Elizabeth Gaskell

“ Philip's very good, and kind, and he says he shall die if I will not marry him, and there's no home for mother and me,--no home for her, for as for me I dunnot care what becomes on me; but if Charley's alive I cannot marry Philip--no, not if he dies for want o' me--and as for mother, poor mother, Kester, it's an awful strait ”

“ Kester himself was almost startled, and yet it was as if he must go on torturing her.
'An' who telled thee so sure and certain as he were drowned? He might ha' been carried off by t' press-gang as well as other men.'
'Oh! if I were but dead that I might know all!' cried she, flinging herself down on the hay.
Kester kept silence. ”

“ Whatten business has he for to go an' offer to let t' farm afore iver he were told as yo' wished to leave it?' observed Kester, in high dudgeon.
'Oh!' replied Sylvia, throwing down her rake, as if weary of life. 'What could we do wi' t' farm and land? If it were all dairy I might ha' done, but wi' so much on it arable.'
'And if 'tis arable is not I allays to t' fore?'
'Oh, man, dunnot find fault wi' me! I'm just fain to lie down and die, if it were not for mother.'
'Ay! thy mother will be sore unsettled if thou's for quitting Haytersbank,' said merciless Kester. ”

“ His hat were cast up by t' sea wi' a ribbon in it, as there's reason t' think as he'd not ha' parted wi' so quick if he'd had his own will.'
'But yo' said as he might ha' been carried off by t' gang--yo' did, Kester, tho' now yo're a' for t' other side.'
'My lass, a'd fain have him alive, an' a dunnot fancy Philip for thy husband; but it's a serious judgment as thou's put me on, an' a'm trying it fair. There's allays one chance i' a thousand as he's alive, for no man iver saw him dead. ”

“ It was the afternoon of an April day in that same year, and the sky was blue above, with little sailing white clouds catching the pleasant sunlight. The earth in that northern country had scarcely yet put on her robe of green. ”

“ Sylvia stood quite still, thinking, and wistfully longing for some kind of certainty.
Kester came up to her.
'Sylvie, thou knows Philip paid me back my money, and it were eight pound fifteen and three-pence; and t' hay and stock 'll sell for summat above t' rent; and a've a sister as is a decent widow-woman, tho' but badly off, livin' at Dale End; and if thee and thy mother 'll go live wi' her, a'll give thee well on to all a can earn, and it'll be a matter o' five shilling a week. ”

“ But dunnot go and marry a man as thou's noane taken wi', and another as is most like for t' be dead, but who, mebbe, is alive, havin' a pull on thy heart.'
Sylvia began to cry as if her heart was broken. She had promised herself more fully to Philip the night before than she had told Kester ”