The Project Gutenberg EBook of Denzil Quarrier, by George Gissing

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Title: Denzil Quarrier

Author: George Gissing

Posting Date: July 12, 2009 [EBook #4303]
Release Date: July, 2003
First Posted: January 3, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines.

DENZIL QUARRIER

by

GEORGE GISSING

CHAPTER I

For half an hour there had been perfect silence in the room. The cat
upon the hearthrug slept profoundly; the fire was sunk to a still red
glow; the cold light of the autumn afternoon thickened into dusk.

Lilian seemed to be reading. She sat on a footstool, her arm resting on
the seat of a basket-chair, which supported a large open volume. But
her hand was never raised to turn a page, and it was long since her
eyes had gathered the sense of the lines on which they were fixed. This
attitude had been a favourite one with her in childhood, and nowadays,
in her long hours of solitude, she often fell into the old habit. It
was a way of inviting reverie, which was a way of passing the time.

She stirred at length; glanced at the windows, at the fire, and rose.

A pleasant little sitting-room, furnished in the taste of our time;
with harmonies and contrasts of subdued colour, with pictures
intelligently chosen, with store of graceful knick-knacks. Lilian's
person was in keeping with such a background; her dark gold hair, her
pale, pensive, youthful features, her slight figure in its loose
raiment, could not have been more suitably displayed. In a room of
statelier proportions she would have looked too frail, too young for
significance; out of doors she was seldom seen to advantage; here one
recognized her as the presiding spirit in a home fragrant of womanhood.
The face, at this moment, was a sad one, but its lines expressed no
weak surrender to dolefulness; her lips were courageous, and her eyes
such as brighten readily with joy.

A small table bore a tea-tray with a kettle and spirit-lamp; the
service for two persons only. Lilian, after looking at her watch,
ignited the lamp and then went to the