"'Hell, what a thing to be done! On the joy of acquiring my own place near the lovely Miss Salton, I forgot my gun at home! – suddenly flashed through Anthony's mind, and the thought made him laugh quietly at his absent-mindedness. – But small grief! Jeremy has a dozen guns in his collection, and he will be glad to lend me one of them.
– There you are, Cranford! A quarter of an hour late! – Anthony heard the cheerful voice of his friend waiting for him in the courtyard of the mansion.
Mr. Wington was as well dressed as Anthony. Both gentlemen had been sensible in putting on warm clothes: the still dark, chilly morning had for the umpteenth time this November given London a nasty drizzle. Fortunately, there was no fog, and the hunters could rest assured that none of them would be killed on this hunt by mistaking a friend for a doe, a rare occurrence among hunters.
Vivian stood beside her husband, and wrapped herself in her woollen shawl and wished that the beast she had married would not come home this evening. She wished desperately that Anthony would come galloping in, upset, perhaps in tears, and inform her that he had inadvertently shot Jeremy. The girl dreamed of being a widow, and after her spouse had beaten her palms with a whip, thoughts of homicide began to invade her mind. Killing herself or her spouse. She dreaded these thoughts and hastily chased them away.
"No, I will live. I have someone to live for. But, if anything happens to me, Richard will get the amount Jeremy gave me for my expenses. It's a good thing I have all that five thousand in the bank in my Richard's name!" – Vivian consoled herself, and, watching her cousin dismount from his horse, cried out within herself: – Miss, Anthony! I beg you, miss!"
– I forgot my gun at home," young Cranford informed his friend. – I have no wish to return. Would you lend me one of yours?
– Of course. Would you prefer to choose one yourself? – Jeremy responded cheerfully.
– Anything you choose will satisfy me," Anthony said.
– Then wait for me. – Jeremy walked towards his wife, whispering in her ear: "Remember that what happens in our bedroom must remain our secret, my love," and then disappeared into the house.
"Silly goose! As if I were going to expose my own shame!" – thought Vivian scornfully, but smiled broadly when her cousin came up to her and wished her good morning.