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John Halifax, gentleman, by the author of 'The head of the family'.
John Halifax gentleman by the author of 'The head of the family' Author:Dinah Maria Craik Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A Great, eager, but doggedly-quiet crowd, of which each had his or her—for it was half women—individual terror to hide, his or her own individual... more » interest to fight for, and cared not a straw for that of any one else. It was market-day, and this crowd was collected and collecting every minute, before the bank at Norton Bury. It included all classes, from the stout farmer's wife, or market-woman, to the pale, frightened lady of " limited income," who had never been in such a throng before; from the aproned mechanic to the gentleman who sat in his carriage at the street corner, confident that whatever poor chance there was, his would be the best. Everybody was, as I have said, extremely quiet. You heard none of the jokes that alwaysrise in and circulate through a crowd; none of the loud outcries of a mob. All were intent on themselves and their own business; on that fast-bolted red-baize door, and on the green blind of the windows, which informed them that it was " open from ten till four." The Abbey clock struck three-quarters. Then there was a slight stirring, a rustling here and there of paper, as some one drew out and examined his bank-notes ; openly, with small fear of theft—they were not worth stealing. John and I, a little way off, stood looking on, where we had once watched a far different crowd ; for Mr. Jessop owned the doctor's former house, and in sight of the green Bank blinds were my dear old father's known windows. Guy's birthday had fallen on a Saturday. This was Monday morning. We had driven over to Norton Bury, John and I, at an unusually early hour. He did not exactly tell me why, but it was not difficult to guess. Not difficult to perceive how strongly he was interested, even affected,—as any man, knowing all the VOL. III. F ci...« less