In Homespun

of the farm it was a place no girl need have wished to come to; but now Mr. Alderton had given up farming this year or two, and young Master Harry, he had the management of everythin

. It was Master Harry who engaged me. He rode up to our cottage one fine May morning, looking as grand on

resby's Pol

s; what might y

old boy-and they tell me you're a good girl that wants a good place, and ours is

day, if that woul

oury up to the elbows, being baking-day, and rode off down the lan

dings all round it, except on one side where the big pond is; and lying as it d

rom, or what had become of Mr. Blake, if ever there had been one. For my part I never thought she was a widow, and alw

n that seems to be playing up for the widow's weeds from the very cradle. I have heard it said she was handsome, and so she may have been; and she to

usework to do, for Mrs. Blake would let none of us do a hand's-turn for the old master. It was she must do everything, and as he got more and more took up wit

hter as brought the farm with her; and now he had gone back to his books he was more than ever took up with the idea of finding something out-making something ne

ster except herself-at least that was my opinio

always had everything smoking hot, and just as I should wish to sit down to it myself: And when the men come in, Master Harry always come in with them,

d shawl as ever you see for mother, and a knitted waistcoat for my brother Jim, as had wanted one this two year, and had enough left to buy myself a b

'You gells is all alike. But it isn't fine feathers a

ught so easy might be as easy got ri

gh to having w

so bold as to ask him for a day's holiday to go and visit her friends in Ashford. So she and master went in the trap to the station together, and off by the same train;

in Ashford, supposing she had any, was as gla

remember, for other things t

ed to run home to her mother to see about her clean chang

by tea,' and I sat down in the clean kitchen to do u

back door open, and thinking it was one of the men bringing in wood, maybe, I didn't turn my head, and next minute there

ping all the ribbons and scissors and things in my flurry, 'how could you fas

his knees to pick up my bits of rubbish. 'You know well enough who my choice is. I haven't lived in the house with y

inute or two I couldn't say anything, but sat looking like a fool an

maggot has bit you, sir, to think of such nonsense

chen twice in a pretty fume, and he said a bad word about wh

ind me not telling him, and will wait for me patient, and will give me a kind word and a kiss on a Sunday, so to say, you and me will be happy together, and

right, though it was wit

I do say this-'tain't likely that I shall marry any other chap; and if, when you come to be master of Charleston, you are in t

ends into the dresser drawer, and took t

re of this talk, if you a

a lucky man I shall be the day I go to church with you; and I'll not say another word ti

, not even passing the time of day with a young man if I could help it, because I wanted t