Bradshaw, and the news it contained was, if possible, a greater
surprise than the letter itself. Mr. Bradshaw informed her that
he planned arriving by dinner-time the following Saturday at
Eagle's Crag; and more, that he intended bringing Mr. Donne and
one or two other gentlemen with him, to spend the Sunday there!
The letter went on to give every possible direction regarding the
household preparations. The dinner-hour was fixed to be at six;
but, of course, Ruth and the girls would have dined long before.
The (professional) cook would arrive the day before, laden with
all the provisions that could not be obtained on the spot. Ruth
was to engage a waiter from the inn, and this it was that
detained her so long. While she sat in the little parlour,
awaiting the coming of the landlady, she could not help wondering
why Mr. Bradshaw was bringing this strange gentleman to spend two
days at Abermouth, and thus giving himself so much trouble and
fuss of preparation.
There were so many small reasons that went to make up the large
one which had convinced Mr. Bradshaw of the desirableness of this
step, that it was not likely that Ruth should guess at one-half
of them. In the first place, Miss Benson, in the pride and
fulness of her heart, had told Mrs. Bradshaw what her brother had
told her; how he meant to preach upon the Christian view of the
duties involved in political rights; and as, of course, Mrs.
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