United States or Maldives ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Lavington went on conversationally; and still the other face watched Rainer. "It was... a mistake... a confusion of memory...." Faxon heard himself stammer. Mr. Lavington pushed back his chair, and as he did so Mr. Grisben suddenly leaned forward. "Lavington! What have, we been thinking of? We haven't drunk Frank's health!" Mr. Lavington reseated himself.
"Who's got a seal?" Frank Rainer continued, glancing about the table. "There doesn't seem to be one here." Mr. Grisben interposed. "A wafer will do. Lavington, you have a wafer?" Mr. Lavington had recovered his serenity. "There must be some in one of the drawers. But I'm ashamed to say I don't know where my secretary keeps these things.
And the rest of the time it's crowded restaurants and hot ballrooms in town. I thought you were to be shipped off to New Mexico?" "Oh, I've got a new man who says that's rot." "Well, you don't look as if your new man were right," said Mr. Grisben bluntly. Faxon saw the lad's colour fade, and the rings of shadow deepen under his gay eyes.
"I want him to go straight out to my nephew at Santa Paz and stay there till his next birthday." Mr. Lavington signed to the butler to hand the terrapin to Mr. Grisben, who, as he took a second helping, addressed himself again to Rainer. "Jim's in New York now, and going back the day after to-morrow in Olyphant's private car. I'll ask Olyphant to squeeze you in if you'll go.
Peters, go on with the dinner." With small precise steps he walked out of the door which one of the footmen had hastened to throw open. A momentary silence fell on the group; then Mr. Grisben once more addressed himself to Rainer. "You ought to have gone, my boy; you ought to have gone." The anxious look returned to the youth's eyes. "My uncle doesn't think so, really."
Grisben, and we don't dine for half an hour. Shall I fetch you, or can you find your way down? Come straight to the dining room the second door on the left of the long gallery." He disappeared, leaving a ray of warmth behind him, and Faxon, relieved, lit a cigarette and sat down by the fire. Looking about with less haste, he was struck by a detail that had escaped him.
Grisben, who seemed the spokesman of the two, ended his greeting with a genial "and many many more of them, dear boy!" which suggested to Faxon that their arrival coincided with an anniversary. But he could not press the inquiry, for the seat allotted him was at the coachman's side, while Frank Rainer joined his uncle's guests inside the sleigh.
Peters, go on with the dinner." With small precise steps he walked out of the door which one of the footmen had thrown open. A momentary silence fell on the group; then Mr. Grisben once more addressed himself to Rainer. "You ought to have gone, my boy; you ought to have gone." The anxious look returned to the youth's eyes. "My uncle doesn't think so, really."
Lavington's chair was not present, and no seat awaited him. When the young men entered, Mr. Grisben was speaking, and his host, who faced the door, sat looking down at his untouched soup- plate and turning the spoon about in his small dry hand. "It's pretty late to call them rumors they were devilish close to facts when we left town this morning," Mr.
Lavington went on conversationally; and still the other face watched Rainer. "It was ... a mistake ... a confusion of memory ..." Faxon heard himself stammer. Mr. Lavington pushed back his chair, and as he did so Mr. Grisben suddenly leaned forward. "Lavington! What have we been thinking of? We haven't drunk Frank's health!" Mr. Lavington reseated himself.
Word Of The Day