He turned away, spread out the papers on the
smooth trunk of the fallen tree, and began to write.
Elizabeth sat very erect, her mouth proudly set, her eyes wandering
into the distance of the wood. What was she to do? The affront to
herself was gross--for the Squire had definitely promised her the
night before that the bargain should go through. And she felt hotly
for the hard-working agent. Should she put up with it? Her
meditations of the night recurred to her--and she seemed to herself
a very foolish woman!
'There you are!' said the Squire, as he handed the roll back to her.
She looked at it unwillingly. Then her face changed. She
stooped over the contract. Below the signature of the firm of
timber-merchants stood large and full that of 'Edmund Mannering.'
The Squire smiled.
'Now are you satisfied?'
She returned the contract to its envelope, and both to her pocket.
Then she looked at him uncertainly.
'May I ask what that meant?'
Her voice was still strained, and her eyes by no means meek.
Pages:
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380