FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  
Cameron neither wished to be happy, nor was happy; and when the Doctor sat down to tea, and found himself facing her, it was with very somber and disapproving eyes that she regarded him. "Well, Andrew, I must say you look remarkably well. Dear, dear, there is no constancy in this world, that is, amongst the male sex." Here she handed him a cup of tea, and sighed lugubriously. The Doctor accepted the tea with a slight frown; he was a peaceable man, but as he said, when chastising Scorpion, "there are limits." "If you have no objection, Maria," he said, curtly, "we will leave the subject of my personal appearance and the moral question which you have brought forward out of our conversation." Then his voice and manner changed; he put on a company smile, and continued, without any pause, "How is your husband? Is he as great an antiquary as ever? And do you both continue to like living in Bath?" Mrs. Cameron was a strong and determined woman, but she was no match for the Doctor when he chose to have his own way. For the remainder of the meal conversation was languid, and decidedly commonplace; once only it brightened into animation. "I wonder where Scorpion can be?" said the good lady; "I want to give him his cream." "I fear he is under punishment," said the Doctor. "If I judge of him aright, Scorpion is something of a coward, and is not likely to come into the same room where I am for some time." "What do you mean? Surely you have not been cruel to him?" "Cruel to be kind. Once again he attempted to eat my legs, and I was obliged to administer one or two sharp slaps--nothing to hurt; you will find him under your bed. And now I really must go to look for my family." Dr. Maybright left the room, and Mrs. Cameron sat still, scarlet with annoyance and indignation. "How could Helen have married such a man?" she said to herself. "I never can get on with him--never. How cowardly it was of him to hurt the little dog. If it was not for the memory of poor dear Helen I should leave here by the first train in the morning; but as it is, I will not stir until I have established Miss Grinsted over this poor, misguided household. Ah, well! duty is ever hard, but those who know Maria Cameron are well acquainted with the fact that she never shirked it. Yes, I will stay; it will be very unpleasant, but I must go through it. What very abrupt manners the Doctor has! I was just preparing to tell him all about that wicked
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Doctor

 

Cameron

 

Scorpion

 
conversation
 
family
 

Surely

 
aright
 

coward

 

obliged

 

administer


attempted
 

Maybright

 

acquainted

 

shirked

 

misguided

 
household
 

preparing

 

wicked

 

unpleasant

 
abrupt

manners

 
Grinsted
 

cowardly

 

married

 

scarlet

 

annoyance

 

indignation

 
memory
 

established

 

morning


strong

 

slight

 

peaceable

 

chastising

 

accepted

 

handed

 

sighed

 

lugubriously

 

limits

 

objection


question

 

brought

 

forward

 

appearance

 

curtly

 

subject

 
personal
 

facing

 

somber

 

disapproving