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moralizing； which might tend to damage the airy…fairy nature that
Dick； as maiden shrewdness told her； had accredited her with。 Her
dead silence impressed Geoffrey with the notion that something in
his words did not agree with her educated ideas； and he changed the
conversation。
〃Did Fred Shiner send the cask o' drink； Fancy？〃
〃I think he did： O yes； he did。〃
〃Nice solid feller； Fred Shiner！〃 said Geoffrey to Dick as he helped
himself to gravy； bringing the spoon round to his plate by way of
the potato…dish； to obviate a stain on the cloth in the event of a
spill。
Now Geoffrey's eyes had been fixed upon his plate for the previous
four or five minutes； and in removing them he had only carried them
to the spoon； which； from its fulness and the distance of its
transit； necessitated a steady watching through the whole of the
route。 Just as intently as the keeper's eyes had been fixed on the
spoon； Fancy's had been fixed on her father's； without premeditation
or the slightest phase of furtiveness； but there they were fastened。
This was the reason why：
Dick was sitting next to her on the right side； and on the side of
the table opposite to her father。 Fancy had laid her right hand
lightly down upon the table…cloth for an instant； and to her alarm
Dick； after dropping his fork and brushing his forehead as a reason；
flung down his own left hand； overlapping a third of Fancy's with
it； and keeping it there。 So the innocent Fancy； instead of pulling
her hand from the trap； settled her eyes on her father's； to guard
against his discovery of this perilous game of Dick's。 Dick
finished his mouthful； Fancy finished； her crumb； and nothing was
done beyond watching Geoffrey's eyes。 Then the hands slid apart；
Fancy's going over six inches of cloth； Dick's over one。 Geoffrey's
eye had risen。
〃I said Fred Shiner is a nice solid feller；〃 he repeated； more
emphatically。
〃He is； yes； he is；〃 stammered Dick； 〃but to me he is little more
than a stranger。〃
〃O； sure。 Now I know en as well as any man can be known。 And you
know en very well too； don't ye； Fancy？〃
Geoffrey put on a tone expressing that these words signified at
present about one hundred times the amount of meaning they conveyed
literally。
Dick looked anxious。
〃Will you pass me some bread？〃 said Fancy in a flurry； the red of
her face becoming slightly disordered； and looking as solicitous as
a human being could look about a piece of bread。
〃Ay； that I will；〃 replied the unconscious Geoffrey。 〃Ay；〃 he
continued； returning to the displaced idea； 〃we are likely to remain
friendly wi' Mr。 Shiner if the wheels d'run smooth。〃
〃An excellent thinga very capital thing； as I should say；〃 the
youth answered with exceeding relevance； considering that his
thoughts； instead of following Geoffrey's remark； were nestling at a
distance of about two feet on his left the whole time。
〃A young woman's face will turn the north wind； Master Richard： my
heart if 'twon't。〃 Dick looked more anxious and was attentive in
earnest at these words。 〃Yes； turn the north wind；〃 added Geoffrey
after an impressive pause。 〃And though she's one of my own flesh
and blood 。 。 。 〃
〃Will you fetch down a bit of raw…mil' cheese from pantry…shelf？〃
Fancy interrupted； as if she were famishing。
〃Ay； that I will； chiel； chiel； says I； and Mr。 Shiner only asking
last Saturday night 。 。 。 cheese you said； Fancy？〃
Dick controlled his emotion at these mysterious allusions to Mr。
Shiner；the better enabled to do so by perceiving that Fancy's
heart went not with her father'sand spoke like a stranger to the
affairs of the neighbourhood。 〃Yes； there's a great deal to be said
upon the power of maiden faces in settling your courses；〃 he
ventured； as the keeper retreated for the cheese。
〃The conversation is taking a very strange turn： nothing that _I_
have ever done warrants such things being said！〃 murmured Fancy with
emphasis； just loud enough to reach Dick's ears。
〃You think to yourself； 'twas to be；〃 cried Enoch from his distant
corner； by way of filling up the vacancy caused by Geoffrey's
momentary absence。 〃And so you marry her； Master Dewy； and there's
an end o't。〃
〃Pray don't say such things； Enoch；〃 came from Fancy severely； upon
which Enoch relapsed into servitude。
〃If we be doomed to marry； we marry； if we be doomed to remain
single； we do；〃 replied Dick。
Geoffrey had by this time sat down again； and he now made his lips
thin by severely straining them across his gums； and looked out of
the window along the vista to the distant highway up Yalbury Hill。
〃That's not the case with some folk；〃 he said at length； as if he
read the words on a board at the further end of the vista。
Fancy looked interested； and Dick said； 〃No？〃
〃There's that wife o' mine。 It was her doom to be nobody's wife at
all in the wide universe。 But she made up her mind that she would；
and did it twice over。 Doom？ Doom is nothing beside a elderly
womanquite a chiel in her hands！〃
A movement was now heard along the upstairs passage； and footsteps
descending。 The door at the foot of the stairs opened； and the
second Mrs。 Day appeared in view； looking fixedly at the table as
she advanced towards it； with apparent obliviousness of the presence
of any other human being than herself。 In short； if the table had
been the personages； and the persons the table； her glance would
have been the most natural imaginable。
She showed herself to possess an ordinary woman's face； iron…grey
hair； hardly any hips； and a great deal of cleanliness in a broad
white apron…string； as it appeared upon the waist of her dark stuff
dress。
〃People will run away with a story now； I suppose；〃 she began
saying； 〃that Jane Day's tablecloths are as poor and ragged as any
union beggar's！〃
Dick now perceived that the tablecloth was a little the worse for
wear； and reflecting for a moment； concluded that 'people' in step…
mother language probably meant himself。 On lifting his eyes he
found that Mrs。 Day had vanished again upstairs； and presently
returned with an armful of new damask…linen tablecloths； folded
square and hard as boards by long compression。 These she flounced
down into a chair； then took one； shook it out from its folds； and
spread it on the table by instalments； transferring the plates and
dishes one by one from the old to the new cloth。
〃And I suppose they'll say； too； that she ha'n't a decent knife and
fork in her house！〃
〃I shouldn't say any such ill…natured thing； I am sure〃 began
Dick。 But Mrs。 Day had vanished into the next room。 Fancy appeared
distressed。
〃Very strange woman； isn't she？〃 said Geoffrey； quietly going on
with his dinner。 〃But 'tis too late to attempt curing。 My heart！
'tis so growed into her that 'twould kill her to take it out。 Ay；
she's very queer： you'd be amazed to see wh