FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   152   153   154   155   156   >>   >|  
disposition to laugh, especially when Gammer Sludge, seizing upon and kissing him, in spite of his struggling and kicking in reply to her caresses, termed him her own precious pearl of beauty. "RICARDE," said the preceptor, "you must forthwith (which is PROFECTO) set forth so far as the top of the hill, and show this man of worship Wayland Smith's workshop." "A proper errand of a morning," said the boy, in better language than Tressilian expected; "and who knows but the devil may fly away with me before I come back?" "Ay, marry may un," said Dame Sludge; "and you might have thought twice, Master Domine, ere you sent my dainty darling on arrow such errand. It is not for such doings I feed your belly and clothe your back, I warrant you!" "Pshaw--NUGAE, good Gammer Sludge," answered the preceptor; "I ensure you that Satan, if there be Satan in the case, shall not touch a thread of his garment; for Dickie can say his PATER with the best, and may defy the foul fiend--EUMENIDES, STYGIUMQUE NEFAS." "Ay, and I, as I said before, have sewed a sprig of the mountain-ash into his collar," said the good woman, "which will avail more than your clerkship, I wus; but for all that, it is ill to seek the devil or his mates either." "My good boy," said Tressilian, who saw, from a grotesque sneer on Dickie's face, that he was more likely to act upon his own bottom than by the instructions of his elders, "I will give thee a silver groat, my pretty fellow, if you will but guide me to this man's forge." The boy gave him a knowing side-look, which seemed to promise acquiescence, while at the same time he exclaimed, "I be your guide to Wayland Smith's! Why, man, did I not say that the devil might fly off with me, just as the kite there" (looking to the window) "is flying off with one of grandam's chicks?" "The kite! the kite!" exclaimed the old woman in return, and forgetting all other matters in her alarm, hastened to the rescue of her chickens as fast as her old legs could carry her. "Now for it," said the urchin to Tressilian; "snatch your beaver, get out your horse, and have at the silver groat you spoke of." "Nay, but tarry, tarry," said the preceptor--"SUFFLAMINA, RICARDE!" "Tarry yourself," said Dickie, "and think what answer you are to make to granny for sending me post to the devil." The teacher, aware of the responsibility he was incurring, bustled up in great haste to lay hold of the urchin and to prevent
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   152   153   154   155   156   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Tressilian
 

Dickie

 

Sludge

 

preceptor

 

urchin

 
exclaimed
 
Gammer
 

errand

 
silver
 

RICARDE


Wayland

 

disposition

 
bottom
 

instructions

 
elders
 

knowing

 
pretty
 
fellow
 

acquiescence

 

promise


matters

 

granny

 

sending

 

answer

 

SUFFLAMINA

 

teacher

 

prevent

 

responsibility

 

incurring

 

bustled


hastened

 
forgetting
 

return

 

flying

 

grandam

 
chicks
 

rescue

 
chickens
 

beaver

 
snatch

window
 

struggling

 
kicking
 
caresses
 

thought

 

dainty

 
darling
 

Master

 
Domine
 

termed