登陆注册
5240700000055

第55章 CHAPTER XIV(3)

His death will be deeply resented, and may set up fresh difficulties. It is monstrous vexatious." And abruptly he asked "What did they quarrel about?"

O'Moy trembled, and his glance avoided the other's gimlet eye.

"The only quarrel that I am aware of between them," he said, "was concerned with this very enactment of your lordship's. Samoval proclaimed it infamous, and Tremayne resented the term. Hot words passed between them, but the altercation was allowed to go no further at the time by myself and others who were present."

His lordship had raised his brows. "By gad, sir," he ejaculated, "there almost appears to be some justification for the captain.

He was one of your military secretaries, was he not?"

"He was."

"Ha! Pity! Pity!" His lordship was thoughtful for a moment.

Then he dismissed the matter. "But then orders are orders, and soldiers must learn to obey implicitly. British soldiers of all degrees seem to find the lesson difficult. We must inculcate it more sternly, that is all."

O'Moy's honest soul was in torturing revolt against the falsehoods he had implied - and to this man of all men, to this man whom he reverenced above all others, who stood to him for the very fount of military honour and lofty principle! He was in such a mood that one more question on the subject from Wellington and the whole ghastly truth must have come pouring from his lips. But no other question came. Instead his lordship turned on the threshold and held out his hand.

"Not a step farther, O'Moy. I've left you a mass of work, and you are short of a secretary. So don't waste any of your time on courtesies. I shall hope still to find the ladies in the garden so that I may take my leave without inconveniencing them."

And he was gone, stepping briskly with clicking spurs, leaving O'Moy hunched now in his chair, his body the very expression of the dejection that filled his soul.

In the garden his lordship came upon Miss Armytage alone, still seated by the table under the trellis, from which the cloth had by now been removed. She rose at his approach and in spite of gesture to her to remain seated.

"I was seeking Lady O'Moy," said he, "to take my leave of her. I may not have the pleasure of coming to Monsanto again."

"She is on the terrace, I think," said Miss Armytage. "I will find her for your lordship."

"Let us find her together," he said amiably, and so turned and went with her towards the archway. "You said your name is Armytage, I think?" he commented.

"Sir Terence said so."

His eyes twinkled. "You possess an exceptional virtue," said he.

"To be truthful is common; to be accurate rare. Well, then, Sir Terence said so. Once I had a great friend of the name of Armytage.

I have lost sight of him these many years. We were at school together in Brussels."

"At Monsieur Goubert's," she surprised him by saying. "That would be John Armytage, my uncle."

"God bless my soul, ma'am!" he ejaculated. "But I gathered you were Irish, and Jack Armytage came from Yorkshire."

"My mother is Irish, and we live in Ireland now. I was born there.

But father, none the less, was John Armytage's brother."

He looked at her with increased interest, marking the straight, supple lines of her, and the handsome, high-bred face. His lordship, remember, never lacked an appreciative eye for a fine woman. "So you're Jack Armytage's niece. Give me news of him, my dear."

She did so. Jack Armytage was well and prospering, had made a rich marriage and retired from the Blues many years ago to live at Northampton. He listened with interest, and thus out of his boyhood friendship for her uncle, which of late years he had had no opportunity to express, sprang there and then a kindness for the niece. Her own personal charms may have contributed to it, for the great soldier was intensely responsive to the appeal of beauty.

They reached the terrace. Lady O'Moy was nowhere in sight. But Lord Wellington was too much engrossed in his discovery to be troubled.

"My dear," he said, "if I can serve you at any timer both for Jack's sake and your own, I hope that you will let me know of it."

She looked at him a moment, and he saw her colour come and go, arguing a sudden agitation.

"You tempt me, sir," she said, with a wistful smile.

"Then yield to the temptation, child," he urged her kindly, those keen, penetrating eyes of his perceiving trouble here.

"It isn't for myself," she responded. "Yet there is something I would ask you if I dare - something I had intended to ask you in any case if I could find the opportunity. To be frank, that is why I was waiting there in the garden just now. It was to waylay you. I hoped for a word with you."

"Well, well," he encouraged her. "It should be the easier now, since in a sense we find that we are old friends."

He was so kind, so gentle, despite that stern, strong face of his, that she melted at once to his persuasion.

" It is about Lieutenant Richard Butler," she began.

