FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45  
46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>   >|  
the farmer! Your health, parson! We haven't had our sport yet. We're going to have some first-rate sport. Oh, well! we haven't much show of birds. We shot for pleasure, and returned them to the proprietors. You're fond of game, parson! Ripton is a dead shot in what Cousin Austin calls the Kingdom of 'would-have-done' and 'might-have-been.' Up went the birds, and cries Rip, 'I've forgotten to load!' Oh, ho!--Rip! some more claret.--Do just leave that nose of yours alone.--Your health, Ripton Thompson! The birds hadn't the decency to wait for him, and so, parson, it's their fault, and not Rip's, you haven't a dozen brace at your feet. What have you been doing at home, Cousin Rady?" "Playing Hamlet, in the absence of the Prince of Denmark. The day without you, my dear boy, must be dull, you know." "'He speaks: can I trust what he says is sincere? There's an edge to his smile that cuts much like a sneer.' "Sandoe's poems! You know the couplet, Mr. Rady. Why shouldn't I quote Sandoe? You know you like him, Rady. But, if you've missed me, I'm sorry. Rip and I have had a beautiful day. We've made new acquaintances. We've seen the world. I'm the monkey that has seen the world, and I'm going to tell you all about it. First, there's a gentleman who takes a rifle for a fowling-piece. Next, there's a farmer who warns everybody, gentleman and beggar, off his premises. Next, there's a tinker and a ploughman, who think that God is always fighting with the devil which shall command the kingdoms of the earth. The tinker's for God, and the ploughman"-- "I'll drink your health, Ricky," said Adrian, interrupting. "Oh, I forgot, parson;--I mean no harm, Adrian. I'm only telling what I've heard." "No harm, my dear boy," returned Adrian. "I'm perfectly aware that Zoroaster is not dead. You have been listening to a common creed. Drink the Fire-worshippers, if you will." "Here's to Zoroaster, then!" cried Richard. "I say, Rippy! we'll drink the Fire-worshippers to-night won't we?" A fearful conspiratorial frown, that would not have disgraced Guido Fawkes, was darted back from the plastic features of Master Ripton. Richard gave his lungs loud play. "Why, what did you say about Blaizes, Rippy? Didn't you say it was fun?" Another hideous and silencing frown was Ripton's answer. Adrian matched the innocent youths, and knew that there was talking under the table. "See," thought he, "this boy has tasted his first scraggy
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45  
46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Ripton

 

parson

 
Adrian
 
health
 
tinker
 

Zoroaster

 

worshippers

 

Richard

 

Sandoe

 

ploughman


returned

 

farmer

 

gentleman

 

Cousin

 

telling

 
perfectly
 

premises

 
fighting
 

command

 
interrupting

forgot

 

kingdoms

 
Blaizes
 

thought

 

features

 

Master

 

youths

 

innocent

 

matched

 

Another


hideous

 
silencing
 

answer

 

plastic

 

talking

 

tasted

 

common

 

scraggy

 

Fawkes

 

darted


disgraced

 

fearful

 

conspiratorial

 

beggar

 

listening

 

Thompson

 
claret
 
decency
 
pleasure
 

proprietors