FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167  
168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   >>   >|  
ind on your mid-Victorian clothes," he said, "and live up to them--in your language." Delilah laughed. "Well, I told the truth if I didn't do it elegantly. We are both working for things which we want. Mary wants Romance and I want social recognition." Leila sighed. "It isn't always what we want that we get, is it?" she asked, and Porter answered with decision, "It is not. Life throws us usually brickbats instead of bouquets." Colin did not agree. "Life gives us sometimes more than we deserve. It has given me that picture of Miss Jeliffe. And I consider that a pretty big slice of good fortune." "You're a nice boy, Colin," Delilah told him, "and I like you--and I like your philosophy. I fancy life is giving me as much as I deserve." The others were silent. Life was not giving Leila or Porter or Mary at that moment the things that they wanted. Porter's demands on destiny were definite. He wanted Mary. Leila wanted Barry. Mary did not know what she wanted; she only knew that she was unsatisfied. Porter took Leila home first, then drove Mary and Aunt Isabelle back through the park to the old house on the hill. "I'm coming in," he said, as he helped Mary out of the car. "But it is so late, Porter." "I've been here lots of times as late as this. I won't be sent home, Mary, not to-night." Aunt Isabelle, tired and sleepy, went at once up-stairs. Mary sat on the porch with Porter. Below them lay the city in the white moonlight. For a while they were silent, then Porter said, suddenly: "Mary, there's something I want to tell you. You may think that I'm interfering in your affairs, but I can't help it. I can't see you doing things which will make you unhappy." "I'm not unhappy. What do you mean, Porter?" "You will be--if you go on as you are going. Mary--I took you to Colin's to-night on purpose, so that you could see the picture of the little saint in red, the Fra Angelico one." "Yes." "You know what you said about her--that she had such a trustful, childish face?" "Yes." "That was the picture of Roger Poole's wife, Mary." She sat as still in her white dress as a marble statue. At last she asked, "How do you know?" "Quale told me. I fancy he hadn't heard that Poole had lived here, and that we knew him. So he let the name drop carelessly." "Well?" He turned on her flaming. "I know what you mean by that tone, Mary. But you're unjust. You think I've been medd
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167  
168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Porter

 

wanted

 
picture
 

things

 

unhappy

 
Isabelle
 

giving

 
silent
 
deserve
 

Delilah


suddenly
 

moonlight

 

carelessly

 

Angelico

 

stairs

 

unjust

 

sleepy

 

turned

 

flaming

 
trustful

purpose
 

childish

 

affairs

 
interfering
 
marble
 

statue

 

destiny

 
throws
 

brickbats

 

decision


answered
 

bouquets

 

sighed

 
recognition
 

language

 

laughed

 

clothes

 

Victorian

 

elegantly

 
Romance

social

 
working
 

Jeliffe

 
unsatisfied
 
coming
 

helped

 
fortune
 

pretty

 

philosophy

 
demands