English IV: "The Parson's Daughter of Oxney Colne" by Anthony Trollope

And for those who wish to see all the beauties of this lovely country, a sojourn in Oxney Colne would be most desirable, seeing that the sojourner would then be brought nearer to all that he would wish to visit, than at any other spot in the country.

The larger and better is the parsonage, in which lived the parson and his daughter; and the smaller is a freehold residence of a certain Miss Le Smyrger, who owned a farm of a hundred acres, which was rented by one Farmer Cloysey, and who also possessed some thirty acres round her own house, which she managed herself; regarding herself to be quite as great in cream as Mr. Cloysey, and altogether superior to him in the article of cyder.

He was the antiquarian of Dartmoor.

But the Lord of the Government Board had been blessed with various children; and perhaps it was now thought expedient to look after Aunt Penelope’s Devonshire acres.

The advent of any stranger with whom she would be called on to associate must be matter of interest to her in that secluded place; and she was not so absolutely unlike other young ladies that the arrival of an unmarried young man would be the same to her as the advent of some patriarchal paterfamilias.

Captain Broughton came to Oxney Combe, stayed there a fortnight,—the intended period for his projected visit having been fixed at three or four days,—and then went his way.

No one could discover that she had been less careful in her household matters than had been her wont, less willing to go among her poor neighbours, or less assiduous in her attentions to her father.

No one could discover that she had been less careful in her household matters than had been her wont, less willing to go among her poor neighbours, or less assiduous in her attentions to her father.

There can be no doubt but that he well understood the purport to which his aunt alluded.

Patience, however, never put off anything, and therefore at six o’clock, when her father had finished his slender modicum of toddy, she tied on her hat and went on her walk.

There were no more gibes now on her tongue, no raillery at his London finery, no laughing comments on his coming and going.

That bedridden old lady there had a stalwart son, who was now the owner of the Helpholme pastures.

Then he had pressed for an early time, and Patience, with a girl’s usual diffidence, had asked for some little delay.

“With all my heart,” he said; and it was manifest from his tone that he had no thought of her happiness as he spoke.

As for Captain Broughton, all the world know that he did marry that great heiress with whom his name was once before connected, and that he is now a useful member of Parliament, working on committees three or four days a week with a zeal that is indefatigable.