FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  
his. EDGAR. [Sharply.] What? [It ceases instantly. ANTHONY passes through, closing the doors behind him. ENID springs to them with a gesture of dismay. She puts her hand on the knob, and begins turning it; then goes to the fireplace, and taps her foot on the fender. Suddenly she rings the bell. FROST comes in by the door that leads into the hall.] FROST. Yes, M'm? ENID. When the men come, Frost, please show them in here; the hall 's cold. FROST. I could put them in the pantry, M'm. ENID. No. I don't want to--to offend them; they're so touchy. FROST. Yes, M'm. [Pause.] Excuse me, Mr. Anthony's 'ad nothing to eat all day. ENID. I know Frost. FROST. Nothin' but two whiskies and sodas, M'm. ENID. Oh! you oughtn't to have let him have those. FROST. [Gravely.] Mr. Anthony is a little difficult, M'm. It's not as if he were a younger man, an' knew what was good for 'im; he will have his own way. ENID. I suppose we all want that. FROST. Yes, M'm. [Quietly.] Excuse me speakin' about the strike. I'm sure if the other gentlemen were to give up to Mr. Anthony, and quietly let the men 'ave what they want, afterwards, that'd be the best way. I find that very useful with him at times, M'm. [ENID shakes hey head.] If he's crossed, it makes him violent. [with an air of discovery], and I've noticed in my own case, when I'm violent I'm always sorry for it afterwards. ENID. [With a smile.] Are you ever violent, Frost? FROST. Yes, M'm; oh! sometimes very violent. ENID. I've never seen you. FROST. [Impersonally.] No, M'm; that is so. [ENID fidgets towards the back of the door.] [With feeling.] Bein' with Mr. Anthony, as you know, M'm, ever since I was fifteen, it worries me to see him crossed like this at his age. I've taken the liberty to speak to Mr. Wanklin [dropping his voice]-- seems to be the most sensible of the gentlemen--but 'e said to me: "That's all very well, Frost, but this strike's a very serious thing," 'e said. "Serious for all parties, no doubt," I said, "but yumour 'im, sir," I said, "yumour 'im. It's like this, if a man comes to a stone wall, 'e does n't drive 'is 'ead against it, 'e gets over it." "Yes," 'e said, "you'd better tell your master that." [FROST looks at his nails.] That's where it is, M'm. I said to Mr. Anthony this morning: "Is it worth it, sir?" "Damn it," he said to me, "Frost!
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Anthony

 

violent

 

Excuse

 

crossed

 

gentlemen

 

strike

 

yumour

 

shakes

 
discovery

noticed

 

morning

 

master

 

parties

 

Serious

 

fifteen

 

worries

 

fidgets

 
feeling

liberty

 

Wanklin

 
dropping
 

Impersonally

 

younger

 

fender

 

Suddenly

 

fireplace

 

turning


begins

 

ANTHONY

 

passes

 

instantly

 

ceases

 

Sharply

 
closing
 

dismay

 
springs

gesture

 

suppose

 

Quietly

 

speakin

 

quietly

 
difficult
 
touchy
 
pantry
 

offend


oughtn

 
Gravely
 

Nothin

 

whiskies