''Marry him, miss. Don''t wait for your uncle''s word. Mr Rivers loves you, and love won''t harm a flea. You will learn to like him as you ought, in time. Till then go with him in secret, and do everything he says.''
For a second, she looked wretched—as if she might have been hoping I would say anything but that; but it was only for a second. Then her face grew clear. She said,
''I will. I''ll do it. But, I can''t go alone. You mustn''t make me go with him, quite on my own. You must come with me. Say you will. Say you''ll come and be my maid, in my new life, in London!''
I said I would. She gave a high, nervous laugh and then, from having wept and been so low, she grew almost giddy. She talked of the house that Gentleman had promised her; and of the fashions of London, that I would help her choose; and of the carriage she
would have. She said she would buy me handsome gowns. She said she wouldn''t call me her maid then, but her companion. She said she would get me a maid of my own.
''For you know I shall be very rich,'' she said simply, ''once I am married?''▂本▂作▂品▂由▂思▂兔▂網▂提▂供▂線▂上▂閱▂讀▂