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Poor Captain Wallingford is now in his sixty-fifth year, and is naturally desirous of not being hung up long on the tenter-hooks of expectation, so near the close of life. The old gentleman having seen much and suffered much, is entitled to end his days in peace.
Tom Hardy had assumed charge of our Long Tom, and he had gradually worked himself up into such an uncontrollable condition of fidgety impatience, running his eye along the sights and then glancing round at me, that it seemed cruel to keep him thus any longer on the tenter-hooks of suspense, and I, rather reluctantly, nodded permission to him to fire.
His apology was extremely composed, but Nigel was looking a little excited, a little anxious, was begging forgiveness with his eyes for all the trouble of the morning. She was not going to seem to give it him yet; a man on the tenter-hooks was a man in the perfectly right place. So she was suave, and avoided his glance without seeming to avoid it.
"I can't help it, though he has kept me on tenter-hooks for a lifetime," he said. "We all feel a certain amount of pride in the success of those to whom we are related, either by family ties or other shackles like those with which I am bound to my murderous alter ego.
Camille kept me on the tenter-hooks while she "turned away her eyes" for years; but one evening when we were reading an ancient book together out dropped those same old sweet-pea blossoms; whereupon I took her hand and I have it yet.
"Do you really think so?" pleaded Miss Cotton. "Well, I say so, whatever I think. And I'm not going to be caught up on the tenter-hooks of conscience as to all my meanings, Miss Cotton. I don't know them all. But I'm not one of the Aliceolaters, you know." "No; of course not.
And now you'll sleep sound, and meet them as fresh as a fair wind to-morrow. Eh? 'Only please tell papa I'm sorry I worried him. 'And how about somebody else, Mary, whom you've kept on tenter-hooks ever so long? Are you sure he is not walking up and down under the limes on the brink of despair? 'Oh, do you think ? But he would not be so foolish! 'There now, go to sleep.
Peggy let fall the ox-eyed daisy whose petals she had been counting, and turned toward him in dismay. "Clifford, thee don't mean that," she cried. "But I do, Peggy," he answered passionately. "The fluctuations from hope to despair, and from despondency to hope again are far more trying than a certain knowledge of death would be. It keeps me on tenter-hooks.
He also directed, that the necessary repairs should be made with secrecy, and that as little should be said as possible upon the subject of his letter. When the time of his return came nigh, Aunt Judith and the household were on the tenter-hooks of impatience.
It should be 'poor hostess." "Oh! the Grosvilles complain?" "No. They're only on tenter-hooks. They never know what she will do next." "How good for the Grosvilles!" "You think society is the better for shocks?" "Lady Grosville can do with them, anyway. What a masterful woman! But I'll back Lady Kitty." "I haven't seen her yet," said Mary. "I hear she is a very odd-looking little thing."
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