FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219  
220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   >>   >|  
said, in her gravest and most mellow voice, "You do forget the good Squire saved your life this very night." This was like oil on all the waters. "Well, certainly I oughtn't to forget that," said Henry, apologetically. Then he appealed piteously to Jael, whose power over him struck every body directly, including Grace Carden. "Look here, you mustn't think, because I don't keep howling, I'm all right. My arm is disabled: my back is almost broken: my thigh is cut. I'm in sharp pain, all this time: and that makes a fellow impatient of being lectured on the back of it all. Why doesn't he let me go? I don't want to affront him now. All I want is to go and get nursed a bit somewhere." "Now that is the first word of reason and common sense you have uttered, young man. It decides me not to detain you. All I shall do, under the circumstances, is to clear your rubbish out of that holy building, and watch it by night as well as day. Your property, however, shall be collected, and delivered to you uninjured: so oblige me with your name and address." Henry made no reply. Raby turned his eye full upon him. "Surely you do not object to tell me your name." "I do." "Why?" "Excuse me." "What are you afraid of? Do you doubt my word, when I tell you I shall not proceed against you?" "No: it is not that at all. But this is no place for me to utter my father's name. We all have our secrets, sir. You have got yours. There's a picture, with its face to the wall. Suppose I was to ask you to tell all the world whose face it is you insult and hide from the world?" Raby turned red with wrath and surprise, at this sudden thrust. "You insolent young scoundrel!" he cried. "What is that to you, and what connection can there be between that portrait and a man in your way of life?" "There's a close connection," said Henry, trembling with anger, in his turn: "and the proof is that, when that picture is turned to the light, I'll tell you my name: and, till that picture is turned to the light, I'll not tell you my name; and if any body here knows my name, and tells it you, may that person's tongue be blistered at the root!" "Oh, how fearful!" cried Grace, turning very pale. "But I'll put an end to it all. I've got the key, and I've his permission, and I'll--oh, Mr. Raby, there's something more in this than we know." She darted to the picture, and unlocked the padlock, and, with Jael's assistance, began to turn the picture.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219  
220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

picture

 

turned

 

connection

 

forget

 

Suppose

 

insult

 
proceed
 

Excuse

 

afraid

 

secrets


father
 

permission

 

fearful

 

turning

 

unlocked

 

padlock

 

assistance

 

darted

 
blistered
 

portrait


scoundrel

 
insolent
 

surprise

 

sudden

 

thrust

 
trembling
 

person

 
tongue
 

object

 

howling


directly

 

including

 

Carden

 

disabled

 

broken

 

struck

 

Squire

 
gravest
 

mellow

 

waters


appealed
 
piteously
 

apologetically

 
oughtn
 
fellow
 
impatient
 

property

 

building

 

collected

 

delivered