England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Villages -- England -- Fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
Soon afterwards, he left her and a modest box at the Vicarage. She
thanked him demurely, asking how much she owed him. Alfred was tempted
to demand a kiss in payment, but a glance at a virginal face restrained
him. He said, "One shilling, please, miss," and she slipped the coin
into his ample palm, adding: "It's a new one. That brings luck, don't
it?" Alfred indulged in no speculations on this point, but when he found
himself alone, he examined the loose change in his pocket, and picking
out a new shilling, transferred it to another pocket, wondering
furtively if he were making a fool of himself. He whistled gaily as he
drove on.
Fancy was shown to a small room, which pleased her immensely, because no
other maid shared it with her. From a casemented window, she could see
the park of Pomfret Court, with its clumps of fine trees and its herds
of dappled deer. She felt that she would be happy in such a quiet place.
The room was very simply but comfortably furnished, spotlessly clean and
fresh. She admired the wall-paper, white with small sprigs of pink roses
on it. What a lucky girl to have such a nice room! And, approaching the
Vicarage, she had fallen in love with the many-gabled house standing
amongst beeches, a warm-looking house of time-mellowed brick, built
substantially, happily situated below the church and just above the
village. As she was unpacking, the house-maid, Molly, brought her a cup
of tea. Being her first day, Fancy was not expected to wait at dinner,
but Molly told her that after dinner she would be sent for, and that she
might expect a five-minute chat with her master.
"Is he masterful?" she asked.
Molly nodded, adding confidentially:
"Such a pair of eyes as never was. Gimlets! It ain't no fun lying to
him, and no use either. He can look bang through a pore girl, and tell
her what she's had for dinner."
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Fancy.
"Don't you worry! 'Tis an easy place. No SHE poking and prying about.
Only we have to be good girls here, and then we're happy."
"I do hope I shall be happy," said Fancy, adding hastily, "I look such a
fright when I ain't."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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