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257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
216
Miss
Matty
had
been
very
busy
with
taking
off
her
spectacles,
wiping
them,
and
replacing
them;
but
all
she
could
say
was,
“Don’t
let
any
thought
of
me
hurry
you
into
marriage:
pray
don’t.
Marriage
is
such
a
very
solemn
thing!”
“But
Miss
Matilda
will
think
of
your
plan,
Martha,”
said
I,
struck
with
the
advantages
that
it
offered,
and
unwilling
to
lose
the
opportunity
of
considering
about
it.
“And
I’m
sure
neither
she
nor
I
can
ever
forget
your
kindness;
nor
yours
either,
Jem.”
“Why,
yes,
ma’am!
I’m
sure
I
mean
kindly,
though
I’m
a
bit
fluttered
by
being
pushed
straight
ahead
into
matrimony,
as
it
were,
and
mayn’t
express
myself
conformable.
But
I’m
sure
I’m
willing
enough,
and
give
me
time
to
get
accustomed;
so,
Martha,
wench,
what’s
the
use
of
crying
so,
and
slapping
me
if
I
come
near?”
This
last
was
sotto
voce,
and
had
the
effect
of
making
Martha
bounce
out
of
the
room,
to
be
followed
and
soothed
by
her
lover.
Whereupon
Miss
Matty
sat
down
and
cried
very
heartily,
and
accounted
for
it
by
saying
that
the
thought
of
Martha
being
married
so
soon
gave
her
quite
a
shock,
and
that
she
should
never
forgive
herself
if
she
thought
she
was
hurrying
the
poor
creature.
I
think
my
pity
was
more
for
Jem,
of
the
two;
but
both
Miss
Matty
and
I
appreciated
to
the
full
the
kindness
of
the
honest
couple,
although
we
said
little
about
this,
and
a
good
deal
about
the
chances
and
dangers
of
matrimony.
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