? ? ? ? 'Aye!' he returned. 'It's all very fine - Well! I must do the best I can, for the present, I suppose.'
? ? ? ? In spite of himself, he appeared abashed by my aunt's indignant tears, and came slouching out of the garden. Taking two or three quick steps, as if I had just come up, I met him at the gate, and went in as he came out. We eyed one another narrowly in passing, and with no favour.
? ? ? ? 'Aunt,' said I, hurriedly. 'This man alarming you again! Let me speak to him. Who is he?'
? ? ? ? 'Child,' returned my aunt, taking my arm, 'come in, and don't speak to me for ten minutes.'
? ? ? ? We sat down in her little parlour. My aunt retired behind the round green fan of former days, which was screwed on the back of a chair, and occasionally wiped her eyes, for about a quarter of an hour. Then she came out, and took a seat beside me.
? ? ? ? 'Trot,' said my aunt, calmly, 'it's my husband.'
? ? ? ? 'Your husband, aunt? I thought he had been dead!'
? ? ? ? 'Dead to me,' returned my aunt, 'but living.'
? ? ? ? I sat in silent amazement.
? ? ? ? 'Betsey Trotwood don't look a likely subject for the tender passion,' said my aunt, composedly, 'but the time was, Trot, when she believed in that man most entirely.
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