As it was, however, the facts to him were simply these. He was going

and she was going. The day before, he had hurried off to Haytersbank

Farm with a small paper parcel in his pocket--a ribbon with a little

briar-rose pattern running upon it for Sylvia. It was the first

thing he had ever ventured to give her--the first thing of the kind

would, perhaps, be more accurate; for when he had first begun to

teach her any lessons, he had given her Mavor's Spelling-book, but

that he might have done, out of zeal for knowledge, to any dunce of

a little girl of his acquaintance. This ribbon was quite a different

kind of present; he touched it tenderly, as if he were caressing it,

when he thought of her wearing it; the briar-rose (sweetness and

thorns) seemed to be the very flower for her; the soft, green ground

on which the pink and brown pattern ran, was just the colour to show

off her complexion. And she would in a way belong to him: her

cousin, her mentor, her chaperon, her lover! While others only

admired, he might hope to appropriate; for of late they had been

such happy friends! Her mother approved of him, her father liked

him. A few months, perhaps only a few weeks more of self-restraint,

and then he might go and speak openly of his wishes, and what he had

to offer. For he had resolved, with the quiet force of his

character, to wait until all was finally settled between him and his

masters, before he declared himself to either Sylvia or her parents.

The interval was spent in patient, silent endeavours to recommend

himself to her.

He had to give his ribbon to his aunt in charge for Sylvia, and that

was a disappointment to his fancy, although he tried to reason

himself into thinking that it was better so. He had not time to wait

for her return from some errand on which she had gone, for he was

daily more and more occupied with the affairs of the shop.

Sylvia made many a promise to her mother, and more to herself, that

she would not stay late at the party, but she might go as early as

she liked; and before the December daylight had faded away, Sylvia

presented herself at the Corneys'. She was to come early in order to

help to set out the supper, which was arranged in the large old

flagged parlour, which served as best bed-room as well. It opened

out of the house-place, and was the sacred room of the house, as

chambers of a similar description are still considered in retired

farmhouses in the north of England. They are used on occasions like

the one now described for purposes of hospitality; but in the state

bed, overshadowing so large a portion of the floor, the births and,

as far as may be, the deaths, of the household take place. At the

Corneys', the united efforts of some former generation of the family

had produced patchwork curtains and coverlet; and patchwork was

patchwork in those days, before the early Yates and Peels had found

out the secret of printing the parsley-leaf. Scraps of costly Indian

chintzes and palempours were intermixed with commoner black and red

calico in minute hexagons; and the variety of patterns served for

the useful purpose of promoting conversation as well as the more

obvious one of displaying the work-woman 's taste. Sylvia, for

instance, began at once to her old friend, Molly Brunton, who had

accompanied her into this chamber to take off her hat and cloak,

with a remark on one of the chintzes. Stooping over the counterpane,

with a face into which the flush would come whether or no, she said

to Molly,-'Dear! I never seed this one afore--this--for all t' world like th'

eyes in a peacock's tail.' 'Thou's seen it many a time and oft, lass. But weren't thou

surprised to find Charley here? We picked him up at Shields, quite

by surprise like; and when Brunton and me said as we was comin'

here, nought would serve him but comin' with us, for t' see t' new

year in. It's a pity as your mother's ta'en this time for t' fall

ill and want yo' back so early.' Sylvia had taken off her hat and cloak by this time, and began to

help Molly and a younger unmarried sister in laying out the

substantial supper.




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