FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  
same thing as shining virtue, or else Caroline would have been generous. I am sure I should be particularly grateful to any woman who made me rich." "Why woman, Roland?" "Well, because if a man puts any money in my way he expects me to work for it and with it; to invest it and double it; to give an account of it; to sacrifice myself body and soul for it. But a dear little darling woman would never ask me questions and never worry me about interest. She would take love and kisses as full value received--unless she was a girl like Caroline, an unwomanly, mercenary, practical, matter-of-money creature." "Do not talk in that way of Caroline." "I am talking of her money, and it is no impeachment of its value to say that it is mortal like herself. Still, I am ready to acknowledge "'How pleasant it is to have money, heigho! How pleasant it is to have money!' and as much of it as possible, Elizabeth." "We come to no definite results by talking in this way, Roland. When you get to singing snatches of song I may as well be quiet. And yet I am so unhappy about you. O Roland! Roland! my dear, dear brother, what can I do for you?" She covered her face with her hands, and Roland took them away with gentle force. "Elizabeth, do not cry for me. I am not worth a tear. Darling, I will do anything you want me to do." "If I get Robert to give you a desk in the bank?" "Well, love, anything but that. I really cannot bear the confinement. I should die of consumption; besides, I have a moral weakness, Elizabeth, that I am bound to consider--there are times, dear, when I get awfully mixed and cannot help "'Confounding the difference 'twixt _meum_ and _tuum_ By kindly converting it all into _suum_.'" "O Roland, I really do not know what you are fit for!" "If I had been born three or four centuries ago I could have been a knight-errant or a troubadour. But alas! in these days the knight-errants go to the Stock Exchange and the troubadours write for the newspapers. I am not fitted to wrestle with the wild beasts of the money market; I would rather go to Spain and be a matador." "Roland, here comes Robert. Do try and talk like a man of ordinary intelligence. Robert wants to like you--wants to help you if you will let him." "Yes, in his way. I want to be helped in my own way. Good-evening, Robert! I am glad you were not caught in the rain." The grave face brightened to the charm of the young man, and then
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Roland
 

Robert

 

Elizabeth

 

Caroline

 

talking

 
pleasant
 
knight
 

confinement

 
converting
 

kindly


consumption

 

Confounding

 
weakness
 

difference

 
troubadours
 

helped

 
ordinary
 
intelligence
 

evening

 

brightened


caught

 

matador

 

troubadour

 

errant

 

centuries

 

errants

 

beasts

 

market

 

wrestle

 

Exchange


newspapers

 
fitted
 

snatches

 

questions

 

interest

 
darling
 

kisses

 
unwomanly
 

mercenary

 
practical

received
 

sacrifice

 
account
 
generous
 

grateful

 

virtue

 
shining
 

expects

 
invest
 

double