FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  
ther. I can't talk yet--I've loved her for years--can't think what she's done it for. I'm going to write short stories. I shall start this afternoon. She declares there may be something in me." As soon as he had left, Tilliard burst in, white with agitation, and crying, "Did you see my awful faux pas--about the horsewhip? What shall I do? I must call on Elliot. Or had I better write?" "Miss Pembroke will not mind," said Ansell gravely. "She is unconventional." He knelt in an arm-chair and hid his face in the back. "It was like a bomb," said Tilliard. "It was meant to be." "I do feel a fool. What must she think?" "Never mind, Tilliard. You've not been as big a fool as myself. At all events, you told her he must be horsewhipped." Tilliard hummed a little tune. He hated anything nasty, and there was nastiness in Ansell. "What did you tell her?" he asked. "Nothing." "What do you think of it?" "I think: Damn those women." "Ah, yes. One hates one's friends to get engaged. It makes one feel so old: I think that is one of the reasons. The brother just above me has lately married, and my sister was quite sick about it, though the thing was suitable in every way." "Damn THESE women, then," said Ansell, bouncing round in the chair. "Damn these particular women." "They looked and spoke like ladies." "Exactly. Their diplomacy was ladylike. Their lies were ladylike. They've caught Elliot in a most ladylike way. I saw it all during the one moment we were natural. Generally we were clattering after the married one, whom--like a fool--I took for a fool. But for one moment we were natural, and during that moment Miss Pembroke told a lie, and made Rickie believe it was the truth." "What did she say?" "She said `we see' instead of 'I see.'" Tilliard burst into laughter. This jaundiced young philosopher, with his kinky view of life, was too much for him. "She said 'we see,'" repeated Ansell, "instead of 'I see,' and she made him believe that it was the truth. She caught him and makes him believe that he caught her. She came to see me and makes him think that it is his idea. That is what I mean when I say that she is a lady." "You are too subtle for me. My dull eyes could only see two happy people." "I never said they weren't happy." "Then, my dear Ansell, why are you so cut up? It's beastly when a friend marries,--and I grant he's rather young,--but I should say it's the best thing for him. A
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Tilliard

 

Ansell

 

ladylike

 
caught
 
moment
 

married

 
natural
 

Elliot

 

Pembroke


people

 
diplomacy
 

marries

 

bouncing

 

friend

 

looked

 
beastly
 

Generally

 

Exactly


ladies

 
philosopher
 

subtle

 
repeated
 

jaundiced

 

Rickie

 

laughter

 

clattering

 

horsewhip


agitation
 

crying

 

gravely

 

unconventional

 

stories

 

declares

 

afternoon

 

engaged

 

reasons


friends

 

brother

 

suitable

 

sister

 

events

 

horsewhipped

 

hummed

 

Nothing

 

nastiness