Noughts and Crosses eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 168 pages of information about Noughts and Crosses.

Noughts and Crosses eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 168 pages of information about Noughts and Crosses.

“’Twas a battle-royal that began then.  Ould Wounds dressed the woman up to the nines, an’ forced all the bettermost folk i’ the county to pay their calls an’ treat her like one o’ the blood; and then, when the proud guests stepped into their chariots an’ druv away, he’d fall to, an’ lick her across the shoulders wi’ his ridin’-whip, to break her sperrit.  ‘Twas the happiest while o’ th’ ould curmudgeon’s life, I do b’lieve; for he’d found summat he cudn’ tame in a hurry.  There was a noble pond afore the house, i’ those days, wi’ urns an’ heathen gods around the brim, an’ twice he dragged her through it in her night-gown, I’ve heerd, an’ always dined wi’ a pistol laid by his plate, alongside the knives an’ prongs, to scare her.  But not she!

“An’ next he tried to burn her in her bed:  an’ that wasn’ no good.

“An’ last of all he fell i’ love wi’ her:  an’ that broke her.”

“One day—­the tale goes—­she made up her mind an’ ordered a shay an’ pair from the Pack-Horse.  The postillion was to be waitin’ by the gate o’ the deer-park—­the only gate that hadn’t a lodge to it—­at ten o’clock that night.  ‘Twas past nine afore dinner was done, an’ she got up from her end o’ the table an’ walked across to kiss th’ ould fellow.  He, ’pon his side, smiled on her, pleased as Punch; for ’twas little inore’n a fortni’t since he’d discovered she was the yapple of his eye.  She said ‘Good night’ an’ went up-stairs to pack a few things in a bag, he openin’ the door and shuttin’ it upon her.  Then he outs wi’ his watch, waits a couple o’ minutes, an’ slips out o’ the house.

“At five minutes to ten comes my ladyship, glidin’ over the short turf o’ the deer-park, an’ glancin’ over her shoulder at the light in his lordship’s libery window.  ‘Twas burnin’ in true watch-an’-fear-nothin’ style, an’ there, by the gate, was the shay and horses, and postillion, wrapped up and flapping his arms for warmth, who touched his cap and put down the steps for her.

“‘Drive through Tregarrick,’ says she, ‘an’ don’t spare whip-cord.’

“Slam went the door, up climbed the postillion, an’ away they went like a house afire.  There was half-a-moon up an’ a hoar frost gatherin’, an’ my lady, lean in’ back on the cushions, could see the head and shoulders of the postillion bob-bobbing, till it seemed his head must work loose and tumble out of his collar.

“The road they took, sir, is the same that runs down the valley afore our very eyes.  An’ ’pon the brow o’t, just when it comes in sight, the off horse turned restive.  In a minute ’twas as much as the post-boy could ha’ done to hold ‘en. But he didn’ try.  Instead, he fell to floggin’ harder, workin’ his arm up an’ down like a steam-engin’.

“’What the jiminy are ‘ee doin?’ calls out her ladyship—­or words to that effec’—­clutchin’ at the side o’ the shay, an’ tryin’ to stiddy hersel’

“‘I thought I wasn’ to spare whip-cord,’ calls back the post-boy.

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Project Gutenberg
Noughts and Crosses from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.