登陆注册
5227000000097

第97章 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND. GONE.(2)

"I won't ask any questions, my dear--I won't attempt to keep you here against your will--I won't even remind you of my letter yesterday. But I can't let you go, Anne, without having my mind made easy about you in some way. You will relieve all my anxiety, if you will do one thing--one easy thing for my sake."

"What is it, Blanche?"

She put that question with her mind far away from the subject before her. Blanche was too eager in pursuit of her object to notice the absent tone, the purely mechanical manner, in which Anne had spoken to her.

"I want you to consult my uncle," she answered. "Sir Patrick is interested in you; Sir Patrick proposed to me this very day to go and see you at the inn. He is the wisest, the kindest, the dearest old man living--and you can trust him as you could trust nobody else. Will you take my uncle into your confidence, and be guided by his advice?"

With her mind still far away from the subject, Anne looked out absently at the lawn, and made no answer.

"Come!" said Blanche. "One word isn't much to say. Is it Yes or No?"

Still looking out on the lawn--still thinking of something else--Anne yielded, and said "Yes."

Blanche was enchanted. "How well I must have managed it!" she thought. "This is what my uncle means, when my uncle talks of 'putting it strongly.' "

She bent down over Anne, and gayly patted her on the shoulder.

"That's the wisest 'Yes,' darling, you ever said in your life.

Wait here--and I'll go in to luncheon, or they will be sending to know what has become of me. Sir Patrick has kept my place for me, next to himself. I shall contrive to tell him what I want; and _he_ will contrive (oh, the blessing of having to do with a clever man; these are so few of them!)--he will contrive to leave the table before the rest, without exciting any body's suspicions. Go away with him at once to the summer-house (we have been at the summer-house all the morning; nobody will go back to it now), and I will follow you as soon as I have satisfied Lady Lundie by eating some lunch. Nobody will be any the wiser but our three selves. In five minutes or less you may expect Sir Patrick.

Let me go! We haven't a moment to lose!"

Anne held her back. Anne's attention was concentrated on her now.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Are you going on happily with Arnold, Blanche?"

"Arnold is nicer than ever, my dear."

"Is the day fixed for your marriage?"

"The day will be ages hence. Not till we are back in town, at the end of the autumn. Let me go, Anne!"

"Give me a kiss, Blanche."

Blanche kissed her, and tried to release her hand. Anne held it as if she was drowning, as if her life depended on not letting it go.

"Will you always love me, Blanche, as you love me now?"

"How can you ask me!"

"_I_ said Yes just now. _You_ say Yes too."

Blanche said it. Anne's eyes fastened on her face, with one long, yearning look, and then Anne's hand suddenly dropped hers.

She ran out of the room, more agitated, more uneasy, than she liked to confess to herself. Never had she felt so certain of the urgent necessity of appealing to Sir Patrick's advice as she felt at that moment.

The guests were still safe at the luncheon-table when Blanche entered the dining-room.

Lady Lundie expressed the necessary surprise, in the properly graduated tone of reproof, at her step-daughter's want of punctuality. Blanche made her apologies with the most exemplary humility. She glided into her chair by her uncle's side, and took the first thing that was offered to her. Sir Patrick looked at his niece, and found himself in the company of a model young English Miss--and marveled inwardly what it might mean.

The talk, interrupted for the moment (topics, Politics and Sport--and then, when a change was wanted, Sport and Politics), was resumed again all round the table. Under cover of the conversation, and in the intervals of receiving the attentions of the gentlemen, Blanche whispered to Sir Patrick, "Don't start, uncle. Anne is in the library." (Polite Mr. Smith offered some ham. Gratefully declined.) "Pray, pray, pray go to her; she is waiting to see you--she is in dreadful trouble." (Gallant Mr. Jones proposed fruit tart and cream. Accepted with thanks.) "Take her to the summer-house: I'll follow you when I get the chance.

And manage it at once, uncle, if you love me, or you will be too late."

Before Sir Patrick could whisper back a word in reply, Lady Lundie, cutting a cake of the richest Scottish composition, at the other end of the table, publicly proclaimed it to be her "own cake," and, as such, offered her brother-in-law a slice. The slice exhibited an eruption of plums and sweetmeats, overlaid by a perspiration of butter. It has been said that Sir Patrick had reached the age of seventy--it is, therefore, needless to add that he politely declined to commit an unprovoked outrage on his own stomach.

"MY cake!" persisted Lady Lundie, elevating the horrible composition on a fork. "Won't that tempt you?"

Sir Patrick saw his way to slipping out of the room under cover of a compliment to his sister-in-law. He summoned his courtly smile, and laid his hand on his heart.

"A fallible mortal," he said, "is met by a temptation which he can not possibly resist. If he is a wise mortal, also, what does he do?"

"He eats some of My cake," said the prosaic Lady Lundie.

"No!" said Sir Patrick, with a look of unutterable devotion directed at his sister-in-law.

"He flies temptation, dear lady--as I do now." He bowed, and escaped, unsuspected, from the room.

Lady Lundie cast down her eyes, with an expression of virtuous indulgence for human frailty, and divided Sir Patrick's compliment modestly between herself and her cake.

Well aware that his own departure from the table would be followed in a few minutes by the rising of the lady of the house, Sir Patrick hurried to the library as fast as his lame foot would let him. Now that he was alone, his manner became anxious, and his face looked grave. He entered the room.

