FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  
ay was unearthed from the moldy coach-house and for the past year two very old and quiet specimens of Shetland had been found for them by Mr. Martin and they were able to drive to church every Sunday in state, William sitting up behind, holding the reins between his mistresses, while Miss La Sarthe flourished a small whip whose delicate handle was studded with minute turquoises. From it dangled a ring which she could slip on her finger over her one-buttoned slate-colored glove, and so feel certain of not dropping this treasure. Halcyone always walked. On Good Friday there was not a sight of the Wendover party in church, and Halcyone went back by the orchard house to look in at Cheiron, who had had a cold in the last few days. Stretched in the armchair she found John Derringham. The brisk walk in the fresh spring air had brought some faint color to her pale cheeks, her soft hair was wound about her head with becoming simplicity, and she wore an ordinary suit which could not disguise her beautiful slender limbs, so long and thin, a veritable Artemis in her chaste perfection of balance and proportion. Halcyone could pass in any crowd and perhaps no one would ever notice her and her mouse-like coloring, but once your eye was arrested, then, like looking at some rare bit of delicate enamel, you began to perceive undreamed-of graces which soothed the sight until you were filled with the consciousness of an exquisite beauty as intangible as her other charm--distinction. An infinite serenity was in her atmosphere, a promise of all pure and tender things in her great soft eyes. The mystery and freshness of the night seemed always to hang about her. Her ways were noiseless--the most creaking door appeared to forget its irritating habit when under her touch. Thus it was that John Derringham, smoking a cigar, never even glanced up until a voice of extreme cultivation and softness said gently: "Good morning. And how are you?" Then he bounded from his chair, startled a little, and held out his hand. "My old friend, Miss Halcyone, the Priestess of Truth!" he exclaimed, "as I am alive!" She smiled serenely while they shook hands, and sat down demurely by the Professor's side. "I thought you would have been translated to Olympus long ago," the visitor said. "Have you honored this ordinary earth and our friend Cheiron's cave, ever since?" "Ever since!" "There can be nothing left for you to learn. Master, it is yo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Halcyone

 

friend

 

Cheiron

 
ordinary
 
Derringham
 

delicate

 

church

 

mystery

 
freshness
 

honored


forget
 

creaking

 

appeared

 

noiseless

 

irritating

 

tender

 

exquisite

 

consciousness

 
beauty
 

filled


soothed

 

perceive

 

undreamed

 

graces

 

intangible

 

promise

 

atmosphere

 

serenity

 

distinction

 

infinite


things

 

Master

 
demurely
 

startled

 

Priestess

 

smiled

 

serenely

 
exclaimed
 
bounded
 

Professor


Olympus

 
glanced
 

extreme

 

smoking

 
cultivation
 
softness
 

thought

 

enamel

 

translated

 

gently