FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   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   >>   >|  
ore eloquent than all the rest of his words put together. This fellow is no visionary. His scheme may be daring, and unprincipled, but--he knows very well what he's about. "Well!" said old Pearse, "you shall have five 'undred of my money, if it's only to learn what yu're made of. Wheel me in!" Zachary wheeled him into the house, but soon came back. "The old man's cheque for five hundred pounds!" he said, holding it up. "Mr. Treffry, give me another, and you shall have a third of the profits." I expected Dan to give a point-blank refusal. But he only asked: "Would that clear you for starting?" "With that," said Zachary, "I can get to sea in a fortnight." "Good!" Dan said slowly. "Give me a written promise! To sea in fourteen days and my fair share on the five hundred pounds--no more--no less." Again I thought Pearse would have jumped at this, but he leaned his chin on his hand, and looked at Dan, and Dan looked at him. While they were staring at each other like this, Pasiance came up with a kitten. "See!" she said, "isn't it a darling?" The kitten crawled and clawed its way up behind her neck. I saw both men's eyes as they looked at Pasiance, and suddenly understood what they were at. The kitten rubbed itself against Pasiance's cheek, overbalanced, and fell, clawing, down her dress. She caught it up and walked away. Some one, I don't know which of us, sighed, and Pearse cried "Done!" The bargain had been driven. "Good-bye, Mr. Pearse," said Dan; "I guess that's all I'm wanted for. I'll find my pony waiting in the village. George, you'll see Pasiance home?" We heard the hoofs of his pony galloping down the road; Pearse suddenly excused himself, and disappeared. This venture of his may sound romantic and absurd, but it's matter-of-fact enough. He's after L. s. d.! Shades of Drake, Raleigh, Hawkins, Oxenham! The worm of suspicion gnaws at the rose of romance. What if those fellows, too, were only after L. s. d....? I strolled into the pine-wood. The earth there was covered like a bee's body with black and gold stripes; there was the blue sea below, and white, sleepy clouds, and bumble-bees booming above the heather; it was all softness, a summer's day in Devon. Suddenly I came on Pearse standing at the edge of the cliff with Pasiance sitting in a little hollow below, looking up at him. I heard him say: "Pasiance--Pasiance!" The sound of his voice, and the sight of her soft, wondering face made
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   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   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Pasiance
 

Pearse

 

kitten

 

looked

 

hundred

 
pounds
 
suddenly
 

Zachary

 
disappeared
 

excused


bargain

 

absurd

 
romantic
 

matter

 
venture
 

sighed

 
village
 
waiting
 

George

 

galloping


driven

 

wanted

 

softness

 

summer

 

heather

 

clouds

 

sleepy

 

bumble

 

booming

 

wondering


Suddenly

 
hollow
 

standing

 

sitting

 

suspicion

 
romance
 

Oxenham

 
Shades
 

Raleigh

 
Hawkins

fellows
 

stripes

 
covered
 
strolled
 

holding

 

cheque

 
Treffry
 

wheeled

 
profits
 

expected