Sylvia's Lovers

'I'll go put on my things at once,' said she, gently.

Philip pressed her hand tenderly, a glow of gratitude overspread

him.

'Thou's a real good one, God bless thee!' said he. 'Thou must take

care of thyself, too,' continued he; 'there's wraps and plenty i'

th' house, and if there are not, there's those i' the shop as 'll be

none the worse for once wearing at such a time as this; and wrap

thee well up, and take shawls and cloaks for them, and mind as they

put 'em on. Thou'll have to get out at a stile, I'll tell t' driver

where; and thou must get over t' stile and follow t' path down two

fields, and th' house is right before ye, and bid 'em make haste and

lock up th' house, for they mun stay all night here. Kester 'll look

after things.' All this time Hester was hastily putting on her hat and cloak, which

she had fetched from the closet where they usually hung through the

day; now she stood listening, as it were, for final directions.

'But suppose they will not come,' said she; 'they dunnot know me,

and mayn't believe my words.' 'They must,' said he, impatiently. 'They don't know what awaits

'em,' he continued. 'I'll tell thee, because thou 'll not let out,

and it seems as if I mun tell some one--it were such a shock--he's

to be tried for 's life. They know not it's so serious; and,

Hester,' said he, going on in his search after sympathy, 'she's

like as if she was bound up in her father.' His lips quivered as he looked wistfully into Hester's face at these

words. No need to tell her who was she. No need to put into words

the fact, told plainer than words could have spoken it, that his

heart was bound up in Sylvia.

Hester's face, instead of responding to his look, contracted a

little, and, for the life of her, she could not have helped

saying,-'Why don't yo' go yourself, Philip?' 'I can't, I can't,' said he, impatiently. 'I'd give the world to go,

for I might be able to comfort her; but there's lawyers to see, and

iver so much to do, and they've niver a man friend but me to do it

all. You'll tell her,' said Philip, insinuatingly, as if a fresh

thought had struck him, 'as how I would ha' come. I would fain ha'

come for 'em, myself, but I couldn't, because of th' lawyer,--mind

yo' say because of th' lawyer. I'd be loath for her to think I was

minding any business of my own at this time; and, whatever yo' do,

speak hopeful, and, for t' life of yo', don't speak of th' hanging,

it's likely it's a mistake o' Donkin's; and anyhow--there's t' cart

--anyhow I should perhaps not ha' telled thee, but it's a comfort to

make a clean breast to a friend at times. God bless thee, Hester. I

don't know what I should ha' done without thee,' said he, as he

wrapped her well up in the cart, and placed the bundles of cloaks

and things by her side.