The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 4 of 5)Burney, Fanny
History
The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 4 of 5)
Burney, Fanny
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Refugees -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Refugees -- Fiction; War stories
Margery Fairfield, she answered, was her name, and she lived a far off
in the New Forest. She was going, in a friend's cart, to Romsey, and
there her husband would meet her, and carry her little girl. She could
never come out without her children, if she were ever so heavily laden,
for her husband was at work all day, and there was nobody to take care
of them in her absence.
A ray of pleasure now broke through the gloomy forebodings of Juliet;
there seemed to her an opening to an asylum, during the period of her
concealment, fortunate beyond her hopes; to lodge with a rustic family
of this simple description, in so retired and remote a spot, promising
all the security and privacy that she required, with fine air, pleasant
country, and worthy hosts.
A very few enquiries sufficed to satisfy her, that she might find a
small room, in which she could sleep; and a little further discourse
procured her all the details necessary for learning the route to the
dame's cottage. She forbore, nevertheless, hinting at her design, that
neither trouble, expence, nor preparation might precede her arrival.
She regretted her inability to accompany these new friends, at once, to
their home; but her letter to Gabriella had desired that the answer
might be directed to be left at the post office at Salisbury, till
called for; and she was too uncertain what her position might be in the
New Forest, to hazard any change of address. She was deeply anxious to
hear from Gabriella; and to learn whether she had herself been sought
since her flight.
When they reached the small, mean house of Dame Goss, beyond the
turnpike, the expected cart was not yet arrived; and Juliet, being
kindly invited to take a little rest, ventured to solicit, from her new
friend, a recommendation to a cheap lodging, with some honest hostess.
Enchanted to be able to serve her, the poor woman immediately said, that
she could no where be better than in that very house: and when its
mistress made various objections; first, that she had not a room
unoccupied; next, that she had no spare bed; and then, that her husband
would be angry; the zealous Dame Fairfield obviated them all. The room,
she said, with a significant nod, where they kept their boxes, would be
never the worse for being slept in a few nights, now all the boxes were
empty; and the bed she had had for herself the last winter, could be
easily carried up stairs, for she would stop to carry it with her own
hands: and as to Master Goss, he was so fond of her little dearys, that
he could not have so bad a heart as to be off doing a service to a
gentlewoman who had been so kind to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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