FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   >>   >|  
quire into his proceedings; and as for an ordinary mother,--such as Mrs. Finn certainly was,--she could do no more than look after her son's linen with awe. Mary Flood Jones,--the reader I hope will not quite have forgotten Mary Flood Jones,--was in a great tremor when first she met the hero of Loughshane after returning from the honours of his first session. She had been somewhat disappointed because the newspapers had not been full of the speeches he had made in Parliament. And indeed the ladies of the Finn household had all been ill at ease on this head. They could not imagine why Phineas had restrained himself with so much philosophy. But Miss Flood Jones in discussing the matter with the Miss Finns had never expressed the slightest doubt of his capacity or his judgment. And when tidings came,--the tidings came in a letter from Phineas to his father,--that he did not intend to speak that session, because speeches from a young member on his first session were thought to be inexpedient, Miss Flood Jones and the Miss Finns were quite willing to accept the wisdom of this decision, much as they might regret the effect of it. Mary, when she met her hero, hardly dared to look him in the face, but she remembered accurately all the circumstances of her last interview with him. Could it be that he wore that ringlet near his heart? Mary had received from Barbara Finn certain hairs supposed to have come from the head of Phineas, and these she always wore near her own. And moreover, since she had seen Phineas she had refused an offer of marriage from Mr. Elias Bodkin,--had refused it almost ignominiously,--and when doing so had told herself that she would never be false to Phineas Finn. "We think it so good of you to come to see us again," she said. "Good to come home to my own people?" "Of course you might be staying with plenty of grandees if you liked it." "No, indeed, Mary. It did happen by accident that I had to go to the house of a man whom perhaps you would call a grandee, and to meet grandees there. But it was only for a few days, and I am very glad to be taken in again here, I can assure you." "You know how very glad we all are to have you." "Are you glad to see me, Mary?" "Very glad. Why should I not be glad, and Barbara the dearest friend I have in the world? Of course she talks about you,--and that makes me think of you." "If you knew, Mary, how often I think about you." Then Mary, who was very h
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Phineas
 

session

 

speeches

 

refused

 

Barbara

 
tidings
 
grandees
 

people

 
marriage
 

Bodkin


plenty

 

staying

 
ignominiously
 

assure

 
dearest
 

friend

 
accident
 
happen
 

grandee

 

effect


Parliament

 

ladies

 

newspapers

 

disappointed

 

honours

 

household

 

restrained

 

philosophy

 

imagine

 

returning


Loughshane

 
reader
 

tremor

 

ordinary

 

mother

 
forgotten
 

discussing

 
matter
 

remembered

 
accurately

regret
 

circumstances

 
supposed
 
received
 

interview

 

ringlet

 
decision
 

wisdom

 
judgment
 

letter