FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   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   >>   >|  
bilities. Rather than get either of them into trouble I would cheerfully have thrown myself in front of the next motor bus, but if such an extreme course could be avoided I certainly had no wish to end my life in that or any other abrupt fashion until I had had the satisfaction of a few minutes' quiet conversation with George. I blamed myself to a certain extent for having given way to Joyce. Still, I knew her well enough to be sure that if I had persisted in my refusal she would have stuck to her intention of trying to help me against my will. That would only have made matters more dangerous for all of us, so on the whole it was perhaps best that I should go and see Tommy. I had not the fainest doubt he would be anxious enough to help me himself if I would let him, but he would at least see the necessity for keeping Joyce out of the affair. We ought to be able to manage her between us, though when I remembered the obstinate look in her eyes I realized that it wouldn't be exactly a simple matter. I stopped at a book-shop just outside Victoria, which I had noticed on the previous evening. I wanted to order a copy of a book dealing with a certain branch of high explosives that I had forgotten to ask McMurtrie for, and when I had done that I took the opportunity of buying a couple of novels by Wells which had been published since I went to prison. Wells was a luxury which the prison library didn't run to. With these tucked under my arm, and still pondering over the unexpected results of my chase after George, I continued my walk to Edith Terrace. As I reached the house and thrust my key into the lock the door suddenly opened from the inside, and I found myself confronted by the apparently rather embarrassed figure of Miss Gertie 'Uggins. "I 'eard you a-comin'," she observed, rubbing one hand down her leg, "so I opened the door like." "That was very charming of you, Gertrude," I said gravely. She tittered, and then began to retreat slowly backwards down the passage. "There's a letter for you in the sittin'-room. Come by the post after you'd gorn. Yer want some tea?" "I don't mind a cup," I said. "I've been eating and drinking all day; it seems a pity to give it up now." "I'll mike yer one," she remarked, nodding her head. "Mrs. Oldbury's gorn out shoppin'." She disappeared down the kitchen stairs, and opening the door of my room I discovered the letter she had referred to stuck up on the mantelpiece. I
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   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   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

letter

 

opened

 

prison

 
George
 
thrust
 

reached

 
Terrace
 

disappeared

 

confronted

 

inside


shoppin
 

continued

 

suddenly

 

Oldbury

 

apparently

 
library
 

luxury

 

discovered

 

mantelpiece

 
referred

published

 
tucked
 

unexpected

 

results

 

embarrassed

 

stairs

 

opening

 
pondering
 

kitchen

 

Gertie


tittered

 

drinking

 

eating

 

gravely

 

retreat

 

sittin

 

passage

 

slowly

 

backwards

 

Gertrude


charming

 

remarked

 

observed

 

nodding

 

figure

 

Uggins

 
rubbing
 

extent

 

blamed

 

conversation