FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   >>  
mired the trim, new houses in which they lived, set upon the slopes of the hills. Pleasure houses, they seemed to her, built expressly for joys which had been denied her. "Do you see much of--of these people, Susan?" she asked. "Not so much as I'd like," replied Susan, seriously. "I never seem to get time. We nearly always have guests at Silverdale, and then there are so many things one has to attend to. Perhaps you have noticed," she added, smiling a little, "that we are very serious and old-fashioned." "Oh, no indeed," protested Honora. "It is such a wonderful experience for me to be here!" "Well," said Susan, "we're having some young people to dinner to-night, and others next week--that's why I'm leaving these notes. And then we shall be a little livelier." "Really, Susan, you mustn't think that I'm not having a good time. It is exciting to be in the same house with a real French Vicomte, and I like Mr. Spence tremendously." Her friend was silent. "Don't you?" demanded Honora. To her surprise, the usually tolerant Susan did not wholly approve of Mr. Spence. "He is a guest, and I ought not to criticise him," she answered. "But since you ask me, Honora, I have to be honest. It seems to me that his ambitions are a little sordid--that he is too intent upon growing rich." "But I thought all New Yorkers were that way," exclaimed Honora, and added hastily, "except a few, like your family, Susan." Susan laughed. "You should marry a diplomat, my dear," she said. "After all, perhaps I am a little harsh. But there is a spirit of selfishness and--and of vulgarity in modern, fashionable New York which appears to be catching, like a disease. The worship of financial success seems to be in every one's blood." "It is power," said Honora. Susan glanced at her, but Honora did not remark the expression on her friend's face, so intent was she on the reflections which Susan's words had aroused. They had reached the far end of the Silverdale domain, and were driving along the shore of the lake that lay like a sapphire set amongst the green hills. It was here that the new house of the Robert Holts was building. Presently they came to Joshua's dairy farm, and Joshua himself was standing in the doorway of one of his immaculate barn Honora put her hand on Susan's arm. "Can't we see the cows?" she asked. Susan looked surprised. "I didn't know you were interested in cows, Honora." "I am interested in ev
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46  
47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   >>  



Top keywords:
Honora
 

Silverdale

 

friend

 

people

 
interested
 
houses
 

Joshua

 
Spence
 

intent

 

selfishness


spirit

 

modern

 
catching
 

disease

 
appears
 
vulgarity
 

fashionable

 

family

 
exclaimed
 

hastily


Yorkers

 

thought

 

growing

 
diplomat
 

laughed

 
standing
 

Presently

 

building

 

Robert

 

doorway


immaculate

 

surprised

 
looked
 

sapphire

 

remark

 

expression

 
glanced
 
financial
 

success

 

reflections


driving

 

domain

 

aroused

 

reached

 
worship
 

Vicomte

 
Perhaps
 

noticed

 
smiling
 

attend