FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   >>  
on or by threats, must be compelled to open by trickery and craft. I am going to commit an act of violence under the roof of Wuthering Grange to-night, Miss Lorne. I'm going to do a thing that men get sent to prison for, and justly, too, if they are found out; only that I am not going to carry my act into full completion: merely make a bluff at it, as it were. "Meanwhile I want you to promise me that as soon as you have awakened Lady Katharine and have made her understand that she did go to Gleer Cottage last night and really has been walking in her sleep, you will find a pretext--you and Geoff Clavering, between you--to get her as far from the neighbourhood as possible for the next two or three hours. Yes, Clavering Close will do. Any place will do so that neither she nor he is within hailing distance of this house when my 'act of violence' is committed. Try to do this if possible, Miss Lorne; more than you dream of hinges upon it. In any case, promise me that no matter what excitement is created you will not venture near the house and will prevail upon them not to do so either. Will you?" "Yes, certainly I will. And if I tell Geoff that it is your wish, I'm sure I may promise for him as well." "Thank you. That's all. Now I'll be off about my business. You see"--nodding in the direction of the paddock--"Geoff has persuaded her to sit. Good luck to your little 'singing tour,' and God bless you. Good-bye. This way, Dollops! Move sharp!" Speaking, he swung off into the darkness, with the boy following close upon his heels, and forged on in the direction of the wall angle, there to wait until his instructions were acted upon and it was time for him to play his last great card. And lo, as they went, a sweet, soft voice rose in murmuring melody behind them and they could just distinguish the words, "Kathleen Mavourneen, the gray dawn is breaking," so softly Ailsa sang them as she passed on in the direction of the paddock stile. "A good, true woman that, Dollops," said Cleek, pausing to listen. "And there's nothing better in heaven or out of it than a good woman, my lad. Always remember that." "Yes, sir," said Dollops softly and refraining from further comment. Cleek laughed to himself as they took the angle path again. "I know the secret of the universe at last, my lad," he said softly. "The way to heaven is through a good woman's eyes!" Then he laughed again, and spoke no more until they were at their journ
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   >>  



Top keywords:
Dollops
 

promise

 

direction

 

softly

 

Clavering

 

heaven

 

laughed

 
paddock
 

violence

 
commit

instructions

 

murmuring

 

melody

 

Wuthering

 

darkness

 
Speaking
 

forged

 
Kathleen
 

comment

 

threats


refraining

 
Always
 

remember

 

secret

 

universe

 

breaking

 

Mavourneen

 
distinguish
 

passed

 

compelled


pausing
 

listen

 
trickery
 

persuaded

 

completion

 

neighbourhood

 

distance

 

hailing

 

Cottage

 

understand


Katharine

 

pretext

 

walking

 
Meanwhile
 
committed
 

Grange

 
awakened
 

nodding

 

business

 

prison