FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  
ies of Mumbo Jumbo, had taken lodgings in the village previous to beginning the actual removal of the stones. This was the day after Knight's arrival. To enjoy for the last time the prospect seaward from the summit, the vicar, Mrs. Swancourt, Knight, and Elfride, all ascended the winding turret--Mr. Swancourt stepping forward with many loud breaths, his wife struggling along silently, but suffering none the less. They had hardly reached the top when a large lurid cloud, palpably a reservoir of rain, thunder, and lightning, was seen to be advancing overhead from the north. The two cautious elders suggested an immediate return, and proceeded to put it in practice as regarded themselves. 'Dear me, I wish I had not come up,' exclaimed Mrs. Swancourt. 'We shall be slower than you two in going down,' the vicar said over his shoulder, 'and so, don't you start till we are nearly at the bottom, or you will run over us and break our necks somewhere in the darkness of the turret.' Accordingly Elfride and Knight waited on the leads till the staircase should be clear. Knight was not in a talkative mood that morning. Elfride was rather wilful, by reason of his inattention, which she privately set down to his thinking her not worth talking to. Whilst Knight stood watching the rise of the cloud, she sauntered to the other side of the tower, and there remembered a giddy feat she had performed the year before. It was to walk round upon the parapet of the tower--which was quite without battlement or pinnacle, and presented a smooth flat surface about two feet wide, forming a pathway on all the four sides. Without reflecting in the least upon what she was doing she now stepped upon the parapet in the old way, and began walking along. 'We are down, cousin Henry,' cried Mrs. Swancourt up the turret. 'Follow us when you like.' Knight turned and saw Elfride beginning her elevated promenade. His face flushed with mingled concern and anger at her rashness. 'I certainly gave you credit for more common sense,' he said. She reddened a little and walked on. 'Miss Swancourt, I insist upon your coming down,' he exclaimed. 'I will in a minute. I am safe enough. I have done it often.' At that moment, by reason of a slight perturbation his words had caused in her, Elfride's foot caught itself in a little tuft of grass growing in a joint of the stone-work, and she almost lost her balance. Knight sprang forward with a face of horro
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Knight
 

Elfride

 

Swancourt

 

turret

 

exclaimed

 
beginning
 
reason
 

parapet

 
forward
 

sauntered


watching

 

performed

 
reflecting
 

Without

 
smooth
 

presented

 
pinnacle
 
battlement
 

forming

 

remembered


surface

 

pathway

 

moment

 

slight

 

perturbation

 

coming

 

minute

 

caused

 

balance

 

sprang


caught

 
growing
 

insist

 

Follow

 

turned

 
promenade
 

elevated

 
walking
 

cousin

 
flushed

common
 

walked

 
reddened
 
credit
 

concern

 

mingled

 
rashness
 

stepped

 
suffering
 

silently