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Dennant's eyebrows rose, his crow's-feet twinkled; his personality seemed to shrink together. "By Jove!" he said, "it's stopped! Now's our chance! Come along, my dear fellow; delays are dangerous!" and with his bantering courtesy he held the door for Shelton to pass out. "I think we'll part here," he said "I almost think so. Good luck to you!" He held out his dry, yellow hand.
With the expression of my full regard for you and your good family, and of a gratitude as sincere as it is badly worded, Believe me, dear Madame, Your devoted Shelton's first impulse was to tear the letter up, but this he reflected he had no right to do. Remembering, too, that Mrs. Dennant's French was orthodox, he felt sure she would never understand the young foreigner's subtle innuendoes.
A large black cloud had covered up the sun, and some drops were spattering on Mr. Dennant's hard felt hat. Shelton welcomed the shower; it appeared to him an intervention on the part of Providence. He would have to say something, but not now, later. "I 'll go on," he said; "I don't mind the rain. But you'd better get back, sir." "Dear me! I've a tenant in this cottage," said Mr.
Dennant's voice; "they're splendid for buildin's, but buildin's are so disappointin'. The thing is to get human interest, isn't it?" and her glance wandered absently past Shelton in search of human interest. "You haven't put down what you've taken, mother." From a little leather bag Mrs. Dennant took a little leather book.
Bill Dennant's eyes began to twinkle. "There's old Benjy!" he whispered; and Shelton looked at the hero of the day. A subdued pallor was traceable under the weathered uniformity of his shaven face; but the well-bred, artificial smile he bent upon the guests had its wonted steely suavity. About his dress and his neat figure was that studied ease which lifts men from the ruck of common bridegrooms.
There seemed a heart to Mr. Dennant's gravity; as though for once he were looking grave because he felt so. But glancing up at Shelton, his dry jocosity reappeared at once. "What a day for ducks!" he said; and again there was unmistakable alarm about the eye. Was it possible that he, too, dreaded something? "I can't express " began Shelton hurriedly. "Yes, it's beastly to get wet," said Mr.
Did you ever see anything finer than this pasture? And they want me to lower their rents!" And Mr. Dennant's glance satirically wavered, rested on Shelton, and whisked back to the ground as though he had seen something that alarmed him. There was a pause. "Now for it!" thought the younger man. Mr. Dennant kept his eyes fixed on his boots.
Dennant, moving after his second ball, which Shelton had smitten to the farther end, "be offended, my dear Shelton, and by no means give him a hint; he interests me very much a very clever, quiet young fellow." That this was not his private view Shelton inferred by studying Mr. Dennant's manner in the presence of the vagabond.
They're rather common, you know the Robinsons. I think they'll take anyone I recommend." "I 'm sure they will," said Shelton; "that's why I think you ought to know " But Mrs. Dennant's eyes, fervent, hare-like, were fixed on something far away; turning, he saw the rose in a tall vase on a tall and spindly stool. It seemed to nod towards them in the sunshine. Mrs.
Shelton seized it, wrung it hard, and muttered the word: "Grateful!" Again Mr. Dennant's eyebrows quivered as if they had been tweaked; he had been found out, and he disliked it.