Page:Ethan Frome (Scribners 1922).djvu/158

140 to make it possible for the latter to renew his appeal without too much loss of pride; and, more- over, how much did pride count in the ebullition of passions in his breast?

The more he considered his plan the more hopeful it seemed. If he could get Mrs. Kale's ear he felt certain of success, and with fifty dollars in his pocket nothing could keep him from Mattie

His first object was to reach Starkfield before Hale had started for his work; he knew the car- penter had a job down the Corbury road and was likely to leave his house early. Ethan's long strides grew more rapid with the accelerated beat of his thoughts, and as he reached the foot of School House Hill he caught sight of Hale's sleigh in the distance. He hurried forward to meet it, but as it drew nearer he saw that it was driven by the carpenter's youngest boy and that the figure at his side, looking like a large upright cocoon in spectacles, was that of Mrs. Andrew Hale. Ethan signed to them to stop, and Mrs. Hale leaned forward, her pink wrinkles twinkling with benevolence.

"Mr. Hale? Why, yes, you'll find him down