FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   >>   >|  
young gentleman to speak to in her life, and then asked, with undisguised interest, who he was. "Well, he is a sort of connection of your own, through the Prestons, who are cousins of ours, if any of them are left. His mother was a Preston, and his name is Arthur Preston Heigham. George told me something about him just now, and, on thinking it over, I remember the whole story. He is an orphan, and George's ward." "What is he like?" asked Angela, ingenuously. "Really I don't know; rather tall, I think--a gentlemanly fellow. It really is a relief to speak to a gentleman again. There has been a nice disturbance at Isleworth," and then he told his daughter the history of the great dog fight. "I should think Mr. Heigham was perfectly in the right, and I should like to see his dog," was her comment on the occurrence. As Arthur dressed himself for dinner that evening he came to the conclusion that he disliked his host more than any man he ever saw, and, to say the truth, he descended into the dining-room with considerable misgivings. Just as he entered, the opposite door opened, and Sir John Bellamy was announced. On seeing him, George emerged from the sulky silence into which he was plunged, and advanced to meet him. "Hullo, Bellamy! I must congratulate you upon your accession to rank." "Thank you, Caresfoot, thank you," replied Mr. Bellamy, who, with the exception that he had grown a size larger, and boasted a bald patch on the top of his head that gave him something of a appearance of a jolly little monk, looked very much the same as when we last saw him as a newly married man. "A kind Providence," he went on, rubbing his dry hands, and glancing nervously under the chairs, "has put this honour into my hands." "A Providence in petticoats, you mean," broke in George. "Possibly, my dear Caresfoot; but I do not see him. Is it possible that he is lurking yonder, behind the sofa?" "Who on earth do you mean?" "I mean that exceedingly fine dog of yours, Snarleyow. Snarleyow, where are you? Excuse me for taking precautions, but last time he put his head under my chair and bit me severely, as I dare say you remember." Arthur groaned at hearing the subject thus brought forward. "Mr. Heigham's dog killed Snarleyow this afternoon," said George, in a savage voice. At this intelligence, Sir John's face became wreathed in smiles. "I am deeply delighted--I mean grieved--to hear it. Poor Snarleyow! he
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   164   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

George

 

Snarleyow

 

Arthur

 
Heigham
 
Bellamy
 

Caresfoot

 

Providence

 

remember

 

Preston

 

gentleman


grieved

 

wreathed

 

rubbing

 
married
 
deeply
 

smiles

 
delighted
 

larger

 

exception

 
replied

boasted

 

looked

 

appearance

 

glancing

 

exceedingly

 

yonder

 
subject
 

severely

 

groaned

 
precautions

Excuse

 

hearing

 
taking
 

lurking

 
savage
 

honour

 

chairs

 

intelligence

 

nervously

 

afternoon


killed

 

brought

 

Possibly

 

petticoats

 

forward

 
considerable
 
ingenuously
 

Angela

 

Really

 
orphan