FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  
ne's visit not, of course, that there was anything in the visit, except that extraordinary remark she had made about 'not caring to get home'--and the story of how June had taken the news! He had determined, by this way of putting the question, to give Bosinney a chance, as he said to himself. The latter was long in answering, but kept his eyes with uncomfortable steadiness on James. "She has seen the house, but I can't tell you what she thinks of it." Nervous and baffled, James was constitutionally prevented from letting the matter drop. "Oh!" he said, "she has seen it? Soames brought her down, I suppose?" Bosinney smilingly replied: "Oh, no!" "What, did she come down alone?" "Oh, no!" "Then--who brought her?" "I really don't know whether I ought to tell you who brought her." To James, who knew that it was Swithin, this answer appeared incomprehensible. "Why!" he stammered, "you know that...." but he stopped, suddenly perceiving his danger. "Well," he said, "if you don't want to tell me I suppose you won't! Nobody tells me anything." Somewhat to his surprise Bosinney asked him a question. "By the by," he said, "could you tell me if there are likely to be any more of you coming down? I should like to be on the spot!" "Any more?" said James bewildered, "who should there be more? I don't know of any more. Good-bye?" Looking at the ground he held out his hand, crossed the palm of it with Bosinney's, and taking his umbrella just above the silk, walked away along the terrace. Before he turned the corner he glanced back, and saw Bosinney following him slowly--'slinking along the wall' as he put it to himself, 'like a great cat.' He paid no attention when the young fellow raised his hat. Outside the drive, and out of sight, he slackened his pace still more. Very slowly, more bent than when he came, lean, hungry, and disheartened, he made his way back to the station. The Buccaneer, watching him go so sadly home, felt sorry perhaps for his behaviour to the old man. CHAPTER V SOAMES AND BOSINNEY CORRESPOND James said nothing to his son of this visit to the house; but, having occasion to go to Timothy's on morning on a matter connected with a drainage scheme which was being forced by the sanitary authorities on his brother, he mentioned it there. It was not, he said, a bad house. He could see that a good deal could be made of it. The fellow was clever in his way,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Bosinney
 

brought

 

suppose

 

matter

 

fellow

 
slowly
 
question
 

raised

 
Outside
 

slackened


terrace

 

Before

 
turned
 

walked

 
umbrella
 

corner

 
glanced
 
slinking
 

attention

 

drainage


scheme

 

connected

 

morning

 

occasion

 

Timothy

 

forced

 

sanitary

 

clever

 

authorities

 

brother


mentioned

 
CORRESPOND
 

watching

 

Buccaneer

 

station

 
hungry
 

disheartened

 
SOAMES
 

BOSINNEY

 
CHAPTER

behaviour
 

taking

 
thinks
 
Nervous
 

baffled

 

uncomfortable

 
steadiness
 

constitutionally

 
prevented
 

replied