"Ah," said he lightly, "I feared as much when you said it was not for yourself you had a favour to ask."

But, looking at him, she instantly perceived how he had misunderstood her.

"Mr. Butler," she said, "is the officer who was guilty of the affair at Tavora."

He knit his brow in thought. "Butler-Tavora?" he muttered questioningly. Suddenly his memory found what it was seeking.

"Oh yes, the violated nunnery." His thin lips tightened; the sternness of his ace increased. "Yes?" he inquired, but the tone was now forbidding.

Nevertheless she was not deterred. "Mr. Butler is Lady O'Moy's brother," she said.

He stared a moment, taken aback. "Good God! Ye don't say so, child! Her brother! O'Moy's brother-in-law! And O'Moy never said a word to me about it.

"What should he say? Sir Terence himself pledged his word to the Council of Regency that Mr. Butler would be shot when taken."

"Did he, egad!" He was still further surprised out of his sternness. "Something of a Roman this O'Moy in his conception of duty! Hum! The Council no doubt demanded this?"

同类推荐
  • 煎茶水记

    煎茶水记

    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。
  • 缘起经

    缘起经

    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。
  • 无上大乘要诀妙经

    无上大乘要诀妙经

    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。
  • 后汉演义

    后汉演义

    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。
  • 家范

    家范

    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
  • 我会为这世界带来光明

    我会为这世界带来光明

    寒言中学。风无忧转校到高二C班的时候,班上是一片欢呼。虽然他并不是哪里来的美少女,也并不是哪里来的富二代。他只是一个普普通通的男子高中生而已。乍看之下,班上女多男少,欢呼的都是女生。说起来,风无忧的人生一直很平静的,在班上也是默默无闻的。如今在班上这么受欢迎,风无忧心说莫不是自己人生的春天到了。
  • 枫韵华瑶

    枫韵华瑶

    男主因为某些原因被雷劈了……男主醒来之后,来到东承大陆……男主千方百计回归现代……却发觉自己早已不属于现代……
  • 中国神话与传说故事解析(中国文学知识漫谈)

    中国神话与传说故事解析(中国文学知识漫谈)

    《中国文学知识漫谈》,主要包括中国文学发展历史、民族与民间文学、香港与台湾文学、神话与传说、诗歌与文赋、散曲与曲词、小说与散文、寓言与小品、笔记与游记、楹联与碑铭等内容, 具有很强的文学性、可读性和知识性, 是我们广大读者了解中国文学作品、增长文学素质的良好读物, 也是各级图书馆珍藏的最佳版本。
  • 读诗偶得:庐隐作品精选

    读诗偶得:庐隐作品精选

    文学作品是以语言为手段塑造形象来反映社会生活、表达作者思想感情的一种艺术,是我们的一面镜子,对于我们的人生具有潜移默化的巨大启迪作用,能够开阔我们的视野,增长我们的知识,陶冶我们的情操。文学大师是一个时代的开拓者和各种文学形式的集大成者,他们的作品来源于他们生活的时代,记载了那个时代社会生活的缩影,包含了作家本人对社会、生活的体验与思考,影响着社会的发展进程,具有永恒的魅力。他们是我们心灵的工程师,能够指导我们的人生发展,给予我们心灵鸡汤般的精神滋养。
  • 王爷,我要嫁你

    王爷,我要嫁你

    【蓬莱岛】“我要嫁给你。”她看着崖上那个半分孤单,半分寂寞,半分压抑,半分想轻生的男人,直接求婚。他凝起他好看的眉,“本王没兴趣。”咦,她好心相劝,苦口婆心把他从鬼门关拉回来,他以身相许有什么不对?为嘛不同意啊……“反对无效,你有权力保持沉默以示抗议,但你开口所说的每一句话,即会被我认为你这是欲擒故纵。”
  • 邪妻

