The past, she wisely said, was
incurable; 'We must keep our senses whole for the future. While we
keep heart, there is no fear of our seeing him again, yet.'
The story reached Farmer Modbury as he was sitting down to breakfast.
He was deeply shocked even when he? knew no more than that Luke had
enlisted; but when, on visiting the cottage, the whole truth was
explained to him by Lucy, he felt both grief and disappointment. He
was, however, determined not to abandon his suit as hopeless, and
returning home, wrote to her father (he was a widower), explaining
what had happened, and giving a frank exposition of his own
honourable views as regarded Lucy. _'No_ doubt,' he concluded his
epistle, 'she will soon forget this early and unhappy attachment.'
Modbury was a shrewd man, and a clever farmer, but he knew very
little about women's hearts.
From that day he was extremely kind and considerate to Lucy.
Perceiving how much happier the girl was when she returned from
visiting Mrs Damerel than at other times, Modbury diminished her
labours by employing another dairymaid, so that Lucy might have more
leisure, which he had no objection should be spent with the invalid.
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