FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37  
38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   >>   >|  
were at once his property and his hobby. "It is a very healthy life, no doubt," she said; "but somehow it seems incomprehensible to think of a man like yourself living always in such an out-of-the-way corner, with no desire to see what is going on in the world, or to be able to form any estimate of the changes in men's thoughts and habits. Human life seems to me so much more interesting than anything else. Does this all sound a little impertinent?" she wound up naively. "I am so sorry! My friends spoil me, I believe, and I get into the habit of saying things just as they come into my head." John's lips were open to reply, but Stephen once more intervened. "Life means a different thing to each of us, madam," he said sternly. "There are many born with the lust for cities and the crowded places in their hearts, born with the desire to mingle with their fellows, to absorb the conventional vices and virtues, to become one of the multitude. It has been different with us Strangeweys." Jennings, at a sign from his master, removed the tea equipage, evidently produced in honor of their visitor. Three tall-stemmed glasses were placed upon the table, and a decanter of port reverently produced. Louise had fallen for a moment or two into a fit of abstraction. Her eyes were fixed upon the opposite wall, from which, out of their faded frames, a row of grim-looking men and women, startlingly like her two hosts, seemed to frown down upon her. "Is that your father?" she asked, moving her head toward one of the portraits. "My grandfather, John Strangewey," Stephen told her. "Was he one of the wanderers?" "He left Cumberland only twice during his life. He was master of hounds, magistrate, colonel in the yeomanry of that period, and three times he refused to stand for Parliament." "John Strangewey!" Louise repeated softly to herself. "I was looking at your family tree up-stairs," she went on. "It is curious how both my maid and myself were struck with a sense of familiarity about the name, as if we had heard or read something about it quite lately." Her words were almost carelessly spoken, but she was conscious of the somewhat ominous silence which ensued. She glanced up wonderingly and intercepted a rapid look passing between the two men. More puzzled than ever, she turned toward John as if for an explanation. He had risen somewhat abruptly to his feet, and his hand was upon the back of her chair. "Will it be dis
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37  
38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

master

 

Strangewey

 

produced

 

Stephen

 
Louise
 

desire

 

Cumberland

 

period

 

yeomanry

 

hounds


magistrate

 

colonel

 

startlingly

 
frames
 
opposite
 
portraits
 

grandfather

 

moving

 

father

 

wanderers


struck

 

intercepted

 

wonderingly

 
passing
 

glanced

 

conscious

 
spoken
 
ominous
 

silence

 
ensued

abruptly
 

puzzled

 
turned
 

explanation

 
carelessly
 

family

 

stairs

 
curious
 

softly

 

refused


Parliament

 
repeated
 

familiarity

 

Strangeweys

 
habits
 

interesting

 

impertinent

 

things

 
naively
 

friends