下载辰思小说免费APP
Shedidmostofthetalking，hermotherlisteningwithahalf-absentair，asshepickedupfragmentsofred-hotwoodemberwiththetongs，andpiledthemuponthebrands。Butthenumberofspeechesthatpassedwasverysmallinproportiontothemeaningsexchanged。
Longexperiencetogetheroftenenabledthemtoseethecourseofthoughtineachother’smindswithoutawordbeingspoken。Behindthem，inthecentreoftheroom，thetablewasspreadforsupper，certainwhiffsofairladenwithfatvapours，whicheverandanonenteredfromthekitchen，denotingitspreparationthere。
’Thenewgownhewasgoingtosendyoustaysaboutonthewaylikehimself，’Sally’smotherwassaying。
’Yes，notfinished，Idaresay，’criedSallyindependently。’Lord，I
shouldn’tbeamazedifitdidn’tcomeatall！Youngmenmakesuchkindpromiseswhentheyarenearyou，andforget’emwhentheygoaway。Buthedoesn’tintenditasawedding-gown——hegivesittomemerelyasagowntowearwhenIlike——atravelling-dressiswhatitwouldbecalledbysome。Comeratheorcomelateitdon’tmuchmatter，asIhaveadressofmyowntofallbackupon。Butwhattimeisit？’
Shewenttothefamilyclockandopenedtheglass，forthehourwasnototherwisediscerniblebynight，andindeedatalltimeswasratherathingtobeinvestigatedthanbeheld，somuchmorewallthanwindowwasthereintheapartment。’Itisnearlyeight，’saidshe。
’Eighto’clock，andneitherdressnorman，’saidMrs。Hall。
’Mother，ifyouthinktotantalizemebytalkinglikethat，youaremuchmistaken！Lethimbeaslateashewill——orstayawayaltogether——Idon’tcare，’saidSally。Butatender，minutequaverinthenegationshowedthattherewassomethingforcedinthatstatement。
Mrs。Hallperceivedit，anddrilyobservedthatshewasnotsosureaboutSallynotcaring。’Butperhapsyoudon’tcaresomuchasI
do，afterall，’shesaid。’ForIseewhatyoudon’t，thatitisagoodandflourishingmatchforyou；averyhonourableofferinMr。
Darton。AndIthinkIseeakindhusbandinhim。SoprayGod’twillgosmooth，andwindupwell。’
Sallywouldnotlistentomisgivings。Ofcourseitwouldgosmoothly，sheasserted。’Howyouareupanddown，mother！’shewenton。’Atthismoment，whateverhindershim，wearenotsoanxioustoseehimasheistobehere，andhisthoughtrunsonbeforehim，andsettlesdownuponuslikethestarintheeast。Hark！’sheexclaimed，withabreathofrelief，hereyessparkling。’Iheardsomething。Yes——heretheyare！’
Thenextmomenthermother’sslowerearalsodistinguishedthefamiliarreverberationoccasionedbyfootstepsclamberinguptherootsofthesycamore。
’Yesitsoundslikethematlast，’shesaid。’Well，itisnotsoverylateafterall，consideringthedistance。’
Thefootfallceased，andtheyarose，expectingaknock。Theybegantothinkitmighthavebeen，afterall，someneighbouringvillagerunderBac
