United States or Côte d'Ivoire ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Her husband would not let her feed his cattle for fear she would bewitch them. After sunset Goodwife Evans, frightened by the reports, came to the Puddington house and begged that she might stay for the night. "I am followed by a yellowish cat wherever I go. I am sure 'tis the witch work of Goody Walford. Oh, don't open that door!" she cried. "It will come in." She dropped trembling to the settle.
A low moaning sound some short distance on his right told him that in that direction he would probably find one of the missing, and, groping his way cautiously to the spot, he found the unfortunate Walford lying on his back, with the water surging round him like a mill-race, and a large branch of the fallen tree lying across his breast and pinning him down.
Lieutenant Walford happened to be one of the passengers standing near at the moment, and, as the dissatisfied seaman turned away, Walford turned to the captain and said "We in the army have a very short and simple method of dealing with fellows like that we flog them; and, I assure you, it proves a never-failing cure."
"Could you tell? had you any idea? whose shadow it was?" demanded Neale eagerly. "No! he passed in a sort of slanting direction back and forward just once," answered Walford. "But his build was, I should say, about the like of John Horbury's. Mr. Neale Horbury might be locked up there! He's a bad 'un, is Joe Chestermarke oh, he's a rank bad 'un, my lad! though most folk don't know it.
"It is nearly dinner-time," answered George, delighted to find so great an improvement in the man he had vowed to protect and restore. "If you can hold out for another half-hour, I think I may promise you a decent meal by that time. Will that do?" "Yes, oh, yes, I dare say I can manage to survive until then," murmured Walford.
The late "Cap'n" Walford had been a wonderfully popular man in his day; and his memory was greatly esteemed and revered by the villagers.
The ironical character of Irechester's smile grew more pronounced, and his voice was at its driest: "Certainly you can ask Beaumaroy, Miss Walford. As far as asking goes, there's no difficulty." A pause followed this pointed remark, on which nobody seemed disposed to comment. Mrs. Naylor ended the session by rising from her chair.
'Brian Walford, wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife? 'Brian Walford! she heard the words as in a dream. Surely Walford was the second name of Bessie's other cousin, the poor cousin! Ida had heard Bessie so distinguish him from the master of the Abbey. But no doubt Walford was some old family name borne by both cousins. Brian Walford!
We are very glad to have the opportunity of entertaining you, for we know some people in Walford not very many, but some and we have heard you and your school spoken of very highly. So we want you to make yourself perfectly at home, and come in or sit out here, just as your own feelings in regard to extraordinary fine clothes shall prompt you."
Walford was then lifted carefully out upon the ground, the grass was thickly and evenly distributed over the inner side of the hammock, and then the invalid was again deposited within it, and securely lashed up, his head only being left free. This done, two lanyards were securely attached to the extempore hammock, one at its head, and the other at its foot.
Word Of The Day