FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>   >|  
the more as the shape of their raiment, apart from its colour, was both beautiful and reasonable--veiling the form, without either muffling or caricaturing it. Clara was soon mollified; and as we drove along toward the wood before mentioned, she said to Dick-- "I tell you what, Dick: now that kinsman Hammond the Elder has seen our guest in his queer clothes, I think we ought to find him something decent to put on for our journey to-morrow: especially since, if we do not, we shall have to answer all sorts of questions as to his clothes and where they came from. Besides," she said slily, "when he is clad in handsome garments he will not be so quick to blame us for our childishness in wasting our time in making ourselves look pleasant to each other." "All right, Clara," said Dick; "he shall have everything that you--that he wants to have. I will look something out for him before he gets up to- morrow." CHAPTER XX: THE HAMMERSMITH GUEST-HOUSE AGAIN Amidst such talk, driving quietly through the balmy evening, we came to Hammersmith, and were well received by our friends there. Boffin, in a fresh suit of clothes, welcomed me back with stately courtesy; the weaver wanted to button-hole me and get out of me what old Hammond had said, but was very friendly and cheerful when Dick warned him off; Annie shook hands with me, and hoped I had had a pleasant day--so kindly, that I felt a slight pang as our hands parted; for to say the truth, I liked her better than Clara, who seemed to be always a little on the defensive, whereas Annie was as frank as could be, and seemed to get honest pleasure from everything and everybody about her without the least effort. We had quite a little feast that evening, partly in my honour, and partly, I suspect, though nothing was said about it, in honour of Dick and Clara coming together again. The wine was of the best; the hall was redolent of rich summer flowers; and after supper we not only had music (Annie, to my mind, surpassing all the others for sweetness and clearness of voice, as well as for feeling and meaning), but at last we even got to telling stories, and sat there listening, with no other light but that of the summer moon streaming through the beautiful traceries of the windows, as if we had belonged to time long passed, when books were scarce and the art of reading somewhat rare. Indeed, I may say here, that, though, as you will have noted, my friends had mostly
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
clothes
 

morrow

 

honour

 

summer

 

evening

 
friends
 
pleasant
 

partly

 
beautiful
 

Hammond


passed

 

belonged

 
windows
 

honest

 
pleasure
 

defensive

 
scarce
 
Indeed
 

warned

 

kindly


reading

 

traceries

 

parted

 

slight

 

meaning

 

flowers

 

cheerful

 

redolent

 

feeling

 

sweetness


supper

 
clearness
 

listening

 

streaming

 

effort

 
surpassing
 

stories

 
telling
 

suspect

 
coming

quietly
 

kinsman

 
decent
 
questions
 

Besides

 

answer

 
journey
 

mentioned

 
colour
 

reasonable