FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3490   3491   3492   3493   3494   3495   3496   3497   3498   3499   3500   3501   3502   3503   3504   3505   3506   3507   3508   3509   3510   3511   3512   3513   3514  
3515   3516   3517   3518   3519   3520   3521   3522   3523   3524   3525   3526   3527   3528   3529   3530   3531   3532   3533   3534   3535   3536   3537   3538   3539   >>   >|  
slipped into our room in the palace in the night, to kill us and steal the knife on account of the fortune encrusted on its sheath, without a doubt. Luigi had it under his pillow; we were in bed together. There was a dim night-light burning. I was asleep, but Luigi was awake, and he thought he detected a vague form nearing the bed. He slipped the knife out of the sheath and was ready and unembarrassed by hampering bedclothes, for the weather was hot and we hadn't any. Suddenly that native rose at the bedside, and bent over me with his right hand lifted and a dirk in it aimed at my throat; but Luigi grabbed his wrist, pulled him downward, and drove his own knife into the man's neck. That is the whole story." Wilson and Tom drew deep breaths, and after some general chat about the tragedy, Pudd'nhead said, taking Tom's hand: "Now, Tom, I've never had a look at your palms, as it happens; perhaps you've got some little questionable privacies that need--hel-lo!" Tom had snatched away his hand, and was looking a good deal confused. "Why, he's blushing!" said Luigi. Tom darted an ugly look at him, and said sharply: "Well, if I am, it ain't because I'm a murderer!" Luigi's dark face flushed, but before he could speak or move, Tom added with anxious haste: "Oh, I beg a thousand pardons. I didn't mean that; it was out before I thought, and I'm very, very sorry--you must forgive me!" Wilson came to the rescue, and smoothed things down as well as he could; and in fact was entirely successful as far as the twins were concerned, for they felt sorrier for the affront put upon him by his guest's outburst of ill manners than for the insult offered to Luigi. But the success was not so pronounced with the offender. Tom tried to seem at his ease, and he went through the motions fairly well, but at bottom he felt resentful toward all the three witnesses of his exhibition; in fact, he felt so annoyed at them for having witnessed it and noticed it that he almost forgot to feel annoyed at himself for placing it before them. However, something presently happened which made him almost comfortable, and brought him nearly back to a state of charity and friendliness. This was a little spat between the twins; not much of a spat, but still a spat; and before they got far with it, they were in a decided condition of irritation while pretending to be actuated by more respectable motives. By his help the fire got warmed up to the bl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3490   3491   3492   3493   3494   3495   3496   3497   3498   3499   3500   3501   3502   3503   3504   3505   3506   3507   3508   3509   3510   3511   3512   3513   3514  
3515   3516   3517   3518   3519   3520   3521   3522   3523   3524   3525   3526   3527   3528   3529   3530   3531   3532   3533   3534   3535   3536   3537   3538   3539   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Wilson
 

annoyed

 

sheath

 

thought

 
slipped
 

outburst

 

manners

 

success

 

offered

 

insult


anxious

 
warmed
 
sorrier
 
successful
 
forgive
 

rescue

 

smoothed

 

things

 
concerned
 

thousand


affront
 

pardons

 

comfortable

 

actuated

 
brought
 

respectable

 

presently

 

happened

 

charity

 

decided


condition

 

irritation

 

friendliness

 

pretending

 

However

 

placing

 

fairly

 

motions

 
bottom
 
resentful

offender
 

forgot

 
noticed
 

motives

 
witnessed
 
witnesses
 
exhibition
 

pronounced

 

snatched

 
Suddenly