Chapter FifteenWhen Bill Armitage reached Chark and discovered that Sally had gone up to Town for the day, he experienced feelings of great irritation. Why should Sally go to Town? If she must go, why go today of all days? Mrs. Callender was not helpful, and for once she was not talkative. Like David she held her tongue, and it was pain and grief to her. Afterwards, in the society of Hannah Preston, she made up for this unnatural silence.
“The first minute I set eyes on ’im you could ’ave knocked me down with me own duster, you could. ‘ ’Aven’t you seen Miss Sally?’ I says, and the Major ’e looks stiff as a blank wall, and ’e says, ‘No, and ’ow should I ’ave seen ’er,’ ’e says. Well, Hannah.” (Mrs. Callender’s h’s were like currants in a bread and butter pudding. Sometimes they appeared,
