Further, I wondered how much longer Muriel and her mother would be here, and when the coy, uncertain, and hard-to-please Muriel would make up her mind whom she wanted to marry?
CHAPTER XXII
HAY-HARVEST
"Go see the wholesome country girls make hay,
Whose brown hath lovelier grace
Than many a painted face,
That I do know
Hyde Park can show."
All these questions were still there, unanswered, a fortnight later.
That date found Elizabeth and me settled as permanent Land-workers under our friend Mr. Price, but still living in camp, whence we walked to our work. It found Curley gone; she had taken the Rectory job; Sybil, too, was away. She had got the post of gardening girl at a country house outside Careg that supplied the hospital with extra vegetables. The Elveys were still at the Lodge, for poor Mrs. Elvey had had a rheumatic attack and could not move. Very probably, thought I with a pang, Miss Muriel did not want to move!
All this marked the date of the beginning of one of the farm's biggest days—the gathering in of the second hay crop.
I shall never forget this as one of the greatest scrambles that I've ever rushed through. A "thick day" at the office was nothing to it!
It was intensely hot. The sky was cloudless, not blue, but a sultry mauve.
Now at dinner-time Mr. Price strode in on his inordinately long legs that he had given no rest since early morn; his blue eyes were alert and excited.