FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  
with a window overlooking the road; it had evidently been used as a dressing-room, for there was a gentleman's wardrobe in it, and a writing-table and easy-chair. "I must coax Verity into giving me this room," he said half to himself; but Elizabeth heard him. "Verity! is that Mrs. Keston?" she asked. "What a very original name! I do not believe I ever heard it before." "I daresay not, but it just suits her. Yea--Verily, as her husband calls her." Then Elizabeth looked extremely amused. "What a droll idea! Your friends seem rather out of the common, Mr. Herrick. I am quite impatient to make their acquaintance. We have a large circle of friends--an inner and an outer circle--but I am always glad to add to the number." "I think you will like Verity," he returned seriously; "she is such a genuine little soul, and so fresh and original. Oh, I am quite sure you will take to her." Malcolm spoke in such a decided manner, as though it were a foregone conclusion that Verity would be admitted to the privileged inner circle, that Elizabeth's curiosity was strongly excited. "You seem rather certain of the fact," she said perversely; "but, as my sister would tell you, I am not so easily pleased after all." "Nevertheless you will like Verity," he returned quickly. "Like attracts like--a transparent, truthful nature, which is absolutely without guile, will not fail to appeal to you; I already know you well enough to predict that with certainty." Elizabeth turned this speech off with a laugh, but her colour rose at the implied compliment; if like attracts like, as Mr. Herrick said, he must think her original and guileless too. Something in Malcolm's tone--in the expression of his dark eyes--confirmed this impression, and in spite of her stateliness and thirty years the second Miss Templeton felt a little shy. "We have not seen the garden-room yet," she said hastily, and then she led the way downstairs. The garden lay on the side of the house, and was well kept and full of flowers; but the temporary building erected by Mr. Logan rather spoiled the view from the back of the house, though a gay flower-border surrounded it. Elizabeth, who had procured the key from the servant, now opened the door. It was rather a bare-looking place, as Verity had said; more of a workshop than a studio, though it was used for both purposes, and, as both of them knew, good work had been done there; but Mr. Logan, who had a fine st
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Verity
 

Elizabeth

 

original

 

circle

 

friends

 
Herrick
 
Malcolm
 

attracts

 
returned
 

garden


impression

 

confirmed

 
thirty
 

Templeton

 
stateliness
 

expression

 
Something
 
predict
 

certainty

 

appeal


turned

 

speech

 

compliment

 

guileless

 

implied

 

colour

 

flowers

 

temporary

 

building

 

opened


servant

 
erected
 

flower

 

border

 

surrounded

 
procured
 

spoiled

 
hastily
 

workshop

 
studio

purposes
 

downstairs

 
Verily
 
husband
 

daresay

 

common

 
impatient
 

looked

 
extremely
 

amused