United States or Iraq ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It was nigh eleven o'clock when I got home a very late hour in our parts, and Mistress Pennyquick was in a great to-do, imagining all kinds of evil that might have befallen me. Mr. Pinhorn had remained with my father a long time, she said; he was now asleep and was not to be disturbed. I was myself fairly tired out, and fell asleep the instant my head touched the pillow.
About half-way to the door he stopped and put his hand on Jack's shoulder and said with a look of great seriousness: "A sinking cause! Death! Destruction! Misery! The ship is going down. Leave it." "You are misinformed. There is no leak in our ship," said Jack. Mr. Pinhorn shut his eyes and shook his head mournfully.
Pinhorn effectually called me to order by reminding me of the promptness with which I had met Miss Braby at Liverpool on her return from her fiasco in the States. Hadn't we published, while its freshness and flavour were unimpaired, Miss Braby's own version of that great international episode?
Pinhorn, the surgeon, and some while after him four lads bearing a stretcher, upon which the unconscious form of my enemy was conveyed slowly up the town to Mr. Vetch's house on Pride Hill.
He was not dead, then, I thought, nor even hurt, or assuredly he would not have had the strength to curse with such vigor. But what of Cyrus? "I'll have the law on the villain! Run for a potticary! D'you hear, you gaping jackass? Run for Mr. Pinhorn and bid him come here!" And then followed a string of oaths like to those I had heard before.
One night as we were sitting reading, my father had an attack which terrified us. All at once, without a moment's warning, he dropped his book, and stood up, bending forward, his face blue, his eyes almost starting from his head. We hastened to him, but he motioned us away, and then Mistress Pennyquick bade me ride for Mr. Pinhorn.
Then he said: "I knew! I foresaw! But it is not too late." "Too late for what?" "To turn, to be redeemed, loved, forgiven. Think it over, sir. Think it over." Jack's name and age and residence were registered. Then Pinhorn took his arm and walked with him down the corridor toward an open door.
"Lor'! I do wish Mrs Greenways could a heard that," said Mrs Pinhorn; "that'll set Mrs White up more than ever." "It will so," said Mrs Wishing; "she allers did keep herself to herself did Mrs White. Not but what she's a decent woman and a kind. Seems as how, if Mrs Leigh wished to name the child `Lilac', she couldn't do no other than fall in with it. But I dunno."
Pinhorn turned with a look of consternation clearly indicating that this was the last straw. He warned in a half whisper: "Again I say beware! That is the word beware!" He almost shuddered as he spoke, and leaning close to the boy's ear, added in a confidential tone: "The King of Babylon! A sinking business! An evil man!" He looked sternly into the eyes of the boy and whispered: "Very! Oh, very!"
Peter had done a long day's work and was hungry, but he did not go into the house till he had seen his horses attended to by Ben Pinhorn, who was in the yard when they arrived. Even after this he was further delayed, for as he was crossing the lane which separated the farm buildings from the house an ugly cat ran to meet him, rubbed against his legs, and mewed.
Word Of The Day