This remark entered his
mind. The trial, though apparently a drawn battle, had been fatal to
him--he was cut; he dared not pay his addresses to any lady in the
county, and he often felt very lonely now. So everything combined to
draw him toward Mary Wells--her swarthy beauty, which shone out at
church like a black diamond among the other women; his own loneliness;
and the pleasure these stolen meetings gave him. Custom itself is
pleasant, and the company of this handsome chatterbox became a habit,
and an agreeable one. The young woman herself employed a woman's arts;
she was cold and loving by turns till at last he gave her what she was
working for, a downright promise of marriage. She pretended not to
believe him, and so led him further; he swore he would marry her.
He made one stipulation, however. She really must learn to read and
write first.
When he had sworn this Mary became more uniformly affectionate; and as
women who have been in service learn great self-government, and can
generally please so long as it serves their turn, she made herself so
agreeable to him that he began really to have a downright liking for
her--a liking bounded, of course, by his incurable selfishness; but as
for his hobby, that was on her side.
Now learning to read and write was wormwood to Mary Wells; but the
prize was so great; she knew all about the Huntercombe estates, partly
from her sister, partly from Bassett himself.
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