FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  
rtainly turned mine." "Ah, but that was twelve years ago; I'm afraid my fascinations have faded since then. Joking apart, George, Milly has left me two legacies--two proteges to befriend. Shafto is one--I am to invite him to tea, and talk to him with wisdom, and win his complete and entire confidence." "Oh! and the other?" "The other is Miss Leigh, whom she chaperoned from home. She is living with an aunt, who is married to a German named Krauss." "Yes, I know; a poisonous chap!" "So she seems to think, and that this girl, who by all accounts is very pretty and charming, and a marvellous pianist, has been lured out to act as maid and housekeeper, and save the pocket of Herr Krauss. Now, as I have two legacies, I want to know if you will take one of them off my hands?" "As if my hands were not full!" "Yes, officially, only; now I offer you your choice. Which will you have? Shafto or the girl?" "You need scarcely ask; I'll take the girl, of course, and leave you Shafto." "Oh, you are an old silly!" she exclaimed, ruffling up his grizzled hair; "I wonder which of us will have the better bargain." With regard to the subject of Mrs. Gregory's conversation, Douglas set to work with the proverbial enthusiasm of a new broom and soon became--as Salter had predicted--a cog in the whirling wheels of a machine. But Thursday being the Station holiday, he hired a taxi and had himself driven out to Kokine, in order to call on Mrs. Krauss and Miss Leigh; unfortunately his journey proved to be a waste of time and money. The leisurely servant who emerged from the entrance of "Heidelberg," salver in hand, accepted his visiting-card with a salaam, and then announced with stolid unconcern: "Missis can't see." CHAPTER XIV THE MANTLE OF FERNANDA During the long and weary wait whilst the _Blankshire_ was being made fast, Sophy Leigh and her girl friends had collected in a group taking leave of one another and making plans for future meetings. "I must say I envy you," said Lena Morgan, the elder of the two plain, pleasant sisters, whose father was "something in timber." "You will be the darling of enormously rich relatives, have several motors, and horses galore." "I'm not so sure," she gaily rejoined. "'Galore' is such a big word, but from what my aunt has told us, I believe I shall have what is called 'a good time,' and I hope everyone of us will share it. I expect Aunt Flora will be her
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Shafto
 

Krauss

 
legacies
 
CHAPTER
 

Missis

 

Station

 

Thursday

 

During

 

FERNANDA

 
unconcern

holiday

 

MANTLE

 
servant
 
journey
 
emerged
 

entrance

 
proved
 
leisurely
 

machine

 

Heidelberg


salver

 

driven

 

Kokine

 

salaam

 

announced

 
visiting
 
accepted
 

stolid

 

meetings

 

galore


Galore
 
rejoined
 

horses

 

motors

 
enormously
 
darling
 

relatives

 

expect

 

called

 
timber

taking

 

making

 

collected

 
friends
 

Blankshire

 
whilst
 

future

 

wheels

 

pleasant

 

sisters