Their condition was objective, contemplative.
"He's going to marry her!" murmured Retty, never taking eyes off
Tess. "How her face do show it!"
"You BE going to marry him?" asked Marian.
"Yes," said Tess.
"When?"
"Some day."
They thought that this was evasiveness only.
"YES--going to MARRY him--a gentleman!" repeated Izz Huett.
And by a sort of fascination the three girls, one after another,
crept out of their beds, and came and stood barefooted round Tess.
Retty put her hands upon Tess's shoulders, as if to realize her
friend's corporeality after such a miracle, and the other two laid
their arms round her waist, all looking into her face.
"How it do seem! Almost more than I can think of!" said Izz Huett.
Marian kissed Tess. "Yes," she murmured as she withdrew her lips.
"Was that because of love for her, or because other lips have touched
there by now?" continued Izz drily to Marian.
"I wasn't thinking o' that," said Marian simply. "I was on'y feeling
all the strangeness o't--that she is to be his wife, and nobody else.
I don't say nay to it, nor either of us, because we did not think
of it--only loved him. Still, nobody else is to marry'n in the
world--no fine lady, nobody in silks and satins; but she who do live
like we.
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