Cranford

o be kept up by correspondence, which bears much the same relation to personal intercourse that the books of dried plants

en, in a couple of days after my acceptance, came a note from Miss Matty, in which, in a rather circuitous and very humble manner, she told me how much pleasure I should confer if I could spend a week or two with her

ct of things. Miss Matty began to cry as soon as she saw me. She was evidently nervous from having anticipated my call. I comforted her as well as I could; and I found the best consolation I could give was the honest praise that came from my heart as I spo

ot know in what way to tell her how sorry I was for her, left

e it; but I did many a thing she did not like, I'm afraid-and n

degrees, Miss Matilda's feeling on the subject was known through Cranford, and we all tried to

ch at the mercy of her old servants. If they chose that she should give a party, they reminded her of the necessity for so doing: if not, she let it alone. There was all the more time for me to hear old-world stories from Miss Pole, while she sat knitting, and I making my fathe

anxious about the arrangements for my comfort. Many a time, while I was unpacking, did she come

to arrange them. She had capital methods. I am sure she would have trained a servan

had any-and Miss Matilda suspected her of so many flirtations that, if she had not been very pretty, I should have doubted her having one-were a constant anxiety to her mistress. She was forbidden, by the articles of her engagement, to have "followers"; and though she had answered, innocently enough, doubling up the hem of her apron as she spoke, "Please, ma'am, I never had more than one at a time," Miss Matty prohibited that one. But a vision of a man seemed to haunt the kitchen. Fanny assured me that it was all fancy, or else I should have said myself that I had seen a man's coat-tails whisk into the scullery once, when I went on an errand into the store-room at night; and another evening, when, our watches having st

rector's house." Accordingly, we had always wine and dessert; but the decanters were only filled when there was a party, and what remained was seldom touched, though we had two wine-glasses apiece every day after dinner, until the next festive occasion arrived, when the state of the remainder wine was examined into in a family council. The dregs were often given to the poor: but occasionally, when a good deal had been left at the last party (five months ago, it might be), it was added to some of a fresh bottle, brought up from the cellar. I fancy poor Captain Brown did not much like wine, for I noticed he never finished his first glass, and most military men take several. Then, as to our dessert, Miss Jenkyns used to gather currants and gooseberries for it herself, which I sometimes thought would have tasted better fresh from the trees; bu

d enjoy her orange as she liked best. And so it was in everything. Miss Jenkyns's rules were made more stringent than ever, because the framer of them was gone where there could be no appeal. In all things else Miss Matilda was meek and undecided to a fault. I have heard Fanny turn her round twenty times in a morning about dinner, just as the little hu

y, as we had seen by the "Army List," returned to England, bringing with him an invalid wife who had never been introduced to her English relations. Major Jenkyns wrote to propose that he and his wife should spend a night at Cranford, on his way to Scotland-at the inn, if it did not suit Miss Matilda to rece

o get up and leave him to his wine? Deborah would have done it so well; she would have been quite in her element. Will he want coffee, do you think?" I undertook the management of the coffee, and told her I would instruct Martha in the art of waiting-in which it must be owned she was terribly deficient-and that I had no doubt Major and Mrs Jenkyns would understand the quie

han we could accomplish with quietness and simplicity); and then, seeing her look bew

t in Miss Matilda. "Always go to the ladi

me, ma'am," said Martha;

rm; and, on the whole, she attended very well to our directions, except that she "nudged" the Major w

stress's comfort. Martha, to be sure, had never ended her staring at the East Indian's white turban and brown complexion, and I saw that Miss Matilda shrunk away from him a little as he waited at dinner. Indeed, she asked me, when they were gone, if he did not remind me of Blue Beard? On the whole, the visit was most satisfactory, and is a subject of conversation even now with Miss Matil

leave me

ome to the

e would not allow himself to be called Thomas Holbrook, Esq.; he even sent back letters with this address, telling the post-mistress at Cranford that his name was Mr Thomas Holbrook, yeoman. He rejected all domestic innovations; he would have the house door stand open in summer and shut in winter, without knocker or bell to summon a servant. The closed fist or the knob of a stick did this office for him if he found th

Matilda not to ma

but you know Cousin Thomas would not have been eno

not to marry him,"

You know she was the rector's daughter, and somehow they are re

ss Matty

nd was refused. Miss Matty might not like him-and Miss Jenky

seen him sinc

n very soon after he had offered to Miss Matty; and I don't think he has been into Cranford above once or twice since-once, when I was walking with

asked, after a paus

r," said Miss Pole, blowing up my castle,

black mousseline-delaine that wanted a new breadth, when a tall, thin, Don Quixote-looking old man came into the shop for some woollen gloves. I had never seen the person (who was rather striking) before, and I watched him rather attentively while Miss Matty listened to the shopman. The stranger wore a blue coat with brass buttons, drab breeches,

twopence the yard"; and Mr Holbrook had caught

ing her hand in a way which proved the warmth of his friendship; but he repeated so often, as if to himself, "I should no

p in an equally bewildered state, not having purchased either green or red silk. Mr Holbrook was evidently full with honest loud-spoken joy at meeting his old love again; he touched on the changes that had taken place; he even spoke of Miss Jenkyns as "Your