Shining Ferry
ning hour discouraged her; and the landscape-a stretch of grey-green marsh with a horizon-line of slate-roofed cottages terminated by a singl
the Midlands; and as it steamed off, its smoke blown level along the carriage roofs, her gaze followed it wis
s the marsh. They stretched away, and with them the country seemed to expand and flatten itself, yielding to the sky an altogethunk, as absurdly forlorn as herself. A tall man-the stationmaster-bent over it, examin
htening himself up in time to observe the glance. "He never k
it from he
reckon it; but you may call
blushed; for indeed the country was hilly on three sides of her and fl
er confusion. "Were you expecting a
-Mr. Peter Benny." She felt
th a terrible long family. And when a man has a long family, and leaves these little thin
them were porters; the third-a young fellow in blue jersey, blue cloth trousers, and a peaked cap-was apparently persuading them to open the van, which they no sooner did than he leapt inside. Hester hear
ttage on the slope behind. "No favour at all. I'm just going back to breakfast, and it won't take me a minute to fetch ou
ut I can carr
walk. But if you must, and I may make so bold, why not step over to my house and have a cup of tea before starting? The kettle's on the boil, and m
and walked some little distance with her, wheeling it. Where their ways parted he gave her the min
-roofed cottages; and as she mounted this rise the wind met her more strongly, and with more of that tonic sharpness she had shrunk from a while ago. It was shrewd, yet she felt that it was also wholesome. Above the cottage roofs she
grey-blue; and her first sensation was wonder at its bare simplicity. She rested her bag
sorbed that the sound of footsteps on the road drew near an
ss, but that bag is heav
t her, not strong, but deliciously clean and fragrant. It came from a
ered, in some confusion. "I-I just res
of a great burden, in which Hester recognised a blackboard, an easel, a coloured globe, and sundry articles of school furniture very cleverly lashed togeth
miss. There's a terrible steep hill to go up, and a pound o
. She compressed her lip, wondering how to hint that she did not desire his company. A glance told her that he was entirely
uldn' possibly be in the van. But I wasn't going to have my walk for nothing
stoop gave his eyes, when he smiled, an innocent roguish slant. Hester noted that he wo
ng with a blackboard
r and keeps school. Tidy little outlay for her, all thi
School?-since she is buyin
there, miss: we're the Opposition." He laug
a teach
w it to be ridiculous. A teacher, in blue jersey
s with pride: of what it meant she had not the ghost of a notion. "A man don't need scholarship in my way o' life; but
r asked, her professi
Board wouldn't look at it. Old Rosewarne, they say, had another teacher in his eye, and got her appoin
" Hester ca
vy for you, miss. Ha
ing of Mr. Jo
ut a raspin' old tyrant he was. Sing small, you might be let off and call yourself lucky
, and the tall hedgerows shut out the sea; but its far roar sounded in her ears. She nodded
as I tell her, she may get the billet now, after all, since the
stand. 'Gone'?
Rosewarne.
ing me that Mr. R
! I han't upset you, have I? I took it for certain that everyone knew. An
rne's letter, a second from a Mr. Peter Benny, acknowledging her acceptance of the post, and promising that she should be met on her ar
dently puzzled, and for the fourth time at least
t walk on, please; I am
s face became grave at once, but still wore its puzzled lo
m sure of that. They haven't told you. She's a
her, seekin
mysteries. But for aught I know, I am the new schoolmistress, a
sed, conside
hame it is!" he stammered
rt to let the vehicle pass, she to one side of the road, the young sailor to the other. A light spring-cart came lurching round the corner; and its driver, gla