FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  
Adelaide, and a great deal more interesting to talk to. "If you will allow me, now that I have had the pleasure of meeting you, I will see you safe for at least part of your way home," he said, passing by her naive query "Why an honor?" as a thing to be answered only by that smile of superior wisdom. Flinging himself from his horse, he took the bridle in his hand and turned toward home, looking to the girl to accompany him. Leam felt that she could not refuse his escort offered as so much a matter of course. Why should she? It was very pleasant to have some one to walk with--some one not her father, with whom she still felt shy, if not now absolutely estranged; nor yet Alick, in whose pale face she was always reading the past, and who, though he was so good and kind and tender, was her master and held her in his hand. This handsome, courteous gentleman was different from either, and she liked his society and superior ways. And as he began now to talk to her of things not trenching on nor admitting of flirtation--chiefly of the places he had visited, India, Egypt, Italy, Spain--she was not so much abashed by his unflinching looks and masterful manner. When he entered on Spain and his recollections of what he had seen there, the girl's heart throbbed, and her pale face grew whiter still with the passionate thrill that stirred her. The old blood was in her veins yet, and, though modified, and in some sense transformed, she was still Pepita's daughter and the child of Andalusia. And here was truth; not like that poor wretched madame's talk, which even she had found out to be false and only making believe to know what she did not know. Spain was the name of power with Learn, as it had been with her mother, and she lifted her face, white with its passionate desires, listening as if entranced to all that Edgar said. It was a good opening, and the handsome soldier-squire congratulated himself on his lucky hit and serviceable memory. Presently he touched on Andalusia, and Leam, who hitherto had been listening without comment, now broke in eagerly. "That is my own country!" she cried. "Mamma came from Andalusia, beautiful Andalusia! Ah! how I should like to go there!" "Perhaps you will some day," Edgar answered a little significantly. Had she been more instructed in the kind of thing he meant, she would have seen that he wished to convey the idea of a love-journey made with him. She shook her head and her eyes gr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Andalusia
 

listening

 

handsome

 

answered

 

passionate

 
superior
 
modified
 

lifted

 
mother
 

madame


wretched

 

daughter

 
making
 

transformed

 
Pepita
 

convey

 
beautiful
 
country
 

wished

 

instructed


significantly

 

Perhaps

 

congratulated

 

squire

 

entranced

 

opening

 

soldier

 

serviceable

 

memory

 

comment


eagerly

 
hitherto
 

stirred

 

journey

 

Presently

 
touched
 

desires

 
bridle
 

turned

 
wisdom

Flinging
 

accompany

 
pleasant
 
father
 

matter

 

refuse

 
escort
 

offered

 
pleasure
 

meeting