Mr and Mrs Jonathan offered to remain at the farm, but as they rather
irritated Mr Prothero by their evident inclination to take up the
defence of the offenders, Owen told his aunt that she had better write
to Lady Payne Perry about Netta, as there was always a chance of great
people hearing the news. Owen was very well aware that his aunt could
not possibly write to her aristocratic cousin with the pens, ink, and
paper in general use at the farm, and that she would be obliged to go
to her davenport at the vicarage, where he already saw her, in
imagination, with the finest satin letter paper before her, mending her
pen into the most delicate of points.
Accordingly they took their leave, with a promise to return on Monday,
and were soon succeeded by Miss Gwynne, who, having heard of the
elopement, came to see Mrs Prothero.
'If you could prevail on the mistress to go to bed, ma'am,' said Gladys
when she opened the door to her, 'I would be for ever thankful to you;
she is much too ill to be about, and she has done nothing but mope and
fret all day.'
Miss Gwynne went straight into the dairy, where Mrs Prothero was making
butter.
'So Netta has taken the law into her own hands, Mrs Prothero. So much
the better; I shouldn't grieve about it if I were you.
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