下载辰思小说免费APP
ThateveningSallywasmaking’pinners’forthemilkers，whowerenowincreasedbytwo，forhermotherandherselfnolongerjoinedinmilkingthecowsthemselves。Butuponthewholetherewaslittlechangeinthehouseholdeconomy，andnotmuchinitsappearance，beyondsuchminorparticularsasthatthecrackoverthewindow，whichhadbeenahundredyearscoming，wasatriflewider；thatthebeamswereashadeblacker；thattheinfluenceofmodernismhadsupplantedtheopenchimneycornerbyagrate；thatRebekah，whohadwornacapwhenshehadplentyofhair，hadleftitoffnowshehadscarceany，becauseitwasreportedthatcapswerenotfashionable；
andthatSally’sfacehadnaturallyassumedamorewomanlyandexperiencedcast。
Mrs。Hallwasactuallyliftingcoalswiththetongs，asshehadusedtodo。
’Fiveyearsagothisverynight，ifIamnotmistaken——’shesaid，layingonanember。
’Notthisverynight——though’twasonenightthisweek，’saidthecorrectSally。
’Well，’tisnearenough。FiveyearsagoMr。Dartoncametomarryyou，andmypoorboyPhilcamehometodie。’Shesighed。’Ah，Sally，’shepresentlysaid，’ifyouhadmanagedwellMr。Dartonwouldhavehadyou，Helenaornone。’
’Don’tbesentimentalaboutthat，mother，’beggedSally。’Ididn’tcaretomanagewellinsuchacase。ThoughIlikedhim，Iwasn’tsoanxious。Iwouldneverhavemarriedthemaninthemidstofsuchahitchasthatwas，’sheaddedwithdecision；’andIdon’tthinkI
wouldifheweretoaskmenow。’
’Iamnotsureaboutthat，unlessyouhaveanotherinyoureye。’
’Iwouldn’t；andI’lltellyouwhy。Icouldhardlymarryhimforloveatthistimeo’day。Andaswe’vequiteenoughtoliveonifwegiveupthedairyto-morrow，Ishouldhavenoneedtomarryforanymeanerreason……IamquitehappyenoughasIam，andthere’sanendofit。’
Nowitwasnotlongafterthisdialoguethattherecameamildrapatthedoor，andinamomentthereenteredRebekah，lookingasthoughaghosthadarrived。Thefactwasthatthataccomplishedskimmerandchurner(nowaresidentinthehouse)hadoverheardthedesultoryobservationsbetweenmotheranddaughter，andonopeningthedoortoMr。Dartonthoughtthecoincidencemusthaveagrislymeaninginit。Mrs。Hallwelcomedthefarmerwithwarmsurprise，asdidSally，andforamomenttheyratherwantedwords。
’Canyoupushupthechimney-crookforme，MrDarton？thenotcheshitch，’saidthematron。Hedidit，andthehomelylittleactbridgedovertheawkwardconsciousnessthathehadbeenastrangerforfouryears。
Mrs。Hallsoonsawwhathehadcomefor，andlefttheprincipalstogetherwhileshewenttopreparehimalatetea，smilingatSally’srecenthastyassertionsofindifference，whenshesawhowcivilSallywas。Whenteawasreadyshejoinedthem。ShefanciedthatDartondidnotlooksoconfidentaswhenhehadarrived；butSallywasquitelight-hearted，andthemealpassedpleasantly。
Aboutsevenhetookhisleaveofthem。Mrs。Hallwentasfarasthedoortolig
