“Oh, now, wait a minute, Miss Foxwell, as you’ve got a kind Christian heart. Why, rat me! if you knew as how I’ve pined to see you again since t’other day, I’ll warrant you’d never go to treat me so unneighbourly. If you knew as how—”
“Why can’t we be neighbourly, Miss Foxwell,—us two? Your uncle and me ha’n’t always been sworn brothers, so to speak, but I think as how we shall be mending that; and if you’d only just—er—ah—be neighbourly like—”
“I’m perfectly willing we should be good neighbours, Mr. Thornby,—perfectly. But just now if you’ll do me the favour to excuse—”
“Ah, that’s what I hoped for from such a sweet, gentle face, Miss Foxwell. Perfectly willing to be good neighbours. You make me a happy man, by the lord Harry, you do that! Ecod, if you knew as how I’ve laid awake nights this week past—”
Georgiana, convinced that fair means would not serve, feigned a sudden dizziness, which threw the Squire into such embarrassment, as he knew nothing of what to do for a lady in a faint, that he was very glad to leave the field, though he manfully remained until she declared she was better and would entirely recover if left alone. As soon as she saw him ride out of the courtyard, she went back to Everell in the garden.
“Nay, if you knew this gentleman!—so stupid, and repeating himself a hundred times:—and after all, ’twas nothing I could be of use in.”
Alluded to in this careless manner, the personality of Thornby awakened no curiosity in Everell’s mind. He vaguely remembered the name as that of a landowner in the neighbourhood, whom the innkeeper and John Tarby had mentioned. How glad Mr. Foxwell would have been could he have felt a like indifference with regard to the Squire! The reader is aware of their encounter as Thornby was riding down the slope that afternoon. As soon after that as Foxwell found himself alone with Rashleigh, his vexation broke out in words.
“Damn that Thornby! Damn, damn, damn him!”
“The gentleman you were accustomed to take down in company, didn’t you tell us?” said Rashleigh with marked innocence.
“Ay, George, laugh at me: I deserve it, I own. But something has happened since I told you that. No doubt you remember, the fellow came to see me the other day. Do you know what he showed me then?”