FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   48   49   50   51   52   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   >>   >|  
ge before many days--arranging it with Mrs. Sloman, and satisfying my partners, who would expect me to travel fast and work hard in the short time they had allotted for the journey,--all came surging and throbbing through my brain, while my first answer was not given in words. When I had persuaded Bessie to look at me and to answer me in turn, I hoped we should be able to talk about it with the calm judgment it needed. "To leave my wife--my wife!"--how I lingered on the word!--"in some poky lodgings in London, while I am spending my day among dusty boxes and files of deeds in a dark old office, isn't just my ideal of our wedding-journey; but, Bessie, if _you_ wish it so--" What was there in my tone that jarred her? I had meant to be magnanimous, to think of her comfort alone, of the hurry and business of such a journey--tried to shut myself out and think only of her in the picture. But I failed, of course, and went on stupidly, answering the quick look of question in her eyes: "If you prefer it--that is, you know, I must think of you and not of myself." Still the keen questioning glance. What new look was this in her eyes, what dawning thought? "No," she answered after a pause, slowly withdrawing her hand from mine, "think of yourself." I had expected that she would overwhelm me in her girlish way with saucy protestations that she would be happy even in the dull London lodgings, and that she would defy the law-files to keep me long from her. This sudden change of manner chilled me with a nameless fear. "If _I_ prefer it! If _I_ wish it! I see that I should be quite in your way, an encumbrance. Don't talk about it any more." She was very near crying, and I wish to heaven she had cried. But she conquered herself resolutely, and held herself cold and musing before me. I might take her hand, might kiss her unresisting cheek, but she seemed frozen into sudden thoughtfulness that it was impossible to meet or to dispel. "Bessie, you know you are a little goose! What could I wish for in life but to carry you off this minute to New York? Come, get your hat and let's walk over to the parsonage now. We'll get Doctor Wilder to marry us, and astonish your aunt in the morning." "Nonsense!" said Bessie with a slight quiver of her pretty, pouting mouth. "Do be rational, Charlie!" I believe I was rational in my own fashion for a little while, but when I ventured to say in a very unnecessary whisper, "Then you wi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   48   49   50   51   52   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   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bessie

 
journey
 
lodgings
 

London

 
rational
 
sudden
 
prefer
 

answer

 

resolutely

 

musing


arranging
 

conquered

 

crying

 

heaven

 
protestations
 
thoughtfulness
 

impossible

 

frozen

 

unresisting

 
satisfying

change
 

manner

 

chilled

 

nameless

 
dispel
 

encumbrance

 

Sloman

 
pretty
 

pouting

 
quiver

slight
 

morning

 

Nonsense

 

Charlie

 

unnecessary

 
whisper
 

ventured

 

fashion

 

astonish

 
minute

Doctor

 

Wilder

 

parsonage

 

girlish

 
wedding
 

office

 

jarred

 
magnanimous
 

throbbing

 

surging