"What do you mean?"
"Well, sir, 'tis the vicar. 'E says they 'adn't oughter be livin' in the
house with Miss Anne, because of the talk there's been. So 'e says
Kimber must choose between 'em. And Kimber, 'e says 'e'd have minded
what parson said if it had a bin a church matter or such like, but
parson or no parson, 'e says 'e's his own master an' 'e won't have no
interferin' with him and his missus. So he's lost his job."
"Poor old Kimber. What a beastly shame."
"Eh, 'tis a shame to be sure."
"Never mind; I can give him a bigger job at the Manor."
"Oh, Master Jerrold, if you would, it'd be a kindness, I'm sure. And
Kimber 'e deserves it, the way they've stuck to Miss Anne."
"He does indeed. It's pretty decent of them. I'll see about that before
I go."
"Thank you, sir. Sutton and me thought maybe you'd do something for him,
else I shouldn't have spoken. And if there's anything I can do for Miss
Anne I'll do it. I've always looked on her as one of you. But 'tis a
pity, all the same."
"You mustn't say that, Nanny. I tell you it's all perfectly right."
"Well, I shall never say as 'tisn't. No, nor think it. You can trust me
for that, Master Jerrold."
He thought: Poor old Nanny. She lies like a brick.
He knew how it would be. Colin's wife would come home and she would
divorce Colin and he would marry Anne. So far as Jerrold could see, that
was his brother's only chance of happiness and sanity.
As for himself, there was nothing he could do now but clear out and
leave them.
And, as he had no desire to go back to his mother and hear about Anne
and Colin all over again, he went down to the Durhams' in Yorkshire for
the rest of his leave.
He hadn't been there five days before he and Maisie were engaged; and
before the two weeks were up he had married her.