And so he went his
way back to Hanover with a sore heart. And no wonder, for that was
the very day on which Lieutenant Ewing had asked the question about
the musk rose.
But there was a dogged constancy of feeling about Maurice which could
not allow him to disburden himself of his love. When he was again at
Mount Pleasant among his sugar-canes and hogsheads he could not help
thinking about Marian. It is true he always thought of her as flying
round that ball-room in Ewing's arms, or looking up with rapt
admiration into that young parson's face; and so he got but little
pleasure from his thoughts. But not the less was he in love with
her;--not the less, though he would swear to himself three times in
the day that for no earthly consideration would he marry Marian
Leslie.
The early months of the year from January to May are the busiest with
a Jamaica sugar-grower, and in this year they were very busy months
with Maurice Cumming. It seemed as though there were actually some
truth in Miss Jack's prediction that prosperity would return to him
if he attended to his country; for the prices of sugar had risen
higher than they had ever been since the duty had been withdrawn, and
there was more promise of a crop at Mount Pleasant than he had seen
since his reign commenced.
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