And Miss Anne sends her kind love to thee and thy
mother, and she'll come and see thy mother as soon as she can leave the
master.'
Thus comforted, poor sorrowful Bess rose from the ground, and walked on
with them to Botfield. Most of the house doors were open, and the women
were standing at them in order to waylay them with inquisitive
questions; but Stephen's grave and steady face, and the presence of
Bess, who walked close beside him, as if there was shelter and
protection there, kept them silent; and they were compelled to satisfy
their curiosity with secondhand reports. Martha went on with Bess to her
own cottage to stay all night with her, and help her to console her
broken-hearted mother.
Though Martha was truly sorry for Black Thompson's family, she felt her
importance as one of the chief witnesses against him; especially as the
cinder-hill cabin was visited, not only by the gossips of Botfield, but
by more distinguished persons from all the farmhouses around; and her
thrilling narrative of her hazardous journey through Botfield along the
high road was listened to with greedy interest.
Pages:
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181