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257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
200
As
we
came
down
through
the
shop,
the
civil
Mr
Johnson
was
awaiting
us;
he
had
been
informed
of
the
exchange
of
the
note
for
gold,
and
with
much
good
feeling
and
real
kindness,
but
with
a
little
want
of
tact,
he
wished
to
condole
with
Miss
Matty,
and
impress
upon
her
the
true
state
of
the
case.
I
could
only
hope
that
he
had
heard
an
exaggerated
rumour
for
he
said
that
her
shares
were
worse
than
nothing,
and
that
the
bank
could
not
pay
a
shilling
in
the
pound.
I
was
glad
that
Miss
Matty
seemed
still
a
little
incredulous;
but
I
could
not
tell
how
much
of
this
was
real
or
assumed,
with
that
self-control
which
seemed
habitual
to
ladies
of
Miss
Matty’s
standing
in
Cranford,
who
would
have
thought
their
dignity
compromised
by
the
slightest
expression
of
surprise,
dismay,
or
any
similar
feeling
to
an
inferior
in
station,
or
in
a
public
shop.
However,
we
walked
home
very
silently.
I
am
ashamed
to
say,
I
believe
I
was
rather
vexed
and
annoyed
at
Miss
Matty’s
conduct
in
taking
the
note
to
herself
so
decidedly.
I
had
so
set
my
heart
upon
her
having
a
new
silk
gown,
which
she
wanted
sadly;
in
general
she
was
so
undecided
anybody
might
turn
her
round;
in
this
case
I
had
felt
that
it
was
no
use
attempting
it,
but
I
was
not
the
less
put
out
at
the
result.
Somehow,
after
twelve
o’clock,
we
both
acknowledged
to
a
sated
curiosity
about
the
fashions,
and
to
a
certain
fatigue
of
body
(which
was,
in
fact,
depression
of
mind)
that
indisposed
us
to
go
out
again.
But
still
we
never
spoke
of
the
note;
till,
all
at
once,
something
possessed
me
to
ask
Miss
Matty
if
she
would
think
it
her
duty
to
offer
sovereigns
for
all
the
notes
of
the
Town
and
County
Bank
she
met
with?
I
could
have
bitten
my
tongue
out
the
minute
I
had
said
it.
She
looked
up
rather
sadly,
and
as
if
I
had
thrown
a
new
perplexity
into
her
already
distressed
mind;
and
for
a
minute
or
two
she
did
not
speak.
Then
she
said—
my
own
dear
Miss
Matty—
without
a
shade
of
reproach
in
her
voice—
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