FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   >>  
y anything to Charlie; it'll only worry him for nothing. HORNBLOWER. No, no, I'll not. If I went bankrupt, it'd upset Chearlie, I've not a doubt. [He laugh. Looking at her shrewdly] There's nothing else, before I answer her? [CHLOE shakes her head.] Ye're sure? CHLOE. [With an efort] She may invent things, of course. HORNBLOWER. [Lost in his feud feeling] Ah! but there's such a thing as the laws o' slander. If they play pranks, I'll have them up for it. CHLOE. [Timidly] Couldn't you stop this quarrel; father? You said it was on my account. But I don't want to know them. And they do love their old home. I like the girl. You don't really need to build just there, do you? Couldn't you stop it? Do! HORNBLOWER. Stop it? Now I've bought? Na, no! The snobs defied me, and I'm going to show them. I hate the lot of them, and I hate that little Dawker worst of all. CHLOE. He's only their agent. HORNBLOWER. He's a part of the whole dog-in-the-manger system that stands in my way. Ye're a woman, and ye don't understand these things. Ye wouldn't believe the struggle I've had to make my money and get my position. These county folk talk soft sawder, but to get anything from them's like gettin' butter out of a dog's mouth. If they could drive me out of here by fair means or foul, would they hesitate a moment? Not they! See what they've made me pay; and look at this letter. Selfish, mean lot o' hypocrites! CHLOE. But they didn't begin the quarrel. HORNBLOWER. Not openly; but underneath they did--that's their way. They began it by thwartin' me here and there and everywhere, just because I've come into me own a bit later than they did. I gave 'em their chance, and they wouldn't take it. Well, I'll show 'em what a man like me can do when he sets his mind to it. I'll not leave much skin on them. [In the intensity of his feeling he has lost sight of her face, alive with a sort of agony of doubt, whether to plead with him further, or what to do. Then, with a swift glance at her wristwatch, she falls back on the sofa and closes her eyes.] It'll give me a power of enjoyment seein' me chimneys go up in front of their windies. That was a bonnie thought--that last bid o' mine. He'd got that roused up, I believe, he, never would a' stopped. [Looking at her] I forgot your head. Well, well, ye'll be best tryin' quiet. [The gong sounds.] Shall we send ye
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   >>  



Top keywords:

HORNBLOWER

 

wouldn

 

quarrel

 

Couldn

 

Looking

 

feeling

 

things

 
thwartin
 

underneath

 

hypocrites


openly
 

Selfish

 

letter

 

chance

 
roused
 
thought
 

bonnie

 

chimneys

 

windies

 

stopped


sounds

 

forgot

 

enjoyment

 

intensity

 
closes
 

glance

 

wristwatch

 
system
 

slander

 

pranks


Timidly

 

father

 

account

 

invent

 

Chearlie

 

shrewdly

 

bankrupt

 

Charlie

 
answer
 

shakes


county

 

position

 

struggle

 

sawder

 

hesitate

 

gettin

 

butter

 

understand

 
defied
 

bought