[ Had he not indicated haste, Mary probably would have stood still a moment longer as concern courses through her. She is naΓ―ve to a great many things, but even she can see that by injecting himself into this tense situation he may come to harm. Mary turns and rushes in a direction, unsure where to even start. Her mind rebels against the idea of seeking out the colonel, for what good has a colonel ever done when his men are left alone? Bitterness towards the militia still runs strong and her next choice β her father β is also one she dismisses. Mr. Cartwright holds him in high esteem, but Mary knows her father and knows that he prefers making colorful commentary from the back of a crowd rather than stand at the front of it to talk sense into others. So it is the constable she searches for.
The crowd is starting to close in after hearing the raised voices and chants, so Mary has to hurriedly slip past, uttering her apologies for brushing against people as her voice starts to shake. It's difficult to see past the tall hats and bonnets as she is terribly short, so she finds it necessary to ask these curious fair-goers where the object of her search might be. ]
Please; have you seen the constable? No? Excuse me, do you know where the constable is to be found? Last seen by the grange display? Thank you.
[ Her heart is racing the farther away from Mr. Cartwright she gets, for that distance must be covered again by the constable. By the time she finds the man standing with his family and looking over the vegetables and grains, she's out of breath as she relates the tale through soft gasps. The man looks unmoved by her desperate pleas to come deal with the issue and she turns to his wife, who looks vaguely uncomfortable. In this moment of growing panic, Mary doesn't bother to question the look. Whether it's embarrassment at her husband's unwillingness to help or not wishing to be addressed by Miss Bennet of Meryton's latest scandal, the moment is broken by the constable's young son rushing away in anticipation of seeing a brawl. His mother calls out to him, but the boy has ducked between two ladies and is gone. The constable grumbles that someone will have to pay him for his intervention as his wife shoves at his shoulder to go after their boy and to settle the disagreement that apparently has taken over the fairgrounds.
Mary nearly reaches into her reticule for the coin herself β as untoward as it would be β before the man finally takes off and she follows behind, worried to see what has become of the man who so valiantly stood up for her and now stands up for others. On the way, her mother's loud voice carries over to her and within a moment Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are beside her, inquiring as to the brouhaha. Mary quickly relates it to her father in particular. ]
And now Mr. Cartwright has put himself between them to stop them coming to blows, but he bid me find the constable or, or you to come intercede. Will you aid him, Father?
[ Before she had even gotten halfway through, her mother had started viciously tearing into Mr. Cartwright's character, but Mr. Bennet looks grim. Mary was not wrong in her assessment that he doesn't like to get involved in such things, but after a moment's reflection, he speaks. "I will surely be too late to stop an altercation, but should Cartwright need a hand up from the ground, I will offer it." And with that, he moves forward, looking for a way through the crowd with Mary following close behind and Mrs. Bennet wailing that their family should have nothing to do with the man. ]
no subject
The crowd is starting to close in after hearing the raised voices and chants, so Mary has to hurriedly slip past, uttering her apologies for brushing against people as her voice starts to shake. It's difficult to see past the tall hats and bonnets as she is terribly short, so she finds it necessary to ask these curious fair-goers where the object of her search might be. ]
Please; have you seen the constable? No? Excuse me, do you know where the constable is to be found? Last seen by the grange display? Thank you.
[ Her heart is racing the farther away from Mr. Cartwright she gets, for that distance must be covered again by the constable. By the time she finds the man standing with his family and looking over the vegetables and grains, she's out of breath as she relates the tale through soft gasps. The man looks unmoved by her desperate pleas to come deal with the issue and she turns to his wife, who looks vaguely uncomfortable. In this moment of growing panic, Mary doesn't bother to question the look. Whether it's embarrassment at her husband's unwillingness to help or not wishing to be addressed by Miss Bennet of Meryton's latest scandal, the moment is broken by the constable's young son rushing away in anticipation of seeing a brawl. His mother calls out to him, but the boy has ducked between two ladies and is gone. The constable grumbles that someone will have to pay him for his intervention as his wife shoves at his shoulder to go after their boy and to settle the disagreement that apparently has taken over the fairgrounds.
Mary nearly reaches into her reticule for the coin herself β as untoward as it would be β before the man finally takes off and she follows behind, worried to see what has become of the man who so valiantly stood up for her and now stands up for others. On the way, her mother's loud voice carries over to her and within a moment Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are beside her, inquiring as to the brouhaha. Mary quickly relates it to her father in particular. ]
And now Mr. Cartwright has put himself between them to stop them coming to blows, but he bid me find the constable or, or you to come intercede. Will you aid him, Father?
[ Before she had even gotten halfway through, her mother had started viciously tearing into Mr. Cartwright's character, but Mr. Bennet looks grim. Mary was not wrong in her assessment that he doesn't like to get involved in such things, but after a moment's reflection, he speaks. "I will surely be too late to stop an altercation, but should Cartwright need a hand up from the ground, I will offer it." And with that, he moves forward, looking for a way through the crowd with Mary following close behind and Mrs. Bennet wailing that their family should have nothing to do with the man. ]