FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   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   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  
ir thrones. "And in a feminine handwriting," he chuckled. He eyed the limp peer almost roguishly. "I see, I see," he said. "Very charming, quite delightful! Girls must have their little romance! I suppose you two young people are exchanging love-letters all day. Delightful, quite delightful! Don't look as if you were ashamed of it, my boy! I like it. I think it's charming." Undoubtedly, this was the opening. Beyond a question, his lordship should have said at this point: "Uncle, I cannot tell a lie. I cannot even allow myself to see you laboring under a delusion which a word from me can remove. The contents of this note are not what you suppose. They run as follows--" What he did say was: "Uncle, can you let me have twenty pounds?" Those were his amazing words. They slipped out. He could not stop them. Sir Thomas was taken aback for an instant, but not seriously. He started, as might a man who, stroking a cat, receives a sudden, but trifling scratch. "Twenty pounds, eh?" he said, reflectively. Then, the milk of human kindness swept over displeasure like a tidal wave. This was a night for rich gifts to the deserving. "Why, certainly, my boy, certainly. Do you want it at once?" His lordship replied that he did, please; and he had seldom said anything more fervently. "Well, well. We'll see what we can do. Come with me." He led the way to his dressing-room. Like nearly all the rooms at the castle, it was large. One wall was completely hidden by the curtain behind which Spike had taken refuge that afternoon. Sir Thomas went to the dressing-table, and unlocked a small drawer. "Twenty, you said? Five, ten, fifteen--here you are, my boy." Lord Dreever muttered his thanks. Sir Thomas accepted the guttural acknowledgment with a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I like a little touch like that," he said. His lordship looked startled. "I wouldn't have touched you," he began, "if it hadn't been--" "A little touch like that letter-writing," Sir Thomas went on. "It shows a warm heart. She is a warm-hearted girl, Spennie. A charming, warm-hearted girl! You're uncommonly lucky, my boy." His lordship, crackling the four bank-notes, silently agreed with him. "But, come, I must be dressing. Dear me, it is very late. We shall have to hurry. By the way, my boy, I shall take the opportunity of making a public announcement of the engagement tonight. It will be a capital occasion for it. I think,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   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   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
lordship
 

Thomas

 

dressing

 
charming
 

Twenty

 

pounds

 

hearted

 

delightful

 

suppose

 

hidden


drawer

 
fervently
 

fifteen

 
completely
 
unlocked
 

curtain

 

refuge

 

castle

 

afternoon

 

letter


agreed

 

silently

 

crackling

 

tonight

 

engagement

 
capital
 

occasion

 

announcement

 

public

 

opportunity


making

 

uncommonly

 
shoulder
 

looked

 

startled

 

wouldn

 

friendly

 

acknowledgment

 

muttered

 

accepted


guttural
 
touched
 

Spennie

 

writing

 

Dreever

 
question
 

Beyond

 
opening
 
ashamed
 

Undoubtedly