FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  
r welfare is very near to my heart." "I know that," he answered gently. "But you were not describing an imaginary paragon. Hadn't you Millicent in your mind?" "I should be very happy if I could welcome her as my daughter. I should feel that you were safe then." There was a thrill of regret in her voice that touched him. It hinted that she blamed herself for omissions and lack of wisdom in his upbringing. Besides, her confidence in any one who had won her respect, as Millicent had done, was bestowed so generously. "I'm afraid I've often given you trouble, and I do you little credit now," he said. "But, as to the other matter, one can't be sure that Millicent would welcome the idea. Of late I've had a suspicion that she hasn't a very high opinion of me." "You could hardly expect to gain it by devoting yourself to Miss Crestwick." The man smiled rather grimly. "If it's any consolation to you, I'm inclined to think that Miss Crestwick has let me drop. The truth's not very flattering, but I can't hide it." Mrs. Gladwyne's relief was obvious, but she had more to say and she ventured upon it with some courage. "If you would only get rid of Batley too!" "I can hardly do that just now; he's useful in several ways. Still, of course, if I married--" He broke off abruptly, for his mother had occasional flashes of discernment. "Millicent has means," she said. He started at this, wondering how much she had guessed, but he veiled his embarrassment with a smile. "Well," he acknowledged, "means, as you most wisely remarked, are not to be despised, and mine are unfortunately small." She saw that she had said enough and she left him sitting in the darkening room thinking rather hard. Bella had thrown him over when he had refused to help her brother, and there were many ways in which Millicent appealed to him. Besides, she could free him of his debt to Batley, which was a thing greatly to be desired. She had shown that she did not blame him severely for the accident at the hurdles, but he realized that in trying to comfort him she had been prompted by pity for his dejected mood, and it was clear that the part he had played was scarcely likely to raise him in her esteem. This was unfortunate, but he would not dwell on it; there were other points to consider and anything that served to divert his thoughts from the unfortunate affair was a vast relief. When at last he rose he had partly recovered his usu
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Millicent
 

Besides

 

relief

 

Batley

 

Crestwick

 
unfortunate
 
remarked
 

affair

 
despised
 

wisely


acknowledged

 

served

 
divert
 

thoughts

 
flashes
 

discernment

 
partly
 
started
 

recovered

 

occasional


abruptly

 

mother

 

guessed

 

veiled

 

embarrassment

 

wondering

 

points

 

appealed

 

played

 

scarcely


greatly

 
severely
 

accident

 

hurdles

 

desired

 
esteem
 

thinking

 
prompted
 

realized

 
sitting

darkening
 

comfort

 
thrown
 
brother
 

refused

 

dejected

 
omissions
 

wisdom

 
upbringing
 

blamed