"I'll gaw back bimebye," she said. "I bin walkin' 'long the cliffs in the
sun an' forgot the time. Gimme somethin' t'ate, mother; I be hungry an'
fainty like wi' gwaine tu far. I could hardly fetch home."
"You'm a queer twoad," said Thomasin, "an' I doan't knaw what's come over
'e of late days. 'Pears to me you'm hidin' summat; an' if I thot that, I'd
mighty quick get faither to find out what 'twas, I can tell 'e."
Then she went off, and brought some cold potatoes and dripping, with bread
and salt, and a cup of milk.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LESSONS LEARNED
The lesson which he had set for Joan Tregenza's learning taught John Barron
something also. Eight-and-forty hours he stayed in Newlyn, and was
astounded to find during that period what grip this girl had got upon his
mind, how she had dragged him out of himself. His first thought was to
escape all physical excitement and emotion by abandoning his picture almost
upon the moment of its completion and abandoning his model too; but various
considerations cried out against such a course. To go was to escape no
difficulty, but to fly from the spoils of victory. The fruit only wanted
plucking, and, through pleasure, he believed that he would proceed to
speedy, easy and triumphant completion of his picture. No lasting
compunction colored the tenor of his thoughts. Once, indeed, upon the day
when he returned to Gorse Point and saw Joan again, some shadow of regret
for her swept through his brain; but that and the issue of it will be
detailed in their place.
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