The Argosy — page 379: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Village Blacksmith. 361 To-day, however, Mrs. Canter seated her portly person in the train with the deliberate intention of not minding her stops. In fact, there was every prospect of her omitting them altogether, particu- larly if she arrived too late to catch a glimpse of Vera: which she did. During the journey Mrs. Canter’s mind was occupied not as might have been supposed with her brother’s illness, but with the enormity of Mr. Ryot Tempest’s conduct in giving Vera a step- mother so soon after her own mother’s death. ‘He should have said no, for she asked him, I’ll be bound. Half the women do it is my belief, or there would not be so many mar- riages. Mrs. Jamieson did, as sure as my name is Canter. She might not have said it in plain English, perhaps ; she is too cunning for that ; but she held up the apple and Master took and ate it like ninety-nine men out of every hundred have done since Adam’s time. *Taint as if they were young, either; there might be some excuse . then; butit is true enough, no fool like an old fool! It would be a good day’s work to put a stop to that marriage, and I am not so sure I can’t doit. Perhaps if Madam Jamieson knew Master Rex had married the blacksmith’s daughter, she would not be so keen about marrying his father, for she is as puffed up with pride as an adder with poison, if half I hear of her is true. And she shall know it to-day, as sure as I am a laundress.” Thus mused Norah as the train bore her past the primrose- covered banks which would have delighted Mary Jane’s eyes. But her mother was too full of her resolution to try and stop her late master’s marriage to pay any attention to primroses. She was im- - patient to get to Woodford, for now that she had decided on her _ course of action she found she would have to make haste or she would not do all she wanted to do in the day. She decided to call at the Rectory and see what was to be done with the bridegroom on her way up to Reuben’s cottage ; there she would have some dinner and then get a lift over to Mrs. Jamieson’s, and give that lady a little wholesome advice before she returned to Marling. However, in this case circumstances somewhat changed Mrs. Canter’s plans. In the first place, when she reached the Rectory she found no one at home; Vera had left two hours earlier, and Mr. Ryot Tempest was in the church superintending the decorations for his wedding the next day. The bishop was to perform the ceremony, but the wedding was to be a very quiet one, as both bride and bridegroom were still in mourning. This information Norah learnt from Mary the parlour-maid. She received it with sundry sniffs and snorts of indignation and sarcastic comments ; and having obtained it she declined to go indoors and rest, but said she would look in at the church and speak to the Rector there. The bump of reverence was not much developed on Mrs. Canter’s head ; she had as little of that quality for places as she had for people ; so she walked up the aisle of the little church, expressing GOL GOOO @ Ss (GO) = |