FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   >>   >|  
d assisted him! He thought of Daniel and Alexander. Was he, too, going to drift in life, instead of following a steadfast, manly course? The perception and fear of such a danger were something new to him. Piers had seen himself as an example of moral and intellectual vigour. His abandonment of commerce had shown as a strong step in practical wisdom; the fourteen hours of daily reading had flattered his pride. Thereupon came this sudden collapse of the whole scheme. He could no longer endure the prospects for which he had toiled so strenuously. But for shame, he would have bundled together all the books that lay on his table, and have flung them out of sight. In the afternoon, he sought a private conversation with Mrs. Hannaford. It was not easily managed, as Hannaford and Olga were both at home; but, by watching and waiting, he caught a moment when the lady stood alone in the garden. "Do you think," he asked, with tremulous, sudden speech, "that I might call at Dr. Derwent's?" "Why not?" was the answer, but given with troubled countenance. "You mean"--she smiled--"call upon Miss Derwent. There would be no harm; she is the lady of the house, at present." "Would she be annoyed?" "I don't see why. But of course I can't answer for another person in such things." Their eyes met. Mrs. Hannaford gazed at him sadly for an instant, shook her head, and turned away. Piers went back to lonely misery. Early next day he stole from the house, and went to London. His business was at the tailor's; he ordered a suit of ceremony--the frock coat on which his brother Daniel had so pathetically insisted--and begged that it might be ready at the earliest possible moment. Next he made certain purchases in haberdashery. Through it all, he had a most oppressive feeling of self-contempt, which--Piers was but one-and-twenty--he did not try to analyze. Every shop-mirror which reflected him seemed to present a malicious caricature; he hurried away on to the pavement, small, ignoble, silly. His heart did battle, and at moments assailed him in a triumph of heroic desire; but then again came the sinking moments, the sense of a grovelling fellowship with people he despised. It was raining. His shopping done, he entered an omnibus, which took him as far as the Marble Arch; thence, beneath his umbrella, he walked in search of Bryanston Square. Here was Dr. Derwent's house. Very much like a burglar, a beginner at the business, making su
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Hannaford
 

Derwent

 

Daniel

 
sudden
 

answer

 

business

 
moments
 

moment

 

present

 
insisted

earliest

 

begged

 

oppressive

 
feeling
 
Through
 

pathetically

 

purchases

 

haberdashery

 
brother
 

misery


lonely

 

tailor

 

London

 

ordered

 

ceremony

 

turned

 

instant

 

analyze

 

Marble

 

omnibus


entered

 

despised

 
people
 

raining

 

shopping

 
beneath
 

umbrella

 

burglar

 

beginner

 

making


search

 

walked

 
Bryanston
 

Square

 

fellowship

 
grovelling
 

reflected

 
malicious
 
caricature
 
hurried