FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   >>  
words that became audible. "She is indeed!" urged Patty. "She says that--even if she wished--she could never break off with you; as I am _sure_ she would never wish!" "Ah! that's what she says," murmured the other. And abruptly he rose. "There's no use in talking about this. You are here for a holiday, and not to be bored with other people's troubles. The sun is trying to shine. Let us go and see the town, and then--yes, I'll go back with you to Dudley, just to hear whether Eve is feeling any better. You could see her, and then come out and tell me." "Mr. Hilliard, I'm quite sure you are worrying without any cause--you are, indeed!" "I know I am. It's all nonsense. Come along, and let us enjoy the sunshine." They spent three or four hours together, Hilliard resolute in his discharge of hospitable duties, and Miss Ringrose, after a brief spell of unnatural gravity, allowing no reflection to interfere with her holiday mood. Hilliard had never felt quite sure as to the limits of Patty's intelligence; he could not take her seriously, and yet felt unable to treat her altogether as a child or an imbecile. To-day, because of his preoccupied thoughts, and the effort it cost him to be jocose, he talked for the most part in a vein of irony which impressed, but did not much enlighten, his hearer. "This," said he, when they had reached the centre of things, "is the Acropolis of Birmingham. Here are our great buildings, of which we boast to the world. They signify the triumph of Democracy--and of money. In front of you stands the Town Hall. Here, to the left, is the Midland Institute, where a great deal of lecturing goes on, and the big free library, where you can either read or go to sleep. I have done both in my time. Behind yonder you catch a glimpse of the fountain that plays to the glory of Joseph Chamberlain--did you ever hear of him? And further back still is Mason College, where young men are taught a variety of things, including discontent with a small income. To the right there, that's the Council Hall--splendid, isn't it! We bring our little boys to look at it, and tell them if they make money enough they may some day go in and out as if it were their own house. Behind it you see the Art Gallery. We don't really care for pictures; a great big machine is our genuine delight; but it wouldn't be nice to tell everybody that." "What a lot I have learnt from you!" exclaimed the girl ingenuously, when at length t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   >>  



Top keywords:
Hilliard
 

things

 

Behind

 
holiday
 
wouldn
 
lecturing
 

Institute

 

Midland

 

delight

 

library


genuine
 
exclaimed
 

buildings

 

Birmingham

 

Acropolis

 

length

 

ingenuously

 

stands

 

Democracy

 

signify


triumph
 

learnt

 

machine

 
centre
 

Council

 
splendid
 
income
 

Gallery

 

discontent

 

including


glimpse

 

fountain

 
yonder
 
pictures
 

Joseph

 
Chamberlain
 

taught

 

variety

 

College

 

altogether


Dudley

 

feeling

 
nonsense
 

worrying

 
wished
 
audible
 

murmured

 

people

 
troubles
 

talking