    邪妻

    廖锦焱现代,她是总噙着一抹无害笑意却让人不禁有毛骨悚然之感的黑市笑面狐,稳坐城市暗黑地下组织第二把交椅十一年。却因为一个莫名其妙的珠子来到了一个莫名其妙的古代做了一个莫名其妙的妓院龟奴。不过,她向来随遇而安,只要不挑战她的极限,她一向是个热爱祖国热爱人民热爱生活的一等良民,可是若是犯了她的大忌,哼哼......太子太傅秋白黎“平江候对我的衣服有什么意见么?”男子神色淡然,看着那在自己的胸前游动的手指淡淡的说道。“呵呵,我对太傅大人的衣服没什么意见,倒是对这衣服下的身体有点意见,太傅大人觉得不妥?”廖锦焱眉眼弯弯,黑曜的眸子恍若漩涡,会让人一个跟头沉下去再也上不来。“能得平江候提出意见是我的荣幸,但是否能先把平江候的手从我的衣服里拿出来呢?”注视着那只抚上他肌肤的手,男子脸色微变,连身体都在紧绷。大燕皇帝邢允天“锦焱觉得这一届的秀女如何?”看着那如海一般的秀女人潮,邢允天淡淡的问道。“臣觉得所有的女人在被窝里都是一样的,关键看皇上的爱好,若是皇上注重眼睛的享受,选一些三角眼酒糟鼻歪歪嘴的,臣也不敢有意见!”廖锦焱噙着魅惑众生的笑诚心诚意的说道。“............”十三王爷邢允浩他十三之名天下皆知,当今皇上唯一的胞弟,就算在皇宫里横着走,也无人敢管!而初次见面,这个下贱的龟奴就让他颜面尽失。第二次见面,他让他衣不蔽体。第三次见面,他把他扒光了挂在了城楼上。...................他们的战争在升级,他对他的感觉越来越复杂,慌乱逃离之后却惊闻他原来是个她,可为何在他奔赴回来后,摆在他面前的却是一具冰冷的尸体?“廖锦焱,你要敢脱我的衣服,我要你好看!”手脚被缚的邢允浩满脸羞怒的吼道。“呦,王爷这么一说,臣真的好怕怕呀!”抽掉邢允浩腰间的玉带,廖锦焱满眼兴味的说道。“廖锦焱,我要杀了你!”突然感觉下体一阵凉风习习,邢允浩的脸由红转青再转黑的狂吼着。“啧啧,怪不得上次王爷在花满楼不敢玩双飞,原来是零件太小了!哈哈哈...”看着那迎风缓缓抬头的某一处,廖锦焱笑的刺耳。大幕之主商隐鹤“锦焱觉得做我的女人不好么?”俊美的男子优雅的恍若一幅画,看着那黄袍加身眉目流转间尽是睨傲天下的女人说道,自己都不曾注意,言辞之间那抹期待那么浓。
  • 萋萋余泪

    萋萋余泪

    她是凶狠手辣的杀手,冷若冰霜的靓寡妇,却也是甜美七妹。他是永带面具的大哥,杀手交易的接头人,却也是痴心一片。如果,那一年,一切都没有发生,他们的娃娃亲会不会实现?一场阴谋,一次阴差阳错,一个故作迷局。三个家族,七个孩子,是至亲,还是仇敌?当血海深仇遇上真心爱意,谁能坚持?
  • 大乘伽耶山顶经

    大乘伽耶山顶经

    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。
  • 民国大侠王亚樵

    民国大侠王亚樵

    凛冽的北风打着呼哨,凄惨地号叫着:随风卷起的尘土漫天飞舞,天地一片混沌。临街的荫堂药铺,半掩着漆黑的大门。柜台里边立着一位中年人,一手按着流水帐簿,一手拨弄着黑色的算盘珠子,还时不时朝门外张望,希望一大早有顾客光临。“王老先生,我爹咯血不止,给抓副药救救吧!”一个衣服褴褛,打着赤脚的十二三岁的少年突然冲进门内,把王荫堂吓了一跳。上月下旬,王荫堂被请到他家里去诊断过:“冷气入肺,支气管膨胀,气血淤肝,拣几副药吃,会慢慢好的。”王荫堂切脉后对张大汉的家人说。
  • 如何沟通领导才放心 怎么做事领导才信任(大全集)

    如何沟通领导才放心 怎么做事领导才信任(大全集)

    大多数职场中人既不了解领导的心理活动,又缺乏与领导交的技巧,因此和领导之间产生了隔阂。这常常使我们的判断、工作方式和态度产生偏差,不但不能创造一个身心愉悦的工作环境,反而阻碍了成长和发展。只有与领导保持有效沟通,充分展示自我的能力和品格,消除与领导之间的误解和隔膜,才能获得领导的信赖和器重,才能有更好的上升空间。