登陆注册
5429600000083

第83章

But Mr and Miss Thorne were proud of this peculiarity of their dwelling, though the brother was once all but tempted by his friends to alter it. They delighted in the knowledge that they, like Cedric, positively dined in their true hall, even though they so dined tete-a-tete. But though they had never owned, they had felt and endeavoured to remedy the discomfort of such an arrangement. A huge screen partitioned off the front door and a portion of the hall, and from the angle so screened off a second door led into a passage, which ran along the larger side of the house next to the courtyard. Either my reader or I must be a bad hand at topography, if it be not clear that the great hall forms the ground-floor of the smaller portion of the mansion, that which was to your left as you entered the iron gate, and that it occupies the whole of this wing of the building. It must be equally clear that it looks out on a trim mown lawn, through three quadrangular windows with stone mullions, each window divided into a larger portion at the bottom, and a smaller portion at the top, and each portion again divided into five by perpendicular stone supporters.

There may be windows which give a better light than such as those, and it may be, as my utilitarian friend observes, that the giving of light is the desired object of a window. I will not argue the point with him. Indeed I cannot. But I shall not the less die in the assured conviction that no sort of description of window is capable of imparting half as much happiness to mankind as that which has been adopted at Ullathorne Court. What--not an oriel?

says Miss Diana de Midellage. No, Miss Diana; not even an oriel, beautiful as is an oriel window. It has not about it so perfect a feeling of quiet English homely comfort. Let oriel windows grace a college, or the half public mansion of a potent peer; but for the sitting room of quiet country ladies, of ordinary homely folk, nothing can equal the square mullioned windows of the Tudor architects.

The hall was hung round with family female insipidities by Lely, and unprepossessing male Thornes in red coats by Kneller; each Thorne having been let into a panel in the wainscoting in the proper manner. At the further end of the room was a huge fire-place, which afforded much ground of difference between the brother and sister. An antiquated grate that would hold about a hundred weight of coal, had been stuck on the hearth, by Mr Thorne's father. This hearth had of course been intended for the consumption of wood fagots, and the iron dogs for the purpose were still standing, though half buried in the masonry of the grate.

Miss Thorne was very anxious to revert to the dogs. The dear good old creature was always to revert to anything, and had she been systematically indulged, would doubtless in time have reflected that fingers were made before forks, and have reverted accordingly.

But in the affairs of the fire-place, Mr Thorne would not revert.

Country gentlemen around him, all had comfortable grates in their dining-rooms. He was not exactly the man to have suggested a modern usage; but he was not so far prejudiced as to banish those which his father had prepared for his use. Mr Thorne had, indeed, once suggested that with very little contrivance the front door might have been so altered, as to open at least into the passage; but on hearing this, his sister Monica, such was Miss Thorne's name, had been taken ill, and had remained so for a week. Before she came down stairs she received a pledge from her brother that the entrance should never be changed in her lifetime.

同类推荐
  • 裨海记游

    裨海记游

    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。
  • 楚游日记(节选)

    楚游日记(节选)

    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。
  • 规箴

    规箴

    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。
  • 东北舆地释略

    东北舆地释略

    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。
  • 八佛名号经

    八佛名号经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 超能生物来自地球

    超能生物来自地球

    异世界的魔法,其实来自于一个更古老的超级文明。把自己当做普通人的秦翊,在经历了一系列事件之后,竟突然被告知自己是那个文明的唯一幸存者?!我是谁?我来自哪?我要干啥?——怀着这三个疑问的他,和队友们踏上了穿越世界的探险之旅。
  • 旧事新知风雨声

    旧事新知风雨声

    本书汇集散见于数十种二十世纪三四十年代出版物刊载的文人原创作品,包括鲁迅、梁遇春等多位大师和学人,他们共同学习文化的本质,学习哲学的本义,学习研究国故的方法,了解科学以及科学研究的含义,了解心理学的真正意义。这是一本围绕文化、哲学、科学、心理学等诸多常识和新知而展开讨论的文集,是大师和学人奉献给我们的新知盛宴。从中我们不仅能够看到他们对于科学对于真理孜孜以求的认真负责的态度,也看到了他们对于各种知识不止步于权威和众论的可贵思想。
  • 特工王妃:傲娇寒王强势宠

