FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   >>   >|  
d his work and grinned and scratched his head several times after he went back to his pottering among the cabbage plants. "My word," he muttered. "She's a fine, straight young woman. If she was her ladyship things 'ud be different. Sir Nigel 'ud be different, too--or there'd be some fine upsets." There was a huge stable yard, and Betty passed through that on her way back. The door of the carriage house was open and she saw two or three tumbled-down vehicles. One was a landau with a wheel off, one was a shabby, old-fashioned, low phaeton. She caught sight of a patently venerable cob in one of the stables. The stalls near him were empty. "I suppose that is all they have to depend upon," she thought. "And the stables are like the gardens." She found Lady Anstruthers and Ughtred waiting for her upon the terrace, each of them regarding her with an expression suggestive of repressed curiosity as she approached. Lady Anstruthers flushed a little and went to meet her with an eager kiss. "You look like--I don't know quite what you look like, Betty!" she exclaimed. The girl's dimple deepened and her eyes said smiling things. "It is the morning--and your gardens," she answered. "I have been round your gardens." "They were beautiful once, I suppose," said Rosy deprecatingly. "They are beautiful now. There is nothing like them in America at least." "I don't remember any gardens in America," Lady Anstruthers owned reluctantly, "but everything seemed so cheerful and well cared for and--and new. Don't laugh, Betty. I have begun to like new things. You would if you had watched old ones tumbling to pieces for twelve years." "They ought not to be allowed to tumble to pieces," said Betty. She added her next words with simple directness. She could only discover how any advancing steps would be taken by taking them. "Why do you allow them to do it?" Lady Anstruthers looked away, but as she looked her eyes passed Ughtred's. "I!" she said. "There are so many other things to do. It would cost so much--such an enormity to keep it all in order." "But it ought to be done--for Ughtred's sake." "I know that," faltered Rosy, "but I can't help it." "You can," answered Betty, and she put her arm round her as they turned to enter the house. "When you have become more used to me and my driving American ways I will show you how." The lightness with which she said it had an odd effect on Lady Anstruthers. Such casual
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Anstruthers
 

things

 

gardens

 

Ughtred

 

stables

 

pieces

 

looked

 

suppose

 

answered

 

beautiful


passed
 

America

 
reluctantly
 

remember

 

allowed

 

tumble

 

scratched

 

grinned

 

simple

 

tumbling


cheerful

 
watched
 

twelve

 

taking

 
turned
 

driving

 

effect

 
casual
 

lightness

 

American


faltered

 

discover

 

advancing

 

enormity

 

directness

 

smiling

 

fashioned

 

phaeton

 

caught

 
shabby

landau

 
patently
 
straight
 

stalls

 

venerable

 

vehicles

 

stable

 

upsets

 

tumbled

 

ladyship