FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  
the breed. Inky fingers; no chest to speak of; all side and spectacles." I rose artlessly at the gross and palpable bait. "You're quite wrong," I exclaimed indignantly, contrasting Jervis's hideous presentment with the comely original. "She is an exceedingly good-looking girl, and her manners all that a lady's should be. A little stiff, perhaps, but then I am only an acquaintance--almost a stranger." "But," Jervis persisted, "what is she like, in appearance I mean. Short? fat? sandy? Give us intelligible details." I made a rapid mental inventory, assisted by my recent cogitations. "She is about five feet seven, slim but rather plump, very erect in carriage and graceful in movements; black hair, loosely parted in the middle and falling very prettily away from the forehead; pale, clear complexion, dark gray eyes, straight eyebrows, straight, well-shaped nose, short mouth, rather full; round chin--what the deuce are you grinning at, Jervis?" For my friend had suddenly unmasked his batteries and now threatened, like the Cheshire cat, to dissolve into a mere abstraction of amusement. "If there is a copy of that will, Thorndyke," he said, "we shall get it. I think you agree with me, reverend senior?" "I have already said," was the reply, "that I put my trust in Berkeley. And now let us dismiss professional topics. This is our hostelry." He pushed open an unpretentious glazed door, and we followed him into the restaurant, whereof the atmosphere was pervaded by an appetizing meatiness mingled with less agreeable suggestions of the destructive distillation of fat. It was some two hours later when I wished my friends adieu under the golden-leaved plane trees of King's Bench Walk. "I won't ask you to come in now," said Thorndyke, "as we have some consultations this afternoon. But come in and see us soon; don't wait for that copy of the will." "No," said Jervis. "Drop in in the evening when your work is done; unless, of course, there is more attractive society elsewhere. Oh, you needn't turn that color, my dear child; we have all been young once; there is even a tradition that Thorndyke was young some time back in the pre-dynastic period." "Don't take any notice of him, Berkeley," said Thorndyke. "The egg-shell is sticking to his head still. He'll know better when he is my age." "Methuselah!" exclaimed Jervis. "I hope I shan't have to wait as long as that!" Thorndyke smiled benevolentl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Thorndyke

 
Jervis
 

straight

 
Berkeley
 

exclaimed

 

destructive

 
distillation
 

suggestions

 

agreeable

 

reverend


friends

 
golden
 

wished

 

glazed

 

topics

 

hostelry

 

professional

 
dismiss
 

leaved

 

pushed


pervaded

 

atmosphere

 

appetizing

 

meatiness

 

senior

 
whereof
 
restaurant
 

unpretentious

 
mingled
 

period


notice
 

dynastic

 

tradition

 

Methuselah

 
benevolentl
 

smiled

 

sticking

 

afternoon

 
consultations
 

evening


society

 
attractive
 

threatened

 

acquaintance

 

stranger

 
persisted
 

mental

 
inventory
 

assisted

 

details