Cradock Nowell: A Tale of the New Forest. Vol. 3 (of 3)Blackmore, R. D. (Richard Doddridge)
General
Cradock Nowell: A Tale of the New Forest. Vol. 3 (of 3)
Blackmore, R. D. (Richard Doddridge)
New Forest (England : Forest) -- Fiction
“Donʼt you know his story, then?” asked Amy, in some astonishment. “I
thought you knew all about it, and were so kind to him partly through
that, though you were kind enough not to talk to me about it.”
“We guesses a piece here and there, miss, since he talk so wild in his
illness. And thatʼs what made me be axing of you; for I knowed one
name right well as he out with once or twice; not at all a common name
nother. But we knows for sartin no more nor this, that he be an onlucky
young gent, and the best as ever come into these parts.”
“There can be no harm in my telling you, such faithful friends as you
are. And the sad tale is known to every one, far and wide, in our part
of Hampshire.”
“Hampshire, ah!” said Mr. Jupp, with a very mysterious look; “we knowed
Mr. Rosedew come from Hampshire, and that set us the more a–thinkinʼ
of it. Loo, child, run for dadʼs bacco–box, as were left to Mother
Richardsonʼs, and if it ainʼt there, try at Blinkin’ Davyʼs, and if he
ainʼt got it, try Mother Hamp.”
The child, sadly disappointed, for her eyes were large with hopes of
a secret about her “dear gentleman,” as she called Cradock, departed
upon her long errand. Then Amy told, as briefly as possible, all she
knew of the great mishap, and the misery which followed it. From time
to time her soft voice shook, and her tears would not be disciplined;
while Rachel Juppʼs strayed anyhow. But Issachar listened dryly and
sternly, with one great brown hand on his forehead. Not once did he
interrupt the young lady, by gesture, look, or question. But when she
had finished, he said very quietly,
“One name, miss, as have summat to do with it, Iʼve not ‘earʼd you
sinnify; and it were the sound o’ that very name as fust raised my
coorosity. ‘Scuse me, miss, but I wouldnʼt ax, only for good raison.”
“I hardly know what right I have to mention any other names,” replied
Amy, blushing and hesitating, for she did not wish to speak of Pearl
Garnet; “there is only one other name connected at all with the matter,
and that one of no importance.”
“Ah,” returned Jupp, with a glance as intense as a catʼs through a
dairy keyhole, “maybe the tow–rope ainʼt nothin’ to do with the goin’
of the barge, miss. That name didnʼt happen permiskious now to be the
name of Garnet, maʼam?”
“Yes, indeed it did. But how could you know that, Mr. Jupp?”
“Pearl Garnet were the name I ‘earʼd on, and that ainʼt a very common
name, leastways to my experience. Now, could it ‘ave ‘appened by a
haxident that her good fatherʼs name were Bull Garnet?”
Amy drew back, for Mr. Jupp, in his triumph and excitement, had laid
down his pipe, and was stretching out his unpeeled crate of a hand, as
if to take her by the shoulder, and shake the whole truth out of her.
It was his fashion with Rachel, and he quite forgot the difference.
Mrs. Jupp cried, “Zakey, Zakey!” in a tone of strong remonstrance. But
he was not abashed very seriously.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account