Isaac looked so placid and cheery when they entered, and greeted them with so bright a smile, that Rosalie was conscious of a sudden rush of remorse.
Going up to him she placed her hand upon his shoulder, a caress which astonished its recipient mightily, for he was not accustomed to endearments from her. Rosalie kept her hand there, however, glancing defiantly at Richard the while, as though to say, ‘You are wrong in thinking me so ignorant; see how I love and appreciate this good man;’ and Richard smiled back kindly, as if replying, ‘I see it, indeed, and I am glad that you are content.’
‘Well,’ said Isaac, squinting down sideways at Rosalie’s hand. ‘Well, Mrs. F., did you take ’en all over the place?’
‘I took Mr. Marshall to see the big mead,’ returned she, a little doubtfully.
‘Ah, I’m sure he thought that improved. Well, and then you took ’en up to see the root crop?’
‘No—no, we did n’t go there; we did n’t like to go too far, as you were here by yourself.’
‘Why, I were all right.’ Here Isaac slowly lifted the shoulder on which Rosalie’s hand still lingered, and again glanced down at it. As, taking the hint, she withdrew it, he gently rubbed the place where it had rested.
‘You took ’en down to the carnfield, though,’ he continued. ‘I’ll engage he thought them oats was a-comin’ on wonderful.’
But they had not been to the cornfield, it appeared, nor yet to see the potatoes, nor round by the vegetable garden, nor through the orchard; they had just been to the big mead and back.
‘Well,’ commented Mr. Sharpe, gazing at them in amazement, ‘ye must ha’ walked oncommon slow!’