FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   165   >>   >|  
had to be firm, but I don't like it, Jim. Those fellows are what we call bad men." "I imagine we have been up against worse." "That's so. All the same, I wish you had been able to leave them alone." "I can't leave them alone, because the dyke must cross that corner of the creek. They're about the meanest whites I've met, and I certainly don't want them at Bank-end. I'd sooner they took the hundred pounds and quit." "How do they live?" "By wildfowling and fishing, though I'm told they snare rabbits and poach pheasants." "Well, I suppose you're giving Shanks his chance of making good. The trouble is, he's forced to take the chance, whether he wants or not. Some folks would sooner live like dogs than decent citizens." "Do you think one ought to indulge their prejudice?" "I don't," Jake admitted. "It would be bad economy. For all that I'd watch the fellows." They let it go and talked about Jim's plans as they crossed the short grass where the silver-weed spread its carpet of yellow flowers. They trampled through belts of withered thrift and skirted winding creeks where tall reeds shook their bent leaves in the searching wind. Light and shadow sped across the marsh, and a flock of plover, shining white and black, circled above the sands. Jake got a sense of space and loneliness he had not expected to feel in England, but he smiled as he noted Jim's brisk step and the sparkle in his eyes. He knew his comrade and saw he was happy. The marsh was something to conquer and the struggle would absorb his energies. Next day Jim returned to the market town. He was occupied for some time ordering tools, and driving back in the afternoon, hesitated as he got near the cross road that led to Whitelees. He wanted to see Evelyn, and Mrs. Halliday had told him to come when he liked, but it was perhaps significant that he wanted also to get on with his draining plans. Seeing Evelyn was a satisfaction he unconsciously reserved for his leisure; she was not, like Carrie, to some extent his working partner and critic. He took the road to Whitelees and smiled. Perhaps Carrie was patient when he thought her keen: it was possible that she was sometimes bored. Mrs. Halliday received him in a room that looked full of ornaments and flowers, and gave him tea in beautiful china. He was half-afraid to handle the fragile cup and plate and hesitated about eating his slice of dainty cake. He had been examining mac
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   165   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
chance
 

sooner

 

Carrie

 

hesitated

 

fellows

 
wanted
 
Whitelees
 

smiled

 
Halliday
 

flowers


Evelyn

 

returned

 
ordering
 

occupied

 
market
 

loneliness

 
expected
 
circled
 

plover

 

shining


England

 

conquer

 

struggle

 

energies

 

absorb

 

comrade

 

sparkle

 

driving

 

ornaments

 

beautiful


looked

 
received
 

dainty

 

examining

 

eating

 
afraid
 

handle

 
fragile
 

significant

 
afternoon

draining
 

Seeing

 
critic
 
partner
 

Perhaps

 

patient

 
thought
 

working

 
extent
 

satisfaction