Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. I, 1855.djvu/298

 "Nay, miss, that's not for me to say," answered Jane, with a slight toss of her head. "Sarah did"

"Sarah what?" said Fanny, with impatient curiosity.

Jane resumed her bathing, as if what Sarah did or said was not exactly the thing she liked to repeat.

“Sarah what?" asked Fanny, sharply. "Don't speak in these half sentences, or I can't understand you."

"Well, miss, since you will have it—Sarah, you see, was in the best place for seeing, being at the right-hand window; and she says, and said at the very time too, that she saw Miss Hale with her arms about master's neck, hugging him before all the people."

"I don't believe it," said Fanny. "I know she cares for my brother; any one can see that; and I dare say, she'd give her eyes if he'd marry her,—which he never will, I can tell her. But I don't believe she'd be so bold and forward as to put her arms round his neck."

"Poor young lady! she's paid for it dearly if she did. It's my belief, that the blow has given her such an ascendency of blood to the head as she'll never get the better from. She looks like a corpse now."

"Oh, I wish mamma would come!" said Fanny, wringing her hands. "I never was in the room with a dead person before."

"Stay, miss! She's not dead: her eye-lids are quivering, and here's wet tears a-coming down her cheeks. Speak to her, Miss Fanny!"