Not a sign of Anne Silvester was to be seen any where. The library was a perfect solitude.

"Gone!" said Sir Patrick. "This looks bad."

同类推荐
  • 宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 谗书

    谗书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Captains of the Civil War

    Captains of the Civil War

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新序

    新序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 旧晋书九家辑本

    旧晋书九家辑本

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 九日临渭亭侍宴应制

    九日临渭亭侍宴应制

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女人要学会放弃

    女人要学会放弃

    翻开本书,你会在令人耳目一新的故事中,在富于深刻哲理的讲述中,轻松地学会放弃。同时,在掌握放弃的技巧、把握好放弃时机的过程中,你也会找到自己的努力方向。此时,你或许正在为无法抉择而犹豫不定,或许正在被困境侵扰而焦灼不安,或许正因心灵羁绊而黯然神伤,或许正由于外物得失而懊悔不已……关于这些问题,本书都能给你以启迪和帮助,并伴你顺风远航,最终驶向成功的彼岸!
  • 重生之超级法师

    重生之超级法师

    几十年前,他灭倭寇,闯鬼寺,锁妖龙,名震一方。然师门被灭,爱人离去,令他心如死灰。几十年后,他获新生,拾旧梦,诛心魔,转战都市。他是个法师,这是他的故事。
  • 现在贤劫千佛名经

    现在贤劫千佛名经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 糟心位面龙套要逆袭

    糟心位面龙套要逆袭

    17年弃坑作品,20年归来填坑 林念安做过的错事,大概就是拐了一个疯女人进入位面、当龙套。做任务的第一天,位面就发生了错乱。林念安注视着显示器中疯女人的一举一动,那个女人指着天大骂,劳资不甘心当龙套。这一切都被林念安尽收眼底。从此,林念安开始了糟心的生活。“我问问你,你喜欢我哪点啊?”季若兮好奇地问道。“我喜欢你泼妇的这点”林念安乖巧地说道,努力的讨好媳妇。“……”某人一个拳头过去了。
  • 天才少女的成长录

    天才少女的成长录

    获得了“女王”系统,各种外挂,各种打脸现场,千种方法虐极品。
  • 重生七零:狼夫莫追

    重生七零:狼夫莫追

    一世身为不受宠的世家女,母亲被人陷害,她被人作为一步登天的踏脚石,在花季凋零,却无一人掉一滴眼泪。一世生为公主,却被人弃之敝履,有幸得众位师父收养,视为掌上明珠,却被挚友陷害离开人世!徒儿不孝,让师父白发人送黑发人!再次重来!无亲人!无朋友!为了什么!老天!若我去死,可否送不孝徒儿回众位师父身边!哪怕只有一天!寻回三枚蛇戒可穿越时空?!难吗?有何难!有希望就有未来!姑娘我三十八般武艺样样精通!琴棋书画不在话下!满天神佛保佑!一切花花草草退散千里之外,勿近我身!!!这一世我只要活着!只为能陪众位师父终老!且看姑娘我如何拳打绿茶婊!脚踢白莲花!完虐各种极品!什么?!70年代!吃不饱!小样!姑娘能把自己饿着!开玩笑!如何活着也是有不同的!姑娘想要舒舒服服活着回众位师父身边就靠你们了,我的宝贝儿们~。。。。。。。。。。。“嗯!蛇戒!”眼看那人就要跑出她的视线范围,怎么可以!一只狼!太好了!“给我拦住他!”。。。。。。。。。。。。。“小丫头!我帮了你,你要怎么谢我呢?!”赏他一打白眼,这话也好意思说,养了只能干的狼了不起哦!取出钱包,拿出五百块钱,想想又添了一百,随手塞给了男人,六六大顺图个吉利好了。蹲下身用力亲了一下那个毛茸茸的大脑袋“谢谢你帮我!我把你的口粮钱给你爹了!可以买好多好吃的呢,记得问他要啊!我走了!”“零!去查一查这个女孩是什么来路,居然能得狼王另眼相待!我可是很期待哦!千万不要让我失望”。。。。。。。。。。。。
  • HP奶黄包贵族

    HP奶黄包贵族

    吃着狗粮长大的自己好不容易盼来了近距离观察偶像日常的机会作者就是想追教授
  • 综穿之病娇女神太凶猛

    综穿之病娇女神太凶猛

    朕有空间手镯,朕有强悍后台。朕有武装到牙齿的金手指,朕就是金光闪闪的金大腿!但朕就是没有一个好身体。朕貌美如花,朕富甲天下!朕翻手为云覆手为雨。但朕就是没有一个好身体。为了修补神魂,良辰穿越到一个又一个世界。或夺或抢或偷或骗或蒙或坑或拐,使出浑身解数只为了收集养魂玉的碎片摆脱病娇。
  • 变革寓言

    变革寓言

    耿辛,从小被称为天才,在接手父亲的公司后,拼尽全力却一败涂地。在他走投无路的时候,一只会说话的乌龟小贝,和一个大学尚未毕业的女孩(小珍)出现了。乌龟小贝讲述的那段离奇的龟族历史中,蕴涵了龟族的信仰“神龟七律”;而小珍则通过一系列的“阴谋”,让耿辛意识到了自己的无知和过错。