The Solitary Summer

"No, certainly it isn't fair." There was a pause. "He is a good boy," I murmured presently. "A very good boy." "And she will be quite ruined unless somebody--" "I'll tell you what we can do, Elizabeth," he interrupted; "we can buy what is needful and let him have it on condition that he buys it back gradually by some small monthly payment." "So we can." "And I think there is a room over the stables that is empty." "So there is." "And he can go to town and get what furniture he needs and bring the girl back with him and marry her at once. The sooner the better, poor girl." And so within a fortnight they were married, and came hand in hand to me, he proud and happy, holding himself very straight, she in no wise yet recovered from the shock and misery of the last few hopeless months, looking up at me with eyes grown much too big for her face, eyes in which there still lurked the frightened look caught in the town where she had hidden herself, and where fingers of scorn could not have been wanting, and loud derision, and utter shame, besides the burden of sickness, and hunger, and miserable pitiful youth.