offence. One glance he gave, one little smile at parting—it
was but for a moment; but therein I read, or thought I read, a meaning
that kindled in my heart a brighter flame of hope than had ever yet
arisen.
“I would have sent the footman back for you, Miss Grey, if you’d waited
a moment—you needn’t have taken Mr. Weston’s umbrella,” observed
Rosalie, with a very unamiable cloud upon her pretty face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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