Presently something dropped lightly on the grass before my eyes. It
was a sprig of sweetbrier. I turned lazily and saw Thora standing
by my side. Without speaking a word she sat down, and together we
looked out upon the blue sea.
We remained silent for several moments without greeting each other.
But at last I said:
"I was thinking maybe you'd be coming across to see me, Thora, one
o' these bonnie days, now that we never meet at the school. It was
good o' ye to come."
She turned to me with a smile, but I saw that her eyes were
moistened with tears.
"What has gone wrong, Thora?" I continued. "Has Carver been ill
using you again?"
"Yes, he's aye using me ill," she said, sobbing and wiping her
eyes. "I was in the garden just now, nipping some dead leaves from
the briar bush, when he came in at the gate. He never likes to see
me among my flowers, and when he found me there he got into a
passion, and walked over the beds, and kicked the plants about with
his sea boots. Then he ordered me away into the house, and said
that if I wanted work to do, I might go and clean out the stable. I
told him that was a man's work, not a lassie's; and at that he took
up a stick, and struck me with it across the back."
And here she sobbed again.
I did not speak, but I felt my blood run hot in indignation against
Carver Kinlay.
Pages:
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202