TWO:"Bear that man to the tumbrelan hour or two there may teach him better manners!"When Pete went back into the room he found him struggling under the bedclothes, the sweat trickling down his face.
TWO:Edith entered the cottage, her hand resting for support upon the shoulder of her sonfor she was feeble, though not so much from age as from a weak constitution. As she stepped over the threshold she devoutly crossed herself; and when they stood upon the earthen floor, she withdrew her left hand from the arm that supported her, and, sinking upon her knees, and raising up her eyes, exclaimed
THREE:"Backfield he scarcely takes any notice of me nowalways thinking about his farm. Talks of nothing but hops and oats. Would you believe it, Mrs. Ditch, but he hardly ever looks at this dear little Fanny. He cares for his boys right enough, because when they're grown up they'll be able to work for him, but he justabout neglects his girliethat's what he does, he neglects her. The other night, there she was crying and sobbing her little heart out, and he wouldn't let me send for the doctor. Says he can't afford to have the doctor here for nothing. Nothing, indeed!..."
THREE:Rose used often to come to Odiam, where she was at first rather shy of Reuben's children, all of whom were older than herself. In time, however, she outgrew her shyness, and became of an exceedingly mad and romping disposition. She ran about the house like a wild thing, she dropped blackberries into Caro's cream, she tickled Pete's neck with wisps of hay, she danced in the yard with Jemmy. Reuben grew desperatehe felt the hopelessness of capturing this baby who played games with his children; and yet Rose was in some ways so much older than theyshe loved to say risky things in front of the innocent Caro, and howled with laughter when she could not understandshe loved to prod and baffle the two boys, who in this respect were nearly as inexperienced as their sister. Then, on the walk home with Reuben, over Boarzell, she would retail these feats[Pg 255] of hers with gusto, she would invite his kisses, sting up his passionshe tormented him with her extraordinary combinations of childishness and experience, shyness and abandonment, innocence and corruption.
