England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; National characteristics, English -- Fiction
I am told, moreover, that young Jack Tibbets was so touched by the
wedding ceremony, at which he was present, and so captivated by the
sensibility of poor Phoebe Wilkins, who certainly looked all the better
for her tears, that he had a reconciliation with her that very day,
after dinner, in one of the groves of the park, and danced with her in
the evening; to the complete confusion of all Dame Tibbets' domestic
politics. I met them walking together in the park, shortly after the
reconciliation must have taken place. Young Jack carried himself gaily
and manfully; but Phoebe hung her head, blushing, as I approached.
However, just as she passed me, and dropped a curtsy, I caught a shy
gleam of her eye from under her bonnet; but it was immediately cast
down again. I saw enough in that single gleam, and in the involuntary
smile that dimpled about her rosy lips, to feel satisfied that the
little gipsy's heart was happy again.
[Illustration: Reconciliation]
What is more, Lady Lillycraft, with her usual benevolence and zeal in
all matters of this tender nature, on hearing of the reconciliation of
the lovers, undertook the critical task of breaking the matter to
Ready-Money Jack. She thought there was no time like the present, and
attacked the sturdy old yeoman that very evening in the park, while his
heart was yet lifted up with the squire's good cheer. Jack was a little
surprised at being drawn aside by her ladyship, but was not to be
flurried by such an honour: he was still more surprised by the nature of
her communication, and by this first intelligence of an affair that had
been passing under his eye. He listened, however, with his usual
gravity, as her ladyship represented the advantages of the match, the
good qualities of the girl, and the distress which she had lately
suffered; at length his eye began to kindle, and his hand to play with
the head of his cudgel. Lady Lillycraft saw that something in the
narrative had gone wrong, and hastened to mollify his rising ire by
reiterating the soft-hearted Phoebe's merit and fidelity, and her great
unhappiness, when old Ready-Money suddenly interrupted her by
exclaiming, that if Jack did not marry the wench, he'd break every bone
in his body! The match, therefore, is considered a settled thing; Dame
Tibbets and the housekeeper have made friends, and drank tea together;
and Phoebe has again recovered her good looks and good spirits, and is
carolling from morning till night like a lark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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