ll buried under
the cold sod. This was harassing. Nevertheless, though no absolute
satisfaction was to be attained in the wooing of Mrs Greenow, there
was a pleasantness in the occupation which ought to have reconciled
her suitors to their destiny. With most ladies, when a gentleman has
been on his knees before one of them in the morning, with outspoken
protestations of love, with clearly defined proffers of marriage,
with a minute inventory of the offerer's worldly wealth,--down even
to the "mahogany-furnitured" bed-chambers, as was the case with
Mr Cheesacre, and when all these overtures have been peremptorily
declined,--a gentleman in such a case, I say, would generally feel
some awkwardness in sitting down to tea with the lady at the close
of such a performance. But with Mrs Greenow there was no such
awkwardness. After an hour's work of the nature above described she
would play the hostess with a genial hospitality, that eased off
all the annoyance of disappointment; and then at the end of the
evening, she would accept a squeeze of the hand, a good, palpable,
long-protracted squeeze, with that sort of "don't;--have done now,"
by which Irish young ladies allure their lovers. Mr Cheesacre, on
such occasions, would leave the Close, swearing that she should be
his on the next market-day,--or at any rate, on the next Saturday.
Then, on the Monday, tidings would reach him that Bellfield had
passed all Sunday afternoon with his lady-love,--Bellfield, to whom
he had lent five pounds on purpose that he might be enabled to
spend that very Sunday with some officers of the Suffolk volunteers
at Ipswich. And hearing this, he would walk out among those rich
heaps, at the back of his farmyard, uttering deep curses against the
falsehood of men and the fickleness of women.

Driven to despair, he at last resolved to ask Bellfield to come to
Oileymead for a month. That drilling at Norwich, or the part of it
which was supposed to be profitable, was wearing itself out. Funds
were low with the Captain,--as he did not scruple to tell his friend
Cheesacre, and he accepted the invitation. "I'll mount you with the
harriers, old fellow," Cheesacre had said; "and give you a little
shooting. Only I won't have you go out when I'm not with you."
Bellfield agreed, Each of them understood the nature of the bargain;
though Bellfield, I think, had somewhat the clearer understanding
in the matter. He would not be so near the widow as he had been at