John Herring: A West of England Romance, Volume 2

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.comwww.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: white lovely face; there was no expression of distress on it, none of grief?not a trace of a tear in her large dark eyes. Why do you not go on? I said I am very sorry, naturally. He was my father. What else should I say? CHAPTER III. WEST WYKE. The young man and Joyce conveyed the lady between them under a low embattled gateway into a small yard or garden?it was too dark to distinguish which?and halted in the porch of a house. Joyce said: Stay, I go no vurder. I niver ha' been inside a house and under hellens (slates) afore, and I bain't a going now. The door opened, and a blaze of ruddy light fell on them. A young lady had opened to admit them. There be Miss Cicely Battishill, said Joyce. Sure her will take my place once for all. Another step more, girl, said the young man to Joyce, and our burden is in a chair. Why do'y call me a gurl? asked Joyce. I bain't a gurl, I be a maiden. There be maidens in these parts and no gurls. I dunnow, but the leddy I been a helping may be a girl; hers different from I, I be a maiden. Never mind distinctions, said the young man, impatiently. Go on another step. No, I'll put my head under no hellens. I be a savage, said Joyce, obstinately. You go on yourself, and get Miss Cicely to help. John Herring. I. 3 I will take your place, Joyce, said the young lady at the door; and she assisted the strange pale girl to come in. The young man looked back over his shoulder, and said, Thanks for your help as far as it went, maiden. Joyce stood without, the red light on her, with the dark garden, the moor, and the night sky behind, her strange face appearing even handsome in the glow, and the flicker reflected in her dull eyes. The figure struck the young man with an evanescent sense ...