Life's Little Ironies: A set of tales with some colloquial sketches entitled A Few Crusted CharactersHardy, Thomas
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Life's Little Ironies: A set of tales with some colloquial sketches entitled A Few Crusted Characters
Hardy, Thomas
Short stories, English; Wessex (England) -- Fiction
‘“Under the corn-sacks! Yes, the truth is, father, I’ve got rather into
a nunny-watch, I’m afeard! Unity Sallet is there too—yes, at the other
end, under the tarpaulin. All three are in that waggon, and what to do
with ’em I know no more than the dead! The best plan is, as I’m
thinking, to speak out loud and plain to one of ’em before the rest,
and that will settle it; not but what ’twill cause ’em to kick up a bit
of a miff, for certain. Now which would you marry, father, if you was
in my place?”
‘“Whichever of ’em did _not_ ask to ride with thee.”
‘“That was Milly, I’m bound to say, as she only mounted by my
invitation. But Milly—”
“Then stick to Milly, she’s the best . . . But look at that!”
‘His father pointed toward the waggon. “She can’t hold that horse in.
You shouldn’t have left the reins in her hands. Run on and take the
horse’s head, or there’ll be some accident to them maids!”
‘Tony’s horse, in fact, in spite of Hannah’s tugging at the reins, had
started on his way at a brisk walking pace, being very anxious to get
back to the stable, for he had had a long day out. Without another word
Tony rushed away from his father to overtake the horse.
‘Now of all things that could have happened to wean him from Milly
there was nothing so powerful as his father’s recommending her. No; it
could not be Milly, after all. Hannah must be the one, since he could
not marry all three. This he thought while running after the waggon.
But queer things were happening inside it.
‘It was, of course, Milly who had screamed under the sack-bags, being
obliged to let off her bitter rage and shame in that way at what Tony
was saying, and never daring to show, for very pride and dread o’ being
laughed at, that she was in hiding. She became more and more restless,
and in twisting herself about, what did she see but another woman’s
foot and white stocking close to her head. It quite frightened her, not
knowing that Unity Sallet was in the waggon likewise. But after the
fright was over she determined to get to the bottom of all this, and
she crept and crept along the bed of the waggon, under the tarpaulin,
like a snake, when lo and behold she came face to face with Unity.
‘“Well, if this isn’t disgraceful!” says Milly in a raging whisper to
Unity.
‘“’Tis,” says Unity, “to see you hiding in a young man’s waggon like
this, and no great character belonging to either of ye!”
‘“Mind what you are saying!” replied Milly, getting louder. “I am
engaged to be married to him, and haven’t I a right to be here? What
right have you, I should like to know? What has he been promising you?
A pretty lot of nonsense, I expect! But what Tony says to other women
is all mere wind, and no concern to me!”
‘“Don’t you be too sure!” says Unity. “He’s going to have Hannah, and
not you, nor me either; I could hear that.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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