    特工王妃:傲娇寒王强势宠

    她是丞相之女,生父不爱、继母算计、嫡姐伪善、残废无能。他是冷漠无情、傲娇腹黑的闲散王爷,表面不受宠、无权无势,实则权势滔天……一道圣旨,她嫁他为妃。大婚当日,她冷傲出场、手刃侍女、与他交易,从此,她杀人来他递刀,她放火来他浇油,夫妻双双把渣虐……小剧场:“王爷,王妃把公主的揣进水里了。”“还不快让人去帮忙,公主那么重,伤了王妃的脚唯你们是问。”“王爷,太子在御花园跟王妃表白了!”“听说近日京城新开了一家小倌儿馆,把太子下了药送去。”“王爷,王妃……去了小倌儿馆……”某王爷:“……”一直没有动静,暗卫抬头,只见书桌无人,窗户已开。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 吾乃大反派

    吾乃大反派

    林若,你斗天。莫无心,你斗命。我云星斗的,是那马上即要执掌宇宙权柄、操纵大千世界的……人!
  • 绝世无双:鬼医大导演嫁到

    绝世无双:鬼医大导演嫁到

    这其实讲述的是一个二十四世纪天才继承人遇到劳什子穿越,然后在那里混的顺风顺水,走向人生巅峰的故事。其实也是讲述一个天才继承人在不一样的世界,为了赚小钱钱,而成为大导演的故事。本文苏,超苏,非常苏,苏破天际。无小三,无误会,女主生性薄凉,打脸更是毫不留情。注:本文着重写在异世界,成为大导演的过程,灵力为侧面会提及一些。本文1v1,伪兄弟,内含副cp『傲娇炸毛女王shoux腹黑不要脸深情gong』嘿嘿嘿,你们懂的_(:з」∠)_
  • Legends of the Fall
  • 末世空间门之韩涵

    末世空间门之韩涵

    舔着脸脱一波新书新文发在云起了,在QQ阅读上也可以看《谢朝云你给我站住》欢迎大家试读。 韩涵只是一个深受重男轻女严重影响的可怜的女孩子。在她因为和发生父母又一次的发生冲突后,离家出走成功。她却因为意外有了可以在未世和现代生活中来回穿越的能力。但不要以为她有多么的幸运。那个空间门可不是那么白得的。因为空间门的关系,她只能在现在的社会,每个月呆上两天。但她却必须生存在末世的世界里的,但如果她每个月在现代社会。超过两天以上的话就会消耗她自己的生命力,直至死亡。呜呜呜呜……末世好可怕!
  • 打造高效能团队的93个经典故事

    打造高效能团队的93个经典故事

    《打造高效能团队的93个经典故事》一书的编写,对组织和团队成员的主要需求给予了特别的关注,全书精选93个精彩团队故事,读来生动有趣,而人深思。同时,每个故事后的智慧点拨,将团队管理的深邃思想以浅显易懂的总结方式,一语道破,使各篇章内容的故事和理论相互结合,互动互融,别有新意。
  • 文王之什

    文王之什

    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。
  • 嫡女狂妃:傍个太子斗天下

    嫡女狂妃:傍个太子斗天下

    她,一朝穿越成为相府不受宠的嫡女!空有倾城之貌却名为不祥之人,骨肉至亲皆视她为眼中钉,就连贩夫走卒都不愿攀之若鹜。弃女强势归来,斗姨娘,败显贵,活的风生水起。本想安稳度日,却偶遇良人,用尽一生才华助他登上太子之位。大业将成,才知痴心错付。赤子之情竟为他人做了嫁衣。那人笑言为还她恩情只废其功,毁其容,挑其手筋脚筋却留其性命。街头行乞之时,她望着皇家祭天的队伍,心中起誓,必将天下夺回,活的万民敬仰!情节虚构,请勿模仿