anybody in the world, but me," she said; "but
I'm first, Miss Ironsyde. I must be first now. Even if to-day he had
been different--but what seemed so near yesterday is far off to-day. He
was harsh to-day. He terrified me, and I felt you'd think no worse of me
than you must, if I ventured to come. I don't ask you to believe
anything I say until you have seen him; but I'm not going to tell you
anything but the sacred truth. Thanks to Mr. Churchouse I was well
educated, and he took kind pains to teach me when I was young and
helped me to get fond of books. So when Mr. Raymond came to the Mill, he
found I was intelligent and well mannered. And he fell in love with me
and asked me to marry him. And I loved him very dearly, because I had
never seen or known a man with such a beautiful face and mind. And I
promised to marry him. He wished it kept secret and we loved in secret
and had great joy of each other for a long time. Then people began to
talk and I begged him to let it be known we were engaged; but he would
not. And then I told him--yesterday--that it must be known and that he
must marry me as quickly as he could, for right and honour. And he
seemed very glad--almost thankful I thought. He rejoiced about it and
said it was splendid news. Then he left me to come straight to you and I
was happy and thankful. But to-day I went to see him and he had changed
and was rough to me and said he must choose his own time! This to me,
who am going to be mother of his child next year! I nearly fainted when
he said that. He told me to go; and I went. But I could not sit down
under the shock; I had to do something and thought of you. So I came to
implore you to be on my side--not only for my sake, but his. It's a very
fearful thing--only I know how fearful, because I know all he's said and
promised; and well I know he meant every word while he was saying it.
And I do humbly beg you, miss, for love of him, to reason with him and
hear what he's got to say. And if he says a word that contradicts what
I've said, then I'll be content for you to believe him and I'll trouble
you no more. But he won't. He'll tell you everything I've told you. He
couldn't say different, for he's truthful and straight. And if it was
anything less than the whole of my future life I wouldn't have come. But
I feel there are things hidden in his mind I can't fathom--else after
what I told him yesterday, he never, never could have been cruel to me,
or changed his mind