FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   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   >>   >|  
met you at that delightful evening at the Duke's? I mean when we welcomed the Cardinal back from Rome. Dear old man--if one may speak so familiarly of a Prince of the Church. How charmingly he bears his new honors. Such patriarchal simplicity, as every one remarked. Have you seen him lately?" The idea of the Order to which he belonged feeling any special interest in a Cardinal (except when they made him of some use to them) privately amused Father Benwell. "How wise the Church was," he thought, "in inventing a spiritual aristocracy. Even this fool of a woman is impressed by it." His spoken reply was true to his assumed character as one of the inferior clergy. "Poor priests like me, madam, see but little of Princes of the Church in the houses of Dukes." Saying this with the most becoming humility, he turned the talk in a more productive direction, before Mrs. Eyrecourt could proceed with her recollections of "the evening at the Duke's." "Your charming daughter and I have been talking about Clovelly," he continued. "I have just been spending a little holiday in that delightful place. It was a surprise to me, Mrs. Eyrecourt, to see so many really beautiful country seats in the neighborhood. I was particularly struck--you know it, of course?--by Beaupark House." Mrs. Eyrecourt's little twinging eyes suddenly became still and steady. It was only for a moment. But that trifling change boded ill for the purpose which the priest had in view. Even the wits of a fool can be quickened by contact with the world. For many years Mrs. Eyrecourt had held her place in society, acting under an intensely selfish sense of her own interests, fortified by those cunning instincts which grow best in a barren intellect. Perfectly unworthy of being trusted with secrets which only concerned other people, this frivolous creature could be the unassailable guardian of secrets which concerned herself. The instant the priest referred indirectly to Winterfield, by speaking of Beaupark House, her instincts warned her, as if in words:--Be careful for Stella's sake! "Oh, yes," said Mrs. Eyrecourt. "I know Beaupark House; but--may I make a confession?" she added, with her sweetest smile. Father Benwell caught her tone, with his customary tact. "A confession at a ball is a novelty, even in my experience," he answered with _his_ sweetest smile. "How good of you to encourage me!" proceeded Mrs. Eyrecourt. "No, thank you, I don't want to sit dow
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   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   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Eyrecourt
 

Church

 

Beaupark

 
confession
 

concerned

 

secrets

 

Father

 

Benwell

 

instincts

 

Cardinal


delightful

 
evening
 

priest

 
sweetest
 
purpose
 

steady

 

interests

 

cunning

 

selfish

 

fortified


change

 

contact

 

quickened

 

trifling

 

intensely

 
acting
 

society

 

moment

 

unassailable

 

novelty


customary

 

caught

 
experience
 

answered

 

encourage

 

proceeded

 

people

 

frivolous

 

creature

 

suddenly


trusted
 
barren
 

intellect

 

Perfectly

 

unworthy

 
guardian
 

careful

 
Stella
 
warned
 

speaking