FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   >>   >|  
(here she glanced at me); but she hadn't mentioned the fire when wiring, because things seemed worse in telegrams, and besides, it would have been a useless expense. No doubt it had been stupid of her, but she had fancied he would certainly see it in the paper, with all details, and therefore guess why she was meeting him. "We have nowhere to take Miss Lethbridge," said she, "since Graylees Castle will be overrun with workmen for some time to come. I didn't know but you might feel it would be best, after all, for us to put her again in charge of her old schoolmistress for a few weeks." If hair could really rise, mine would have instantly cast out every hairpin, as if they were so many evil spirits, and have stood out all around my head like Strumpelpeter's. Yet there was nothing I could say. If I were mistress of a dozen languages, I should have had to be speechless in every one. But I saw Sir Lionel looking at me, and I hastily gave him a silent treatment with my eyes. It had the most satisfactory effect. "No, I don't think we will take her back to Madame de Maluet's," said he. "Madame may have made other plans for the holiday season. Perhaps she is going away." "I'm sure she is," said I. "She is going to visit her mother-in-law's aunt." Sir Lionel was still looking at me, lost in thought. (I forget if I mentioned that he has nice eyes? I haven't time to look back and see if I did, now. I'm scribbling as fast as I can. We shall soon land, and I want to post this at Dover, if I can get an English stamp "off" someone, as "Sissy" Williams, our only British neighbour, says.) "How would you like a motor-car trip?" Sir Lionel asked abruptly. The relief from suspense was almost too great, and I nearly jumped down his throat, so, after all, it would have been my own fault if the Dragon had eaten me. "I should _adore_ it!" I said. "My dear!" protested Mrs. Norton, indulgently. "One adores Heavenly Beings." "I'm not sure a motor-car isn't a heavenly being," said I, "though perhaps without capitals." The Dragon smiled, but she looked awfully shocked, and no doubt blamed Madame de Maluet. "I've a forty-horse Mercedes promised to be ready on my arrival," said Sir Lionel, still reflective. "You know, Emily, the little twelve-horse-power car I had sent out to East Bengal was a Mercedes. If I could drive her, I can drive a bigger car. Everybody says it's easier. And young Nick has learned to be a first-rate
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Lionel

 

Madame

 

Dragon

 

Maluet

 

mentioned

 

Mercedes

 
scribbling
 

relief

 

suspense

 
neighbour

British

 

English

 

Williams

 

abruptly

 
adores
 

arrival

 
reflective
 

promised

 

shocked

 

blamed


twelve
 

learned

 

easier

 

Bengal

 

bigger

 
Everybody
 

looked

 

protested

 

Norton

 

throat


indulgently

 

capitals

 

smiled

 

heavenly

 

Heavenly

 
Beings
 

jumped

 
satisfactory
 

workmen

 

overrun


Lethbridge

 
Graylees
 

Castle

 

schoolmistress

 

charge

 

things

 
telegrams
 

wiring

 
glanced
 
useless